When it comes to the gameplay of Path of Exile, most players will basically choose to operate on the computer in order to pursue a better gaming experience. In fact, the Steam Deck is a great way to play the game as well. In this way, you can grind out some maps without using a computer.
At the same time, you can also combine some builds to create more options on how to start your Path of Exile 3.21 Crucible League. A word of warning here, though, is that not all builds and POE Currency are suitable for use on the Steam Deck.
Intro
For one, you’re going to need to use the controller UI, which makes targeting of skills a lot less exact and gives you fewer buttons you can easily press.
On top of that, many builds in PoE have a significant impact on performance and this performance impact is magnified on Deck, where your hardware can’t just power through it.
So, if you have a Steam Deck or are planning on getting one sometime soon, the best thing you can do to have a better time playing PoE on Deck is choosing a build that will be a good fit!
In this article, I’m highlighting two builds that I expect to be top performing league starters in 3.21 Crucible League, that also feel great to play on the Steam Deck!
Pohx’s Righteous Fire Inquisitor/Juggernaut
Righteous Fire was my top recommended build in my previous Steam Deck builds article, and it remains the top dog for Steam Deck builds. This build is just so simple to play.
All you have to do is buy POE Currency, run through the map and pick up loot. It’s absolutely perfect for a quick map here and there. On top of being simple, and requiring almost no key binds, it’s also incredibly tanky. That makes this build perfect for chill “pick up and play” mapping on the Deck.
You don’t have to worry about dying and losing XP if you’re playing sub-optimally as the risk of dying is virtually 0. I recommend following whatever Righteous Fire build Pohx recommends.
For those unaware, Pohx is a content creator who does nothing but play Righteous Fire builds every single league. He’s an expert on their ins and outs, and has more than just a build guide. He has an entire website dedicated to walking people through building and playing a Righteous Fire character.
This also makes the build an excellent choice for newer players. No other build has such a wealth of resources available to help you! The only reason I can think of to not choose Righteous Fire would be the fact that it wants to use Aegis Aurora as a shield.
My expectation for the Crucible League is that Unique weapons and shields are going to be incredibly expensive, which means you should spend a lot of POE 3.21 Currency. This could also lead to Aegis Aurora being obscenely pricey, and even if you can afford one, you won’t really be able to make the most of the Crucible mechanic without purchasing even more copies to combine. Overall though, Righteous Fire is a solid choice for anyone looking to have a great time on Deck in Crucible.
Crouching Tuna’s Poison Spark
The other build I recommend is Poison Spark Occultist. Poison Spark was one of the top builds in Sanctum league. This build is mostly just one button to use Spark, and another for a movement skill.
Thanks to Profane Bloom explosions, it has fantastic clear speed, while absolutely shredding bosses. It is, however, significantly less tanky than Righteous Fire. It does use 100% spell suppression, and the Unique Stormshroud Jewel to get Elemental Ailment pseudo-immunity.
But neither of these are budget options, and likely won’t be available to you at the very start of the league. Because no matter what league, all Exilers don’t have so many Divine Orbs a lot at the beginning. This will leave you prone to random one-shots as you push into red maps, and might make for a bumpy league start.
However, this play style is incredibly well-suited to the Deck – and the Spark projectiles do not significantly affect performance, despite the large numbers of them on-screen. As far as the new league mechanic goes, because of how Spark fills the screen with projectiles, it will probably shred Crucible encounters.
The enemies from a Crucible do not start attacking you until you leave the circle surrounding the Crucible forge. This allows you to spend a second or two filling the screen with sparks, before stepping out of the circle, and immediately killing enemies with the Sparks that are already flying around the screen, as they spawn.
Additionally, Poison Spark uses a Rare weapon and a Rare shield – which I suspect will be ideal for getting the most out of Crucible crafting. Poison Spark was probably the best build in Sanctum. As a result, it has received several nerfs going into Crucible. Some changes to Poison Masteries on the passive tree hit its damage by about 10%, but far more significantly, Spark had its base projectile speed reduced, resulting in 25% less projectile speed.
l Related: Secrets To Start A Successful Path Of Exile 3.21 Crucible League
Now, these are significant nerfs, but the build was strong enough before that I expect it to still be a top build in Crucible. If you pick either of these two builds, you should have a fantastic experience playing PoE on Deck in Crucible.
Both of these builds are very popular, however, and you will probably find other versions of these builds from other content creators. These are just the ones that I can personally vouch for.
