Patch 3.27 shakes up the Path of Exile landscape, delivering significant buffs to previously underperforming Ascendancies and skill gems, while applying targeted nerfs to a few standout builds. Overall, the update leans in favor of active, flask-heavy, and crit-focused playstyles, while auto-scaling and pet-centric setups take a slight step back. Here's a detailed look at the winners and losers of this League.Don't let currency shortages hold you back-get your POE currency on MMOexp now and thrive!

Major Ascendancy Buffs

1.Pathfinder

Pathfinder continues to dominate flask-based builds. Master Distiller received a substantial boost, making elemental and chaos flask setups even more potent. Key changes include:

Bismuth Flask:25% Elemental Resistance penetration (up from 20%)

Diamond Flask:250% increased Critical Strike Chance (up from 150%)

Amethyst Flask:37% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage (up from 25%)

These improvements reinforce Pathfinder position as a top-tier starter and a go-to choice for flask-heavy elemental builds.

2. Necromancer

Necromancers now enjoy faster scaling thanks to Corpse Pact, which grants 4% increased attack and cast speed per corpse consumed-doubling the potential speed boost compared to before. This benefits builds that rely on corpse consumption, such as Reap, Volatile Dead, and Detonate Dead, creating a smoother and more responsive gameplay loop.

3. Assassin

The Assassin emerges as a major winner in this patch. Its rework centers on poison, critical strikes, and uptime consistency. The new Unstable Infusion now applies a Level 30 Assassin Mark on every critical hit, creating near-permanent mark uptime. Coupled with improved power charge generation, this makes the Assassin incredibly strong for Poison Blade Vortex and Venom Gyre setups.

4. Cyclone

After lagging behind in previous patches, Cyclone has received a 20% boost to base damage at all gem levels, improving both early-game and endgame viability. Combined with broader melee balance adjustments, Cyclone Slayers and Champions are back in competitive territory.

5. Exsanguinate & Reap

Physical Damage over Time builds get a welcome enhancement:15% increased base Physical DoT damage per second. This strengthens Exsanguinate/Reap builds, particularly Occultists and Tricksters, offering consistent scaling without massive investment.

6. Hexblast

Hexblast, already niche but powerful, now deals 200% more hit damage and 90% more ailment damage against Hexed enemies (previously 150% and 60%). While its 2-second cooldown remains, its burst potential now makes self-curse and Doom-focused builds more rewarding than ever.

Biggest Nerfs in Patch 3.27

Despite most changes favoring buffs, some builds took significant hits:

1.Trickster

Tricksters face multiple nerfs, reducing their standing as top-tier League starters:

Spellbreaker:No longer provides spell suppression

Soul Drinker:Loses 20% increased Attack and Cast Speed while leeching Energy Shield

One Step Ahead:Reduced action speed

Heartstopper:Slight numerical buff, but remains weak

Players may need to pivot to hybrid or more defensive options.

2. Elementalist

Liege of the Primordial now caps Golem buffs at 50% (down from 100%), heavily affecting Golemancer builds. While other Elementalist tools remain strong, minion-based damage and survivability are significantly reduced.

3. Blink Arrow-Prismatic Clones

The fan-favorite Prismatic Clones variant took a hit:

Clone duration reduced from 20s → 5s

Clone damage down 20%

It remains viable for early mapping but no longer excels as a low-investment starter.

4. Poisonous Concoction

Even with Assassin buffs, Poisonous Concoction sees a drop in chaos damage scaling, reducing peak damage and limiting its dominance in high-tier maps:

Added Chaos Damage:22–537 to 33–806 (down from 30–716 to 44–1073)

5. Volcanic Fissure of Snaking

Once a flashy and powerful skill, VFoS loses:

Targeting for explosions from previous fissures

50% more Area of Effect bonus

This reduces its clear speed and single-target burst significantly.

Overall, Patch 3.27 emphasizes active, flask-based, and crit-oriented gameplay, rewarding players who engage with mechanics rather than relying solely on passive scaling or pets. If you're revisiting your Path of Exile items or planning buy POE currency investments, now is the time to consider which builds benefit most from these changes.