Path of Exile Future Explained: Will It Survive Alongside PoE 2 or Is It Being Replaced?

In Path of Exile 3.29, Delve is an extremely profitable activity. In Curse of the Allflame league, Fossils have essentially become a Delve-exclusive resource, while the amount of Sulphite you can obtain has also increased significantly.

However, Delve is not a particularly intuitive mechanic, and some players are unsure where to send the mine cart or how to increase their rewards. Let's take a look at how Delve works.

Depth and Reward Mechanics

In Delve, you need to follow your mine cart as it descends deeper and deeper. The deeper you go into the mine, the greater the rewards become. As your depth increases, rare Fossils and boss nodes will also appear more frequently.

You can obtain rare currencies such as Hollow Fossil, Fractured Fossil, Faceted Fossil, and Glyphic Fossil.

At depth 300, Hollow Fossils are considered relatively rare. They usually do not appear in large clusters. However, at depth 1,500, you may notice three, four, or even five Hollow Fossils appearing close together in the same area, with only a few travel nodes between them.

As you continue descending, the amount of Azurite obtained from Azurite nodes will also continue to increase. Although there is currently no conclusive evidence showing exactly when Delve rewards stop scaling, the general consensus among players is that the reward scaling continues up to depth 1,500.

This means that if your only goal is to farm PoE currency in the mine, the ideal farming range is around depth 1,500 to 1,600, and there is little reason to continue going deeper. This allows you to farm as efficiently as possible.

If you are new to Delve and simply want to farm some currency in the shallow or mid-depth areas, it is recommended that you reach at least depth 300. Of course, going deeper is always better, but you also need to pay attention to your farming efficiency.

Perhaps you can completely clear everything at depth 500, but when you try to push down to 700, you start running into trouble. You may die occasionally, certain nodes may become difficult to handle, and some bosses may take two or three attempts to defeat. In that case, you may be better off returning to depth 500 first.

Difficulty Scaling Curve

Delve's difficulty reaches its maximum scaling at depth 6,000. However, the difficulty does not increase along a straight line from 0 to 6,000. The mine becomes particularly steep in difficulty between depths 500 and 1,200.

Within this range, monster health and damage increase exponentially. Once you pass depth 1,200, the difficulty scaling curve starts to flatten out.

In PoE 3.29, a decent build can reach around depth 500 to 600. However, if you really want a character capable of breaking through depth 1,000 and even pushing toward 1,500, you will generally need a build specifically designed for Delve.

Darkness Farming

Darkness farming refers to stopping along your travel path after discovering Broken Walls that can be destroyed with explosives. Behind these walls, you will usually find chests and Fossils.

Since all Fossils are now exclusive to Delve, every Fossil has a certain amount of value. At present, even the common Fossils are worth around 8 Chaos Orbs each.

Behind these Broken Walls, you can usually find 3 to 10 Fossils with relatively little effort, making them a quick source of additional income. Resonator Troves also have a higher chance of appearing behind these walls, and this type of chest is guaranteed to drop a four-socket Resonator.

If you are farming currency in the shallow or mid-depth areas of the mine, Darkness farming can be an excellent source of additional income. However, as you descend deeper, the darkness becomes extremely dangerous, so the rewards may no longer justify the risks.

Voltaxic Generator

You can use Voltaxic Generator to manage various Delve-specific upgrades. These include increasing your Sulphite capacity, Darkness resistance, Light radius, and other stats.

If you plan to farm Delve seriously, you should raise your Sulphite capacity to the maximum as soon as possible. This allows you to stay in the mine for longer and reduces the frequency of traveling back and forth between maps and the mine.

If you plan to spend a long time farming horizontally at depths below 1,000, especially if you intend to explore the darkness, upgrading your Darkness resistance and Light radius can make your experience in the mine much more comfortable.

Delve Builds

Few players are willing to choose Delve as their main strategy because if your build is not strong enough, this type of gameplay can become extremely frustrating. Only well-geared players can truly run this mechanic effectively.

In Curse of the Allflame league, the top Delve ladder builds mainly include Double Strike, Strength stacking, and Luminary.

Double Strike and Strength-stacking builds have long been staples of deep Delve, while Luminary is a new face in PoE 3.29.

If you are new to Delve and simply want to experience the mechanic, you absolutely do not need to play these top-tier builds. There are plenty of builds that can comfortably reach around depth 1,000 or even 1,500 with a much lower investment.

