Is Static Strike Reliquarian Build a Strong PoE 3.30 League Starter?

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• How Does the New Atlas Tree Change Mapping in Path of Exile 3.30?

  Path of Exile 3.30 Covens of Umbra brought about the most radical changes to the endgame system in recent years. Atlas Passive Tree is no longer simply about adding or removing nodes from the old framework; it's been completely redesigned from layout and point source to core enhancement tools.

  Scarabs have been replaced by Threads, the passive point cap has increased from 138 to 150, and the passive clusters for League Mechanics have undergone a major overhaul. This means that map planning in 3.30 needs to be based on a re-understanding of how Atlas are activated and amplified.

  Atlas Passive Tree Has Been Completely Redesigned

  

  The most obvious change in PoE 3.30 Atlas Passive Tree is the complete redesign of its structure. The old version allowed players to enter from multiple peripheral entrances and then allocate passives around different areas and league mechanics; the new version, however, uniformly starts from the center of the passive tree and gradually expands outwards.

  The new passive tree adopts a "core-mechanism-specific enhancement" layout. The central area provides general map bonuses, extending outwards to primary and secondary league mechanics, while the outer perimeter features more targeted enhancement nodes.

  At the same time, the previously straightforward passive path has been replaced by multiple branches, making it difficult for players to simultaneously acquire high-value notables from multiple mechanics through a single short route. To enhance a specific playstyle, players need to explicitly choose the corresponding direction and invest passive points, rather than incidentally acquiring benefits from other mechanics as before.

  For players hoping to quickly accumulate PoE currency in the new league, these changes will directly impact Atlas passive configurations and the selection of high-yield map clearing strategies.

  Atlas Passive Points Increased to 150

  Atlas point cap has been increased from 138 to 150. While the additional 12 points may seem like a small change, combined with adjustments to the boss reward structure, its impact on passive configuration is far greater than the numerical value itself.

  The key change is the doubling of point rewards for Pinnacle bosses and Invitations. Defeating Maven, Searing Exarch, Eater of Worlds, and completing Maven's six special Invitations now each grants 2 Atlas Passive Points instead of the previous 1; Uber Elder grants 4 points in one go.

  This means the unlocking pace of passive points is compressed: points that previously required multiple boss kills to accumulate can now be obtained in fewer battle rounds. For the league progression, the complete Atlas tree will arrive sooner than before, thus advancing the window for developing mid-game strategies.

  Meanwhile, the acquisition method for Atlas Respec points has also been adjusted along with the boss rewards. Defeating the aforementioned bosses grants both passive points and respec points, allowing players more flexibility in the early stages of PoE 3.30 to experiment without incurring excessive route lock costs due to a single mis click.

  League Mechanics Passive Clusters Undergo Complete Overhaul

  

  PoE 3.30 reclassifies and redesigns Atlas passive clusters for League Mechanics, primarily dividing them into primary mechanics, secondary mechanics, and general enhancement directions.

  Among them, the passive clusters for the following ten primary mechanics have been completely reworked:

  1. Abyss
  2. Bestiary
  3. Betrayal
  4. Blight
  5. Breach
  6. Expedition
  7. Incursion
  8. Legion
  9. Ritual
  10. Ultimatum

  Since these also correspond to ten Thread types, the relevant passives are no longer limited to increasing the probability of mechanic occurrence but also serve to further enhance the benefits of Thread.

  Secondary passive clusters cover Essence, Harvest, Mercenaries, Shrines, Strongboxes, as well as Rare Monsters, Divination Cards, Gold, and Maps.

  Another significant change is the removal of the exclusive passive clusters for Delve and Heist. This doesn't mean the two playstyles are eliminated, but rather that players can no longer obtain their original exclusive enhancements through Atlas Passive Tree. The previous Delve and Heist farming strategy, which relied on both passive clusters and Scarabs for double benefits, has thus lost its original enhancement path.

  Threads Take Over Map Enhancement

  With the removal of Scarabs, Threads become the primary tool for players to actively enhance map mechanics. Players need to place the corresponding type of Thread in the map device to activate the corresponding league mechanics within that area.

  At the same time, Atlas Passive Tree and Shaped Region system have also been reworked. Atlas initially has 10 Shaped Regions, each corresponding to a different Thread type. Maps within a region can gain corresponding Thread effects for free. Completing regional objectives also adds free Threads to other maps within that region.

