PoE 3.30 league starter builds by class
3.30 Covens of Umbra launches on 13 November (PST). Until the patch is shown at ExileCon on 6 November, the best guide to a starter is what held up through the last two leagues — so that is what this page ranks, class by class.
Short answer before the reveal: Righteous Fire Chieftain, minion Necromancer and Absolution Guardian are the starters that held their ground through both 3.28 and 3.29 — each stayed among its ascendancy's most played builds at the end of week one in both leagues. Treat every pick as provisional until the 3.30 patch notes: the most played starter of 3.28, Kinetic Fusillade, fell from 12.5% of tracked characters to 1.6% one league later.
3.30 starters at a glance
3.30 dates that matter for your starter
- Launch13 November 2026 (PST): Covens of Umbra, free on PC and consoles, per GGG's timeline post of 12 October and announcement of 1 November. The hour is not out yet.
- Reveal6 November, 12:30 PM PST (20:30 UTC), live from the ExileCon 2026 main stage on GGG's Twitch and YouTube channels. This page gets its first revision within a day of the reveal.
- Patch notesIn 3.28 and 3.29 they came out on reveal day, eight days before launch (26 Feb → 6 Mar, 16 Jul → 24 Jul).
- Allflame ends9 November, 1 PM PST (21:00 UTC) — four days before 3.30 opens.
Quick picks: one or two starters per class
| Class | Starter | Ascendancy | Share of the ascendancy, week 1 (3.28 → 3.29) | Budget | New player |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marauder | Righteous Fire | Chieftain | 75% → 76% | Low | Easy |
| Boneshatter of Complex Trauma | Juggernaut | 14% → 23% | Low | Easy to medium | |
| Duelist | Cyclone of Tumult | Slayer | 15% → 28% | Medium | Medium |
| Lacerate of Haemorrhage | Gladiator | 9% → 20% | Low to medium | Medium | |
| Ranger | Elemental Hit of the Spectrum | Deadeye | 30% → 32% | Medium | Medium |
| Poisonous Concoction of Bouncing | Pathfinder | 30% → 34% | Low | Easy to medium | |
| Shadow | Exsanguinate | Trickster | 51% → 48% | Low | Medium |
| Viper Strike of the Mamba | Assassin | 12% → 16% | Medium | Medium | |
| Witch | Minions: Raise Spectre and Animate Guardian | Necromancer | 17% → 23% | Low | Easy to play, slower to set up |
| Blight of Contagion and Essence Drain | Occultist | 4% → 13% | Low | Easy | |
| Templar | Absolution | Guardian | 35% → 66% | Low | Easy |
| Penance Brand of Dissipation | Inquisitor | 9% → 15% | Low | Medium | |
| Scion | Smite | Ascendant | 22% → 19% | Medium | Medium to hard |
Share of the ascendancy = characters of that ascendancy using the skill as a main skill in the poe.ninja week-one snapshot. For two-skill picks the table shows the first skill.
Marauder league starters for 3.30: Righteous Fire Chieftain and Boneshatter Juggernaut
Share of tracked characters at the end of week one, 3.28 → 3.29: Chieftain 6.0% → 9.1%; Juggernaut 2.9% → 3.4%; Berserker 2.1% → 1.8%.
Righteous Fire — Chieftain
Righteous Fire sets you alight: you burn, and so does everything standing next to you. Its damage grows with your maximum life, so the gearing plan is simple and cheap — life, fire resistance and life regeneration.
It is the steadiest starter in the data. Three Chieftains in four ran it at the end of week one in 3.28, and again in 3.29, while the Chieftain itself grew from 6.0% to 9.1% of tracked characters. Many paired it with Scorching Ray of Immolation or Fire Trap for single targets.
Before 3.30: In the 3.30 notes, read anything that touches Righteous Fire, fire damage over time or the Chieftain's fire nodes. The skill only comes online after the early campaign, so plan a levelling skill.
Ladder: Righteous Fire on 75% → 76% of Chieftains at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Boneshatter of Complex Trauma — Juggernaut
A melee strike that keeps getting faster and harder-hitting while you chain hits — and hurts you more the longer you keep it up. The Juggernaut's armour and endurance charges are what make that trade affordable.