You can choose Shield Crush Juggernaut, which performs extremely well in Delve below depth 1,000. Other solid choices include Boneshatter and Eviscerate.

That covers the basic mechanics of PoE 3.29 Delve. If you have never tried it before, it can offer a refreshing change of pace. As a farming strategy, it also has relatively little competition, so you do not have to worry too much about Fossil values dropping sharply.

For Path of Exile players, besides the release of POE 2 1.0, the most anticipated event of the second half of 2026 is the release of Patch 3.30.

In an interview a few weeks ago, POE publisher revealed that they would be making significant changes to the game - especially regarding endgame content. This has generated considerable excitement among players.

So, what specific changes will Patch 3.30 make to the game? I will predict the content of 3.30 based on some of the most criticized issues in the current game and the publisher's interview.

Existing Problems

In fact, according to discussions on POE player forums, the most serious and obvious problem in the game currently lies in the gameplay content of the endgame stages.

Although several patches have been released, the game has accumulated a large amount of endgame gameplay, but they suffer from three obvious problems:

First, a lack of engaging gameplay. Many older gameplay elements have become outdated, and the most popular and rewarding endgame strategies have become increasingly homogenized.

Second, there is insufficient synergy between gameplay elements. Due to the lack of interaction between various endgame content, players often only repeatedly use a few high-reward mechanics, leading to a monotonous gaming experience.

Third, there is an unbalanced reward distribution. This is a major issue widely discussed in the gaming community - the most valuable rewards are concentrated in specific chests within certain gameplay modes, while killing monsters yields little in the way of valuable rewards.

However, killing monsters is what players do most often in the endgame. Players typically invest a lot of resources in grinding monsters - including using various currencies to increase map difficulty - but the rewards are disproportionate.

Patch 3.30 Content Predictions

The developers of PoE have not ignored these issues, and they have announced that they will provide solutions to the endgame problems in Patch 3.30. Based on predictions, they may improve the endgame experience from the following three angles:

Strengthening Gameplay Interactions

First, one direction for POE Patch 3.30 is to strengthen gameplay interactions. The developers will streamline existing endgame mechanics, connecting different endgame gameplay elements to create more interaction and prevent players from only playing a portion of the gameplay.

Simultaneously, the developers will add new and interesting elements to existing endgame gameplay, differentiating them and preventing gameplay homogenization.

For example, players might be able to synergize Abyss's unique monster duplication mechanic with other mechanics or map affixes that increase monster groups, creating entirely new farming strategies and preventing players from being limited to the same farming method.

Balancing Reward Distribution

This is the most requested issue by the community and one that the developers have explicitly promised to address. In POE Patch

3.30, the game will completely redesign the endgame reward distribution - especially the loot rewards after killing monsters.

The developers will reassess which items should be tied to specific gameplay modes and which should be included in a broader monster loot pool.

Specifically, the developers may add some powerful uniques and items that were previously only obtainable in specific gameplay modes to the global loot pool - such as Simplex Amulet from Heist gameplay.

This will give players a higher probability of obtaining high-value rewards by killing monsters, rather than primarily relying on opening chests.

The developers may also adjust the loot of Bosses and Rare Monsters, increasing their chances of dropping high-value Path of Exile Currency, giving players a greater incentive to challenge higher-difficulty monsters and Bosses.

Return of Old Mechanics

In addition to the above, some beloved old gameplay elements and rewards are likely to return.

According to developer interviews, the core mechanics of Mirage League will return in Patch 3.30.

While the specific form of this return has not yet been announced, this move to reintroduce some unique gameplay elements and rewards into endgame is a signal:

This means that some previously popular but later canceled or nerfed gameplay elements - such as the extreme exploitation strategies of Affliction and Titanic Blight - may be revived in a more balanced form, providing players with a richer endgame experience.

Adding New Challenges

In fact, for some top-tier or veteran players, there is another issue with PoE's endgame content: a lack of challenging content. Powerful bosses, high-difficulty maps, and other challenges have all become tiresome for players.

Therefore, Patch 3.30 is likely to add new, high-difficulty challenges, providing these top-tier players with fresh gameplay experiences. The game may also introduce leaderboards and rewards to recognize players who dare to take on challenges.

