Path of Exile 3.23 Affliction Is Coming! - Everything You Need To Know About Affliction

Today, we'd like to discuss the changes to armor modifiers in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.3.0.

As we all know, armor modifiers are important affixes that supplement defensive abilities, primarily by increasing armor value over time, thereby mitigating physical damage taken. These modifiers scale based on the percentage of the global armor modifier and have different categories, affecting their placement and value on items.

However, armor modifiers have a weakness: by default, they only affect physical damage, not other types of damage. Excitingly, the scope of these modifiers has been revised in Patch 0.3.0. Now, we can finally apply a percentage of armor to elemental damage taken.

Nerfs To The Maximum Elemental Resistance Modifier

This begs the question: just how significant will the armor changes actually be? The first thing to note is that a large number of nodes granting maximum elemental resistance appear to be being removed or replaced with armor that applies to elemental damage.

• Smith of Katava's maximum fire resistance node will be replaced with an armor node that applies to elemental damage.
• Prism Guard Passive in the passive tree, which previously granted maximum elemental resistance, now also applies armor proportional to elemental damage.
• The smaller nodes leading to this cluster that previously granted maximum resistance have likely been modified and no longer grant it.
• Infernoclasp Plate Belt, which grants base physical damage and fire resistance, will no longer be obtainable in patch 0.3.0.

Overall, the path to maximum elemental resistance appears to be significantly weakened in favor of more armor that applies to elemental damage. This will have a significant impact on builds on the left side of the passive tree: sustained elemental damage will become more dangerous, as armor can't be applied to it for as long.

Order Of Applying Armor

So, how does armor stack with maximum resistance? It's worth noting that armor calculations for mitigating elemental or chaos damage are applied before resistances. This is inherently worse than the calculations in PoE 1, where the calculations were reversed, allowing armor to better mitigate smaller hits.

Thus, the armor calculation for hits mitigated by resistances first is significantly reduced, allowing armor to provide a higher mitigation effect than it would otherwise.

In PoE 2, however, armor is calculated before resistances, which often results in large amounts of damage overwhelming your armor, rendering its mitigation effect negligible.

How Is Armor Calculated?

Now, let's estimate the amount of armor you can reasonably expect to gain, and how much armor you can gain from elemental properties.

First, the developers did say that this modifier applies to all armor types, so we can estimate that you can expect to gain a 20% bonus from body armor and a 15% bonus from gloves, helmets, and boots, for a total of 65% from your gear. If shields also roll modifiers and you can use one, the bonus is even higher.

Additionally, there are Soul Cores, which provide a 30% bonus to each elemental type. Then we know that there's at least one notable in the passive tree that provides a 15% bonus to a specific stat, as well as several notables that apply to each elemental damage type.

However, please note that because they may be so far apart in the passive tree, obtaining them all requires a large investment of POE 2 currency, so we can make appropriate trade-offs so that in the endgame we can get about 110% armor value bonus with very good equipment alone.

It's worth noting that monster elemental damage is now balanced based on a minimum expected resistance of 75%, so monster hits typically deal much more elemental damage than physical damage.

Suppose our armor is 25,000 and our character takes approximately 8,000 fire damage. If we apply the 110% armor bonus to elemental damage, we achieve a mitigation of approximately 25%, or 5,953 damage, before elemental resistance takes effect.

Then, if the character has 75% elemental resistance, after two stacks of mitigation, they will take 1488 fire damage.

So, in this case, the armor value is equivalent to six additional stacks of maximum fire resistance mitigation.

What if we take 5,000 elemental damage? This time, the armor will mitigate approximately 35% of the damage, reducing it to 3,226. Then, the 75% elemental resistance kicks in, mitigating 807 damage.

In this example, the armor provides mitigation equivalent to an additional 9% of maximum resistance. You can see that the effect of this modifier increases significantly as elemental damage is reduced.

How To Make The Most Of The Armor Modifier?

This modifier works well with monster skills that convert some physical damage into elemental damage, because the armor formula is applied separately to each damage type.

