How To Choose The Best Build To Be Unstoppable In Path Of Exile 3.26 Merciless Gauntlet Event? - 3 Top Build Recommendations

Path of Exile 2 Act 4 adds several new major bosses, one of which is Benedictus, First Herald of Utopia. A member of Twilight Order, Benedictus possesses devastating ranged and area-of-effect attacks, can hurl boulders, and create deadly mazes, making this boss encounter a real test of your survivability!

But don't worry, because here we'll show you how to defeat Benedictus, First Herald of Utopia. We'll teach you how to approach him at the right time, which attacks and techniques are most effective, and how to survive his area-of-effect damage - or, more accurately, how to escape his maze!

Be extremely careful, as even a single mistake against Benedictus can mean your chances of survival are virtually non-existent!

Boss Location

Benedictus is located at the end of The Excavation map, after the island of Arastas. You can't miss him, as he's a key part of the storyline and clearly visible on the map. You must defeat him to access the forge, where you can craft the three weapon fragments you need to defeat The Beast.

However, since all Path of Exile 2 maps are randomly generated, you might find Benedictus in different locations. Keep looking!

Boss Battles

Upon entering the arena, Benedictus, First Herald of Utopia, will teleport to the center and begin the fight.

Phase 1

In Phase 1, his basic attacks are easily dodged, so the main strategy is to wait for him to cast spells and then counterattack.

His first attack is released when he shouts "Lash!" Benedictus fires a fireball with his staff, allowing you to counterattack for significant damage.

Another attack that deals significant damage is when he says, "We rise... You fall!", causing lightning to strike your location. However, you can avoid this attack by staying on the move and moving away from your current position.

Another attack to watch out for is when he says, "The Savior is pure... you are vile!" or "Behold the power of truth." Giant rocks will appear floating above the arena and then naturally fall. The landing point will be marked by lightning, making it easy to spot. They will then immediately descend, dealing physical and lightning damage.

Physical and lightning damage are the primary damage dealt in this boss fight, so if your resistances seem a bit low, you'll need to boost them. It's recommended to spend PoE 2 currency to add a Storm Rune to your chest armor to increase your resistances. This will help prevent you from being killed by Benedictus's powerful lightning laser.

However, this attack isn't over yet, as a rocky mountain will appear at the landing point. If you get too close, a bolt of lightning will strike the rocks, causing them to explode. This attack can be extremely lethal, so stay away.

When Benedictus's health bar is reduced to around 60%, he'll say, "Divinity holds you in its lie... Let go! Be free!" or "Your Corpse will feed the new tomorrow." He'll then teleport to the center of the arena and levitate, channeling energy for his next attack. A lightning blast will cover most of the arena. He's now invincible, so any previously applied damage will be lost.

To survive this attack, you need to head to the center of the map, underneath Benedictus, as that's the only place you're safe from the shockwave. Failing to do this will probably result in your death.

If you survive, you'll find a maze has appeared. This part is tricky, as you'll need to find the exit and escape quickly.

Phase 2

Again, be quick. Benedictus will then destroy the maze, and if you still haven't escaped, you'll likely die.

If you manage to escape, continue damaging him until his health is reduced to 50%. Phase 2 begins here.

At this point, Benedictus will say, "Utopia awaits, whether you like it or not." Two massive pillars will fall, shrinking the arena's size, meaning you now have even less room to escape.

The boss will then launch a new attack: "Die in a pit of lies!" Honestly, it's very similar to Emperor Palpatine's signature attack, except it ends with a massive bolt of lightning. So, avoid it at all costs.

Another new attack is when Benedictus says, "Suffer!", where he summons a massive rock to smash into you.

Soon after, the boss will again say, "Divinity holds you in its lie... Let go! Be free!" or "Your Corpse will feed the new tomorrow." This time, he'll walk to the edge of the map. You'll need to run to where he is and stand beneath him. He'll create another maze, but this time, it's much larger.

So, run out of the maze as quickly as possible and wait for him to destroy it. After the maze explodes, return to where he was. I recommend staying nearby and following the same pattern of his attacking, dodging, and counterattacking. Remember, don't be afraid to use your flasks, especially life flasks.

