Here are 20+ potential strongest hardcore league starters for the Path of Exile 3.24 Necropolis, featuring both well-known reliable builds and some spicy off-meta options.
PoE 3.24 Best HC Builds - Top 20+ Necropolis Hardcore League Starters in Path of Exile 3.24
In Path of Exile 3.24 Necropolis, a robust league starter can make all the difference, especially in hardcore mode where the stakes are at their highest. With the arrival of the Necropolis League, players are scurrying for builds that are not only resilient but also capable of efficiently propelling them through the game's content without breaking the bank. Here's a compilation of 20+ potential league starter builds that pass the hardcore litmus test. These builds should be relatively inexpensive to kick off the new league, and are capable of moving from Tier 1 to Tier 16 maps and acquiring all four Watchstones. What's more, they ideally offer a deathless progression experience. So now let go over these strongest builds for Path of Exile 3.34 Necropolis League one by one.
1. Splitting Steel Champion
A versatile choice that not only offers a range of leveling options but also boasts formidable single-target damage when combined with Sniper's Mark and Return Projectiles. Weapon choices can range from affordable to more premium options like Bell Timber Blade or Grillwood Shank.
Core Skill: Splitting Steel
Playstyle: Projectile-based melee
Ascendancy: Champion
Strengths: High single-target damage, versatile leveling options
Weapon Options: Two-handed axes or swords
Considerations: Weapon choice can vary; Bell Timber Blade for high damage or Grillwood Shank for a more budget-friendly option. The build scales well with more projectiles.
Leveling: Flexible leveling options with different melee skills.
Key Points: Struggles slightly with weapon costs early on but has good damage potential with budget options.
Check out how to build Splitting Steel Champion in PoE 3.24
2. Araakali's Fang Champion
While the Squire may be the first thought, this build can hit significant damage numbers even without it. It's a duelist build that resonates with players who favor a tanky approach with the potential for high damage output.
Core Skill: Summon Spiders from Arakaali's Fang
Ascendancy: Champion
Playstyle: Minion-based duelist
Strengths: Can achieve high damage without the need for the Squire.
Key Items: Arakaali's Fang, potentially The Squire shield
Considerations: Reliant on Araakali's Fang, which may vary in price.
Check out how to build Arrkali's Fang Champion in PoE 3.24
3. Explosive Arrow Champion
Zizaran's beloved build is known for its tankiness and delayed damage which is excellent for bosses. It shines as a champion with its survivability, although Rain of Splinters may come at a cost early on. Needs to manage attack speed breakpoints for optimal DPS.
Core Skill: Explosive Arrow
Ascendancy: Champion
Strengths: Very tanky, good for bossing
Playstyle: Emphasizes shooting arrows that stick to the target and explode after a short delay.
Key Points: Delayed damage can be a turnoff for some, but highly effective for endgame content.
Check out how to build Explosive Arrow Champion in PoE 3.24
4. Lightning Conduit Elementalist
Elementalist versatility shines with Lightning Conduit, offering early high damage. The concern is squishiness, but with the right gear progression, it's a powerhouse.
Core Skill: Lightning Conduit
Ascendancy: Elementalist, known for its synergy with elemental damage and proliferation effects.
Strengths: High initial damage, visually pleasing
Playstyle: Elemental spellcaster
Potential Issues: Elementalist builds can be squishier, requiring careful attention to defensive stats.
Considerations: Can be squishy; requires good gear progression to maintain survivability.
Check out how to build Lightning Conduit Elementalist in PoE 3.24
5. BAMA Pathfinder & Guardian
The Blink Arrow and Mirror Arrow combo (BAMA) with Pathfinder provides insane potential for tankiness and damage. With Guardian, the focus shifts to Elemental damage, scaling impressively with crit and suitable for a poison transition later on.
6. Toxic Rain Pathfinder
A classic that offers a balance of good damage and clear speed. It requires some understanding of how Toxic Rain's damage overlaps and scales with area effect.
Core Skill: Toxic Rain
Ascendancy: Pathfinder
Playstyle: Chaos damage over time with bow
Strengths: Classic build with good clear and decent bossing
Considerations: Damage scaling requires understanding of AoE overlap.
Check out how to build Toxic Rain Pathfinder n in PoE 3.24
7. SRS Fire Guardian
Summon Raging Spirits (SRS) is a tried-and-tested build that scales well with gear, particularly Ghastly Eye Jewels. It's an excellent choice for Sanctum farming and has a straightforward progression path.
Core Skill: Summon Raging Spirits
Ascendancy: Guardian
Playstyle: Minion-based caster
Strengths: Good clear and boss damage, straightforward playstyle
Considerations: Minion playstyle not suited for everyone.
