Ultimate Path of Exile Guide for Beginners

So you’ve decided to try out Path of Exile. How well do you know this game, and are you ready to start playing?

Path of Exile is the perfect, 3D Diablo-style action RPG. It beats the odds of the regular, simple games of the current age. This game offers an intriguing gameplay. Of course, there are some challenging stages, but they are really interesting.

1) Basic Gameplay

Path of Exile has an interesting gameplay that is quite simple. It is also somewhat repetitive, which makes it easy to master.

Generally, it is a hack and slash game. You do know what a hack and slash game is, right? Well, if you don’t know, this is simply a game that is mostly about combat. If you have played the Diablo game series, you will notice some similarities in this game. Specifically, it is very similar to Diablo II.

It is an RPG, so you {the player} will be controlling a single character as you explore a vast outdoor scene. There are also some underground dungeons and caves. The camera view is overhead, almost like GTA’s. As you proceed, you will be battling some monsters and other enemies, and you’ll also be needed to complete specific quests. Make sure you collect as many experience points and equipment as possible.

But you’ll first need to choose your class out of the six available. These include Ranger, Duelist, Witch, Templar, Shadow, and Marauder. Make sure you choose wisely since each class has either or all of the three main attributes, including Intelligence, Dexterity, and, of course, Strength. Also, there’s one locked class, Scion, which is the most versatile class. This character has all the three attributes, and you will unlock her in Act 3.

The game offers a multiplayer option, where you can join other players online. Players can meet each other in hideouts in the game. However, every player will enjoy an isolated map to explore the areas they wish {if they are not inside hideouts}. This means that areas out of the encampments areas are instanced. An instance area is a dungeon, where you move with your fellow players to meet the enemies and other bosses. The best part is that you won’t encounter the opposing party/team when your team is in the instance. Also, you get better rewards in these areas.

2) Skills and Item Sockets

In Path of Exile, you will experience a unique skill system, which comes in the form of gems. The skills are socketed in items, which help to boost your fighting prowess. You can purchase the sills as you wish.
Basically, there are two main types of skill gems, including Support Gems and Active Skill Gem. The Active Skill gems will grant you the skills that you will need throughout the game. For instance, they will give you skills to trap, spell, curse or war cry {chant or yell in a battle}. As a beginner, you will need to be more attentive to the active skill gems. You can also throw a fireball with the active skill gem.

On the other hand, support gems can be paired with active skill gems to modify the active skill gem. This is done by socketing the support gem into a linked socket with an active skill gem. Now, when you pair support gems with active skill gems, you boost the damage delivered by your active skill gem. For instance, the two gems pair together helps to increase the size or damage of your fireball.

Luckily, you can use these skills with/in any class that you chose initially. Both the support gems and active skill gems will increase the damage of your combat experience by 10 percent. You can also level up your gems as you wish, but the maximum level is 20. However, there’s a trick to beat the level limit. You can do this by using Vaal Orbs gem or the Empower Support Gem. Keep in mind that you should socket your gems into an equipped item if you want them to gain experience as you fight.

The gem leveling is optional, so you can still use them as they are. Leveling up the gems comes with some requirements, so you better use them as they are if you cannot keep up with the requirements.
The active skills gems are offered as quest rewards, but you can also get them from chests, breakable items like pots, or when they are dropped by the monsters.

You can link as many sockets as you wish, but the maximum number is six. For instance, you can link one active skill gem with five support gems. A 6-link-6-sockets armor is more lethal, but it is also expensive and hard to come across. With a 6-link armor, you will be more powerful on the battlefield, and you can boost the mana reservation and mana cost of the linked active skill gems.

It is important to point out that two-handed weapons and body armors are the only items that can have 6 sockets at once. For instance, you can only link six sockets with bows, staff, two-handed maces, two-handed axes, and two-handed swords in the game.

3) Currency and Trading

In Path of Exile, there is no gold like most combat-based games. The currency in Path of Exile comes scrolls and orbs. These currency items are used to perform a specific function in modifying or enhancing the equipment of a character. The currency items can also restructure the passive skill tree of a character. They are used to pay for selected items when trading with other players.

You can sell loots that you don’t need to a vendor in the game. The vendor will exchange the loots for Alchemy Shards, Alteration Shards, Scroll Fragments, or Transmutation Shards. The rarity of the sold loot will determine what you will get in exchange. Generally, fragments and shards can be combined into scrolls and orbs since they have a low value. To prepare you for the currency system in the game, here are the major currency items you might need:

• Portal Scroll – Helps to open a portal to town
• Scroll of Wisdom – Names the unidentified items
• Orb of Alchemy – Lets you upgrade an item from normal to rare
• Orb of Transmutation – Upgrades an item from normal to magic
• Orb of Alteration – It alters the modifiers of a magic item
• Orb of Augmentation. Adds an affix to the magic items that have only one suffix/prefix
• Orb of Fusing – It randomly alters the number of links between the current sockets.
• Jeweller’s Orb – This currency randomly alters the number of sockets
• Chromatic Orb – It randomly alters the color of sockets
• Orb of Chance – It lets you upgrade to either a rare, unique, or magic item.

Watch out for these currency items and choose them as you need. Also, only trade the items that you don’t need. Keep in mind that the Mirror of Kalandra is the rarest and the most valuable currency item in the game. On the other hand, the Scroll of the Wisdom is the most common and the least valuable item.
Furthermore, be sure only to pick valuable items. The color of the item determines its rarity and value. Luckily, I’m here to help you understand the game better. For that, you should know that White items are normal, Blue items are magic, Yellow are rare, while Orange items are unique.