Once you've dealt him a critical blow, he'll call out to Countess, telling her to leave and offering to sacrifice himself and bury everything.

At this point, Tavakai will suddenly attack him, preventing Benedictus from doing so. A brief conversation ensues, and after Tavakai kills Kanu, you'll receive loot and eventually instructions to enter The Excavation, where you can craft weapons.

This concludes the fight against Benedictus, First Herald of Utopia boss in PoE 2! Escaping the maze is almost iconic in this encounter, but if you don't want the awkwardness of running around, dealing with Benedictus might be a bit tricky!

Exiles, it's truly disappointing that Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.3.0 doesn't include all subsequent Acts 4–6. But fortunately, in order to quell players' complaints, the developers not only launched the basic Act 4, but also added 3 new Interludes to allow players to continuously advance the campaign and reach the level required for the endgame content.

In addition to offering powerful bosses and additional story quests, the new campaign content also offers bonus drops of additional skill points and character stat boosts. These rewards are crucial for your character development. So, let's take a look at all the permanent stat boosts you can earn from Acts 1–4.

Act 1

Starting from Act 1, the first attribute bonus is located in Clearfell. Find Beira of the Rotten Pack and defeat her to gain an additional 10% Freeze Resistance.

The second is The Crowbell in Hunting Grounds. Defeating this boss grants two weapon passive skill points.

Next, travel to Freythorn, connected to Hunting Grounds. There, after completing several rituals, we'll fight The King in the Mists Pinnacle boss for an additional 30 maximum Spirit.

After defeating The King in the Mists, travel to Ogham Farmlands and find Una's Home. Inside, you'll find Una's Lute Box. Open it, loot Una's Lute, and return it to Una in town. Completing The Lost Lute quest grants two weapon passive skill points.

Next, if this is your first character in Rise of the Abyssal League, to unlock Salvage Bench, you'll need to find Renley's Tools in Ogham Village. Finally, on the first floor of Ogham Manor, find and defeat Candlemass to gain 20 maximum life. Note that Candlemass usually appears after the first walkway, but in rare cases, it can appear earlier.

Act 2

Entering Act 2, starting in Keth, you have two objectives. The first is to defeat Kabala, The Constrictor Queen, to gain two weapon passive skill points.

Afterward, in the same area, defeat as many enemies as possible to find Kabala Clan Relic. If you don't find the relic in Keth, continue on, as it can also drop in The Lost City or Buried Shrines.

Similarly, in Mastodon Badlands or The Bone Pits, defeat enemies until you find Sun Clan Relic.

After obtaining the two relics in Valley of the Titans, open three Ancient Seals and look for a waypoint with a nearby Relic Altar. Place the relics you found in the Relic Altar to gain a Charm Slot and choose between gaining 30% increased Charm Charge or extending Charm's duration by 30%.

If you want to change the buff later, you can always return to Altar and select a different option.

Next, travel to Deshar and find and interact with Fallen Dekhara to receive Final Letter. Return Final Letter to Shambrin in town to receive two weapon passive skill points.

Finally, find and interact with Sisters of Garukhan Shrine to gain 10% Lightning Resistance.

Act 3

Now, moving on to Act 3, we'll begin in Jungle Ruins, finding and defeating Mighty Silverfist to gain two passive skill points. Mighty Silverfist is a boss with powerful physical damage, especially his slams and rolling abilities, which are particularly deadly if your character has low armor. So before you begin, don't forget to spend some POE 2 Currency to boost your defenses.

Afterwards, in the same area, find the entrance to The Venom Crypts near the waypoint. Once inside, look for an interactable corpse to obtain a Corpse-Snake Venom. Return the venom to town and choose to increase your stun threshold by 25%, your elemental ailments threshold by 30%, or your health regeneration rate by 25%. Note that this decision is permanent and cannot be changed.

Next, in The Azak Bog, find and defeat Ignagduk, The Bog Witch, to obtain Gemrot Skull, which increases your maximum Spirit by an additional 30.

Then head to Jiquani's Machinarium to find an additional Small Soul Core to unlock Blackjaw, Remnant boss. Defeat Blackjaw and consume Flame Core to gain an additional 10% fire resistance.

