Every League Mechanic Explained! [PoE University]

In this long Path of Exile University lecture, Zizaran talks about every single League mechanic that is in the game.
These explanations won't be very in depth, otherwise we would have a 10 hour video, but it should cover exactly how the Leagues worked and how they came to be.
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PoE University is a serie that's running fir 7 days and covers many classes, previous episodes can be found here:
1. PoE basics • The basics of Path of ...
2. How to get geared • How to get geared in P...
3. Crafting • Path of Exile Crafting...
4. How to know item worth • When are your items go...
5. SSF with Steelmage • Solo Self Found Guide ...
6. Layered Defences with Nugi • How to build DEFENCE o...
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Zizaran's Discord ► / discord
Edited by Skryah ► / skryahexists
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Timestamps
00:00 What are Leagues?
04:08 Onslaught and Anarchy
07:20 Nemesis and Domination
09:55 Invasion and Ambush
15:53 Beyond and Rampage
19:31 Bloodlines and Torment
23:22 Tempest and Warbands
27:43 Talisman
30:23 Perandus
34:08 Prophecy
38:13 Essence
41:58 Breach
49:08 Legacy
50:15 Harbinger
58:31 Abyss
1:04:57 Bestiary
1:13:07 Incursion
1:17:21 Delve
1:19:55 Betrayal
1:21:57 Synthesis
1:25:18 Legion
1:31:10 Blight
1:35:08 Metamorph
1:39:00 Delirium
1:44:07 Harvest
1:44:53 Heist

[@Zizaran]

Timestamps in the video bar as usual. Let us know if this format works for you, there is a lot to cover when explaining every league, so in order to avoid a 10 hour video we had to be very succint on each one!

[@Sara_Feingold]

I'd suggest breaking this up into multiple sessions for the next university, maybe one session of pre-Bestiary leagues, one of master leagues, and one of post-Betrayal leagues. Granted, there isn't a whole lot to say about ones like onslaught or bloodlines, but I'd say you're better off just dropping talking about those rather than jamming everything into a single session. Aside from that, good lesson :)

[@lactoseintolerantgaming2711]

As a noob (started running maps for the first time ever this week) I loved learning about all the old leagues. The sheer number of leagues means this topic will just keep getting longer to cover. My suggestion would be two separate videos: one where you talk about how the leagues were and the other talking about how the leagues are. So one video stands as a history lesson and the other stands as how players can currently interact with those league mechanics.

[@Sydafexx7]

Hey Zizaran, just wanted to let you know that I Really appreciate you making these videos. This game is very overwhelming to come into, even if you played in the past. This series has been hands down the most helpful that exist. Thanks a million. Also, I’m playing BB/BF chieftain. Such a great build.

[@brianbonardi8413]

Been loving these videos. Some things I already knew but there is never a bad reason to go back to basics on some things because there are definitley some things I would never consider or didn't know about, and I have almost 600 hours into the game and I am still learning. Also I think you missed a golden opportunity to call these videos POEniversity.

[@webs679]

New joiner her zizaran. Absolutely perfect for me. The time saved by watching this video series is invaluable! Really appreciate all you have done this game has been so daunting

[@mattahlschlager7117]

Thank you for this video. You've put out a lot of great content and this has been one of the more impactful ones for me (at this time anyway; really needed to learn about all the different things to lookout for while going into maps and completing my atlas)

[@sunshower4041]

Subscribed, youve really been pumping out ext level content for quite a while now.

[@MichaelRigoni]

This video is longer than Ive been able to play Ultimatum on day one so far....

[@Warsun-Warspike]

Hell of a lot of work you did on this , thank you Zizaran! 🍺🍺

[@KitCatXIV]

This video was awesome, thanks ziz

[@Zuicini]

I would love to see an updated lecture of this Prof. Ziz!

[@TheEtherea]

I loved Abyss for music and design. Music especially. It's nice to see it been pointed out.

[@DazePhase]

Grats for the video. Very well explained!

[@SamuelLCadieux]

Hadn't played since Delve, really needed this, thanks Ziz!

[@arseniykorchevskiy1564]

Same, delve was the last league i got into but this one looks pretty sick

[@tomchambers6308]

So great. I’m mapping for the first time and all these mechanics are spawning in my maps and I have no idea what the point of them is. I literally thought last night, “It’d be great if someone made a vid that explained all of them, but it would probably be too long. I’ll just have to look them up individually.” And then KZbin recommended me this :)

[@OilySeagull]

honestly say to every new player to the game go to ziz bro he really out here grinding for the players

[@iodred]

Ziziran, talking about abyss: Amanamu is extremely dangerous Me, a new player: Omnomnomu?

