Path of Exile is a game of great build variety, and a game that many prefer to play solo - this article is about the best builds to pick for solo play.
Path of Exile is an MMORPG, yet it is mostly played solo – be it because of the sub-par experience offered by party play and guilds or be it because it is a game of speed, and as such it is better played on your own. It also features a game mode called “Solo Self Found” (SSF for brevity’s sake), which entails no trades with other players and no interactions with anyone, allowing players to craft or find their own gear. With premises like these, it is easy to see why players may be interested in looking for efficient builds that can handle the game on their own, without the need for help from party or guild members at all.
10. Zombies/Skeletons/Spectres Summoner Necromancer
60 Second Minotaur Clear (with Bow and Quiver)
Summoner builds have always had their allure, both because of the undead army following you, and because of how strong and reliable they are. This holds especially true when thinking about starting a new League with such a build, as they are often quite cheap, to begin with, and scale progressively better once you acquire more currency. Building a Necromancer to summon a plethora of undead friends can be quite fun, and Zombies, Skeletons, and Spectres are great choices because they don’t require the otherwise very expensive gear that Carrion Golem builds may need. The Necromancer can also be built in a lot of ways, including Aura-stacking, Minion-stacking, Attribute-stacking (i.e., The Baron), with Minion Instability to let minions die and explode, you name it. It’s simply a build that reliably clears all the content in the game without too much of a fuss. Plus, it lets you play with your creativity in terms of how you actually want to play it!
Why Zombies/Skeletons/Spectres Summoner Necromancer Is Great for Solo:
- It’s a very well-tested build that never fails to be effective
- It doesn’t require particularly expensive or rare gear
- It can be built in a lot of ways so that it’s never boring to play it again
Zombies/Skeletons/Spectres Summoner Necromancer full details: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2642810
9. Spellslinger Low Life Volatile Dead/Detonate Dead Necromancer
Spellslinger Low Life Volatile/Dead Detonate Dead Necromancer vs T19 100% Delirious
Another build, another Necromancer. Again, being the Necromancer such an all-around Ascendancy class, it is easy to see why it can make completely different builds and playstyles feel very unique. Such is the case for this version of the Necromancer revolving around corpses, both creating them via Desecrate and exploding them via both Volatile Dead and Detonate Dead. The damage for this build is extremely high, and it is a build known to be all-powerful and great at carrying you throughout the whole game. The interactions with the “Corpse Pact” Ascendancy node are incredible here because of the Shock and Chill applied to enemies near corpses. They are great defensively and offensively alike, as the Shocks increase the damage taken by enemies, while Chills slow them down and reduce their action speed.
Why Spellslinger Low Life Volatile Dead/Detonate Dead Necromancer Is Great for Solo:
- It is a very strong build that relies on gems, links, and sockets more than it does on gear
- It is viable both at League start or as currency dump, and it will always clear all content
- It is both visually and aurally pleasing to play solo to better appreciate all it does
Spellslinger Low Life Volatile Dead/Detonate Dead Necromancer full details: http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2853416
8. Ice Shot Deadeye
Phoenix T16
Thanks to the recent rework the Deadeye Ascendancy got, and thanks to Barrage as a replacement choice for single-target damage, Ice Shot became even stronger to play solo. This build shatters enemies screens away, and it is capable of dishing out incredible single-target damage to bosses. The build is phenomenal for starting a new League and it is even more awesome when currency is dumped into it. The build is quite safe in terms of playstyle, destroying everything at a distance and chilling or freezing enemies to make sure they are either slower or locked down completely. Ice Shot scales particularly well with additional projectiles, as they make its clear speed even faster; the same holds true for Barrage, as more projectiles mean much more DPS against bosses. The Deadeye’s perks also make a build that is naturally fast much faster, and it does feel great to play.
Why Ice Shot Deadeye Is Great for Solo:
- It can take care of all bosses on its own thanks to Barrage, which is used exclusively for bosses
- Ice Shot has an AoE component that makes it one of the best (if not the best) bow skills to clear maps with
- Smooth gameplay that doesn’t require many buttons to be pressed
Ice Shot Deadeye full details: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2954336
7. Storm Brand Inquisitor
thi3n's Storm Brand Inquisitor - Build Guide Update for 3.13 Ritual
Storm Brand is one of those skills that always perform well with a bit of gear and good general command of the game. As such, it is a great build to play solo to witness your brands tear monsters to pieces with arcs of lightning. It is a powerful build that encompasses several defensive layers and features a great tool in the form of Brand Recall. The reworked Inquisitor’s perks are also perfectly woven into the build. They allow for a varied playstyle and grant the build a unique flavor. These things combined with the fast-paced gameplay that naturally comes with playing Storm Brand make the build a treasure to be cherished. It is a great build for solo play thanks to fast clear speed, huge boss DPS, and extremely efficient defenses.
Why Storm Brand Inquisitor Is Great for Solo:
- It doesn’t require a lot of investment to shine, and it doesn’t benefit much from playing with other people
- It’s a fast build with awesome defenses and high survivability
- Storm Brand paired with Brand Recall makes mobility a great asset, rather than an issue
Storm Brand Inquisitor full details: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2326164
6. Oro’s Flicker Strike Raider
Oro's Crit Flicker Strike - Deep delirium farming in T16 Promenade
Flicker Strike is one of those skills that promise an experience before anything else. It is a fast skill that teleports you across the screen, jumping from one enemy into another. This premise alone makes the skill quite unique in terms of gameplay, and this build takes advantage of the Raider’s ease with which she can generate Frenzy Charges. In fact, these are required to actually enjoy Flicker Strike because it needs to expend one in order to bypass its 4-seconds long cooldown. Another noteworthy interaction here is with Oro’s Sacrifice, a Unique Two-Handed Sword, that deals great amounts of Fire Damage and generates a Frenzy Charge each time an enemy is ignited. This build is overall very fun, and it is great for farming currency solo.