If you're starting Act 3 for the first time, continue to The Molten Vault, defeat Mektul, the Forgemaster, obtain Hammer of Kamasa, and return it to Oswald in town to unlock Reforging Bench.

Finally, enter Aggorat through Utzaal and defeat stronger enemies to obtain a Sacrificial Heart. Then, in the upper right corner of Aggorat, find an altar and a Sacrificial Dagger. Pick up the dagger, place a Sacrificial Heart, and then stab the dagger to gain two skill points.

Act 4

Enter Act 4, sail to The Isle of Kin, and defeat Blind Beast to gain two passive skill points. To complete the level faster, it's recommended to find and access Voltaxic Spire and buff your character with Sulphite Intoxication, increasing movement speed, elemental resistance, and most importantly, damage.

Also in The Isle of Kin, you'll find a fossilized formation of Lesser Jeweler's Orb. Killing the rare beast here will grant you an Uncut Support Gem.

Continue to Boat Charter and search for the secret of Abandoned Ship. Open a rare chest and receive another Lesser Jeweler's Orb.

Next, in Abandoned Prison, kill monsters until you find Chapel Key. Use the key to interact with Goddess of Justice, who will give you the option to flask for either 30% increased health regeneration or 30% increased mana regeneration. Again, if you want to change your choice later, you can always return to the altar and select a different option.

Afterwards, in Eye of Hinekora near the end of the area, find Silent Hall and pay your respects to receive an additional 5% maximum mana.

Then, in the next area, The Halls of the Dead, find and defeat waves of enemies. Upon completion, you'll be rewarded with a consumable Tattoo, which grants 5 Strength or 5% Fire Resistance, 5 Dexterity or 5% Lightning Resistance, and 5 Intelligence or 5% Cold Resistance.

Continue through Halls of the Dead and search for Yama, the White. After defeating the boss, proceed to Trial of the Ancestors and speak with Navali at the top of the area to gain 2 Weapon Passive Skill Points.

Finally, after escaping the ambush and heading to Arastas, before speaking with Torvian, Hand of the Savior, look for Morning and Evening Bells, which will reward you with three PoE 2 Regal Orbs and three Exalted Orbs. Morning Bell is in the town square, and Evening Bell is on the cliffside.

Anyway, these are the locations and methods for all the permanent buffs currently available for characters in 4 Acts campaign. If you've completed all the necessary main quests, these are your next targets! Hurry and make your character even more powerful!

The Last Lament Crossbow Lich build performed very well in Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.3.0, offering extremely fast clearing speed, high single-target damage, and significant tanking power through its low health mechanics and high movement speed.

This build is considered S-tier for end-game content, including mapping and bossing, and is a popular and powerful choice within the community, allowing you to blast away at small enemies while running quickly.

The only drawback to this build is its cost; completing this setup requires at least several hundred Path of Exile 2 Divine Orbs. This makes it an end-game build, unsuitable for leveling or starting in a league due to its high item cost.

So, why is this build so expensive? It's because it requires a unique weapon - The Last Lament Desolate Crossbow. This weapon, when paired with Lich Ascendancy, effectively mitigates disadvantages, making it highly sought after. 

This build boasts incredible speed and tankiness, but it requires a significant gear investment to fully realize its potential. Besides the aforementioned unique Crossbow, it also requires a variety of gear, including Stellar Amulet, Death Articulated Ornate Gauntlets, and Headhunter.

Our goal here is to make this build playable while still spending less on Divine Orbs. Of course, there are some obvious differences between a low-cost build and a more expensive one: slower movement speed, lower damage, and lower defense, but this should be enough to avoid certain monsters in the map and keep you alive. If you're interested in trying it, read on!

Now, I'll walk you through some updates to this Last Lament Lich build, including its mechanics, how to reduce health, how to use skills, and how to play with it.

Temporal Chains & Cursed Ground Synergy

First, we've added Temporal Chains, a curse that slows down enemies, which is very useful. It's like slowing them down, reducing their ability to attack you. With your energy shield so low, it's your best defense.

