How I Earned 70 Divines in 2 Hours Using a Relaxing PoE 3.26 Ultimatum Strategy
Path of Exile 3.26 brings with it a variety of currency farming strategies, but few are as effortless and rewarding as Ultimatum farming. Whether you’re a seasoned grinder or a laid-back player looking to earn big without breaking your fingers, this method offers consistent, low-effort income and thrilling high-end drops. In this expanded and professionally optimized guide, we’ll walk you through a powerful Ultimatum Atlas strategy that requires minimal investment and yields high returns. We’ll also dive into Scarab choices, map selections, passive tree setups, and profit breakdowns. Ready to chill and get rich? Let’s go.
What Makes Ultimatum Farming So Good in PoE 3.26?
Ultimatum has a few unique mechanics that set it apart from traditional mapping strategies:
Flat reward structure: Rewards aren’t tied to map quantity or rarity, which means white maps work perfectly fine.
Inscribed Ultimatums: These offer enormous potential rewards like multiple Divine Orbs, high-tier uniques, and valuable catalysts.
AFK-friendly gameplay: Certain builds allow you to complete Ultimatums with little to no player input.
Low upfront cost: The strategy thrives on minimal investment and doesn't require high-tier gear or complex mapping mods.
If you're looking for a casual, repeatable method to build up your currency stash, this may be one of the best techniques available in this league.
Build Requirements: AFK or Tanky Preferred
While you don't need a min-maxed character for this strategy, you do need a build that can consistently survive the encounter mechanics. Some Ultimatum modifiers can be punishing, especially when combined, so opt for builds that offer:
High life or energy shield pools
Regeneration or leech mechanics
Good clear speed and area damage
Immunity to status effects
Strong sustain (or even full AFK capability)
Popular AFK builds include minion summoners, totem users, or automated trigger builds. If your build can comfortably idle in the middle of chaos and walk out alive, you're golden.
Atlas Passive Tree Setup: Focus Solely on Ultimatum
You don’t need a cluttered passive tree. The goal is to maximize Ultimatum encounters and rewards, while ignoring the rest.
Key passive nodes to allocate:
Brave the Tower: Guarantees a full stack of random catalysts every encounter
Worthy of the Present: 50% increased currency rewards in Inscribed Ultimatums found in your maps
Stand Your Ground: Reduces encounter radius each round, increasing completion chances
Prove Yourself Worthy: Ultimatum modifiers in your maps are a tier higher and have a chance to duplicate rewards
Survive the Trial and supporting nodes: These increase survivability by decreasing duration or number of required kills
Ignore other mechanics on the tree like Harvest, Expedition, or Delirium. You’re running white T16s, and these extras won’t impact Ultimatum rewards.
Map Selection: Simple Layouts for Quick Encounters
Your map layout plays a major role in the efficiency of this strategy. Since you're not aiming for full clears, you want a layout that allows you to:
Quickly find and start the Ultimatum encounter
Exit immediately after completion
Recommended maps:
City Square (highly efficient, multiple paths)
Dunes
Jungle Valley
Mesa
Museum
You can experiment with others, but ensure they allow fast movement and easy visibility of the Trialmaster encounter.
Scarab Choices: Forcing and Enhancing Ultimatums
Since your tree doesn’t fully guarantee encounters, scarabs are essential. You want to force the Ultimatum every map and amplify the rewards.
Scarabs to use:
Ultimatum Scarab of Bribing: Adds two extra rounds, increasing total waves and rewards
Ultimatum Scarab of Dueling: Guarantees a unique boss fight every 10 rounds, resulting in better rewards like full catalyst stacks
Ultimatum Scarab of Inscription: Converts catalyst rewards into Inscribed Ultimatums, which can yield massive currency
You can also include a regular Ultimatum Scarab if you’re not fully specced into encounter chances. Limit two bribing scarabs per map.
How to Run the Strategy: Step-by-Step
Choose a white T16 map with a good layout
Socket your scarabs (at least the 3 mentioned above)
Open map with no modifiers (quantity and rarity don't affect rewards)
Locate the Ultimatum Trialmaster quickly
Always accept the extra rounds and go to 10 if possible
Force the unique boss fight if available
Select reward types that offer Catalysts or Currency
Exit after completion and repeat
No need to full-clear. Each map run should take around 4-5 minutes total, including loading screens.
Reward Mechanics: What to Expect
There are three main forms of profit from this strategy:
Catalyst Stacks
You’ll regularly receive:
Attribute Catalysts (very common)
Tainted Catalysts (high value)
Prismatic Catalysts (very rare and expensive)
Fertile Catalysts
These drop either from regular rewards or unique boss fights. Stacks of 30 are not uncommon.
