Path of Exile 3.29 league has been live for nearly a month and a half, and you may have already completed most of the challenges. Your goal might now be shifting toward finding a top-tier build capable of reliably and efficiently destroying Uber Bosses.

To help you achieve this quickly, we are introducing a build based on Pearl of Tsoatha ring, a specific item added in 3.29 league, and the transfigured spell Lightning Spire Trap of Overloading.

By leveraging unique mechanical synergies, this build can easily dish out massive damage in the endgame. If you're interested, don't miss the crafting guide below!

Leveraging specific gear for core functionality

The core crafting philosophy of this build lies in stacking three elements: the massive base damage gained from high skill levels, extreme critical strike multipliers, and seamless area-of-effect coverage.

To this end, gear selection is crucial; beyond Pearl of Tsoatha (which we'll cover shortly), Crest of Desire Fluted Bascinet is indispensable.

This helmet has long been a game-changer for spell-based builds, offering innate properties such as +8 to the level of socketed gems, +50% to the quality of socketed gems, and a chance to deal double damage.

Typically, the fatal flaw of Crest of Desire is that it has only a single socket and cannot directly link to support gems; essentially, you trade the benefits of multiple support gem multipliers for exceptionally high base stats on a single skill.

If you primarily use spells that scale heavily with skill level, this trade-off is highly worthwhile. However, for trap skills that rely on multiple support gems, this limitation often creates significant mechanical drawbacks.

Pearl of Tsoatha, introduced in PoE 3.29, effectively solves this problem. It allows you to apply the effects of additional support gems directly to skills socketed in your helmet, gloves, boots, or even those on your passive skill tree.

This enables you to indirectly infuse Lightning Spire Trap of Overloading (socketed in Crest of Desire) with extra support gem effects, all without compromising the helmet's single-socket constraint.

Consequently, Crest of Desire retains its powerful innate properties while effectively gaining top-tier support bonuses equivalent to a 5-link or even 6-link setup, shattering the helmet's inherent limitations in one fell swoop.

Gear options for other slots

Beyond the two key items mentioned above, if you want a more streamlined path to completing this Path of Exile 3.29 build, consider slotting Marylene's Fallacy into your amulet slot. When enhanced with high-quality catalysts, it provides a massive boost to critical strike multiplier.

For the body armor slot, adding Carcass Jack grants increased AoE and essential elemental resistances.

As for the weapon, you can start with a staff base that has +2 to Level of all Spell Skill Gems and then craft an additional +4 to Level of Lightning Spells modifier onto it.

To achieve this, repeatedly re-roll your weapon base using Deafening Essence of Wrath until you hit the + Level of Lightning Spells modifier.

Next, use the crafting bench to lock the prefix and block unwanted suffixes, roll for the final modifier, and then craft the specific suffix you desire.

Note that this process requires a significant amount of various currencies; if you run low on supplies, be sure to buy PoE currency promptly to avoid stalling your crafting progress.

Skill setup centered on Lightning Spire Trap of Overloading

Among the many spells in PoE, Lightning Spire Trap of Overloading stands out as the ideal vehicle for this mechanic, thanks to its unique stat profile.

As a transfigured version of Lightning Spire Trap, it boasts a long 10-second base cooldown but compensates with massive single-hit damage and a 100% base critical strike chance.

To fully capitalize on this rare base critical strike chance, it is best paired with Bifurcate passive skill from Assassin Ascendancy class.

Bifurcate causes your critical strike damage to be calculated twice if both checks result in a critical hit, though it comes at the cost of a 30% reduction in critical strike chance.

However, even with the critical strike chance penalties from Bifurcate and your gear, Lightning Spire Trap of Overloading can still reach the critical strike chance cap.

Further increasing the skill's quality will also add more waves to the attack. If you socket a gem into the blue slot of Crest of Desire, you can even increase the number of waves from 8 to 16, effectively doubling the damage output once again.

To maximize the shotgunning effect of Lightning Spire Trap of Overloading, where multiple projectiles or waves strike the same target simultaneously, you also need to invest in increased AoE.

