Path of Exile 3.16 “Scourge”: An In-Depth Guide to the New League

What is Path of Exile 3.16?

In the Path of Exiles patch 3.16, “Scourge,” players will be given the opportunity to delve into an “Alternate” Wraeclast, where demons rampage and lay ruin to reality. When players leave Lioneye’s Watch they will meet a person known only as “The Last To Die.” After a short introduction, the person explains that they are in danger and is also the only one who can “power” a device called the “Blood Crucible,” which can transport its user to the alternate form of Wraeclast mentioned earlier. A place where the player can have fun slaying demons and earning powerful loot, if they’re up to the challenge.

Players must now figure out a way to unlock the Blood Crucible and it’s relatively simple. The only thing they need to do is kill enemies and it will charge over time with each kill, which is tracked on the right side of the screen, in a red meter with two tiers. The first tier is half of the bar which, when filled, will allow the Blood Crucible to be used to enter the demon-infested realm for a short time. The second tier is just the full meter, which will allow players to stay in the alternate world longer.

New Mechanics in Path of Exile “Scourge”

What is there to expect in this alternate world? Well other than hordes of demons, it’s similar to the current world but with a more apocalyptic aesthetic. Players can look forward to seeing large horns jutting out of the ground, grates with fire underneath, and paths of ruinous destruction snaking around the world.

Now that you have a general idea of the environment, let’s go over the mechanics. In the bottom right of your screen near where the skills are located, you will see a new icon that will glow red once the Blood Crucible is filled, halfway at a minimum. Once the Blood Crucible is activated, the meter on the right starts to drain at a decent pace so be ready to shift a gear and move quickly. Demons will spawn everywhere and any that were on top of players during activation will be stunned for a tiny duration. From this point on, players can progress through the instance normally but now with the potential to earn special corrupted loot and currency. Once the meter ends the player will be transported back to where you came from, at the exact spot you activated your Blood Crucible. Note: if players die and respawn before the meter ends, they will still be transported back to where they activated the Blood Crucible.

Corrupted Rewards

What else can be obtained from the demonic realm? If players open the Blood Crucible from their inventory, they will see two tabs on the left side of your screen. The first tab will have a slot where you can put in gear (Accessories, Armor, Weapons) which will gain corruption via kills in the demon realm. The second tab will display a grid of various perks that can be obtained from the first tab. For example:

• Armor items absorb 20% more corruption
• 9% for transforming to add a socket
• The Blood Crucible can now transform unique equipment

Players can put an item of any rarity into the Blood Crucible and after they enter the demon realm, the item will slowly absorb energy and corruption from slain enemies. Below the item, players will see a bar that will show its progress in terms of corruption. Once that bar is full players will be given the option to transform the item and if they do, they will be given a rare item if it’s a magic or normal item. Additionally, no matter what tier of item is put in, players will be given corruption modifiers different from what veterans of the game are used to. For example:

• Deal X to X bonus fire damage, deal no cold damage
• Gain X life regen, lose X chaos resistance,
• This item requires X amount of extra strength
• Armor and energy shield are increased by X amount

These are just some of the rewards players can look forward to in Path of Exile 3.16. However, a word of warning: the demons get much stronger as players progress through the game, so players should be well prepared each time they activate the Blood Crucible.

Well now that you have a nice idea of what to expect from the 3.16 Scourge league. Get out there and show those demons who’s boss! And while you are at it, make sure to weigh the options when corrupting loot! Will you make diamonds out of coal? Will you brick your rarest uniques? Whatever the case may be, make sure to have fun and enjoy the new content