The Path of Exile 3.26 update brings back one of the most challenging and popular community events: the Merciless Gauntlet. Set to begin on July 31st, this 10-day event promises punishing gameplay, unique mechanics, and valuable rewards for those who can survive it. Whether you're aiming to compete at the top or just want to earn some cosmetics, here's everything you need to know about the Gauntlet and which builds to use.

What is the Merciless Gauntlet?

The Merciless Gauntlet is a special event league with increased difficulty, built for Hardcore Solo Self-Found (HC SSF) gameplay. The event introduces powerful global modifiers that make monsters and bosses much more dangerous. Key changes include:

· Monsters deal more damage and have more life.

· Boss abilities are enhanced.

· Only three portals per boss if you want to earn points.

· Certain items and interactions, like Doryani's Prototype, are disabled.

· Everyone who kills Hillock gets a cosmetic reward.

· Completing the campaign gives you a guaranteed Mystery Box.

Points are earned through leveling, killing major bosses, and completing Maven Invitations. The event also features custom ascendancy classes from the Fishia League, offering a fresh take on class mechanics. The campaign is considered the toughest part of the Gauntlet, while mapping becomes easier as you gear up.

How to Choose a Build

Since the event is so punishing, build choice matters a lot. You'll want something that's:

· Tanky and reliable – expect to take a lot of damage.

· Easy to gear – no trading or fancy items with Path of Exile currency.

· Simple to play – you don't want to mess up complex mechanics in HC SSF.

· Recoverable – in case you die, it should be quick to rebuild.

Now let's go over the most popular and effective ascendancies and builds players are using in this league.

Best Ascendancies and Builds for the 3.26 Gauntlet

Ancestral Commander

This is one of the most popular ascendancies due to its strong defensive tools, like endurance charges and useful melee bonuses.

· Earthshatter Slammer: A warcry-focused build that uses Earthshatter for huge melee damage and explosions. Very tanky and reliable.

· Explosive Arrow Ballista: A safe totem build with good survivability and simple gameplay, perfect for finishing the campaign.

Servant of Arakali

Great for early-game chaos damage through the Envy node. It lacks some defense but makes up for it with powerful poison damage.

· Poison Concoction: A high-DPS build that uses flask-based attacks, strong evasion, spell suppression, and poison stacking. It's very solid even with basic gear.

Scavenger

This ascendancy is very flexible and scales well into mapping. It was popular in the Fishia League and still performs well.

· Power Siphon Mines: A one-button mine build that clears quickly and safely. It's especially good for early progression and doesn't need rare gear.

Daughter of Oshabi

Offers good defensive bonuses early on, like resistance boosts and movement speed. You can respec later once your gear improves.

· Lightning Strike: Uses high energy shield with Ghost Dance and shrine buffs for tankiness and fast clear. Good for tough content and boss fights.

Paladin

This ascendancy gives you a free aura and access to helpful effects like taunt on hit. It's a smooth campaign starter.

· Smite: A fun melee build that feels good with simple gear. Scales well with flask use, cluster jewels, and crafting upgrades.

Polytheist

Useful for immunity to various debuffs and reflection effects. It also gives minimum charges for extra damage and defense.

· Pyroclast Mine: Fires extra projectiles for big hits. This build uses mines for safe mapping and can scale into high ward builds for defense later on.

Puppeteer

Great for minion lovers. This ascendancy supports strong minion builds and converts life into an energy shield for tankiness.

· Raise Zombie: Buffed minion strength and speed make this a strong pick. Animate Guardian adds more utility, and you can scale your zombie army easily.

Herald

A more niche pick that focuses on scaling Herald of Agony or Purity for big damage.

· Herald of Agony Witch: Uses a strong Agony Crawler that's practically immortal. Offers up to 40 million DPS in the late game while being tanky thanks to block and minion aggro.

Wildspeaker

Spectral wolves help with early leveling, but they don't scale well into late-game content. Still, this ascendancy can be useful early on.

· Lightning Flicker Strike: A fast, crit-based build that stacks frenzy charges and does great boss damage. Ideal if you want a speedy, high-damage playstyle.

Antiquarian

Focused on ward defense, this ascendancy gives great utility but has limited damage scaling unless optimized.

· Dual Strike: Uses high ward recovery and critical hits for both survivability and offense. The build feels smooth and effective once geared properly.

Final Thoughts

The PoE 3.26 Merciless Gauntlet is shaping up to be one of the most intense events in recent memory. Whether you're trying to win big or just complete the campaign for free cosmetics or buy PoE Currency, your build choice will make or break your run. Focus on defense, keep your build simple, and don't be afraid to reroll if needed.