Increasing AoE expands the coverage area of each individual wave without altering the spacing between them. Consequently, with a sufficiently large radius, you can virtually guarantee that every wave connects with a single target.

Additional mechanics to leverage

Beyond the core items and skills mentioned above, you can further enhance this build's performance against single-target bosses by incorporating other Path of Exile mechanics.

For instance, linking Lightning Spire Trap of Overloading with Advanced Traps Support helps mitigate its lengthy 10-second cooldown, resulting in a smoother, more responsive playstyle.

To push your damage output even higher, you can stack various buffs and debuffs before the boss fight begins. A great example is using Stormblast Mines linked with Arrogance Support, combined with the appropriate passive skills to extend mine duration, to set the stage.

You can deploy up to 20 mines simultaneously; bolstered by aura effects, these mines can increase the damage taken by nearby enemies by 140%.

If you have the currency to spare, you can also utilize specific flasks for additional advantages. Bottled Faith, for example, further amplifies the damage enemies take, while Vessel of Vinktar provides increased lightning penetration.

Whether you want to breeze through Uber boss challenges in the mid-to-late game of Path of Exile 3.29 or simply experience the thrill of instantly obliterating high-difficulty content, this build is not to be missed! Give it a try if you're interested!

September is here, and Path of Exile 1 ExileCon qualifiers, eagerly awaited by countless Exiles, are finally about to begin! This race is not only the only path to New Zealand ExileCon finals, but also the perfect stage to test your competitive skills.

The development team has released the complete schedule, rules, and rewards. Whether you're a player planning to compete in the qualifiers or a viewer cheering on your team in front of the livestream, this guide will help you grab all the key information.

Schedule

This PoE 1 ExileCon qualifier will consist of four separate events, scheduled for the same time slot on four consecutive Fridays.

The specific times are as follows:

• Qualifier One - September 4, 2 PM PDT
• Qualifier Two - September 11, 2 PM PDT
• Qualifier Three - September 18, 2 PM PDT
• Qualifier Four - September 25, 2 PM PDT

Please make sure to convert the time zone according to your location and log in to your game account in advance, as the event page will display the corresponding local clock based on the time zone set in your account, so that you can confirm the start time of the event.

Additionally, all participants are advised to enter PoE character selection screen and click the Join button in advance. Once in the game, your character will remain stationary until the countdown reaches zero, at which point the match officially begins.

Preparing in advance can help you avoid network congestion or operational errors closer to the start time, ensuring you don't lose at the starting line.

How to participate?

Participating in PoE 1 ExileCon qualifiers is completely free, so any player with a PoE account can join. However, there's a strict prerequisite: you must link your game account to your Twitch account and stream the entire qualifier through that linked Twitch channel.

This is to ensure that the event supervisors can view your game footage in real time, and it is also a necessary condition for everyone to be eligible to win.

Linking your account is very simple: after logging into your account on the official website, simply click the corresponding link on the account linking page.

Once you successfully join a qualifier, the system will prompt you to create a character. All players use the same fixed-seed environment, meaning the map layout and monster distribution are completely identical for everyone.

However, PoE currency and equipment drops retain their randomness; the competition is purely about route planning, skill level, and on-the-spot decision-making.

Players should note that this ExileCon qualifier is only open to PC players; console access is not yet available.

Race Rules

The goal for players in each qualifier is highly specific: to be the first to defeat Kitava, the final boss of Act 5, in Standard Solo Self-Found mode.

While this qualifier is not a Hardcore event and character death is not permanent, the development team has introduced a special penalty mechanism - after each death, your character will be forcibly locked in place, unable to move for one minute.

This one minute is enough for the leader to create a decisive gap, so survival strategy is often more important than recklessness.

After the race, the system will rank players based on their time to defeat Kitava, and only the first-place player in each qualifier will directly advance to the final.

It's important to note that if you win a qualifier, you will be disqualified from participating in subsequent qualifiers to provide more opportunities for other players.

