When players of Path of Exile create characters that are eventually exiled into the harsh lands of Wraeclast, they have to forget life in the peaceful nation of Oriath and survive in this penal colony. During their adventure in this new land, they meet other exiles and eventually uncover the dark secrets in this cursed land across their Path of Exile gameplay. However, this also means players having to ensure their characters are equipped with the right gear in order to outlast the many threats that will follow them.
One coveted item that players always try to get in their Path of Exile gameplay are Hateforge Gauntlets, Ancient Gauntlets that enforces the use of the Rage Mechanic that inherently boosts a character’s attack damage and speed. While players can retrofit their characters into becoming Rage-focused builds, acquiring the Hateforge Gauntlets is a whole other animal due to its Ancient rarity. Thankfully, there are ways for players to acquire these coveted gauntlets, especially if they know which monsters to kill and which recipes to follow.
Hateforge Ancient Gauntlets: The Basics
Before fans dive deep into acquiring the Hateforge Ancient Gauntlets, players should understand the basics regarding this item in their Path of Exile gameplay. Its flavor text indicates that the Hateforge Ancient Gauntlets are a remnant of the first Karui who lived along the outskirts of the Vaal Empire who developed a corruption that facilitates a thirst for bloodshed.
While the Hateforge’s stats are within the range expected of an Ancient rarity item, there are certain qualities in its numbers that denote its potential in battle. At its core, here are stats expected when acquiring the Hateforge:
- Prerequisites: Level 72, 68 Strength
- Armour: 154-173
- Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 30 Rage
- Increased Armour at 120-150%
- Skills have Reduced Rage Cost at 10-25%
- Vaal Attack Skills now cost Rage instead of Souls
- Soul Gain Prevention stops Rage recharge
The Hateforge Appeal: Tap Into Rage
One of the key appeals of the Hateforge as an equipment for Path of Exile builds is its massive damage potential, especially from the perspective of transitioning to a Rage-based Resource instead of the traditional Souls. When properly equipped, a Rage-based build can encourage players to constantly engage foes. While builds with the Hateforge do often leave players with fewer options for defense, the right application can make any character an aggressive DPS with the Hateforge. Here are some things to consider:
- Vaal Ground Slam: This Vaal-empowered Ground Slam is the most ideal skill that benefits from the Hateforge. Aside from its traditional knockback effect, it has a guaranteed stun and cannot be evaded.
- Iron Will (Support Gem): Enhancing the Vaal Ground Slam with the Iron Will can greatly enhance its damage potential, making it a DPS-viable combo skill.
- Unwavering Stance (Keystone): This Keystone is a Passive that ensures players cannot be stunned in exchange for the character’s ability to evade. This is helpful against most crowd control effects but can pose dangers to players who aren’t careful against AOE and ranged attacks.
Acquisition 1: The Random Recipe Exchange
Given how the primary mode of acquiring the Hateforge is currently unavailable, fans who want to create the perfect Rage-tapping build might feel disheartened with a setup that lacks this pair of Ancient Gloves. Thankfully, fans of Path of Exile gameplay may be able to acquire the Hateforge by chance via the game’s Vendor Recipe and Upgrade Path feature.
Incubator
Unique to Path of Exile gameplay are Incubators, essentially a currency-esque modifier that can affect Equipments. Depending on the Incubator and its level limit, players can obtain powerful variants of the Equipment type selected depending on certain conditions. The Hateforge can be acquired in this process with the following Incubators:
- Time-Lost Incubator: Using this can add an incubated League-specific Unique Item to an equippable item
- Singular Incubator: This Incubator can set an incubated Unique Item to an equippable item
Divination Card Exchange
Chief among the methods to acquire rare items for solo builds in Path of Exile gameplay would be the Divination Cards, where players need to exchange a certain number of them in order to obtain specific item rewards. While this isn’t a surefire way of obtaining the Hateforge, this is the closest-reliable way of potentially attaining the item. Here are the Divination Cards players need:
- Jack in the Box: Getting 4 of these can give players a random item
- Mitts: Exchanging 5 of these can give players random gloves
- Prejudice: Exchanging 7 of these can grant players with a random influenced item
- Fateful Meeting: Exchanging 9 of these can give players a two-implicit corrupted Level 97 item specific to a League
- Time-Lost Relic: Exchanging 10 of these will grant players access to a random League-Specific item
- The Void: While not directly factoring into the acquisition of the Hateforge, exchanging 1 of these will give players access to another set of Divination Cards
Acquisition 2: The Trialmaster, Ultimatum League
In the past, the most popular mode of acquisition for the Hateforge within Path of Exile gameplay involves acquiring it from the Trialmaster, the facilitator and final boss of the Trials of Chaos in the Ultimatum League. Being a Vaal-themed item, it makes sense that the Hateforge is locked behind an event that is also Vaal-focused.
The Trials of Chaos is a ten-wave instance that provides players with various objectives, each of which offering a reward at the end. As a risk factor, players can forgo the reward of the current wave with the option of boosting reward tiers in the next wave, with the additional risk of forfeiting all rewards with any loss.
Ultimatum League: A Quick Runthrough
Considered a content-focused Challenge League among Path of Exile players, the Ultimatum League was an event that coincided with the game’s Version 3.14.0, with the League running from April 2021 to July 2021. Throughout the game’s areas, players can talk to the Trialmaster and embark on the Trials of Chaos.
The Trials of Chaos itself has the Hateforge hidden inside a chance-based loot mechanic after defeating the Trialmaster at the tenth and final wave. Unlike the rest of the available items, the Hateforge has a meager 1% chance of appearing. Unfortunately, it has yet to be announced whether Ultimatum will return as a permanent League in the game, although the Hateforge has become available for acquisition via Recipes, as detailed above.
Path of Exile was released in 2019 and is available for the PC, Xbox One, and PS4.