Path Of Exile 3.23: A Concise Overview Of This Budget-Friendly Arc Totems Hierophant Build

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• Path Of Exile 3.27 Bloodline System Guide | How To Unlock And Master All 10 Bloodlines?

  PoE 3.27 league is now live! While this update doesn't bring a huge amount of new content, fully exploring it will still take some time. Therefore, I guess you haven't unlocked Bloodline system yet, as it requires defeating the corresponding endgame boss.

  If you have a general understanding of Keepers of the Flame league, you'll know that most of the league's new mechanics focus on adding usable buffs, such as Genesis Tree and Bloodlines.

  As a holistic system, Bloodlines are also called Bloodline Ascendancy because they are similar to your secondary Ascendancy classes. There are currently 10 known Bloodlines.

  Next, we'll explain how Bloodlines work and delve into the combat effects and acquisition methods of all 10 Bloodlines.

  

  Bloodline System Overview

  This system was added to Path of Exile after the release of Keepers of the Flame league. Each one must be unlocked by defeating the corresponding endgame boss or completing the relevant encounter.

  The similarity between Bloodline Ascendancy and regular Ascendancy classes lies in the shared allocation of Ascendancy passive skill points. The difference is that Bloodline selection is not restricted by the base class, allowing for free choice and the ability to change it later.

  After completing a related boss battle, an altar will appear nearby. Interacting with it unlocks the corresponding Bloodline. Interacting with new altars unlocks new Bloodlines and allows you to switch between them.

  Because they share the same allocation points, you need to be more careful and strategic when allocating points for Bloodlines and regular Ascendancy classes. However, reallocating points is not difficult, as points can now be refunded or returned in gold.

  1. Oshabi Bloodline

  This Bloodline requires defeating Oshabi, the Avatar of the Grove, the final boss you encounter while exploring Harvest mechanic, provided you consume Sacred Blossom to summon him in the corresponding map.

  To obtain this summoning item, you need to kill T4 enemies like Janaar, the Omen in Harvest Mechanic to get it as a drop. Then, enter The Sacred Grove and interact with a tree you encounter to meet Oshabi.

  Originally, killing this boss would reward you with items, including PoE currency. After 3.27 league launch, you will also be able to get Oshabi Bloodline, a special power based on Azmeri magic, from the altars that appear.

  2. Chaos Bloodline

  The boss corresponding to this Bloodline is The Trialmaster, who only randomly appears in T14 and higher-level maps with a very low probability. If you want to unlock Chaos Bloodline, it's best to use Ultimatum Scarab of Duelling to increase its spawn rate.

  Sometimes this boss will also appear as the ultimatum encounter boss in areas of level 81 and above, teleporting you to the arena for a duel. After defeating him, you will be able to master Vaal skills or corrupted powers through Chaos Bloodline.

  3. Aul Bloodline - Primordial Knight

  The corresponding boss, Aul the Crystal King (also known as Ahn), will randomly appear in Crystal King's Throne nodes of Primeval Ruins biome after you've explored more than 130 levels of Azurite Mine.

  Generally, the boss's appearance frequency only becomes more stable after you've explored at least 200 levels of Azurite Mine, so obtaining Aul Bloodline is highly dependent on luck.

  As for its effect, regardless of your base class, this Bloodline provides an opportunity to unlock a unique node, preventing your movement speed from being reduced.

  4. Lycia Bloodline - Herald

  This Bloodline is unlocked after defeating the boss Lycia, Herald of the Scourge. She is the boss of T17 Sanctuary map. You need to obtain Forbidden Tome by killing other normal enemies on the map before you can unlock her encounter.

  The effect of Lycia Bloodline is that when equipped, it unlocks a Herald node, granting the power of elemental conversion and profane ground options.

  5. Delirious Bloodline - Impostor

  Unlocking Delirious Bloodline doesn't require defeating a specific boss, but rather completing enough Delirium encounters to obtain 300 Simulacrum Splinters to complete Simulacrum.

  Generally, you need to complete at least 15 Delirium encounters to get enough Simulacrum Splinters. Unlocking Delirious Bloodline will increase your defense and attack power.

  6. Olroth Bloodline - Runesmith

  The corresponding boss, Olroth, Origin of the Fall, has a chance to appear in level 81+ logbooks while exploring Knights of the Sun site. The original loot included Olroth's Resolve, Cadigan's Crown, and Vorana's March.