Furthermore, all participants must abide by the game and Twitch's terms of service. Any behavior that violates the spirit of competition (such as maliciously interfering with others, exploiting bugs, etc.) may result in disqualification!

Champion Rewards

The champion of each qualifying round will receive an incredibly generous prize package, including airfare to Auckland, New Zealand, local accommodation during ExileCon weekend, an Ultra VIP ExileCon ticket, and direct entry to ExileCon Path of Exile 1 Grand Final.

In addition, the champion can choose one of four collectible Body Armor designs:

• Thunderstruck Body Armor
• Engineer's Body Armor
• Crystallized Body Armor
• Demonic Stygian Armor

If a winner cannot travel to New Zealand, their airfare, accommodation, and Grand Final spot will be awarded to the runner-up in all qualifying rounds (regardless of the number of rounds), and the winner will retain their chosen Body Armor reward.

The development team has also specifically noted that current or former employees of the company are not eligible to receive rewards to ensure fairness.

How to watch the competition?

For players who don't plan to participate or fail to qualify, the official team will stream every qualifier live on their Twitch channel. They also welcome any streamers to co-stream; you can share your race perspective on your own channel and experience the tension of Path of Exile with your fans.

Additionally, new Twitch drop rewards will be available during each stream, allowing you to not only learn from top players' strategies but also have a chance to win in-game rewards - a win-win situation.

Finally, please remember to double-check your account's linked status and ensure your streaming software and network connection are stable.

Once the matches begin, your UI must be clearly visible without any obstructions, and your Twitch replays must be set to public for post-match review.

All qualifier results will be announced as soon as possible after each match. We wish every participating Exile the best of luck on the battlefield - win or lose, having the courage to challenge Kitava is admirable!

In PoE 3.29, for Strength Stacking Heavy Strike of Trarthus build to continue pushing it to the high end, a high-quality Lathi is often one of the most expensive pieces of gear. Especially when multiple Influenced Mods are involved, crafting costs and the risk of failure increase rapidly.

This method primarily utilizes Recombinator and Brinehook's Ducat to combine high-value modifiers, with a single finished piece costing approximately 150 Divine Orbs.

While the investment is significant, this phased modifier processing approach is more suitable for high-end crafting compared to relying entirely on a one-time high-risk operation.

Crafting Goal

This Lathi, with 3 prefixes and 2 suffixes, has three core prefixes to keep in mind during crafting:

• 20% more Attack Damage for socketed skills
• Level 10 Endurance Charge on Melee Stun support for socketed gems
• 1% increased Spell Damage for every 10 Strength

The suffixes should retain Attack Speed ​​provided by Essences of Zeal and +1 to Maximum Endurance Charges.

Essence Attack Speed ​​is prioritized here, mainly because its value is higher than the normal T1 Attack Speed. Once all five target modifiers are in place, use the last empty suffix, Benchcraft Strength + Intelligence, and Critical Strike Chance, and Lathi is essentially complete.

Step 1: Preparing 0P2S Suffix Base Material

In this PoE Curse of the Allflame craft, first prepare an Elder/Shaper double-influenced Lathi with an ilvl of 84+. You can prepare the double-influenced base yourself, but you can usually find Lathi with obsolete modifiers but a viable base material on the trading market; finding one on the trade market at a reasonable price is usually more convenient.

Next, repeatedly use Essences of Zeal until you simultaneously obtain Essence Attack Speed ​​and +1 Maximum Endurance Charge. If a third suffix appears try to remove it using Annul.

After confirming the two target suffixes, use Craft Suffixes Cannot Be Changed, then use 3.29 Orb of Scouring to clear the prefixes. Finally, you will obtain 0P2S Lathi needed for subsequent recombination.

Step 2: Preparing the Three Target Prefixes

This stage will consume a significant amount of time and Path of Exile Orb of Alteration.

First, prepare multiple ilvl 84+ Shaper Influenced Lathi and use Alteration Spam to roll for: Socketed Skills deal 20% more Attack Damage. It's best not to equip other Influenced Mods simultaneously, as this will result in cleaner processing later.

