How To Prepare For POE 3.22 Shifting Stones Event?

Path of Exile 3.29.0b has optimized and strengthened the League mechanic, allowing it to provide more rewards in the endgame. Because of this, you may be looking for a Farming strategy that can clear maps quickly, collect Charts as efficiently as possible, and still generate solid returns.

Without a doubt, Strongbox is one of the best choices. It offers explosive rewards, requires little investment, and has strong synergy with other mechanics, making it a highly profitable option during the early stage of Curse of the Allflame League.

Why Choose the Strongbox Strategy?

The value of Charts is currently very high, and the main way to obtain them is through Cursed Treasure in regular maps. Therefore, your goal is to farm maps quickly and collect as many Charts as possible.

This change has brought Strongbox farming back into the spotlight as a high-value mapping strategy. The core goal of this setup is very simple. You quickly complete maps, defeat bosses, collect Charts, and obtain PoE currency, Scarabs, Divination Cards, and various additional rewards from Strongboxes.

In addition, you can receive a large number of Eldritch altar rewards and more maps. Completing maps also allows you to obtain items such as Astrolabes and a large number of map drops. These rewards are extremely valuable during the early stage of the league, making this one of the fastest and easiest ways to get started.

Your goal is Boss Rush. The purpose of Boss Rush is to obtain Eldritch altar rewards from map bosses. Along the way, you should click Strongboxes and Eldritch altars, collect Charts, and leave the map as quickly as possible.

Scarab Setup

Scarabs are an essential investment for this strategy. Some Scarabs may have higher value, but they can provide excellent returns.

Ambush Scarab ×2

Ambush Scarab is the core of any Strongbox strategy. Using 2 Ambush Scarabs adds 8 additional Strongboxes to the map. They are currently very affordable, and dozens of Ambush Scarabs can be exchanged for 1 Divine Orb.

Ambush Scarab of Potency ×1

It increases the effect of Strongbox explicit modifiers by 75%. This means the modifiers on Strongboxes will provide higher item quantity bonuses.

For example, a Strongbox that originally contains 4 additional Ambush Scarabs may now contain 7, while a 100% item quantity modifier can become 175%. The more Strongboxes you open and the more valuable their rewards are, the stronger this effect becomes. These Scarabs currently cost around 1 Chaos Orb.

Ambush Scarab of Hidden Compartments ×1

This Scarab gives each Strongbox a 15% chance to be opened again. If you have good luck, you can reopen Strongboxes multiple times. It is also worth around 1 Chaos Orb.

Ambush Scarab of Discernment ×1

It increases the chance for Strongboxes to appear as rarer variants, such as Arcanist's Strongbox and Diviner's Strongbox, which are the two main high-value Strongbox types in maps.

These are Scarabs you can use when your budget is limited. If you have enough Currency, you can replace one of the above Scarabs with Ambush Scarab of Containment. It converts a large amount of map content into Strongboxes. Its value is around half a Divine Orb.

Templar Astrolabe

Since this strategy requires Boss Rush, you can also use Templar Astrolabe.

Using Templar Astrolabe creates a Shaped Region on Atlas and enhances 6-9 nearby maps. These maps gain special influences.

Each completed map within the region grants additional enhanced modifiers to the remaining maps.

However, this is not mandatory. It only provides additional rewards, and you can obtain Astrolabes naturally while farming. Whether you use them depends entirely on your own choice.

It is also worth noting that you cannot obtain Astrolabes from maps that already have Astrolabe effects, so we choose not to use them. In fact, we collected almost every type of Astrolabe, along with a large number of regular Templar Astrolabes, within a single night. Therefore, whether you want to use Currency to acquire Astrolabes and gain their rewards is completely up to you.

Map Selection

Strongbox strategies usually require maps where you can quickly find and open as many Strongboxes as possible. Therefore, compact layouts, fast clears, and strong reward pools are the best choices.

Crimson Temple is a recommended option because its Divination Card pool is extremely attractive, although the layout can be somewhat complicated. Another choice is Defiled Cathedral. Its drops are slightly weaker, but the layout is simple, and you can usually clear it by running in a circle without missing much.

