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

Path of Exile 2: Mastering the Best Builds in Early Access

Choosing your first character in Path of Exile 2's early access can be daunting. With six classes and two Ascendancy classes each, the possibilities are vast. This guide highlights top-tier builds for each class, offering a solid starting point for your adventure. Note that balance changes may impact these rankings over time.

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Witch: Minion Summoner Infernalist

This build maximizes the Witch's summoning potential, offering a less demanding, balanced approach compared to the riskier Blood Mage. You'll command a horde of undead and demonic minions, supplementing their attacks with your own fire-based support. The ability to transform into a demonic form adds a unique and engaging 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 strategic movement during boss fights, and consistently apply Vulnerability debuffs. Experiment with minion combinations for optimal battlefield control. Remember that Pain Offering sacrifices a minion to enhance others.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

This hybrid build combines fire and ice damage, utilizing two crossbows and two passive skill trees for a unique and effective playstyle.

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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 and skills for maximum fire and ice damage.

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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 excellent for new players.

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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 area-of-effect 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 solid 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 crowd clearing. Mace Strike excels against single targets, while Rolling Slam provides mobility and survivability. Warbinger ascendancy skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts enhance damage.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

This build balances damage and survivability, enabling rapid leveling and campaign completion.

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Key Skills: Spark, Flame Wall, Ember Fusillade, Solar Orb, Firestorm, Flammability, Blasphemy (Enfeeble).

Gameplay Tips: Combine Spark and Flame Wall for early game damage. Transition to Ember Fusillade, Solar Orb, and Firestorm for late-game power. Utilize Flammability for damage amplification and Blasphemy (Enfeeble) for defense.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

This build offers high mobility and area-of-effect damage, but its lower survivability presents a steeper learning curve.

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Key Skills: Permafrost Bolts, Fragmentation Rounds, Flash Grenade, Gas Grenade, Explosive Shot, Explosive Grenade, Rapid Shot.

Gameplay Tips: Utilize a crossbow for high physical and elemental damage. Combine freeze effects with explosive and poison damage for devastating attacks. Prioritize evasion, elemental resistances, and movement speed.

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This guide provides a strong foundation for your Path of Exile 2 journey. Remember to adapt your builds based on your playstyle and available gear. Happy Exiling!