Return of the Ancients: Genesis Tree Deep Dive
Summary
- The Genesis Tree: A new system located in the monastery of the Keepers of the Flame used for crafting and item specialization.
- Core Mechanics: Players use “Wombgifts” to initiate crafting on specific tree branches and feed these wombs with “Hiveblood,” collected by defeating Hiveborn enemies.
- Progression: Points to allocate on the Genesis Tree are earned by progressing through the Breach questline and allocating passives on the Breach Atlas Tree.
- Customization: The tree features specialized branches (Currency, Amulet, Belt, and Ring) that allow players to target-farm specific modifiers, guarantee item types, and enhance item quality.
The Genesis Tree Overview
The Genesis Tree is a central hub for endgame crafting and build experimentation. The structure of the tree is divided into various branches, each originating from a specific “Womb.” To begin the process, place a Wombgift into a womb. To facilitate the growth of the items birthed from these wombs, players must utilize Hiveblood, a resource gathered by defeating Hiveborn enemies.
Skill Tree Progression and Allocation
To unlock the full potential of the Genesis Tree, players must allocate points along its branches. These points are acquired through:
- Completing the Breach questline.
- Allocating passives on the Breach Atlas Tree.
Branch Specializations
Each branch of the tree focuses on different item types and crafting outcomes:
- Currency Branch: Allows manipulation of the types and quantities of currency items birthed from the tree.
- For the Price of One: Provides a chance for an additional Exalted Orb.
- Riches Beget Riches: Offers a chance to birth ten additional Exalted Orbs.
- Refuse Emptiness: Filters out lower-tier currency (Orbs of Annulment and Orbs of Transmutation) to increase the probability of obtaining Exalted Orbs.
- Amulet Branch: Focuses on defensive stats and resistances.
- Imbue the Body: Allows players to guarantee a specific resistance type (e.g., Fire Resistance) on birthed amulets.
- Jewel of the Lords: A multi-select node that applies specific mutations from Breachlords to the player’s skills (e.g., Xoph’s mutation to increase critical strike frequency for Volcanoes).
- Belt Branch: Offers specialized modifiers for specific build archetypes.
- Minion Builds: Nodes like Stench of Carrion, Necrosis, and Wrapped in Dread allow belts to roll and guarantee multiple minion-specific modifiers.
- Caster Builds: Nodes like Imperfect Sacrifice, Sorcerer’s Scar, and Branded with Hexes provide a similar path to guaranteeing caster-specific modifiers.
- Ring Branch: Focuses on upgrading existing item archetypes.
- This branch enables the birthing of Breach Rings with higher quality than previously obtainable. When combined with items from the Currency branch, it is possible to achieve up to 65% maximum quality, which is particularly beneficial for Mind Over Matter builds.