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Surviving PoE2: Selecting Your First Character

Authore: GraceUpdate:Mar 29,2025

Embarking on your journey in Path of Exile 2 during the early access phase starts with a crucial decision: selecting your character. With six classes, each boasting two Ascendancy Classes, the choice can be daunting. Imagine the complexity when developers introduce six more classes and an additional Ascendancy Class each! To help you navigate this decision, we'll explore the best builds for each class in Path of Exile 2.

Path of Exile 2Image: screenplaysmag.com

Table of Contents ---

  • 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

Best Witch Build in PoE2

For the Witch, the Minion Summoner Infernalist build stands out as it maximizes her potential as a summoner, offering a balanced and engaging playstyle for newcomers. Unlike the Blood Mage, who teeters on the edge of life and death, the Infernalist provides a more stable approach. You'll summon a variety of creatures to fight alongside you, and the ability to transform into a demonic form adds a thrilling twist to your gameplay.

Best Witch Build in PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

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

This build positions the Witch as one of the top characters in PoE2. Leading a horde of undead and demons into battle, you'll need to support your minions with fire spells and dodge during intense boss fights. Remember to cast Vulnerability to debuff enemies. Flame Wall not only inflicts area damage but also summons Raging Spirits, while Detonate Dead requires fresh corpses for its AoE effect. Skeletons, supported by Skeletal Clerics, offer a more sustainable option than temporary zombies. Experiment with various minion combinations to maximize your battlefield impact.

Minion Summoner PoE2Image: sportskeeda.com

Best Mercenary Build in PoE2

The Mercenary's unique gameplay shines through with the FrostFerno Witch Hunter build, which blends fire and ice skills using dual crossbows and separate passive skill trees. This hybrid approach freezes foes before engulfing them in flames and smoke.

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

FrostFerno Witch Hunter PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

FrostFerno Witch Hunter Gameplay Tips

The FrostFerno Witch Hunter's unique playstyle secures its place among the top builds in PoE2. Begin by using Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards with Herald of Thunder to clear mobs effectively. As you progress, Explosive Shot unleashes your inner pyromaniac. Use Explosive and Gas Grenades to devastate the battlefield, ensuring enemies are frozen first with Permafrost Bolts. Enhance your freeze duration with Hypothermia and Biting Cold gems, and tailor your weapons and skills to maximize ice and fire damage bonuses.

FrostFerno Witch Hunter Poe2Image: sportskeeda.com

Best Monk Build in PoE2

The Herald of Thunder Invoker is the go-to build for the Monk, balancing strong defense with sufficient damage for campaign completion and endgame progression. Herald of Thunder is the core skill, making this build ideal for newcomers due to its survivability.

Best Monk Build in PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

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

Early on, rely on Quarterstaff Strike for quick, effective melee attacks. As you level up and acquire the Herald of Thunder buff, your strikes will unleash lightning bolts, transforming you into a living storm. Tempest Flurry and Orb of Storms will help control crowds, while Tempest Bell and Storm Wave deliver powerful AoE damage. Utilize Vaulting Impact for mobility and Staggering Palm to stun and electrify enemies, enhancing your survivability and control on the battlefield.

Herald of Thunder InvokerImage: gamerant.com

Best Warrior Build in PoE2

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

Best Warrior Build in PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

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

Start with Earthquake and Shockwave Totem for efficient mob clearing. Mace Strike, enhanced with gems, will deliver high damage to single targets, while Rolling Slam enhances your mobility and survivability. As you progress, unlock exclusive Warbinger skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts to break enemy armor and boost your damage output. If you prefer a mace-and-shield setup, focus on Giant's Blood, Glancing Blows, Turtle Charm, and Renly's Training to enhance your defensive capabilities while maintaining offensive power.

Armour Breaker WarbingerImage: eurogamer.net

Best Sorceress Build in PoE2

The Ember Fusillade Stormweaver build for the Sorceress strikes a balance between damage and survivability, enabling quick progression through campaign acts and high levels.

Best Sorceress BuildImage: skycoach.gg

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, progressing to more powerful spells as you level up. Use Flame Walls to boost the fire damage of your Spark projectiles. Once you gain Solar Orb, you can phase out Spark. Enhance Ember Fusillade with Scattershot and Controlled Destruction support gems. Flammability will weaken bosses and increase your damage output. As you level up, prioritize nodes like Exploit the Element, Potent Incantation, and Dampening Shield. Use a rotation of Flammability, 3x Fusillade, Flame Wall, Solar Orb, and Firestorm to maximize fire damage against bosses. Employ Blasphemy Enfeeble for added defense when needed.

Ember Fusillade StormweaverImage: bo3.gg

Best Ranger Build in PoE2

The Deadeye Grenadier build offers excellent mobility and area damage, perfect for both clearing locations and battling bosses. However, its lack of survivability may challenge newcomers. If you're up for the challenge, prepare for explosive gameplay.

Best Ranger Build in PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

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 bombard them with grenades, poison, and explosive shots. Opt for a crossbow over a bow for this build, leveraging its high physical and elemental damage. Stack Evasion, Elemental Resistances, and movement speed buffs. Initially, rely on Fragmentation Rounds and Permafrost Bolts. Use Flash Grenade to stun bosses, followed by Explosive Grenades. Gas Grenade creates a poisonous cloud that weakens enemy armor, setting the stage for Explosive Shot to detonate gas clouds and deal massive damage.

Deadeye GrenadierImage: reddit.com


These are the top builds in Path of Exile 2 at the moment, but with new heroes and balance changes on the horizon, the meta will evolve. We hope this guide has helped you make an informed choice and set you on the path to mastering your chosen class!