Luminary and Mercenaries have both been added to Path of Exile's core content, so many players are likely to use them for their Path of Exile 3.30 Covens of Umbra league starts. However, the high-end setups for Luminary's Lightbearer and Mercenary Bots may receive substantial nerfs. If they remain untouched, these builds could dominate the meta next league. Even if they are nerfed, however, they may still retain considerable strength. Since powerful endgame Mercenary setups often rely on specific support gems or skill combinations, they can be difficult to get running during the campaign. So, let's take a closer look at which Mercenaries perform best when starting PoE 3.30 with minimal gear. Path of Exile 3.30 Best Mercenaries for League Start | Top Picks for Early Progression Testing Method A player tested various Mercenaries in Act 4 using a basic Lightbearer setup. The main evaluation criteria were how quickly they could kill Voll, Emperor of Purity, and their overall clear performance. The test setup prioritized capped resistances and life, with Evasion, Armour, and Strength-based gear prepared to help fill resistance gaps. The only jewellery modification was a basic benchcraft for increased elemental damage with attacks. Attack-based Mercenaries used white weapons, while spell-based Mercenaries used white weapons and jewellery with Cast Speed. This test did not cover league starts with traded gear. Instead, it aimed to approximate the minimum gear requirements of SSF. Flame Link was tested only at its base level with ordinary flat added damage, without considering Light Radius. Key Findings About Mercenaries The tests revealed significant differences in performance between Mercenaries. Some performed poorly regardless of their skills, while others could go from top-tier to mediocre depending on their skill combinations. Combatant is highly dependent on the combination of Static Strike and Frost Blades, which delivers strong single-target damage and clear speed. However, combinations such as Helix and Wild Strike, Helix and Frost Blades, Helix and Static Strike, or Wild Strike and Static Strike are considerably less effective. Fallen Reverend offers excellent consistency. It always comes with Absolution and prioritizes using this skill. Even with very few support gems, it can carry a character into yellow maps with relative ease. Blade Ambusher has a relatively fixed skill setup, although its buff skills can vary. For example, Smoke Mine can interfere with its AI. Its single-target performance is fairly consistent, but its clear speed is somewhat weaker. Kineticist excels at clearing but struggles with single-target damage. Its endgame potential can be further improved through mechanics such as Returning Projectiles and increased Spell Damage. Reanimator performed poorly across multiple tested variations. Recommended Mercenaries Path of Exile 3.30 Recommended Mercenaries If you want to save time, you can simply choose from the following Mercenaries. These are not necessarily endgame choices, so you can easily trade for them using some PoE currency. Fallen Reverend Extremely consistent. It always comes with Absolution and prioritizes using it. Even without additional support gems, it can comfortably carry your character into yellow maps. Blade Ambusher One of the most consistent Mercenaries for single-target damage, although its clear speed is somewhat weaker. Its skill setup is relatively fixed, but its buff skills, such as Smoke Mine, can vary randomly and potentially interfere with its AI. Combatant Its performance depends heavily on its skill combination. Only when equipped with Frost Blades and Static Strike does it become one of the best Mercenaries for both single-target damage and clear speed. Other combinations tend to deliver mediocre results. Manyshot Performs well when equipped with Vaal Ice Shot. Warpriest Offers moderate clear speed but has respectable single-target damage during low-gear league starts. Cruel Mistress Has extremely high base damage. Its primary skill is Soulrend of Reaping, which can carry a character through Pinnacle Bosses thanks to its base damage alone, even without dedicated support from the character. This Mercenary only becomes available after Act 6. Flamehand Flamehand's performance is highly dependent on its skills. It performs well in Act 4 when equipped with Vaal Flameblast and Flameblast. Kineticist Offers the best clear speed among the tested Mercenaries, but its single-target damage is only moderate during the early campaign. It needs powerful skill combinations, such as Greater Kinetic Blast with Cluster Traps, to perform at its best. In the endgame, mechanics such as Returning Projectiles and increased