Over the past week, the Grueling Gauntlet Ultimatum strategy has been taking the Path of Exile community by storm. While Ultimatum content itself has always been a fan favorite for its high-risk, high-reward nature, the Grueling Gauntlet variant pushes the difficulty-and the profits-even further. If you're looking to farm Inscribed Ultimatums efficiently, make more POE currency and make huge profits along the way, buckle up. This guide breaks down every detail of how to master this strategy, optimize your Atlas tree, and generate consistent divine orbs through a smart catalyst-to-inscribed loop.

 

What Is Grueling Gauntlet Ultimatum?

 

Grueling Gauntlet is a specific form of Ultimatum encounter where players have no control over the modifiers applied to each round. It lasts for 13 rounds-three more than the standard Ultimatum-and notably has no final boss. That means you're forced to accept whatever deadly modifier the game throws at you: Ruin, Less Recovery, Bone Saws, and more. No opting out. No choosing the lesser evil.

 

That said, the rewards scale. Every round completed increases your potential loot, making Grueling Gauntlet a massive money-maker if you can survive.

 

Build Requirements

 

This strategy is not for glass cannons. You'll need a build that can withstand:

 Multiple simultaneous damage and defense-reducing modifiers

 Dozens of mobs spawning constantly

 Ruin stacking mechanics (7 stacks = instant death)

 

Two builds come highly recommended:

 E-Miracle's Cast on Stun Juggernaut-Offers near-immortality with clever Frost Wall tech and high sustain.

 CaspenSun's Gladiator-Focuses on max block and sheer tankiness.

 

The Core Strategy: Farming Inscribed Ultimatums

 

The goal of this strategy is to generate massive amounts of Inscribed Ultimatums, sort and "5-to-1" them for quality, and then run only the juiciest ones for maximum value. Inscribed Ultimatums are items that you obtain from running Ultimatum encounters, and they allow you to sacrifice something (e.g. 4 Divine Orbs) for a chance at double the reward.

 

Why It Works

 

1.More Rounds = More Rewards

Grueling Gauntlet offers 13 rounds. With the right scarabs, you can start at round 5, effectively completing 17 rounds in terms of reward scaling.

 

2.Inscribed Ultimatums Are Unaffected by Map Mods

That means you can run white (unmodified) Tier 16 maps and not worry about rolling quantity or rippy modifiers.

 

3.More Monster Life = Better Rewards

Inscribed Ultimatums come with tiers based on the "More Monster Life" modifier:

 0% = Trash (don't bother)

 30% = Low tier, 1 Divine or less

 70% = Mid tier, Exalts, 4 Divines

 120% = High tier, 8 Divines, 7 Years of Bad Luck

 200% = God tier-Mirrors, Magebloods, Headhunters

 

Atlas Tree Optimization

 

This strategy hinges on a laser-focused Atlas passive tree:

 

Key Nodes to Take:

 Increased chance to encounter Ultimatum

 Ultimatum rewards have 25% chance to be duplicated (can duplicate Mirrors!)

 Ultimatums act as if you completed an additional round

 All Ultimatums have +1 round

 Inscribed Ultimatums drop more frequently

 Catalyst reward conversion node (more on this later)

 Grueling Gauntlet Keystone

 

Optional Nodes:

 Seance and Settlers-Good synergy if you want additional juice via ore chance and influence.

 Eater of Worlds altar nodes-Doesn't interfere with the strategy and adds minor loot.

 

Block every other league mechanic. You don't want Expedition or Delirium or anything slowing you down.

 

Map Setup and Scarabs

 

You'll be running white Tier 16 Dunes (or Strand, for easier navigation). Why Dunes? Open layout, easy mob detection, and fast Ultimatum location.

 

Use three specific Scarabs:

 Ultimatum Scarab of Bribery (x2)

 Adds two completed rounds at the start. Start at round 5.

 Cheap (~3 Chaos each)

 Ultimatum Scarab of Catalyst Conversion (x1)

 Converts all rewards into catalysts. This is key.

 ~120 Chaos, but 100% worth it

 Ultimatum Scarab of Inscription (x1)

 Increases drop chance of Inscribed Ultimatums

 ~180 Chaos, but this is your core farming engine

 

Farming Flow

1.Enter your white T16 map with the 3 scarabs

2.Ignore all mobs, find the Ultimatum as fast as possible

3.Accept all rounds-no picking modifiers, remember

4.Complete 13 rounds (actually 17 if scarabs are applied)

5.Loot Inscribed Ultimatums + Catalysts

6.Convert Catalysts to more Inscribed Ultimatums via 5-to-1 vendor recipe

7.Sort Inscribed Ultimatums by More Monster Life %

8.Run only 70%, 120%, and 200% ones

9.Repeat

10.Each map takes 2-3 minutes, and you get around 13-15 inscribeds per run.Running Inscribed Ultimatums

 

Once you've sorted your ultimatums:

 Look for high-tier ones (70%+ monster life)

 Watch the required sacrifice-e.g. 4 Divine Orbs

 The reward is usually double what you sacrifice

 

Warning:

 

If you die, leave the circle, or fail the objective-you lose your sacrifice. No reward. Period.

 

If you're sacrificing 4 Divines, make sure your build can tank 200% monster life mobs and modifiers like:

 Less Recovery

 Bone Saws

 Ring of Physical Damage

 Ruin Stacking

 

This is why the builds listed earlier are non-negotiable.

 

Tips for Success

 

 Use a proper filter-Inscribed Ultimatums don't always stand out. Adjust your loot filter accordingly.

 Don't bother with low-tier Inscribed Ultimatums-No more monster life = no profit.

 Always 5-to-1 bad ones-Combine 5 low-value ones of the same kind for a shot at a better roll.

 Ignore the reward screen mid-fight-Just survive. You can check the results afterward.

 Keep a dedicated tab-Organize your Inscribed Ultimatums by tier for easy management.

 

Why This Strategy Prints Currency

 

On average:

 One map = 13+ Inscribed Ultimatums

 Catalyst conversion = more Ultimatums

 Every 10-15 maps you'll hit a high-tier divine payout

 Every 50-100 you'll see Magebloods, Mirrors, or God-tier div cards

 

The upfront cost (~1 Divine per map in scarabs) quickly becomes negligible as the snowball begins. After a few hours of farming, you'll have tabs full of Inscribed Ultimatums worth hundreds of divines.

 

Final Thoughts

 

The Grueling Gauntlet Ultimatum strategy is one of the most profitable and engaging ways to farm cheap Path of exile currency in Path of Exile right now. With the right build and setup, you're looking at a nearly AFK farming loop with the potential for huge spikes in loot.

Aug-16-2025 PST