  Therefore, Threads are no longer just independent map enhancement items, but are tightly integrated with the Atlas's regional structure. The shaped region a player chooses to farm determines which basic mechanic benefits they can obtain.

  Furthermore, many effects previously provided by Scarabs have been integrated into Core Atlas Passive Tree. Players need to allocate passive points to obtain these bonuses, no longer relying on Scarabs to stack map effects.

  Keystone Additions, Removals, and Adjustments

  The newly added Phantom Anomalies change the trigger condition for Atlas anomalies from completing a normal map to completing a Shaped Region, and allow anomalies to spawn from any Quadrant, making it more closely linked to the region progression mechanic.

  Meanwhile, the following six old Keystones have been removed:

  1. Crop Rotation
  2. Endless Tide
  3. Lucid Dreams
  4. Meticulous Appraiser
  5. Refiner's Bargain
  6. Synthesised Stability

  Among the retained Keystones, Speaker of the Dead has been enhanced: the maximum number of touchable normal and magic monsters has increased from 40 to 50, and the duration of Tormented Spirits' possession of the player has been extended from 20 seconds to 30 seconds.

  Furthermore, Dimensional Foothold and Enemy at the Gates have been changed to multiple-choice passives, no longer retaining their original fixed Keystone format, allowing players to choose the corresponding effects based on their passive build.

  Impact on 3.30 Mapping Strategies

  Atlas passive point cap has increased from 138 to 150, coupled with increased rewards from multiple bosses and Invitations, allowing players to invest more in key mechanics and general nodes within a single passive build.

  However, the new passive tree uses a radial structure, and investing in cross-mechanism aspects still requires additional path costs. Therefore, focusing on strengthening one main direction remains a more effective choice.

  The addition of Threads also changes how map rewards are planned. Players need to consider not only the map itself but also the free Thread effects provided by Shaped Regions and the mechanic enhancements in Atlas passive tree to choose suitable farming routes.

  Since Scarab strategy from 3.29 cannot be directly applied, the initial phase of Path of Exile 3.30 is more suitable for testing the benefits of different Threads and league mechanics before deciding on the direction of passive point investment.

• Why Does Higher Map Difficulty Give Better Loot in Path of Exile 3.30?

  Path of Exile 3.30 Covens of Umbra has almost completely overhauled the loot system. Item drops are now much easier to understand, with higher map difficulty translating into better loot.

  More specifically, these changes include a tiered rare item system, the removal of item quantity, and a major adjustment to how Divine Orbs are obtained. Let's take a closer look at what has changed.

  

  Tiered Loot Drops

  For a long time, magic and rare items found as ground loot have had very little value. The chances of identifying a randomly dropped rare item and finding something genuinely useful were extremely low. As a result, players often had to pick up and identify countless items just to find one worthwhile drop, making the process highly inefficient.

  The official team has finally addressed this problem with the new tiered loot system. Higher Player Item Rarity now increases your chances of finding these new high-value drops.

  Magic and rare items can now drop in different tiers, with higher-tier items having access to higher-tier mods.

  The system divides ground-dropped magic and rare items into five tiers, from T1 to T5. The higher the tier number, the better the item's base stats and potential modifiers.

  • T5 Items: Their modifiers generally range from T5 to T1. If a modifier has no more than six tiers in total, it will always appear at its T1 level on a T5 item.
  • T4 Items: Their modifiers generally range from T7 to T1.
  • T3 Items: Their modifiers generally range from T9 to T1.
  • T2 Items: Their modifiers generally range from T11 to T1.
  • T1 Items: These are standard rare and magic items with the widest modifier range, potentially going as low as T13, with T1 being the highest.

  Higher-tier items can also have more sockets and links, making six-linked items more likely to drop at higher rarity tiers.

  Furthermore, items classified as T5 drops can include certain new items that were previously restricted to other parts of the game.

  For example, Cord Belts will now exclusively drop as T5 items, while Simplex Amulets will also be available as T5 drops. This means players can find these items in the wild simply by killing regular monsters.

  

  Rarity Changes

  Sources of Rarity

  Player Item Rarity from your equipped gear no longer affects the amount of currency dropped by enemies.