Spell Damage provide an exceptionally high scaling ceiling. How to Farm Mercenaries? If you don't want to trade, you can also farm Mercenaries yourself. However, repeatedly resetting Act 4, Act 6, and Act 8 is not recommended during the campaign. A more efficient approach is to obtain your first Mercenary in the earliest area where their spawns can be reliably reset Sceptre of God. This area has a guaranteed spawn mechanic and is easy to reset, with Mercenaries frequently appearing near the entrance. After entering the area, check around the entrance and both sides of the minimap for Mercenary icons. There is approximately a 50% or higher chance that a Mercenary will spawn near the entrance. If no Mercenary appears, don't bother clearing the entire area, as it may have spawned much farther away. Instead, leave the area, and create a new instance and reset the spawn. Finding one of the recommended Mercenaries usually doesn't take long. Overall, Mercenaries offer excellent scaling potential and provide a reliable option for league starts. Once you enter the endgame, you can prioritize Atlas passives that increase Mercenary spawn chances and provide them with additional support gems during the early stages of mapping. As you progress through white, yellow, and red maps, continue upgrading your Mercenaries while using the currency you find to craft better gear and improve your equipment. Their performance will naturally improve as you progress through the Atlas and acquire better equipment.

With the official launch of early access for ArcheAge Chronicles, players can finally enter Auroria and experience this new title that blends open-world exploration, action combat, and MMORPG social gameplay. Currently, the game offers four classes: Warrior, Ranger, Berserker, and Mage. Each class has two available weapons at the start of early access, with a third weapon planned for a future update. So, which type of player is each class suitable for? What kind of combat experience do the different weapons bring? Let's take a closer look. ArcheAge Chronicles Class Guide: All 4 Classes, Weapons, and Combat Styles Four Classes and Their Weapon Characteristics Warrior: Agile Melee and Sustained Pressure ArcheAge Chronicles Warrior Warrior is well-suited for melee beginners. Its main characteristics are a fast attack rhythm, good mobility, and decent stagger control. Currently, two weapon types are available: Longsword Emphasizing rapid combos, parries, and counterattacks. Closing Slash allows for quick approach to enemies and seamless follow-up attacks, while Whirlwind Slash is suitable for dealing with multiple targets in the surrounding area. Crimson Surge consumes the user's own health to enhance attacks and restores health through subsequent effects. Greatsword Greatsword focuses on charged attacks and high damage. Players can enhance their attacks by charging and unleash even more powerful heavy blows using Resolve. Some skills and traits can also accumulate freeze effects, creating opportunities for subsequent attacks. As the adventure progresses, players can further improve Greatsword's attack performance through weapon upgrades. Accumulating enough ArcheAge Chronicles gold beforehand will allow for smoother weapon development and provide stronger output capabilities in future battles. The differences between the two weapons are quite clear: Longsword is more suitable for players who prefer continuous attacks and quick reactions, while Greatsword is more suitable for players who prefer to seize attack opportunities and unleash high damage through charged attacks. Overall, Warrior's strength lies in its relatively balanced offense and defense. Even players unfamiliar with Parry can maintain the initiative in combat through rapid attacks and stagger control. Ranger: Ranged Damage and High Mobility ArcheAge Chronicles Ranger Ranger is the most suitable choice for ranged damage dealers among the four classes, but it's not a traditional archer entirely reliant on bows. By switching weapons, Ranger can also transform into a melee class using wind and lightning attacks. Currently available weapons are: Longbow Primarily responsible for sustained ranged damage - Rapid Fire allows for continuous arrow fire, Ice Arrows can freeze enemies, creating space for subsequent charged attacks. Crescent Kick is a close-range emergency skill that can repel enemies attempting to approach. Hatchet Transforms Ranger into a melee guerrilla combat style, primarily combining wind and lightning elements. Storm Splitter allows for continuous attacks through dodging, while Overcharge enhances the weapon, enabling higher burst damage in a short period. Longbow's advantage lies in its ability