Many players are familiar with the isometric, power spamming, loot gathering experience of the Diablo franchise. But before trying Diablo 4, another game that fans of the franchise might attempt is Path of Exile, and now's a great time to jump in.
The first thing to know about Path of Exile is that it was created by fans of the Diablo franchise who were unsatisfied with the franchise at the time. As a result, Path of Exile plays similarly to Diablo, and has been polished to a fine sheen over the years. With tons of character creation options, there is a myriad of builds to choose from, and a new Challenge League to try them in. Here are some of the best starter builds for the Ritual Challenge League in Path of Exile.
The New Ritual Challenge League
A Challenge League in Path of Exile is essentially a series of challenges that players can attempt for rotating rewards. Every 13 weeks, the League swaps out for a new gimmick. This time it transitioned from Heist to Ritual, which involves fighting swarms of monsters while dealing with booster effects and/or environmental hazards. It released next to the Echoes of the Atlas expansion, which contained changes to existing build components, so old builds may not be as viable.
Dealing With a Combat League
One of the most essential things when creating a build in Path of Exile is knowing what the build is for. Because Ritual is a Combat League that involves constant battle with hazards, direct damage and survivability are key. With that in mind, the best recommended starter builds, in addition to considering budget and scaling, must be concerned with preventing damage through summons or personal defense and foe-shredding, nigh-universal damage.
Prime Builds
The Toxic Rain DoT Trickster covers a lot of ground with powerful, face-melting damage. It's a slight alteration from the Toxic Rain Mine Trickster, popular for Path of Exile's previous Heist Challenge, and covers some of the same ideas.
Speaking of mines, the Explosive Trap Saboteur can deal lots of damage all at once with proper positioning, clearing out waves and doing big damage to bosses without waiting for damage stacks.
Similarly returning from Heist is a Spectre based Necromancer: the Summon Raging Spirits Necromancer. With Necromancers considered to be one of the best Ascendancies in Path of Exile along with Trickster, it's no surprise they make an appearance here.
For more physically inclined players, the Super Cyclone (a Leeching Slayer build) can carve up enemies effortlessly while remaining stuffed with health.
In another DoT vein, the Bleed Blow Gladiator can effectively block attacks while causing the enemy to bleed profusely from multiple strikes.
There are a lot more builds to discover than this of course, enough for any style of play. Have a look and decide which one is best for fighting off swarms of monsters.
Path of Exile is available to play on iOS, PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