  Only rarity from sources outside player equipment can affect currency drops. These include map modifiers and modifiers on monsters themselves.

  In other words, players no longer need to stack rarity on their gear to obtain more currency. Instead, monster rarity, map rarity, and other forms of non-player rarity determine how much additional value is generated in the game.

  There are several ways to increase non-player rarity. The new thread system increases monster rarity as more Threads are added to a map.

  Maps can now have up to 10 modifiers, potentially providing enormous amounts of rarity. As a result, players may buy PoE currency for maps with high rarity rolls, making map farming itself a potentially lucrative strategy.

  Powerful rare monsters, magic monsters, and map bosses all have higher rarity multipliers, which can significantly increase currency drops.

  Item Quantity

  Item Quantity has been removed as a core multiplier affecting loot drops. All Item Quantity bonuses on character equipment have been removed.

  Rather than encouraging players to stack quantity modifiers and flood the ground with countless items, the new system shifts the focus toward improving the quality of dropped loot.

  The goal is no longer to fill the ground with large amounts of worthless items, but to give players better drops overall.

  Previously, Unique and Rare monsters had an 80% reduction to their currency drops.

  This meant that even if players stacked a huge amount of rarity, most of the potential returns would still be reduced by this -80% multiplier. Magic monsters also previously had a 50% currency drop penalty.

  However, both of these penalties have now been removed in PoE 3.30. As a result, Covens of Umbra could become one of the wealthiest leagues in the game's history.

  With so many changes happening at once, some confusion is almost inevitable. However, we can expect high-rarity Rare and Unique monsters to drop significantly more loot, while players should also see an increase in overall currency drops.

  How Will These Changes Affect the Economy?

  With so many fundamental changes, the economic trends from previous leagues are no longer reliable reference points. For now, we can only make a few predictions.

  Maps with high rarity rolls will become more valuable. Maps with the highest possible modifier values could potentially be worth multiple Divine Orbs, as they may become one of the primary ways for players to generate currency through farming.

  Since Scarabs have been removed, players no longer need to invest large amounts of currency in them. Instead, those looking to maximize their farming efficiency will focus on map modifier rolls to get the most out of each map.

  The value of many items will change significantly, including Simplex Amulets, Cord Belts, and Fractured items. All of these could become more common than before.

  As the league progresses and players gain access to increasingly difficult content, these items are likely to become even more widely available.

  Meanwhile, quickly running maps with an Alchemy-and-Go approach will become considerably less rewarding compared to tackling high-investment, high-difficulty maps. Maps with strong modifier rolls and greater difficulty will offer significantly more currency.

  Overall, build strength will be a major priority this league. Durable builds and bossing builds could have a considerable advantage, as more of the available value will come from bosses and Rare monsters. The more difficult players make this content, the greater the potential rewards.

• How Does Threads of Creation System Work in Path of Exile 3.30?

  Path of Exile 3.30 Covens of Umbra League has officially buried Scarabs, much to the surprise of many players. After all, the system wasn't particularly bad, and quite a few established farming strategies were built around it.

  Nevertheless, Scarabs are being replaced by an entirely new endgame system centered on Threads of Creation. This is one of the biggest shake-ups to Path of Exile's endgame in a long time. Let's take a closer look at how Threads system works, how it affects mapping and currency farming, and how players can make the most of Threads in the new league.

  

  How The New System Works?

  In Version 3.30, players can place Threads directly into Map Device to select which league mechanics they want to encounter in their maps.

  So far, 10 major mechanics have been revealed, although more may be added later:

  • Abyss
  • Blight
  • Legion
  • Breach
  • Incursion
  • Betrayal
  • Bestiary
  • Expedition
  • Ultimatum
  • Ritual

  Threads drop from the regular core drop pool. Players can use up to 8 Threads for each mechanic in a map.

  Each map can have up to 3 mechanics in total, with additional Thread slots gradually unlocking as players progress through Atlas.

  Your selections will persist between maps, and Threads will automatically be pulled from your Stash. This significantly streamlines the mapping process and eliminates much of the tedious inventory management involved in preparing maps.

  Threads increase both the difficulty and rewards of monsters associated with the selected mechanic. They also introduce random events, with higher Thread counts increasing the likelihood of triggering additional outcomes from these events.