You can also choose Mesa map. It is a very open map with an extremely easy boss encounter. You can rush directly to the boss, defeat it, and then clear the remaining areas. The only downside is that its Divination Card pool is not as valuable. However, you can use a Scrying Orb to transfer good Divination Card pool from one map to Mesa.

Atlas Passive Tree Setup

All Strongbox-related passives are essential, including additional Strongboxes, increased monster count, rare and corrupted Strongboxes, and the ability to reopen Strongboxes.

Regular nodes that increase currency and Divination Card rewards are also necessary.

You should also obtain as many general Scarab bonuses as possible, including the small nodes in Shaping the World that increase additional map drops from bosses. Shrine-related passives are optional and can be skipped if you are short on passive points.

All available map modifier effect nodes are worth taking, especially when using Scarabs.

Strongbox remains a very fun and powerful strategy. In PoE 3.29, Scarab values are low, meaning the investment required is minimal, and the gameplay itself is also very straightforward.

If you took a break from Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0 over the last few weeks due to shader loading issues and the device removed bug, congratulations, these annoyances have been eliminated. It's time to jump back into Runes of Aldur league!

While these fixes might not seem like massive overhauls, PoE 2 team prioritized player experience enough to release a dedicated video explaining them. We've summarized the details here to give you a deeper understanding of these bug fixes.

What impact did the device removed bug have?

Before July 30th, you might have experienced moments where Path of Exile 2 suddenly froze. While such issues aren't uncommon, the freeze lasted an exceptionally long time on some players' systems.

To make matters worse, even after the freeze ended, you might have continued to experience poor performance for a short while. This was because shaders were still loading in the background, consuming significant CPU resources.

This bug tended to occur most frequently during mapping, and the frequency had increased over the last few weeks.

Undoubtedly, this had a major negative impact on your PoE 2 experience. It wasn't just the panic and frustration of having combat interrupted; it also meant potentially missing out on rare rewards, losses that couldn't be fully compensated for later.

The tricky part was that this bug had actually existed since Path of Exile 2 first launched. You might have encountered it before without realizing it, as it happened less frequently back then. However, it had recently escalated to the point of causing game crashes.

The root cause of the bug

Given the worsening impact, PoE 2 developers intensified their troubleshooting efforts. They discovered that the bug originated solely from the graphics card and affected only players using specific graphics cards or updated driver versions.

Typically, resolving such issues involves collaborating with the graphics card manufacturer. However, the challenge here was that such collaboration requires providing exact steps to reproduce the bug, something this particular issue didn't allow for.

How was the bug fixed?

Since the bug did not appear to be linked to any specific in-game state, Path of Exile 2 technical team had to invest significant time making random adjustments to the engine and manually playing the game to check if the specific stuttering bug recurred.

During this process, technicians also used the replay system to review lengthy gameplay sessions in an attempt to reproduce the device removed bug.

Fortunately, they eventually pinpointed the specific gameplay conditions that triggered the issue. PoE 2 team then handed the affected hardware over to the graphics card manufacturer, ultimately identifying the root cause as an internal parameter known as shader heap size.

Increasing this parameter eliminated the stuttering bug found in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0. Once a new driver incorporating this fix was released, crash rates dropped back to normal levels.

Shader loading bug

While graphics card issues were the primary culprit behind the recent frequent stuttering in PoE 2, excessively long shader compilation times pose a potential risk for future problems.

Simply put, most large-scale games involving frequent scene transitions do not compile shaders in real-time as you progress; instead, they spend a considerable amount of time compiling all shaders when you first launch the game.

These shaders subsequently occupy a large portion of your driver's cache. However, the older driver versions, the ones causing PoE 2 stuttering, failed to clear out old shaders.

Consequently, as you progressed through PoE 2, the relevant folders on your system would frequently fill up, requiring manual cleanup. Failure to do so resulted in excessively long loading times and potential display issues in new scenes.

Due to certain unchangeable limitations, the only solution available to PoE 2 team was to reduce the size of the shaders, thereby minimizing the likelihood of the cache filling up and causing issues.

