Polaris pairs Throne and Liberty's two most recent ranged and reach options. The Orb places up to three summoned spheres that barrier allies, block advances or detonate on command; the Spear brings reach, Gale Rush and Ignite stacking. It is a zoning build — you shape the ground first and fight on it second — and it rewards planning far more than reaction.
This is the thinking player's Spear build. Here's how the Orb's placement mechanic changes the way the Spear is played.
What the build is
The Orb arrived in the New Wave update as an area-control weapon unlike anything else in the game. You place up to three spheres at roughly 12m — extendable through stats — and trigger them when you choose, to shield allies, deny ground, or open a hole in a line. It scales off Wisdom and rewards pre-planning. The Spear supplies the body and the damage: reach that lets you contest a zone without standing in it, Gale Rush to reposition, and Ignite, which stacks on critical hits to ten and then detonates for heavy area damage. The two share a logic — both are about controlling a piece of ground and making it expensive.
Why players run it
- Two area-damage sources — sphere detonations and Ignite explosions both hit clusters.
- Reach plus zoning — you can contest ground you aren't standing on.
- Barriers cover the Spear's weakness — it has no defensive cooldowns of its own.
- Almost unexplored — both weapons are post-launch, and the pairing is rarer still.
How to play it
The spheres go down before the fight, not during it — that's the single thing that separates a good Polaris from a bad one. The Orb rewards reading where a fight is about to happen, and a sphere placed in the wrong spot cannot be corrected once the fighting starts. Split Wisdom and Strength: Wisdom is how often your spheres come back and how far you can place them, Strength is why you can hold the ground they're covering. Dexterity is third but not optional, since Ignite stacks only on crits. In group fights this build is at its best where people are forced to funnel — a choke point with your spheres on it and Ignite stacking in the crowd produces more damage than the build looks capable of on paper.
The honest trade-off
✓ Why to run it
- Genuine area control, which few melee-leaning builds offer.
- Two independent sources of area damage.
- Orb barriers cover the Spear's complete lack of defensive tools.
- Very rare — opponents have no practised answer to it.
△ Honest caveats
- Placement is unforgiving — a badly-placed sphere is simply wasted.
- Three stats want your points: Wisdom, Strength and Dexterity.
- Weak in fast-moving open-field fights where you can't pre-place.
- Both weapons are recent, so balance changes hit this build twice.
Kit for a zoning build
Sphere placement is a precision targeting task performed before and during contact. Accuracy is the thing worth spending on.
Quick answers
Is the Polaris good in Throne and Liberty?
It's a strong zoning build in fights where you can pre-place spheres — chokepoints and sieges especially. It's weaker in fast open-field skirmishes where there's no time to set up.
What stats should a Polaris prioritize?
Wisdom and Strength together — Wisdom for sphere cooldowns and placement range, Strength for the health to hold ground. Dexterity third, since Ignite still needs critical hits.
How do Orb spheres work?
You place up to three at around 12m, extendable through stats, and trigger them on command. They can barrier allies, deny an advance, or detonate to create an opening.
Is it beginner-friendly?
Not really. The weapons are simple individually, but the build's value comes from reading a fight before it starts, which takes experience to do well.