[@Ramanek_]

Haven't played since Betrayal, coming back in Kalandra at the moment. This was very very helpful.

[@BrendonLeaman]

Great video! All these years and I didn't know torment ghosts influenced other mobs, learn something new every day. I thought they were like a treasure goblin and blew them up instantly lol. One note i wanted to make for those that it helps out.. vaal breach gem may seem useless but it has a 40 second vaal soul cooldown and there are boot and foot crafts for onslaught and inc damage when vaal souls are on cooldown.. so you just pop it on boss for the dmg bonus and some extra mobs to leech from.. its actually pretty op.

[@blavena]

Can we have an updated version? It'd be trully awesome to have one of those at the start of every league

[@Synky]

would also like an updated version!

[@cashcow339]

Good Job ZIZ as always....#!

[@shakers3547]

good stuff man ;D

[@MemeMan42069]

PSA the League specific drop is now mostly not a thing. There's a few exceptions (like voices/assailum) but for the most part its gone so you dont need nemesis for HH anymore.

[@KingOfHell94]

never dropped mirror before but i've dropped 7 stack mirror shards in blighted map in blight league once. :D

[@Horstolord04]

awesome series! can we have like a boss lecture prof ziz?!

[@yeptimo]

"...partnering with hospitals.. specializing in wrist injuries.." 🤣 Ziz you crack us up

[@f.leopoldorchibald7555]

THANKS A LOT

[@jeffrey1695]

damn this literally looks like a 2 hour recorded lecture from my university, gotta have to 2x speed this

[@SunKenRains]

Great videos as usual! I wonder, if you have a build that is quite weak agaisnt bosses, would it be better to simply sell the emblems in Legion?

[@kclaptrap338]

When you got to harbinger and mentioned that partnership line I nearly choked.

[@billbarthel5224]

Makes sense that I feel like I have no idea what's going on playing my first league. The amount of mechanics in this game is insane. Which is awesome. Should have e switch from Diablo a long time ago lol

[@fatihcoskun1208]

Good Job Bro

[@beningram1811]

I think it would help to think of the term "content specific" uniques, rather than boss uniques (things that require a specific (type of) enemy, or chest), this would help differentiate them from "league specific" uniques (which can drop anywhere with a high enough iLvl that has that league mechanic enabled).

[@redfish337]

Bloodlines the bad mod is heralds of the obelisk I think. Every now and then there's one sneaky bastard who spawns behind something so your attack that normally blows up the whole screen just turns it into a lightning forest.

[@alexknapp1528]

Yo Ziz, still one of the funniest videos you've ever done! I'm here creasing at this video in 2023, live long and live well brother!

[@Lucid9host]

Prophecies are really strong. But there is soo many of them. I’ve gotten the 5 link and 6 link ones, they come in clutch early game

[@GoldenDaemonas]

"used for a ((slightly)) overpowered build that you can build, called the aura stacker" - ziz the aziz

[@gr33dl0cknein3]

With so many past leagues now core, it wouldn't be a bad idea to just rotate a group of them in a way that actually enhances the current/new league experience. So instead of having to balance around the ever increasing amount of past league mechanics, they can use them as a tool.

[@wengeance8962]

looking to get into the game, would enkis arc wizard build be viable to start the new league as?

[@lanson0]

Yes it's very good for beginners

[@DeadPro98]

1:01:27 my first abyss bosss was te ama nama nam man and i had no clue what he was died like 4 times on that shit before i figured the land mine shit xD

[@cube1cze]

Holy sh*t I've just realised I've been playing PoE since the first league...

[@lespretend]

You forgot the league when I first tarted playing years ago and I think was one of the very first leagues: Strongbox. Had multiple strongboxes in each zone just about, and learned you can use currency on them and yadda yadda.

[@Capristar]

I'm not sure if I encountered Invasion before but I'm pretty sure I haven't seen one or I have seen one but I didn't know it's part of Invasion league. Is there a distinct indicator for it? I mean legion for example, has purple stone you have to click etc.

[@Richybabes]

Time to find out how bad my memory of the last few years is.

[@jonathanlankford39]

LE TOUCAN HAS ARRIVED!