  Defeating him will now unlock the altar to obtain Olroth Bloodline, helping you improve or better utilize Ward's power.

  7. Catarina Bloodline - Lich

  First, you need to kill the leaders in Betrayal Safehouses in areas of level 78 or higher to obtain Syndicate Medallion, which may drop. Then, use this item to enter Mastermind's Lair to unlock Catarina encounter.

  Catarina Bloodline grants summoning power, allowing you to summon additional minions for assistance. If your base or Ascendancy class is already summoning, you can choose this Bloodline to further enhance yourself.

  8. Farrul Bloodline - Animist

  As the easiest Bloodline to obtain, Farrul Bloodline's boss is Farrul, First of the Plains, located in Farrul's Den. You can unlock the portal to this location by Farric Tiger Alpha and any three yellow beasts.

  Once you obtain Farrul Bloodline, you will unlock nodes that allow summons or spells to deal more damage, making it a Bloodline focused on damage enhancement.

  9. Breachlord Bloodline

  To obtain this Bloodline, you need to defeat both It That Was Tul and It That Was Esh. These two bosses usually appear simultaneously in Hive Colony added in 3.27 league.

  10. Nameless Bloodline - Ritualist

  This Bloodline currently lacks a specific name, perhaps because the corresponding boss, King In The Mists, is quite challenging and difficult to defeat quickly.

  You need to clear enough Rituals to obtain the drop An Audience With The King, then use it in the map device to enter the boss arena, Crux of Nothingness.

  More information about Bloodline corresponding to King In The Mists will likely be revealed as the league progresses further. For now, your task is to choose Bloodline that best suits your abilities from the first nine Bloodlines!

• Path Of Exile 3.27 Keepers Of The Flame League Breach Mechanic Explained And Other New Features

  Path of Exile series has been around for over a decade, and its overall size has snowballed. This is because the game not only regularly updates with new leagues but also often retains popular core mechanics from older leagues.

  While this makes the game increasingly complex and difficult, once you get immersed, you might find yourself reluctant to quit due to the sheer amount of content to explore!

  The latest 3.27 league, confirmed for release on October 31st, is coming soon. Although it doesn't carry over the mercenary mechanics from the previous league for various reasons, its core mechanic is essentially a sequel to Breach league from several years ago.

  So how will Breach function in Keepers of the Flame league, and what kind of experience will it offer? We'll introduce it to you.

  

  Keepers Of The Flame League Core Mechanic

  While each new league release in Path of Exile brings multifaceted content, there's always a core mechanic that not only reflects the league's theme but also serves as the way you acquire limited powers within that league.

  In 3.27 League, this mechanic is a completely reworked Breach.

  What Is Breach?

  In the base game after Breach league ends, Breach is a special farmable event, highlighted on the map as a glowing dark purple area and a giant hand.

  Approaching and clicking on this giant hand will create a large, cracked circle around you, with a progress bar at the bottom representing the event's progress. The crack will then expand outwards, and the progress bar will slowly decrease over time.

  You can fill the progress bar by defeating Breach enemies, delaying the event's end as much as possible. The closer the event gets to its end, the more enemies need to be defeated. When the progress bar is about to finish, the cracked circle will begin to shrink, and the event will end.

  During the process of defeating enemies, you will continuously obtain various loot drops, and interacting with the hand that spawns in the cracked circle will grant additional rewards.

  Breach In 3.27

  Compared to the original model, 3.27 league integrates Breach mechanic with the main storyline of the league update. Based on the story within the Breach league, it introduces Ailith and Order of Keepers of the Flame she founded.

  In the new story, the evil forces of Breachlords further spread and corrupt Wraeclast, manifesting as various Breaches and hidden enemies within them. You must work with Ailith to eliminate them.

  Compared to the past, the new Breach gameplay is more systematic and strategic, as it is no longer a series of unrelated random events, but rather stems from the evil forces of a specific villain. The game also introduces several new Breach gameplay elements.

  First, when you enter Mud Flats area in Keepers league, you will find Breach Hives created by Hiveborn. These are actually large dungeons that you can exploit, with bosses and other battles yielding loot.