  With just 1 Thread, theoretically, any of the possible random events can occur, but the chances are relatively low. As you add more Threads, up to the maximum of 8, the likelihood of obtaining these outcomes increases.

  Although there are diminishing returns, stacking more Threads still improves your chances of getting the best possible outcomes. This makes farming strategies more variable than before.

  The official goal is to make Atlas Tree itself provide regular players with effects that were previously available through Scarabs. So, players worried that juicing is dead don't need to be overly pessimistic.

  What's more likely is that players will be able to make their maps extremely difficult and rewarding depending on how many Threads they invest. As a result, the strength of your character build will become much more important.

  Winners And Losers

  Losers

  

  Scarab farmers are undoubtedly the biggest losers. Scarab farming has been one of the most consistent and rewarding strategies for a long time.

  However, the problem is that Scarabs required by popular meta strategies have become increasingly expensive, while other Scarabs have lost almost all their value.

  Players often end up picking up large quantities of worthless Scarabs and selling them to vendors at a 3:1 ratio, hoping to get lucky and receive a valuable jackpot Scarab in return.

  Another group likely to lose out is bulk traders and Scarab sellers. The market roles built around stockpiling Scarabs and earning profits from trading margins will largely disappear.

  However, the official announcement did not say that every Scarab would be transferred to Atlas Tree, only that many of them would.

  This means some strategies that players enjoy may no longer be available, although we will have to wait for the full Atlas Tree reveal before drawing any conclusions.

  Winners

  The biggest winners are casual players. Some of the additional mechanics that were previously inaccessible to regular players will now become baseline options through Atlas Tree, allowing everyone to experiment with interesting farming strategies.

  They may not necessarily offer the highest returns or the greatest rewards, but being able to try them simply by allocating points on Atlas Tree is a welcome change for casual players.

  SSF players are another group that stands to benefit. In the past, running a particular farming strategy in Solo Self-Found could be extremely difficult because obtaining the right Scarabs was often a challenge.

  Some rare Scarabs might not even appear throughout an entire league. Threads should make SSF experience considerably smoother.

  Overall, the biggest winner is character power. The strongest builds in the game will be able to push Threads to their maximum potential.

  The main barrier to making currency will no longer be whether you have enough PoE currency to acquire Scarabs, but whether your character is powerful enough to handle the content.

  Economic Impact

  The impact of Scarabs on the economy is actually not so bad, because their acquisition costs helped balance the rewards of different mechanics, preventing many farming strategies from becoming too profitable.

  When a particular strategy offered exceptionally high returns, Scarabs required to run it became expensive. Players who couldn't afford those Scarabs could instead farm them, find valuable ones, and sell them for currency. It was somewhat like selling shovels during a gold rush.

  Normally, at the beginning of a league, very few players trade Scarabs. Even fast players don't start farming them on Day 1 because the efficiency isn't particularly good, and there aren't enough Scarabs circulating in the market yet. This helped slow down the pace of economic inflation in previous leagues.

  Now, everyone will have access to Threads through drops at relatively similar rates. One major downside is that as long as their builds are strong enough, everyone can potentially run the same farming strategies.

  As a result, the most profitable farms and those offering the best item drops could suffer from severe reward inflation.

  The only major balancing tool available to the developers now is difficulty. However, Path of Exile 1 builds can become incredibly powerful, making it difficult to balance every potential farming strategy and its economic impact through difficulty alone.

  We still don't know the exact value of Threads. However, based on the official gameplay showcase, their drop rate doesn't appear to be particularly low. That said, if you focus on a single farming strategy, you may still struggle to sustain your Thread supply. We'll have to wait until Covens of Umbra League launches to see how much demand the system creates and whether players can sustain their preferred strategies.

• Best Currency Farming Strategies for PoE 3.30 Covens of Umbra

  At ExileCon 2026, GGG announced several significant changes to Path of Exile 3.30 Covens of Umbra. Adjustments to Item Rarity, Threads of Creation, and Atlas Passive Tree will directly impact the economic landscape of the new league.

  This article will analyze worthwhile currency farming strategies for PoE 3.30 based on these changes, helping players understand the reward characteristics and costs of different paths, and develop more efficient money-making plans.

