Path of Exile 3.29.1 Patch Economy Guide: What Changed and How to Profit

Patch 3.29.1 has arrived, and it is not just a bug-fix patch. GGG delivered substantial buffs to Mercenaries, Abyss, and the Allflame league mechanic — changes that are already reshaping the Path of Exile economy. If you are still running the same farming routes you used during week one, you are leaving currency on the table. This guide breaks down every change that matters for your wallet and shows you where the new money is.

The 5 Biggest Economy-Shifting Changes in 3.29.1

1. Mercenaries Just Got Legitimately Powerful

This is the single most impactful change for the league economy. The buffs to Mercenaries are massive:

• Damage penalty removed before level 45, then tapering to the old maximum only at level 83

• Infamous Mercenaries are 50% more common in low-tier maps, scaling to 100% more common at T16

• Permanently hired Mercenaries can now rejoin maps after being revived — just portal out and back in

• New Atlas notable "Contract Killers" makes allied Mercenaries deal 100% more damage against other Mercenaries and Rogue Exiles

• Mercenaries now gain quantity and rarity buffs from Golden Lanterns in Charts

Economic impact: The Luminary Ascendancy and Mercenary-focused builds are suddenly viable endgame choices. This means increased demand for gear that works with hybrid player-Mercenary setups, particularly attack-based weapons, minion-adjacent uniques, and crafting bases with support gem synergies. Players pivoting to Luminary mid-league will need to gear up fast — a demand spike for specific item categories.

2. Abyss Loot Has Been Drastically Improved

Abyss was widely criticized during the first week as unrewarding relative to the time investment. Patch 3.29.1 addresses this head-on:

• Lich boss fight streamlined — no more immunity phases with three side rooms full of Stygian Spires, replaced with beam-based arena mechanics

• 3 reward chests after Lich kills with guaranteed valuable loot

• Abyss chest quality significantly increased, especially for Currency and Scarab drops

• Greater Abyssal Chests now have a meaningful difference in loot quality versus their regular counterparts

• Abyssal Bloodline class enabled (completely new ascendancy content)

Economic impact: Abyss is now a competitive farming strategy. Expect Stygian Vise prices to adjust downward as supply increases, while Abyss Scarab prices should rise as more players run the mechanic. The new Abyssal Bloodline class may create niche demand for Bloodline-specific items.

3. League Mechanic Is More Rewarding and Less Frustrating

Several quality-of-life changes make the Curse of the Allflame mechanic significantly more profitable to run:

• New chest types "Sunken Opulence" and "Sunken Gems" — community testing suggests Sunken Opulence is a real source of Divine Orbs, similar to Hidden Opulence in Delve

• Deep Altar blessings now apply to all party members (not just one player), making party Voyage runs dramatically more efficient

• Deep Altar blessings can now convert common currency to rarer currency — a direct wealth multiplier

• Chart gold fees on the trade market "greatly lowered" — buying the Charts you need is now affordable

• New Eldritch Depths Chart variant drops Ukatoa's Ducat, a crafting item that adds Eldritch implicits to non-unique amulets

• Allflame crafting now works with Ancient Orbs and Orbs of Chance

• Dredged currency now usable on Strongboxes and Essences

Economic impact: The barrier to running Voyages has dropped significantly. More players farming the league mechanic means increased supply of Ducats and league-exclusive items, but the new Demanding reward chests and currency conversion should keep per-hour returns competitive.

4. XP Loss in Charts and Voyages Is Back

This is a stealth change that is easy to miss in the patch notes but matters a lot. A bug that prevented XP loss on death in Charts and Voyages has been fixed — you now suffer standard penalties based on area level.

This makes defensive gearing more important than ever for players pushing levels through the league mechanic. If your build was running glass-cannon setups in Voyages because dying had no consequence, you need to rethink your approach.

Economic impact: Increased demand for defensive gear — life, energy shield, armor, and evasion bases. Players who invested in glass-cannon builds may need to re-gear entirely, creating short-term buying pressure.