[@freezer151]

Commenting Good Job, before even watching the thing....PoG

[@DailyMotivationRoot]

Could you upload it somewhere like Tidal or Spotify(or both) like a podcast so i can listen on the go. Tyy

[@KijaaYoo]

More SSF lifehacks!!!

[@XtraCrispy]

Lets play drinking game when Ziz say Hmmm ^^

[@81Pondus81]

PoE University t-shirts on it's way to my house 💪🤑🤪😍

[@MostWantedWannaBE]

i got a map with the ghosts and until that map (including the map clear) i thought this mechanic was what ever until 5 spawned in the boss arena and 4 possessed the boss which made him insane i'd get 1 shot from 2 screens away first map i had to yeet out from until that point i'd imagine this scenario is an instant logout for hc players

[@tonys52580]

I got spawn trapped at campfire by a rogue exile during act 3 this league lol it was ruff

[@veldora8427]

I think you missed out on noting that they will remove Beyond in PoE 2 (Unless they went back on that decision?).

[@anengineerandacat]

TIL you can apply mods on strongboxes

[@BlakeWhoLivesAtHome]

Yeah beyond bosses are just so much risk for so little reward. Sometimes it's best to just leave the map

[@badmedicine5017]

"nothing stacks.." i have 2 small clusters with mage hunter. do they stack or no?

[@yamiji3380]

Since no one decided to reply, Notables stack but Keystones don't. So Mage Hunted does indeed stack.

[@QUANT_PAPA]

legacy hope it come fast back

[@Klasus357]

Wait,what? i need to let ghosts to take control of other monsters? i thought i had to kill them before they run too far, wow so much to learn :D

[@william7yifans]

I wish the first 12 or so waves of simulacrum didn't feel like a waste of time

[@foxdavion6865]

The old leagues from when the game launched in 2013 are weird and buggy. They are also the source of the majority of the performance issues in the modern game; I suspect the code isn't 100% optimised and since it's so deep in the game's mechanics now 8 years later, it would be difficult for the developers to fix things without breaking the rest of the game. I also suspect it's kinda the same problem CCP had to deal with old code in EVE Online, so I think GGG is in the same boat. It's mostly Nemesis which causes most of the issues and since it's now core code it tends to activate onto other league mechanics and causes those mechanics to lag as a result; Also the Nemesis mechanics start showing up much earlier than other deadly league mechanics, around act 9 and if players are not fully geared in their starter builds by then it could result in them getting 1 shot very quickly, it's especially an issue in Hard Core, more often than not new players will get beached by Nemesis mechanics early on before reaching maps or taken out by the ascendancy obstacles. Players also start encountering Domination earlier than every other league mechanic in the game with the exception of the current league, right from the get go of Act 1 and with it the crazy mob density associated, luckily Domination mob clusters are easy now; The buff shrines showing up from the very start.

[@extinctionistrecordsblackm6380]

wheres expedition?

[@Lucid9host]

Started playing on console in delirium, can confirm, if you want to die just walk thru the mirror and lag your mind out lol it did get fixed but damn it was a shit show off league start

[@Johnnysimz]

Cant wait to get my diploma !

[@shakers3547]

i am shaker b the way ;D

[@Illithien]

Betrayal: having to unveil the crafting mods each and every league made me quit playing the game.

[@Pedrooko]

That's why I play Standard. :)

[@johntran8402]

three weeks in and cant even figure out how to get my resistances to 75%. on act 9 with 1k health. getting 1 shot by everything. ive done all the researching i can. sad they would make a game this confusing. I have a headache so ive decided to uninstall. thanks for trying to help.

[@lucascarman2578]

It was like a 6% chance of not being a beachhead from using this harbinger orbs btw

[@hellboy19991]

Very close to what I got, so can confirm

[@MetalMew2]

Man I was nearly hyped for this League, but a continuation of heist or incursion mechanics in-front of delrium or metamorph leagues addition to standard and this League was a big mistake, wish they left the harvesting and heists to focus on Gear, Loot, and Player-engagement. Warframe, LoL, WoW, Smash, Halo, COD, all have suffered, to be fair all are just greedy corporations, pretending to care about or feelings, and about video-games.

[@MrHall8]

Todays schedule in school for the kids: 08:00-09:00 = POE Lore 09:15-10:00 = Practice Mapping 10:05-10:06 = How to make Lé Toucan in chat 10:15-11:00 = How to complete campaign Lunch 12:00-13:00 = Mapping School Ends. Ez.