  As you progress through the league, you will randomly encounter new Unstable Breaches in various areas. Their gameplay is largely the same as regular Breaches: stabilizing areas by defeating emerging enemies to prevent the spread of corruption.

  To completely shut down an area's Unstable Breaches and thwart Breachlords' plot, you must defeat the corresponding boss. To permanently shut down all Breaches, you need to defeat the final boss, Vruun, Marshal of Xesht.

  It's worth noting that Ailith's purifying power from her flames is a significant aid in completing Keepers league's main questline centered around Breaches. She also provides a new way to enhance your character: Genesis Tree.

  What Enhancements Does Genesis Tree Provide?

  Genesis Tree is both a new mechanic in 3.27 league and closely linked to the league's core mechanics and new storyline. Once your relationship with Ailith is deep enough, she will guide you to Monastery of Keepers to activate Genesis Tree.

  Genesis Tree, with its biomechanical appearance, can be considered a league-exclusive talent tree. Points can be invested to unlock and upgrade Grafts, granting new usable abilities. Up to 16 Grafts are available for acquisition and selection.

  Note that the points used in this tree are Graftblood, obtainable only by defeating Breach enemies.

  Therefore, Genesis Tree and Breach are essentially complementary in 3.27 league. The former is enhanced by completing the latter, which helps you clear Breaches and other league challenges more efficiently.

  

  Other New Features To Note

  Undoubtedly, the revamped Breach and all related mechanics are the highlight of Keepers league, but some new features are also worth noting, especially some long-awaited by PoE players, such as asynchronous trade.

  After the introduction of automatic trading in Path of Exile 2, players have been calling for a similar feature in the first game to improve trading efficiency. Therefore, 3.27 league introduces asynchronous trade.

  Enter Act 6 and find NPC Faustus to complete the relevant quests to unlock this feature. Afterward, even if you leave the game, the system will automatically sell your tradeable items, accelerating the circulation of goods and currency.

  Another noteworthy new gameplay feature is Bloodlines system. It includes 10 specific Bloodlines, obtainable by defeating endgame bosses. Consuming Ascendancy passive skill points can enhance your Bloodlines.

  More key changes brought by 3.27 league are briefly listed below:

  • You can now get a gold refund for passive skill tree and Atlas tree points.
  • Rogues in Heist gameplay start at max level, eliminating the need for lengthy leveling quests.
  • More usable skills and support gems have been added.
  • Three variants of Uber Pinnacle boss have been added, increasing endgame difficulty while also providing rarer rewards.

  That concludes our introduction to Keepers of the Flame new content. With this league about to begin, get ready to start your Breaches-clearing journey!

• Path Of Exile 3.27 Best League Starter Builds | Top 5 Meta Builds For Keepers Of The Flame

  Path of Exile 3.27, Keepers of the Flame League, will be released on October 31st. The new patch brings many changes, including new endgame content and adjustments and reworks to various classes.

  So, what build should you use for the new league? A comfortable leveling build can shorten your early leveling time. If you want to switch to a different build, your leveling build's farming ability will also affect your ability to switch builds. Below, we recommend some starting league builds based on PoE 3.27 patch.

  

  1. Cyclone Gladiator

  Cyclone Gladiator is a classic build that can handle maps of all difficulty levels, but it depends on PoE currency you invest.

  It gets a recommendation because Cyclone skill has received a 20% buff at all levels. If you already use this build, you'll find it performs even better in 3.27. Its core mechanic uses Dancing Dervish Reaver Sword. It triggers Rampage, allowing the sword to automatically clear monsters.

  Pros And Cons

  Cyclone Gladiator build can defeat all Ubers when well-equipped, though it's not designed for hard bosses. Its high tankiness allows you to fight virtually unhindered from the start to T7 maps.

  However, it's not unkillable and can still die in T17 maps or if you're unfamiliar with the final boss mechanics. If you're willing to invest enough PoE Divine Orbs in this build, you can even use it to handle all endgame content.

  • Hundreds of Divine Orbs: It can handle everything in the game, including Uber bosses, T17 maps, Scarab of Risk, and Delirium maps. While it may occasionally die, it's still very powerful overall.
  • Around 20 Divine Orbs: The most cost-effective level. It can clear Simulacrum Wave 15 and most Tier 17 maps, but it struggles on really juiced maps with very difficult affixes.
  • A few Chaos Orbs: Most gear is worth only one Chaos Orb or less, but it's enough for the campaign.

