The moment patch 0.4.0 hit, the whole game started moving at a different speed, and you feel it right away as you jump in and start grabbing early PoE 2 Items while pushing through the opening zones. The Druid plays far more fluidly than most of us expected, shifting between forms just by swapping Talismans, and the faster frame rate makes the combat snap in a way that’s hard to ignore. You go from rooting enemies with Vines to slamming into packs as a Bear or gliding in as a Wyvern without breaking rhythm, and it’s honestly the first time the game has felt this quick on day one.

Early-Game Priorities

Anyone trying to climb fast already knows the first hour is all about keeping momentum, and there’s no reason to pretend otherwise. Most players rush Mud Flats or hop between Act 1 vendors to pick up Bear and Wolf Talismans as often as possible because fresh bases give a very noticeable bump in power. Uno’s flasks are another early grab since Act 1 hits way harder than you expect when you’re sitting on tiny life totals, and rolling even a mild recovery mod can save you from a bad pull. A lot of runners have also started using early ES helmets for that small but surprisingly helpful buffer during messy fights.

Builds People Are Locking Into

The Bear Slam Shaman is already everywhere, and it makes sense once you try it for a few minutes. There’s nothing fancy about it; you build Rage with Maul, stack armour so you don’t fall over, and once you push past the middle Rage thresholds your damage just erupts. Rampage clears maps quickly, and Furious Slam handles bosses without dumping half a bar of resources. Players who want something less direct are drifting toward Frost Wolf Oracle, leaning on Pounce to tag enemies while their summons take over, but the Bear setup feels safer if you’re playing solo or don’t trust early league gear.

Interacting With the League

The Fate of the Vaal mechanic ends up being more deliberate than it looks at first glance. You break apart remnants, uncover ruins, and slowly pick which rooms you want to steer into for later rewards. Sacrifice rooms are the ones people hunt early because the unique drops can smooth out your leveling path, though hitting them consistently takes some luck. If you’re trying to gear quickly, some players browse external marketplaces like u4gm PoE 2 Items to compare prices, but keep in mind that trading outside official channels may go against game rules, so it’s worth double-checking before you decide how to approach your progression.