Path of Exile 2: Top Tier Builds for Early Access
Choosing your starting class in Path of Exile 2's early access can be daunting with six classes and two Ascendancy options each. This guide highlights optimal builds for each class, focusing on effectiveness and ease of use for new players. Note that future updates may shift the meta.
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Witch: Minion Summoner Infernalist
This build maximizes the Witch's summoning potential, offering a balanced and less demanding experience for beginners compared to the riskier Blood Mage. You'll command a horde of undead and demonic minions, supported by your own fire-based attacks. The ability to transform into a demonic form adds a unique gameplay element.
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Key Skills: Skeletal Brute, Skeletal Cleric, Pain Offering, Skeletal Arsonist, Detonate Dead, Flame Wall, Raging Spirits, Vulnerability, Summon Infernal Hound.
Gameplay Tips: Maintain fire support for your minions, utilize Vulnerability debuffs, and master strategic positioning during boss fights. Experiment with minion combinations for optimal battlefield control. Skeletal Clerics are crucial for sustaining your army.
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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter
This hybrid build combines fire and ice damage using crossbows, offering a unique and effective playstyle throughout the game.
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Key Skills: Permafrost Bolts, Explosive Grenade, Gas Grenade, Explosive Shot, Herald of Ash, Galvanic Shards, Herald of Thunder.
Gameplay Tips: Freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards, then unleash devastating explosive attacks. Utilize Hypothermia and Biting Cold for extended freeze durations. Optimize your gear for both fire and ice damage bonuses.
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Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker
This build prioritizes defense while delivering substantial damage, making it ideal for both campaign progression and endgame content. Its survivability makes it beginner-friendly.
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Key Skills: Tempest Flurry, Tempest Bell, Staggering Palm, Vaulting Impact, Orb of Storms, Storm Wave.
Gameplay Tips: Utilize Tempest Flurry and Orb of Storms for crowd control, and Tempest Bell and Storm Wave for AoE damage. Vaulting Impact and Staggering Palm enhance mobility and control.
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Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger
This balanced build utilizes a two-handed mace for high damage output while maintaining excellent survivability in melee combat.
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Key Skills: Mace Strike, Stampede, Leap Slam, Ancestral Warrior Totem, Scavenged Plating, Hammer of the Gods, Seismic Cry, Attrition.
Gameplay Tips: Utilize Earthquake and Shockwave Totem for clearing large groups of enemies. Mace Strike provides high single-target damage, while Rolling Slam offers mobility and defense. Maximize armor penetration for increased damage.
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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver
This build offers a strong balance of damage and survivability, facilitating quick leveling and campaign completion.
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Key Skills: Spark, Flame Wall, Ember Fusillade, Solar Orb, Firestorm, Flammability, Blasphemy (Enfeeble).
Gameplay Tips: Use Flame Wall for defensive positioning and Spark for initial damage. Transition to Ember Fusillade, Solar Orb, and Firestorm for high damage output. Utilize Flammability for increased damage and Blasphemy (Enfeeble) for added defense.
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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier
This build excels at area-of-effect damage and mobility but demands higher player skill due to lower survivability.
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Key Skills: Permafrost Bolts, Fragmentation Rounds, Flash Grenade, Gas Grenade, Explosive Shot, Explosive Grenade, Rapid Shot.
Gameplay Tips: Prioritize freezing enemies, then utilize grenades for massive AoE damage. Focus on evasion, elemental resistances, and movement speed. Exploit Gas Grenade's weakening effect.
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These builds represent strong starting points, but remember that experimentation and adaptation are key to mastering Path of Exile 2. Game balance changes may affect their effectiveness over time.
