Path Of Exile 3.26 Best Endgame Mercenary: How To Choose Them?

There is no doubt that the most eye-catching ARPG in recent times is Path of Exile 2, which was launched at the end of 2024. Although it is still in the early access stage and has not yet shown its full version charm to you, POE 2 is better than the recent performance of another strong competitor Diablo 4 - after all, the latter’s Season 7 has not yet arrived. But perhaps you have a question, since Path of Exile 2 is in full swing, is it still necessary to experience the first game in the same series in the new 2025? Based on this, we will make a comprehensive comparison of the recent performance of POE 1, POE 2 and Diablo 4 to provide you with some reference. Path Of Exile 1 Performance Review In the past year, from 3.24 Necropolis to 3.25 Settlers of Kalguur, even though it has been more than ten years since its official release, POE 1 has always been committed to maintaining its freshness by constantly updating the league, which is one of the main reasons for its enduring popularity. POE 3.24 The league was officially launched on March 29, 2024, and added a lot of new content based on the past leagues, such as the league mechanism that allows you to configure the difficulty of monsters and POE Currency rewards, and Embers of the Allflame items that allow you to encounter abnormal monsters with special rewards. POE 3.25 As the most recent Path of Exile 1 league released to you, POE 3.25 can be said to have made many special updates to the game. In terms of combat, version 3.25 has completely changed your melee mode and introduced Warden class to replace Raider. But besides these, the most eye-catching is the challenge league mechanism that allows you to build and manage your own town. It is worth noting that it is this league mechanism that allows you to experience a new and more complete trade system in POE 1, allowing you to obtain more necessary materials by hiring workers and port trade besides obtaining POE Divine Orbs through battle. Compared To Path Of Exile 2 As a sequel, POE 2 must innovate in many aspects to ensure that it will not be overshadowed by the brilliance of the previous work, and based on the current performance, it has completely done this. First of all, it is worth mentioning that it responds to the response and expectations of fans in the past, and launched the couch co-op that POE 1 did not have, as well as cross-platform games and cross-platform progress. In view of the continuous evolution of current game devices, it is imperative for a large-scale ARPG to keep you and provide you with more convenience in playing. In the specific game content, POE 2 allows you to provide more unique mechanisms for game characters through support gems based on skill and class differences. This undoubtedly gives you more control and customization, giving you more personality than Path of Exile 1 for any class and weapon you want to experience. If you like the boss battles of POE series, then POE 2 will never let you down. It brings more than 100 unique bosses to fight. Besides the improved boss battles in the endgame content, you also have the opportunity to get a brand new combat experience through dedicated maps for each boss. And the bosses in POE 2 are more challenging, requiring you to use critical thinking to deploy strategies and make the battles more interesting. Based on the above changes, there is no doubt that Path of Exile 2 is better than the first game in these aspects, especially the narrative method of the second part is also better. In addition, all the playing threshold of the first and second parts are actually not low. So if you are an old player of the series, you can experience an upgraded version of Path of Exile through POE 2 in the new year. But if you haven’t come into contact with POE yet, then I think you can also consider playing POE 1. Because compared to the second part, it still has some unique mechanisms, such as the fun league and trade system in 3.25. And the first game has been running for ten years, so it may be more stable. And if you plan to play POE 1 in the near future, you still can solve the possible POE Currency shortage through the giveaway information and activities in iGMeet Discord, avoiding worries. Compared To Diablo 4 In the past year, Diablo 4 has always been popular and discussed, especially after October, with the launch of DLC Vessel of Hatred and Season 6, it quickly attracted a group of new players. Although Diablo 4 was launched in 2023, the development history of the entire Diablo series is much longer than Path of Exile. So although POE 1 also has its own characteristics, Diablo 4 is better than Path of Exile 1 in terms of the smoothness of the game and the exquisiteness of the picture, and the experience will be better. Although in the face of 2025, except for Season 7 which will be launched soon, Diablo 4 has not yet revealed whether it will launch new DLC or other major activities, but there is no doubt that Diablo 4 is the current core of Diablo series, so any updates will basically be launched in Diablo 4, and the development focus of POE series in 2025 is undoubtedly the second part. So from this perspective, in 2025, Diablo 4 may bring you more surprises than POE 1. Based on the above review and comparison, if you are only interested in POE series, then in the next year you can choose to play the first or second part according to your own preferences; but if you have to choose between Diablo 4 and POE 1, the former will be better. I hope you can continue to enjoy the fun of ARPG in the new year! Thank you for reading!

