POE currency has arrived with new challenges, balance changes, and, of course, plenty of opportunities to experiment with fresh builds. Whether you're looking for a league starter, a boss killer, or a mapper that can explode screens in seconds, having the right setup makes all the difference. In this guide, we'll cover three of the strongest builds you can play right now:

Lightning Arrow Deadeye, Poison SRS Necromancer, and Volcanic Fissure Berserker.

For each build, we'll break down its mechanics, strengths and weaknesses, leveling path, gear priorities, and endgame setup. By the end, you'll have a clear roadmap to dominate 3.26 with the build that best fits your playstyle.

1. Lightning Arrow Deadeye - Screen-Wide Destruction

Core Mechanics

Lightning Arrow has always been a staple skill for bow users, but in 3.26, combining it with returning projectiles takes it to another level. Each shot not only chains lightning between targets but also returns to hit again, essentially doubling your AoE and damage output. As a Deadeye, you gain access to key ascendancy nodes like:

 Far Shot - more damage at range.

 Ricochet - additional projectile chaining.

 Gathering Winds - permanent Tailwind for speed.

The synergy creates a playstyle where one shot can wipe entire packs before they even see you.

Pros

 Insane clear speed.

 Safe at range with strong mobility.

 Scales extremely well into endgame.

Cons

 Not a face-tank build-relies on smart positioning.

 Gear-dependent for high single-target DPS.

Leveling Guide

 Act 1-2: Start with Rain of Arrows linked to Pierce and Added Lightning Damage. Use Sniper's Mark and a movement skill like Dash.

 Level 12: Transition into Lightning Arrow with Mirage Archer, Added Lightning Damage, and LMP/GMP. This is your first big power spike.

 Level 28-55: Introduce Artillery Ballista for bosses, linking it with Ballista Totem Support and Elemental Damage with Attacks. Add Grace and Precision for defense and accuracy.

 Level 65+: Swap into the full Deadeye setup with returning projectiles, critical strike nodes, and a proper rare bow.

Endgame Gear

 Bow: +2 to gems, crit chance, high lightning damage, and attack speed.

 Quiver: +1 arrow, crit multiplier, flat lightning.

 Armor: High-evasion chest with life and resistances.

 Jewels: Lion's Fall, Watcher's Eye (Precision mods), rare jewels with life and crit multi, plus a large cluster jewel with projectile damage.

At full build, you'll fire 7+ projectiles, all chaining and returning for millions of DPS. Bosses melt while maps clear in seconds.

Gameplay Style

Stay mobile-fire, move, and fire again. Use Sniper's Mark for bosses, drop Artillery Ballista, and keep Blood Rage active for Frenzy charges. Flasks with Jade, Quartz, and Diamond give you evasion, spell suppression, and reliable crit. The build shines when you keep distance, using Deadeye's Far Shot to maximize damage.

2. Poison SRS Necromancer - The Green Cloud of Death

Core Mechanics

Summon Raging Spirit (SRS) spawns flaming skulls that rush enemies. Instead of focusing on their hit damage, this setup converts them into poison applicators. With The Golden Rule jewel and high chance to poison, each skull stacks layers of poison at insane speed. Bosses disappear under a swarm of toxic minions.

As a Necromancer, you amplify this further with ascendancy bonuses like:

 Unnatural Strength (+2 to minion gem levels).

 Plaguebringer (area damage and defense).

 Bone Barrier (layer of survivability).

Pros

 Incredible boss melting potential.

 Safe, since minions do all the fighting.

 Scales well without mirror-tier gear.

Cons

 Can feel clunky before poison scaling is online.

 Heavy reliance on gem levels for peak damage.

Leveling Guide

 Acts 1-2: Use SRS + Minion Damage with Melee Splash for clearing. Add Unleash when available to summon faster.

 Level 18: Slot in Chance to Poison while continuing to level Withering Step, Despair, Herald of Agony for later use.