Temporal Chains' defensive power is much better than I expected. When you're in a tight space, like when you're trapped in a Ritual or about to open a Breach to fight a boss, you can quickly cast it to slow down enemies.

At the same time, we also cast Cursed Ground, which is mandatory. This uses Temporal Chains as a ground debuff, similar to other ground effects like Chilled Ground or Consecrated Ground, slowing enemy movement and slowing down other effects.

Then, I added Ritualistic Curse, Focused Curse, and Heightened Curse, which make the curses more powerful, last longer, and regenerate more quickly.

If you have extra skill gems, you can also add things like increased duration.

How Does It Work?

Now, let's explain how this build works. First, we mentioned earlier that this is a low-life build. This is because the unique thing about this build is that Last Lament has a 300-life cost to avoid consuming the last bolt, allowing you to fire continuously without reloading. This means that as long as you maintain low life, you can perform an unlimited number of attacks without reloading, effectively converting your life into infinite ammunition.

Lich Ascendancy's Eternal Life node allows players to maintain their health while maintaining a certain amount of energy shield. Combining these two, the health cost of Last Lament is essentially negated, meaning you won't lose health to avoid reloading.

Not only that, this build leverages the low-life mechanic, gaining significant bonuses from passive skill tree nodes and support gems, creating a character with incredible speed and immense power.

How To Maintain Low Life?

So, if we're currently at full health, how can we return to low health?

1. First, equip Eternal Life node; this is crucial; it prevents your life from scaling while you have energy shield.
2. Next, remove any gear that provides energy shield, or use a helmet with Eldritch Battery effect to convert your energy into mana. This is crucial because it allows your life to be affected by your actions.
3. Be careful about using skills that drain life, such as those with Lifetap support gem, to quickly deplete your life until it drops below 35% of your maximum health.
4. Finally, quickly re-equip your standard helmet to lock your life at its current low health state. Your life will now be permanently low, and you can benefit from Eternal Life node.

Gear Selection

For this build, we've significantly reduced the original PoE 2 currency budget, so some of the gear may not be the best options for your current Last Lament Crossbow Lich build, but it does offer the best value.

• Weapon: The Last Lament Desolate Crossbow
• Helmet: Constricting Command Viper Cap
• Ring: Rune Grasp & Kraken Eyes
• Amulet: Rune Scarab
• Body Armor: Pandemonium Skin
• Gloves: Vengeance Claw
• Belt: Shavronne's Satchel
• Boots: Invasion Spark

Gameplay

Finally, to clear maps and defeat bosses with the Last Lament Crossbow Lich build in Path of Exile 2, you'll need to utilize its powerful single-target ability, Compose Requiem, and ensure you always have low health and the necessary resources.

Additionally, focusing on acquiring a high-quality wand with high spell damage and cast speed is crucial for boosting your damage output against bosses.

Then, strategically allocate your Lich Ascendancy points to unlock key nodes like Necromantic Conduit and Crystalline Phylactery to reap the full benefits of this build.

Remember to prioritize defensive abilities like energy shield and high evasion, as these synergize perfectly with Lich's Eternal Life node, keeping you permanently at low health. Finally, remember to collect and re-cultivate areas to acquire better gear to boost your damage and survivability.

That's all for this low-budget Last Lament Crossbow Lich build. If your inventory is overflowing with orbs, you don't need to worry about this at all. However, if you're low on currency or want to push your limits, this Last Lament Lich build might be worth a try!

While Path of Exile's complex skill tree system and challenging endgame mechanics are both fascinating, one flaw it often criticizes is its cumbersome and rigid trading system.

Yes, in PoE, if you want to trade an item with another player, you and the seller must be online at the same time. This means that if you encounter a seller who's offline or unresponsive for a long time, you'll have to rely on luck to secure a perfect deal!

On the other hand, the in-game trading system can also be inconvenient for sellers. When you're desperate to sell an item, you have to constantly monitor the chat screen. If someone actually expresses interest in trading, you'll have to drop your map or whatever you're doing to sell it.

Sometimes, you'll receive a message to sell an item, drop what you're doing, only to find that the other party either doesn't show up or tries to sell it for less than you originally requested. It's really frustrating!

