With Path of Exile 3.27 right around the corner, many players are once again searching for a reliable, low-cost, and highly survivable league starter that can comfortably scale into endgame content. While some skills have been adjusted or reworked, others remain quietly powerful-and one of the most overlooked options continues to be Lacerate Gladiator paired with Retaliation Eviscerate.

 

Originally proven in 3.25, this build remains almost entirely untouched by patch changes and still delivers excellent single-target damage, strong screen-wide clear, and exceptional survivability. If you're looking for a starter that can progress smoothly from campaign all the way to Uber Pinnacle bosses without expensive gear or complicated mechanics, this build checks every box.

 

This guide breaks down why the Lacerate + Eviscerate Gladiator works so well, how to manage its early-game pain points, and how to scale it into a high-DPS, how to make POE currency, high-block endgame monster-all with a true 100% hand-holding approach.

 

Why Lacerate + Eviscerate?

 

At its core, this build solves a common melee problem: single-target damage versus area clear.

 

Lacerate: The Single-Target Anchor

 

Lacerate remains one of the strongest bleed-based melee skills for bossing. Its focused hit pattern, reliable damage scaling, and compatibility with Gladiator's bleed mechanics make it excellent for:

 

 Tough rare monsters

 Map bosses

 Pinnacle and Uber Pinnacle encounters

 

Importantly, Lacerate is completely untouched by recent patch notes, making it a safe and stable choice for league start.

 

Eviscerate: Screen Coverage and Flow

 

Eviscerate, used as a retaliation skill, complements Lacerate perfectly by solving its biggest weakness-clear speed. Lacerate can feel "too melee" in dense packs or awkward layouts, while Eviscerate:

 

 Hits a large portion of the screen

 Cleans up surrounding enemies instantly

 Keeps mapping smooth and satisfying

 

The synergy is simple but effective:

 

Lacerate deletes priority targets, Eviscerate wipes the rest.

 

Trying to use Eviscerate alone for bossing can introduce issues, but combined with Lacerate, the two skills cover each other's weaknesses beautifully.

 

League Start Damage and Scaling Potential

 

This build shines at every stage of progression:

 

 Early game: Smooth leveling, reliable bleed damage

 Midgame: Comfortable mapping with explosions

 Late game: Easily reaches DoT cap on normal Pinnacle bosses

 Uber endgame: Around 14 million Uber Pinnacle DPS, which is very respectable given the DoT limitations

 

It's important to understand that Uber DPS is capped differently than standard Pinnacle DPS due to technical DoT limits. While normal Pinnacle bosses cap around 36–45 million, Uber Pinnacles scale differently-and 14 million Uber DPS is more than enough for consistent clears.

 

All of this is achieved while staying relatively cheap, making it ideal for both solo players and economy-focused league starters.

 

Solving Mana Issues (The Right Way)

 

One of the most common concerns with Lacerate Gladiator is mana sustain, especially early on.

 

While Blood Magic is technically an option, it's not recommended here. Running auras-even during the campaign-provides too much value to give up.

 

The Real Solution: Cannibalistic Rite

 

The key node for mana management is Cannibalistic Rite, which:

 

 Reduces mana cost of attacks

 Causes attack costs to be partially paid with life instead of mana

 

This single node dramatically improves comfort and allows consistent skill usage without disabling auras.

 

Additional Mana Fixes

 

To fully stabilize mana:

 

 Take reduced mana cost of skills mastery

 Grab life and mana leech nodes early

 Aim to reach mana leech by around level 54

 

If mana still feels rough:

 

 Allocate Spirit of War for more reduced attack cost and mana leech

 

 Prioritize life + mana leech nodes early for dual sustain

 

This setup ensures that by mid-campaign, mana issues are mostly gone-and by maps, they're irrelevant.

 

Ascendancy Choices and Block-Based Survivability

 

Survivability is where this build truly shines.

 

Block Is Everything

 

From around level 75 onward, your goal is to maintain:

 

 60–65% attack block

 60–65% spell block

 

Block is the primary defensive layer, and nearly everything else is built around reinforcing it.

