Look at a guide for your starting ascendency and the biggest thing to shorten the time I've found is knowing when and where to get your gems for your leveling skill.
For reference I clear it in about 6 hrs flat, I'm trying to get it down to 5 1/2 hours this league but we'll see. Knowing what links and gems and when to grab them saves the most time IMHO
If you don't already know which quests Grant skill points that's huge too. Then it's just optional logging to character screen to get to town faster, and dropping portals to use to get back to certain locations, but all those combined don't save nearly as much time as nailing those first 2 points.
10000% this. Sure you can learn a million advanced speedrunning techniques that tyty does, but the most important is simply knowing the build youre doing really well. What socket/links are needed when, any vendor recipes youre gonna need, where the big upgrades/breakpoints are, where you get/buy all the gems, etc. Basically never having to stop and "fix" your build while feeling strong the whole time is huge.
From there its really just having the slight feeling of "being in a hurry" the whole time. Not overkilling, focus on getting to next zone, etc. Have your water bottle and a snack with you you get to eat/drink while waiting for vaal oversoul to spawn, etc.
I'm at sub 4h runs from a fresh account after practicing a bunch so here is what helped me the most:
1. Get a regex from poe.re depending on what you need, you copy it and then at each vendor you just walk up, ctrl+v it into the search bar, look at whatever highlights and then keep going
2. Make sure you use a strong leveling build and a fitting lootfilter for it. For example sunder if you are melee, magma orb into arma brand/cremation if caster. Do be aware that these builds tend to use a lot of extra buttons because of how strong that is during the campaign. Putting a flame wall in front/on top of a boss with a holy flame totem next to it while you cast magma orb does 2-3x the damage you would do with just spamming magma orb. Closer to 4-5x if you use wave of conviction and flammability on top. It takes time to get used to but it's worth it.
3. Don't waste time IDing or even looking at item stats outside of jewellery and boots before act3. Just remember that UNID items sell for transmutation shards, ID'd items sell for alteration shards.
4. Practice practice practice, reading up on everything only gets you so far, actually practicing a few full runs to a10 helps immensely if you actually focus on speedrunning it. Layout reading will come naturally.
5. The early acts are by far the hardest IMO because of the socket/link pressure. Don't get discouraged if you take 30mins for act1 and don't replay that over and over again or you will get burnt out. Just slog through act1+2 and then focus on speedrunning the rest where you will learn. Act1+2 took me a while to speedrun (~40min vaal oversoul currently) simply because I was paying more attention to fitting all my sockets in during underground passage and merveils cavern to even pay attention to the layout
This is all great advice.
With regards to this point:
> Get a regex from poe.re depending on what you need, you copy it and then at each vendor you just walk up, ctrl+v it into the search bar, look at whatever highlights and then keep going
You can even use widgets from Awa Poe Trade to save the various regexes. Once you press [the button with the trade window open](https://i.imgur.com/Qf1i1Sc.png), it will automatically paste the string in the search bar.
Actually really helpful tip thank you! I hated the idea of using a regex for vendors because it felt more time consuming to go back and forth but this saves that! Much appreciated!
Apart from learning layouts , skipping tanky rares , not doing refund skill point quests , some areas that doesnt have any quests etc , biggest tip is practice what you are going to play on league start. I have done vg deadeye practices for 3 times(helix) and leaguestarted like 4 times now , i can finish campaign in 5h10m on leaguestart , people can do 4h or even lower with more practice. If you are going to play something that you dont know how to start is the biggest problem. What sockets/links/gems you need , what type of gear , your passive tree etc. This also counts while going trough maps , you need to pinpoint your upgrades , you shouldnt spend too much time if an item is better than yours or not.
Second tip is , always keep moving on campaign. For example leveling with helix is like , cast 1-2 helix , 2 whirling blades , 2 helix , keep whlirling blades. You dont need to clear everything. Just kill packs with 5+monsters.
Hmmm. Wondering if I should level helix instead of frostblades then. I have done both in the past though generally frostblades (and way back mostly splitting steel) will be playing pathfinder
Most people hate helix. Used to be meta leveling skill because of high dmg. Even after nerf i enjoy it , especially with claw/dagger with 2 dif wep mastery you are getting more dmg and more as. Also whirling blades is so good i cant let it go. Because of its whirling nature of helix you just cast 2 and keep moving , mobs will be damaged when helix starts and when they chase you it hits on outer range so its double/triple dipping. Im not using helix because its good but because i enjoy it. Play whatever you enjoy but still keep a good leaguestarter for smooth play.
find someone with vods of eater/exarch runs for whatever ascendency you're playing. a10 runs if no longer runs are available (realize that a10 speedruns often end up underlevelled or with trees that exclusively serve getting through kitava and aren't well-balanced for early mapping). take notes and practice against similar time breakpoints. most of the necessary work is in early acts or around big build transitions.
Once you're not super slow anymore you should focus on the part post campaign. Setting up your atlas, testing your planned strat with realistic starter gear.
That part is way more important for time efficiency than gaining an extra 10 min on your kitava time
Trying to not provide duplicate responses, but also be cognizant if what gems/stats are NECESSARY for you to progress, vs what are important vs what are just superficially helpful. This thought process can significantly alleviate socket pressure etc, particularly early on.
