Hello once again, everyone, and welcome back. After what feels like an eternity, echoes of the atlas is only hours away—bringing with it a new end game expansion, frantic challenge league, and massive ascendancy overhaul. These new challenges demand a powerful league starter, and today we'll take a look at the very best builds Esoro's Channel has to offer.
1. Bleed Bow Gladiator
Unleash rapidly chaining split arrows that inflict bleeds onto many enemies at once. Triggering satisfying bleed explosions, brutal puncture shots inflict a massive bleed onto single targets, often killing bosses with only a single hit. There's no need to spam shots. Instead, your attention can avoid damage and attacking other targets, making this perfectly suited for both monster-heavy rituals and the Mavens challenge. The build is simple to play both mapping and bossing utilize very few active skills. However, landing your puncture shots consistently will take precision. The build also has high damage consistency, meaning it doesn't utilize many unreliable flasks or buffs to get the job done. A strong life pool fantastic life sustain high physical damage reduction consistent blind solid chaos resistance, and the ability to heavily slow bosses makes it surprisingly sturdy. Gearing it up relies heavily on flexible rares and affordable uniques, some downsides, and changes worth consideration. Gladiators bleed nodes saw a very slight reduction in power this league but nothing serious. Channeling with Assailum can be a bit slow; however, this can be avoided by running a six-link puncture setup instead, which attacks much faster at the cost of damage. Assailum may prove expensive in the first week of a league but should drop in price quickly after that. Obtaining an optimized elder Bow will be expensive, but this may be much more attainable with the return of harvest crafting.
2. Glacial Cascade Saboteur
Offensively it uses mines to unleash cascades of ice that auto-target nearby enemies. Quick throws and detonations enable solid clear speed. When mines are stacked up, massive chain detonations can be triggered, nuking bosses with truly absurd damage output. The build has a slightly complex two-button mine playstyle, a bit of practice may be required. To achieve smooth mapping and optimal boss Damage, it also has a good consistency. Most of its buffs are reliable, but various flasks are required to maximize damage output truly. A large energy shield pool powerful sustain consistent blind high chaos resistance stun ignite and shock immunity. The capability to handle every map modifier makes this bowl sturdy and reliable. Furthermore, the glacial cascade inflicts strong chills, chain freezes, constant knockbacks, and an invaluable set of defensive layers that should prove particularly helpful during the Mavens challenge. Gearing up is extremely flexible. The build starts as life-based relying comfortably on simple rares to level and push early maps, eventually switching over to low life when several key items can be obtained. Some downsides and changes worth consideration. The mind-based playstyle, while ridiculously strong, isn't for everyone. Saboteur received a mix of alterations in this league, losing its reduced mana reservation in a marginal amount of its power while becoming more defensive. During the Mavens challenge, it may be difficult to place large stacks of mines once fast throws, and detonations may be required when things get intense.
3. Physical Blade Blast Assassin
Next, we've got the physical blade blast assassin, which reigns volleys of blades from the sky that can be detonated to create huge cluster explosions that instantly clear large chunks of the screen. These explosions shotgun single targets to achieve surprisingly potent boss damage. The playstyle is slightly complex, requiring good timing to optimize damage output. Several buffs and especially flasks, also play a big role in maximizing damage and ensuring casting consistency. A significant life pool life leech elusive high chaos resistance consistent blind heaps of attack and spell dodge critical strike immunity reduced damage taken. More make this an incredibly tanky spellcaster. Gearing this up is about as flexible and affordable as it gets simple rare gear that can comfortably occupy every slot. Most of the build's power stems from its gems' ascendancy and skill tree. Some downsides and changes worth consideration. Assassins altered this league, losing some cast and movement speed, while elusive was made more consistent with increased effect. Semi-accurate continuous casting is required to maximize single target damage. The build's reliance on a mana flask to sustain skill usage may hamper its performance during long boss fights with no additional mobs. Multiple mana flasks can be used to improve consistency if needed.
4. Toxic Rain Trickster
Next up, the toxic rain trickster rains down arrows that create exploding sport pods that deal with chaos damage over time. These explosions overlap in a large area, often hitting single targets multiple times, with each attack dealing serious damage as stacks accumulate. The spore pods and several other skills heavily slow enemies make it much easier to control the chaotic encounters you'll experience in this league. During which you can also lean on your mirage archer to continue dealing damage while you stay safe. The build has a relatively simple run and shoots playstyle. It also has strong consistency and doesn't lean on many unreliable buffs or flasks to deal its damage. Strong evasion, consistent blind tons of attack and spell dodge elusive fantastic sustain, and more make the build defensively quite strong. Gearing up can be easily accomplished with flexible rares and affordable uniques leveling in early mapping with tox grain as a breeze due to its inherent power. Some downsides and changes worth consideration. Trickster took a few nerfs this league, damage output spell dodge chance, and movement speed were all lowered slightly like many ascendancies. The build will be just fine. Getting an optimized bow will be expensive though the return of harvest crafting may somewhat mitigate this. Dealing maximum single target damage requires spamming shots, which may prove difficult during portions of the Mavens challenge.
5. Ice Nova Hierophant
Next up, the Ice Nova Frostbolt Hierophant offensively unleashes massive rapidly repeating ice novas on frostbolt projectiles. These repeats occur automatically without continued casting as the frostbolt travels. Continued casting will instead stack up an ungodly amount of repeating novas dealing massive damage to bosses. The playstyle is surprisingly intuitive and should be simple to jump into. However, several buffs and flasks are required to maximize damage output. A huge hybrid, life, mana, and energy shield pool, fifty percent mind over matter, strong mana sustain, life reach, immunity to elemental ailments, powerful chills and chain freezes, good block chance, and more make this quite the tanky spellcaster. Gearing up relies largely on flexible rares and very affordable uniques eventually, you'll want a pledge of hands, but a rare staff wand or scepter will do fantastic work beforehand. Some downsides and changes worth consideration hierophant received some adjustments in this league. Life leech was made less accessible, but the arcane surge is now easier to attain and has significantly increased effect. The new conviction of power is a compelling alternative to consider continuous casting is required to maximize single target damage. However, the automatic repeats huge AoE inconsistent chills and freezes should make this very doable.
I hope that one of these builds will serve you well in Echoes of the Atlas. You can click mmogah.com to see more useful PoE Builds, and you can Buy PoE Currency and PoE Items to enhance your character. Have fun in the new league exiles!