For example, suppose a monster has an attack skill that converts 30% of physical damage into fire damage. When we encounter this monster on a map, the map's modifiers will cause it to gain a percentage of additional lightning damage.

Since the armor formula isn't applied all at once to reduce the damage of a hit, but rather to each damage type separately, the full armor calculation is naturally applied to the physical portion of the hit, and separately to the fire and lightning damage, for a total of three calculations.

This means that this armor modifier is generally more effective in this scenario, as the damage is broken down into multiple different types, and armor is more effective against the resulting smaller damage components.

Summary

In general, elemental armor can provide a significant degree of mitigation against small to medium-sized hits, but it essentially just makes the armor perform better in its natural area, and it doesn't mean these hits won't still be lethal.

More importantly, for large-scale hits, maximum elemental resistance is clearly more advantageous because it provides a continuous damage reduction effect, not to mention that armor has no effect on continuous elemental damage.

Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict is about to begin. Whether you're a new player preparing to join the game or returning after a long absence, there's one thing you absolutely must do before embarking on this new journey of exploration: choosing the best starting build.

It's a common topic, but even POE 1 players who have been through the game to this day often choose the wrong build at the start of a league, which can lead to a bumpy journey.

Of course, there's no right or wrong build per self; the key is whether it suits your playstyle. After all, switching builds mid-game is not a good idea.

So, based on the balancing and rework of various classes and skills in Patch 0.3.0, we've recommended some of the best starting builds for leagues. These might even become the dominant builds in this league! Let's take a look!

1. Ancestral Warrior Totem Build

The first build option we'll mention is Ancestral Warrior Totem, which focuses on Endurance Charge. I've put this build first because it received a significant buff in Patch 0.3.0.

In PoE 2: The Third Edict, Ancestral Warrior Totem received a significant damage buff that scales with your weapon's effects.

In addition, it consumes Endurance Charges to summon minions to fight for you. These Endurance Charges can be obtained through new Support Gems, such as Perfected Endurance and Enduring Impact II. This means you'll need to focus on Heavy Stunning enemies and using Perfect Strike during boss fights to maintain this minion buff.

It's worth noting that there's no limit to the number of totems you can place, so if you focus on accumulating Endurance Charges, you can summon as many minions as you want, and their damage has also been significantly increased in Patch 0.3.0.

To further enhance this skill, we've chosen Warbringer Ascendancy. The reason is simple: its Answered Call has been significantly buffed, allowing us to summon more totems and summon Ancestral Spirits, which have also been further enhanced.

Summoning multiple Ancestral Spirits combined with Perfect Strike creates a very effective boss-killing build.

To help with mapping, we've also added an Ascendancy node called Warcaller's Bellow: when you send out Warcries, it explodes the corpse, dealing physical damage equal to 25% of its health, ignoring Warcries' cooldown.

2. Minion Blast Witch Build

Next, if you prefer a passive game, avoiding initiating combat and preferring powerful minions to lead the charge while you simply pick up the dropped PoE 2 currency after combat, then Minion Blast Witch build is perfect for you.

Since accuracy is no longer as important for minions, they'll attack more frequently and deal more damage.

In this build, we'll be using Skeletal Brutes, which not only deal significant damage but also have Commander Warcry to intimidate enemies and deal damage by consuming Freeze effect from nearby enemies and allies.

In addition to Skeletal Brutes, we'll also be using Skeletal Frost Mages, which apply Ice Armor to all minions, boosting their defense and dealing bonus damage to enemies. This also counts as Frozen, meaning our Brutes can blast them, dealing even more damage.

To maintain this board-clearing effect, we'll also utilize Unearth to summon all dead minions, creating a never-ending blasting cycle.

On top of that, Spectres received significant buffs in patch 0.3.0, and their Spirit cost has been reduced, so finding a good Spectre will also be helpful in this build.

3. Elemental Storm Sorceress Build

Third on the list is Elemental Storm Sorceress build, arguably the coolest build yet!

By collecting new Elemental Infusions through certain skills, we can enhance our primary skills, either dealing more damage with the same element or adding entirely new elements for enhanced effects.

