Invasion League Guide
Last Updated:March 3, 2024|Changelog
Introduction
Invasion has been introduced as a hardcore challenge league alongside Ambush in softcore with the patch 1.1.0 on the March 5th, 2014. Invasion is a rather simple mechanic which adds Invasion Bosses to the Maps. Invasion Bosses have unique and deadly abilities and accompagnied by a pack a monsters. There is a total of 42 different Invasion Bosses, some of them being Vaal Side Areas Bosses as well. The league also featured more variety in monsters encountered in Areas, similar to the Area has increased Monster Variety modifier. Invasion is not properly speaking a core game mechanic but there are still some remnants of it in Path of Exile.
Invasion Bosses
| BOSS NAME | MONSTER TYPE | ATTACKS |
| Alpha Paradise | Chimeral | Casts Desecrate Casts Fire Trap detonation Devours corpses to regain life |
| Balus Stoneskull | Bandit | Uses Heavy Strike Uses Flicker Strike Casts Enduring Cry Casts Immortal Call |
| Beheader Ataguchu | Q'ura | Uses Cleave applying Corrupted Blood Uses Cyclone leaving trails of Desecrated Ground |
| Bladeback Guardian | Spiker | Casts Incinerate Nova Casts Ice Spear Casts Shock Nova Ice spears on death Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Bladetooth | Hellion | Casts Enduring Cry Casts Immortal Call Flammability on hit Drops poison bombs Fast attacks Fire damage Ground fire on death Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Blood Morpher | Ape | Casts Creeping Frost Casts Ice Spear Skills have Lesser Multiple Projectiles Support or Greater Multiple Projectiles Support depending on Level Allies Move and Attack Faster |
| Blood Stasis | Ape | Casts Flammability Casts Fireball Casts Molten Shell Enemies are Slowed |
| Corpsestitch | Necromancer | Casts Cold Snap Casts Lightning Warp Casts Desecrate Casts Summon Skeletons Casts Flesh Offering Casts Vulnerability Raises Undead Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos |
| Corrector Draconides | Blackguard | Uses Leap Slam that leaves burning ground Uses Fire variant Lightning Strike Throws Bear Trap Throws Fire Trap Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos |
| Docere Incarnatis | Experimenter | Casts Proximity Shield Casts Physical Blast (similar to Undying Evangelist) Casts Storm Call with Tribal Storm Call Effect Casts Vaal Storm Call Quick Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos |
| Droolscar | Ghost | Casts Desecrate Casts Raise Zombie Casts Detonate Dead Lightning Damage Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos |
| Evocata Apocalyptica | Blackguard | Casts Spark with Spell Totem Support Casts Vaal Fireball with Spell Totem Support Casts Lightning Warp Casts Firestorm Casts Ice Nova Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Genesis Paradisae | Chimeral | Uses Leap Slam that leaves burning ground Casts Creeping Frost Casts Ice Spear Extra Fire & Cold Damage Evasive Resists Cold & Lightning Damage |
| Ghostram | Bone Rhoa | Uses Rhoa Charge Uses Rhoa Stomp |
| Glassmaul | Skeleton | Uses Glacial Hammer Uses Lightning Strike Casts Warlord's Mark Casts Summon Skeletons with Cast when Damage Taken Support Allies deal additional Cold damage Allies deal additional Lightning damage |
| Granitecrush | Rock Golem | Casts Enduring Cry Casts Discharge Quick - Extra Life Rolls over enemies Gains Endurance Charges on hit Gains Frenzy Charges on hit Gains Power Charges on hit Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Grath | Colossal Bonestalker | Casts Enfeeble Casts Vulnerability Casts Summon Skeletons with Spell Totem Support Allies Move and Attack Faster Allies Cannot die aura Resists Cold Damage |
| Graveblood | Cannibal | Casts Spell Echo Ice Spear with Lesser Multiple Projectiles Support Casts Glacial Cascade Casts Frostbite Casts Ice Nova (with Arctic Ice Nova Effect) with Cast when Damage Taken Support Extra Cold Damage Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Guardian of the Mound | Goatman Shaman | Casts Vaal Fireball with Spell Totem Support Casts Storm Call with Tribal Storm Call Effect Casts Molten Shell Casts Summon Skeletons with Spell Totem Support Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Harbinger of Elements | Skeletal Mage | Casts Fire/Cold/Lightning projectiles Powerful Crits Allies Move and Attack Faster Resists Elemental Damage |
