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, especially with six classes and two Ascendancy classes each. This guide highlights top-tier builds for each class, offering a head start in your adventure. 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 beginner-friendly experience. The Infernalist Ascendancy avoids the high-risk, high-reward gameplay of Blood Mage, providing a more sustainable approach. You'll command a horde of undead and demonic minions, supplementing their attacks with your own fire support.

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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 encounters. Flame Wall provides both AoE damage and additional minions (Raging Spirits), while Detonate Dead offers another AoE option. Skeletal Clerics provide crucial minion support.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

This hybrid build combines fire and ice damage using crossbows, creating a unique and effective playstyle for both early and late 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 AoE fire damage with your grenades. Utilize Hypothermia and Biting Cold for extended freeze duration. Early game focuses on Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards, transitioning to Explosive Shot later.

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Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker

This build prioritizes defense while delivering substantial damage, making it ideal for newcomers. The core skill, Herald of Thunder, empowers your attacks with lightning.

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Key Skills: Tempest Flurry, Tempest Bell, Staggering Palm, Vaulting Impact, Orb of Storms, Storm Wave.

Gameplay Tips: Early game utilizes Quarterstaff Strike for clearing, transitioning to Herald of Thunder for significant damage. Tempest Flurry and Orb of Storms provide AoE damage and crowd control, while Vaulting Impact and Staggering Palm enhance mobility and crowd control.

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Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger

This balanced build utilizes a two-handed mace for high damage and 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: Early game utilizes Earthquake and Shockwave Totem for AoE clearing, transitioning to Mace Strike for single-target damage. Rolling Slam provides mobility and survivability. Warbinger ascendancy skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts enhance damage by breaking enemy armor.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

This build provides a strong balance of damage and survivability, allowing for efficient progression through the campaign.

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

Gameplay Tips: Early game utilizes Spark and Flame Wall, transitioning to Ember Fusillade and Solar Orb for increased damage. Flammability significantly boosts fire damage. Consider using Blasphemy (Enfeeble) for added defense.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

This mobile build excels at AoE damage but sacrifices survivability, making it challenging for beginners.

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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. Freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts, then use grenades for devastating AoE damage. Focus on evasion, elemental resistances, and movement speed.

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These builds represent strong starting points, but experimentation and adaptation are key to success in Path of Exile 2. Remember to adjust your builds based on your playstyle and available gear.