Welcome back, Exiles. If you've spent the last few months buried deep in Path of Exile 2, you're not alone. Hundreds of hours later, the itch to return to POE 1 is very real—and the upcoming free event is the perfect excuse to do it.

With balance changes looming and ascendancy tweaks still pending, this isn't about hyper-optimized racing builds or Uber-day-one fantasies. This is about fun, functional starters that can carry you through the event while letting you experiment with mechanics that don't always shine in standard league play.

Below are five potential league starters, ranging from experimental to rock-solid, including one build from my own previous event experience. Patch changes may shift numbers,with Path of exile currency for sale,but each of these has strong foundations and room to adapt.

1. Glacial Cascade of Fissure Mines (Scavenger) – Smokey777

This build immediately stands out thanks to its clever use of Glacial Cascade mines, a playstyle that has quietly remained powerful for years. Smokey777's version leans into a low-life setup, stacking massive aura value through Hatred, Zealotry, and Skitterbots for extremely high damage output.

A key interaction here is Archon's Tools, allowing Skitterbots to inflict Scorch while also benefiting from increased aura effect. The result is a build that scales damage aggressively without demanding excessive early investment.

What makes this setup especially interesting for the free event is its flexibility. With Bloodlines, Forbidden Flesh & Flame, and unused ascendancy points, the build offers multiple customization paths depending on balance changes. The endgame variant further pushes power through Eternal Struggle and heavy crit scaling, reaching near-cap crit chance while maintaining strong defensive layers via evasion and energy shield.

For players who enjoy mines and big screen-wide damage, this is an excellent event starter with clear upgrade paths.

2. Dominating Blow Architect of Chaos – Cardboard Bastards

Dominating Blow rarely gets center stage, but this Architect of Chaos variant proves it deserves a second look. By heavily investing in Vaal Dominating Blow interactions—such as increased Vaal skill duration and reduced soul cost—the build maintains near-permanent uptime on its minion army.

With support from mechanics like Shepherd of Souls and Everlasting Sacrifice, this setup offers surprising survivability and consistency. It has already demonstrated success across endgame content, including Voidstones, Cortex, and high-tier boss encounters.

This isn't a speed-racing starter, but that's the point. It's ideal for players who want to experiment, lean into off-meta mechanics, and still clear meaningful content without feeling fragile.

For free events especially, builds like this shine because they reward creativity rather than raw efficiency.

3. Smite of Divine Judgment – Exile Cat

Smite builds continue to be quietly powerful, and Smite of Divine Judgment is no exception. Exile Cat's version focuses on straightforward progression: grab a big weapon, hit enemies hard, and scale smoothly into endgame.

The early game is forgiving, the gearing curve is manageable, and the transition into full crit scaling feels natural rather than forced. Later upgrades like The Taming, Yoke of Suffering, and eventually Paradoxica give the build impressive damage scaling without sacrificing survivability.

This is a classic “feels good to play” build—fast, aggressive, and reliable. If you want something that gets online quickly and stays strong with investment, this is one of the safest picks on the list.

4. Penance Brand of Bouncing (Scavenger) – Anime Princess

Sometimes you just want something that works—and this is it. Penance Brand of Bouncing is naturally strong, with minimal early-game gear requirements and excellent scaling from gem levels alone.

Anime Princess provides clear leveling paths through Lab progression and outlines when to transition into the core setup. While the transfigured gem may take a bit of effort to obtain early, once it's online, the build cruises through content with very little friction.

This is a fantastic choice for players who want consistency, strong damage, and low stress during an event where currency and time are limited.

5. Crit Boneshatter of Complex Trauma – Fourth Vow (Personal Pick)

The final build comes from my own experience during the last free event: a crit Boneshatter of Complex Trauma setup built around The Fourth Vow. This chest piece is absurdly powerful, allowing armor to mitigate all damage taken from hits—not just physical.

With strong endurance charge stacking, Ancestral Commander synergy, and Forbidden Flesh & Flame (Untiring), this build becomes incredibly durable while still pushing high DPS. Even without luxury items like Mageblood, it comfortably handled deep Delve and endgame bosses.

Recent changes mean a few adjustments are required—particularly with endurance charge selection—but the core concept remains extremely strong. With further scaling through Bloodlines and passive tree optimizations, this build still holds up well for event play.

Final Thoughts

Patch notes and ascendancy changes are still on the way, and some numbers will inevitably shift. That said, the goal here isn't perfection—it's optionality.

Each build on this list offers:

A solid foundation for event progression

Room to adapt once patch details drop

A distinct playstyle that feels rewarding to learn

Whether you're looking to experiment, return to POE currency after a long break, or just enjoy the chaos of a free event, these starters give you a strong place to begin.

As always, support the creators featured here—check out their guides, PoBs, and updates. And most importantly: enjoy the league, Exiles.