The 3.26 Secrets of Atlas League is launching soon, and everyone is wondering what the best League starter is. In this post, I will tell you about Raychich's top 6 starters I recommend.
Nerfed Builds (Don't Recommend)
Let's start with which builds got nerfed in the patch notes and which ones I wouldn't recommend starting with:
- Frost Blades, Katabasis (lost 30% damage)
- Righteous Fire (Fire Trap lost 25% damage)
- Ice Nova of Frostbolts (less projectiles and area)
- Power Siphon, Mines (lost 50% damage)
- Lightning Strike (lost 50% damage)
- Detonate Dead of Chain Reaction (dead)
Now you know which builds are not great to start with, let's move on to the strong options.
1. Cyclone Champion
The first build is going to be very stable at the league starts, and everybody likes it. And also, this build has a ton of endgame potential. It's Cyclone Champion. First of all, Champion ascendancy finally got a lot of buffs in this League. The Fortitude Ascendency passive skill now causes you to have your maximum Fortification. Previously, it was 15, which gives us a lot more defense. Also, the Unstoppable Hero now grants 3% more Armor and Evasion rating per Fortification above 20 and 3% increased attack speed.
So, which noticeably buffs Champion overall, as we now have more damage due to increased attack speed and more defense due to armor and evasion rating? Cyclone is a great skill for League starts, especially beneficial for beginners. It's just simple to level and has strong clear, and solid single-target damage. Everybody likes Cyclone. If you get bored with classic Cyclone, there are several ways to respec it later.
2. Poisonous Concoction Slayer
Next up, the build I'm personally considering for my league starter is Poisonous Concussion Slayer. I was hoping that damage overtime builds would get buffed in 3.26, but that didn't happen. Still, Poisonous Concoction remains a great league start option. If you enjoy the playstyle of running around, throwing flasks, and watching everyone die, this one is for you. Why say better not the Pathfinder, in my opinion? Because the frenzy charges are incredibly fast on maps, and endurance charges give great survivability.
Additionally, it's very easy to complete the campaign with this. So, probably the Poisonous Concussion is the best leveling skill right now. So, if you start with this build, you'll be fine from the early game to Uber content.
3. Lightning Arrow Deadeye
The third build is Lightning Arrow Deadeye. You're probably sick of it already, but what can I do? It wasn't nerfed again and is still one of the best picks for Atlas progression and farming. Lightning Arrow Deadeye wasn't touched. Everything remains the same. If you want to farm maps easily with a super stable build and time-proven, why not? One of the best clearers in the game, if not the best, has decent silk target damage, scales into endgame easily, and is just fun to play, especially if you haven't tried it before. Not much else to say. It's still strong, but maybe a little boring by now.
4. Storm Burst Totems Hierophant
The first totem build I made back in the 3.24 league. I was starting a league with this build, and now it's even stronger than before. It's a great choice if you like the totem playstyle and the hierophant ascendancy. The Storm Burst totems got buffed in 3.26 because now Storm Burst has a shorter cast time and cost less mana, and also Arcane Surge now gives 10% more damage, which adds even more power to this build.
I played this build two weeks ago and had a very good starting experience. So, it's a great league starter and rush to red maps option, but I'm still not 100% sure how the new storms will feel in 3.26. But anyway, it will not be big, and you can always respec into something else.
5. Volcanic Fissure of Snaking Berserker
The next build will probably become the most popular one in the 3.26 league - Volcanic Fissure of Snaking and Berserker looks like a very stable and simple league starter that can take you to Uber bosses. That's because Volcanic Fisher of Snake has huge damage effectiveness, meaning it's easy to stack damage on this skill itself. And this build is powerful through work cry. So, no, that doesn't mean playing the piano. You press two or three buttons and then attack, and it scales quickly, thanks to Rage Dogs. It's great for both mapping and bosses. It is a stable and good option.
6. BAMA Necromancer
The next build was strong in past leagues and hasn't weakened since then. Perhaps this build is even stronger now, thanks to the animate guardian change. Animate Guardian got buffed because he no longer loses gear when he dies. And I'm talking about Blink Arrow or Bama Necromancer, a great choice if you like the playstyle where you chill in the back while your minions kill everything. It's super tanky because mobs don't attack you, and that's not much to say about this build. This build kills pinnacle bosses with minimal investments and scales easily into endgame and tier-17 farming.
Conclusion
You already have six strong builds to choose from. Please stay tuned to MmoGah for more useful PoE guides. Don't forget to join our Discord channel to get your Giveaway!