In many guides, it has been said that Lacerate Gladiator build is one of the strongest and most reliable league starters in Path of Exile 3.25. Like Boneshatter Juggernaut, this melee build was already strong enough before the league rework. Lacerate retains the essence of its previous powerful skills, but also increases all of its damage numbers. So, in POE 3.25, it is more powerful than ever before. So how do you make this powerful build when you first try this new league? And how do you upgrade it? This guide will give you the answers. As you explore Path of Exile 3.25, if you have any questions or comments, you are welcome to join the Discord community and discuss game strategies with other players. In addition, iGMeet Discord will occasionally bring you more benefits in this community, so remember to pay attention! Skill Rotation And Tips Compared to many builds that can cause slam, Lacerate Gladiator is very simple and has a low APM value. You don’t have to use multiple buttons in combat, but you still use defense and movement utilities. The fundamental skill you can use in combat is Lacerate, a medium-range melee attack damage skill that allows you to cause bleeds. Besides this, you can use Pride and Vulnerability to weaken the monster’s ability. You can also choose Shield Charge, Molten Shell, Flame Dash, Blood Rage and Enduring Cry for defense and movement. The thing you need to pay attention to here is that you need to always pay attention to the Vulnerability debuff on the enemy. This magic spell may make the cursed enemy take more physical damage and have a bleeding effect when attacked. But you don’t have to worry about Pride, but you can link it with Eternal Blessing. This way, you can offset your retention cost and increase your effectiveness. As long as you can maintain this debuff and keep it practical when necessary, you can use Lacerate without worrying about it. Pros And Cons Although Lacerate Gladiator build is one of the simplest map builds in Path of Exile 3.25, it also has a little disadvantage. The biggest advantage of this build compared to other DoT (Damage over Time) builds is that there is no damage to ramp-up time. This means that you can deal maximum damage to an enemy once you apply a layer of bleeding to them. Compared to DoT builds that require you to wait for several seconds to reach maximum DPS, Lacerate Gladiator build will make you safer and easier to use. But the biggest disadvantage of this build is also accompanied by this advantage - it is too simple. This build does not have a lot of skill options, and in some cases, it can make you feel a little boring and not have enough tools, especially if you plan to use it in the endgame. If you are the kind of player who likes to use endgame gear, you may find this build to be overwhelming because Lacerate Gladiator build only requires three Uniques items. But it also saves you a lot of POE Currency, allowing you to focus more on building upgrades and weapon enhancements. Skills To Use In Early And Mid-game If you want to get from the early game to the mid-game as quickly as possible in this build, you can use Sunder skill. Sunder will help you advance quickly until you can start running maps on your own. In addition, you will need to use Leap Slam, War Banner, and Blood And Sand Stance to get the utility and extra damage of this build. When you can start running maps on your own, you can switch out Sunder for Lacerate of Haemorrhage. This variant of Lacerate gives you higher bleeding damage, and you can use Earthquake, Shield Charge, Bladestorm, and Vulnerability to create a better combat situation. You are ready for the endgame skill setup. Gem Setup In this build, you can use gems to maximize the bleeding damage you deal in combat. Without this setup, your character will be very powerful, but with gems, you will be invincible. Here are the best gems and some effects to choose for Lacerate of Haemorrhage skill. Volatility Supported skills have increased maximum attack damage and decreased minimum attack damage. Awakened Brutality Supported skills have increased physical damage, no chaos damage, no elemental damage, and a chance to shatter enemies on hit. Awakened Melee Physical Damage Supported skills have increased melee physical damage, increased bleeding and poison damage from melee attacks, 10% attack reduced speed, and a chance to intimidate on hit. Awakened Multistrike Supported skills repeat 6 (3+3) times, increased attack speed, reduced attack damage by 20%, and increased damage bonus for the first 3 repeats. Awakened Deadly Disease Supported skills have increased disease damage and reduced damage on hit. If you combine these gems with Lacerate of Haemorrhage, it may reduce some attributes, but it will greatly increase your ailment damage! You can try it in the game. Uniques And Affixes Lacerate Gladiator build doesn’t really need too many unique items to support its late game. But just in case, and to make it fully adaptable to the endgame event of Path of Exile 3.25, you can use the following 3 Uniques: Koam’s Sign x2 Ryslatha’s Coil If you try to get the belt directly with POE Currency, it will probably be very expensive because it is the best slot in almost all disease builds. That’s all about the preparations and precautions you need to make for Lacerate Gladiator build in Path Of Exile 3.25. I hope you can have fun playing in the new league!