Its share among Juggernauts went up between leagues, from 14% to 23%, and the Juggernaut grew with it. A melee start that does not wait for an expensive weapon to feel good.
Before 3.30: Self-damage builds live and die by recovery numbers; check life leech and regeneration changes in the notes.
Ladder: Boneshatter of Complex Trauma on 14% → 23% of Juggernauts at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Earthshatter carried the Berserker in both leagues (24% → 49% of Berserkers); Static Strike of Gathering Lightning became the most played Juggernaut skill in 3.29 (10% → 24%).
Duelist league starters for 3.30: Cyclone Slayer and Lacerate Gladiator
Share of tracked characters at the end of week one, 3.28 → 3.29: Slayer 13.2% → 8.1%; Gladiator 3.9% → 2.2%; Champion 3.1% → 1.6%.
Cyclone of Tumult — Slayer
A channelled spin: you hold the skill and move through packs while hitting everything around you. The Slayer adds the leech and sustain that keeps a spinning character alive.
It held up while other Slayer skills collapsed. Elemental Hit was on 38% of Slayers in 3.28 and 11% in 3.29; Cyclone of Tumult went the other way, from 15% to 28%.
Before 3.30: Weapon quality decides how fast it scales, so budget for a weapon upgrade in the first days. Watch melee and channelling changes in the notes.
Ladder: Cyclone of Tumult on 15% → 28% of Slayers at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Lacerate of Haemorrhage — Gladiator
Lacerate slashes twice and opens bleeding wounds; this version leans fully into the bleed. The Gladiator brings block and bleed damage, a natural pairing.
The Gladiator's most played skill in 3.29 (20%, up from 9% in 3.28). Bleed damage keeps working while you move, which forgives imperfect positioning.
Before 3.30: Bleed has been rebalanced often; read physical damage over time changes first.
Ladder: Lacerate of Haemorrhage on 9% → 20% of Gladiators at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Flicker Strike was on 8% → 19% of Slayers — fast but demanding to control. Champions mostly paired Lacerate of Butchering with General's Cry (49% → 27% of Champions).
Ranger league starters for 3.30: Elemental Hit Deadeye and Poisonous Concoction Pathfinder
Share of tracked characters at the end of week one, 3.28 → 3.29: Deadeye 10.6% → 4.7%; Pathfinder 3.0% → 2.8%; Warden 1.5% → 0.2%.
Elemental Hit of the Spectrum — Deadeye
An attack that deals fire, cold and lightning in the same hit, taken here with the Deadeye's projectile bonuses. Ranged and quick, but light on defences until gear catches up.
The Deadeye's most played skill in both leagues: 30% of Deadeyes in 3.28 and 32% in 3.29. Lightning Arrow sat right behind it both times (25% → 23%).
Before 3.30: The Deadeye's share of the ladder fell by more than half between the two leagues (10.6% → 4.7%), so read Deadeye and bow changes with care.
Ladder: Elemental Hit of the Spectrum on 30% → 32% of Deadeyes at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Poisonous Concoction of Bouncing — Pathfinder
You throw flasks of poison instead of swinging a weapon: the skill spends life flask charges and does not use your weapon's damage, which keeps the early shopping list short — and the Pathfinder is the flask ascendancy.
The Pathfinder's top skill in both leagues, with a rising share: 30% → 34%. Toxic Rain, the slower and safer bow option, followed it both times (17% → 22%).
Before 3.30: Flask and poison changes are the ones to read; the build depends on flask charge generation.
Ladder: Poisonous Concoction of Bouncing on 30% → 34% of Pathfinders at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
The Warden is the least played Ranger ascendancy here (1.5% → 0.2% of tracked characters); judge it after the 3.30 notes.
Shadow league starters for 3.30: Exsanguinate Trickster and Viper Strike Assassin
Share of tracked characters at the end of week one, 3.28 → 3.29: Assassin 1.2% → 4.6%; Trickster 3.0% → 0.8%; Saboteur 0.5% → 0.4%.
Exsanguinate — Trickster
A physical spell that costs life instead of mana, chains from enemy to enemy and leaves a stacking damage-over-time debuff.
