The Emberwake Race Season Has Started!

The Emberwake Season contains 120 events, running from 24 July 2015 to 20 August 2015 (NZT). Its signature race is a Fixed Seed event called the 1 Hour Emberwake. For more information about the Emberwake Season visit this page. For information on each event you can visit the Race Subforum or have discussions with other racers here.

If you're a beginner and curious about getting into Emberwake Season we have some information and tips for you! Many thanks to Mors for his help with this guide!

What is Racing?
Racing is just like playing Path of Exile at any other time with two small additions:

• Obtain the highest amount of experience gained in a set period of time OR
• Kill a boss

For both modes, you compete between people playing the class you chose to play. Meaning if you are playing a Marauder, it does not matter that 5 Templars beat you to killing a boss, if you are the first Marauder to do so, you win!

Racing is done in the Hardcore mode (permanent death), so dying is a risk, but one with minimal impact since a majority of races are 40 minutes or 60 minutes long, with a few exceptions for longer races.

Types of Races:
Normal or “Vanilla Race” – This is comprised of running the game as you would leveling a character in the hardcore league. The best race mode for beginners! And after two or three races, you’ll be ready for:

Emberwake – The new signature race that is based on granting monsters extra fire damage based on their physical damage. It will likely be very important to wear gear with fire resistance, have fire resistance on the passive tree, or wear ruby rings (20-30% fire resistance).

Descent: Champions – A great race but one that is conducted in a somewhat different manner to regular races like a “one hour solo”. We recommended that you read more about Descent champions to enjoy the race, more planning is involved in running this race.

Party Races – These are just as they sound, you may party with 1 – 5 other people and compete versus other groups or play solo. They can be the most fun you’ll have in a group playing Path of Exile.

How to get started:
At the character selection game, you'll find a box below your list of characters with upcoming racing events. When the event is close to beginning you'll be able to click 'Join' and create a character for the race. You'll log in at the Twilight Strand and wait until the race has begun.

Racing is fun because no matter your skill level, there is always something to learn and improve upon to become a better racer!

Basic Beginner Tips:

• Skip every monster after the starter zombie in Twilight Strand
• Socket your opening Skill gem in the weapon provided to you! (if you can do this while keeping your character on the move to Hillock, and is harder than you might think watching an experienced racer, bonus points)
• Kill Hillock. Be careful to use health pots - he hits hard sometimes!
• In town you want to very quickly check all the boots for sale on Tarkleigh, the vendor, for movement speed.
• Make sure you take your quest reward from Tarkleigh. (A second gem)
• Melee classes should consider buying an iron ring from Nessa.
• Caster classes can check her as well for a +1 to fire, lightning and cold wand.
• Enter The Coast, and find the Waypoint right outside Tidal Island.
• Run straight to Hailrake as fast as possible, killing as you go. You'll know where he spawns by looking for the boat on the map overlay. Be careful. He hits very hard. You may need to kite (run around) him as you kill him.
• Collect the medicine chest, as many magical items as you can carry and the flask he drops. Exit to the character screen. When you do this, you automatically end up back in town. This saves needing a portal scroll.
• In town, turn in the Medicine chest to Nessa. Take the quicksilver flask, and sell any magical gear that you cannot use Unidentified. Selling unidentified items is very important in Path of Exile racing, as it guarantees you an Orb of Transmutation or two to roll your gear. Use one of these orbs on your Quicksilver Flask.
• Return to the Waypoint in the Coast. Run to the Mudflats. Find and collect the three Rhoa nest quest items. Please make sure to donate to your local Rhoa Conservation Fund.
• Enter the Submerged Passage. You now want to run through the next several zones killing monsters as you run: Ledge, The Climb, Lower Prison and Upper Prison. As you progress keep your eyes out for all currency, upgrades for your character and an item that has the socket link you need for the support gem you’re about to get.
• At the waypoint in Lower Prison, go back to town and get a support gem of your choice from Nessa. Find Brutus, and kill him. Fighting Brutus at a low level can be very tough, and kills even the most experienced of racers from time to time! Equipping a chest and running out of his slams can be the difference between dying and successfully killing him.
• As a new racer your objective is to kill Brutus between 30 and 40 minutes after a race starts. While this is slower than an experienced racer kills him, don’t forget that everyone started as a beginner and you will quickly find yourself becoming not just a better racer, but a better Path of Exile player!

Some general tips:

• You may want to turn off your loot filter. There may be racers designing filters for specific classes, but until they are out it's safer to leave all loot on. (You can turn your loot filter off and on easily from the User Interface in game).
• Knowing useful vendor recipes is important. Researching these in advance can help.
• It's recommend learning to play with sound for racing. This allows you to hear currency drops off screen and other sound clues integral to maximum performance.
• Set a personal goal for yourself. The goal can be anything from have fun in a race, reach level 20, or live until the end of the race, but having a reasonable goal for yourself makes racing fun. The best racers don’t race only to win; they race to perform the best that they can.
• Don’t be discouraged if you first foray into racing isn’t as successful as you hope. Everyone has to start somewhere!

Good luck, exiles!