The Heist league is a challenge league. It launched on September 18, 2020 (UTC), alongside the Version 3.12.0 patch.
In Path of Exile: Heist, you will hire skilled thieves to help you pull off risky Heists. Steal valuable artifacts to fund and train your crew as you plan towards the execution of a Grand Heist.
Path of Exile's latest Heist league has introduced an entirely new ecosystem to the game's progression and endgame systems. Nine NPCs, hundreds of new items, Replica Uniques, and Heists themselves have added a breadth of content to Path of Exile that hasn't been seen in recent leagues.
Fortunately, they are much less intimidating than they appear. From understanding Heist's mechanics to general tips, here is a complete guide to Path of Exile's new Heist missions introduced in Heist league.
Contracts
Contracts are used to perform Heist. They can be taken to Adiyah, the Wayfinder at The Rogue Harbour to open a portal to it. Like maps, they can be modified to change its rarity and add affixes, increasing the difficulty and the amount of item drops.
Every enemy in Path of Exile' Heist league has a chance to drop Rogue Markers, special coins that will open a portal to the Rogue Harbour. Players can also find Contracts from slain foes and unique caches, which can be used in the Rogue Harbour to initiate Heists.
Job Types
Each Heist players embark on will require Rogues proficient in certain Jobs. There are nine Jobs in Heist: Agility, Brute Force, Deception, Demolition, Engineering, Lockpicking, Perception, Thaumaturgy, and Trap Disarmament. Since there are nine Rogues, there will always be an option that excels in one of these Jobs.
Jobs aren't just an arbitrary prerequisite to running Heists, though. The type of Job attached to a mission will determine the rewards that lie within. Currently, the rewards are the following:(Path of Exile:Heist rewards)
Agility: Delve Fossils, Essences, and Harbinger league rewards
Brute Force: Weapons
Deception: Armor
Demolition: Generic items as well as Blight, Delirium, and Metamorph league rewards
Engineering: Maps and Uniques
Lockpicking: Currency and Fragments
Perception: Divination Cards and Prophecies
Thaumaturgy: Jewelry and Skill Gems
Trap Disarmament: Abyss, Breach, Legion, and Talisman rewards
The Rogue Harbour
As with most recent leagues, players can find all Heist-related content inside of the Rogue Harbour, a new social space only accessible by consuming a Rogue Marker. This location houses all NPC Rogues, fences that will purchase Heist rewards for Rogue Markers, as well as the ability to start Contracts and Blueprints. Players will need to frequent the Rogue Harbour to gear up their characters, plan out Grand Heists using Blueprints, and complete Contracts they own.
Alert Level
The most noticeable change from typical Path of Exile content and Heists is the alert level. This gauge will fill based on opening chests and being spotted by certain objects in the environment.
Loot as many objects as possible on the way to the objective, but do take note of how much chests contribute to the meter. Smaller footlocker chests that dot the level generate much less alert than the larger side room chests. Should the alert level in a Heist reach or exceed 100%, players will be given a short period to steal the objective item before it closes forever. Breaking the cabinet that contains the objective item will start the next section of a Heist.
Escaping
Once players have the objective item in their inventory, lockdown will begin. At this stage, enemies will spill into the level in large numbers. Players will need to backtrack to the start of the level and escape without dying. Dying during this part will result in all stolen items being left on the ground. It is highly encouraged to bring Decoy Totems, minions, or some form of aggro-control to make the chokepoint fights much more manageable as guards can easily one-shot players when they enter a new room.
Blueprints
Completing normal Contracts is rewarding on its own, but players that have geared and high-level Rogues will want to complete a few Grand Heists. These are known as Blueprints in-game, which act as Contracts that require planning before they can be started.
Blueprints are used to perform Grand Heists. They work like Contracts, but additional details can be revealed to open up new wings and reward rooms. They contain rewards pertaining to experimented items.
Gearing Rogues
Players can give Rogues items that grant bonuses that range from increased item drops to reducing alert level gains. As with most items in Path of Exile, these items can be upgraded using currency items such as Orbs of Alchemy. Rogue items randomly drop from Heist missions either from slain guards or chests. Gear up Rogues when possible to maximize rewards.
How to get a Trinket
Grand Heists offer exclusive new rewards such as Heist Trinkets, Weapon and Body Armour Enchantments, Alternate-quality Gems and Replica Unique Items. You can also buy POE currency at eznpc.
How do Thieves’ Trinkets work in a party?
The effect of a Trinket is tied to the person so whoever opens the chest or makes the kill will have their Trinket in effect. It’s not tied to whoever started the Heist.
Tilesets
Similar to how Jobs influence rewards, so too do Heist tilesets influence the enemies within. The tilesets are Bunker, Smuggler's Den, Laboratory, Repository, Prohibited Library, Tunnels, Underbelly, Records Office, and Mansion. Most of these locations play the same, but there are a few differences with some of the enemy types. Repository, for example, has robots inside the Heist that are non-hostile until either lockdown begins or they are damaged.