| Jikeji | Totem | Casts Lightning Warp with Spell Totem Support Casts Spark Casts Shock Nova Casts Creeping Frost |
| Judgement Apparatus | Construct | Casts Elemental Weakness Casts Ball Lightning Extra Fire & Cold Damage Fast Attacks Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Junglemare | Ape | Frenzies allies Allies have Energy Shield (Discipline with Discipline Force Field Effect) Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Kall Foxfly | Bandit | Uses Split Arrow Uses Lightning Arrow Uses Explosive Arrow Casts Lightning Warp Throws Bear Trap |
| Konu, Maker of Wind | Goatman | Quick Fast Attacks Uses Leap Slam creating Burning Ground Casts Molten Shell Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Mammothcage | Skeletal Beast | Increased Life Life Regen Allies cannot die Resist Elemental Damage Resist Chaos Damage |
| Mother of the Swarm | Carrion Queen | Soul Eater CastsDetonate Dead Extra Fire Damage Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Nighteater | Cannibal | Casts Temporal Chains Casts Firestorm Throws Bear Trap |
| Pewterfang | Spider | Shroud Walker Uses Viper Strike Uses Flicker Strike Resists Lightning Damage Resists Cold Damage |
| Rancor | Miscreation | Uses Reave Uses Flicker Strike Uses Smoke Mine Casts Ice Spear Has Chaos Degeneration aura Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Shivershell | Shield Crab | Casts Frost Wall Casts Ice Nova Casts Vaal Detonate Dead on Low Life in second form Extra Cold Damage Armoured Enemies are Slowed Summons Spitters (in first form) Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Spinesnap | Maw | Uses Leap Slam with Multistrike Support and Poison Clouds Casts Temporal Chains Quick - Evasive Powerful crits Deals Chaos Damage over Time Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Strangledrift | Watcher | Casts Lightning Warp Casts Ball Lightning Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Tailsinger | Snake | Uses Puncture Casts Frost Wall Throws Poison Bombs Allies have Energy Shield Resists Fire Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| The Bolt Juggler | Undying | Throws Lightning Trap with Multiple Traps Support Throws Ice Nova with Trap Support or Multiple Traps Support Throws Fire Trap with Multiple Traps Support Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| The Book Burner | Undying | Casts Lightning Warp Casts Tornado with Book Effect Throws Bear Trap Far Shot Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| The Duchess | Sea Witch | Soul Eater Casts Raise Zombie Quick Resists Elemental Damage |
| The Firestarter | Undying | Soul Eater Casts Summon Raging Spirit Throws Fire bombs |
| The Raging Mask | Flame Sentinel | Casts Flammability Casts Firestorm Casts Summon Raging Spirit Resists Cold Damage |
| The Revenant | Voidbearer | Casts Searing Bond Uses Cyclone Far Shot Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Wiraq, the Impaler | Y'ara'az | Berserker Uses Dual Strike Resists Elemental Damage Resists Chaos Damage |
| Wonderwalker | Undying | Uses Flicker Strike Uses Puncture Casts Discharge Empowered as kin slain Gains Power Charges on hit Resists Lightning Damage Extra Fire damage |
Sources
Invasion is not a mechanic easily accessible in the core game of Path of Exile, since it was never made core game. However it is still a quite common special mod for Flashback Events ran by GGG from time to time. But there are less and less sources allowing players to deterministically access it.
Kirac used to offer Map Missions with "Slay the Invasion Boss" as objective and used to sell Maps with an implicit modifier (Area is inhabited by 5 additional Invasions Bosses) until 3.18. It also used to be accessible with various Prophecies as well as the introduction of Region Atlas Passive Trees in the 3.14 expansion with 2 notables that have both been retired now:
- Trespassers
- Areas contain additional Invasion Bosses.
- Exotic Goods
- Invasion Bosses in Areas drop 1 additional valuable item. Valuable Items can include stacks of currencies, 6-Linked Items or Gems for instance.
Summary
Invasion Bosses are a long forgotten Path of Exile mechanic which has never been really accessible in the core game besides the actual Invasion League and the Legacy League. Currently, running the sextant modifier is the only way to interact with the mechanic.
Credits
Written by Chewingnom.
Reviewed by Grimro.