Path of Exile Beginner's Guide: 10 Essential Tips and Tricks
Welcome to Path of Exile (PoE), an expansive and challenging ARPG set in the dark and immersive world of Wraeclast. As you embark on your journey, here are 10 crucial tips to help you navigate the complexities of the game and get the most out of your experience.
1. Follow the Achievements and Challenges Guides
Why It Matters:
The Achievements and Challenges menu (accessible via H) provides a helpful guide to the basics and advanced techniques in PoE. Completing these tasks will teach you essential game mechanics and reward you with gear.
What to Do:
Pay attention to achievements related to core mechanics, such as equipping flasks or using the map device. This will help you understand the game's systems and progress effectively.
2. Follow a Build Guide
Why It Matters:
The passive skill tree in PoE can be overwhelming. Following a pre-made build guide simplifies this by providing a clear path for leveling, skill gems, and equipment.
What to Do:
Choose a skill gem or class that interests you and search for a corresponding build guide. These guides will offer step-by-step instructions on passives, gear, and playstyle.
Tip: After gaining some experience, you may feel confident enough to create your own build!
3. Keep a Little Currency in Your Inventory
Why It Matters:
PoE uses various currencies instead of gold. Keeping some basic Path Of Exile currency items on hand ensures you're prepared for crafting and other in-game needs.
Essential Currencies:
Scrolls of Wisdom: Reveal hidden items.
Portal Scrolls: Create a return portal to town.
Orb of Transmutation: Upgrade a normal item to magic.
Orb of Alteration: Reroll magic item stats.
Orb of Augmentation: Add a modifier to a magic item.
Tip: Save advanced currencies like Chromatic Orbs and Orbs of Fusing in your stash to avoid cluttering your inventory.
4. Watch That HP Bar
Why It Matters:
Monitoring your health is crucial, especially as enemies and bosses become more challenging. Low health can lead to frequent deaths.
What to Do:
Aim for a health pool of 300 x the current act number. For example, by Act Five, you should aim for at least 1,500 HP. Invest in passive skills and gear that boost your health.
5. Find and Open The Library in Act Three
Why It Matters:
The Library in Act Three is home to Siosa, who sells skill gems that might otherwise be inaccessible until much later.
What to Do:
Visit The Library as soon as you reach Act Three and complete the puzzle to gain access to a wide range of skill gems.
6. Use Essences to Upgrade Gear
Why It Matters:
Essences, found by freeing enemies in maps, provide a cost-effective way to upgrade and reroll stats on your gear.
What to Do:
Apply essences to your equipment to improve stats like health or resistances. They are plentiful and can significantly enhance your gear early in the game.
7. Cap Those Elemental Resistances
Why It Matters:
By higher levels, achieving 75% resistance to fire, cold, and lightning is essential to survive tough content. Kitava's curse in Act 10 further reduces all resistances by 60%.
What to Do:
Ensure your resistances are capped by the late game. Aim for at least 75% in all elemental resistances and 20% Chaos resistance.
8. Complete the Aspirant's Trial and Unlock Your Ascendancy
Why It Matters:
Ascendancy classes provide powerful passive skills that can greatly enhance your build. Completing the Aspirant's Trials unlocks these classes.
What to Do:
Complete the Trials of Ascendancy in Acts Three, Seven, and Ten. The Eternal Labyrinth becomes available once you start using the map device.
9. Use an Item Filter
Why It Matters:
As you progress, your screen can become cluttered with items. An item filter helps you manage this by hiding items that don't meet your criteria.
Recommended Filter:
FilterBlade: This popular filter is customizable and helps keep your inventory organized by hiding irrelevant items.
Tip: Set up your item filter before starting a league to streamline your loot collection.
10. Become Familiar with the Map Device
Why It Matters:
After completing the campaign, maps become the primary method for gaining experience and progressing further. Understanding the map device is crucial for endgame content.
What to Do:
Explore the 16 tiers of maps and over 30 unique maps with special bosses. Use Atlas passive points to upgrade maps and focus on specific encounters.
Additional Activities:
Engage with other content like the Horticrafting Station, Delve with Niko, or the Immortal Syndicate to enhance your gameplay experience.
With these tips, you'll be well-prepared to dive into the depths of Path of Exile and conquer the challenges of Wraeclast. Best of luck on your journey, and remember to adapt and enjoy the rich, complex world of PoE!