Path of Exile 2: Top Tier 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 top-performing builds for each class, offering a starting point for your adventure. Remember, balance changes may impact these rankings over time.

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Witch: Minion Summoner Infernalist

This build excels at summoning and offers a smoother learning curve for new players. The Infernalist's balanced approach, compared to the riskier Blood Mage, allows for consistent minion control and the exciting transformation into a demonic form.

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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: Command a horde of undead and Abyssal creatures, supporting them with fire damage and utilizing Vulnerability debuffs. Master the interplay between Flame Wall, Raging Spirits, and Detonate Dead for maximum AoE impact. Strategic minion management is key.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

This hybrid build combines fire and ice damage using crossbows, offering a unique and effective playstyle throughout the game.

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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 fire damage with Explosive Shot and grenades. Master the timing of freezes and explosions for optimal damage output.

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Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker

A highly survivable build that deals significant lightning damage, making it excellent for both campaign progression and endgame content.

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

Gameplay: Utilize Herald of Thunder to empower your lightning attacks. Combine Tempest Flurry and Orb of Storms for crowd control, while Tempest Bell and Storm Wave provide powerful AoE damage. Mobility is crucial; use Vaulting Impact and Staggering Palm effectively.

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Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger

A well-rounded build utilizing a two-handed mace for high damage and solid 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. Break enemy armor with Warbinger ascendancy skills to maximize damage.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

This build offers a good balance of damage and survivability, allowing for efficient campaign completion and smooth progression.

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

Gameplay: Utilize Flame Wall and Spark early on, transitioning to Ember Fusillade, Solar Orb, and Firestorm as you level. Maximize fire damage with Flammability and consider Blasphemy (Enfeeble) for added defense.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

A high-mobility build focused on AoE damage, but less forgiving for new players 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 freezing effects with grenades and explosive damage for devastating AoE attacks. Prioritize evasion and elemental resistances to mitigate the build's fragility.

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These are currently top-performing builds, but future updates and balance changes may shift the meta. Choose the build that best suits your playstyle and enjoy your Path of Exile 2 journey!