Path of Exile 1: Curse of the Allflame Guide — How to Explore the New League, Upgrade Your Gear, and Prepare for Endgame

Summary

Struggling to decide what to farm in Path of Exile 1: Curse of the Allflame after the new league launches? With so many returning mechanics and new systems, players may waste time investing in outdated strategies. This guide explains how to progress through the new league content, collect valuable rewards, use the new crafting options, and prepare for endgame efficiently. With the right approach to exploration, Mercenaries, Abyss, Legion, and Atlas Anomalies, your POE Currency can be used more effectively instead of being spent blindly. 

How to Start the Curse of the Allflame Content

The new league begins with Valerie, a corsair captain searching for forgotten treasures hidden beneath Wraeclast’s frozen seas. Your first goal is not to rush into the deepest encounters, but to collect the required navigation items.

Step 1: Collect Charts Across Wraeclast

During normal progression and mapping, search for Charts guarded by:

Undead enemies

Rival corsairs

Creatures from the deep

Each encounter provides additional bonuses when defeated.

For example, defeating cursed undead protecting a treasure chest can allow the trapped soul inside to possess you, granting temporary power for the rest of the area.

Correct Method:
Collect Charts naturally while progressing through maps instead of stopping your entire farming route for every encounter.

Incorrect Method:
Ignoring Charts early and trying to complete the entire league system later, which delays access to stronger rewards.

How to Explore the Ocean Floor and Avoid Losing Rewards

Once you obtain Charts, return to Valerie’s ship, The Sovereign, and prepare for underwater exploration.

Vesper uses the power of the Allflame to operate the ship and provide access to the ocean floor through the Bathysphere.

Step 2: Manage Allflame Lanterns Carefully

The underwater areas do not use a traditional air system. Instead, survival depends on Allflame Lanterns.

These lanterns:

Create safe zones underwater

Allow you to explore treasure locations

Prevent drowning

As you move away from lantern coverage, Valerie can deploy additional lanterns automatically or manually.

What Should You Prioritize?

While exploring, collect:

Lost fortunes

Treasure chests

Sunken artefacts

Strange coral

The coral can be converted into Dead Man’s Sulphur, which is required for later crafting.

However, lantern power is limited.

When the final lanterns begin to disappear, monsters from the deep will attack. At this point, stop searching and return to the Bathysphere.

Player Tip:
Do not greedily explore after the light disappears. Losing the expedition wastes the time spent collecting resources.

How to Build Better Voyages and Increase Rewards

After exploring enough areas, Valerie records your discoveries. You can then combine Charts into a larger expedition.

Step 3: Create a Voyage Board

Place Charts onto Valerie’s board and connect them together.

Each Chart provides special modifiers that affect the entire Voyage.

Examples include:

Equipment dropped by monsters becoming Gold

Friendly jellyfish appearing alongside monster packs

Monsters becoming empowered by Wildwood Wisps

A Voyage contains up to nine Chart positions, allowing multiple effects to combine.

How to Plan Efficient Voyages

Before placing Charts, consider:

Which modifiers benefit your build?

Which areas provide better loot?

Which positions allow modifiers to overlap?

Special locations may include:

Treasure fields filled with chests

Lost Kalguuran shipments

Sunken Abyssal areas

After collecting enough loot, use the capsules placed throughout the Voyage.

Each capsule stores approximately one inventory worth of items. Fill them before leaving.

How to Use Dead Man’s Sulphur for Better Crafting

The main purpose of Dead Man’s Sulphur is not only keeping The Sovereign running. It powers Vesper’s crafting ability.

Step 4: Use Vesper’s Ghostly Crafting System

Give Vesper:

An item

A currency item normally used for crafting

Enough Dead Man’s Sulphur

The item will be separated into multiple ghostly outcomes.

Each outcome represents a different result from applying the currency.

You can then choose the best version.

Why Is This Useful?

This system allows players to reduce crafting risk.

For example:

Testing expensive crafting methods

Comparing different currency outcomes

Protecting valuable crafting bases

However, stronger crafting attempts require more Dead Man’s Sulphur.

