What is your first build for harvest?

gonna try the max block shield throw bleed splosion glad. havent played a character yet where the shield was more than a stat stick.

I will avoid doing 2-H build as league starter ... the price will be crazy this league i think.

I will go for 1H Slayer Cyclone and leveling with the news slam to test it. just to be safe.

Fairly sure I'll be going Wintertide brand on a Hierophant. Sure it will depend on the numbers on the skill but there are plenty of examples in the game of how breakable stacking degens can be so I hold hope and running a random vortex or cold snap should help smooth over whatever issues it has. I will be largely acting as a support for a friends build though so if a few certain cluster jewel notables get nerfed to bad in patch notes... I have a back up planed which will otherwise be a second build.

Back up is to build ice crash for average hits of 2-3 mill... Basically go berserker with the new rage regen keystone, a marohi and with whichever war cry has the nicest numbers... based on current tree and gear it should hit upwards of 85% up time on berserk with average hits of 2.3 mill damage during that time. given they said ice crash should be stronger and two handers are being buffed I'd expect that number to go up. Sadly cheap/league start gear almost halves the damage (oh no... only 1 million damage hits) but the build would still have solid area and defenses so grinding up the currency for the good gear should be doable.

...That or I read the patch notes... notice one dumb jank little thing... and chose to chuck out any solid plan in favor of a wacky probably not going to work build thats a horrible starter.

Wouldn't be the first time I do that... or even in the first five...

I've learned a few lessons about POE over the past 2 leagues regarding league starters

1) Meta starter builds are meta for a reason

2) Clear-speed starter builds are overrated such as ED/C, always go for boss killers if you want fast currency.

3) Damage is always the best defense

As a result, BL Miner if it doesn't get nerfed and the backup is Champ impale cyclone.

Right now top 3 starters
-Oni zerker transitioning into a nebuloch zerker... thinking Infernal Blow or Consecrated Path

-Zombies + bone offering with glancing blows for easy 75/75 block with 400+ lgob

-VD spellslingomancer

Edit: and I'm going to go ahead and announce the neb berserker DOA after that garbage manifesto. RIP dual wield

Archmage + arcanist brand + ball lightning

A really enthusiastic zerker that might loose is voice as he keep shouting his warcry(s).

Cyclone Trickster with the new Uul-Netol's Embrace which triggers on hitting a bleeding enemy. (depends on the Price ofc XD)

with many mana nodes and the new Keystone to sacrifice 20% mana when not on full life to Regenerate as much life.

Free movement skill as trickster so Cyclone is free, with fortify so defense should be hopefully enough.

Dreamfragment for anti Freeze.

yeah hope this will work

I really wanted to get the brand experience but now that the dynamic is changing I'm not sure it will be the "same" experience.

But I pretty much burned myself out pushing to 40 when I thought I would stop at 24 so I'm not sure I'm gonna be very gung ho anyway.

EDIT --

I should also add that I'll probably be way more annoyed by some change in the rework to care anyway.

Balance Manifesto||Line 1.All builds in this thread will be nerfed|||Line 2. We reserve the right to nerf your other alternatives midleague.|| Line 3. Enjoy.|| Just joking here,...