Next, prepare Elder Influenced Staff. Note that this requires Staff, not Warstaff. Roll for the other two target modifiers: 1% increased Spell Damage per 10 Strength and Supported by Level 10 Endurance Charge on Melee Stun.

Step 3: Craft a 2P0S Lathi

At this step, PoE currency consumption will begin to increase significantly.

A common practice is to prepare Black Mórrigan and Craicic Croaker, and use Beastcraft to add Hinekora's Lock to Lathi with 20% More Attack Damage. Simultaneously prepare donor staff withspell damage per 10 strength and Endurance Charge on Melee Stun, then use PoE Curse of the Allflame Orb of Alteration to attempt to combine the target modifiers onto Lathi.

Ideally, both Influenced Prefixes should be successfully retained, while at least one empty Prefix and one empty Suffix should remain. This allows for the later use of Craft Prefixes Cannot Be Changed, followed by Orb of Scouring to remove the suffixes and obtain the desired 2P0S Lathi.

Step 4: First Brinehook's Ducat Recombination

The core stage of PoE Curse of the Allflame Recombinator Craft truly begins. The previously prepared 2P0S Lathi and 0P2S Lathi can now be used for recombination.

First, add Brinehook's Ducat to both pieces of gear using Allflame Craft, then use Recombinator. The first recombination has approximately a 33% chance of retaining two Prefixes and approximately a 90% chance of retaining two Suffixes.

Ideally, more prefixes should be retained, but a 1P2S result is more common. This result is still valid, as the two key suffixes have been successfully retained on the target Lathi; the next step is to add more prefixes.

Step 5: Moving from 1P2S to 2P2S

If the first recombination resulted in 1P2S, the next step is to prepare a new 2P0S Lathi, adding as many missing prefixes as possible.

After adding Brinehook's Ducat to both sides, recombinator again. This round has approximately a 60% probability of retaining two prefixes; if the three prefixes involved in the recombination are all different, there is approximately a 10% probability of directly achieving three prefixes. Meanwhile, the two suffixes still have approximately a 90% retention rate.

The ideal intermediate result in this step is a 2P2S Lathi.

Step 6: Final Push to 3P2S

At 2P2S, only one prefix is ​​needed to complete the final product.

First, identify which target prefix is ​​missing from the current Lathi. Then, prepare a new 2P0S Lathi containing that prefix. If possible, choose another prefix that also contributes to the final combination.

Add Brinehook's Ducat to both sides and then use Recombinator. This round has approximately a 30% chance of achieving 3 prefixes and a 90% chance of retaining 2 suffixes.

If unsuccessful, continue preparing new 2P0S Lathi for recombination until you finally obtain a 3P2S Lathi.

Step 7: Benchcraft Finishing Touches

With the three target prefixes and two target suffixes in place, only Benchcraft finishing touch remains.

Leave the last suffix slot empty and craft the hybrid Strength + Intelligence and Critical Strike Chance modifier on the final empty suffix. This completes Strength Stacking Lathi build.

This crafting build consumes a significant amount of Divine Orbs, Orbs of Alteration, and other currencies, and the actual result is affected by Recombinator RNG. However, once you master 0P2S - 1P2S - 2P2S - 3P2S progression, handling similar multi-mod gear becomes much easier.

In PoE 3.29, the value of Brinehook's Ducat extends beyond this Lathi. Whether it's a Strength Stacking Wand or other projects that require retaining multiple prefixes and suffixes simultaneously, a similar approach of splitting and recombining can be applied.

After completing the campaign of Path of Exile 2 Forbidden Rites and the subsequent Interlude, you will reach the endgame. The core of the endgame system is Atlas passive skill tree. It boosts item rarity and the number of rare monsters within maps, while also increasing Waystone drop rates - ensuring a steady supply of map resources as you progress from Tier 1 to Tier 15.

Patch 0.5.5 introduced a crucial change to Atlas progression flow. Previously, unlocking all Atlas passive points required defeating the Arbiter of Divinity five times; in Forbidden Rites, this requirement has been reduced to just two kills, significantly shortening the time needed to fully develop your Atlas setup.

