The Best Atlas Tree and Mapping Strategies In Path of Exile 3.26
What is the Atlas of Worlds?
The Atlas of Worlds is an endgame progression system in Path of Exile, unlocking after you defeat the Shaper and complete the main campaign. It is an expansive map of various zones called regions, each with its own set of maps. Players can use these maps to explore different areas, fight bosses, and collect valuable rewards. The Atlas Tree allows players to modify their map drops, encounter additional bosses, and enhance the overall mapping experience.
In PoE 3.26, the Atlas system has been refined further, and your decision-making regarding the Atlas Tree and mapping strategies can have a significant impact on your ability to farm effectively and efficiently.
Understanding the Atlas Tree
The Atlas Tree is a powerful tool that allows you to tweak the drop rates, bosses, modifiers, and other characteristics of maps in the Atlas. Every player can choose which nodes to allocate to enhance their preferred playstyle, be it boss farming, currency farming, or specific rewards like Scarabs, Divination Cards, and Unique items.
Key Concepts of the Atlas Tree:
Influences: The Atlas contains four major influences - Shaper, Elder, Conquerors, and Searing Exarch / Eater of Worlds. These influence the types of mods and bosses that can appear in your maps.
Passive Nodes: The tree features various passive nodes that can increase drop rates, grant additional map modifiers, or alter the mapping experience in various ways.
Map Modifiers: You can select nodes that modify the map drops, such as increasing the chance of high-tier maps, rare mobs, additional bosses, or more.
Map Tier Scaling: The Atlas Tree allows you to scale the difficulty of maps to your advantage. This is useful for either farming easier maps quickly or pushing into higher tiers for better rewards.
Best Atlas Tree Builds for PoE 3.26
Choosing the right build for your Atlas Tree is essential for making the most out of your mapping. In PoE 3.26, the optimal tree depends on your playstyle. Here are a few popular and effective builds:
1. The Currency Farmer (Focused on Map Sustain and Scarab Farming)
If your goal is to farm currency through high map sustain and generating as many Scarabs as possible, you will want to focus on a tree that boosts Map Drops, Scarabs, and Divination Cards.
Key Nodes:
Elder Influence: Nodes like The Way Forward and Doubledrop are perfect for farming, as they increase the chance of high-tier maps dropping.
Map Modifiers: Choose Fortune Favors the Brave to increase the drop rate of Scarabs and other valuable map modifiers.
Scarab Bonuses: Nexus of the Void and Defender of the Map are key for boosting your chances of Scarabs.
Divination Cards: Select nodes such as Pilgrimage to increase your chances of finding high-value Divination Cards.
Mapping Strategy: Focus on Tier 14-16 maps with high monster density, such as Betrayal, Delirium, or Delve. These encounters provide ample opportunities to drop Scarabs, Divination Cards, and high-tier loot.
2. The Boss Farmer (Focused on Endgame Bosses)
If you want to farm endgame bosses like The Shaper, The Elder, Searing Exarch, and Eater of Worlds, you'll need an Atlas Tree that specializes in increasing boss spawn rates and difficulty scaling.
Key Nodes:
Conqueror Influence: The Conqueror's Influence nodes boost the chances of triggering Conqueror encounters, which can lead to Exalted Orbs and other valuable drops.
The Void: This node significantly increases the spawn rate of Endgame Bosses by adding random bosses to maps.
Awakened Influence: Investing in Awakened Bonus nodes will grant bonuses to Shaper and Elder bosses, increasing their rewards and difficulty.
Mapping Strategy: Focus on Tier 16 maps with Conqueror, Shaper, and Elder influence, along with Searing Exarch or Eater of Worlds modifiers. These are where you'll earn the highest rewards and have the best chance of encountering these bosses.
3. The Unique Item Hunter (Focused on Farming Unique Items)
If you're after Unique Items, crafting materials, and high-end loot, then focusing on nodes that increase your chances of these drops is essential.
Key Nodes:
Influenced Maps: Choose Influenced Map Drops to maximize your chances of farming Influenced Unique Items.
Uncommon Weapons: Trade Secrets boosts the chance of Unique Weapon drops, especially from Endgame Bosses.
The Grand Experiment: These nodes can also increase the chance of Boss Drops and Special Crafting Materials.
Mapping Strategy: Run maps with high boss density such as Delve, Betrayal, and Blight. These allow for a higher likelihood of Influenced Unique Items dropping after defeating tougher bosses and enemies.
Secrets to Maximizing Map Efficiency
Your Atlas Tree is just one part of the puzzle. For maximum efficiency and profit, you'll need to master mapping strategies. Here are some tips to ensure you're getting the best returns for your efforts:
1. Map Sustain
Map sustain is one of the most important aspects of mapping. You want to ensure that you're consistently rolling over your maps and not running out of high-tier maps. Here are a few tips for that:
Use Zana's Modifiers: Zana offers powerful map modifiers that can increase the chance of dropping high-tier maps. These modifiers stack with other Atlas Tree nodes and boost your map pool. You can buy POE currency to get them.
Add Extra Bosses: Certain Atlas Tree nodes, such as Fortune Favors the Brave and Boss-Added Drops, increase the chances of spawning additional bosses during your maps, increasing the chance of higher-value drops.
2. Maximize Scarabs and Maps
Scarab farming is a great way to boost the rewards of your maps, and certain Atlas Tree nodes make it easier to farm Scarabs effectively.
Use the Nexus of the Void node to increase the odds of Scarabs and rare maps dropping from monsters.
Farm High-Density Areas: Focus on maps with lots of mobs, such as Delirium, Betrayal, and Blight, where Scarabs drop more frequently.
3. Maximize Delve and Syndicate Farming
If you want to boost your currency gains, Delve and Syndicate farming can provide an additional income stream. These mechanics offer access to Scarabs, Divination Cards, and Exalted Orbs.
Delve Farming: Invest in nodes like Nexus of the Void and Delve Bounty to increase the density of rewards in Delve runs.
Syndicate Farming: Use nodes that enhance the Syndicate influence for higher rewards and better chances of dropping Exalted Orbs and Divination Cards.
Conclusion
Mastering the PoE 3.26 Atlas Tree and mapping strategy is essential for making the most out of the endgame. Whether you're farming currency, hunting for specific loot, or pushing endgame bosses, optimizing your Atlas Tree and approach to mapping will give you a huge advantage. By understanding how to leverage the best passive nodes, the influence mechanics, and effective mapping strategies, you can boost your efficiency and start seeing more frequent and lucrative rewards. With the right setup, the Atlas will be your gateway to unimaginable wealth and power in Path of Exile 3.26.