PoE 3.23 League Starter Tier List - Top 20 Best Budget Affliction Builds in Path of Exile 3.23

Path of Exile 3.23 Affliction League is fast approaching and you might need ideas of what build to pick for it. We've got you covered with this PoE 3.23 Best Build Tier List for Affliction League Starter!

Path of Exile 3.23 Best Builds Ranking for Affliction League Starter

The upcoming Affliction league in Path of Exile will focus on enhancing the role of curses and curse-based skills/items in PoE within the core gameplay, as players may gain bonuses based on their proficiency with curses, while also facing new league-specific Affliction-themed monsters that can curse players, posing an added challenge; moreover, there is potential for new gems, active skills, unique items, and gear types centered around curses or boosting damage/defense via curses, providing fresh build options, along with the corrupted league maps possibly tasking players with spreading or lifting curses to earn rewards, plus an undisclosed new incursion-esque temple feature related to cursing is in development - in short, the Affliction league aims to spotlight and build upon the theme of curses throughout Path of Exile in innovative ways. Just in case you needed some ideas to help you pick your league starter builds, we've sorted out this Path of Exile 3.23 Affliction League Starter Tier List to show you the most meta builds that should make a solid start in this league.

1. Poison Blade Vortex Pathfinder (S Tier)

• Chaos spellcaster using Blade Vortex

• Pathfinder provides strong flask scaling and poison boosts

• Buffs to Blade Vortex improve hit rate and flat damage

• Obliteration wand helps clear, Cold Iron Point for damage

• Tanky with flasks up, good chaos damage scaling

Check out how to build the Poison Blade Vortex Pathfinder for PoE 3.23

2. Sentinel Army (Holy Summoner) (S Tier)

• Uses Absolution and Herald of Purity to summon sentinel minions

• Necromancer or Guardian ascendancy for minion buffs

• Holy minions deal physical and lightning damage

• Clear speed relies on minions, casting speed is not as important

Check out how to build Sentinel Armory Summoner for PoE 3.23

3. Rain of Arrows (RoA) Raider/Champion (S Tier)

• Bow attack that fires many arrows

• Got buffed with extra projectiles from the quality

• Raider provides frenzy charges and onslaught

• Champion gives Fortify and Adrenaline boosts

• Great league starter due to ease of gearing

• Excellent clear, single target needs investment

Check out how to build Rain of Arrow Raider for PoE 3.23

4. Shield Crush Juggernaut (S Tier)

• Physical attack build using Shield Crush

• Stacks armor, uses Replica Dreamfeather and Emperor's Vigilance

• Juggernaut provides defense through endurance charges

• New ascendancy notables further buff damage and speed

• Tanky with good clear, can do all content

Check out how to build Shield Crush Jugg for PoE 3.23

5. Crackling Lance Inquisitor (S Tier)

• Inquisitor ignore enemy resistances which helps the lightning damage

• Stacks cast speed, crit chance/multiplier, and lightning damage

• Clear speed relies on cast speed, good boss DPS

• Very tanky with life/ES nodes and regen

• Endgame uses Leadership's Price helmet for damage

Check out how to build Crackling Lance Inquisitor for PoE 3.23

6. Vaal Arc (S Tier)

• Elementalist ascendancy for shock and herald buffs

• Stack cast and lightning damage, crit multi

• Vaal Arc for extra chains and damage burst

• Clear maps quickly, struggles on endgame bosses

Check out how to build Vall Arc for PoE 3.23

7. Zombie Baron Guardian (A Tier)

• Focuses on scaling zombie life and damage

• Uses The Baron helmet and Mon'tregul's Grasp

• Necromancer or Guardian ascendancy to buff minions

• Zombies reworked to be tankier baseline

• Clear speed relies on number of zombies

• Minions deal most damage, tanky playstyle

Check out how to build Zombie Baron Guardian for PoE 3.23

8. Boneshatter Juggernaut (A Tier)

• Slam skill that accumulates trauma on enemies

• Lost some critical strike scaling and attack speed

