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. This guide highlights the top builds currently available, offering a blend of power and playability for both new and experienced players. 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 less demanding experience for newcomers compared to the riskier Blood Mage. You'll command a horde of undead and Abyssal demons, providing fire support and utilizing strategic movement.

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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 the interplay between your minion army and your fire support. Strategic use of Vulnerability is crucial. Learn to utilize Flame Wall's area damage and minion summoning aspects. Understand the trade-offs of Pain Offering to maximize your Skeleton's effectiveness.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

A hybrid build combining fire and ice, the FrostFerno Witch Hunter utilizes two crossbows and dual 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: Master the freeze-then-explode strategy. Use Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards early, transitioning to Explosive Shot later. Utilize Explosive Grenade and Gas Grenade for devastating area-of-effect damage. Maximize ice and fire damage bonuses through your gear and skill choices.

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Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker

This build prioritizes defense while delivering substantial damage, making it excellent for both campaign progression and endgame content. Its survivability makes it ideal for new players.

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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. Leverage Vaulting Impact for mobility and Staggering Palm for stunning enemies. Master the timing of your skills to maximize the Herald of Thunder's lightning damage.

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Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger

This balanced build uses 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: Early game, focus on Earthquake and Shockwave Totem for crowd clearing. Mace Strike excels against single targets. Utilize Rolling Slam for mobility and survivability. Later, leverage Warbinger Ascendancy skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts to break enemy armor.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

This build offers a good balance of damage and survivability, allowing for rapid 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, use Spark and Flame Wall. Transition to Ember Fusillade with Scattershot and Controlled Destruction. Utilize Flammability to weaken bosses. Master the skill rotation for maximum damage against bosses.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

This build offers high area-of-effect damage and mobility but requires more skill and less forgiving survivability. Not recommended 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 damage and elemental bonuses. Master the freeze-grenade-explode combo. Focus on evasion, elemental resistances, and movement speed.

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