What can you do now?

Generally, once the bug is fixed, you simply need to install the patch to resume normal gameplay. However, please be patient: because the old shaders are being cleared, the game will need to recompile them, resulting in longer-than-usual loading times.

With Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, you can engage in mapping with greater peace of mind; even when rapidly switching maps or facing scenarios packed with enemies and loot, you no longer need to worry about losses caused by prolonged stuttering or lag.

Of course, this doesn't mean you'll never experience a crash again, but the frequency will certainly drop to an acceptable level, and issues won't linger unresolved for long, as the root cause has been eliminated.

What does the bug fix signify?

Bugs are a common occurrence in any game, but the difference lies in how quickly they are addressed. The speed of the response regarding Path of Exile 2 and the effort put into fixing these bugs have been evident to everyone.

Consequently, while short-term bugs might have caused some players to temporarily step away from PoE 2, the developers' serious commitment is likely to foster greater appreciation and anticipation for the game, a positive sign for the potential 1.0 launch at the end of the year.

More importantly, the fixes addressing the shader and device removed errors brought to light potential core issues within Path of Exile 2. Had these surfaced after the official launch rather than during Early Access, the impact would undoubtedly have been far more severe.

You might sometimes complain when bugs aren't fixed immediately, but PoE 2's actions demonstrate that the developers are constantly attentive to the player experience. If a problem persists, it is likely because it is exceptionally tricky to solve, not because of inaction.

In short, now is the time to return to, or invest more time in Return of the Ancients! Whether you are diving deep into the endgame or experimenting with new builds, the experience is sure to be better than ever!

While Martial Artist was popular in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.5.0, its potential wasn't fully realized. This is because Ice Nova build, leveraging the synergy between Ascendancy Passives and a glove, maximizes the burst damage of large-area spells.

However, a full Ice Nova Martial Artist build, equipped with Divine Orbs, costs significantly more than a standard Path of Exile 2 build, but its performance and damage output more than justify the investment.

Core Gameplay

This Martial Artist build uses Ice Nova as its primary map-clearing ability, while utilizing Comet for boss fights.

The core of this build's overwhelming strength lies in the synergy between Ascendancy Passive: Way of the Stonefist and a glove - both provide double damage against full-health enemies, allowing for maximum burst damage from large-area spells.

However, this build also has a very high gear threshold, with an overall cost of approximately 2000 PoE 2 Divine Orbs. Core components include: specific armor without Life cost affix (approximately 400-500 Divine Orbs), a Rathpith Globe with two Mana-related affixes (approximately 200-300 Divine Orbs), and a Mageblood belt costing around 400-500 Divine Orbs.

If you lack these key components, even with a budget of 1000 Divine Orbs, it's not recommended to attempt this build, as it's not a progressive upgrade but rather a configuration that relies on specific affixes and unique combinations to be effective.

Skill and Gear Division of Labor

To achieve high mobility and high damage output for this Ice Nova Martial Artist build in PoE 2, our first weapon set will use a high-attack-speed Matsya Crescent Quarterstaff, paired with a Shattering Palm as the primary means of movement and closing the distance.

It's worth noting that this skill is linked to Brutality I Support Gem to prevent explosion damage from killing enemies, thus ensuring monsters are always at full health and creating the conditions for Ice Nova's double damage.

The first weapon set can also use Blasphemy in conjunction with Temporal Chains to automatically cast a curse to slow enemies when you charge in. While not essential, this improves Ice Nova Martial Artist's survivability and crowd control.

Next, we need Spellslinger and Infusion effect provided by Powered By Verisium to keep Remnants of Kalguur active, significantly enhancing Ice Nova Martial Artist's elemental damage.

Damage Skill Configuration

Our main damage skill, Ice Nova, is linked to Rakiata's Flow, Vorana's Siege, Efficiency II, Zenith II, and Pinpoint Critical Support Gems. With an 88% critical hit rate, even if a one-hit kill isn't possible, the high critical hit rate will improve the efficiency of finishing off enemies.

