Patch 0.4 has that classic PoE feeling: you walk in thinking you're prepared, and ten minutes later you're rearranging your whole build because one drop changed the plan. The Fate of the Vaal update leans hard into corruption and boss farming, and you can feel it in how people are gearing up, trading, and chasing upgrades like poe 2 cheap currency to smooth out the early grind while they learn the new rhythms.

Atziri's Closet of Weird, Powerful Toys

Let's talk Atziri, because she's basically the headline act. Atziri's Step is back in the conversation for anyone stacking evasion who's sick of random stuns ruining a clean run. It's simple, it works, and you'll notice the difference fast. Then there's Atziri's Splendour, which is the kind of item that makes you pause and reread the tooltip. No normal attribute demands, sockets that only take Soul Cores, and a twist that pushes corrupted gems into life-cost territory. It's not "plug and play." It's "build around me," and that's where the fun starts.

Corruption Builds Aren't Just a Meme Now

If you've ever hoarded corrupted gems "just in case," this patch is basically your excuse. Atziri's Rule is the shiny enabler here, handing out levels to corrupted spell gems and bringing Mirror of Refraction into the mix. It's the sort of trigger effect that can either feel buttery or totally cursed depending on your setup, so you'll end up testing it in real fights, not just in a hideout. People are already drifting toward low-life caster ideas, life-cost casting, and other risky setups because the payoff is finally loud enough to justify the hassle.

Projectiles, Spears, and Shape-Shifting Chaos

Attack builds didn't get left out. Drillneck returning with a more interesting take on piercing changes the way clearing feels, especially when packs line up and the screen starts "solving itself." If you like a more deliberate boss-kill style, Atziri's Contempt has that stacking pressure vibe with its Bloodstone Lance mechanic, where the damage ramps as you stay on target. And the talismans are just… odd, in a good way. The Flesh Poppet can steal modifiers while you shift, which is hilarious when it works and infuriating when it doesn't. Fury of the King looks made for fire-leaning Bear setups, pushing conversion and Glory generation into one neat package.

Summoners Eat Well, and Gambling Gets a New Button

Summoners got a real treat with Hysseg's Claw, since anything that scales off minion count tends to snowball once your "zoo" is online. Lavianga's Spirits is also a sneaky quality-of-life win: constant recovery without you hammering a key every few seconds. And if you're the type who can't resist a risky roll, Flesh Crucible is sitting there like a dare, handing you a random Keystone with a nasty downside that'll have you checking your stats twice. If you're going to live in Atziri's arena this patch, keeping a steady flow of path of exile 2 currency helps you keep experimenting instead of getting stuck trying to claw your way back from a bad gamble.