  2. Siege Ballista Hierophant

  Siege Ballista Hierophant has been a very strong build for the past few seasons. Not only has it survived patch nerfs, but its Siege Ballista variant, Siege Ballista of Trarthus, even received a 35% damage buff. Siege Ballista Hierophant is perfect for the new League's Breach playstyle.

  Siege Ballista is a Totem build, or one-button build. Its operation is simple: simply place a totem, and it automatically attacks, making it easy for even new players to figure out how to use it.

  Its early game requirements are low, and all you need is a Divine Orb to get all the gear you need (by trade). Its survivability is quite good, and once you meet the required gear and skills, it boasts high dodge, spell suppression, and life regeneration, so it is not a glass cannon.

  League Start Progression:

  • Early Game: Use Holy Flame Totem.
  • After Chapter 3: Switch to Explosive Arrow.
  • Mid-Level 70s: Finally, transition to the core build Siege Ballista.

  3. Reap And Exsanguinate Hierophant

  Reap & Exsanguinate Hierophant is a tried-and-true build in multiple leagues, but it's relatively not very popular compared to other builds. But Reap and Exsanguinate have been continuously buffed, and the new Bloodline Ascendancy added in patch 3.27 provides stronger talent nodes, eliminating the need for a useless fourth talent point.

  You can directly equip Reap at level 28, but this requires you to take Recovery Mastery (which provides 50 health regeneration per second) on the talent board to maintain the skill consumption. Or, you can use standard Templar levelings like Rolling Magma and Armageddon Brand, and then re-level later.

  The two core skills of this build, Reap (Single Target) and Exsanguinate (Clear Skill), are both physical damage. Therefore, the core idea of Passive Tree is to find nodes for Life, Physical Damage Over Time, and Spell Suppression. Focus on health and damage early on, then head to the right path point to reach the Spell Suppression Cap and gain Elusive effect (via the Lethe Shade cluster).

  

  4. Kinetic Wander Elementalist

  Kinetic Wander Elementalist benefits from a host of new wand abilities (such as Wind Blast, Kinetic Rain, Wall of Force, Kinetic Fusillade) and the new wand base types Blasting Wand and Kinetic Wand.

  Combined with Assassin class rework, Kinetic Wander Elementalist build has the potential to be very powerful, becoming a meta build for new leagues, but it's probably not suitable for pure new players.

  It has advantages in the early game, such as smooth leveling, fast farming, good survivability, and low PoE currency required for item crafting. However, its drawbacks, such as lack of defense and damage, only become apparent in the endgame.

  Also Read: Path Of Exile 3.27 Keepers of The Flame Predictions: 5 Expected Unique Items And Trarthus Gem Changes

  5. Earthshatter Zerker

  Earthshatter was not nerfed in PoE 3.27, and its overlapping spikes mechanic can deal significant damage.

  Pros

  • Easily handles early maps (Tier 5 and below) even with minimal gear.
  • Large AOE range and fast clearing.
  • With increased investment, damage and tankiness can be increased to extremely high levels.

  Cons

  • During Acts 4-6, you may feel vulnerable if gear (especially resistances and weapons) isn't updated regularly.
  • It relies heavily on a high-damage Two-Handed Axe, which requires constant upgrades.
  • While it's not a high-frequency build, you need to adapt to the rhythm of alternating attacks and Warcry.
  • Not recommended for new Hardcore players, as the early stages require a precise balance of defense and damage.

  Also, this build can be used with Slayer, Juggernaut, or Chieftain classes, depending on whether you prefer more damage or defense.

  The above builds aren't necessarily optimal for the endgame, but most of them can easily clear Tier 17 maps if you're willing to invest heavily in Divine Orbs.

• Path Of Exile 3.27 Release Date, League Transition, And Preparation Guide

  A month ago, a teaser trailer for Path of Exile 3.27 was released, announcing its October release date. As expected, 3.27 is scheduled to release on October 31st., and Secrets of the Atlas League will conclude on October 27th, leaving players with approximately three weeks to continue polishing their builds.

  So, should you relax and enjoy the game during this time, or make a few extra bucks? What happens to your character after the league ends? How should you prepare for the new league?