If your Ice Nova Martial Artist gear is already high enough, you can replace Pinpoint Critical Support Gem with Ambush Support Gem for higher single-hit damage.

Comet is specifically designed for boss fights in PoE 2, with Support Gems combination being Elemental Focus, Zarokh's Refrain, Ambush, Considered Casting, and Concentrated Area.

Because Comet usually hits after Ice Nova, when the enemy is no longer at full health, we need high critical strike chance to ensure Ice Nova Martial Artist's damage output.

Affix Priority

Besides needing a lot of core unique gear from Path of Exile 2 Divine Orbs, there are clear choices regarding affixes.

For weapons, Freeze Buildup affix feels better than pure damage stats, and Runic Ward affix is ​​only needed on gloves, not on other slots.

The helmet must gain Spirit through corruption; otherwise, it won't meet the skill retention requirements of Ice Nova Martial Artist build.

Armor should absolutely not have affixes that consume extra Life, because this build isn't Blood Mage and lacks Life regeneration; such affixes would create excessive survivability pressure.

For rings, prioritize Mana Cost Efficiency, Cast Speed, and Mana. Rings with +1 skill level are extremely expensive, but you can consider them as a late-game upgrade option.

Boots need to maximize Energy Shield, as the entire Ice Nova Martial Artist build relies on Eldritch Battery to convert Energy Shield into Mana, combined with Mind Over Matter to absorb some damage with Mana.

Passive Skill Tree Planning

For this Ice Nova Martial Artist build, our PoE 2 Passive Skill Tree planning is relatively straightforward.

For Martial Artist build, prioritize all attack speed and skill speed nodes in the starting area to optimize the movement feel of Shattering Palm. Then extend towards Eldritch Battery and Mind Over Matter, while also considering damage and area-of-effect nodes for Ice Nova and Comet.

Ultimately, the radius of Ice Nova in Infused state is seven meters. A radius lower than this will significantly affect your map clearing efficiency, making it a crucial threshold to maintain.

In terms of gameplay, Ice Nova Martial Artist build isn't a one-button playstyle. Instead, you quickly approach enemies using Shattering Palm to apply a slowing effect, then unleash Ice Nova or Comet to finish them off.

While the current PoE 2 Patch 0.5.0 tends to favor single-skill all-rounders, this build still retains room for combo attacks, especially in high-pressure scenarios like Delirium or Rituals. Alternating between movement and curses can greatly improve Martial Artist's survivability and damage output rhythm.

While this build is suitable for boss farming and endgame content, its performance is strictly dependent on the aforementioned gear requirements; a similar experience cannot be achieved with a lower budget and compromised setups. You can buy PoE 2 Divine Orbs from POECURRENCY.com to fully customize this Ice Nova Martial Artist build!

Once completed, this Ice Nova Martial Artist build will make you unrivaled in PoE 2.

Breach mechanic in Path of Exile 3.29 underwent significant balance adjustments, leading many players to mistakenly believe it was no longer profitable.

However, despite substantial nerfs to monster density and rare monster spawn rates, Breach remains one of the most consistent and accessible endgame strategies in 3.29.

Its popularity in the current Curse of the Allflame league stems from its high efficiency and low upfront cost. Unlike high-end strategies requiring massive investment, a targeted Breach farming setup relies on inexpensive Scarabs, allowing you to secure a steady stream of high-value drops without draining your currency reserves.

Through efficient mapping, you can easily generate a net profit of over 2 to 2.5 Divines per map. With a build capable of completing the run in about six minutes, you can clear 10 maps per hour, pushing your potential hourly earnings to around 20 POE Divine Orbs.

Even at a more casual pace, the time you invest yields handsome returns thanks to direct currency drops, top-tier unique gear, and passive tree synergies.

Best Scarabs and Map Setup

Maximizing profit relies on choosing cost-effective Scarabs and map modifiers rather than overpaying for overpriced options. Currently, the best Scarab combination for Path of Exile 3.29 includes:

• 2x Breach Scarab of Instability
• 2x Scarab of Monstrous Lineage
• 1x Scarab of Wisps

This setup increases the magic monster pack size, ensures additional Breach spawns, and utilizes Scarab of Wisps to generate a large amount of PoE currency within Breach area.

