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Path of Exile 2’s 0.4.0 update, The Last of the Druids, hits hard if you are not ready for it, especially if you are diving in on launch day to mess around with the new Druid or chase the Fate of the Vaal league while eyeing some PoE 2 Items to speed things up. The campaign looks familiar at first, but the pacing is way less forgiving now. If you run more than four levels under the zone before level 40, your XP gets hammered and you will feel it fast. When that happens, do not try to brute-force higher areas; it is almost always better to hop back one zone or even one act, clear a few dense areas, and grab that missing level so you slide back into the XP sweet spot. Early XP And Zone Levels You will probably notice the first roadblock around late Act 1 or early Act 2. The mistake a lot of players make is pushing ahead anyway because they just want to "keep progressing". That sounds fine until you realise you have spent ten minutes killing monsters for almost nothing. A better approach is to keep an eye on the zone level as soon as you grab a waypoint. If you are more than four levels behind, do another loop through a dense zone, hit any side areas you skipped, and focus on blue magic packs. Those packs are basically little XP jackpots; you clear a few screens of them and suddenly your level catches back up and the game feels smooth again. Gear Focus And Druid Tips Early gear priorities are pretty simple: damage first, everything else later. People try to be tanky with big armour pieces and it just slows the run down. Put your currency, scraps and decent drops into your weapon base, a good ring or two, maybe an amulet if it rolls flat damage. A magic crossbow with decent rolls will carry you way harder than a chunky chest piece that only adds a bit of armour. If you are playing Druid, lean into Wolf form early. The leap lets you jump into packs, clear fast, and keep moving without getting stuck in awkward animations. Do not ignore Artificer’s Orbs either; now that you can salvage shards, using them on permanent slots like belts or amulets early on gives you long-term value instead of burning them on throwaway pieces. Key Campaign Power Spikes Certain campaign stops are too strong to skip. In Act 1, go out of your way to kill Beira in Clearfell for the permanent +10% Cold Res; it looks small on paper, but later on that extra resistance makes sketchy bosses and cold-heavy zones much more comfortable. In Act 2, make sure you visit the Valley of Titans for the charm slot, because that single slot can feel like equipping another item if you find a decent charm. While you are running through these acts, keep hunting those blue magic monster packs. They take a bit longer to kill, sure, but the XP and loot density are worth it every time. By Act 4, you should already be thinking about Omniphobia for the extra weapon set points so you can swap between clear and boss setups without juggling gear in your inventory mid-run. After Campaign And Early Mapping Once the campaign is done and you are staring at your Atlas for the first time on this patch, most people get stuck wondering where to put their first points. If you want your build to start snowballing fast, early investment into Essences or Ultimatums is a solid call, because both feed straight into crafting and gear upgrades. When you hit a gear wall, especially with links, do not be surprised if you feel tempted to grab some external help. Plenty of players will pick up a bit of currency or a couple of cheap PoE 2 Items to slam a strong early Exalt on a half-decent weapon and just cruise through bosses. Once your hideout is unlocked and those tablets are running, your map progression speeds up a lot, and if you respect the XP rules and hit the right power spikes, you will be pushing maps while a lot of folks are still wiping in mid-campaign.