Once you have completed the initial Atlas unlocks, you can shift your focus from map progression to maximizing profits much sooner. Let's look at how to efficiently plan your Atlas to boost your endgame returns.

Phase 1: Quickly Unlocking Atlas Passive Points

Starting Strategy: Don't Start at Tier 1

Upon entering the endgame, Doryani gives you a Tier 1 Waystone. However, if your build is already combat-ready, there is no need to slowly climb up from Tier 1. The game's experience penalty mechanics allow a level 64 character to kill level 71 enemies without losing out on experience gains, so you can absolutely start progressing using higher-tier Waystones right away.

Core Principle: Speed-Run Bosses, Skip Mechanics

While you are still working to unlock all your Atlas points, there is only one priority: complete maps as quickly as possible to unlock those points.

This means rushing straight to the boss upon entering a map, rather than clearing out every single monster. Also, remember not to use Tablet infusion mechanics, upgrade maps with Orbs of Alchemy or Regal Orbs, or spend time on league mechanics like Rituals or Breaches.

The reason for this is that, without the bonuses provided by Atlas passive points, the returns from these mechanics are extremely low. Take Ritual mechanic as an example: without specific Ritual passive points, the Favor you earn is insufficient to purchase rare items. You are forced to rely on Defer function - saving desired rewards for future Ritual encounters - meaning the actual return on investment is quite limited.

Second Kill of Arbiter of Divinity: Claiming All Remaining Atlas Points at Once

Another significant change in version 0.5.5 concerns the use of Origin Core.

After completing Precursor Fortress main questline, you must clear Patriarch Halls and Matriarch Halls to obtain Origin Spark and Origin Cradle, respectively. You then combine these two items to create an Origin Core and defeat Arbiter of Divinity.

There is a crucial mechanic here: defeating the boss for the first time using the quest-rewarded Origin Core does not immediately grant you all the remaining Atlas points. However, if you defeat Arbiter of Divinity a second time using a non-quest version of Origin Core, you can instantly complete the entire Precursor Fortress and claim all remaining Atlas passive points in one go.

Therefore, the primary goal of the second kill isn't simply to fight the boss again, but to secure the remaining Atlas points in a single step.

If you prefer not to traverse the world map again to hunt for Origin Spark and Cradle, you can simply use PoE 2 currency to acquire a finished Origin Core. This allows you to skip the material-gathering phase, proceed directly to the second Arbiter kill, and quickly max out your remaining Atlas points.

Phase 2: Mid-Game Mapping - Expedition and Delirium

Expedition: A Reliable Source of Divine Orbs and Perfect Jeweller's Orbs

Once you have maxed out your Atlas points, your mapping strategy should shift from speed-running to maximizing profit. The first mechanic worth prioritizing is Expedition.

You can unlock Expedition content at Ruins of Kingsmarch, located in the southeast section of Atlas. Completing the associated quests grants you access to Grand Expeditions.

Grand Expeditions have a critical Tier requirement: you must use Tier 14 maps or higher to ensure Vaal Monolith rolls the maximum possible modifier values. Using maps below Tier 14 results in significantly reduced rewards from Remnants.

In Tier 15 Grand Expeditions, Remnants can drop high-value items such as Divine Orbs, Perfect Jeweller's Orbs, and Masterwork Runes. Completing Expedition storyline also unlocks specific Expedition Atlas points, further enhancing the quality of rewards from Remnants.

Delirium: 200% Delirium and Liquid Emotions Returns

Once Expedition farming is stabilized, the next mechanic worth investing in is Delirium. Starting from Hilda's Campsite, head to Withered Willow to complete the Delirium encounter chain and unlock the corresponding Atlas passive points; then, challenge Simulacrum and Raven.

Running 200% Delirium is a highly efficient mapping strategy in PoE 2 version 0.5.5. Notably, city maps allow for the placement of four Tablets - one more than standard maps - making them key to maximizing returns. A common approach is to use a Grand Mirror to trigger the Delirium fog, gradually raise Delirium level to 200% using surrounding maps, and then farm this high-intensity map repeatedly.