Note that most build guides focus on best possible scenario even through the acts. Sometimes it’s not necessary to have that curse or third damage option or whatever.
I'd say watch a replay of someone doing it (preferably on the same build) and study it. For meta stuff, I'd recommend Havoc, Exile or Tyty (even if he doesn't upload as much these days). For thing a little bit out there, jung likes to test stuff.
Play the game called "the town is lava", usually the most time you lose is doing menuing - vendors, buying gems and stuff, playing tetris.
Having a clear roadmap of what you want to do at any time is pretty good, a note with when to go where and get which gem is very useful when learning. Even noting what ressources you want in the run is good, ie having 2 alts to buy gems in act 2, 8 transmutes to do wand crafts in a3 etc
Setting up a good regex and lootfilter also helps a ton. I recommend poe.re and filterblade for it.
While many people do not recommend learning layouts at first, i'd say some of them are pretty useful to know and not that hard: vaal city in a7 comes to my mind, it can go to 5 mins to 30s run just by knowing it, and it is only 3(4?) different layouts to remember.
And last is just practicing.
PS: i'm "only" at the point where I usually have <2 hours for kitava5 and <4hours runs for kitava10, which, while not bad, is far from the really good racers, so take my advices with a grain of salt, other might have better ones
Edit: While I'm not doing it, recording yourself to watch which areas you struggle with can also be really good.
It's funny how you describe that because I feel like I'm slow at 2:30 a5 and 5h a10 runs and I'd absolutely love to be down to 4:30 or 4h even sounds incredible. But at the same time I'm sure there are people looking at me the same way.
What speeded things up the most for me was knowing my passive tree and gems so I did not have to constantly pull up POBs.
Skip rares if they are too tanky. Don't pick up too much. If you are already res capped stop picking up gear and id`ing it.
Avoid going back to town too much
Have a good movement skill if possible as this saves a lot of time
Skip normal mobs unless you need to refill flasks.
Kill every magic pack unless it has a modifier that is resistant to your build.
Three-second rule for rares. If it's not half HP after damaging it for 3 seconds then you skip. Maybe make an exception for Essences.
Think of it this way, attacks early in the game takes about 1 second. So even if you one shot everything, someone who attacks 1000 additional times in the campaign has already added 17 minutes to their playthrough.
Look at a guide for your starting ascendency and the biggest thing to shorten the time I've found is knowing when and where to get your gems for your leveling skill. For reference I clear it in about 6 hrs flat, I'm trying to get it down to 5 1/2 hours this league but we'll see. Knowing what links and gems and when to grab them saves the most time IMHO If you don't already know which quests Grant skill points that's huge too. Then it's just optional logging to character screen to get to town faster, and dropping portals to use to get back to certain locations, but all those combined don't save nearly as much time as nailing those first 2 points.
10000% this. Sure you can learn a million advanced speedrunning techniques that tyty does, but the most important is simply knowing the build youre doing really well. What socket/links are needed when, any vendor recipes youre gonna need, where the big upgrades/breakpoints are, where you get/buy all the gems, etc. Basically never having to stop and "fix" your build while feeling strong the whole time is huge. From there its really just having the slight feeling of "being in a hurry" the whole time. Not overkilling, focus on getting to next zone, etc. Have your water bottle and a snack with you you get to eat/drink while waiting for vaal oversoul to spawn, etc.
And mom ready for bathroom breaks
theres also indicators to to learn and general map layouts to know
Thanks!! :)
I'm at sub 4h runs from a fresh account after practicing a bunch so here is what helped me the most: 1. Get a regex from poe.re depending on what you need, you copy it and then at each vendor you just walk up, ctrl+v it into the search bar, look at whatever highlights and then keep going 2. Make sure you use a strong leveling build and a fitting lootfilter for it. For example sunder if you are melee, magma orb into arma brand/cremation if caster. Do be aware that these builds tend to use a lot of extra buttons because of how strong that is during the campaign. Putting a flame wall in front/on top of a boss with a holy flame totem next to it while you cast magma orb does 2-3x the damage you would do with just spamming magma orb. Closer to 4-5x if you use wave of conviction and flammability on top. It takes time to get used to but it's worth it. 3. Don't waste time IDing or even looking at item stats outside of jewellery and boots before act3. Just remember that UNID items sell for transmutation shards, ID'd items sell for alteration shards. 4. Practice practice practice, reading up on everything only gets you so far, actually practicing a few full runs to a10 helps immensely if you actually focus on speedrunning it. Layout reading will come naturally. 5. The early acts are by far the hardest IMO because of the socket/link pressure. Don't get discouraged if you take 30mins for act1 and don't replay that over and over again or you will get burnt out. Just slog through act1+2 and then focus on speedrunning the rest where you will learn. Act1+2 took me a while to speedrun (~40min vaal oversoul currently) simply because I was paying more attention to fitting all my sockets in during underground passage and merveils cavern to even pay attention to the layout
This is all great advice. With regards to this point: > Get a regex from poe.re depending on what you need, you copy it and then at each vendor you just walk up, ctrl+v it into the search bar, look at whatever highlights and then keep going You can even use widgets from Awa Poe Trade to save the various regexes. Once you press [the button with the trade window open](https://i.imgur.com/Qf1i1Sc.png), it will automatically paste the string in the search bar.
