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

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 numerous. This guide highlights the best builds currently available, categorized by class. Remember, future updates may shift the meta.

Image: screenplaysmag.com

Witch: Minion Summoner Infernalist

This build maximizes the Witch's summoning potential, offering a balanced and beginner-friendly experience compared to the riskier Blood Mage. You'll command a horde of undead and demonic minions, supplementing their attacks with your own fire support. The ability to transform into a demonic form adds a unique gameplay element.

Image: skycoach.gg

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.

Image: sportskeeda.com

Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

A hybrid build utilizing both fire and ice skills with crossbows. This build excels in both early and late game.

Image: skycoach.gg

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 fire-based area-of-effect attacks with your grenades and Explosive Shot. Utilize Hypothermia and Biting Cold for extended freeze durations.

Image: sportskeeda.com

Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker

A strong defensive build that still delivers significant damage. Herald of Thunder is the core skill, making this a good choice for newcomers due to its survivability.

Image: skycoach.gg

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 damage. Vaulting Impact and Staggering Palm provide mobility and crowd control.

Image: gamerant.com

Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger

A balanced build using a two-handed mace for high damage and decent survivability in melee combat.

Image: skycoach.gg

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 control. Mace Strike provides high single-target damage, while Rolling Slam offers mobility and survivability. Warbinger ascendancy skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts enhance damage by breaking enemy armor.

Image: eurogamer.net

Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

A well-rounded build offering a good balance of damage and survivability, allowing for quick progression through the campaign.

Image: skycoach.gg

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

Gameplay Tips: Utilize Flame Wall for defense and bonus fire damage to Spark and Ember Fusillade. Solar Orb and Firestorm provide powerful area-of-effect damage. Flammability weakens enemies, increasing damage output.

Image: bo3.gg

Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

High area-of-effect damage and mobility, but lower survivability makes this a challenging build for beginners.

Image: skycoach.gg

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

Gameplay Tips: Freeze enemies, then use grenades and Explosive Shot for massive area-of-effect damage. Focus on evasion, elemental resistances, and movement speed.

Image: reddit.com

This guide provides a starting point. Experimentation and adaptation are key to mastering Path of Exile 2. Remember that balance changes may impact these builds over time.