Check out how to build SRS Fire Guardian in PoE 3.24
8. Bone Shatter
Whether as a Juggernaut or Slayer, Bone Shatter is a formidable build that excels in survivability and damage, known for its early peak in power.
Core Skill: Bone Shatter
Ascendancy: Juggernaut or Slayer
Playstyle: Melee physical damage
Strengths: Simple, powerful, efficient progression
Considerations: May peak early and not feel as impactful in later gear stages.
Check out how to build Boneshatter Jugg/Slayer in PoE 3.24
9. Detonate Dead Elementalist/Necromancer
A staple in the hardcore scene with a simple yet effective playstyle, scaling with cast speed and glove enchants for fire exposure.
Core Skill: Detonate Dead
Ascendancy: Elementalist
Playstyle: Fire-based spellcaster
Strengths: Simple and effective, scales well with cast speed.
Considerations: Requires fire exposure on gloves; cast speed critical for smooth play.
Check out how to build DD Elementalist/Necromancer in PoE 3.24
10. Corrupting Fever/Reap
This build offers excellent clear speed with Corrupting Fever and strong single-target damage with Reap, especially when paired with a Poet's Pen.
Core Skills: Corrupting Fever, Reap
Playstyle: Physical damage over time
Strengths: Excellent clear speed with Corrupting Fever and strong single-target with Reap.
Considerations: Single-target solutions are needed until Poet's Pen can be acquired.
Check out how to build Corrupting Fever/Reap Champion in PoE 3.24
11. Winter Tide Brand Trickster
A surprising find that offers a visually pleasing and effective alternative for brand enthusiasts. The build is potent, especially with the Replica Eternity Shroud and an understanding of brand mechanics.
Core Skill: Winter Tide Brand
Ascendancy: Trickster
Playstyle: Cold damage over time with brands
Strengths: Good damage and visually appealing.
Considerations: Reliant on proper brand mechanics and Replica Eternity Shroud for optimal performance.
Check out how to build Wintertide Brands Trickster in PoE 3.24
12. Absolution Guardian
A minion build that brings a lot of fun to the table. It's tanky, has good damage, and scales well with gear like the Jinxed Juju amulet.
Core Skill: Absolution
Ascendancy: Guardian
Playstyle: Minion-based elemental damage
Strengths: Satisfying AoE and single-target damage.
Considerations: Clear speed can be dependent on minion summoning.
Check out how to build Absolution Guardian in PoE 3.24
13. Wave of Conviction
Another Elementalist build with a self-cast approach that offers impressive damage and clear speed, though it may hit a progression wall that requires some gear investment.
Core Skill: Wave of Conviction
Ascendancy: Elementalist
Playstyle: Fire/Physical spellcaster
Strengths: Ramps up damage quickly, strong ignite-based playstyle
Considerations: May require gear investment for end-game content.
Check out how to build Wave Of Conviction Elementalist in PoE 3.24
14. Righteous Fire Chieftain
A classic that's undergone recent nerfs, but Chieftain has emerged as the go-to choice for its synergy with the skill. It's tanky but requires more gear investment for damage than in previous leagues.
Core Skill: Righteous Fire
Ascendancy: Chieftain
Playstyle: Fire-based self-damage AoE
Strengths: Highly tanky, consistent burning AOE damage.
Considerations: Damage suffered from nerfs; requires more gear investment for single-target damage.
Check out how to build Righteous Fire Jugg/Inquisitor in PoE 3.24
15. Vaal Flameblast/Flameblast of Contraction
An alternative to other self-cast builds with an emphasis on high single-target damage. It's a bit slower on the clear but makes up for it in bossing potential.
Core Skill: Flameblast, Vaal Flameblast
Playstyle: Fire-based spellcaster
Strengths: High single-target damage.
Considerations: Slower clear speed; requires good positioning and cast timing.
Check out how to build Flameblast Elementalist in PoE 3.24
16. Spectral Shield Throw Raider
Raider shines with Spectral Shield Throw, offering a tanky build with Iron Reflexes and a balance of evasion and armor.
Core Skill: Spectral Shield Throw
Ascendancy: Raider
Playstyle: Ranged physical damage
Strengths: High armor and balanced evasion.
Considerations: May require Emperor's Vigilance for optimal performance.
Check out how to build Spectral Shield Throw Raider in PoE 3.24
17. Hexblast Miner Saboteur
A build that has seen its popularity wane but remains effective, especially for Sanctum farming. The potential nerf to mine detonation may affect playability.