Supporting Content

Undoubtedly, Patch 3.30 will be a significant update, and such a large-scale update will inevitably bring a series of chain reactions to PoE. For example, the game may add some minor supporting content, or new transfigured gems may be restricted.

In conclusion, Path of Exile Patch 3.30 is unlikely to add new story content or classes. Instead, it aims to revitalize the endgame gameplay ecosystem, which has shown signs of fatigue after years of development. This will undoubtedly bring new life and energy to the game.

Based on past update patterns, Patch 3.30 is expected to launch before November 2026. More information and the final update date may be announced later. You can follow EZG Facebook to get the latest news; we will update information related to Patch 3.30 as soon as possible.

Let's look forward to the specific content of Patch 3.30!

In Path of Exile Patch 3.29, Sanctum remains very popular farming content. Besides the traditional rewards, you also have the chance to obtain Fracturing Orbs, Volatile Valor Orbs, Divines, and rare special Relics. Therefore, choosing a suitable build is still very important for players looking to improve their Sanctum farming efficiency.

Discharge Assassin build is one of the best choices for Sanctum in Curse of the Allflame. This build revolves around Discharge and Charge mechanics and high burst damage, while also possessing excellent mobility, making it well-suited to Sanctum's requirements for mob clearing efficiency and movement speed.

Next, EZG.com will introduce the core mechanics and gear choices of this Discharge Assassin build to help you understand why it's suitable for farming POE Sanctum.

Core Mechanics

This build utilizes Assassin Ascendancy, which grants high Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike Multiplier against PoE enemies not in low life, while also triggering Culling Strike through Critical Strike.

For Discharge build, which already boasts extremely high burst damage, many monsters don't even need a second attack; a single Discharge is enough to wipe them out.

Assassin passive skill Unstable Infusion further increases Maximum Power Charge. Combined with Badge of the Brotherhood, the character's Maximum Frenzy Charges can reach the same amount as Maximum Power Charges.

Since Discharge deals higher damage based on the amount of Charges consumed, the higher Charges stacked, the more explosive the burst damage can be with each cast.

In Path of Exile combat, rapid Charge recovery is equally important. Discharge Assassin build utilizes gear and mechanics such as Feral's Fur, Aspect of the Cat, and Badge of the Brotherhood to quickly replenish Power Charges and Frenzy Charges, maintaining the ability to continuously cast Discharge.

Discharge Assassin also uses Spectres for additional support. Spectres provide Auras like Zealotry and Wrath, further enhancing your Path of Exile character's Critical Strike, Spell Damage, and Elemental Damage.

You'll need two Timeclasp with Power Charge Corruption and to reduce Skill Effect Duration to near zero. Combined with the third Ring Socket provided by Ritualist Ascendancy and the effects of the third ring, Discharge interval can be further shortened, with Cooldown reduced to approximately 0.24 seconds.

Therefore, Discharge Assassin doesn't require complex skill rotations. Keep moving and continuously unleashing Discharge to consistently create high-frequency, full-screen explosions in PoE.

Gear

Two Void Batteries are key pieces for this build to expand Path of Exile's clear range. They provide additional Area of ​​Effect based on your Power Charges, further increasing the blast radius of Discharge and allowing a single cast to cover more enemies.

For the helmet, choose Double Power Charge Helmet, a Warlord Helmet whose core attributes include additional Power Charge. Note that to tackle higher difficulty content, you'll need to add affixes like Intelligence, Life, Resistances, and Area of ​​Effect, making it quite difficult to craft and requiring further corruption after completion, resulting in a very high ultimate cost.

Badge of the Brotherhood is the core unique amulet for this Discharge Assassin build. It links Frenzy Charges with Power Charges, making it easier for the character to maintain Charge resources needed for Discharge.

Meanwhile, you need to utilize Shaper Influence to acquire Cooldown Recovery affix, further reducing Discharge cooldown. The combination of these two significantly increases the frequency of Discharge usage, which is one key to this build's ability to quickly clear PoE Sanctum.

Discharge Assassin build can forgo Belt in exchange for a third Ring Socket. This is a crucial part of the entire gear system. While casual players might not find Timeclasp particularly expensive, in Patch 3.29, Path of Exile Currency required for a top-tier Timeclasp with Power Charge Corruption and an exorbitant amount of Reduced Skill Effect Duration is approaching that of a multi-mirror ring.

