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

Embarking on your journey in Path of Exile 2 during the early access phase, the first decision you'll face is selecting your character. With six diverse classes and two Ascendancy Classes for each, choosing the right one can feel daunting. Imagine the excitement when the developers introduce six new classes and an additional Ascendancy Class each! To ease your choice, let's delve into the best builds for Path of Exile 2.

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Table of Content ---

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

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Best Witch Build in PoE2

For the Witch, the Minion Summoner Infernalist stands out as the top build. This path fully harnesses the Witch's potential as a summoner and is ideal for beginners. Unlike the Blood Mage, which teeters on the brink of life and death, the Infernalist offers a balanced approach. In combat, you'll summon a variety of creatures to fight alongside you. Additionally, the ability to transform into a demonic form adds a thrilling twist to the 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 one of the top-tier characters in PoE2. While this playstyle may not be for everyone, experimenting is the key to finding your perfect fit! Commanding a horde of undead and demons of the Abyss, you'll never be bored. You'll need to support your minions with fire-based attacks and dodge during intense boss fights. Don't forget to cast Vulnerability to debuff your enemies.

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Flame Wall not only inflicts area damage but also summons Raging Spirits. Detonate Dead is another powerful AoE skill, but it requires fresh corpses. These corpses can be transformed into temporary zombies or small minions, but Skeletons are more reliable due to their unlimited lifecycle, especially with Skeletal Clerics to support them.

Also read: His blade in Path of Exile 2 is at your service: How to make a Mercenary build. However, not all Skeletons will survive, as Pain Offering sacrifices one to enhance the attacks of the others. The variety of creatures at your disposal allows for endless fun as you summon different combinations to dominate the battlefield.

Best Mercenary Build in PoE2

The Mercenary offers a unique gameplay experience in Path of Exile 2. The FrostFerno Witch Hunter is the top build for both early and late game, blending fire and ice skills with dual crossbows and two 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 hybrid playstyle is why it ranks among the top builds in PoE2. It freezes enemies before engulfing them in flames and smoke. In the early game, use Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards with Herald of Thunder to clear large groups of enemies. Later, Explosive Shot will let you fully embrace your inner pyromaniac!

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With Explosive Grenade, Gas Grenade, and Explosive Shot, you can devastate the battlefield. Start by freezing enemies with Permafrost Bolts to keep them in place for your grenades. Hypothermia and Biting Cold gems will prolong the freeze, allowing you to maximize damage. Utilize two different self-shots, each with its own skill tree, to optimize your ice and fire damage.

Best Monk Build in PoE2

The Herald of Thunder Invoker is the best Monk build currently available in PoE2. It emphasizes defense while still delivering enough damage to progress through the campaign and into the endgame. Herald of Thunder is the core skill for this build, making it an excellent choice for newcomers due to its strong survivability. Let's explore the key skills for leveling up your Monk.

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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 to keep enemies at bay with quick, smooth attacks. Once you level up and gain the Herald of Thunder buff, your strikes will unleash lightning bolts, turning you into a living storm.

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Tempest Flurry will shower enemies with lightning strikes, while Orb of Storms helps control crowds. Tempest Bell and Storm Wave will clear areas with powerful AoE damage. The Monk's mobility is crucial, so use Vaulting Impact to charge into enemy groups and Staggering Palm to stun and electrify opponents, thwarting their attacks.

Best Warrior Build in PoE2

Among the Warrior's two Ascendancy Classes, the Armour Breaker Warbinger is the best choice. This build strikes a balance between dealing impressive damage with a Two-Handed Mace and surviving in the toughest battles.

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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

In the early stages, use Earthquake combined with Shockwave Totem to quickly clear areas. Mace Strike with enchanted gems will deal high damage to single targets, while Rolling Slam enhances mobility and survivability. As you progress, you'll unlock exclusive Warbinger skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts, which will help you break enemy armor and increase your damage output.

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For a mace-and-shield setup, focus on Giant's Blood, Glancing Blows, Turtle Charm, and Renly's Training to boost your survivability. With the right gear and skills, you'll achieve a perfect balance, delivering devastating mace strikes while shrugging off enemy attacks thanks to your robust armor.

Also read: In the footsteps of Ancients: a journey through Vows in PoE 2

Best Sorceress Build in PoE2

The Ember Fusillade Stormweaver is the top Sorceress build, offering a great balance of damage and survivability 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

Start with Spark and Flame Wall, then move on to more powerful spells. Use Flame Walls to block mobs and enhance your Sparks with bonus fire damage. Once you unlock Solar Orb, you can phase out Spark. When you get Ember Fusillade, enhance it with Scattershot and Controlled Destruction support gems. Flammability will weaken bosses and boost your damage.

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As you level up, focus on nodes like Exploit the Element, Potent Incantation, and Dampening Shield. For maximum fire damage against bosses, use this rotation: Flammability, 3x Fusillade, Flame Wall, Solar Orb, and Firestorm. If you need more defense and have extra Spirit, use Blasphemy Enfeeble.

Best Ranger Build in PoE2

The Deadeye Grenadier excels in mobility and area damage, making it ideal for clearing locations and battling bosses. However, its lack of survivability can be challenging for newcomers. If you're unsure of your skills, consider another character. Otherwise, get ready for 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, then bombard them with grenades, poison, and explosions! Use a crossbow for this build, which offers high physical damage and elemental bonuses. Stack Evasion, Elemental Resistances, and movement speed buffs.

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Initially, rely on Fragmentation Rounds and Permafrost Bolts. Use Flash Grenade to stun bosses, then hit them with Explosive Grenades. Gas Grenade creates a poisonous cloud that weakens enemy armor, and a well-timed Explosive Shot can ignite the gas for massive damage!

These are the best builds in Path of Exile 2 at the moment, but expect new heroes and strategies as the game evolves. Balance changes may shift the meta, so stay tuned. We hope this guide helps you make an informed choice and saves you from the gallows of indecision!