  

  How To Prepare For The New League?

  PoE 3.26 lasted for almost five months, which naturally brought in a number of new players. Some of these players may not be fully aware of what the league transition represents.

  Simply put, it's similar to the season transition in Diablo. When 3.26 transitions to 3.27, all characters, items, PoE currency, experience, and progress in the current challenge league will be transferred to the permanent standard league. When you create a character in a new league, it won't be able to use any gear or currency from the previous league. This means any hard work you put into 3.26 won't carry over to the new league.

  If you want to prepare for 3.27, you can pay attention to the official announcements about the new league content and skill adjustments, note your desired build and the best upgrade build, and find a suitable loot filter to save you time searching through junk during gameplay. This will help you prepare early.

  Your first build shouldn't be the strongest in the meta, but rather the one you most want to play. Once you successfully reach the endgame with your desired build and accumulate some PoE currency and gear, you can switch to a Meta build, which will allow you to upgrade faster.

  Is 3.26 Still Worth Playing?

  Secrets of the Atlas League has fewer content updates than other leagues, leading players to call it the worst season.

  Judging by Steam online users and views on various streaming platforms, PoE 3.26 has fewer players than previous seasons. This may be due to the period of inactivity leading up to PoE2's release, which caused some players (including veterans who never switch leagues) to skip or join later.

  However, despite the decrease in total players, player retention is very high. Even amidst severe server issues (especially on European servers), a large number of players continue to play. So, if you continue playing now, you don't have to worry about finding someone to trade with. You can sell all your PoE currency before the league ends, and you might even make a small profit.

  Tier 16.5 Maps

  Tier 16.5 maps are one of the best features of 3.26, primarily due to the map layout options. Tier 17 maps have closed corridor layouts, which often restrict player movement, hinder ranged and AOE builds, and make certain activities (such as Breach and Legion) a poor experience.

  Tier 16.5 maps allow players to choose their favorite old map layouts, which greatly improves the gameplay experience. Furthermore, better layouts allow for more interesting builds that rely on area-of-effect effects, rather than just targeting specific Tier 17 meta builds.

  While Tier 17 maps may offer higher returns per map, Tier 16.5 maps, thanks to their efficient layouts, narrow the payoff per unit time, so even if you don't challenge Tier 17 maps, you won't lose much. Furthermore, farming efficiency on Tier 16.5 maps isn't much lower than Tier 17. Even after the mid-game fix for the bug that guaranteed Tier 17 modifiers with eight affixes, Tier 16.5 maps still offer good returns. Tier 16.5 maps are expected to be carried over to 3.27.

  Mercenaries League

  Mercenaries are a new mechanic added in 3.26. Mercenaries can serve as powerful support. You can equip them with special equipment to grant you auras or taunt enemies. You can even have them serve as your primary damage dealer, with you supporting them.

  When choosing equipment, you need to balance making your mercenaries powerful enough to enhance your own abilities with ensuring their survival. The mercenary system makes many previously unpopular Path of Exile items valuable.

  However, mercenaries significantly increase the power of all builds, making 3.26 easier. If this mechanic isn't added to the core game, players in 3.27 might struggle to adapt. If it is, the disruption to game balance caused by mercenaries could be devastating.

  Doryani's Prototype is a classic example of a design error. If you put this item, which grants negative lightning resistance, on a nearly indestructible mercenary, it overpowers the lightning build, disrupting the balance. Therefore, 3.27 may only retain a few mercenaries or their corresponding gems, while most mercenary-related content may be removed.

  Beyond the content of 3.26, there has been no official preview or announcement regarding 3.27's content. However, it is expected to include new bosses and PoE currency. Another long-awaited feature that will probably launch in 3.27 is Path of Exile 2's current asynchronous trading system. It performed almost flawlessly in 0.3.0, and this feature promises significant improvements to the trading system, making it well worth the wait.

  ---

  Currently, Path of Exile 3.26's player base isn't at its peak, and with 3.27 still about three weeks away, finding players willing to trade with you might be challenging before the new trading system launches.

  However, IGGM will offer trading services from the start of the season until the end, allowing you to buy reliable PoE currency and items to complete your build.