Inscribed Ultimatums
Converted through Scarabs of Inscription, these can reward:
Chaos Orbs (sacrifice 10, receive 20+)
Exalted Orbs (sacrifice 1, receive 2-4)
Divine Orbs (sacrifice 1-2, receive up to 8)
Unique items (rarely profitable)
Inscribed Ultimatums are particularly lucrative because they scale hard with the right modifiers. If you get lucky, a single one can return 4-8 Divine Orbs for almost no effort.
Lucky Drops
The high quantity of encounters also increases the odds of valuable implicits or lucky uniques. One example from this test run was:
Glimpse of Chaos helmet with nearby enemies having Maim—worth 10 Divine alone.
Keep your eyes open for these jackpot items.
Total Time and Investment
Here’s the total time spent and currency invested:
40 maps completed
Approximate time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Average time per map: ~4 minutes
Investment:
Ultimatum Scarab of Inscription x40 = 10c each = 400c
Scarab of Bribing x80 = ~48c total
Scarab of Dueling x40 = ~200c total
Misc maps & portals = ~40c
Total: ~291 Chaos Orbs (~1.5 Divine)
Profit Summary: The Breakdown
Final loot tally after 40 maps:
90 Attribute Catalysts
187 Tainted Catalysts
30 Prismatic Catalysts
30 Fertile Catalysts
Glimpse of Chaos Helmet (10 Div)
11 Divine Orbs raw
Inscribed Ultimatums worth:
230c from Chaos exchanges
3 Divine from Exalted exchanges
15 Divine from Divine exchanges
Additional drops & catalysts = ~40 Divines
Total profit: ~69 Divine Orbs
Net gain after expenses: ~67.5 Divine Orbs
This is an astonishing return for less than 3 hours of low-effort gameplay.
Final Thoughts: Should You Farm Ultimatum in 3.26?
If your build can handle Ultimatum encounters—especially the chaos of wave-based combat—then this strategy is absolutely worth it. Not only does it offer massive profit potential with minimal setup, but it’s also enjoyable and almost meditative.
You aren’t micromanaging sextants or chasing atlas passives. You’re simply jumping into a map, pressing a button, and watching chaos unfold while the loot rolls in. And with the ability to AFK in many builds, it feels like cheating in the best way possible.
Want to Push It Further?
Next-level variations of this strategy involve using Catalyzing Scarabs, which can cost up to 150c each. While the risk increases, so does the reward. You could push your investment to 6 Divine+ per session and potentially double your returns.
Try out the basic version first, learn the ropes, and only scale up once you’re confident.
Thanks for Reading
We hope this guide helps you get the most out of Ultimatum farming in Path of Exile 3.26. Whether you’re doing it casually or looking to scale into a full-time strategy, it offers one of the best chill-to-profit ratios in the game right now.
Good luck, Exile. May the Catalyst stacks and Divine drops come in waves.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What maps are best for Ultimatum farming in PoE 3.26?
The best maps are simple layouts with fast access to the encounter. City Square, Dunes, Jungle Valley, Mesa, and Museum are all excellent choices.
Do map mods like quantity and rarity affect Ultimatum rewards?
No. Ultimatum rewards are independent of map quantity or rarity. White tier 16 maps work just as well, keeping the strategy cheap and efficient.
How much does this strategy cost to start?
Expect to spend around 291 Chaos Orbs (~1.5 Divine Orbs) per 40-map session. This includes scarabs and maps.
How long does a full session take?
Approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes for 40 maps, with each map taking about 4 minutes to run from start to finish.
Can I run this strategy on any build?
While any strong build can try it, the most effective ones are AFK-friendly or tanky builds that can survive all waves without manual effort.
What are Inscribed Ultimatums and why are they valuable?
Inscribed Ultimatums are special versions of the encounter offering significantly higher rewards in exchange for specific sacrifices like currency.
Is this method worth it compared to other farming strategies?
Yes. It provides one of the highest profit-to-effort ratios in the game, especially with low investment and minimal gear dependency.
Do I need to take specific Atlas nodes?
Yes. Focus only on Ultimatum-related passives to maximize rewards and encounter frequency. Avoid investing in other mechanics.
Can I make more profit with expensive scarabs?
Yes. Catalyzing Scarabs can supercharge your returns, but they also raise your risk and investment. Only use them if you're confident in your build.
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