7 Best League Starter builds in Path of Exile 3.26

Path of Exile Secrets of the Atlas is bringing a fresh League with new in-game mechanics, boss fights, and more. As with all new Leagues in the game, you need to pick up a starter class and skill to progress through the campaign. The goal is to complete the campaign as efficiently as possible.

The early campaign can feel like a slog for many, which is why choosing a fun build that can also dish out decent damage is very important. There are many options to choose from, and this article will suggest a few to start your Path of Exile 3.26 journey.

Best League Starters for Path of Exile 3.26

A lot of League starters remain viable in Path of Exile Secrets of the Atlas expansion. With the introduction of the new mercenary system, builds can be much more effective. Note that this isn’t an extensive step-by-step build guide.

1) Toxic Rain Pathfinder

Rain poison arrows on enemies (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

A tried and trusted League starter for the Ranger class, Toxic Rain provides a smooth mapping and bossing experience. Start off with Caustic Arrow until level 12 and then swap to Toxic Rain.

During this time, pick up damage passive nodes and let Toxic Rain melt enemies. As you level up, pick up notables like Avatar of the Hunt and Farsight for damage. Note that Ranger can have survival issues, so make sure to pick up life nodes and stack evasion through armor.

Here is the starter skill setup for Toxic Rain

Toxic Rain: Faster Attacks Support - Efficacy Support - Mirage Archer Support
Purity of Elements
Blood Rage
Despair
Toxic Rain: Faster Attacks Support - Efficacy Support - Ballista Totem Support
Dash (use any movement ability)

Using the skill with Ballista Totem is optional, but it is a big damage increase when it comes to boss fights. So, if your build is lacking single-target damage, Ballista will help out. Similarly, Mirage Archer can be replaced with other support of your choice.

2) Righteous Fire Chieftain

Just stand and watch enemies go down in Righteous Fire (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

An iconic Skill Gem in Path of Exile, Righteous Fire, enables the true one-handed gaming experience. All you need to do is activate the skill and walk through enemies. This skill is available at level 16, but there is a catch — Righteous Fire also drains your life.

The solution to this issue lies in acquiring a large amount of health regen and fire resistance. With Marauder, this task is no big deal. Pick up all possible life and life regen nodes. Go for Nomadic Teachings and Arsonist notable passives, and pick up Fire Mastery for life regen.

Here is the starter skill setup for Righteous Fire

Righteous Fire: Elemental Focus Support - Burning Damage Support - Efficacy Support
Fire Trap: Trap and Mine Damage Support - Swift Affliction Support - Lifetap Support
Summon Stone Golem
Purity of Fire (can use Purity of Elements, but you won’t get additional fire resistance)
Shield Charge

Adding Lifetap Support and Swift Affliction is also recommended to Righteous Fire if you can acquire a 6-link chest armor. For Ascendancy, pick up Tasalio, Cleansing Water, which applies half of your fire resistance to cold and lightning. This allows you to max all resistance with 150% fire resistance.

3) Minion Army Necromancer

Path of Exile 3.26 buffing minions (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Necromancer remains as she was in Path of Exile 3.26, and it’s time to bring back the dead. Meaning, you can use the old build without any issues. The clear speed isn’t the best, but having minions take care of damage is very convenient.

The Necromancer Ascendancy also features both offensive and defensive passives. Passives like Commander of Darkness increase defense and attack, while Bone Barrier adds more survivability. For normal passives, minion-related passives like Grave Intentions and Lord of the Dead are also great early picks.

Here is the starter skill setup for Minion Army

Raise Zombie: Multistrike Support - Fortify Support - Ruthless Support - Melee Physical Damage Support
Raise Spectre: Summon Phantasm Support - Multiple Projectiles Support - Pierce Support
Pride
Determination
Dash (use any movement ability)

Some of the main stats you’ll be looking for include an increased level of Skill Gems/Minion Gems, along with minion damage. Defensive modifiers and capped resistances are always a plus for any build as well.

4) Lacerate Gladiator

Hit and run gameplay with Sunder (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Damage over time can be quite fun to play in Path of Exile. Simply hitting the enemies and moving on allows for a fast-paced gameplay. You can do this by attaching Chance to Bleed Support and using passive nodes.

Since it’s a melee build, using a single-target skill against a large group of monsters can cause a problem. Thus, it’s better to pick an AoE melee ability like Sunder, which can hit multiple times, and improves your chances of inflicting bleed.