Key rewards include Simulacrum Splinters, complete Simulacrums, high-value currency drops from extra monsters, and Delirium-exclusive Liquid Emotions. The latter often provides a significant source of additional income.

Additionally, you can combine Delirium Tablets with Expedition mechanics to reap rewards from both systems in a single map, balancing experience gains with extra loot.

Phase 3: Unlocking and Utilizing Masters of the Atlas

The endgame of PoE 2 version 0.5.5 features three Masters of the Atlas - Hilda, Doryani, and Jado - each offering 12 passive points. These points directly influence the types of loot you receive and the map's difficulty; proper configuration determines whether you are buried in mediocre spoils or consistently acquire high-value items.

Hilda

Unlocking Hilda is the most straightforward process: she awaits you at Hilda's Campsite, southwest of Ziggurat Refuge. She will mark the location of a Great Beast for you; simply travel there and defeat it to earn Hilda's Master passive points. Her passive tree focuses on enhancing rewards from bosses and powerful enemies, making it ideal for players who rely on boss farming as their primary income source.

Doryani

To unlock Doryani, you must complete Corrupted Nexus map. Doryani focuses more on enhancing Atlas itself and map control - such as boosting Waystone modifier effects, altering map zones, and improving map progression capabilities - making it ideal for players looking to optimize mapping efficiency and command over the Atlas.

Jado

Unlocking Jado requires clearing Anomaly Maps. Jado's passive nodes primarily enhance Strongboxes, map layouts, and Anomaly Maps, with some nodes also boosting the acquisition rate of high-value items like Uniques. If your goal is farming Strongboxes, Uniques, or Anomaly content, Jado is an excellent choice.

Overall, endgame progression in PoE 2 version 0.5.5 follows a clear trajectory: the early stage centers on speed-running maps to quickly unlock Atlas points; the mid-stage shifts toward high-yield mechanics like Expedition and Delirium; and once Atlas setup is established, you configure your Masters of the Atlas passives based on your specific farming objectives.

You might be wondering: if you're on a tight budget in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5 - or even relying solely on gear picked up along the way - is there a build capable of reaching the endgame? The answer is a resounding yes: Disciple of Varashta summoning build.

You'll start as a Sorceress and officially bring the build online once you complete your first Ascendancy at level 20–21 to become a Disciple of Varashta.

It doesn't rely on expensive core items; your minions handle the vast majority of the damage output, while your character simply needs to maintain command skills and key buffs.

Core Mechanics

To summarize the core mechanics of this Disciple of Varashta Summoner: you maximize the bonuses applied to Kelari, the Tainted Sands via your minion systems, stack Muster's more damage multiplier using a variety of minion types, and rely on the permanently active Archon of Undeath buff for burst damage.

In more detail: Kelari, the Tainted Sands counts as a minion during damage calculation, meaning it benefits from both minion damage modifiers and allies in presence deal increased damage bonuses.

Muster support gem grants 7% more damage for each distinct type of minion you have; therefore, the greater the variety of minions, the higher the damage output of Kelari, the Tainted Sands.

By allocating Dominion on your amulet, you can keep Archon of Undeath buff active almost constantly, ensuring Disciple of Varashta Summoner remains powerful throughout PoE 2 combat encounters.

Gear Choices

Weapon

Weapon selection is crucial for this build. You should prioritize a Rattling Scepter that features allies in presence deal increased damage, +1 to Level of all Minion Skills, and the ability to stack Puppet Master charges.

Helmet

For the helmet, aim for high Energy Shield, resistances, and +1 to Level of all Minion Skills.

Body Armour

The goals for the body armour mirror those of the helmet: prioritize high Energy Shield and resistances, while trying to secure +1 to Level of all Minion Skills.

Focus

High Energy Shield and resistances remain the priorities for Focus. Ideally, you want a Focus with +2 to Level of all Minion Skills, though this affix is ​​expensive, so your choice will depend on your PoE2 currency budget. 