 

Ascendancy Priority

 

Early on, Gratuitous Violence paired with Jagged Technique (bleeds you inflict are aggravated) is the preferred route for damage and clear.

 

However, if survivability feels weak:

 

 You can rush More Than Skill earlier for massive block bonuses

 

 Swap Jagged Technique temporarily if needed

 

Flexibility here allows the build to adapt to both softcore and hardcore playstyles.

 

Passive Tree: Key Defensive Nodes

 

Several passive nodes are non-negotiable for comfort and survivability:

 

 Aggressive Bastion

 As the Mountain

 Tetsudo (extremely important)Tetsudo provides life recovery on block, which turns block chance into active sustain. This is one of the biggest quality-of-life improvements in the build.

 

Once your block exceeds ~65%, Versatile Combatant should be taken as soon as possible to equalize attack and spell block.

 

If attribute issues arise, nodes like Proficiency or Harrox can help stabilize Dexterity or Intelligence requirements.

 

Maximum Resistances and Damage Reduction

 

At around level 91, the build layers multiple defensive bonuses:

 

 Soul of Steel (+1 max elemental res)

 Armor mastery (+1 max res)

 Nomadic Technique (+2 max all res)

 

Combined, this pushes maximum elemental resistances close to 80%, dramatically reducing incoming elemental damage.

 

Additional layers include:

 

 30% reduced extra damage from critical strikes

 High armor scaling

 Endurance charge generation

 

For endurance charges, Inexorable is strongly recommended:

 

 25% chance to gain an endurance charge when hit

 Additional armor while stationary

 

Even without manual generation, endurance charges stay up almost permanently.

 

Pantheon choices like Soul of Garukhan (shock avoidance) and Soul of the Brine King (freeze protection) further stabilize defenses.

 

Spell Suppression: Optional, Not Mandatory

 

This version of the build does not rely on spell suppression.

 

With high block chance and elevated maximum resistances, survivability is already excellent. However, if you prefer additional mitigation:

 

 Spell suppression can be rolled on boots, gloves, body armor, and helmet

 

 A few passive points can cap suppression easily

 

This note is optional and can be achieved by sacrificing minor life nodes if desired.

 

Aura Setup and Utility Skills

 

Core Auras

 

 Pride-mandatory for damage

 Determination-mandatory for survivability

 

A third aura can be used if mana allows, but it's optional and provides minimal benefit compared to Pride and Determination.

 

Defensive Utility

 

 Molten Shell is the primary guard skill, scaling extremely well with armor

 

 Vulnerability is best used as a self-cast curse for boss damage

 

Uber Version and Endgame Scaling

 

The Uber version is the natural end goal of this build.

 

Configured correctly in Path of Building (Uber Pinnacle setting), it reaches:

 

 ~14 million Uber Pinnacle DPS

 Up to 17 million with optimized gem setups

 

For maximum damage:

 

 Swap defensive gems for Endurance Charge on Melee Stun or Awakened Deadly Ailments

 

 Use level 21 Lacerate of Hemorrhage

 

Gear and Uniques

 

Most gear slots rely on affordable uniques, with upgrades focused on:

 

 Corruptions

 Increased Pride effect

 Charge generation

 

Items like Stranglegrasp, Pride-effect belts, and Frenzy charge relics offer strong scaling without extreme cost.

 

Mana reservation requires careful management, especially with amulet anointments and reservation multipliers.

 

A dedicated crafted axe is recommended, as market options can be overpriced-crafting allows better control and value.

 

Final Thoughts: A Safe, Powerful League Starter

 

The Lacerate + Eviscerate Gladiator remains one of the most well-rounded melee league starters heading into PoE 3.27. It offers:

 

 Reliable damage from day one

 Exceptional survivability through block and resistances

 Smooth mapping with explosions

 Strong Uber boss potential

 Low entry cost and simple mechanics

 

If you follow the progression path, POE orbs and Path of Building setup carefully, this build will comfortably carry you from campaign to Ubers without stress.