League Start Guide: Mirage 3.28 Tier List - Path of Exile 1

League Start Tier List for Mirage 3.28

In this section, we will delve into the 3.28 softcore trade league start tier list, focusing on the early to mid-game experience. This tier list is crafted before the full gem reveal, which is anticipated to be released shortly. It's primarily based on early progression, considering the needs of players aiming to secure their four stones within roughly 40 hours of play, depending on their availability.

Key Considerations

When evaluating builds for the softcore trade league, two main metrics are used:

1. Progression Efficiency: How quickly can a build secure its four stones?
2. Farming Potential: How effectively can a build farm in the early to mid-game phases?

   A build must excel in both areas to be considered a top contender for the softcore trade league.

Current Tier List Observations

This league, there are no stand-out S tier builds due to various nerfs and no significant buffs bringing builds up to that level. The balance across builds seems relatively even. Notably, there is a scarcity of self-cast builds, with Archmage Metaman being one of the few viable options over recent years.

A Tier Builds

A tier builds are highly recommended for progression and farming, although some may need substitution as the game advances:

1. Few-Slay Totems
   • Optimal for early-game progression.
   • Flexible across ascendency classes like Champion, Hierophant, and Deadeye.
   • Strong campaign and map progression but may be swapped for Kinetic Blast (KB) in the mid-game for better farming.
2. Kinetic Blast
   • Includes both Kinetic Blast of Clustering and regular setups.
   • Ascendency options: Deadeye, Necromancer, Hierophant.
   • Experienced a nerf, reducing its high-end damage by approximately 30%, but remains effective for general progression.
3. Mines (Exsanguinate, Eye of Winter, Glacial Cascade)
   • Known for their particular strengths:
   • *Eye of Winter*: Best for bosses.
   • *Glacial Cascade*: Balanced damage and clear speed.
   • *Reap*: Outstanding for clear speed.
   • Choice depends on the player's focus, be it bossing or clearing.

Bow Builds Consideration

With the possible return of tier 16 maps as the meta, bow builds, specifically elemental hit builds, might regain some potency. Historically, tier 17 maps proved challenging due to their layouts and difficulty, which made them less favorable for bow builds. However, with adjusted focus and modifiers, bows could see increased relevance this league.

Evaluating Ascendancies for Bow Characters

Bows are seeing a resurgence with tier 16 maps becoming the anticipated meta, providing streamlined progression through the campaign and early maps. The ascendancy choice for bow characters generally narrows down to Deadeye for its superior clear speed. This is due to its notable enhancements like additional projectiles, chain, and tailwind. While the Warden can offer increased single-target damage beneficial for challenging content like uber bosses, Deadeye remains a preferred option for general gameplay unless facing specific high-difficulty encounters.

Unique Build Paths and Modifications

1. Archmage Hierophant: Despite not being widespread, this build presents itself as an effective starter, particularly in softcore leagues. Known for its high defense for a budget-friendly setup, it excels in achieving Uber content early. Archmage Hierophant stands out for its reliability, especially if you're looking for a solid self-casting build.
2. Elemental Hit Slayer & Strike Skills: Various strike skills have maintained consistent performance with slight differences in scaling strategies. Elemental Hit Slayer, in particular, is expected to be powerful upon entering maps, potentially benefiting from the new Bloodline Ascendancy. While early progression might be challenging due to development in attack speed and strike range, these skills eventually shine across both offense and defense, complemented by impressive clear speed.
3. Bleed Slams & Slams Adjustments: Despite a noticeable nerf to slams, bleed slams remain largely unaffected and promise solid performance. Transitioning from slams to a suitable build like Shaper Stacker in later stages enhances the character's potential after the initial days of league progression.
4. Elementalist and General Alternatives: The Elementalist's role remains competitive despite recent nerfs. It offers a viable fresh start with builds like Shield Crush showing great potential due to buffs, such as increased AoE from unique items. These setups are typically underestimated yet offer a robust starting point.

Emerging and Altered Builds

Recent patch notes have greatly impacted certain builds. For example, the Cluster Jewel nerfs significantly affect "Peon of Bouncing," capping the damage increase, which drastically decreases its effectiveness. Uncertainty around new gem mechanics compounds the need for further clarifications to confirm viability. However, Penance Brand Ignite emerges with considerable improvements in damage potential, notably enhanced for ailment applications, making it an exciting new playstyle to explore.

Notable B-Tier Builds

• Vit Spells: Known for its sturdy defense and traditional appeal as a spellslinger, having versatility despite limited single-target damage.
• Venom Gyre Deadeye: Although affected by nerfs to cluster jewels, this build maintains notable strengths, especially in chaining capabilities when adjusted properly.

These insights provide a thoughtful perspective on current build strategies and the evolving landscape of league starters and challenges. The adaptations and shifts in skills show a vibrant and dynamic metagame for players eager to explore fresh content.

C-Tier Builds: Risky Starters

In the C-tier list, there are certain builds that may not be ideal for league starters but offer viability for experienced players who understand their intricacies. While playable, these builds do not necessarily excel in high-end content scalability.

1. Bleed Bow: Despite its potential, there isn't much advantage to playing Bleed Bow in a softcore. Traditional bow builds outperform it in speed and single-target damage.
2. Eviscerate: While viable, it's more suited for a hardcore environment due to its slower pace, making it less appealing for softcore players.
3. Cold DoT and Chaos DoT: These builds struggle with single-target damage, and while they perform adequately in non-boss scenarios, their farming capabilities are generally weak.
4. Poison Spark: Starting with Poison Spark is challenging as it displays a rough start in lower-tier maps. Though it scales okay, it's not recommended as a primary choice.

Specialized Farm Builds

Apart from the traditional tiered builds, there are specialized farm builds that cater to specific activities in the game:

• Toxic Rain is highly recommended for heist activities due to its efficiency.
• Shockwave Totems or PBrand serve well in Sanctum activities despite the nerfs.
• Cast on Stun Chieftain remains a viable option for Ultimatum, even though it faces some challenges with recent nerfs.

High-End Scalability and Honorable Mentions

There are builds that shine when addressing high-end scalability, although they aren't the best starting points:

• Stream Stacker and Instacker: Despite the Instacker nerf, both continue to offer excellent damage and are ideal for advanced gameplay with a high budget.
• Righteous Fire: This remains a comfortable option for tier 16 farming, offering good clear speed but falls short in single-target scenarios.

Other honorable mentions include Flicker Strike and Siege Ballista, which are favored by dedicated players.

Balance Patch Considerations

The current balance patch is mostly positive, emphasizing diverse builds, though self-cast builds still lag behind except for the Mad Man Hierophant. The patch sets a hopeful tone for potential enhancements with new gems. Players are encouraged to explore new potentials as they emerge, possibly unearthing new S-tier skills.

In summary, while some builds stand out for their adaptability in specialized scenarios, the overall patch maintains a fair balance. Veteran players might find experimenting with these builds rewarding as the league progresses.