With the Free Share 2.0 event now underway, many Path of Exile players are wondering what makes for a reliable, low-stress league start in an environment that's slightly tougher than normal but far from full Gauntlet territory. After spending time progressing through the event, one build has stood out as an exceptionally smooth and forgiving choice: a Scion-turned-Scavenger Cyclone build using a staff, with Frozen Legion as supplemental single-target damage.
This event introduces a few extra campaign parameters, especially around end bosses and select encounters, adding more pressure than a standard league start. Think of it as a "Gauntlet-lite" experience-noticeably spicier, but very manageable with the right setup. With a solid build and basic gear progression, the difficulty never feels oppressive, even when extra mechanics are layered onto boss fights.
Why Scavenger Cyclone Works So Well in Free Share 2.0
The build begins as a Scion, later transitioning into Scavenger, and focuses on a classic spin-to-win Cyclone playstyle using a staff. Cyclone is paired with Shockwave Support for clear speed, while Frozen Legion acts as a powerful single-target assist once scaled.
One of the biggest drawbacks early on is that Normal Labyrinth does not grant an ascendancy, instead only awarding two passive points. This delays power slightly, but once you reach Cruel Lab-typically around level 50 to 61-you're rewarded with a massive spike in strength.
At that point, you can choose between:
Shrine-focused bonuses for area, speed, and consistency
Movement speed scaling, which feels fantastic for Cyclone
Cloak of Flame synergy for even more defense
In this case, survivability was already so high that stacking more defenses felt unnecessary. Even without Cloak of Flame, the build reached around 4,500 life by the end of the campaign, making it one of the tankiest campaign runs possible without dedicated life stacking.
Campaign Performance: Zero Deaths, Minimal Stress
Despite the added Free Share mechanics, this character completed the entire campaign with:
Zero deaths
No overly sweaty or hardcore play
Mostly outdated gear, some pieces unchanged since level 20
That level of comfort comes from how the passive tree naturally pushes you toward life, resistances, and physical damage early. Cyclone with Shockwave starts slowly but ramps up significantly once the right passives and links are in place.
The build also benefits massively from interacting with every Breach during the campaign. Doing so results in heavy overleveling, making bosses and difficult encounters far more manageable. By the time maps were unlocked, the character was already around level 75, which is well ahead of the curve.
Weapon Choice and Crafting Strategy
Staff-based Cyclone has a few important limitations. Shockwave only works with maces and staves, so swords and axes are off the table. Early on, you'll often use whatever two-handers you can find, occasionally swapping between maces and staves until Shockwave becomes central to the setup.
Crafting staves through the tree is surprisingly effective:
Roughly 1 in 5 crafted staves is usable
Getting a great physical staff takes time, but decent ones are easy
Even bad staves are enough to comfortably clear the campaign
If you want to skip crafting entirely, Hegemony's Era is extremely cheap around level 68 and serves as a functional starter weapon. It won't carry deep endgame, but it's more than enough to begin mapping.
Mapping Transition and Early Progression
Mapping began smoothly despite:
Cyclone still being on a four-link
Frozen Legion being on a five-link instead
Suboptimal gem links overall
Even so, early maps were comfortable. A Hive encounter dropped within the first few maps and went down without issue, proving the build's early mapping viability.
Shortly after, a six-link Astral Plate was purchased for just 3 Chaos Orbs-a testament to how generous the Free Share tree currently is. Cyclone was moved into the six-link, and the difference was immediate.
With Pulverise Support added, Cyclone's area of effect scaled aggressively, turning the build into a true screen-clearer. Shockwave's AoE is already massive, and once enhanced, it becomes borderline absurd.
At this point, the build begins to feel less like a league starter and more like a "real" build-similar to old-school Beefton-style Cyclone characters.
Passive Tree Philosophy
The tree is designed for comfort and consistency:
Early physical damage nodes
Skills costing life instead of mana for easier sustain
Heavy investment into resistance nodes, often capping resists from the tree alone
Early movement speed from KraitynThis setup ensures that damage never feels lacking during the campaign. Skills like Sunder and Spectral Throw carry early levels until Cyclone and Shockwave fully come online.
Later, the tree transitions into:
Critical strike scaling
Staff-specific nodes
Area and life scaling
Jewel sockets focused on life, resistances, and crit multi
The build also pivots toward a Doomfletch-style elemental conversion concept, gaining massive elemental damage bonuses from physical scaling. A flat 75% extra elemental damage represents a huge midgame power spike.
Ascendancy Choices and Flexibility
Ascendancy choices are flexible and largely preference-based:
Shrine bonuses for AoE, life, and consistency
Adrenaline on kill, granting five seconds of massive offensive and defensive buffs
Alternative paths into Leadership's Price, power charges, or explosion mechanics
Adrenaline is particularly appealing for Cyclone. Five seconds of increased attack speed, movement speed, damage reduction, and damage output turns mapping into a blur of spinning destruction.
Gem Links and Skill Setup
Cyclone (6-link):
Cyclone
Shockwave
Fortify
Pulverise
Increased Area of Effect
This setup prioritizes comfort, AoE, and survivability.
Frozen Legion (5-link):
Frozen Legion
Melee Physical Damage
Damage with Attacks
Concentrated Effect
Frozen Legion acts as a single-target booster for tougher enemies and bosses, though Cyclone alone handles most content early.
Supporting skills include:
Herald of Ash
Blood and Sand
Frostblink
Leap Slam (eventually with attack speed)
Assassin's Mark on Hit once crit scaling begins
Gear Priorities
The build thrives on simple gear:
Life and resistances everywhere
Movement speed on boots
Accuracy fixes via Hyrri's Truth, which is cheap and effective early
Precision reservation support until better accuracy gear is acquired
A particularly strong utility option is Wrath in Lightning, which creates Radiant Ground. While standing on it, hit damage becomes lucky, an enormous boost for staff builds with wide damage ranges.
Endgame Potential and Scaling
This build has significant min-max potential:
Endgame versions can one-tap bosses
Scales extremely well with gear investment
Multiple upgrade paths depending on preference
A similar version from Settlers League demonstrated just how powerful this archetype can become once fully optimized.
Final Thoughts: Is This a Good Free Share Starter?
Absolutely.
This Cyclone Scavenger is:
Tanky
Cheap
Extremely forgiving
Easy to gear
Comfortable in both campaign and early maps
While Free Share 2.0 adds extra difficulty, the current player power level far exceeds the event's challenge if you're upgrading gear and using the tree properly. Squishier or gear-hungry builds may struggle, but this setup handles the event with ease.
It may not be a full new league, but for a reworked event, it offers a surprisingly enjoyable experience. If you're looking for a stress-free starter that scales into endgame, this Cyclone Scavenger is an excellent choice.
Path Of Exile Products For Sale on MMOExp.com, buy POE currency, items, accounts, skins, boosting service and more. 365/24/7 online and enjoy a quality service, make an order now.