But all that's a thing of the past with Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.3.0. The new Asynchronous Trade System in The Third Edict will surprise you every time you log back in!

Here, we'll explain how to unlock and use the brand-new Asynchronous Trade System in Patch 0.3.0. Let's take a look!

How To Unlock Asynchronous Trade System?

Creating A Hideout

To unlock Asynchronous Trade, you must first enter Path of Exile 2 Act 4. Here, you'll meet an NPC named Ange, who will give you a quest called Hostile Takeover, which requires you to find a suitable location to build a hideout.

If you don't have a suitable hideout yet, you can travel to Wakapanu Island, defeat Diamora, and then speak with Ange again in Kingsmarch to unlock Shoreline Hideout. Don't worry, we've got a detailed Diamora boss guide here.

Read More: How To Defeat The Final Boss In Path Of Exile 2 Act 4 Whakapanu Island? - Diamora, Song Of Death Boss Guide

Talking To Ange

Once you have a hideout, head there, and Ange should automatically appear. You can interact with it and perform Asynchronous Trade, which allows you to sell items for a fixed price without having to trade online.

Obtaining Or Converting To Merchant Tabs

To sell items, you need some Merchant Tabs, which can be obtained in-game through the microtransaction store. However, if you own Premium Stash Tabs from before the 0.3.0 update, you can also convert some of them into Merchant Tabs through the official Path of Exile 2 website.

Please note that upgrading tabs is permanent; this system wasn't available in Path of Exile 1. Therefore, if you upgrade here, you will temporarily lose access to these tabs from POE 1.

Also, it's worth noting that the old trading system is still available in-game. Therefore, if you want to continue using this system for any reason, please do not upgrade every Premium Stash Tab you own.

How To Trade Using This System?

Selling Items

After you obtain these Merchant Tabs, click Manage Shop button. You should see your Merchant Tab and an additional Earnings Tab there. To sell an item, place it in Merchant Tab and set a price.

However, it's worth noting that Asynchronous Trade System currently doesn't allow you to set a price for an entire tab like Premium Stash Tab does. I imagine this is to prevent accidentally listing an item in the wrong tab without knowing it.

Also, only items that can't be exchanged for PoE 2 currency can be placed in Merchant Tab. Therefore, items like Currency, Shards, Fragments, Essences, Socketables, and Gems must be sold through Currency Exchange or the legacy trading system.

Once an item is placed in Merchant Tab and priced, you have approximately 30 seconds to freely adjust the price or remove it. After that, it will be registered on Marketplace, locking in its position and price for a short period of time.

Before setting a price, it's recommended to research the selling prices of items with similar attributes to avoid overpricing or underpricing, which could result in unnecessary losses.

If you're still unsure, I recommend setting a slightly higher price. If the item doesn't sell for a long time, you can always lower the price. Regardless, it's recommended to check and lower the price of any unsold items every one or two days to increase your chances of a successful trade.

If someone is interested in an item while you're in hideout, you'll see it appear next to the hideout, ready for players to trade.

If you're online, you'll receive a small notification in the bottom right corner of your screen indicating a successful sale. Even if you're offline, players can still access and trade items, so when you log back in, you'll receive a bonus of POE 2 currency!

If you want to see which items you've sold, you can view your sales history in the top right corner of the merchant window.

Trading Items

If you want to acquire an item, you have two options. You can use the new Asynchronous Trade Marketplace or Currency Exchange in Path of Exile 2.

To open Trade Marketplace in-game, select it from the menu. From there, you can enter exactly what you're looking for and search.

When you find an item, you can click Travel to Hideout to instantly teleport to that player's hideout and trade there.

Alternatively, if you're using the old trading system, you can click Direct Whisper. The other options are essentially the same.

My Thoughts

Honestly, I think the new Asynchronous Trade system is a vast improvement in PoE 2. The old system was notoriously bad, and a real hindrance for both buyers and sellers.

The only problem with the new system is that it requires players to enter Act 4 of the new league before they can trade, which is why some people still use the old system. I really hope this changes, at least by making it available in towns in the early stages.