Less than twelve hours to go.
If you’ve watched any of my Youtbue videos on currency generation at league start you will know I am a huge believer that the actual beginning of a league is an incredible opportunity.
The opportunity is too great for me to pass it up.
So I’m aiming for maps within 6-7 hours. This is not even close to a world record time – there will be at least a hundred in maps within 4 hours. But it’s what I can achieve.
This guide has been inspired by many videos produced by talented racers – Kammell, Zizaran and many more.
I’ll league start as a Cold Damage Over Time Occultist. Later I will transition into a Hand of Wisdom and Action Molten Strike Occultist.
Here’s my key milestones:
Prepare
- Beers in the fridge. (This part is important).
- Build outline done
- Atlas plans made
- The three S’s: Shower. Shave. Shit.
- LOOT FILTER. This is to be done during the patching.
- Check, double check, triple check the time league starts
- Snacks. Start with carb light ones (cold meat, etc). Carby stuff should wait.
- Double check the beer situation.
- Decide upon the silly stuff. What MTX am I using (Sin set with the wings, Crucible weapon, the most flashy and ugly Heralds possible)
- Get Baby Shark out of your head
- Triple check the beer.
Act 1
- Create a Scion. Get Onslaught Support. Kill Hillock, check vendor for BGG, BBG weapons and for 10% speed boots. Exit to character. DO NOT FUCK UP and alt-F4 or exit to login. That results in another queue.
- Create a Witch
- Kill Hillock, rush Mud Flats. Complete mandatory quest there. WP back to the Tidal Island. Kill Hailrake. TP (don’t log due to queue). Quicksilver – transmute/augment it.
- FROST BOMB. Frost Bomb – Onslaught – X
- Straight to Ledge (skip passive quest until A2).
- ONLY KILL BLUE PACKS and shit that is in the way, or to recharge zoom zoom flask.
- Skip Prison trial unless in group
- After Brutus dies loot then TP (don’t log). Added Cold or Added Lightning as appropriate to gem colours.
- Wear a dex ammy if available (deviate for good items)
- No chest armor for the moment (due to move speed penalty of 3-6%). Alter if dying.
- Do Fairgraves ASAP, skip turnin until Cavern WP. Then FLAME DASH and BUY STORM BRAND.
- Ignore cold res, just dodge Merveil’s casts
Act 2
- Do the Den. It sucked once, it now has a guaranteed zoom zoom flask that’s high enough level to roll Adrenaline
- Kill Kraityn
- Do Chamber of Sins trial
- Kill Fidelitus
- Riverways – follow road, flame dash over rivers. Get WP.
- Kill Oak, get WP, WP to Riverways. HELP ALIRA. Emblem. Spider. A1 skillpoint crab.
- Look for 3L BBB – Flame Dash, Arcane Surge, Faster Casting
- Crypt trial (skip the stupid quest, even if it is a challenge)
- BRAND RECALL (Yeena)
- Zoom zoom to Vaal Oversoul
- Celebratory Toucan in global
Act 3
- Crematorium + trial
- Sewers – usually 1 bust before WP but sometimes two. After WP, depth-first search following right wall to find 2nd bust.
- Do trial in Mausoleum
- WP + Spool in Battle, then Solaris, WP back then docks
- Sulphite all that’s needed there (WP not needed now)
- TP then WP to Dialla, then WP to Sewers.
- CHECK FIRE RES. If low play careful on Gravy
- VORTEX. A2 CONTROLLED DESTRUCTION, ELE FOCUS. (A6 add Efficacy)
- CHECK COLD RES. If low, play careful on Piety
- Imperial Gardens – Trial
- Dominus (check lightning res) then Aqueduct then Dried Lake then A1 trial
- Note – Can’t get Haste on a Witch. If partied get friends to get it. If solo just use Malediction (should be able to get this). Failing that Hatred
Normal Lab
Act 4
- Already done Dried Lake
- Stoned Golem. Stupid OP at this level
- Rush to Deshret then to Veins WP
- Kaom – check fire res
- Daresso
- Piety. CHECK BLEED FLASK. Play careful if you don’t have one
- Malachai
Act 5
- Whole act quite linear. Check lightning res for Innocence.
- Look for BBBB 4 link x2.
Act 6
- HASTE. EFFICACY (for 3L Vortex, now BBBB).
- COLD SNAP, BONECHILL, EFFICACY, CONTROLLED DESTRUCTION – second 4L BBBB
- Storm Brand no longer a major damage source
- If fire under 60 be CAREFUL in mud flats
- Prison – TRIAL
- Do Aberrath and Ryslatha on curve. Aberrath rippy AF.
- If cold/elec under 60 be CAREFUL on Brine
Act 7
- Crypt first. TRIAL in top level. MAP in bottom.
- Chamber of Sins – TRIAL
- Ralakesh. No bleed flask = OUCH
- Fireflies, Gruthkul (no Granite = OUCH)
- QUEST (locket/star/whatever it is)
- Rest straightforward
Act 8
- Doedre hardest boss yet.
- EAST
- Docks – depth first search staying RIGHT
- Grain Gate – enter doors with corpses marking them
- Solaris – turn RIGHT
- Cross Harbor Bridge to Lunaris Concourse
- Loony Temple
- Yugul
- Bath trial
- Finish
Act 9
- Desert has a quest
- Foothills WP, Boulderback
- Quarry WP (trial in mines)
Cruel Lab
Act 9 again
- Foothills WP to Basilisk
- Town, get access to Oasis
- Oasis, scorpion god
- Quarry – that Factory map zone
- God from Quarry (the Darude – Sandstorm god)
- Enter Beast
Act 10
- Straightforward enough
- SC and undergeared? Death rush Kitava if needed, reward is worth it
- Skip Merc Lab unless in a serious party with someone who gets the world from it
Early Maps – If Offense Lacking
- Skip if damage output feels fine
- Do T1s until you have Strand. Do no other T2s
- Do Strand ASAP
- Run T1s and Strands until you have at least one Channel.
- Alch and go Channel to farm Tabula cards
- Alch and go Strands when out of Channels.
- If feeling strong and out of channels, run one Atziri
- Upon completing Tabby, add Hypothermia – Swift Affliction to main setup
Maps – If Offense Fine
- Always run your HIGHEST map. Don’t worry about holes. Work UPWARD.
- Prioritize Zana chain
- Once alternate of same tier unlocked use it on any map you are repeating
- Once Shape T1-5 unlocked AND a T11 map complete, spam T5s with it. Sell high tier maps at exhorbitant prices.
- Once character stronger, push red maps and unlock Shape T6-10 and do one T16.
- Spam T10s with +5, sell T13-16 natural maps at exhorbitant prices.
- Sell high ilvl Vaal Regalias early (keep one for self)
- Fit in Merc Lab when it feels right. You want to do it pretty fast.
- Level a Discipline
- Do Eternal Lab
Delve Strategy
- Get into mines reasonably early but not until map pandemonium ends
- Azurite key early. Need all upgrades. Flare radius and sulphite cap first. Don’t worry about dankness farming at first.
- Will need to do a number of sub-map tier delves for Azurite. Do this while under level 80.
Eternal Lab Trials Cheatsheet
Top line: Piercing Truth, Burning Rage
Middle: Swirling Fear, Lingering Pain
Bottom: Crippling Grief, Stinging Doubt
Thanks so much for posting this!