Farming a Headhunter within one day at PoE league start is fully achievable through optimized routing, disciplined strategy, and the right content choices. This method, shared by Fubgun on his YouTube channel, does not rely on expensive investments, scarabs, or lucky drops. It is based entirely on consistent, repeatable mechanics that are available to all players from day one. Let's dive in.
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What is Headhunter?
Headhunter is one of the most iconic and powerful unique belts in Path of Exile. When you kill a rare monster, Headhunter grants you all of its modifiers (buffs) for 20 seconds. With enough kill speed and density—such as in Legion encounters—you can chain these buffs endlessly, transforming your character into a godlike powerhouse.
Core Strategy: Legion-Focused Mapping
Legion remains one of the most reliable early-league farming mechanics. This league, the map device, and Kirac updates made Legion even stronger: 7 Chaos grants two guaranteed Legions, plus one from the map itself—three Legions total per run without any scarabs. This level of content density at minimal cost makes it the best option for farming raw currency, valuable map drops, and high-end uniques.
Key benefits of Legion:
- Frequent Tier 17 Fortress Map drops, valuable for resale or progression.
- Chance at Yoke of Suffering, a unique item worth 10–20 Divine Orbs in PoE early league.
- Dense loot in Legion chests, with consistent rewards from splinters and 6-links.
For maximum efficiency, spec heavily into Legion on the Atlas Passive Tree. Combine this with Shrine and Niko nodes early for additional survivability and map control.
Tree Setup and Sustain Strategy
To maintain a stable map pool and consistent profits, spec into:
- Destructive Play
- Conquered Conquerors
- Remnants of the Past
- Vivid Memories
These nodes provide a steady supply of maps, bosses, and Maven-witnessed encounters, allowing you to maintain favored slots and increase map returns without the need for trade-based sustain.
Atlas Progression and Completion
Target 126+ Atlas completion as fast as possible. This unlocks all favored map slots (except those locked behind endgame invitations). Prioritize Kirac missions and natural map progression; unique maps can be skipped or purchased cheaply.
Suggested methods:
- Run high-value Kirac missions to get Putrid Cloister or Caer Blaidd, for example, as they are expensive.
- Purchase cheap unique maps for 1–2 chaos where needed.
- Avoid Maven invitations early unless boss carries are unavailable—do them only when necessary.
Reach four voidstones quickly to ensure Tier 16 map sustain. This is critical for high-end Legion farming.
Optimal Map Selection
Start with Canyon + Legion. Canyon is a natural Tier 16 and provides excellent Legion layouts. Use Horizon Orbs to sustain it efficiently. Once the Canyon pool is exhausted, shift to Dunes + Legion, which offers the best combination of layout, mob density, and profitability.
Why Dunes?
- Wide, open layout ideal for fast Legion clears.
- High emblem drop rate for early profit.
- High volume of raw currency drops (GCPs, Chaos orb, Regal orb, orb of Alterations).
- Reliable supply of 6-links (1–2 Div each on Day 1).
- No scarabs required to start making a profit.
Scarabs become more relevant once prices fall. Early on, Polished Legion Scarabs may exceed 10 chaos each—skip them unless prices drop below 4c.
Alternative Mechanics and Efficiency Analysis
Other mechanics tested during this run include strongboxes (Containment), Expedition, and Egon's Memory missions. While some offer potential, they are inferior in time efficiency compared to Legion, especially with a weaker early-league character.
Strongboxes: Require full Containment spec and tier 17 maps to yield a decent profit. Not efficient early on.
Expedition: Still viable, but slower and gear-reliant.
Memory Missions: Inconsistent returns; occasional bonus Legion spawns are the only upside.
Legion mapping consistently outperforms these alternatives, both in raw currency/hour and in mapping speed.