In this guide, we're venturing into the fascinating realm of character builds in Path of Exile 3.24 Necropolis League. Our focus lies on the Ngamahu's Flame Cyclone Berserker, a powerful build residing within the Marauder class. Pros & Cons Now, let's explore the pros of this build in greater detail. Firstly, the clear speed is exceptional. Utilizing Cyclone, you sustain perpetual motion, delivering a thrilling whirlwind experience as you effortlessly decimate foes. Moreover, this build offers impressive single-target damage output without requiring extensive investment. However, let's address the cons as well. The primary concern lies in survivability. Despite incorporating multiple defensive layers, this build necessitates proximity to enemies, rendering it vulnerable to incoming attacks. Furthermore, as a Berserker, you inherently endure a 10% increase in damage taken, exacerbating the survivability challenge. About Ngamahu's Flame Axe Ngamahu's Flame Axe features a unique built-in skill, Molten Burst, triggered with a 20% chance on melee hit, akin to Molten Strike. This presents an excellent opportunity for a trigger build with high attack speed. Cyclone distinguishes itself as the optimal skill for triggering Molten Burst due to its swift attack speed and the capability to move while executing attacks. With approximately 20 hits per second on a single enemy, Molten Burst becomes a reliable source of damage. The skill can be supported by 6 support gems, and the axe doesn't require its sockets to be linked, simplifying the build assembly. Enhancing damage further, players can anoint their amulet with Vengeant Cascade to make projectiles bounce, and utilize Point Blank Support for up to 30% more damage. Budget Of This Build To begin tackling endgame maps on a budget, you can kickstart with approximately 90 chaos. However, to smoothly progress to yellow maps, it's advisable to invest around 150 chaos for a more comfortable experience. For easily completing your Atlas, I recommend investing around 6 Divine Orbs. Otherwise, your survivability won't be enough, and you'll end up dying a lot. You need 2 mandatory unique items for this build. The primary and pivotal component is the Ngamahu's Flame Axe. It instantly converts 60% of your physical damage into fire, provides 20% fire penetration, and initiates Molten Burst upon hits, significantly amplifying single-target damage. Next, we also need the Stampede boots, which guarantee that our movement speed is always 150% of its base. This is great because now we can replace the regular Cyclone with Cyclone of Tumult for a lot more damage and AOE effect for clear speed. Performance Ratings I will analyze whether this build is suitable for POE 3.24 Necropolis League from these 3 aspects: clear speed, boss damage and survivability. Clear Speed: When assessing the clear speed, this build shines with an impressive rating of 9 out of 10. The Cyclone skill emerges as a standout feature, facilitating effortless traversal across varied terrains and swiftly dispatching enemies, enabling uninterrupted movement. Boss Damage: When assessing the damage on bosses, this build achieves a flawless rating of 10 out of 10. The introduction of the Cyclone of Tumult significantly amplifies attack speed, leading to more frequent activation of Molten Burst. As a result, even the most formidable bosses are swiftly brought to their knees within mere moments. Survivability: When evaluating the survivability of this build, it attains a rating of 7 out of 10. Although bolstered by substantial life reserves, permanent Fortify, heightened armor, evasion, and spell suppression, the build is not without its vulnerabilities, particularly in close-quarters combat scenarios. This inherent risk becomes more pronounced, especially when facing off against high-tier maps without sufficient investment in fortifying survivability attributes.

Welcome to the second week of the Crucible. Whether you're a returning Guardian or a new player, this guide will provide you with the latest news updates, dissect the current meta, and share some crucial strategies to get ahead in the game. Crucible Week 2 News A new patch has just been released, which brings a number of changes and balances that are sure to shake up the PvP meta. Be sure to stay updated with these changes, as the new balance patches could potentially shift the power of weapons, subclasses, and playstyles. We're also seeing the return of the much-awaited Iron Banner. Guardians can compete in this special event to earn unique gear and weapons, making it an exciting time for all PvP enthusiasts. Current Meta Report Two weeks into the Crucible, we're beginning to see a new meta emerging. Here's a rundown of what's dominating the battlefield: Weapons Hand Cannons continue to be a favorite in the current meta, with the likes of Ace of Spades and Dire Promise standing out due to their high impact and usability at various ranges. Pulse Rifles, specifically Vigilance Wing and Bygones, are also becoming increasingly popular. They're reliable at medium-long range engagements, where they outperform Hand Cannons. In terms of Special Weapons, Shotguns like the Felwinter’s Lie and Astral Horizon are a top choice for aggressive players. Subclasses For Warlocks, Top-tree Dawnblade continues to dominate with its aerial combat superiority. Titans are seeing a surge in the use of Middle-tree Sentinel, courtesy of its versatile utility in both offense and defense. As for Hunters, the Bottom-tree Nightstalker is gaining popularity due to its ability to suppress opponents’ abilities. Winning Strategies Here are some strategies to help you dominate the Crucible: 1. Teamwork: The Crucible is not just about individual skill. Effective communication and teamwork can often overcome superior firepower. Stick together, call out enemy positions, and coordinate your Super abilities for maximum impact. 2. Map Control: Understanding the layout of the maps, including vantage points, choke points, and spawn locations, is crucial. Aim to control areas of the map that give you the advantage, forcing your enemies to fight on your terms. 3. Weapon Pairing: Pair your primary and secondary weapons in a way that covers various ranges. This way, you will be prepared for engagements at any distance. 4. Use Your Vertical Space: Many players forget to look up, giving you a surprising advantage. Warlocks and Hunters can use their aerial abilities to attack from above, often catching enemies off guard. Crucible's dynamic environment promises exciting times ahead, as the meta will surely continue to evolve over time. Always remember that while adhering to the meta can give you an edge, your comfort and proficiency with your chosen weapons and subclasses are what truly drive your success. So, gear up, dive in, and may your Light guide you to victory!