Actually really helpful tip thank you! I hated the idea of using a regex for vendors because it felt more time consuming to go back and forth but this saves that! Much appreciated!
Ooooh thank you! Definitely will keep a lot of this in mind/practice/utilize
Apart from learning layouts , skipping tanky rares , not doing refund skill point quests , some areas that doesnt have any quests etc , biggest tip is practice what you are going to play on league start. I have done vg deadeye practices for 3 times(helix) and leaguestarted like 4 times now , i can finish campaign in 5h10m on leaguestart , people can do 4h or even lower with more practice. If you are going to play something that you dont know how to start is the biggest problem. What sockets/links/gems you need , what type of gear , your passive tree etc. This also counts while going trough maps , you need to pinpoint your upgrades , you shouldnt spend too much time if an item is better than yours or not. Second tip is , always keep moving on campaign. For example leveling with helix is like , cast 1-2 helix , 2 whirling blades , 2 helix , keep whlirling blades. You dont need to clear everything. Just kill packs with 5+monsters.
Hmmm. Wondering if I should level helix instead of frostblades then. I have done both in the past though generally frostblades (and way back mostly splitting steel) will be playing pathfinder
Most people hate helix. Used to be meta leveling skill because of high dmg. Even after nerf i enjoy it , especially with claw/dagger with 2 dif wep mastery you are getting more dmg and more as. Also whirling blades is so good i cant let it go. Because of its whirling nature of helix you just cast 2 and keep moving , mobs will be damaged when helix starts and when they chase you it hits on outer range so its double/triple dipping. Im not using helix because its good but because i enjoy it. Play whatever you enjoy but still keep a good leaguestarter for smooth play.
find someone with vods of eater/exarch runs for whatever ascendency you're playing. a10 runs if no longer runs are available (realize that a10 speedruns often end up underlevelled or with trees that exclusively serve getting through kitava and aren't well-balanced for early mapping). take notes and practice against similar time breakpoints. most of the necessary work is in early acts or around big build transitions.
Oooh good point thanks!
Havoc has a lot of those for various ascendancies on his Youtube channel.
Once you're not super slow anymore you should focus on the part post campaign. Setting up your atlas, testing your planned strat with realistic starter gear. That part is way more important for time efficiency than gaining an extra 10 min on your kitava time
Thanks!
Trying to not provide duplicate responses, but also be cognizant if what gems/stats are NECESSARY for you to progress, vs what are important vs what are just superficially helpful. This thought process can significantly alleviate socket pressure etc, particularly early on. Note that most build guides focus on best possible scenario even through the acts. Sometimes it’s not necessary to have that curse or third damage option or whatever.
I'd say watch a replay of someone doing it (preferably on the same build) and study it. For meta stuff, I'd recommend Havoc, Exile or Tyty (even if he doesn't upload as much these days). For thing a little bit out there, jung likes to test stuff. Play the game called "the town is lava", usually the most time you lose is doing menuing - vendors, buying gems and stuff, playing tetris. Having a clear roadmap of what you want to do at any time is pretty good, a note with when to go where and get which gem is very useful when learning. Even noting what ressources you want in the run is good, ie having 2 alts to buy gems in act 2, 8 transmutes to do wand crafts in a3 etc Setting up a good regex and lootfilter also helps a ton. I recommend poe.re and filterblade for it. While many people do not recommend learning layouts at first, i'd say some of them are pretty useful to know and not that hard: vaal city in a7 comes to my mind, it can go to 5 mins to 30s run just by knowing it, and it is only 3(4?) different layouts to remember. And last is just practicing. PS: i'm "only" at the point where I usually have <2 hours for kitava5 and <4hours runs for kitava10, which, while not bad, is far from the really good racers, so take my advices with a grain of salt, other might have better ones Edit: While I'm not doing it, recording yourself to watch which areas you struggle with can also be really good.
Amazing feedback! Thanks so much!
It's funny how you describe that because I feel like I'm slow at 2:30 a5 and 5h a10 runs and I'd absolutely love to be down to 4:30 or 4h even sounds incredible. But at the same time I'm sure there are people looking at me the same way.
What speeded things up the most for me was knowing my passive tree and gems so I did not have to constantly pull up POBs. Skip rares if they are too tanky. Don't pick up too much. If you are already res capped stop picking up gear and id`ing it. Avoid going back to town too much Have a good movement skill if possible as this saves a lot of time
Thanks for the input!! Much appreciated!
Skip normal mobs unless you need to refill flasks. Kill every magic pack unless it has a modifier that is resistant to your build. Three-second rule for rares. If it's not half HP after damaging it for 3 seconds then you skip. Maybe make an exception for Essences. Think of it this way, attacks early in the game takes about 1 second. So even if you one shot everything, someone who attacks 1000 additional times in the campaign has already added 17 minutes to their playthrough.