Path of Exile 3.23: Affliction League Guide

A new league in Path of Exile is upon us! The game's newest expansion, Affliction, goes live on December 8 and it is set to bring tons of new content that will keep you glued to your seats!

In this article, we will go over the main reasons why Path of Exile: Affliction is one of the best expansions the game has ever had in recent history.

The Viridian Wildwood

Viridian Wildwood

In the new Affliction Challenge League, you will enter a new place called the Viridian Wildwood. To get there, you will find a Sacred Wisp near the entrance of a map or new zone, which beckons you to enter some overgrown passageways that lead you to an area shrouded in darkness.

Your task is to follow the trail of Wisps and uncover the mysteries of this new place. Take note that they only have a limited amount of power and it gets depleted as new parts of the area are revealed. When the Wisps' energy is fully spent, you will be forced to go back to the original map or zone where you came from.

Now, as you traverse the Viridian Wildwood, you will occasionally find trapped Wisps that you can "collect" and bring with you back to Wraeclast. Upon your return, the Wisps are unleashed and inhabit random monsters on the map, empowering them, and making them tougher to beat. Fortunately, you are going to be rewarded handsomely for your efforts.

There are three types of Wisps that can empower enemies. The Primal Wisps (blue) increase a monster's item rarity, which will make them more likely to drop valuable items. Wild Wisps (Purple) improve a monster's item quantity, making them drop more stuff on the ground when slain. And lastly, the Vivid Wisps (Yellow) raises the amount of currencies that can be dropped by the enemy.

It is worth noting that all three types of Wisps can inhabit a single monster, thus making the empowered enemy even more challenging to defeat. However, if you are able to beat them, you will get significantly better rewards.

The Wisps also serve as a new form of currency that you can spend on the Azmeri Wanderers to get some valuable stuff.

Secondary Ascendancy Classes

Secondary Ascendancy Classes

The Azmeri Wanderers will teach you their ways if you can accomplish the quests they will give you. After completing the objectives, you will gain access to one of three new "secondary" ascendancy classes that work on top of your original class.

The Warden of the Maji can be unlocked if you complete the tasks Warden of Eaves gives you. This ascendancy class enables you to use Tinctures to coat your weapons, granting special powerful bonuses. For instance, the Oakbranch Tincture allows you to execute enemies instantly if they are at or below 10% of their maximum HP. You can purchase Tinctures from the Warden of Eaves using Primal Wisps.

This ascendancy class is perfect for league starters thanks to Barkskin. Barkskin is a defensive ability that reserves mana to activate. It increases your armor, which is denoted by the thick bark that covers your character's body. The bark falls off when you take damage, and when it does so, your evasion rating is improved as a result. The bark grows back over time, reducing your evasion rating while increasing your armor once again.

Warden of the Maji

For the next ascendancy class in Path of Exile: Affliction, you can unlock the Warlock of the Mists by completing quests given by the new NPC, Breaker of Oaths. This class specializes in the dark arts of Azmeri, with abilities like Ravenous that allow you to consume corpses for attack and defense bonuses based on the type of monster you have devoured.

The Maven and other "Eldritch" monsters cannot be devoured using Ravenous. Luckily, the Breaker of Oaths has got you covered! When fighting Eldritch monsters, you can purchase magical corpses from the said NPC by spending Wild Wisps as currency. These corpses not only provide amazing bonuses when consumed, but you actually have the ability to turn them into powerful Spectres using the "Raise Spectre" gem to fight alongside you.

Warlock of the Mists

If you have a knack for experimenting and tinkering with builds to unlock new and exciting possibilities, then the Wildwood Primalist is for you! Unlike the two previous ascendancy classes, the Wildwood Primalist lets you insert "Charms" on the passive tree. These items have two randomly generated mods that enable you to get bonuses not usually accessible on your original ascendancy class. 

For example, you can insert a Lupine Charm that grants you a chance to gain the Onslaught buff on kill. This is typically not available for the Witch and Marauder classes without using the proper gear, so being able to do this definitely unlocks a whole new world of build possibilities!

You can choose the Wildwood Primalist by interacting with the Primal Huntress and finishing the tasks she gives you. This NPC also sells you Charms for Vivid Wisps.

Wildwood Primalist

Transfigured Gems

Aside from the new secondary ascendancy classes, the developers have introduced Transfigured Gems to Path of Exile. These are alternate versions of existing skill gems that unlock new avenues for build experimentation by providing vastly different functionalities. Transfigured Gems were made as a way to consolidate the effects of Labyrinth helmet enchantments, unique threshold jewels, and alternate quality gems (Anomalous, Divergent, Phantasmal).

Ethereal Knives of the Massacre, for instance, is a Transfigured Gem that makes EK fire projectiles in a circle when used. This unique functionality was previously only available as a helmet enchantment, so it's nice for the devs to put that on an alternate version of the Ethereal Knives gem.

If you are interested in knowing where to acquire these new sets of gems, the base skill gems can be transformed on the Divine Font at the end of the Eternal Labyrinth (the fourth lab that is available at level 75). 

Divine Font

The Trialmaster Returns

First introduced in Patch 3.14 Ultimatum League, the Trialmaster returns in Affliction League! The NPC can be found randomly while mapping and when you interact with him, he will challenge you to defeat multiple waves of monsters.

After each wave, you have two options on how you wish to proceed. You can either take your spoils and end the trial or go even further, where you defeat even tougher enemies with the promise of greater rewards.

If you've successfully beaten all 10 waves, you will have a chance to defeat the Trialmaster himself. The developers said that the Ultimatum mechanic has been rebalanced, so this could mean that the Trialmaster is now much harder to defeat!

However, if you are able to beat him in combat, you will have a chance to obtain some highly coveted items, such as the Mahuxotl's Machination and Hateforge.

Mark your calendars! Path of Exile: Affliction goes live on December 8 for PC and December 13 on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Trialmaster

Get Godly Items Easily

While Patch 3.23 Affliction League has a lot to offer, you may need some help when it comes to getting enough currency. Surely, players will set exorbitant prices for highly coveted items like perfectly rolled Transfigured Gems, very rare rewards dropped by the Trialmaster, and even mirror-tier items as the league progresses. The good news is that you don't have to worry about where to get the currency to buy what you want because that is where RPGStash comes in.

RPGStash is a reputable company when it comes to selling different types of PoE Currencies, including Chaos Orbs, Divine Orbs, and Mirrors of Kalandra. The company has been serving customers for a very long time, with rave reviews that you can see on the official website as proof of its legitimacy and impeccable service.

Unlike other companies, RPGStash is ready to serve you even on the first day of the league! It has a wide selection of currencies and services that fit your budget.  What's more, RPGStash has reduced the prices of its products significantly, offering the cheapest PoE Currency on the market! With fast turnaround times, you can get your order quickly so that you can enjoy the Affliction League with a fully decked-out character.

RPGStash also offers boosting services so that you can reach level 100 without all of the hassle. This includes all 10 acts completed, all four labyrinths accomplished, and all the loot that monsters drop along the way.

So, what are you waiting for? Head to RPGStash and make an order today!