How to survive in the harsh world of PoE2: choosing your first character

When you embark on your journey in Path of Exile 2 during the early access phase, the first crucial decision you'll face is selecting your character. With six distinct classes, each boasting two Ascendancy Classes, the choice can be daunting. And with the developers planning to introduce six more classes and an additional Ascendancy Class, the decision might become even more challenging. To help you navigate this choice, let's delve into the best builds for each class in Path of Exile 2.

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Table of Content ---

• Best Witch Build in PoE2: Minion Summoner Infernalist
• Best Mercenary Build in PoE2: FrostFerno Witch Hunter
• Best Monk Build in PoE2: Herald of Thunder Invoker
• Best Warrior Build in PoE2: Armour Breaker Warbinger
• Best Sorceress Build in PoE2: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver
• Best Ranger Build in PoE2: Deadeye Grenadier

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Best Witch Build in PoE2

For the Witch, the Minion Summoner Infernalist build stands out as the top choice. This build maximizes the Witch's potential as a summoner, making it an excellent option for newcomers. Unlike the Blood Mage, which teeters on the brink of life and death, the Infernalist offers a more balanced approach. You'll command a horde of summoned creatures in battle, and with the ability to transform into a demonic form, you add a thrilling twist to your gameplay.

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Minion Summoner Infernalist Important Skills

• Skeletal Brute + Martial Tempo & Heavy Swing
• Skeletal Cleric + Arcane Tempo
• Pain Offering + Ablation
• Skeletal Arsonist + Feeding Frenzy & Scattershot
• Detonate Dead + Magnified Effect & Spell Echo
• Flame Wall + Fortress & Persistence
• Raging Spirits + Fire Infusion & Immolate
• Vulnerability + Focused Curse
• Summon Infernal Hound

Minion Summoner Infernalist Gameplay Tips

The Minion Summoner Infernalist is among the top-tier characters in PoE2. While this playstyle may not suit everyone, it's worth a try. You'll lead a legion of undead and abyssal demons into battle, but your role isn't just to watch. Provide fire support, dodge and weave during boss fights, and don't forget to cast Vulnerability to debuff enemies. Flame Wall not only deals area damage but also summons Raging Spirits. Detonate Dead requires fresh corpses, which can also be temporarily turned into zombies or small minions. Skeletons, supported by Skeletal Clerics, offer a more permanent solution. Pain Offering sacrifices one Skeleton to enhance the others' attacks. With a vast array of creatures at your disposal, you can experiment with different combinations to dominate the battlefield.

Best Mercenary Build in PoE2

The Mercenary introduces a unique gameplay experience in Path of Exile 2. The FrostFerno Witch Hunter build is ideal for both early and late-game stages. This build combines fire and ice skills, utilizing two crossbows and dual passive skill trees.

FrostFerno Witch Hunter Important Skills

• Permafrost Bolts + Glaciation & Ice Bite & Deep Freeze
• Explosive Grenade + Frostfire & Concentrated Effect & Primal Armament & Eternal Flame & Searing Flame
• Gas Grenade
• Explosive Shot + Wildfire & Nimble Reload
• Herald of Ash + Clarity & Vitality & Precision
• Galvanic Shards + Lightning Infusion & Pierce
• Herald of Thunder

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FrostFerno Witch Hunter Gameplay Tips

The FrostFerno Witch Hunter's unique playstyle is a key reason for its top-tier status in PoE2. This hybrid build freezes enemies before igniting them in flames and smoke. Start with Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards alongside Herald of Thunder to clear mobs, then transition to Explosive Shot for a full pyromaniac experience. Use Explosive Grenade, Gas Grenade, and Explosive Shot to devastate the battlefield, but first, freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts to trap them. Enhance your freezing with Hypothermia and Biting Cold gems to maximize damage. Configure your weapons and skills to boost ice and fire damage effectively.

Best Monk Build in PoE2

The Herald of Thunder Invoker is the best Monk build currently available in PoE2, focusing on defense while delivering enough damage to progress through the campaign and endgame. Herald of Thunder is the cornerstone of this build, making it an excellent choice for newcomers due to its high survivability.