A simple combination is to combine Spark with Orb of Storms to gain Lightning Infusion. We can then enhance this build with Flame Wall, which not only provides additional illumination for projectiles but also creates fire.

We can also add Frost Bombs to our inventory, randomly placing them while casting Sparks. This also generates Cold Infusion, boosting our Spark damage.

For easier Infusion, we chose Stormweaver Ascendancy, as it received some significant general buffs and its skill tree around Infusion mechanic has also undergone some rework. For example, Storm's Recollection causes Remnants to reappear 3 seconds after being collected, while Refracted Infusion gives us a 50% chance to receive a different Elemental Infusion upon collecting them.

4. Forge Hammer Fire Warrior Build

Next up is another Warrior build, Forge Hammer Fire Warrior.

Since Ignite received a rework in patch 0.3.0, we now need to build up Flammability, a stacking debuff where the higher the stack, the greater the chance of inflicting Ignite.

Secondly, they've buffed Volcanic Fissure - it now creates a winding fissure on the ground that deals decent damage and can be triggered by other skills.

So, we can use Volcanic Fissure for other things, or simply opt for the new Forge Hammer skill. With this skill, we can throw a hammer that slams the ground and deals damage.

Forge Hammer has another trigger mechanic: when you cast Warcry near it, it shatters, creating a fissure in the ground. If you use other slam skills, it triggers aftershocks from the fissure, dealing even more damage.

This combo is incredibly effective for clearing areas and dealing with bosses. Furthermore, we can also add Perfect Strike during boss fights just in case - especially now that they've slightly increased the skill's radius, making it easier to land.

5. Unarmed Hollow Palm Monk Build

Last up is Unarmed Hollow Palm Monk build! For this build's Ascendancy, we can choose either Invoker or Acolyte of Chayula, as their passive trees have received significant buffs.

Monk class has added a keystone passive skill, Hollow Palm Technique, which allows us to use Quarterstaff skills unarmed, and since we're not using any weapon slots, these skills are significantly more powerful.

Another keystone passive we know is receiving a buff: Walker of the Wilds, which makes our Mana Leech based on elemental damage types instead of physical damage. This change is significant for Monk builds that deal elemental damage, as it provides a different scaling approach to mana maintenance by tying it to elemental damage output.

Since nearly the entire Ascendancy skill tree is being buffed or reworked, I think there are a lot of builds that could work here as well.

So, those are my top five starting builds worth trying in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.3.0! Choose the one that best suits your playstyle and preferred archetype! Are there any others you think we've missed? See you next time!

As we all know, class is the foundation of Path of Exile series' gameplay and is crucial to every player's build and endgame journey. Your class choice determines your starting position in the standard passive tree, while also allowing you to add a sub-class called Ascendancy.

The passive tree is shared by all classes, meaning your base class choice doesn't directly limit your access to any skills in that tree; it simply determines how many points you need to spend to reach different points in the tree.

However, your class choice does limit your access to Ascendancy, a sub-class that players can unlock in Act 2 of the campaign. Each base class includes a certain number of Ascendancy abilities; currently, most classes have two, but some have three.

It's important to note that your Ascendancy options are not locked, but reselecting them requires some effort. In contrast, your base class choice is locked; if you want to switch classes mid-game, you'll have to level up a completely new character.

In Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3.0, many class skill and passive trees have undergone major overhauls for balance, so sticking with your previous Ascendancy class and build choices in The Third Edict is clearly unwise.

0.3.0 Ascendancy Class Tier List

So, you might be wondering: Which Ascendancy class should I choose? Honestly, it's best to first consider your archetype: a lightning caster, a bow ranger, or a giant hammer-wielding tank? Choosing a class and sticking with it is crucial. After all, reselecting a class mid-game can be costly, and all PoE 2 currency and effort you've invested in it will be wasted!

Your chosen skills, passive nodes, and equipment are not locked to your class choice. The only constant is your Ascendancy - the place where your archetype comes into play.