• Path Of Exile 3.27 Release Date Predictions And Possible Changes

  It's been almost three months since the release of Path of Exile 3.26 (June 13, 2025 PDT). Recently, they released a soft announcement that 3.27 will arrive in October.

  While they haven't yet announced a specific date, we can make some inferences based on their update schedule and habits.

  

  Path Of Exile 3.27 Release Date

  Most Likely Dates:

  • October 24th
  • October 31st

  The official goal is to release 3.27 at the end of October, with the specific date to be announced via a livestream in a few weeks. The current Mercenaries of Trarthus League typically ends about a week before the new league exam, leaving players plenty of time to complete their current league's challenges.

  PoE developers typically release updates on Fridays US time, officially announced as the end of October. Therefore, an update on October 17th is unlikely. If October 21st is considered late October, then both the 24th and 31st are possible new dates.

  Given that Path of Exile 2 wasn't announced until the end of August, October 31st is the most likely date.

  Path Of Exile Development Cycle

  Before the release of 3.26, the developers explained their upcoming update cycle for Path of Exile 1 and 2 in an interview. PoE 1 and 2 will release new content every four months, adding new mechanics and a new PoE currency. This alternating cycle means players will be able to enjoy new content every two months on average.

  This model provides players with predictability and reliability; even if a particular release isn't satisfactory, players know there will be new content to play a few months later.

  However, given the late release date of Path of Exile 2, subsequent updates may be delayed until the end of the month. That means Path of Exile 2 patch 0.4.0 will be released at the end of December, and PoE 3.28 will be released at the end of February 2026.

  However, Path of Exile's development staff is clearly insufficient. Currently, only about two developers can make class balance changes without review.

  These core balancers need to constantly switch focus between POE 1 and POE 2 projects. While they're balancing PoE 2, POE 1 may not receive meaningful balance updates. Furthermore, due to the holiday break, I strongly suspect both patch 0.4.0 and POE 3.28 will be delayed.

  Possible Content In Patch 3.27

  The league theme and new features for 3.27 have not yet been announced, but the next patch is very likely to bring Path of Exile 2's asynchronous trading system (Merchant Tab System) to Path of Exile 1.

  This new trading system allows you to place your items for sale, acting like a merchant. Other players can trade with you using PoE currency even when you're offline, without both players being online. This functionality is similar to an auction house in an MMO.

  This will significantly change the gameplay experience in PoE 1, as trading is much more frequent in PoE 1 than in PoE 2. Currently, trading in PoE 1 can be frustrating, especially when you find an item that perfectly matches your build, only to have it rejected. Time zone issues also make trading quite inconvenient. Merchant Tab System will effectively address these issues.

  Furthermore, for players who want to succeed in the trade league economy, quickly reaching the endgame and then progressing to farm will be more important than ever.

  What Content Will Be Retained In 3.27?

  PoE 3.26 is a good and fun League, but it still gets a distance with a real big expansion. With each League update, not everything from the previous League is retained, as this could affect game balance and the economy.

  Mercenaries of Trarthus will definitely not be retained, as these mercenaries are too powerful and would disrupt the game balance, making it too easy. However, most of the mercenary skill gems are weak, but they may be added to the core.

  Other contents, such as new PoE currency, Tier 16.5 maps, new bosses and unique items, are likely to remain, as they all have a positive impact on the game.

  Comparison Between POE 1 And POE 2

  The current Path of Exile 1 league has been running for three months, and some players may have already shifted their focus to Path of Exile 2. Other players, lacking the energy to play two complex APRGs simultaneously, are undecided between the two.

  As an unfinished game, Path of Exile 2 is improving faster and is the current focus of the developers, allowing you to experience more new content.

  Path of Exile 1 currently has a faster pace in leveling and endgame, and its boss battles are less immersive and challenging. It's more suitable for newcomers and is currently the better of the two.

  Path of Exile 3.27 is still a while away, but even if you're tired of patch 3.26, you won't be bored while you wait. Currently, there's Last Epoch Season 3, and the recently released Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3.0, and Diablo 4 Season 10 is coming at the end of September, so you can wait in busy.

• Path Of Exile 3.26 Spectral Throw Trap Build: How To Deal More Damage With It?

  While the popularity of Path of Exile 3.26 seems to have waned recently, as long as you’re still playing, you’re likely to discover and utilize many powerful new builds! These will help you achieve even greater progress in the latter 3.26 battles.