• Still strong for leveling through maps until late endgame

• Juggernaut endurance charges provide defense

• Can switch to axes or maces for lower budget

Check out how to build Boneshatter Juggernaut for PoE 3.23

9. Wave of Conviction Elementalist (A Tier)

• Ignite prolif clears packs quickly with WoC applying exposure

• Rolling Magma used early on for ignite proliferation

• Elementalist provides reflect immunity and shock effect

• Mortal Conviction belt gives high life regen early on

• Can respec later into a Detonate Dead build

Check out how to build Wave of Conviction Ele for PoE 3.23

10. Cold Blade Vortex Elementalist/Occultist (A Tier)

• Focused on cold damage over time from Blade Vortex

• Elementalist provides reflect protection, chill/freeze

• Occultist gives curse effect and chill/freeze defense

• Profane Bloom pops provide clear speed

• Freeze helps defense, but squishy without investment

• Struggles on endgame bosses without heavy investment

Check out how to build Cold Blade Vortex Elementalist/Occultist for PoE 3.23

11. Tornado Shot Deadeye (A Tier)

• Fast clear speed bow build

• Deadeye provides tailwind, chains, and projectiles

• Barrage in 6L for single target

• Stack flat elemental damage from gear

Check out how to build Tornado Shot Deadeye for PoE 3.23

12. Toxic Rain Pathfinder (A Tier)

• Excellent league starter due to the ease of gearing

• Pathfinder provides flask sustain and chaos damage

• poison scales DOT damage on bosses

• Caustic arrow for extra single target

Check out how to build Toxic Rain Pathfinder for PoE 3.23

13. Lightning Arrow Deadeye (A Tier)

• Popular bow build focused on lightning arrow for clear

• Deadeye provides tailwind, chains, and crit scaling

• Requires more investment than a Raider build

• Glass cannon playstyle, high damage ceiling

Check out how to build Lightning Arrow Deadeye for PoE 3.23

14. Minion Army (Zombie Necromancer) (A Tier)

Raise zombie plus carrion golem and spectres

Necromancer buffs minion life, damage, speed

Animate guardian for buffs/auras

Minions are main damage dealers

Can be tanky but lower clear speed

Check out how to build Zombie Necromancer for PoE 3.23

15. Summon Raging Spirits Guardian (A Tier)

Summons fiery skulls that track enemies

Necromancer or Elementalist work well

Unleash support helps with clear

Minion speed and cast speed important

Tanky playstyle, good beginner build

Check out how to build SRS Guardian for PoE 3.23

16. Raise Spectre (Varied) (B Tier)

• Usually supplementary damage and utility

• Solar Guards or Slave Drivers provide damage

• Syndicate Operatives have projectile clear speed

• Apes/Carnage Chieftans provide buffs

Check out how to create Raise Spectre build for PoE 3.23

17. Righteous Fire Juggernaut (B Tier)

• Juggernaut endurance charges provide regen

• Stack maximum life for damage

• Searing touch staff scales fire damage

• Kaom's Heart and Rise of the Phoenix required

Check out how to build Righteous Fire Jugg for PoE 3.23

18. Incinerate Inquisitor (B Tier)

• Channels Incinerate for high spell damage

• Inquisitor ignore resistances again helps damage

• Regens life/ES quickly, switches to CI later on

• Clear speed relies on cast/movement speed

• Surprisingly high boss DPS on a budget

• Uncommon build with different playstyle

Check out how to build Incinerate Inquisitor for PoE 3.23

19. Magefist Flicker Strike Slayer (B Tier)

• Frenzy on hit sustains Flicker Strike charges

• Very fast but squishy without investment

• Levels as other skills like Smite initially

• Slayer overleech helps mitigate damage

• Fun but challenging playstyle, not for new players

• Expensive to reach high damage levels

Check out how to build Flicker Strike Slayer for PoE 3.23

20. Corrupting Fever Champion (B Tier)

• Applies a chaos DoT debuff with corrupting fever

• Adrenaline provides damage and speed buffs

• Champion gives permanent Fortify and tankiness

• Excels at Ultimatum content due to tankiness

Check out how to build Corrupting Fever Champion for PoE 3.23