Best Builds to Use When You’ve Got the Ancient Crisis Fragment in Hand

[Eric554]

When you have the Ancient Crisis Fragment in hand, it typically signals that you are at an advanced stage of Path of Exile 2, ready to tackle high-tier content like the Iron Citadel and prepare for The Burning Monolith boss fight. Selecting the right build to maximize your effectiveness in these challenging encounters is crucial.

1. Tanky Slayer or Juggernaut: These builds excel in survivability with high life pools, armor, and endurance charges or life regeneration. They can sustain through tough boss mechanics and high damage from Citadel mobs, making them ideal for repeated farming and boss encounters.
2. Crit-Based Elemental or Physical Damage Dealers: Builds like Crit Fireball or Crit Double Strike melee can dish out massive burst damage, allowing you to quickly clear large packs and melt bosses. Their high damage output shortens fight durations, improving farming efficiency.
3. Totem and Minion Builds: These rely on summoning totems or minions to tank and deal damage, reducing personal risk and allowing for safer navigation of the intense map mods Citadels often carry. Popular picks include Summoner Necromancer or Hierophant Totems, which can handle sustained fights well.
4. Spellcaster Builds with Mobility: Arc or Frostbolt builds paired with high mobility skills like Flame Dash or Whirling Blades enable fast movement and repositioning during complex boss mechanics. This agility coupled with solid damage helps in managing fights like the Arbiter of Ash.
5. Bleed or Poison-Based Builds: Often favored for their damage-over-time mechanics, these builds shine in extended engagements, ramping up damage while playing more defensively. The Pathfinder or Assassin ascendancy lets you optimize these effects and gain strong defensive layers.

When choosing builds, also consider your playstyle, gear availability, and comfort with complex mechanics. Since farming for the Ancient Crisis Fragment and progressing through Citadels requires strength and speed, lean towards builds that balance survivability with consistent damage output.
Experimentation is encouraged testing builds in earlier content and gradually refining them prepares you for the tactical depth required to handle pinnacle content efficiently. Ultimately, the best builds are those that maximize your personal effectiveness and enjoyment while farming Ancient Crisis Fragments and beyond.