[@shev9127]

is there a build that an old fart like me that has few hours to play and has already fucked up his carpal tunnel don't need to risk his health and can beat late game bosses?

[@pfunnell70]

Hey fellow old fart. Check poe ninja for what ppl do in SSF week 1. I'm pondering BF BB Assassin, DB Chieftain, CA Trickster, FT Sab, cold dot Occultist - all decent league starters that can scale well.

[@shev9127]

@@pfunnell70 thanks ! wi'll check it out

[@Juice27FromGA]

I'm an old fart that plays every league. I've adjusted my setup over time to make things more ergonomic. 43 yr old that played blade vortex and mines last season. A really good non-gamerchair, wrist elevation pad, and bought a razer orbweaver. Completely changed my love for the game cause I don't feel like crap after playing for long periods now.

[@sf_macedo]

Cyclone all the way, spin to win.

[@beets2728]

idk i tride but i just cant anymore

[@dougfoster445]

I still don't understand betrayel. After 3k hours in the game.

[@LiveLongAndProsperHonestly]

God I hate Harbinger for bringing shards into the game for bigger orbs.

[@mikefrost5575]

I do too... do we really need mirror shards and exalted shards? The rest of the mechanics are okay, I mean am easy way to farm Chaos and minor currencies, but it's so disappointing to see "Exalted" followed by "Shard"

[@ilovetribe2094]

man please can create build assassin FLICKER STRIKE x2 dagger? im like assasin and like dager and FLICKER STRIKE.... im want version for 3.13.Someone talk bad charge franzy ...no work on Farrul's Fur Triumphant Lamellar + Ice Bite Support gem ?

[@someguy4844]

WITNESS ME

[@ExperiencePath]

wait, isn’t this just a game ?

[@superblahblah666]

am i the only one coming here because a "league starter" guide referenced something i had no idea about and then became overwhelmed and dis-interested in playing anymore? Feels like feature creep for a game that is really great but could really do with QoL/gameplay loop optimization w/e you want to call it, pass. Tons of leagues that are still in the game but equate to these monster have a different colored portal but pretty much just kill and loot like the rest. then you have game mode leagues that require specific game-play changes only to be undermined by another league 6 m to a year later that is just another kill and loot pass. the base game into maps is complex enough without adding in "mini games" no one wants to play past current league. /endrant

[@KeKNine]

360p gang

[@maman89]

This is why I have a love hate relationship with PoE. Absolute content vomit.

[@DarthMizaru]

@Will Armitage thats what I was thinking, seasonal content is actually permanent and it stacks each season, each with unique items to store.

[@broclee6542]

240p Crew

[@marktanner8695]

I have trouble understanding what he is saying , have to rewind a few times to figure it out .

[@BarelyPassing]

Yo, I got an hh drop from a map without a zana mod

[@banishedbr]

What people tried to explore bestiary before trying the index lol imagine the time consuming...

[@bjimmmy]

You look so sad in the thumbnail lol

[@pawnt1]

i hit my 95 bracket and u didnt give me any lottery loot

[@rogsninja5304]

Can i be in my underwear for this?

[@ToxicBearStudios]

#RIPSynthesis - Kind of a shame they gutted the entire Memory Map mechanic (Up there with Delve imo as one of the best pieces of content GGG have done) just because people disliked the insane crafting potential from it.

[@Mayhemzz]

I find it quite funny that they delayed this new league for so long because of Cyberpunk, then Cyberpunk turned out to be a hot pile of garbage that no one played for more than a week.

[@JROCThaGreat]

They didn't do it because cyberpunk, they needed more time and said so themselves.

[@Mayhemzz]

@@JROCThaGreat www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2983641 You obviously missed this, or were too lazy to read it. TL;DR They didn't want to compete with Cyberpunk, and releasing it later in December would mean most of the team would be on Holidays.

[@petrovalex6291]

I think its not that simple, they said about delay because of Cyberpunk, but also imo they decided to take more time for developing. Yesterday i spoke with one of alfatesters and asked him about how buggy new league will be? After all, they had another month to fix everything. He gave me a very big smile as an answer, but then told me that in one week a lot of things could change. And they had month. So i dont think we should fully blame cyberpunk for league delay. It was a complicated decision for them and im sure they dont want (and dont have) to explain everything to us.