Feral's Fur is responsible for maintaining Charge. It allows the character to quickly switch between Cat's Agility and Cat's Stealth, thus helping to continuously gain Power Charges and Frenzy Charges, solving the recovery problem after frequent Charge consumption during Discharge in PoE.

Furthermore, Gloves utilizes Aspect of the Cat, paired with Swift Affliction, Less Duration, Faster Casting, and Lightning Warp to further shorten the duration of related skills and improve casting and movement efficiency.

Passive Tree

Since Discharge inflicts Fire, Cold, and Lightning Damage simultaneously based on the consumed Charges, and is released as an AoE Nova, Passive Tree can be enhanced around universal attributes such as Elemental Damage, Area of ​​Effect, Critical Strike, and Critical Strike Multiplier.

Simultaneously, you need to use Militant Faith Timeless Jewel and leverage its keystone Supreme Ostentation. This keystone prevents PoE characters from receiving attribute bonuses, allowing numerous Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence nodes to serve as more easily utilized Jewel conversion bases, reducing the build's reliance on other attribute requirements.

Elegant Hubris provides additional benefits to Passive Nodes in specific areas through its randomly generated Notable affixes. The build also combines Tattoos to further optimize some modified or no longer important attribute nodes, thus gaining additional damage and other auxiliary benefits based on your specific PoE gear and Passive Tree configuration.

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In actual combat in Path of Exile Patch 3.29, Discharge Assassin build features a tight skill rotation of Lightning Warp, Charges, and Discharge, allowing for quick clearing of most normal rooms. Even with unfavorable affixes like 40% Less Damage and 50% More Monster Life, this build maintains high map clearing efficiency.

With mastery, a Sanctum run takes approximately 7-8 minutes. If you're looking for the ultimate Sanctum Farming experience, this Discharge Assassin build is indeed an exceptionally powerful choice in Patch 3.29.

In Path of Exile, Delirium Orbs are a type of Currency used to enhance Atlas. They add Delirium layers to the map, granting players substantial rewards.

Therefore, as each patch progresses into its mid-to-late stages, the demand for Delirium Orbs increases significantly, and Patch 3.29 Curse of the Allflame is no exception. Whether you need Delirium Orbs themselves or hope to exchange them for Divine Orbs, you'll need an efficient method for farming them.

And there is a simple yet efficient method in the game that allows you to farm a large number of Delirium Orbs in a short time.

Delirium Mirror Mechanism

The core of this farming method is utilizing Delirium Mirrors mechanic in Path of Exile Patch 3.29.

Specifically, when you touch a Delirium Mirror on the map, a gray fog will spread outwards from the mirror image into the depths of the map.

Monsters within the fog's coverage area will be fogged up; killing them will increase your Delirium progress.

Each time you accumulate a certain amount of progress in the reward counter, you unlock a reward level. At the final reward point, you'll receive a Loot Explosion with rewards including our objective, Delirium Orbs, Simulacrum Splinters, and other high-value items.

Therefore, you need to maximize your reward counter progress before the challenge ends to increase your reward levels.

Additionally, you should try to kill monsters in areas with high fog density, as the deeper you go into the fog, the more Simulacrum Splinters you'll obtain. However, the monsters will also be stronger.

Furthermore, in Delirium Mirror, players have a chance to encounter two exclusive bosses - Kosis and Omniphobia. Defeating them will grant players a large amount of reward counters and generous loot. So, don't miss them if you encounter them.

Scarab Selection

Understanding the basic farming methods is just the first step. Next, players can significantly improve their efficiency in each map by using specific Scarab combinations.

According to player community testing, in PoE Patch 3.29, three types of Delirium Scarabs can increase the rewards of Delirium Mirror gameplay, and the cost is not high; you only need a small amount of currency to acquire a large quantity of them.

Delirium Scarab of Paranoia

This scarab allows two additional reward types to be generated in Delirium encounters. More reward types mean a higher probability of obtaining Delirium Orbs at the end. This scarab costs only about 20 Chaos Orbs, making it very cheap.

Delirium Scarab of Mania

This scarab increases the reward counter's fill speed by 100%; fog density increases by 50% with distance from the mirror. At current market prices, one Chaos Orb can be exchanged for one scarab.

Not only does it allow your reward stacks to accumulate faster, but the higher fog density also means more Simulacrum Splinter drops.