I know some of you are probably wondering, isn't it better that Horned Scarab of Bloodlines increases the number of magic monsters in the area by 150%? While high-end Scarabs like that are certainly effective, their cost-to-yield ratio isn't ideal in the current meta. 

Given their high market price, with a single Scarab costing between 1.5 and 1.8 Divines, they fail to provide a return on investment that offsets the cost. In contrast, setups using lower-cost standard Scarabs offer superior net profits.

When preparing maps, prioritize T16.5 maps and ensure they have at least 90% increased currency drop modifiers.

Dunes is the absolute best choice due to its open layout, which allows Breaches to expand fully without being obstructed by narrow doorways or walls.

It is recommended to use Fine Delirium Orbs to enhance the map, adding multiple layers of Delirium effects and increasing currency drops upon killing enemies. Depending on your character's survivability, apply between 2 and 5 Fine Delirium Orbs per map.

Additionally, be sure to use Exalted Orbs to roll the map to six explicit modifiers, thereby maximizing item drop quantity and monster pack size.

To optimize Altar spawns, rush to and kill the map boss immediately upon entering the map. Killing the boss early prevents the appearance of boss-specific Altars, ensuring that subsequent Altars offer high-value options such as duplicated currency, duplicated Scarabs, and increased item quantity.

Atlas Tree Synergy

To maximize returns from every map run, your Atlas Tree must be specifically configured to boost monster density and map efficiency.

The core of this strategy involves allocating points to all nodes related to map explicit modifier effects, item quantity, and the core Breach mechanics.

Furthermore, integrating the Beyond mechanic significantly boosts overall monster density. By allocating points to key Beyond nodes and Endless Tide keystone, you ensure a continuous stream of Beyond bosses and currency-dropping portal monsters around the expanding Breach.

A crucial detail of this strategy lies in the choice of Breach keystones. If you are using Breach Astrolabe, you must select Unstable Breaches on Atlas Tree to prevent unwanted map mechanics from diluting Breach spawns.

Regarding general map clearing, choose between Red Altars and Blue Altars based on the specific strengths of your character build. For highly durable tank builds, selecting Red Altars generally ensures a smoother map-clearing experience; you can comfortably accept almost any negative modifiers in exchange for immediate bonuses to item quantity and currency duplication.

Breach Tree Planning and Specialized Farming Strategies

Beyond the map's base drops, your Breach Tree configuration determines the primary source of your long-term profits.

Recent balance adjustments in Path of Exile 3.29 have significantly reduced drop rates from rare Breach monsters, making a tree built around rare spawns no longer the optimal choice. Instead, shifting your strategic focus to Unique Item and Currency nodes yields more substantial economic returns.

If your goal is obtaining Unique Items, prioritize nodes that increase the drop rate of valuable Breach-exclusive gear. However, if you are chasing massive orb profits, you might steer your tree toward Mage Hunter nodes to gamble on rare drops like Mageblood, or invest points into jewel nodes to hunt for high-value passive jewels.

Alternatively, if you prefer currency that can be liquidated immediately over trading Unique Items, you can pivot your Breach Tree entirely toward currency specialization. Focus on nodes that yield large quantities of Vaal Currency or Flawed Seeds, directly catering to the high market demand for corrupted Uniques and crafting materials.

Maximizing Hourly Profit

The key to high returns from Breach farming lies in clear speed and strict inventory management. Although the potential drop value of a single map is immense, your final hourly profit depends directly on how frequently you cycle through maps.

If completing a single map takes 10 to 12 minutes, your hourly profit will be around 10 to 12 Divine Orbs; however, if you can compress that time to 5 or 6 minutes, your earnings can instantly double. 

By maintaining a fast map rotation, avoiding the use of premium Scarabs, quickly killing map bosses to ensure altar spawns, and selecting maps with open layouts like Dunes, you can transform Breach mechanic in PoE 3.29, despite its significant nerfs, into one of the smoothest and most reliable farming methods available.