Choosing the Perfect PoE2 Character for Survival in a Cutthroat World

Path of Exile 2: Top Builds for 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 options are plentiful. This guide highlights the currently top-performing builds, but remember that balance changes may shift the meta.

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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 an army of undead and demons, providing fire support and employing strategic maneuvers during boss encounters. 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: Master minion management, utilize Vulnerability debuffs, and leverage Flame Wall's area damage and spirit summoning. Experiment with different minion combinations for optimal battlefield control.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

This hybrid build combines fire and ice skills, 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 damage. Optimize your setup for maximum fire and ice damage bonuses.

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Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker

This build offers excellent survivability and damage output, making it ideal for both campaign progression and endgame content. The Herald of Thunder skill is central to its effectiveness.

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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 leverage Vaulting Impact and Staggering Palm for mobility and crowd control.

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Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger

This build provides a balanced approach, utilizing a two-handed mace for high damage while maintaining 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, and Mace Strike for single-target damage. Leverage Warbinger ascendancy skills to break enemy armor.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

This build balances damage and survivability, allowing for efficient campaign progression.

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

Gameplay Tips: Utilize Flame Wall for protection and damage amplification, and Ember Fusillade as your primary damage source. Prioritize nodes that enhance elemental damage and survivability.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

This build excels at area damage and mobility but requires more 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: Utilize freeze effects and explosive damage for maximum impact. Focus on evasion, elemental resistances, and movement speed.

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This guide provides a starting point for your Path of Exile 2 journey. Experimentation and adaptation are key to mastering these builds and discovering your own preferred playstyles. Remember that the meta is subject to change.