Path of Exile 3.11 and Harvest League is almost here. With all the new Notables and Passive Tree changes, there’s a ton of new stuff to deal with. POE 3.11 has shifted around a lot of focus for the metagame this league. The reworks for both Brands and Warcries offer a ton of potential for different league starters and other builds. There were quite a few nerfs to Two-Handed weapons this league as well, making melee builds a little less likely to be as prevalent in some cases. And with all the new skills and redesigns to core elements, picking Path of Exile 3.11 league starter builds will be much more interesting.
The integrations of Cluster Jewels and a bunch of Notable reworks also adds some interesting new path choices to the Passive Tree. There are even some options that give better results with longer paths around the tree. Expect some of this design methodology to reflect on the way some Path of Exile 3.11 league starter builds play out when they get updated.
It might be helpful to run through the list of nerfs and buffs that were handed out in the POE 3.11 patch before selecting a build.
Check out our other Path of Exile 3.11 Guides:
- Path of Exile: Harvest Seeds Guide
- Path of Exile 3.11 Perfect Garden Layout
- Path of Exile: Harvest Farming Basics
- Path of Exile: Harvest Buffed and Nerfed Skills
- Path of Exile: Harvest Loot Filter Guide
- POE Atlas Strategies
- Catalysts Guide
- Vendor Recipes Guide
Witch
[3.11] Bamper1’s Stone Golem Golemancer – This is a true league starter. You will power through the early game, and then want to swap to a new build. Very easy to gear for in the leveling and early maps. This build could be scaled into endgame, and will be interesting this league since a lot of players will be opting for Warcries and the like.
[3.11] Enki’s Arc Witch – No direct nerfs to Ascendancy or arc in POE 3.11, so this kind of Path of Exile 3.11 league starter builds remain solid. Passive reworks will make this very interesting for leveling and pathing. Arc remains a strong skill.
[3.11] TorsteinTheFallen’s Dragon’s Breath Elementalist – A very interesting off-meta choice in POE 3.11. It takes advantage of the Clusters to make some very interesting things happen. With a solid mix of defense and offense, this build can take on quite a lot. If you like fire, this is the build for you.
[3.11] Kay’s Spectre Summoner – A strong and unique build. If you’re in the mood for zombies and other summoning fun, this is the build for you. The build is solid enough to carry through Yellow Maps with minimal concern for perfect gearing.
[3.11] Aziire’s Kinetic Bolt Elementalist – With the injection of Elemental damage, this combo makes a big splash. There’s not early content that this combo of Minions and spellcasting can’t handle. An ideal league starter for those in POE 3.11 looking for an off-meta spellcaster.
Shadow
[3.11] Nathan’s ED Trickster – A rather strong build that offers both flexibility for casual players, but plenty of DPS for more aggressive players looking to maximize the potential of the archetype. It can easily run Red maps with slightly better gear than the starter variant.
[3.11] ArtCrusade’s Essence Drain: BEASTMODE – Another ED variant, this time tuned for SSF players. Both the main skills and Ascendancy have made it through the last few patches OK. This variety of build also has a ton of versatility going for it, as it can be played with a few different styles.
[3.11] roguemjb’s Double Strike / Flicker Assassin – Assassin got a pretty nice buff in POE 3.10, and since it was left alone this patch, looks very strong going into Delirium. The melee focus on Double and Flicker Strikes is a pretty unique way to play as well. If you’re a melee fan in POE and looking for something a bit different, here you go.
[3.11] K0FT3’s Toxic Rain Miner – If you’re into the DoT style of play here’s another option. The Mines combo makes this a relatively strong base too. And with plenty of mobility and defensive layering, there’s not much early-to-mid-game stuff this cannot do.
[3.11] Beginner Friendly Arc/Ice Spear Mines – Arc and Mines got by in Harvest with relatively few direct nerfs. This build also has some really wide open options for gearing. Very much SSF viable too.
[3.11] typicaldemon’s Toxic Rain Shadow – Previous leagues and their fossil crafting nerfs hit this build hard. Although considering that, it remains a solid base for experimentation. It’s very easy to gear for, and the DoT playstyle is fairly unique in POE.
[3.11] Remi’s Icicle Miner – This build is not very gear dependent, so it can get through early mapping simply and quickly. You will need to move on to a new build once you hit Yellow Maps in most cases though. It will carry you through leveling quickly though, and that’s a plus.
Marauder
[3.11] The Warbringer Ground Slam Serker – Berserker got more focus on Warcries in POE 3.11, although it remains viable for many other build archetypes. Slam skills getting a rework will make this much more attractive, so if you’re planning on endgame gear, expect higher prices than normal.
[3.11] Ultimate Rage Zerker – With the massive rework to core mechanics for Berserker and the Rage setup, this build plays completely differently. Decent DPS gives this build great clear speed, and with no required gear, it’s very SSF friendly. Heavy Strike is an underused skill, but with all the defensive layers, this is a breeze to play.
[3.11] SaintCabal’s Fists of Fire Cyclone – Some nerfs to Cyclone and 2H weapons make this less appealing, but it’s still worth including if you’re deadset on this playstyle.
[3.11] guggelhupf’s Facebreaker Ancestral Warchief – If you enjoy playing with Totems you’re in luck because Ancestral Warchief builds are a very popular choice for new players. The playstyle is a bit slower than most, but it has tons of survivability. And Chieftain remains a strong base.
Templar
[3.11] thi3n’s Storm Brand Inquisitor – Already a really powerful build in previous leagues. This rework to the Brand mechanics will make this one a more experimental playstyle in 3.11. Still a strong contender though thanks to the overall power of the skill.
[3.11] VisorX’s Freezing Pulse Totem Hierophant – A very focused and powerful build in its own right. Totems and the Sign of Purpose rework make the Hierophant more focused to Brands, but it remains solid for other builds as well.
[3.11] Angryroleplayer’s Siege Ballista Hierophant – This is a build that has remained steady since a major buff in 3.9. The changes directly to Totems this league won’t really affect gameplay, and the Ascendancy is still relatively the same post-3.11. Offers a somewhat intriguing playstyle with a mix of ranged and a melee-level of survivability.
Duelist
[3.11] CaptainWARLORD’s Cleave Champion – A stable build in Harvest. The Champion made it through without being nerfed too heavily. The guide author even put out a great video guide.
Ranger
[3.11] Velyna’s Hollow Palm Ice Crash – Much more DPS for Harvest. This 3.11 League Starter is all about the flashy DPS. We did take a minor hit in Physical Damage, but the buffs to Ice Crash offset it. Simple playstyle, with stacked defenses and big burst DPS potential.
[3.11]g00fy_goober’s Ultimate EleBuzzsaw Raider – This one has gone a bit off-meta this league, which actually helps it make the cut this time around. It’s a fast build that easy enough to gear for somewhat experienced players who know what to look for. Scaling this to endgame gear will be a bit tricky though.
[3.11] thedeathbeam’s Scourge Arrow Poison Prolif Pathfinder – Bow-based builds took a hit in POE 3.10 with the major nerf to Fossils. Now, any serious bow build needs a strong Elder base to get the best mods. And in 3.11, that’s going to remain the same.
[3.11] Angry_Roleplayer’s Lightning Arrow/Barrage Deadeye – Path of Exile 3.11 didn’t hand any major nerfs to this bow-based starter build. If you’re looking for a purely ranged option, this might be for you, just expect some issues progressing past Red Maps.
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