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Herald of Thunder Invoker Important Skills

• Tempest Flurry + Martial Tempo & Lightning Infusion & Crescendo
• Tempest Bell + Persistence
• Staggering Palm + Overpower
• Vaulting Impact
• Orb of Storms + Unleash
• Storm Wave + Concentrated Effect & Magnified Effect

Herald of Thunder Invoker Gameplay Tips

In the early game, rely on Quarterstaff Strike for swift attacks on nearby enemies. As you level up and gain the Herald of Thunder buff, your strikes will unleash lightning bolts, transforming you into a living storm. Tempest Flurry showers enemies with lightning, while Orb of Storms controls crowds. Tempest Bell and Storm Wave clear mobs with powerful AoE damage. Utilize the Monk's mobility with Vaulting Impact to charge into enemy groups, and use Staggering Palm to stun and electrify foes, thwarting their attacks.

Best Warrior Build in PoE2

For the Warrior, the Armour Breaker Warbinger build strikes a perfect balance between dealing impressive damage with a Two-Handed Mace and surviving intense melees.

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Armour Breaker Warbinger Important Skills

• Mace Strike + Rage & Close Combat & Maim
• Stampede + Momentum & Fist of War & Brutality & Stomping Ground
• Leap Slam + Martial Tempo & Holy Descent & Culling Strike
• Ancestral Warrior Totem + Rolling Slam & Jagged Ground & Ancestral Urgency & Heavy Swing
• Scavenged Plating + Vitality & Cannibalism
• Hammer of the Gods + Second Wind & Hourglass & Execute & Concentrated Effect
• Seismic Cry + Premeditation
• Attrition

Armour Breaker Warbinger Gameplay Tips

Early on, use Earthquake combined with Shockwave Totem to swiftly clear enemy hordes. Mace Strike with enhanced gems delivers high single-target damage, while Rolling Slam offers mobility and survivability. As you progress, unlock Warbinger-specific skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts to break enemy armor and increase your damage output. For a mace-and-shield setup, focus on Giant's Blood, Glancing Blows, Turtle Charm, and Renly's Training to bolster your survivability. With the right gear and skills, you'll achieve a perfect balance, delivering devastating strikes while shrugging off enemy attacks.

Best Sorceress Build in PoE2

The Ember Fusillade Stormweaver is the top Sorceress build, offering a great balance of damage and survivability, allowing you to quickly progress through the campaign.

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Ember Fusillade Stormweaver Important Skills

• Spark + Pierce
• Flame Wall + Fortress
• Ember Fusillade + Scattershot & Controlled Destruction
• Solar Orb + Magnified Effect & Fire Exposure
• Firestorm + Overabundance & Spell Echo
• Flammability
• Blasphemy + Enfeeble

Ember Fusillade Stormweaver Gameplay Tips

Begin with Spark and Flame Wall, then transition to more powerful spells. Use Flame Walls to block mobs and amplify Spark's fire damage. Once you obtain Solar Orb, you can set Spark aside. Enhance Ember Fusillade with Scattershot and Controlled Destruction support gems. Flammability weakens bosses and boosts your damage. As you level up, prioritize nodes like Exploit the Element, Potent Incantation, and Dampening Shield. For maximum fire damage against bosses, use the following rotation: Flammability, 3x Fusillade, Flame Wall, Solar Orb, and Firestorm. If you need extra defense, use Blasphemy Enfeeble when you have spare Spirit.

Best Ranger Build in PoE2

The Deadeye Grenadier excels in mobility and area damage, making it perfect for both clearing locations and battling bosses. However, its lower survivability may challenge newcomers. If you're confident in your skills, this build promises explosive gameplay.

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Deadeye Grenadier Important Skills

• Permafrost Bolts + Pierce
• Fragmentation Rounds + Double Barrel
• Flash Grenade + Scattershot & Magnified Effect & Ingenuity
• Gas Grenade + Corrosion & Deadly Poison
• Explosive Shot
• Explosive Grenade + Fire Infusion & Execute
• Rapid Shot + Martial Tempo & Blind

Deadeye Grenadier Gameplay Tips

Freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts, then unleash grenades to poison and explode them. Opt for a crossbow with high physical damage and elemental bonuses. Stack Evasion, Elemental Resistances, and movement speed. Start with Fragmentation Rounds and Permafrost Bolts, using Flash Grenade to stun bosses before hitting them with Explosive Grenades. Gas Grenade creates a poisonous cloud that weakens enemy armor, setting the stage for Explosive Shot to ignite the gas and deal massive damage.

These are the best builds in Path of Exile 2 to date, but expect new heroes and strategies as the game evolves. Balance changes may shift the meta, so stay updated. We hope this guide has helped you decide on your character, ensuring you make the most of your Path of Exile 2 journey!