5. Chart Accessibility Has Been Massively Improved

Several changes make it easier for casual players to engage with the league mechanic:

• Chart trading fees drastically reduced

• Allflame Lanterns no longer mislead you toward Shrines or Crab Nests

• Dead End and Straight Line Charts made less common — Voyages are easier to build

• Scattered loot in Charts increased by 20-40%

This is a straightforward supply-side boost. More players running Charts means more league-specific items entering the market, which should moderate prices on Ducats and crafting materials over the coming weeks.

How Your Farming Strategy Should Change Right Now

If You Were Already Running Abyss: Go Harder

The Abyss buffs transform this from a mediocre mechanic into a genuinely strong farming option. With Lich bosses no longer wasting your time on immunity phases and guaranteed reward chests, the currency-per-hour math has fundamentally changed.

What to focus on:

• Abyss Scarabs — stock up now while prices are still adjusting to the buff news

• Stygian Vises with high item level — the increased supply means prices will drop, but high-roll belts with good implicits will still command premiums

• Abyss jewels — with the new Bloodline class, demand for specific combinations may spike

If You Havent Tried Mercenaries: Now Is the Time

The damage penalty changes are genuinely transformative. A permanent Mercenary is now a real contributor to your clear speed and boss damage, not a novelty. The "Contract Killers" Atlas notable makes them particularly effective against Rogue Exiles and rival Mercenaries.

Currency implications:

• Mercenary-compatible gear is undervalued right now because the mechanic was considered weak in week one

• Players respeccing into Luminary will create demand spikes for mid-tier weapons and armor

• If you are selling items, Mercenary-friendly modifiers (minion damage, support gem levels, ally auras) may see increased interest

If You Are Running the League Mechanic: Optimize for Sunken Opulence

The new chest types change how you should plan your Voyages. Prioritize Chart modifiers that increase chest spawn rates or rarity. If you see Deep Altars offering currency conversion blessings, take them — especially in party play where the blessing now affects everyone.

If You Are Flipping Currency: Watch These Items

Based on the patch changes, these items are likely to see price movement:

When to Buy Currency After a Major Patch

Major patches like 3.29.1 always create short-term market turbulence. Here is how to time your purchases:

Right now (first 48 hours): Prices are reactive. Players are panic-buying gear for new builds and selling old setups. This is a good time to sell niche items that align with the buffed mechanics — but buyers should wait.

Days 3-5 post-patch: The market stabilizes as the new meta settles. This is the sweet spot for buying currency if you need to gear a character for the updated farming strategies. Prices are typically lower than during the initial rush.

Week 2 and beyond: Supply chains fully adjust. Abyss-related items become cheaper, league mechanic rewards become reliable income sources. If you are patient, this is when your currency purchasing power goes furthest.

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Other Notable Changes Worth Money

• Gambling District Atlas Anomaly — a new endgame content node that could reshape Atlas passive tree strategies if the rewards are competitive

• Ukatoa's Ducat — amulet Eldritch implicits. Good amulets with bad implicits are now craftable into high-value items. Watch for Coral Amulets and other bases with strong affixes but weak implicits

• Crab Nest reduction — fewer wasted Lantern pings means more efficient Chart navigation, which translates to more currency per Voyage

Conclusion: The 3.29.1 Meta Is More Diverse

Patch 3.29.1 did not just fix bugs — it opened up multiple viable farming strategies that were weak or broken during week one. Abyss is back on the menu. Mercenaries are a real build-around mechanic. The league mechanic itself is more rewarding and less tedious.

For players who like to stay ahead of the economic curve, the play is clear: adjust your Atlas tree for Abyss and Mercenary nodes, start targeting the new Sunken chests, and position yourself for the mid-league meta shift before the broader player base catches up.

The early-league strategies from week one are already outdated. The players who adapt fastest to 3.29.1 will be the ones funding their builds with the most currency — whether they earn it through farming or buy it to skip the respec costs.

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