Maverick has been playing Path of Exile since it was still in beta. He has experience with League Starter characters but also played without them plenty of times.
Table of Contents
What Is a Path of Exile League Starter?
A League Starter is more than just the character you start a league with. At a minimum, a Path of Exile League Starter:
- Requires a minimum amount of investment to function
- Is able to reach a high enough level of content to gather currency for more advanced characters
Beyond this, definitions on the exact requirements will differ. Some people will require a League Starter to function only magic (blue) items, others will allow some rares and cheaper uniques. Some people are fine with a League Starter stranding in yellow (mid-level) maps, others want them to clear all non-uber content.
Do You Need To Use a League Starter?
Yes, I highly recommend you start each league with the concept of League Starter in mind. I fell into the trap of starting with a too-advanced concept a few times. It felt like hitting a wall. It is really demotivating if you aren’t making progress and can’t turn the situation around.
However, keep in mind the minimum definition above. A League Starter does not necessarily limit you to just a few builds. The main goal is to avoid building a character that requires expensive items to function without the means to gather the currency for it.
If you don’t have very strict expectations, even your own build can be a League Starter. You only need to avoid using builds using very expensive interactions. Total beginners actually have an advantage here, as they will not know about interactions that only exist with heavy investments.
If you want some basic tips on starting with your own build (and if this is recommended for you), check out my other article: When You Need a Build Guide To Play Path of Exile (And When You Don’t)
Using a League Starter Does Not Mean You Need Multiple Characters
The main reason players dread using a League Starter, is because they don’t want to make multiple characters. But they don’t have to. There are plenty of way for your League Starter to be the only character you create that league:
Option 1: Choosing a League Starter with room for growth. A lot of League Starter-focused builds have suggestions for gear upgrades. Once you have the currency for it, you can turn your existing build into a more advanced version with these upgrades.
Option 2: Picking a League Starter that is capable of clearing most content. As said, requirements for League Starters differ between players. As such, some League Starters can clear just about all content just fine with minimal investment.
You can study which content options you are considering can clear before making your final decision. Just be aware that builds in this category tend to be very “meta”. Some players don’t like playing what “everyone” is playing. This option may not be enjoyable for those players.
Option 3: Choosing a League Starter with the same Ascendancy Class as your final build. If you have a more expensive build in mind as your main character for the league, you can choose a League Starter with the same Ascendancy Class (e.g., Deadeye, Juggernaut). A different ascendancy class from the same base class (e.g., Berserker if you’re a Juggernaut) is OK, too.
Using this option, you don’t need to create a new character and keep your leveling progress. You simply respec to a new build on the same character. Make sure you gather the necessary currency (Orbs of Regret to respec and funds for your new gear) before you switch.
How To Determine if a Build Is League Start Friendly
Most build guides will simply tell you. But some build guides can also be quite clickbaity with their claims, so it’s good to check for yourself. Take a look at the unique items the build requires and check them out at PoE Antiquary:
- First select the category of your item on the left (e.g., Unique Weapons)
- Then select the previous League from the menu on the top right
In regards to non-unique items, you can be less restrictive. Just avoid the following:
- Extremely rare mods such as +Frenzy or +Power charges. Just anything you know does not drop often for you when you are playing.
- Characters that have 6 high-tier affixes on most slots on their starter gear. League Starters should work with just a few strong affixes per rare item.
- League Starters that require you to already have implicit modifiers (modifiers that are not part of the normal gear affixes)
League Starting Later in the League
Some Unique Items in Path of Exile remain expensive throughout the league (Mageblood, Voidforge, Progenesis, …). Many Uniques, however, start out expensive due to lack of supply but drop off significantly after the first week. That means that starting a league with some delay will make more builds fit the definition of League Starter.
Even starting after the initial weekend can mean that items have already halved in price or more. If you’re starting out a little later, I recommend you check out current prices and their trend through poe.ninja.
Do keep in mind, however, that powerful Uniques usable by many builds tend to go up in price, rather than down. That is because demand stays high and players have more currency to spend later in the league. This can cause issues for some builds you have your eye on, as well. These problems can also be identified through using poe.ninja.
Finding League Starters
Here are some suggestions on where you can find your own League Starter:
- Zizaran‘s channel. Around the start of a new league, he always highlights League Starters with different strengths. This gives you a lot of choices. He mainly features builds by other creators, but also mixes in some of his own at times. His videos serve as a good introduction to the strengths and weaknesses of each builds. He also gives information on where to find the full build.
- Maxroll has a lot of written guides, many of which are League Starters. They do also have some outdated guides, though, so make sure you only check recently updated ones.
- Pohx’ site on Raging Fire is very beginner friendly. It goes very in-depth, though, which can be a positive or negative depending on your playstyle. Look for the builds section once you reach his page.
- The Path of Exile Builds Subreddit is a very good resource for League Starters. Follow the link, then ctrl-F Current League Start Build Index (the URL differs from league to league). This section features many different creators. Although it’s mostly a lot safer from clickbaiters than YouTube, you should still check if your chosen build really is league-start friendly.