Core Skill: Hex Blast
Ascendancy: Saboteur
Playstyle: Chaos damage with mines
Strengths: Good for Sanctum farming.
Considerations: Potential nerf to mine detonation could affect playability.
Check out how to build Hexblast Mines Sabo in PoE 3.24
18. Volcanic Fissure of Snaking Chieftain/Jugg
A Juggernaut build that is visually exciting and fun, utilizing the Replica Alberon's Warpath and the Snaking Fissure gem for high damage.
Core Skill: Volcanic Fissure
Playstyle: Focuses on area-of-effect damage that can hit a boss multiple times as fissures extend and retract.
Notables: Can potentially hit a boss four times with a single cast for high damage output.
Key Items: Replica Alberon's Warpath for strength stacking.
Ascendancy: Juggernaut for tankiness, endurance charge generation, and overall survivability.
Potential Issues: Some gear may be expensive, and the build depends on certain uniques.
Check out how to build Volcanic Fissure of Snaking Chieftain/Jugg in PoE 3.24
19. Lightning Arrow Champion
A safe bet for those who prefer the bow playstyle, offering a tanky alternative to Deadeye with solid clear and single-target damage.
Core Skill: Lightning Arrow
Playstyle: A bow skill that fires an arrow with an electrical discharge upon hitting a target, chaining to nearby enemies.
Notables: Good clear speed and decent single-target damage.
Ascendancy: Champion for its balance of offensive and defensive capabilities, including fortify effects and impale synergy.
Potential Issues: Thunderfist unique gloves can enhance the build significantly but may be costly early on.
Check out how to build Lightning Arrow Deadeye/Champion in PoE 3.24
20. Fire Trap of Blasting Saboteur
A Saboteur build that leverages crit to deliver devastating AoE and single-target damage, though it may have a delayed damage output.
Core Skill: Fire Trap
Playstyle: Throws a trap that explodes for fire damage and leaves burning ground.
Notables: High AoE damage with a 50% chance for traps to trigger an additional explosion on crit against burning enemies.
Ascendancy: Saboteur for trap-related bonuses, including cooldown recovery and increased trap throwing speed.
Potential Issues: Trap playstyle may not appeal to all players, and big crits are essential for the additional explosion.
Check out how to build Fire Trap of Blasting Sabo in PoE 3.24
21. Ranged Animate Weapon
Ghazzy's guidance on minions is invaluable, and Ranged Animate Weapon is no exception. It's visually impressive, with surprisingly efficient clear and a straightforward path to escalating damage.
Core Skill: Animate Weapon
Playstyle: Animates ranged weapons to fight alongside the player.
Notables: Surprisingly good clear speed for an animate weapon build, with the ability to scale well with minion damage.
Ascendancy: Necromancer offers significant benefits to minion damage, duration, and survivability.
Potential Issues: Minion builds can require more micromanagement and may depend on specific uniques or jewels for optimal performance.
Check out how to build Ranged Animate Weapon in PoE 3.24
22. Storm Brand of Indecision Inquisitor
A build that may bend our criteria slightly due to gear requirements but is too promising to omit. It scales well and provides a satisfying gameplay loop, especially for players who enjoy brand mechanics.
Core Skill: Storm Brand
Playstyle: Attaches a brand to enemies that periodically zap them with lightning, jumping to additional enemies when the branded enemy dies.
Notables: High damage output and good clear, with the Inquisitor's ability to ignore elemental resistances.
Ascendancy: Inquisitor for critical strike benefits, elemental damage penetration, and consecrated ground effects.
Potential Issues: Ivory Tower and Crown of the Inward Eye can be costly, and balancing mana as an energy shield may be complex.
Check out how to build Storm Brand of Indecision Inquisitor in PoE 3.24
23. Blade Blast Poison Pathfinder
Lastly, the tried-and-true Blade Blast Poison Pathfinder remains a solid pick, especially for those looking for a combination of reliable damage and the ability to handle a variety of content.
Core Skills: Blade Fall and Blade Blast
Playstyle: Casts Blade Fall to lay blades, then uses Blade Blast to detonate them for area damage and poison application.
Notables: High poison damage with the potential for large poison stacks on targets.
Ascendancy: Pathfinder for poison proliferation, flask effectiveness, and poison duration.
Potential Issues: Two-button playstyle may feel clunky, and high poison damage requires proper scaling and gear synergy.
Check out how to build Blade Blast Posion Pathfinder in PoE 3.24
Each of these builds offers a unique approach to gameplay in Path of Exile's hardcore league, with varying degrees of complexity and gearing requirements. Players should choose based on their preferred playstyle, tolerance for risk, and ability to acquire necessary gear.
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