One of the most consistent picks in our data: about half of all Tricksters used it in both leagues (51% → 48%). The Trickster itself is a small ascendancy (3.0% → 0.8%), so it is a steady build rather than a crowded one.
Before 3.30: Life-cost spells need recovery; read changes to life costs and the Trickster's recovery nodes.
Ladder: Exsanguinate on 51% → 48% of Tricksters at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Viper Strike of the Mamba — Assassin
A melee strike that stacks poison on whatever it hits; the Assassin turns those stacks into kills.
Its share among Assassins rose between leagues (12% → 16%) while the Assassin grew from 1.2% to 4.6% of tracked characters.
Before 3.30: Lancing Steel of Spraying was the Assassin's most played skill in 3.29 (25%) but barely present in 3.28 — a newer trend, so wait for the notes before betting a start on it.
Ladder: Viper Strike of the Mamba on 12% → 16% of Assassins at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Saboteur players stayed with Rolling Magma (23% → 30% of Saboteurs), but the Saboteur is one of the smallest ascendancies here (0.5% → 0.4%).
Witch league starters for 3.30: minion Necromancer and chaos damage-over-time Occultist
Share of tracked characters at the end of week one, 3.28 → 3.29: Necromancer 9.7% → 7.5%; Elementalist 5.7% → 25.0%; Occultist 2.2% → 8.9%.
Minions: Raise Spectre and Animate Guardian — Necromancer
Your army does the fighting. Raise Spectre turns specific monsters into permanent minions that keep their own skills, and Animate Guardian is a minion that wears items you hand it — often cheap uniques.
The Necromancer kept a large share of the ladder in both leagues (9.7% → 7.5% of tracked characters), and its minion core barely moved: Raise Spectre went from 17% to 23% of Necromancers, Animate Guardian from 19% to 16%.
Before 3.30: Spectres depend on which monsters you can find and raise in the new league; read monster and minion changes in the notes.
Ladder: Raise Spectre 17% → 23%, Animate Guardian 19% → 16% of Necromancers at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Blight of Contagion and Essence Drain — Occultist
Chaos spells that deal damage over time: one drains a single target, the other is channelled across the pack. You tag enemies and keep moving instead of standing in melee range.
Blight of Contagion grew from 4% to 13% of Occultists between the leagues, with Essence Drain at 14% in 3.29 — a cheap, forgiving way to start.
Before 3.30: Winter Orb dominated both the Occultist (54%) and the Elementalist (43%) in 3.29 after barely appearing in 3.28. A starter that popular is the first place balance changes land — check the notes before you plan around it.
Ladder: Blight of Contagion 4% → 13%, Essence Drain <1% → 14% of Occultists at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Penance Brand was on 15% of Elementalists in 3.29 (about 9% in 3.28) — a reasonable alternative once the notes are out.
Templar league starters for 3.30: Absolution Guardian and Penance Brand Inquisitor
Share of tracked characters at the end of week one, 3.28 → 3.29: Hierophant 21.6% → 5.7%; Guardian 3.6% → 1.6%; Inquisitor 2.9% → 1.2%.
Absolution — Guardian
A spell that strikes an area with physical damage and raises fallen enemies as sentinels that cast it alongside you. Half spellcaster, half minion army, with the Guardian's auras behind it.
It became the Guardian's identity: 35% of Guardians in 3.28 and 66% in 3.29, usually with its Vaal version as a burst button.
Before 3.30: The Guardian shrank as a share of the ladder (3.6% → 1.6%) even as Absolution took it over; the 3.30 notes decide whether that continues.
Ladder: Absolution on 35% → 66% of Guardians at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
Penance Brand of Dissipation — Inquisitor
A brand spell: you place it and it keeps working on its own while you reposition. The Inquisitor's nodes push its elemental damage further.
The Inquisitor's most played skill in 3.29, level with Spark of the Nova — both went from 9% to 15% of Inquisitors.
Before 3.30: The Hierophant was the giant of 3.28 (21.6% of tracked characters, mostly Kinetic Fusillade) and fell to 5.7% in 3.29 — a reminder that last league's favourite is not a safe default.