Here, we're sharing a list of Ascendancy classes from the S-C tier. I must disclaim that the tier rankings aren't based on each class's overall strength, but rather on their accessibility for new players.

Since Path of Exile 2 has a vast array of build options, you'll likely see dozens of different builds using the same Ascendancy class. This tier list is simply to point you in the right direction in Path of Exile 2 0.3.0 and minimize your frustration.

S-Tier

Starting with the S-tier, these Ascendancy classes are almost certain to be a delight for new and returning players, as their Ascendancy nodes offer immediate and significant power, lack any drawbacks, and synergize well with their respective passive tree areas.

Deadeye (Ranger)

In the S tier, we have Deadeye, who boasts extremely high movement and action speed and is easy to maintain. More importantly, this Ascendancy has good general bonuses to all projectile-related skills and even has some decent one-shot defense options, something most classes struggle to find.

So, if you're looking to mow down enemies with a bow and move quickly, Deadeye is almost certainly your best choice in patch 0.3.0.

Stormweaver (Sorceress)

Next up is Stormweaver. If you're looking to be an excellent spellcaster, you've come to the right place. Excellent casting speed, critical chance, and the ability to trigger other spells are all qualities Stormweaver possesses.

It's important to note that fire spells have historically been considered the weakest of the three different elemental spells. The Stormweaver Ascendancy doesn't have any fire-specific nodes, but it does have some lightning-specific nodes. So, keep all of this in mind when looking for a skill build guide for PoE 2 patch 0.3.0.

Invoker (Monk)

Next up is Invoker, one of Monk's Ascendancy classes. He's a quintessential staff master, with nearly all of his staff skills dealing significant cold or lightning damage.

The Invoker offers a strong utility, including two core abilities, along with some very good defensive options and a scalable energy shield.

In addition, in 0.3.0, a new keystone was added to the normal passive tree, called Hollow Palm Technique, which allows you to use your fists to cast staff abilities.

Titan (Warrior)

Titan is the ultimate choice for S-tier Ascendancy. While the three current Warrior Ascendancies are all excellent, the Titan is the strongest of them all.

Almost all existing Titan builds have Hulking Form, which increases the effectiveness of all normal passive tree nodes by 50%. This means it's nearly impossible to mess up a Titan build, as these small nodes will always synergize well with any existing setup. Furthermore, it offers a strong boost to general damage and survivability.

We keep using the word "universal" because many of the nodes in lower-tier Ascendancy require significant investment elsewhere or are highly conditional before they truly become effective. Therefore, the more versatile a node is, the greater its value to new players, as you don't have to worry about any single change completely destroying the class.

A-Tier

Next up is the A-tier. These classes still have many versatile abilities, but may also have some more insane aspects related to their nodes.

Amazon (Huntress)

Almost everyone plays Amazon for its high flat critical chance based on accuracy, which makes it easy to achieve a high critical chance.

While the Ascendancy node that grants this mechanic was nerfed in update 0.3.0, it should still provide nearly the same effect thanks to increased player accuracy and reduced monster evasion, both of which make the critical chance boost more effective.

In addition, Amazon offers some specific elemental damage bonuses to projectiles, making it well-suited for spear builds, as well as some interesting damage avoidance and resource recovery options.

Smith of Kitava (Warrior)

The highlight of Smith of Kitava is undoubtedly his ability to focus on fire resistance and apply it to both cold and lightning, greatly simplifying resistance caps and making it ideal for beginners to quickly get started.

Additionally, Smith of Kitava offers a largely fire-based skill set, allowing players to forgo the random stats on their armor and opt for custom crafting.

Warbringer (Warrior)

Next up is Warbringer, who excels at confronting enemies head-on. While the other Warrior Ascendancy classes clearly share this philosophy, Warbringer excels in this regard. This is because of its emphasis on Warcry + Block, both of which require you to be more or less within line of sight of all enemies.

Due to the weight of Anvil, Armor Break debuff it triggers is also quite impressive, allowing any damage it deals to penetrate armor, not just physical damage.