How to Use Ducats for Advanced Item Creation

The ocean also contains rare currencies called Ducats.

These special items allow unique crafting effects.

Examples include:

Kishara’s Ducat

Creates four ghostly copies of an item, with each copy keeping one modifier from the original item.

Useful for creating powerful crafting bases.

Genteel’s Ducat

Changes one attribute requirement into another.

Useful when equipment requirements block your build.

Brinehook’s Ducat

Allows players to become an emissary of the Gods of Wraeclast.

The exact effects depend on the resulting Aspect.

How to Use Mercenaries of Trarthus Effectively

The Mercenaries of Trarthus return in Curse of the Allflame, appearing from Act Three in Sarn.

Step 5: Challenge Mercenaries Instead of Ignoring Them

Before fighting, inspect:

Their equipped gear

Their skills

Possible rewards

You can wager Gold to start a duel.

If you win:

You receive the chosen item

The Mercenary assists you for several areas

Mercenaries can provide:

Powerful auras

Buffs

Additional damage

Unlike party members, they do not increase monster life or item quantity requirements.

How the Scion Luminary Changes Mercenary Builds

The new Scion Ascendancy Class, The Luminary, allows permanent Mercenary recruitment.

Why Choose The Luminary?

The Luminary can:

Permanently hire Mercenaries

Maintain up to three hired Mercenaries

Equip Mercenaries with improved gear options

One Mercenary can fight alongside you while two remain in reserve.

This creates new build possibilities where:

Your character supports the Mercenary

The Mercenary protects your character

Both contribute to combat

How Abyss and Legion Are Changing

Abyss Rework

Abyss no longer requires chasing a moving crack through maps.

The updated system creates a more direct encounter:

Approach an Abyssal pit.

Defeat influenced enemies nearby.

Their souls descend into the pit.

Fight the Abyssal Legion.

The changes remove unnecessary backtracking while keeping:

Abyssal Jewels

Abyssal Sockets

Stygian Vises

A new Abyss Pinnacle Boss and new Unique items are also being introduced.

Legion Rework

Legion receives a new reward system.

Major changes:

Incubators are removed.

Legion Generals can drop Enshrouding Crystals.

Enshrouding Crystals modify Unique Armours.

Using them in the Domain of Timeless Conflict allows players to create Vestigial Unique Items.

These items inherit powerful modifiers from other Unique Items.

Additional improvements include:

Fewer Legion Splinters

Larger stack sizes

Faster encounter completion

Better reward tracking

How to Handle Atlas Anomalies

The Atlas is becoming unstable, creating new locations called Anomalies.

Step 6: Explore Anomalies When They Appear

When completing Maps affected by a Voidstone, an Anomaly may appear on your Atlas.

Unlike normal Maps:

No item is required to enter.

Atlas Tree bonuses do not affect them.

They can often be revisited.

Examples include:

Cadiro Perandus areas

Heist Blueprint locations

Sacred Grove variations

Reflecting Mist encounters

These encounters allow players to experience different league mechanics without fully investing in them.

Key Takeaways

Collect Charts early to unlock Curse of the Allflame progression.

Manage Allflame Lanterns carefully and return before the expedition collapses.

Build Voyages by combining useful Chart modifiers.

Save Dead Man’s Sulphur for important crafting opportunities.

Use Mercenaries as temporary allies or permanent companions through The Luminary.

Farm Abyss and Legion again because their rewards have been redesigned.

Check Atlas Anomalies instead of ignoring unexpected locations.

Conclusion

Path of Exile 1: Curse of the Allflame adds several connected progression systems, but players do not need to master everything immediately. Start by collecting Charts, learn how Voyage planning works, then gradually expand into Mercenary builds, Abyss farming, Legion crafting, and Atlas exploration.

The biggest improvement is that many older mechanics now offer clearer rewards and better progression paths. Whether you focus on crafting, mapping, or league farming, understanding these systems will help you make better decisions with your resources and avoid wasting valuable POE orbs.