Delirium Scarab of Neuroses

This scarab guarantees the appearance of a specific boss in each Delirium encounter, and defeating any boss increments all of the player's reward type counters by one.

Since the boss is guaranteed to appear, this means that players will receive at least two progress boosts per map, along with additional rewards for defeating the boss.

Based on repeated player testing, the optimal combination for this farming method is 1 Mania + 1 Neuroses + 3 Paranoia.

Map Selection

Map selection also significantly impacts farming efficiency. Maps suitable for this method need to meet three conditions: linear terrain, high monster density, and prominent boss locations.

In POE Patch 3.29, four maps meet these conditions: Beach, Strand, Tropical Island, and City Square.

Beach is widely considered the most suitable choice for the vast majority of players. Its terrain is open, monster density is moderate, and boss locations are easily accessible, making its overall difficulty neither too high nor too low.

Strand, as a classic linear map, boasts one of the highest monster counts of all maps, but it's also the most difficult, requiring a sufficiently powerful build to clear efficiently.

Tropical Island is another classic map long used by players to farm Delirium Orbs. Its straight path makes movement very convenient, and the boss is relatively easy, but it still demands a certain level of build.

For players whose character build isn't high enough, City Square is a good alternative. This map's advantage is its conciseness; the boss can be killed quickly, but the drop rate of Delirium Orbs is relatively low.

Atlas Passive Tree Node Selection

Finally, you'll need to use Atlas Passive Tree to increase rewards and monster count.

First, you should prioritize unlocking all Delirium-related passive skills, especially the following two - The Singular Eternity and Descent Into Madness.

The former reduces dissipation rate of Delirium by 30%, giving you more time to clear the entire map and avoid wasting accumulated counter progress due to insufficient time.

The latter, along with two smaller passive skills below it, can further increase the difficulty of Delirium and amount of reward drops, but only if your build can withstand higher monster strength.

The above is a detailed method for farming large amounts of Delirium Orbs and other high-value currency by farming Delirium Mirror in Path of Exile Curse of the Allflame.

It's worth noting that with game updates, even more efficient methods may emerge. You can follow EZG Facebook page to stay updated on the latest game news and avoid missing out.

We also frequently host PoE and PoE 2 giveaways. You can @friends and comment to participate for a chance to win great prizes.

In short, if you happen to be lacking Delirium Orbs or other items and currencies dropped by Delirium Mirror mechanic, you can try this method.

In Path of Exile Patch 3.29 Curse of the Allflame, Wretched Defiler Necromancer Build is one of the strongest minion builds currently available. A full configuration requires approximately 2 mirrors, but it can easily handle endgame content and even boasts over 300 million DPS.

The biggest feature of this build is that it requires almost no active operation while clearing maps. Once you enter Tier 17, simply keep and Wretched Defiler Spectres will automatically clear monsters and bosses along the way.

Besides high damage, this build also possesses very strong defensive capabilities. Let's take a look at the core configuration of Wretched Defiler Necromancer in PoE Patch 3.29.

Spectres

Wretched Defiler Necromancer uses Wretched Defiler Spectres, along with one Perfect Spirit of Fortune. First, navigate to Path of Exile Tier 17 Map and use Desecrate to continuously search for Wretched Defilers. Once the target Spectre is found, return to hideout to complete the summon.

When preparing Spectres, remove configurations such as Greater Spell Echo that might affect the number of Spectres summoned, to avoid summoning additional random Spectres.

Once 10 Wretched Defiler Spectres and 1 Perfect Spirit of Fortune are prepared, the core summoning framework of this PoE build is complete. Next, you should focus on configuring defensive attributes.

Defense Systems

The most obvious feature of Wretched Defiler Necromancer is that it combines many defensive mechanisms from PoE. First, you need to ensure you have 90% Fire Resistance. This isn't something you can just stack with ordinary gear; it primarily relies on the stable flask effect provided by Mageblood.

Combined with Ruby Flask and Maximum Fire Resistance from Jewels, you ultimately push Fire Resistance to 90%. Simultaneously, Rhex Talisman converts Cold Damage from Hits and Lightning Damage from Hits into Fire Damage.

The defensive system that previously required dealing with Cold, Lightning, and Fire Damage separately can now concentrate a large portion of the damage onto Fire Damage. Because your PoE character has extremely high Fire Resistance, this converted damage is also more effectively mitigated.