Ladder: Penance Brand of Dissipation on 9% → 15% of Inquisitors at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
In 3.29 the Hierophant spread across Kinetic Fusillade (25%), Storm Burst of Repulsion (19%) and Explosive Arrow (10%).
Scion league starters for 3.30: Smite Ascendant
Share of tracked characters at the end of week one, 3.28 → 3.29: Ascendant 1.3% → 0.8%; Luminary new → 7.9%; Reliquarian 1.8% → 1.4%.
Smite — Ascendant
A melee strike that also calls lightning down on nearby enemies and grants a lightning damage aura. The Ascendant borrows nodes from other ascendancies, which makes the passive plan more involved.
The Ascendant's most played skill in both leagues (22% → 19% of Ascendants).
Before 3.30: The Scion is not where we would send a first-time player: its ascendancies reward knowing the passive tree.
Ladder: Smite on 22% → 19% of Ascendants at the end of week one (3.28 → 3.29).
The Luminary arrived in 3.29 and took 7.9% of tracked characters in week one, spread across many skills (Animate Guardian led with 8%). The Reliquarian's popular skills changed completely between 3.28 and 3.29. Both are best judged after the 3.30 notes.
Why last league's most played starter is a risky bet
Between two consecutive leagues the top of the ladder changed almost completely. Kinetic Fusillade ran on one character in eight at the end of 3.28's first week and on one in sixty a league later. Winter Orb went the other way, from outside the top 80 skills to one character in six. The skills that stayed put — Righteous Fire, Cyclone of Tumult, Raise Spectre, Fire Trap — are the ones this page leans on.
| Main skill | 3.28 Mirage, week 1 | 3.29 Allflame, week 1 |
|---|---|---|
| Kinetic Fusillade | 12.5% | 1.6% |
| Elemental Hit | 5.1% | 0.9% |
| General's Cry | 3.1% | 0.6% |
| Shock Nova of Procession | 3.7% | under 0.40% |
| Kinetic Blast of Clustering | 4.0% | 1.2% |
| Winter Orb | under 0.35% | 16.0% |
| Scorching Ray of Immolation | under 0.35% | 2.4% |
| Righteous Fire | 4.7% | 7.2% |
| Cyclone of Tumult | 2.1% | 2.4% |
| Raise Spectre | 2.0% | 2.2% |
| Fire Trap | 2.1% | 2.3% |
| Poisonous Concoction of Bouncing | 1.1% | 1.3% |
Share of all tracked characters: 117,145 in 3.28 and 124,365 in 3.29. “Under” means the skill was outside the 80 most used main skills of that snapshot.
How these starters are picked
Data. For each of the last two challenge leagues we took the poe.ninja builds snapshot from the end of the first week — 117,145 tracked characters in 3.28 Mirage and 124,365 in 3.29 Curse of the Allflame — and counted, for every ascendancy, which main skills its characters used. Week one is when the league-start choices are still visible, before trading reshapes builds.
Classes. Path of Exile 1 has seven classes, each with three ascendancies; the Scion's line-up changed in 3.29 with the Luminary. For background on the game itself see the Path of Exile article on Wikipedia.
Rule. A starter makes this page only if it was among the most used skills of its ascendancy in both leagues. One strong league is not enough: the table above shows how often a favourite falls away.
Our read. Budget, new-player difficulty and what a build is good at are our editorial judgement, not ladder numbers. Budget “Low” means the build works with self-found and cheap gear in the first days.
What we do not do. We do not copy streamer or guide-site builds, and we do not publish anyone's character. Build pages with our own Path of Building setups may follow after launch, once 3.30 data exists.
When this page changes
- 2 November — this pre-reveal edition, built on 3.28 and 3.29 data.
- ExileCon reveal (6 November, 12:30 PM PST) — the Covens of Umbra mechanic and headline changes: every pick re-checked within a day.
- Patch notes — class-by-class pass on the notes; picks that lose a key mechanic are dropped or moved to the watch list the same day.
- Launch, 13 November — first 3.30 data at day three and at the end of week one: which starters actually carried players.
The address of this page does not change between leagues: bookmark it once and it will show the current league's starters.