POE is an astonishing free-to-play action role-playing game (ARPG) currently available for all players across multiple platforms and consoles.



Set in the world of Wraeclast, you will be thrown into the game as an ‘Exile’, seeking to craft out a whole new beginning in the harsh and cruel reality of this expansive new world.



Initially designed and released for PC platforms in 2013, the game managed to garner massive amounts of support and popularity, leading to its inevitable welcome for Xbox One and PlayStation 4 consoles too (2017 and 2019 respectively).



If you are new to POE, getting yourself on the right foot can sometimes be extremely difficult due to the extensive nature of the game’s features and mechanics, usually leading you to endless in-game deaths and torments, disruptive character builds and eventually a lack of interest to grind through to reach the end game contents.



However, if you are able to understand the game properly, making your way through as a beginner should definitely be worth the effort and time, as you are finally able to appreciate the game in all its awesome glory, death and destruction.



To keep things relatively simple and easy for you to start out as an Exile, here are some amazing beginner tips for you to fully indulge yourself in the unforgiving universe of POE:



INTRODUCTORY TIPS (PART 1)



1. Understanding the holy trinity of Attributes



· In POE, the key attributes which determines your character’s overall combat effectiveness revolve around three main aspects:

o Strength (in-game colour code: red)

o Dexterity (in-game colour code: green)

o Intelligence (in-game colour code: blue)



· For every ten (10) points accumulated for each of the attributes, you will gain permanent stat increases too:

o Cumulative 10 Strength: +5 maximum Life, +2% Melee Damage

o Cumulative 10 Dexterity: +20 Accuracy Rating, +2% Evasion Rating

o Cumulative 10 Intelligence: +5 maximum Mana, +2% maximum Energy Shield



· Items and equipment in POE are mostly restricted to certain attribute requirements (example: 63 Strength, 30 Dexterity, 22 Intelligence) for your characters to wear



· For pro/ competitive builds, you will need to have a primary build already in mind to start exploring which key attribute to focus on



· For casual players, you can definitely make a hybrid character by balancing out your attribute points to cater to your own personal playstyles



2. Choosing the right Character Class



· Different classes in POE will start you off with various starting points for each of the attributes above:

o Marauder

§ 32 Strength, 14 Dexterity, 14 Intelligence

o Duelist

§ 23 Strength, 23 Dexterity, 14 Intelligence

o Ranger

§ 14 Strength, 32 Dexterity, 14 Intelligence

o Shadow

§ 14 Strength, 23 Dexterity, 23 Intelligence

o Witch

§ 14 Strength, 14 Dexterity, 32 Intelligence

o Templar

§ 23 Strength, 14 Dexterity, 23 Intelligence

o Scion

§ 20 Strength, 20 Dexterity, 20 Intelligence



· After choosing your classes, you will then be placed in a specific placement on a Passive Skill Tree which will then allow you to choose which order of passive skill points would you want to deck out moving forward



· In POE, there are more than 1,000 possible passive skill choices for you to make, so you can definitely experiment around with more than two (2) in-game characters to create alts



· After reaching a certain point in the game, you will then be allowed to further ‘specialize’ your character by way of Ascendancy:

o Marauder

§ Juggernaut

§ Berserker

§ Chieftain

o Duelist

§ Slayer

§ Gladiator

§ Champion

o Ranger

§ Deadeye

§ Ranger

§ Pathfinder

o Shadow

§ Assassin

§ Saboteur

§ Trickster

o Witch

§ Necromancer

§ Occultist

§ Elementalist

o Templar

§ Inquisitor

§ Hierophant

§ Guardian

o Scion

§ Ascendant



· Opting for any of these advanced classes will open up a new Ascendancy Skill Tree for you to further develop your in-game characters



· With the amount of classes available – coupled with limitless amounts of passive skill choices to make – you can definitely create your very own unique character based on your own distinct playstyles, unlike most other ARPGs out there



These early-game knowledge will certainly be of profound use for you to visualize the exact character type or build that you would like to have in the game, complementing your preferred playstyles.



However, there are still countless other information which you will need to digest in order to truly become the strongest Exile in POE, and you can look forward to that in Part 2 of this small beginner’s guide coming relatively soon!