Whether you're jumping into the league hoping to gear up quickly, make early Path of Exile currency, or just ride the opening wave of the economy, this is your go-to guide. Important: This is only for softcore trade setups. If you're in SSF, hardcore, or hardcore SSF, the dynamic is very different.
🎯 What Makes a Great Week 1 Starter?
At the beginning of the league, your build choice is all about momentum. The top priorities are:
Clear Speed – Fast mapping helps you level quicker and acquire loot at scale.
Bossing Capability – You'll need enough single-target damage to progress through key encounters.
Low Investment – The build should be strong even before you've accumulated significant currency.
The faster you can farm and scale, the more advantage you'll have in the week-one economy.
🏆 Tier Structure
This guide organizes and builds into five functional categories:
S-Tier – Top-performing builds for early-game dominance.
A-Tier – Excellent alternatives with some trade-offs.
Specialized Builds – High-profit strategies tailored to specific mechanics.
Late-Game Builds – Fantastic once funded, but weak at league start.
Honorable Mentions – Solid but slightly less efficient starters.
S‑Tier: The Top League Starters
These builds are currently at the very front of the pack for softcore trade in week one.
🧠 Attack Wanderer (Ranger / Wander)
With the introduction of Kinetic Rain, the traditional Wanderer build gets a significant boost, especially for single-target scenarios. Even if the new skill underdelivers, Wanderer remains elite for one simple reason: mapping speed.
Unmatched clear for breach-heavy content
Works across multiple ascendancies (Ranger, Shadow, Witch, Berserker, Slayer)
Highly scalable with accessible gear early on
Expect to see many players on Wanderers due to its flexibility, trade power, and popularity among top-tier content creators. If you want to keep pace with the economy, this is a great choice.
🔨 Earthshatter / Earthshatter Slammer
For players prioritizing fast progression and smooth leveling, this build shines.
Ideal for 4-stone / 2-stone rushes
Minimal nerfs from previous patches
Strong damage and AoE, even on a budget
Earth Shatter remains one of the best "set-it-and-forget-it" builds for league start — it performs well without requiring complex setups or unique gear, making it perfect for mapping and bossing early on.
🔥 Cast on Stun Chieftain (Ultimatum-Focused)
Highly specialized and not for beginners, this build exists solely to exploit Ultimatum and similar mechanics.
Dominates Ultimatum, one of the best farming methods, untouched in this patch
Best paired with players who know the league inside and out
Complex but powerful; follow proven guides (e.g., Miracles)
Not for casual play, but if you're focused on maximum returns from Ultimatum or Simulacrum farming, this build earns its S-tier spot.
A‑Tier: Reliable but Slightly Below the Spitze
These builds are still excellent week one starters and will make you currency, just maybe not with quite the same head‑start as S‑Tier.
These builds are all league-viable and capable of strong week-one performance, though each comes with trade-offs.
🐍 Cobra Lash / Venom Gyre
Great poison-based clear and strong bossing, but its power hinges on access to a key Breach unique. If that item is rare, expect a slower start.
💣 Exsang / Reap Miner
Explosive, clear, and efficient progression. Previously played by top racers like Aeroplane and Fearlessdumb. Ideal for players who enjoy trap/miner playstyles.
🏹 Viper Strike of Mamba PF
Excellent single-target scaling on a budget. Pathfinder ascendancy provides consistency, although the clear speed may lag behind top-tier picks. A very respectable and reliable option.
⚡ Smite Slayer
Well-rounded and durable. Similar to past favorites like Lightning Strike Slayer. Strong mid-range clear, and bossing potential without reliance on niche gear.
💥 Energy Blade / Archmage
These scale well into the late game and offer burst potential early. Requires moderate investment, but trade league access makes this manageable.
🌪️ LA Deadeye
Lightning Arrow offers a strong breach map that is clear and has crowd control. However, this build got squishier due to recent spell suppression nerfs, so it's not ideal if you're worried about survivability.
💼 Specialized Build Paths (Farming Mechanics)
These aren't general-purpose starters — they're built for farming specific mechanics efficiently. Choose these only if you're confident in your game knowledge and execution.
These builds aren't "general purpose" league starters; they're niche, high-profit strategies for players aiming to specialize.
🔹 Boss Carry Builds
If you can rush into high-tier content and offer boss-kill services (like Uber bosses), this is one of the most profitable early-game strategies. Ideal for fast players.
🔹 Sanctum Runners
Rush to level 70, then dive into Sanctum farming without touching traditional mapping. Builds like Penance Brand or PConc are preferred.
🔹 Heist / Ultimatum / Expedition Specialists
These mechanics reward focused builds. Examples:
Dot builds (e.g., RF Chieftain with Explode) for Expedition
Pathfinder Poisons or PConc for Heist
Cast on Stun for Ultimatum
These are extremely profitable if done right — but risky if you're unfamiliar.
If you pick one of these, make sure you know the strategy intimately — they pay off big, but have less margin for error in the early league.
🧱 Late‑Game / Scale‑Well Builds (But Not Ideal for Week One)
These builds can become dominant, but they generally require more investment/currency and are less ideal for an immediate week one rush.
In-stack / Strength Stackers – Endgame monsters like Molten Strike or Zenith stackers
Penance Brand Juggernaut – Giga-clear with high scaling, but setup-heavy
Armor Stackers – Expensive and niche; best for high-end farming
If your goal is simply "make early league currency and dominate week one", these aren't your primary picks — but they're excellent for the transition after you've banked some early stash.
🏅 Honorable Mentions
Not bad, just slightly less optimized for early-game farming. Still great for casual players or if you like the playstyle.
RF (Righteous Fire) – Smooth, tanky, and chill. Great for new or "dad" gamers.
Eviscerate / Ignite – High damage, but slightly slower progression.
Hi-mapping or support builds – Work well in groups or with investments.
New experimental variants – Including Explosive Trap and Poison-based PBrands.
If you just want to enjoy the league and aren't rushing the economy, these builds are still solid.
💡 Key League Start Tips for Softcore Trade
1. Trade early & smart. In a trade league, you'll be swapping gear, upgrading rares, and flipping PoE items; build your stash first.
Prioritize clear speed over perfect boss kill at day one. The faster you map, the faster you build a currency advantage.
2. Pivot when necessary.
If you finish your campaign and the build feels "done", consider switching to a second build or scaling phase.
3. Stay aware of league mechanics.
If there's something like Breach / Ultimatum / Heist still meta, plan around them (e.g., builds with strong breach clear).
4. Budget gear matters.
Even if you start cheap, make sure you know what upgrades matter and trade for them quickly.
5. Don't overcomplicate.
Especially on day one, you want something simple, fast, and effective. You can worry about end‑game complexity later.
6. Play what you enjoy.
Meta's great, but if you hate the build, you'll stall. Pick something you'll stick with.
7. Watch streamer/guide liquidity.
If many top players are queuing for the build, the trading economy for that build will be strong.
Final Thoughts
If you're looking for the best start for softcore trade in week one, you'll want to pick one of the S‑Tier builds for maximum early currency gain and progression. Choose an A‑Tier build if you prefer something still very strong but maybe less "crowded" or slightly easier. And consider specialized farms only if you're confident in your skill and knowledge.
After your early rush, you can transition into one of the scale‑well builds as your stash grows and the league opens up. Remember: speed + trading + clear = early dominance.
Good luck with the league launch. May your stash grow fast and your maps stay juicy!
This article is based on insights and gameplay analysis from Fubgun's video.
Related Links:
Top 6 League Starter Builds for PoE 3.27 - Keepers of the Flame
PoE 3.27 Keepers of the Flame - All Details You Need to Know
