PoE2: Character Selection Guide for Beginners

Path of Exile 2: Mastering the Early Access Meta with Top-Tier Builds

Embarking on your Path of Exile 2 journey during early access presents a crucial initial decision: character selection. With six classes, each boasting two Ascendancy classes, and the promise of more to come, choosing the "strongest" can feel daunting. This guide simplifies the process by highlighting optimal builds for each class, focusing on effectiveness and ease of use for early-game success.

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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 archetype. You'll command a horde of undead and demonic minions, adding strategic depth beyond simple summoning.

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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: Support your minion army with fire damage and utilize strategic positioning and Vulnerability debuffs for optimal effectiveness. Master the interplay between Flame Wall, Raging Spirits, and Detonate Dead for maximum area-of-effect damage. Experiment with minion combinations for diverse tactical options.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

This hybrid build seamlessly blends fire and ice damage, utilizing dual crossbows and a unique playstyle for both early and late-game dominance.

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

Gameplay: Freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards, then unleash devastating explosive damage with grenades and Explosive Shot. Master the timing of freezes and explosions for maximum impact.

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Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker

This build prioritizes defense while delivering significant damage, making it ideal for newcomers. 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: Utilize Tempest Flurry and Orb of Storms for crowd control, while Tempest Bell and Storm Wave provide powerful AoE 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 impressive 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, Stampede and Leap Slam for mobility, and Ancestral Warrior Totem for additional support. Focus on armor-breaking mechanics for increased damage output.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

This build offers a strong balance of damage and survivability, enabling rapid progression through the campaign.

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

Gameplay: Utilize Flame Wall for defense and Spark/Ember Fusillade for damage. Solar Orb and Firestorm provide powerful AoE capabilities. Master skill rotations for optimal damage output.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

This high-mobility build excels at AoE damage but demands skillful play 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: Combine freezes, grenades, and explosions for devastating area-of-effect damage. Prioritize evasion and elemental resistances.

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This guide provides a starting point for your Path of Exile 2 journey. Remember that balance changes and future content may impact build viability. Choose wisely, and conquer Wraeclast!