  Core Changes Affecting Currency Farming

  Item Rarity Rework

  

  Previously, Item Rarity primarily affected the drop rates of Magic, Rare, and Unique Items. 3.30 expasion changes the following: map and monster rarity now applies to more types of drops and are included in the conversion calculation when drops are converted to currency.

  This means that high rarity no longer only benefits unique drops; it substantially increases the drop rate of raw and high-tier currency.

  Additionally, the new tiered drops mechanism labels unidentified rare items with a tier, allowing players to more intuitively judge the quality of equipment drops and have a chance to obtain equipment with better base stats and affixes.

  Threads of Creation Replace Scarabs

  The previously widely considered complex and varied Scarabs system has been completely removed in 3.30 and replaced by Threads of Creation. Players can use different types of Threads to enhance corresponding league mechanics, such as Legion, Blight, and Expedition.

  In Map Device, players can apply up to 3 types of Threads simultaneously, with each Thread upgrading from Tier 1 to Tier 8. The higher the Tier, the more Threads are required, and the difficulty and rewards of the corresponding mechanics increase accordingly.

  Threads are automatically consumed from the inventory when the map is opened, eliminating the tedious process of purchasing, organizing, and combining different Scarabs.

  From a farming perspective, the new system simplifies the previously complex Scarab combinations into a more intuitive tier selection: players only need to decide which mechanics to enhance and to which Tier to upgrade them, allowing for flexible adjustments based on build strength and farming goals.

  Atlas Passive Tree Rework

  Patch 3.30 will also feature a complete rework of Atlas Passive Tree.

  The officially announced adjustments include:

  • A completely new talent tree layout
  • Dozens of new talent clusters
  • Introducing more effects that enhance league mechanics
  • Integrating effects that previously relied on high-value Scarabs into Atlas talent tree

  This means that properly allocating Atlas Passive points can provide corresponding bonuses to target mechanics. In addition, the new talent tree includes nodes linked to Threads of Creation, allowing players to further enhance specific content on the map.

  League Mechanism Reward Adjustments

  

  Patch 3.30 modifies several existing league mechanics and introduces new league mechanic synergies.

  Threads of Creation no longer simply increases the spawn rate of mechanics; instead, it alters the rules of map areas to make corresponding mechanics appear at higher difficulty levels and unlock additional reward tiers. Mechanics significantly affected include Beyond, Harvest's Sacred Grove, Gwennen-related systems, and the Temple of Atzoatl.

  Meanwhile, the new Fate system provides another way to enhance boss farming. Players can apply up to three stacks of Fates to bosses, increasing both difficulty and rewards.

  These changes collectively emphasize proactive choice in farming in PoE 3.30: players need to decide which mechanics to enhance and how high a challenge to take based on build strength, map investment, and target rewards.

  3.30 Best Currency Farming Strategies

  High-Rarity Monster Farming

  After Item Rarity rework, the value of stacking Item Rarity is no longer limited to acquiring Unique Items. Since rarity also participates in drop conversion calculations, high-rarity monsters and high-density maps will become important directions for obtaining raw currency and high-value conversion rewards.

  In terms of configuration, prioritize Atlas Passive Tree nodes that can increase the number of rare monsters or improve monster rarity, and combine them with mechanisms like Legion or Beyond that can bring in a large number of monsters. Equipment can appropriately incorporate Item Rarity affixes, but only if it doesn't significantly sacrifice the character's survivability and map clearing speed.

  However, for players who want to speed up gear progression, continuous farming is not the only way to obtain upgrade resources. Especially in the early stages of a league, if the current build urgently needs specific currency to complete gear upgrades, you can also buy PoE currency to shorten resource accumulation time.

  Expedition Farming

  Expedition remains a noteworthy currency farming direction in Path of Exile 3.30. Grand Expeditions generate more remnants and increase the spawn rate of currency chests and unique chests. The chain bonus from Runic Inscriptions further enhances the drop rewards from related monsters.

  In terms of configuration, prioritize upgrading the tier of Expedition Threads of Creation and select nodes in the Atlas Passive Tree that strengthen Remnants, Logbooks, and Runic Monsters.

  The advantage of this route is its relatively concentrated reward sources, suitable for players willing to plan remnants and capable of handling high-density monsters.