4) Season and Story Mode

The Season in PoE comes in the form of Leagues. The league you choose will determine how your progress will be. These are like levels that decide the progress/difficulty of your game. They include the following:

• Standard. This is the simplest, and the best choice for beginners.

• Hardcore. This level lets you play without dying. However, if you die, you will be demoted to the Standard league. These leagues are less populated, making it challenging to trade or group up with other players.

• Challenge. In this league, you get special prizes as you complete the quests in this league.

• Solo Self Found. This is for those that want to complete quests alone without involving other players/groups. It also tends to be more challenging than most leagues.

When choosing a league, consider the difficulty level, the trading items, and multiplayer features.
The Story Mode is quite interesting, and you will have to progress further to follow it up. Typically, the story in the game progresses through a set of quests. These are available in 10 Acts. There are some quests that you must complete before you progress the storyline and move to the next Act.

The Acts are split into two: Part 1 and Part 2. Part 2 revisits Wraeclast but in a different surrounding. Typically, Act 1 through Act 5 make up Part 1, while Act 6 through Act 10 makes up Part 2.

But hey, it doesn’t end in Act 10. Rather, there is the Epilogue, which is the phase after you defeat Kitava. Typically, it is the final storyline act of Path of Exile.

5) Character Builds

Obviously, you will need to pick a character before you begin any league. Most players choose to create their specific character build before they start playing the game. If you want to create your unique character build, you will need to experiment variable passive skills. As we mentioned, there are seven characters. Here is a deeper look at the abilities of each character;

• Duelist. A male character that fights with melee attacks. He can also call upon an AI minion to fight along with him.

• Witch. A female character, who casts spells, and comes with the highest intelligence.
• Templar. He fires projectiles at once. For instance, he can shoot three lighting balls simultaneously, as well as a chain lightning attack.

• Marauder. This is a melee fighter that comes with an amazing strength

• Ranger. A female character that fights with bows, and she is also quite dexterous. She can wield swords as well.

• Shadow. A dexterous and intelligent fighter that fights using traps and short-range weapons.

• Scion. Another female fighter that can change into any character build through the skill tree system.
If you are developing your own character build, here are some passive skill tree features that can be of help;

• Starting Areas. The character begins with some points in a specific area.

• Paths. Most of the skill tree has paths, which gives you a plus-10 bonus to one of the three main stats {Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence}. Always choose the stats that you need most first.

• Clusters. These are groups of nodes with similar themes. Normally, they come with an icon in the center. They are available in several sizes, and they possess a gold-colored skill that is desirable and quite powerful.

• Keystones. These are unique nodes that alter the game mechanics balance for your specific character. You should be careful when using them since they come with some penalties.

6) Leveling Tips

When you want to level up throughout the game, you shouldn’t worry too much about the character class. As long as you have chosen or built the character of your choice, you can level up through the game as you wish. The game offers some flexibility as you build your character. Here are some useful leveling tips you should apply;

• Avoid using currency items while you level your character. However, it is okay to use the inexpensive items like Scroll of Wisdom or Portal Scrolls.

• Make sure you pick up three and four linked items as you level your character. They can be turned into powerful gear by using Essences on them.

• Progress normally through level 1-28.

• From level 28-30, farm docks to help you boost your experience

• Level 30-32, move through the Dominus and Kill Piety

• From level 33-36, farm the aqueduct

• Level 36-40, progress through kill Kaom, Daresso, and Malachai

• Lv. 40-43, rush to {and farm} ledge

• Lv. 43 to 45, progress through the kill Merveil story

• Level 45 and 46, Rush to {and farm} Chambers of Sins lv. 1

• Lv. 46-50, go through the story, kill Vaal Oversoul and Rush to docks

• Lv. 50-53, farm the docks

• Lv. 53-55, Go through the story, Dominus and kill Piety

• Level 55 and 56, Farm Aqueduct

• Lv. 56 through 58, go through kill Kaom, Daresso, and Malachai

• Level 58 through level 60, progress through kill Merveil story

• From level 60 to 62, progress through the kill Vaal Oversoul story, and gather items for the Chaos Orb recipe.

• From level 62 to level 63, Farm the City of Sarn

• Level 63 to level 66, rush to {and farm} docks

• From level 66 to level 68, advance through the Kill Piety and Dominus story

• Level 68 to level 70, farm Aqueduct or Dried Lake.

• From Level 70 onwards, you’ll need to start mapping.

7) Atlas Map

The Atlas map can be accessed once you complete the last quests in the game, such as the Zana, Master Cartographer. The maps show you how the dream worlds are linked, and how they progress. Typically, the Atlas map is split into four sections. You will access all the sections through the tier 1 map. The tire 1 maps are available on every corner of the Atlas. Generally, you will start entering the tier 1 maps in Act 8. As you progress through the maps, the difficulty and tiers will increase too.

The best part of the Atlas Map is that it will display the areas that are influenced by the Elder Guardians and the Shaper. This way, you can not only fight the Guardians or Shaper, but you can also pick up the items when you defeat them. If the Elder zone expands further, the Elder and the Elder Guardians will replace the bosses in five maps of those Elder-influenced areas.