  This time, we’ll introduce Spectral Throw Trap Build. As a trap build, it not only provides ample DPS but also offers excellent durability and resiliency, and you can continuously optimize it if you wish.

  Next, we’ll explain the combat effectiveness of this build and how to craft it in-game.

  

  How To Choose The Right Gem?

  Undoubtedly, in Path of Exile, gem selection often represents skill. As the name of the build suggests, the essential gem is Spectral Throw of Trarthus.

  As an attack trap skill, when triggered, it fires multiple penetrating projectiles with the same effect as your current melee weapon through the trap, creating a nova of projectiles that then return to the trap location, damaging enemies in its path.

  It’s important to note that Spectral Throw of Trarthus is essentially Trarthus version of Spectral Throw. This mechanic, exclusive to League 3.26, completely changes the skill’s properties, even down to its gem tags and mechanics.

  Since Spectral Throw of Trarthus throws copies of your weapon at evenly spaced intervals around the trap, you can use it to create a more defensive build without having to worry about positioning like you would with Spectral Throw.

  What makes this skill unique compared to most other skills in POE is that you can hit the same target multiple times with the same bullet, allowing you to deal increased damage. If you can keep the bullet on target, you can even hit enemies approximately 4.4 times per second per attack.

  This way, if you utilize Spectral Throw Trap Build in enemy-heavy maps or quests, you’ll complete battles faster and earn more POE currency, helping you upgrade your gear quickly for tougher stages.

  Glove Mod

  Assuming you have sufficient dexterity and intelligence, you can enhance your build and character by adding mods. The glove mod, based on the core Spectral Throw of Trarthus, randomly increases or decreases bullet velocity by 50%.

  First, the duration of a projectile is directly related to its velocity. Without the glove mod, projectiles are symmetrical; they launch and return simultaneously. If the trap is centered on an enemy, it might hit the enemy two or three times: once on launch and once on return.

  However, with the glove mods increased projectile velocity, you’ll see a change in projectile duration, eliminating the need to reposition yourself. The varying return time of the projectile means you can score extra hits and a higher chance of hitting with your throw.

  Another important benefit of the glove mod is that it increases your damage effectiveness by reducing the rolling speed of your projectiles. This allows you to hit at least 10 enemies with almost every trap you throw.

  In this scenario, the projectiles don’t actually leave the monster’s attack range, but instead attack at their maximum damage of 4.44 times per second until they are depleted. All projectiles with longer range and duration then enter range to deal even more damage.

  How To Choose The Best Gear?

  There are many gear combinations suitable for this build, and you can choose based on your needs. A top recommendation is Marohi Erqi, which has decent physical damage and allows you to convert it into lightning or cold damage through the damage conversion mechanic.

  Rakiata’s Dance is a good unique greatsword that can be paired with Marohi Erqi, or you can get Ephemeral Edge for even better tanking. However, if you’re looking for even more damage output, Energy Blade is a better choice.

  Most of this gear can be obtained through combat drops or traded with other players. After assembling your gear, you can combine three mod prefixes and then roll them with different types of POE currency.

  

  How To Defend And Recover?

  Typical trap builds rarely offer recovery, but Spectral Throw Trap Build is an exception. It grants a 90% dodge rate through grace and mage blood flask, allowing you to gain approximately 2500 energy shield (ES) each time you’re hit with Ghost Dance.

  If you want to avoid being hit, it’s recommended to use Titanium Spirit Shield at maximum block to gain 5% ES recovery when blocking. Tempest Shield and Replica Reckless Defense can increase your block rate to over 50% and spell block rate to 31%.

  Suitable Passive Skills

  First, I recommend acquiring Trap Support. This gem allows you to set a trap instead of directly casting a skill. The trap is invisible to enemies, and the first enemy to enter the trigger radius triggers it, creating an additional trap area effect.

  The area effect means all traps trigger simultaneously, giving you a wider reach and a significant amount of bonus damage. This also increases your damage to a single target by 10%.

  Finally, if you’re not used to melee trap builds, it’s important to ensure your accuracy is high when utilizing Spectral Throw Trap Build. Ideally, your accuracy level should be equal to your intelligence mastery.

  We hope this introduction to the build’s crafting and its utilization is helpful. Thank you for reading.