  Blight and Ultimatum Reward Farming

  

  Blight and Ultimatum focus more on the reward calculation of the mechanics themselves, complementing routes that rely on direct monster drops.

  The main rewards from Blight come from Oils, Blighted Maps, and Blight-Ravaged Maps, rather than direct drops from regular monsters. Blight Chests on the map also have a chance to trigger additional rewards, further increasing the rewards per encounter.

  By increasing the tier of Blight Threads of Creation, players can enhance the mechanics to obtain higher-value rewards. This playstyle is suitable for players who can consistently complete Blight encounters and wish to continuously accumulate materials and map resources.

  Ultimatum, on the other hand, is a high-risk, high-reward farming method. As the number of challenge rounds increases, players have the opportunity to obtain more substantial currency rewards. However, its returns are highly volatile; there may be limited rewards across multiple maps, or a single high-value reward could yield considerable gains.

  Therefore, Ultimatum is more suitable as a supplementary route to stable farming income, rather than the sole source of currency during the initial exploration phase.

  Fate-Enhanced Boss Farming

  Fates are a core mechanic in Covens of Umbra and provide a new source of rewards for boss farming. After defeating Covenites and obtaining Fates, players can attach them to bosses, stacking up to three times. Different Fate combinations will change the difficulty of the boss encounter and unlock additional rewards.

  Defeating enhanced bosses yields Viscera, used in the Wickerman system to further enhance character abilities.

  Boss farming differs from map-based mob farming in its reward structure: its currency output is more concentrated and relies more heavily on mastery of boss mechanics, but reward scaling becomes very steep as Fate tiers increase.

  For builds capable of consistently defeating enhanced bosses, this route can provide high currency concentration per unit of time; however, if boss battles are stressful, it's advisable to keep Fate tiers at 1-2, gradually accumulating Viscera and Wickerman bonuses before advancing to higher tiers.

  Final Thoughts

  In PoE 3.30, currency farming is no longer simply about choosing high-yield mechanics, purchasing Scarabs, and repeatedly farming maps. Adjustments to Item Rarity, Threads of Creation, and Atlas Passive Tree can all alter the input and output of different routes.

  For league starters, it's recommended to prioritize mechanisms with lower investment costs that match your current build, and avoid investing heavily in threads prematurely when revenue data is lacking.

  Once Covens of Umbra officially launches, adjust your strategy based on actual drops, market prices, and map investment costs to gradually find a more suitable and stable revenue path.

• What Would Players Like to See Revealed for Path of Exile 3.30?

  The launch date and core theme for Path of Exile 3.30 have now been confirmed. All that remains is the official reveal of the full content, coming via a livestream at this week's ExileCon 2026!

  In the meantime, you, as a player, likely have your own hopes for what PoE 3.30 might bring, based on the information already available. Even if this isn't a league focused on radical innovation, you surely want it to be more engaging and rewarding.

  Following the release of the teaser, we've gathered player feedback to outline some of the community's expectations for the final content of 3.30 league. See how they align with your own thoughts!

  

  Optimizing Ritual mechanic and loot

  Based on PoE 3.30 teaser released a few days ago, it's safe to infer that the league's core mechanic is tied to the classic Ritual system.

  Many players suspect that this might just be a reskin of the original Ritual. Naturally, you'd hope for more than just a fresh coat of paint, you'd want fundamental improvements to the mechanic itself.

  The primary issue with the current Ritual mechanic in Path of Exile is that monster spawn rates are too slow, and it forces you to remain in one spot for an extended period. This significantly hampers your mapping efficiency, the most common way to play Path of Exile.

  More importantly, the rewards and sense of accomplishment provided by this gameplay loop are lacking. While you might occasionally hit a jackpot, such occurrences are extremely rare.

  The reward system for Rituals essentially functions as a storefront where you trade for items. While this offers a good degree of choice, the problem is that the available options are often of low value.

  In contrast, the version of Ritual found in Path of Exile 2 replaces the standard reward pool with unique items and Omens, the latter being a greatly expanded system that serves as a powerful crafting tool.

  Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean 3.30 league will copy that model, especially given that Path of Exile 2 is currently in the spotlight.

  We speculate that Path of Exile might instead introduce a new take on Ritual, perhaps similar to Wildwood, where monsters on the map are empowered in some way.

