PoE Endless Tide

Endless Tide

Endless Tide is an Atlas passive skill and Atlas keystone, specifically for the Beyond league encounter.

• Beyond Portals in your Maps cannot spawn Unique Bosses
• Beyond Portals in your Maps have 50% less Merging Radius
• (Beyond Portals and Demons stop spawning after a Unique Beyond Boss is spawned)
• (Merging Radius is the distance at which Beyond Portals can merge with one another to spawn Beyond Demons)

AI Guides

In Path of Exile, the Beyond league mechanic offers players a thrilling challenge by summoning powerful demons from another realm as they slay monsters. These encounters escalate in intensity, culminating in the appearance of a devastating Beyond Boss. However, the Endless Tide Atlas Keystone changes the dynamics of this mechanic by preventing Beyond bosses from spawning and altering the behavior of Beyond portals. For players who want to maximize the number of demons they face and extend the duration of their Beyond encounters, Endless Tide offers a unique approach.

What is Endless Tide?

Endless Tide is an Atlas Passive Skill and Keystone designed specifically for players who engage with Beyond league mechanics in their maps. This keystone introduces two significant changes to how Beyond encounters function:

1. Prevention of Beyond Bosses: With Endless Tide, Beyond bosses no longer spawn in your maps. This keeps the Beyond encounters focused on the continuous spawning of lesser demons without the encounter-ending arrival of a Beyond Boss.

2. Reduced Merging Radius: The merging radius of Beyond portals, which determines the distance at which they can merge to spawn more demons, is reduced by 50%. This means portals need to be closer together to merge, potentially limiting the number of additional demons spawned unless the map is particularly dense.

Key Features of Endless Tide:

• No Beyond Bosses: By preventing Beyond bosses from spawning, Endless Tide ensures that the Beyond encounter continues as long as there are enemies to kill and portals to merge. This allows players to farm large numbers of Beyond demons without the interruption of a boss fight.
• Reduced Merging Radius: The halved merging radius means that Beyond portals need to be closer to each other to spawn additional demons. While this could reduce the overall number of demons spawned in less dense maps, it can be mitigated in densely populated areas where portals are more likely to merge despite the reduced radius.

Mechanics and Strategic Implications

Endless Tide alters the standard Beyond mechanic, focusing on prolonging the encounter and maximizing the number of demons players can fight. Here’s how it affects gameplay:

1. Prolonged Beyond Encounters: Normally, Beyond encounters escalate until a Beyond Boss is summoned, which can end the encounter prematurely by stopping the spawn of lesser demons. Endless Tide prevents this from happening, allowing players to continue summoning and fighting Beyond demons without worrying about triggering the boss. This makes the keystone particularly useful for players who want to farm Beyond demons extensively, as it extends the duration of the encounter and the potential rewards.

2. Impact of Reduced Merging Radius: The 50% reduction in the merging radius means that Beyond portals need to be much closer to each other to combine and spawn additional demons. This can lead to fewer demons being spawned in maps with low monster density or wide open spaces. However, in densely packed maps, where monsters and thus portals are more tightly clustered, the reduction in merging radius may have less of an impact. Players can still achieve high demon spawn rates if they choose their maps wisely.

3. Strategic Map Selection: To maximize the benefits of Endless Tide, players should focus on running maps with high monster density. Maps with tight corridors, narrow pathways, or large packs of monsters are ideal because they increase the likelihood that Beyond portals will spawn close enough to merge, despite the reduced radius. This ensures that players can still spawn a significant number of demons, making the most out of the Endless Tide keystone.

4. No Boss Farming: For players who typically farm Beyond encounters for the specific loot that Beyond bosses drop, Endless Tide may not be the best choice. However, for those focused on accumulating large numbers of currency drops or other valuable items from lesser demons, this keystone allows for continuous farming without the interruption of a boss fight.

Practical Application

To effectively use Endless Tide, players should consider the following strategies:

• Map Density Focus: Prioritize maps with high monster density. Maps like Underground Sea, Toxic Sewers, or Glacier, where monsters are tightly packed, can help mitigate the reduced merging radius and allow for a steady stream of Beyond demons.
• Maximizing Demon Spawns: Use gear, map modifiers, and sextants that increase monster pack size or density. This increases the likelihood of portals spawning close together, thereby maximizing the number of demons you can summon.
• Avoiding Low-Density Maps: Steer clear of maps with low monster density or large open spaces where the reduced merging radius will significantly hinder the spawn of additional demons. These maps will not be as effective for farming under the Endless Tide keystone.

Conclusion

Endless Tide is a powerful Atlas Keystone in Path of Exile that transforms how players interact with the Beyond mechanic. By preventing Beyond bosses from spawning and reducing the merging radius of portals, this keystone shifts the focus from boss farming to prolonged demon slaying, offering a unique and strategic way to maximize the rewards from Beyond encounters.

For players who enjoy the thrill of continuous combat and want to extend their encounters with Beyond demons, Endless Tide provides an exciting opportunity. By carefully selecting dense maps and focusing on strategies that maximize portal merging, players can turn every Beyond encounter into a relentless tide of demons, offering rich rewards for those who can handle the challenge. If you’re ready to face an endless wave of demons and forgo the final boss for the sake of sustained combat, Endless Tide is the key to unlocking this intense experience in Path of Exile.