Why Oro’s Flicker Strike Raider Is Great for Solo:
- According to the guide, it can easily and reliably let you farm around 500 Chaos Orbs per hour
- It is a very fast build that excels at being the sole source of damage
- It can face-tank most enemies without giving up precious DPS
Oro’s Flicker Strike Raider full details: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2839382
5. Impale Cyclone Slayer
Cyclone Slayer Build Update 3.10
Cyclone, the evergreen gem that is always great at anything in Path of Exile. It is a mobile skill that lets you deal damage to enemies while moving, and the Slayer makes it awesome in terms of AoE while also improving the damage potential of Impale. Impale is a detrimental effect applied onto enemies, dealing 10% of the damage of the initial hit when the impaled enemy is struck again. The Slayer also grants much-needed base Critical Rating to the weapons used with this build, making Cyclone hit harder and, subsequently, making Impale deal even more damage. It’s a greatly efficient build that can sweep through the game at your own pace while remaining consistent in being very mobile. Cyclone was recently nerfed, and its inherent Stun Immunity removed. However, this build has several solutions to this issue and makes Cyclone even more satisfying to play.
Why Impale Cyclone Slayer Is Great for Solo:
- It is very fast and can accomplish a lot since early game
- It can be a consistent build when trying to farm currency on your own
- It completely shreds the whole content to pieces
Impale Cyclone Slayer full details: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2591825
4. Elemental Hit Slayer
Elemental Hit Slayer Mapping Showcase | 3.13
Much like the Necromancer, the Slayer is one of those extremely versatile Ascendancy classes that can be played with virtually any skill. The Slayer was thought to be used with melee weapons, but this build changes that by taking advantage of the Slayer’s perks to improve the damage and gameplay for a ranged skill – namely, Elemental Hit. Elemental Hit is considered to be a great skill when it comes to potential damage dealt. In fact, it is a skill that deals elemental damage randomly picked between Fire, Cold, and Lightning. However, there are Unique Jewels that change this, allowing the build to reliably and consistently pick Fire as the damaging element. This is particularly powerful when combined with Avatar of Fire, a Keystone that converts all damage into Fire.
Why Elemental Hit Slayer Is Great for Solo:
- It delivers lethal shots from a distance, keeping your character kind of safe from harm
- It clears maps very fast, allowing for great farming capabilities
- It destroys bosses and can tackle the end-game content easily and effectively
Elemental Hit Slayer full details: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3026606
3. Poison Blade Vortex Assassin
Path Of Exile 3.12 - gr0bbs Poison BV update
Very akin to Cyclone in terms of mobility, damage, clear speed, and boss DPS, Blade Vortex is one of the most common build choices for many players in Path of Exile. It is simply too consistent in damage, utility, and speed to just give it up. This specific build delves deep into the synergy Blade Vortex has with damaging ailments – namely, Poison. It takes advantage of the Assassin’s Poison-oriented perks to turn Blade Vortex into a venomous maelstrom of blades. The build is speedy fast when it comes to clearing maps, and it can effectively and reliably stack Poisons on bosses. Like all Poison builds, this one takes pride in its ramp-up phase when stacking blades means outlandish DPS numbers from all the Poisons on the boss it is mercilessly killing.
Why Poison Blade Vortex Assassin Is Great for Solo:
- It is a well-tested build that is consistent in its damage output and clear speed
- It is super smooth thanks to using a Bino’s Kitchen Knife to regenerate Life and spread Poisons on enemies
- Quite capable of surviving most encounters thanks to Dodge and Evasion
Poison Blade Vortex Assassin full details: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2714125
2. Arc Witch
Enki's Arc Witch - T16 Hydra
Arc is a great skill for both beginners and veterans of Path of Exile. It is a great choice for clearing maps thanks to the chaining ability innately built into Arc, making it a tool of mass destruction that only requires a single cast. This specific build is probably one of the most commonly recommended for beginners – the famous “Enki’s Arc Witch”. It is an awesome pick for solo players simply because it is said to be a build that cannot fail, even when you try hard at it. This makes it a trustworthy choice for starting new Leagues without giving up impressive end-game scaling capabilities with high levels of investment. The Elementalist is such a natural fit for this build that it is a no-brainer pick, especially so now that the Ascendancy even got a rework that made it stronger.
Why Arc Witch Is Great for Solo:
- Its outstanding clear speed with relatively low investment makes it great for farming
- Chaining makes the gameplay very smooth, relaxing even, perfect for solo players
- Mana investment is great both offensively and defensively, and it is quite easy to achieve
Arc Witch full details: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1147951
1. Tectonic Slam Chieftain
Path of Exile Tectonic Slam Chieftain Maven kill 3.13
Tectonic Slam and Chieftain are like bread and butter – they belong together. Despite the evident alchemy between the two, they are often equally overlooked in Path of Exile. Tectonic Slam is one of the recently reworked melee skills that were granted the “Slam” tag, and as such, it is conceived as a slow-hitting but high-damaging attack. It requires Endurance Charges to be consumed every third time you slam, in a similar fashion to Flicker Strike spending Frenzy Charges to bypass its cooldown. The Chieftain also has a natural affinity with Fire Damage and Endurance Charges, making the combination an explosive one, to say the least.
Why Tectonic Slam Chieftain Is Great for Solo:
- Insane clear speed and damage output, with a maximum of around 330 million damage with a single slam
- Safe in terms of gameplay, being a sort of “ranged” skill that slams the ground to create fissures across the entire screen
- Very durable and resilient, allowing for it to be played in Hardcore Leagues as well
Tectonic Slam Chieftain full details: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2922828
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