On June 13th, Path of Exile launches its latest challenge league, Mercenaries of Trarthus, alongside the expansive Secrets of the Atlas expansion. To help players navigate and conquer this new content, Maxroll has rolled out a comprehensive update featuring their innovative PoEPlanner tool, fresh and revised league starter guides, PoB import/export capabilities, and much more.

Introducing Mercenaries of Trarthus

The Mercenaries of Trarthus Challenge League offers a unique twist on gameplay. Players will encounter a different Mercenary in each zone, each with distinct personalities, skills, equipment, and build options. Some Mercenaries are classified as “Infamous,” which are rarer but come with superior gear and exclusive effects. This new system opens up exciting buildcraft opportunities that players will want to explore as they progress through the league.

How to Engage with Mercenaries

Defeating Mercenaries grants different rewards depending on your chosen interaction method:

• Hire
  • Pay an upfront gold cost before the duel begins
  • Upon defeat, the Mercenary joins your party permanently
  • You can customize their gear freely once they’re part of your team or dismiss them as needed
  • Only one Mercenary can accompany you at a time, with up to two others waiting in town for swaps
  • Their level corresponds to the zone level where you find them, so upgrading is recommended
  • Revive fallen Mercenaries in town for a gold fee—note that they do not lose items upon death
• Take Item
  • Select one of the Mercenary’s items to drop upon death, including currency items they hold
  • Mercenaries may spawn with special “Of Trarthus” Skill Gems, similar to Transfigured Gems, which can be chosen as rewards
  • Some “Infamous” Mercenaries wear rare items with unique “Infamous” modifiers, unlocking powerful new effects
• Exile
  • Exiling a Mercenary prevents that archetype from appearing in the next ten encounters
  • You can exile up to two attribute types (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence) simultaneously

For a detailed overview of Mercenaries of Trarthus and Secrets of the Atlas, check out Maxroll’s comprehensive reveal article. For deeper insights, read the official 3.26 patch notes.

Build Guides for the New League

Maxroll has curated a selection of new and updated league starter guides tailored for the 3.26 Mercenaries of Trarthus and Secrets of the Atlas expansion. These guides are crafted by experienced players to help you hit the ground running.

Popular New League Starters

Among the most anticipated starters is the Volcanic Fissure of Snaking. Maxroll offers two builds for this: a Berserker setup focused on speed and high damage, crafted by Crouching_Tuna, and a Slayer version by Carn that emphasizes continuous life leech.

Zizaran’s new Earthquake Gladiator is a tanky, bleed-inflicting powerhouse. Earthquake’s Aftershocks deal massive damage, especially against tough enemies, while Gladiator’s ascendancy grants explosions and strong defenses via block scaling nodes like More than Skill.

The Rolling Magma Mine Saboteur from Goratha is a fiery, bouncing projectiles build that maximizes the new Shrapnel Specialist node, pushing both your damage output and GPU utilization to the limit!

The Glacial Cascade Elementalist from Aer0 leverages golemancer buffs to bring a personal support squad into battle. When positioned correctly, this build delivers devastating damage with its final burst.

The Tornado of Elemental Turbulence Inquisitor from Velyna fills the map with deadly vortexes, creating a visually stunning and effective crowd-control setup. Thanks to the Inquisitor ascendancy, it balances life and energy shield for smooth mapping.

Revised League Starters

Some classic builds have been refreshed for 3.26. The Explosive Arrow Ballista Ignite remains a top-tier league starter. Zizaran’s tanky Champion version excels in Hardcore and Solo Self-Found modes, while Palsteron’s Elementalist variation boosts damage output.

Another reliable ignite build is Zizaran’s Wave of Conviction Ignite Elementalist, which offers high damage potential for SSF players. Goratha’s Eviscerate Bleed Gladiator turns maps into gory explosions, emphasizing speed and clearing power.

For minion enthusiasts, HelmBreaker has updated his necromancer guides, including the classic Poison Summon Raging Spirits, the Chaos Minion Army Necromancer for battlefield control, and the experimental Poison Ranged Animate Weapons Necromancer.

Bow users can enjoy the Lightning Arrow Deadeye, a dependable league starter that can later transition into the Elemental Hit of the Spectrum. For melee fans, Carn’s Ground Slam Slayer offers an explosive, shattering experience. Aer0’s Ice Trap Trickster traps enemies in icy prisons, while the Ice Shot Deadeye provides a powerful, screen-clearing barrage of icy projectiles. Lastly, CptnGarbage’s Exsanguinate Miner Trickster combines Trickster’s evasive abilities with a devastating chain spell.

Leveling Guides for a Smooth Campaign Start

Maxroll provides optimized leveling guides designed by racing legend Havoc616 to help new players breeze through the campaign and reach mapping content quickly. Guides are available for:

• Templar
• Ranger
• Witch
• Shadow
• Marauder
• Duelist
• Scion

Revamped Currency Strategies

Alongside build guides, Maxroll has overhauled their currency guides to focus on the most effective farming methods. The new Currency Guide section cuts through the fluff, offering clear advice on meta strategies to maximize your currency gains. An example is the Crop Rotation Harvest method, which involves a mini-game to optimize crop yields during the Harvest League.

Introducing Maxroll’s PoEPlanner Tool

The highlight of this update is the new PoEPlanner from Maxroll, specifically designed for 3.26. Similar to their popular PoE2Planner, this tool allows players to theorycraft, share, and browse build ideas with ease. It also features a comprehensive public build database, making collaboration and learning more accessible than ever.

Getting Started with PoEPlanner

Using the planner is straightforward. You can select your ascendancy and start building from scratch or import a character directly from your Path of Exile account via the large import button. The tool also supports saving profiles and sharing them with the community.

How to Use the Features

1. Passive Tree: Customize your tree, including ascendancy nodes and jewels. Expand options via the top right toggle.
2. Build Rating: Assign a quality score—red for poor, green for excellent.
3. Notes: Add tips or explanations for your build’s mechanics and gearing choices.
4. Strengths & Weaknesses: Detail what your build excels at and where it struggles.
5. Skills & Supports: List all active skills and supports, adding progression steps if desired.
6. Skill Usage: Outline the optimal skill rotation or sequence for maximum DPS.
7. Pantheon: Choose your major and minor Pantheon powers.
8. Gear Sets & Stat Weights: Select equipment configurations and assign importance to stats for optimization.
9. Bandits & Loot: Decide which bandit you’ll help or whether to kill them all, and link your preferred loot filter.
10. Atlas & Variants: Support multiple Atlas passive trees and variants for different playstyles.
11. Author & Showcase: Include your name, link a gameplay showcase, and note related builds or updates.
12. Changelog: Keep your build profiles current with recent changes.

For more build inspiration, explore Maxroll’s community section or browse their curated list of top builds, including options like Goratha’s Eviscerate Bleed Gladiator or Aer0’s Glacial Cascade Elementalist.

Additional Path of Exile Updates

PoB Import & Export Enhancements

Maxroll has partnered with the Path of Building community to improve import/export features. Now you can seamlessly transfer build data between tools, making planning and sharing even easier.

PoExchange Integration

The PoExchange tool has been updated to integrate directly with Maxroll’s website, allowing for real-time notifications on item sales while browsing guides or using the planner. This streamlines trading and market activities for players.

Written by IGN Staff with the support of the Maxroll Path of Exile Team.