The character has near 100% Spell Suppression, 50K Armor, and up to 90% Physical Damage Reduction, which can even reach 8.5K to 10K Energy Shield in Path of Exile endgame. Chaos Inoculation fixes your character's Life at 1 and prevents Chaos Damage from dealing damage, while Molten Shell provides additional defense.

Passive Tree

Passive Tree focuses on defensive capabilities. Large Cluster Jewels should prioritize Maximum Energy Shield, Minion attributes, and a 35% increased effect. Watcher's Eye should at least have Gain Maximum Mana as Extra Maximum Energy Shield and can be paired with Determination-related defensive affixes.

Rare Jewels primarily revolve around Maximum Energy Shield, Maximum Fire Resistance, and Minion Damage. Unending Hunger is also a crucial component of Wretched Defiler Necromancer Build, making it easier to obtain Souls from Path of Exile Raise Spectres, further enhancing Spectres.

Thread of Hope and Timeless Jewels are used to further optimize Passive Tree. The position and specific affixes of Timeless Jewels need to be adjusted based on the configuration you obtain in PoE Curse of the Allflame, while utilizing a special attribute conversion mechanism to handle Attribute Requirements. Some Intelligence nodes can be converted into Maximum Energy Shield through Tattoos, while Strength nodes in PoE can be used to supplement Armor. Other nodes are mainly used to increase spell suppression.

Gear

Body Armor must use Doryani's Prototype, whose core effect is that nearby enemies in PoE have Lightning Resistance equal to yours. Wretched Defiler Necromancer build relies primarily on Lightning Damage output while simultaneously reducing its own lightning resistance to approximately -200%, thus maximizing damage.

If possible, prioritize versions with high armor and energy shields. If your Path of Exile Currency is sufficient, you can further pursue better implicit.

Weapons use two Convoking Wands, at least one of which must have Minions are Aggressive. Core affixes include +1 to All Spell Skill Gems, +1 to Level of All Minion Skill Gems, Minions Deal 100% Increased Damage, and Minions Have 25% Increased Attack Speed.

For Helmet, the primary focus is on +2 to Level of All Minion Skill Gems, while maximizing Maximum Energy Shield. Amulets use Rhex Talisman base because it provides Cold and Lightning Damage from Hits Taken as Fire Damage. Affixes primarily focus on +1 to Level of All Skill Gems and Maximum Energy Shield.

Rings are mainly used to reduce Lightning Resistance while supplementing Minion Damage, Minion Attack Speed, and Cast Speed. Use Bone Rings and copy relevant PoE affixes to give the second ring similar attributes. Gloves primarily focus on Energy Shield, Minion Damage, and Spell Suppression.

Boots should prioritize maximum energy shield, raise spectre gem level, resistances, and movement speed. This build offers good mobility; Convocation continuously teleports Minions back to the character, reducing reliance on movement skills like Blink.

Gameplay

The most interesting aspect of Wretched Defiler Necromancer Build is that you can almost do nothing while farming. Upon entering Path of Exile map, simply run forward; Spectres will automatically handle enemies along the way.

The combination of Convocation and Automation keeps Minions constantly returning to the character, so the character doesn't even need to stop and wait for summons to catch up during PoE combat.

If you encounter a boss, you can still actively increase damage. The simplest way is to first use Punishment on the boss, then create a Corpse using Desecrate, and finally use Flesh Offering.

Flesh Offering, by consuming Corpse, grants Minions additional Attack, Cast, and Movement Speed, significantly boosting Spectres' DPS in PoE boss fights. Since boss areas typically lack sufficient corpses, Desecrate becomes crucial.

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Wretched Defiler Necromancer build in Path of Exile Patch 3.29 is an endgame minion build that balances high DPS, vigorous defense, and low micromanagement. While the full build requires a significant budget, it's worth trying for players who enjoy automatic map clearing while maximizing damage and survivability.

It's been a month since Path of Exile: Curse of the Allflame was released, and a new game environment has gradually formed, with both positive and negative aspects. Players have undoubtedly developed their own thoughts during this time.

This article will analyze the current state of the game environment one month after the release of PoE 3.29. Let's take a look.

Elementalist Dominance

First, let's look at the most notable class: Elementalist. In PoE 3.29, Elementalist has become the most popular Ascendancy class, accounting for nearly 18% of all characters level 95 and above.