to continuously output damage from a relatively safe distance, but some high-damage skills require a longer aiming and charging time. Hatchets, on the other hand, emphasize movement and close-quarters combat, suitable for players who want more varied combat experiences. Overall, Ranger's core strengths are mobility and attack range. Players can control the pace of combat through positioning, gradually whittling down enemies with ranged attacks. Berserker: High Survivability and Heavy Burst ArcheAge Chronicles Berserker If you prefer head-on combat, Berserker is a class worth considering. It boasts high health and armor, while using heavy weapons to create powerful melee suppression. Early Access weapons include: Axe and Shield This weapon combination balances offense and defense, allowing you to build up bleed effects through sustained attacks. Shield Slam can knock back enemies and restore some health, while Reel In can pull distant targets closer using chains. Warhammer Warhammer emphasizes heavy attacks. Surging Heat builds up a burning effect, Mighty Hammer stores attack power, and Galactic Impact unleashes the accumulated energy all at once. Berserker's combat logic is straightforward - approach the enemy, take the hits, and then unleash heavy attacks for damage. Brutal Crash allows the character to charge into enemy ranks, stunning targets along the way and reducing damage taken during the charge. However, Berserker's attack animations are relatively slow, and both heavy attacks and dodges consume stamina. Without proper attack rhythm, it's easy to lose defensive and counter-attack capabilities at crucial moments due to insufficient stamina. Mage: Elemental Magic and High Burst Damage ArcheAge Chronicles Mage Mage was the most popular class in previous tests. It can use ranged spells to deal wide-area damage and can also switch to a frost magic combat style using melee weapons. The two currently available weapons are: Elemental Staff This staff primarily uses fire and lightning magic for ranged attacks. Some skills require charging before casting; Retain is a key mechanic, allowing players to store cast spells and recast them. Each cast of a stored spell accumulates Energy Core stacks, triggering Shooting Star upon reaching 10 stacks. Wave Sword Wave Sword transforms Mage into a melee frost mage. Attacks build up a freeze effect on enemies, freezing them completely once it reaches a certain level. Total Rend allows for a rapid dash and continuous slashes, while Thunder Snow creates a blizzard that continuously freezes nearby enemies. Elemental Staff's strength lies in ranged burst damage, but its weakness is that some skills require long charging times, and casting cannot be easily canceled. Wave Sword offers an alternative solution. It eliminates the need for constant distance from enemies, instead using the freeze effect to restrict enemy movement and then unleashing continuous attacks for damage. Overall, Mage is better suited for players who enjoy high-damage magic, area-of-effect attacks, and elemental control. However, to unleash its full potential, players need to familiarize themselves with skill charge times and learn to utilize movement skills and attack range for self-protection. Weapon Progression Mechanism In ArcheAge Chronicles, weapons are just as important as classes. Each class can instantly switch between two weapons during combat via a key press, and the skills of these two weapons are completely independent of Trait Tree. Weapon Trait points are earned from Raeven's Coilstones - obtained by defeating the bosses guarding these Coilstones, and are unrelated to grinding. This design means that a player's weapon strength depends not on how long they've leveled up, but on which areas they've explored and which bosses they've defeated. Trait Tree branches are mutually exclusive; the same weapon can take drastically different paths. For example, Warrior's Greatsword's attack branch unlocks Armor Break and transforms Sunder into a wider-range two-stage Sweeping Slash, while the defense branch provides Pummel Strike available during parries, along with a damage-absorbing shield. This design ensures that even if two players choose the same class and weapon, their gameplay will be drastically different due to their different Trait stat allocations. Overall, ArcheAge Chronicles' four classes each have distinct characteristics, and the dual-weapon switching and independent Trait Trees allow for a wider range of gameplay possibilities for each class. Players can choose their class and weapon combination based on their combat preferences and gradually discover the combat style that best suits them through exploration and adventure in Auroria.