  Integrating this enhancement mechanism into the core Ritual feature could represent a major leap forward, a development that many PoE players following 3.30 league are eagerly anticipating.

  Should this concept, or something similar, come to fruition, it would likely increase the difficulty of engaging with the new league content. Consequently, you can buy cheap PoE currency now, ensuring you're well-prepared to strengthen your character whenever the need arises.

  

  Optimizing Expedition mechanic

  Unlike Ritual, there are currently no signs that Path of Exile 3.30 will bring any significant updates to Expedition, another key endgame activity, despite long-standing complaints from the player base.

  Among all the existing league mechanics in PoE 1, Expedition is arguably in the worst state. Ironically, the version of Expedition featured in PoE 2 is performing exceptionally well.

  Improving Path of Exile's Expedition wouldn't be difficult; for instance, the developers could significantly increase the amount of currency it drops or introduce unique, specialized features.

  

  Enhancing Astrolabe rewards

  Astrolabe is an item used to create a Shaped Region on your PoE Atlas of Worlds. Different types of Astrolabes can apply various modifiers to a region, boosting the rewards you earn while farming there.

  So far, Astrolabe has been a compelling mechanic, it fundamentally transforms how you approach maps in PoE, moving away from the need to mindlessly repeat the same strategy in every single map.

  That said, there is plenty of room for the development team to refine and expand Astrolabe system. Many of the current modifiers are quite generic and offer only modest benefits; the system could be greatly improved by adding more modifiers tailored to specific league mechanics.

  Strengthening master missions

  Masters refer to four unique NPCs you can ally with throughout the game. They provide special missions during the campaign and within maps, offering you additional opportunities to earn rewards.

  Among these masters, Alva and Niko are currently in a good spot, whereas Einhar and Jun are significantly underperforming. Alva remains somewhat useful solely because she offers double corruption in the endgame; beyond that, her other mechanics are actually quite poor.

  In short, with the exception of Niko, Master of the Depths, the other three Masters are currently in a lackluster state and require significant optimization from the development team.

  Adjusting T16.5 and Nightmare map modifiers

  The issue with these map modifiers is that they still lack sufficient difficulty and challenge. Although many worthless modifiers have been removed, the overall result remains far from ideal.

  While lowering the difficulty of map modifiers can help increase the diversity and viability of builds in Path of Exile, a game that feels too easy can also diminish the motivation to keep exploring.

  Adjusting class balance

  Recently, Luminary Ascendancy has become quite popular in Path of Exile, largely because it relies on Kinetisist mercenaries, a combination that has proven to be overtuned.

  This not only creates an imbalance in the game's meta but also highlights a fundamental flaw in Luminary playstyle itself: switching to any other type of mercenary results in a drastic drop in both clear speed and single-target damage.

  Given this, any effort to rebalance classes should include buffs for some of the underperforming mercenaries.

  Furthermore, other classes and Ascendancies that have seen low usage rates over the last few leagues, such as Pathfinder, Shadow, and Scion, also deserve targeted improvements.

  These are the enhancements we hope to see in Path of Exile 3.30. As for which ones will actually make it into the game, we will have to wait for the livestream to find out.

  Even if not all of these changes are implemented this time around, we hope the development team will give them greater consideration in the future.

• Which Mercenaries Are Best for Starting PoE 3.30 With Minimal Gear?

  Luminary and Mercenaries have both been added to Path of Exile's core content, so many players are likely to use them for their Path of Exile 3.30 Covens of Umbra league starts.

  However, the high-end setups for Luminary's Lightbearer and Mercenary Bots may receive substantial nerfs. If they remain untouched, these builds could dominate the meta next league. Even if they are nerfed, however, they may still retain considerable strength.

  Since powerful endgame Mercenary setups often rely on specific support gems or skill combinations, they can be difficult to get running during the campaign. So, let's take a closer look at which Mercenaries perform best when starting PoE 3.30 with minimal gear.

  

  Testing Method

  A player tested various Mercenaries in Act 4 using a basic Lightbearer setup. The main evaluation criteria were how quickly they could kill Voll, Emperor of Purity, and their overall clear performance.

  The test setup prioritized capped resistances and life, with Evasion, Armour, and Strength-based gear prepared to help fill resistance gaps. The only jewellery modification was a basic benchcraft for increased elemental damage with attacks.