Gloves

Continuing the approach used for other armor pieces, you should look for Energy Shield and resistances on your gloves, as well as any +1 to Level of All Minion Skills modifiers you can afford in Path of Exile 2.

Boots

Use Bones of Ullr boots; the primary goal is to gain Minion Reservation Efficiency while also providing some movement speed for your Disciple of Varashta setup.

Rings

For your two ring slots, prioritize a Topaz Ring to fill in any missing resistances. For the other slot, use an Evergrasping Ring, as it carries virtually no downsides within Chaos Inoculation system we are utilizing.

Amulet

As previously mentioned, remember to allocate Dominion passive to your amulet; ideally, look for stats like +1 to Level of All Minion Skills and Spirit.

Belt

The belt isn't a critical component for this Disciple of Varashta minion build, though for specific boss encounters, you might consider using one that grants immunity to Corrupted Blood.

Skill Setup

Boss Encounters

When facing bosses, your primary damage skills will be Kelari, the Tainted Sands and Kelari's Deception. Link these with Muster, Concentrated Area, Kurgal's Leash, Hulking Minions, and Bidding III (to improve cooldown recovery).

Kurgal's Leash grants your minions Unholy Might after you use command skills, while Hulking Minions provides a more damage multiplier to your support skills.

Mapping

When clearing maps in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.5, this Disciple of Varashta build can utilize Navira's Fracturing.

However, this skill only takes effect if enemies are standing on Chilled Ground. Therefore, you should pair it with Companion: Plague Harvester and its Trail of Ice skill, allowing the companion to automatically create Chilled Ground.

Minions

Regarding minions, aim to have at least one of each type active and equip Last Gasp support gem. The required skills are:

• Skeletal Warrior
• Skeletal Storm Mage
• Skeletal Brute
• Skeletal Cleric
• Skeletal Sniper
• Skeletal Arsonist
• Skeletal Frost Mage
• Skeletal Reaver

Pain Offering is reserved for boss encounters; link it with Prolonged Duration, Minion Mastery, Magnified Area II, and Danse Macabre support gems. 

Passive Skill Tree

For Disciple of Varashta summoning build, players should first prioritize Energy Shield-related nodes, such as The Fourth Teaching, Energy Shield, and Sacred Rituals.

Minion damage is also a key consideration, making nodes like Spell and Minion Damage, Growing Swarm, and Restless Dead top priorities.

If you wish to boost your minions' critical strike damage, nodes such as Minion Critical Chance and Grip of Evil offer excellent bonuses in Path of Exile 2.

Additionally, you can invest points into nodes affecting a minion area of ​​effect, Puppet Master stacks, Archon of Undeath buffs, elemental resistances, and movement speed, finally rounding out the build with Chaos Inoculation.

The overall strategy is to maintain Archon of Undeath uptime while relying on Energy Shield to anchor the build's defenses.

As your PoE 2 currency budget grows, you can further scale your Energy Shield and minion skill levels, making Disciple of Varashta summoning build feel increasingly smooth and powerful in PoE 2 Patch 0.5.5!

In almost every Path of Exile 2 league, certain builds or classes rise to prominence, defining the meta-game for that period. As of Patch 0.5.5, Gemling Legionnaire has emerged as the most popular Ascendancy class.

Prior to the release of Patch 0.5.0, this Ascendancy was relatively unpopular; however, PoE 2 implemented mechanical optimizations specifically to address this, quickly making it a player favorite.

This shift resulted in Gemling Legionnaire dominating the player base even after the launch of Forbidden Rites league, creating a somewhat unbalanced meta for Patch 0.5.5.

In this article, we analyze the current state of Gemling Legionnaire, the reasons behind its rapid rise in popularity, and the changes needed to balance the meta before the official 1.0 launch.

Current state of Gemling Legionnaire

Since the launch of Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.5, over 30% of players have chosen to play Gemling Legionnaire, whereas the runner-up, Martial Artist, accounts for only 9% of the player base.