Builds and Skills

The usage rates of different Elementalist skills are not significantly different. According to statistics, the most frequently used skill is Penance Brand of Dissipation, accounting for about one-fifth of Elementalist builds. Following closely is Hexblast at 16%, and then Winter Orb, which recently received a significant buff, at 15%.

This also confirms that players choose this class not because of a single outstanding skill, but because this ascendancy class offers a wide variety of builds to choose from, enough to solve many problems for players.

Mana Management Mechanism

PoE 3.29 fundamentally reworked the mana management mechanism. Previously, the effect of reducing mana cost was stacking, allowing players to achieve 100% mana cost reduction, thus effectively casting spells for free. Now, its diminishing returns are very severe.

Even with 100% efficiency, your mana cost will only be reduced by half; even with 200% efficiency, you will only reduce it by less than two-thirds. This means that investing resources to improve efficiency is no longer the optimal choice.

Therefore, in PoE Curse of the Allflame, skill gems like Lightning Golem, which provide a fixed mana regeneration effect, are extremely attractive.

In addition, my research shows that Elementalist possesses extremely strong versatility. With enough gem sockets, it can be integrated into almost any archetype. While other Ascendancy classes may offer more specialized late-game progression for specific builds, Elementalist can compensate for many shortcomings in the early and mid-game.

Currently, player enthusiasm for Elementalist is very high. Given this, I believe GGG will definitely adjust it in Patch 3.30, so please cherish your time playing.

Luminary Rise

Luminary is a new Scion Ascendancy class added in PoE 3.29. Currently, its usage rate is 15%, firmly holding second place, only behind Elementalist.

Luminary is completely different from other Ascendancy classes in the game because it relies entirely on your mercenary. This is both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.

The difference between having a mercenary with excellent stats and having a mercenary with average stats is huge, and this difference determines the player's experience using this Ascendancy class from the very beginning.

In the first two weeks of the league, many players choosing Luminary for progression found themselves struggling, unable to find mercenaries to help them progress smoothly, resulting in only about 8% of players using the class.

GGG quickly released some early fixes to address the most obvious issues, which had some effect, but the real turning point came with the accumulation of player knowledge.

As testing progressed and more information was released, players gradually began to understand the key points of mercenary selection and how to build characters around those points.

By the fourth week, the percentage of players using Luminary had almost doubled. Meanwhile, the market share of powerful progression classes like Elementalist and Chieftain actually declined. Players who persisted with Luminary ultimately reaped the rewards.

Currently, the most popular build revolves around Flame Link, a skill that provides a considerable fixed damage bonus based on the player's life and aura range. At the same time, Luminary also needs to equip Enmity's Embrace, a unique piece of gear that converts a portion of the linker's life into higher damage. When properly built, this talent build is one of the most powerful Ascendancy talents in the game.

In the upcoming PoE Patch 3.30, I expect GGG to make significant changes to Luminary. However, whether these changes will bring it closer to traditional Ascendancy classes or further enhance its unique mercenary characteristics remains to be seen. Players can look forward to it.

New Notables

While Path of Exile Curse of the Allflame introduced several new notable passives, only one is truly effective.

Instruments of Justice

Inquisitor's new notable Instruments of Justice allows a character's spells to gain a critical strike chance bonus based on the critical strike chance of their main-hand weapon. Sounds great, right? However, this node is heavily dependent on weapon choice, reducing your gear customization options.

Furthermore, Inquisitor has a very low pick rate in this league, only 1%, and of that 1%, only 5% of Inquisitor characters use the new notables. Overall, the introduction of this new notable passive is not very impactful.

Unhallowed Rite

Occultist class gained a new notable passive called Unhallowed Rite, but only 1% of Occultist characters chose it - an alarmingly low percentage. This is likely because this node doesn't offer significant benefits in short-duration combat and has a high skill cost.

Mystical Infusion

Assassin class presents a completely different picture. The introduction of Mystical Infusion boosted its pick rate from 2% to 5% in PoE 3.29, making it the only bright spot among the new nodes.

This concludes our analysis of the current game environment one month after the release of PoE 3.29. If you want to know how things will change, follow EZG Facebook. Besides the latest patch news, there will also be occasional giveaways to help you smoothly navigate the early and mid-game.

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Path of Exile Curse of the Allflame is one of the most memorable leagues of the year, and the unique dynamic changes it brings are highly anticipated. Let's see what the developers will do next.