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

Embarking on your *Path of Exile 2* journey during early access? Choosing your first character can be daunting, especially with six classes and their respective Ascendancy options. This guide simplifies the decision by highlighting some of the best builds currently available. Prepare yourself for even more choices as the game expands!

Table of Contents

• Best Witch Build in PoE2
• Best Mercenary Build in PoE2
• Best Monk Build in PoE2
• Best Warrior Build in PoE2
• Best Sorceress Build in PoE2
• Best Ranger Build in PoE2

Best Witch Build in PoE2

For Witches, the Minion Summoner Infernalist build shines. It leverages the class's summoning potential, offering a less demanding, balanced playstyle compared to the riskier Blood Mage. Summon creatures, transform into a demonic form, and enjoy diverse gameplay!

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 commands a horde of undead and Abyssal demons. Support your army with fire spells, utilize mobility during boss fights, and remember to cast Vulnerability for crucial debuffs. Flame Wall provides area damage and summons Raging Spirits, while Detonate Dead offers AoE damage using corpses. Experiment with different minion combinations for maximum battlefield mayhem! Pain Offering sacrifices a minion to enhance others.

Skeletons, supported by Skeletal Clerics, prove particularly useful due to their extended lifespan. The vast array of summonable creatures ensures engaging and varied combat.

Best Mercenary Build in PoE2

The FrostFerno Witch Hunter offers a unique and effective Mercenary build for both early and late game. This hybrid build combines fire and ice skills using 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

FrostFerno Witch Hunter Gameplay Tips

Freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards, then unleash devastating fire damage with Explosive Shot and grenades. Early game focuses on Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards with Herald of Thunder, transitioning to Explosive Shot later. Hypothermia and Biting Cold gems extend freeze duration. Maximize ice and fire damage through skillful weapon and skill combinations.

Best Monk Build in PoE2

The Herald of Thunder Invoker is a top Monk build, balancing defense and damage for campaign completion and endgame progression. Its survivability makes it ideal for newcomers.

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 game utilizes Quarterstaff Strike. Herald of Thunder empowers attacks with lightning, while Tempest Flurry unleashes a storm of strikes. Orb of Storms controls crowds, and Tempest Bell/Storm Wave provide AoE damage. Vaulting Impact offers mobility, and Staggering Palm stuns enemies.

Best Warrior Build in PoE2

The Armour Breaker Warbinger, wielding a two-handed mace, provides a balanced Warrior build with high damage and survivability.

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 game utilizes Earthquake and Shockwave Totem for crowd control. Mace Strike deals high single-target damage, while Rolling Slam offers mobility and survivability. Later, Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts enhance damage by breaking enemy armor. A mace-and-shield setup benefits from Giant's Blood, Glancing Blows, Turtle Charm, and Renly's Training.

Best Sorceress Build in PoE2

The Ember Fusillade Stormweaver offers a Sorceress build balancing damage and survivability for efficient leveling and campaign completion.

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, transitioning to Solar Orb and Ember Fusillade (enhanced with Scattershot and Controlled Destruction). Flammability weakens enemies, increasing damage. Focus on Exploit the Element, Potent Incantation, and Dampening Shield nodes. A sample rotation includes Flammability, 3x Fusillade, Flame Wall, Solar Orb, and Firestorm. Blasphemy Enfeeble provides additional defense.

Best Ranger Build in PoE2

The Deadeye Grenadier boasts high mobility and AoE damage, excelling in both clearing and boss fights. However, its lower survivability makes it challenging for beginners.

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

Use a crossbow for high physical and elemental damage. Freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts, then use grenades (Flash, Gas, Explosive) for massive AoE damage. Prioritize Evasion, Elemental Resistances, and movement speed. Fragmentation Rounds and Permafrost Bolts are early game staples.

These are some of the top *Path of Exile 2* builds, but remember that balance changes and new content will impact their effectiveness. Happy gaming!