  Attack-based Mercenaries used white weapons, while spell-based Mercenaries used white weapons and jewellery with Cast Speed.

  This test did not cover league starts with traded gear. Instead, it aimed to approximate the minimum gear requirements of SSF. Flame Link was tested only at its base level with ordinary flat added damage, without considering Light Radius.

  Key Findings About Mercenaries

  The tests revealed significant differences in performance between Mercenaries. Some performed poorly regardless of their skills, while others could go from top-tier to mediocre depending on their skill combinations.

  Combatant is highly dependent on the combination of Static Strike and Frost Blades, which delivers strong single-target damage and clear speed. However, combinations such as Helix and Wild Strike, Helix and Frost Blades, Helix and Static Strike, or Wild Strike and Static Strike are considerably less effective.

  Fallen Reverend offers excellent consistency. It always comes with Absolution and prioritizes using this skill. Even with very few support gems, it can carry a character into yellow maps with relative ease.

  Blade Ambusher has a relatively fixed skill setup, although its buff skills can vary. For example, Smoke Mine can interfere with its AI. Its single-target performance is fairly consistent, but its clear speed is somewhat weaker.

  Kineticist excels at clearing but struggles with single-target damage. Its endgame potential can be further improved through mechanics such as Returning Projectiles and increased Spell Damage. Reanimator performed poorly across multiple tested variations.

  Recommended Mercenaries

  

  If you want to save time, you can simply choose from the following Mercenaries. These are not necessarily endgame choices, so you can easily trade for them using some PoE currency.

  Fallen Reverend

  Extremely consistent. It always comes with Absolution and prioritizes using it. Even without additional support gems, it can comfortably carry your character into yellow maps.

  Blade Ambusher

  One of the most consistent Mercenaries for single-target damage, although its clear speed is somewhat weaker. Its skill setup is relatively fixed, but its buff skills, such as Smoke Mine, can vary randomly and potentially interfere with its AI.

  Combatant

  Its performance depends heavily on its skill combination. Only when equipped with Frost Blades and Static Strike does it become one of the best Mercenaries for both single-target damage and clear speed. Other combinations tend to deliver mediocre results.

  Manyshot

  Performs well when equipped with Vaal Ice Shot.

  Warpriest

  Offers moderate clear speed but has respectable single-target damage during low-gear league starts.

  Cruel Mistress

  Has extremely high base damage. Its primary skill is Soulrend of Reaping, which can carry a character through Pinnacle Bosses thanks to its base damage alone, even without dedicated support from the character. This Mercenary only becomes available after Act 6.

  Flamehand

  Flamehand's performance is highly dependent on its skills. It performs well in Act 4 when equipped with Vaal Flameblast and Flameblast.

  Kineticist

  Offers the best clear speed among the tested Mercenaries, but its single-target damage is only moderate during the early campaign. It needs powerful skill combinations, such as Greater Kinetic Blast with Cluster Traps, to perform at its best. In the endgame, mechanics such as Returning Projectiles and increased Spell Damage provide an exceptionally high scaling ceiling.

  How to Farm Mercenaries?

  If you don't want to trade, you can also farm Mercenaries yourself. However, repeatedly resetting Act 4, Act 6, and Act 8 is not recommended during the campaign.

  A more efficient approach is to obtain your first Mercenary in the earliest area where their spawns can be reliably reset Sceptre of God. This area has a guaranteed spawn mechanic and is easy to reset, with Mercenaries frequently appearing near the entrance.

  After entering the area, check around the entrance and both sides of the minimap for Mercenary icons. There is approximately a 50% or higher chance that a Mercenary will spawn near the entrance.

  If no Mercenary appears, don't bother clearing the entire area, as it may have spawned much farther away. Instead, leave the area, and create a new instance and reset the spawn. Finding one of the recommended Mercenaries usually doesn't take long.

  Overall, Mercenaries offer excellent scaling potential and provide a reliable option for league starts. Once you enter the endgame, you can prioritize Atlas passives that increase Mercenary spawn chances and provide them with additional support gems during the early stages of mapping.

  As you progress through white, yellow, and red maps, continue upgrading your Mercenaries while using the currency you find to craft better gear and improve your equipment. Their performance will naturally improve as you progress through the Atlas and acquire better equipment.