Here is the starter skill setup for Bleed Sunder

Sunder: Chance to Bleed Support - Maim Support - Cruelty Support
Seismic Cry
Pride
Vulnerability
Dash (use any movement ability)
Blood Rage

Focus on stacking defense in the early game. Passives like Art of the Gladiator and Master of the Arena can help improve survivability. Progress towards Wicked Blade and Savage Wound to improve bleed chance with attacks. Pick Gratuitous Violence, followed by Jagged Technique as the first Ascendancy passive.

5) Ice Shot Deadeye

Ice Shot can deal good AoE (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Ice Shot is another incredible league starter build for those who want to zoom through all the content. The skill deals decent AoE damage, and with the help of support skills, enemies will have a hard time attacking you.

Playing Deadeye can grant passives like Gathering Winds and Far Shot that keep you out of harm’s way most of the time. However, you still need to invest in a few defensive passives. Revenge of the Hunted and Clever Thief are great early picks to sustain life and mana.

Here is the starter skill setup for Ice Shot

Ice Shot: Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - Increased Critical Damage Support - Returning Projectiles Support
Barrage: Ballista Totem Support - Increased Critical Damage Support - Elemental Damage with Attacks Support
Grace
Assassin's Mark
Dash (use any movement ability)

Since Ice Shot alone isn’t enough for boss DPS, Barrage with Ballista Totem support comes in handy. As you get more skill points, progress towards Master Fletcher and King of the Hill, as both passives can improve your damage significantly.

6) Cyclone Slayer

Cyclone activating Starcaller Unique in Path of Exile 3.26 (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Cyclone is one of the skills getting a buff in the upcoming Path of Exile update, meaning Cyclone Slayer will be back and stronger than ever. This is also one of the easiest builds to work with. All you need to do is stack damage and leech effects.

The more damage you do, the more life leech you will have. Picking up Master of the Arena will give you mana leech for sustaining Cyclone for a longer duration. Try to get rings with mana cost reduction of skills, which can help you sustain the skill indefinitely.

Here is the starter skill setup for Cyclone

Cyclone: Shockwave Support - Melee Physical Damage Support - Pulverise Support - Impale Support
Leap Slam: Faster Attacks Support - Lifetap Support - Momentum Support
Precision
Pride
Blood and Sand

Cyclone is also great for end-game content. One of the upcoming pinnacle boss fights drops Starcaller, a unique axe that can rain elemental meteors on enemies on every critical strike.

7) Boneshatter Juggernaut

Smack enemies on the head with Boneshatter (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Even with patch 3.26, the good old Boneshatter remains a viable choice for League start. The build can provide incredible tanking capabilities, and is the best option if you aren’t confident in acquiring defense from other sources.

Stacking defense is also an important part of this build, and allows you to acquire a buff called Trauma. This buff deals more damage with each stack, but the downside is, you also receive some damage. The more defense you have, the less damage you take.

Here is the starter skill setup for Boneshatter

Boneshatter: - Brutality Support - Fortify Support - Close Combat Support
Leap Slam: Faster Attacks Support - Momentum Support
Precision: Arrogance Support
Pride
Determination
Vitality (if you are unable to mitigate damage)

Maintaining stacks of Trauma should not be an issue, as Juggernaut has strong passives like Untiring and Unflinching. Leap Slam is mainly used for movement and isn’t necessary if you are planning to take things a bit slower.

These are some of the most popular League Starter builds in Path of Exile used by the community. They are mostly intended to provide an efficient way to complete the campaign.

Since many factors can affect your build, it’s best to go with the flow and find out what’s working for you, even if it is different from the list above.

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About the author

Mayank Singh Rathour is an MMO writer at Sportskeeda. He graduated from college with a degree in Business Administration and has over two years of experience as an esports journalist.

Mayank was introduced to gaming at an early age and played Contra, Double Dragon, Castlevania, etc., on his Nintendo DS. When he was a little older, Counter-Strike — a title that majorly helped develop his passion for gaming — became his favorite pastime. Though he's played a bunch of games since then, his love of CS has remained strong. Shroud, a former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro, is an inspiration to him. He's also a fan of series' esports scene, following teams like Vitality, NAVI, and The Mongols closely.

When Mayank has some free time, he plays basketball and helps people build PCs.

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Edited by Arundhoti Palit