Infernalist (Witch)

Next up is Infernalist. While this Ascendancy's synergy seems obvious at first glance, as you gain experience, you'll realize its power is actually quite nuanced. A good beginner will almost certainly use it for fire damage, but it's by no means your only option.

Witchhunter (Mercenary)

Of the three Mercenary Ascendancy classes, Witchhunter offers the most versatility. However, given its position in the passive tree, you're best off sticking with ranged attacks, whether with a bow or crossbow.

But honestly, I think it's a true all-around talent for beginners. If you're looking for a ranged build, that's different from Deadeye, the Witchhunter is an excellent choice.

Gemling Legionnaire (Mercenary)

Finally, the other Ascendancy in the A tier is Gemling Legionnaire.

To be honest, it takes a while for new players to grasp the power of Gemling Legionnaire, as it requires mastery of lock-on skills and support gem selection. However, with a guide, the power it offers becomes readily apparent.

B-Tier

Next is the B tier, where the class starts to lose some of its base power and increasingly draws its power from conditional or ambiguous mechanics.

Tactician (Mercenary)

In previous patches, Tactician would have ranked much lower than it does now. Thankfully, it received some nice changes in PoE 2 The Third Edict, making its strength more apparent, especially for new players.

If you're looking for a minion or totem build at the bottom of the skill tree, the Tactician is a brilliant choice.

Acolyte of Chayula (Monk)

Similar to Tactician, Acolyte of Chayula also received some changes in Patch 0.3.0. While it's hard to say exactly how much these changes will impact new players, it seems he's much easier to pick up than before. If you're craving some Monk abilities and prefer a Chaos build over an Elemental one, this Ascendancy might be a better fit.

C-Tier

Now, at C tier, if you're inexperienced, I recommend choosing carefully starting here.

Blood Mage (Witch)

Blood Mage requires you to consume life to use skills, and this is unavoidable. Of course, Ascendancy provides some ways to mitigate this issue, or even turn it into an advantage. But as a new player, the last thing you want is to be running low on health.

Also, while you'd expect Blood Mage to have some blood-related skills, it doesn't. PoE 2 is still in Early Access, which means a lot is still in development, and bleed skills are no exception.

Pathfinder (Ranger)

For new players, mastering Pathfinder can be a bit tricky. It doesn't have any particular skills, so you often feel like it just grants you generic powers like increased movement speed when attacking.

However, with the release of patch 0.3.0, this isn't even a Pathfinder-specific effect anymore, which is too bad. Beyond that, its nodes are primarily related to flasks and poisons. However, both archetypes, especially the Flask, are far from fully implemented in Early Access. Therefore, new players should proceed with caution.

Lich (Witch), Ritualist (Huntress) & Chronomancer (Sorceress)

Finally, there are a few remaining Ascendancy classes, which we'll discuss collectively: Lich, Ritualist, and Chronomancer. They are all very specific and highly conditional.

Lich and Ritualist excel only if you properly understand gear and PoE gameplay, which requires some time to learn. Chronomancer, on the other hand, requires a deep understanding of the skill system and near-perfect execution of your skill rotation to be truly effective.

Finding a build suitable for new players with these classes isn't impossible, but it can be challenging. Good luck!

Regardless, the release of patch 0.3.0 means we're really not far from getting the full version of PoE 2. Choosing a suitable Ascendancy class will allow you to more easily build your skill tree and enter the endgame while enjoying the game. I hope this Ascendancy tier list can provide you with a new direction!

Now it's time to talk about the brand new league introduced in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.3.0! That's right, the developers say they're launching the first league of Early Access period - Rise of the Abyssal - to ensure players' experience something completely different in each zone each time they return, providing a more diverse experience.

This new league not only features a new economy but also new quests and bosses unique to this league. So, let's take a deeper look at what Path of Exile 2's first official league has to offer!

Mechanics Explained

In this new chapter, as you delve deeper into Wraeclast, you'll discover numerous fissures above ground, connected to larger pits. The monsters that inhabit these areas are being affected and even harmed, their souls being devoured to bolster the defenses of Abyssal races hiding underground.