Meanwhile, many established or non-core Ascendancy classes, such as Invoker, Smith of Kitava, and Ritualist, have seen their play rates drop to below 1%.

This extreme disparity in usage figures isn't simply because Gemling Legionnaire is stronger than other classes; rather, it highlights deeper differences in Ascendancy design within the current version.

In other words, PoE 2 Gemling Legionnaire isn't just about high damage numbers; its mechanical design offers unprecedented fun and freedom in build crafting. By comparison, older classes that haven't received updates feel increasingly stale.

What makes Gemling Legionnaire so powerful?

The class has managed to retain a massive player base since Patch 0.5.0 release in May largely due to the development team's successful rework, specifically, the adjustments made to Advanced Thaumaturgy Notable Passive.

This passive ensures that skill gem quality provides more than just minor percentage bonuses; it now grants entirely new, additional effects.

Take Explosive Grenade skill as an example. In a standard design, increasing gem quality might only yield a slight boost to its radius or a marginal increase in damage.

However, with Advanced Thaumaturgy enhancement, gem quality translates directly into additional projectiles.

The benefits become significant once quality reaches +6. If you stack quality even higher through gear and resource investment, the projectile count explodes, resulting in final damage output that far exceeds expectations.

This fundamental shift in mechanics renders traditional grenade-focused classes, such as Witchhunter and Tactician, obsolete. While these classes have their own merits, they pale in comparison to the bonuses provided by Advanced Thaumaturgy.

Reasons for the decline of certain classic Ascendancies

Compared to the high damage output and mobility of Path of Exile 2 Gemling Legionnaire, other Ascendancies have fallen out of favor not only due to a lack of updates but also because their underlying mechanical flaws have become increasingly apparent.

Take Smith of Kitava for instance. The class's core issue lies in the lack of effective synergy and rotation between its mechanics.

For one, the mechanic involving forging weapons on an anvil is virtually never used, and the signature skill Manifest Weapon is consistently ignored. There is also a mechanic that triggers fire spells on hit, yet there are no truly effective fire spells to synergize with it.

The only viable playstyle for Smith of Kitava involves combining Whirling Assault with Detonate Dead, dealing damage based on a corpse's maximum health by detonating it.

The problem, however, is that Detonate Dead is quite weak against bosses; furthermore, if you intend to play Whirling Assault, Martial Artist is a far superior choice.

Reasons for the success of other promising classes

Although the player base for Martial Artist doesn't quite match that of Gemling Legionnaire, it still significantly outpaces other PoE 2 Ascendancies. Its success stems from its unique, driver-style mechanics.

Martial Artist's Hollow Form allows you to create powerful clones that fight alongside you; when combined with other AoE skills, this enables instant screen-clearing.

In contrast, Invoker, which shares the same base class, offers only marginal Spirit gains, elemental effects triggered by critical hits, or chilled ground created upon freezing enemies.

These incremental stat bonuses pale in comparison to the screen-clearing power offered by Hollow Form.

How should the current meta be adjusted in preparation for the 1.0 launch?

While Gemling Legionnaire is currently performing exceptionally well, its dominance in player attention could prove detrimental to the future of Path of Exile 2, particularly regarding game balance post-launch.

First and foremost, a simple, blanket nerf to Gemling Legionnaire is not the answer; instead, the developers should preserve its core identity while making reasonable numerical adjustments to the bug-tier stacking mechanics that exceed intended design parameters.

As the 1.0 launch introduces additional classes and Ascendancies, early-game options should be reworked sooner rather than later to highlight their unique characteristics and ensure they remain viable and engaging choices.

For builds centered around specific themes, the development team should implement clearer and more powerful mechanical support within the relevant Ascendancy passive trees following the 1.0 release.

In short, while Gemling Legionnaire has caused a slight imbalance in the current PoE 2 meta, it demonstrates a strong player appetite for playstyles driven by the unique mechanics of Ascendancies.

By using this insight to guide the optimization and reworking of other classes, the developers can ensure that the combat experience in Path of Exile 2 becomes both balanced and richly varied upon the game's full launch.