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 possibilities are vast. This guide highlights the top builds for each class, offering a solid starting point for your adventure. Note that balance patches may shift the meta over time.

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Witch: Minion Summoner Infernalist

This build excels at summoning and offers a more forgiving experience for new players compared to the riskier Blood Mage. The Infernalist's demonic transformation 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: Manage your minion horde, providing fire support and utilizing Vulnerability debuffs. Master the interplay between Flame Wall, Raging Spirits, and Detonate Dead for optimal AoE damage. Strategic minion sacrifices via Pain Offering enhance your army's effectiveness.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

A hybrid build combining fire and ice, utilizing two crossbows and dual passive skill trees. This build shines in both early and late game.

Key Skills: Permafrost Bolts, Explosive Grenade, Gas Grenade, Explosive Shot, Herald of Ash, Galvanic Shards, Herald of Thunder.

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Gameplay: Freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards, then unleash devastating explosive damage with your grenades and Explosive Shot. Master the timing to maximize damage output.

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Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker

A balanced build emphasizing both defense and damage, making it ideal for newcomers. The Herald of Thunder skill is the cornerstone of this build.

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

Gameplay: Utilize Tempest Flurry and Orb of Storms for crowd control and high damage. Vaulting Impact provides mobility, while Staggering Palm offers crowd control and electrifying attacks.

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Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger

A well-rounded build utilizing 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: Utilize Mace Strike for single-target damage and Rolling Slam for mobility and survivability. Warbinger ascendancy skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts enhance armor-breaking capabilities.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

A balanced build offering high damage and survivability, suitable for quickly progressing through the campaign.

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

Gameplay: Combine Flame Wall and Spark for early game damage. Transition to Ember Fusillade, Solar Orb, and Firestorm for devastating late-game damage. Utilize Flammability for increased damage against bosses.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

A high-mobility, high-area-damage build, but less forgiving for beginners 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: Utilize Permafrost Bolts for freezing, grenades for area damage, and Explosive Shot for devastating finishing blows. Prioritize evasion and elemental resistances.

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These builds provide a strong foundation for your Path of Exile 2 journey. Remember that experimentation and adaptation are key to mastering the game!