As you defeat monsters, fissures close, and Abyssal monsters emerge, enraged that you've killed their prey.

Once all of these fissures are sealed, the pit activates, and more Abyssal monsters emerge to devour your soul. Then, larger, more dangerous monsters reveal themselves.

If you kill a magic pack, a magic Abyssal appears. If you kill a rare pack, a rare monster appears in the pit, which absorbs some or all of the monster's attributes. This means that the monsters that appear are generally more difficult to defeat. Of course, PoE 2 currency and equipment they drop are also more valuable, as each modifier grants better rewards.

If you manage to kill them all, the pit closes. Each time a pit closes, a potential Abyssal Trove appears as a reward. This chest rises from the pit, granting you some epic loot.

Note that each area typically contains numerous pits and fissures, and the number of Abyssal Troves increases as the game progresses, making the experience even more exciting!

Not only that, when monster mods are absorbed, they have a chance to be infused with the dark necromancy spell, transforming into Abyssal Modifiers, amplifying both the danger and the rewards.

Abyssal pits also interact with other monsters and mechanics. If you defeat a Rogue Exile near a pit, it will transform into a Lichborn with multiple Abyssal Modifiers. If you're lucky enough to encounter and kill a Lichborn Exile, it may even drop a unique Jewel.

If a pit appears near a boss, killing it will summon a gigantic giga-larvae creature. Monsters trapped in Essences near an Abyssal pit are also affected. They will also receive an additional new Essence item, making them an excellent crafting material.

So, your mission in Rise of the Abyssal League is simple: kill surface monsters, defeat emerging Abyssal monsters, find and overcome pit encounters, and reap the rewards.

Abyss Crafting

However, there's more to this League. After completing Abyssal Pits, you can find Ancient Bone Fragments, preserved from the remains of fallen Lichborn. This is one of the many rewards for completing pit encounters.

You can use this fragment on a rare item, imbuing it with magic, adding a special hidden Abyssal modifier to your item.

But how do you find it? In Act 2 of the campaign, you'll encounter a new area. This area has been overrun by Abyssal creatures. After clearing this area, you'll find Well of Souls, a hollow containing a massive vortex of souls. Throw your Abyssal-infused items into it; it's the only way to activate them!

Before you throw them in, though, you can choose how to craft them, with three different modifiers to choose from. These modifiers can be core modifiers or special modifiers not normally found on items.

After selecting your desired modifier, drop it into Well of Souls. It will absorb the soul's power, which ominous creatures will then retrieve for you.

During the campaign, you can use this to more easily add existing useful modifiers, but in the endgame, you can add a whole new range of powerful modifiers to your items.

Abyssal Depths

We previously discussed how closing the pits grants you Abyssal Troves, but sometimes, closing the pits will reveal an underground cavern leading to the Depths.

After entering the pits, you'll find an Abyssal city teeming with undead hordes. While underground, every rare Abyssal enemy will have an Abyssal Modifier, and at the end of the dungeon, you'll even find a rare enemy with the even more powerful Lichborn Modifier.

Once you can defeat this powerful rare enemy, you'll be rewarded with some pretty impressive rewards. Because besides the Abyssal Modifiers on monsters making the entire zone's loot drops more valuable, it also has its own unique drops.

In the endgame, you'll still find Abyssal Depths, but you'll also begin to discover a different kind of crypt. In these areas, you'll find an Ancient Spire, the key device used by Abyssal Factions' Commander to push Wraeclast into the Lightless Void. Your objective is simple: kill this Commander and destroy the spire.

The final item this Abyssal Commander can drop is a Lich's Finger. So what's the point? In fact, the next time you return to Well of Souls, the items you drop return even more powerful, so your character will almost feel compelled to do so.

Regardless, in Rise of the Abyssals League, you have the opportunity to uncover the secrets of the Abyssal creatures lurking underground and diversify your loot by challenging these unique foes. So don't hesitate, be prepared, and face the rise of this ancient evil!