 Act 3-5: Add Desecrate and Offering. At level 50, fully transition into poison scaling with The Golden Rule and chaos/minion nodes.

Endgame Gear

 Weapon: +2 wand (or +1 chaos +1 minion) with cast speed. Trigger wand optional for automation.

 Helmet: +2 SRS helm with life/resistances, ideally crafted with Essence of Insanity for minion speed.

 Cluster Jewels: Medium clusters with Minions deal additional Chaos Damage. Large cluster with Call to the Slaughter.

 Unique Items: United in Dream (poison support for minions), Unholy Might uptime for chaos DPS.

 Shield: Aegis Aurora for block and defenses, or a rare minion shield.With gem levels around 28-30, supported by Empower 4 and helmet enchants, this build annihilates any boss in the game.

Gameplay Style

For bosses, apply Withering Step, drop Vaal Skeletons, cast Despair, then spam SRS. Keep moving while poisons stack-you don't need to stay in danger zones. In maps, dash forward, summon a few skulls, and keep momentum. Poison ticks finish enemies even after you've moved on.

This build excels in juiced content like Delirium, Blight, or Legion since poison ignores monster life scaling. You're constantly mobile while minions deal the damage, creating a fluid loop: dash → summon → reposition → repeat.

3. Volcanic Fissure Berserker (Snaking Build) - Tanky Slammer

Core Mechanics

Volcanic Fissure is a slam skill that creates molten fissures erupting in waves of fire damage. The Snaking variation focuses on pairing it with Warcries, which both boost slam damage and generate Endurance Charges for defense. Combined with Berserker's rage scaling, the build becomes a tanky, explosive powerhouse.

Pros

 Extremely durable with endurance charges.

 High AoE and boss DPS.

 Straightforward slam gameplay.

Cons

 Slam playstyle can feel slower than bow/minion builds.

 Visual clutter from fissures may obscure mechanics.

Leveling Guide

 Level 1-12: Start with Ground Slam linked to Ruthless and Chance to Bleed. Add Blood and Sand, War Banner, and Leap Slam.

 Level 12-23: Switch to Sunder with Close Combat and Rage. Add Herald of Ash and Intimidating Cry.

 Level 23-38: Continue with Sunder, adding Seismic Cry for exerted attacks.

 Level 38+: Transition into Volcanic Fissure with full Warcry support.

Endgame Gear

 Weapons: Dual wield Vol Ax + Kaom's Primacy (or similar high-phys axes).

 Helmet: Echoes of Creation for amplified slam damage.

 Armor: High-life chest like Kaom's Heart or influenced rare.

 Gloves/Boots: Life/resistances, movement speed.

 Jewels: Timeless Jewel for scaling, multiple Cluster Jewels for melee/phys boosts.

Gameplay Style

The rotation is all about warcries + slams. Keep endurance charges up for tankiness while chaining Volcanic Fissure eruptions. Positioning is key-fissures can obscure visuals, so awareness is vital. With Echoes of Creation, your slams hit like a truck, but make sure your defenses are capped to handle the self-damage penalty.

This build excels at both mapping and bosses, offering a strong balance of survivability and damage output.

Final Thoughts

Each of these three builds thrives in Path of Exile 3.26 for different reasons:

 Lightning Arrow Deadeye dominates maps with unmatched clear speed and mobility.

 Poison SRS Necromancer melts bosses with poison stacking while keeping you safe behind minions.

 Volcanic Fissure Berserker delivers explosive melee gameplay with tanky defenses.

Which one should you pick?

 If you love speed and flashy clears, go Deadeye.

 If you want bossing power and hands-off damage, Necromancer is your best bet.

 If you prefer a tanky melee bruiser, Berserker is perfect.

No matter which you choose, each setup can comfortably take on endgame maps, bosses, and league mechanics.cheap Path of exile currency is all about finding a playstyle you enjoy-and in 3.26, these three builds stand out as some of the strongest and most fun ways to carve through Wraeclast.