Home > News > "Surviving PoE2: Selecting Your First Character"

"Surviving PoE2: Selecting Your First Character"

By EllieApr 13,2025

When you dive into the early access phase of Path of Exile 2, the first decision you'll face is choosing your character. With six different classes, each boasting two Ascendancy Classes, the choice can be daunting. And with the promise of six more classes and an additional Ascendancy Class on the horizon, the decision might seem even more overwhelming. To help you navigate this, we're here to outline the best builds currently available in Path of Exile 2.

Path of Exile 2Image: screenplaysmag.com

Table of Content ---

  • Best Witch Build in PoE2: Minion Summoner Infernalist
    • Important Skills
    • Gameplay Tips
  • Best Mercenary Build in PoE2: FrostFerno Witch Hunter
    • Important Skills
    • Gameplay Tips
  • Best Monk Build in PoE2: Herald of Thunder Invoker
    • Important Skills
    • Gameplay Tips
  • Best Warrior Build in PoE2: Armour Breaker Warbinger
    • Important Skills
    • Gameplay Tips
  • Best Sorceress Build in PoE2: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver
    • Important Skills
    • Gameplay Tips
  • Best Ranger Build in PoE2: Deadeye Grenadier
    • Important Skills
    • Gameplay Tips

Best Witch Build in PoE2

The top build for the Witch in Path of Exile 2 is the Minion Summoner Infernalist. This build harnesses the full potential of the Witch as a summoner and is particularly beginner-friendly. Unlike the Blood Mage, which teeters on the brink of life and death, the Infernalist offers a more balanced approach. In combat, you'll summon creatures to fight alongside you, and the unique ability to transform into a demonic form adds both fun and flair to your gameplay!

Best Witch Build in PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

Minion Summoner Infernalist Important Skills

  • Skeletal Brute + Martial Tempo & Heavy Swing
  • Skeletal Cleric + Arcane Tempo
  • Pain Offering + Ablation
  • Skeletal Arsonist + Feeding Frenzy & Scattershot
  • Detonate Dead + Magnified Effect & Spell Echo
  • Flame Wall + Fortress & Persistence
  • Raging Spirits + Fire Infusion & Immolate
  • Vulnerability + Focused Curse
  • Summon Infernal Hound

Minion Summoner Infernalist Gameplay Tips

This Witch build is among the top in Path of Exile 2. Though the playstyle may not appeal to everyone, it's worth trying out. Leading a horde of undead and demonic creatures into battle, you'll need to provide fire support and maneuver skillfully, especially during boss fights. Don't forget to cast Vulnerability to debuff enemies.

Flame Wall not only deals area damage but also summons Raging Spirits. Detonate Dead requires fresh corpses for AoE damage, and you can temporarily turn corpses into zombies or smaller minions. Skeletons, however, are more beneficial as their duration is not time-limited, especially with Skeletal Clerics to support them.

Pain Offering sacrifices one Skeleton to enhance the attacks of the remaining ones. The Minion Summoner Infernalist offers a wide range of creatures to summon, allowing for varied and exciting combinations on the battlefield.

Best Mercenary Build in PoE2

The Mercenary's unique gameplay in Path of Exile 2 shines through the FrostFerno Witch Hunter build. This build blends fire and ice skills, utilizing two crossbows and two passive skill trees, making it effective from early to late game.

FrostFerno Witch Hunter Important Skills

  • Permafrost Bolts + Glaciation & Ice Bite & Deep Freeze
  • Explosive Grenade + Frostfire & Concentrated Effect & Primal Armament & Eternal Flame & Searing Flame
  • Gas Grenade
  • Explosive Shot + Wildfire & Nimble Reload
  • Herald of Ash + Clarity & Vitality & Precision
  • Galvanic Shards + Lightning Infusion & Pierce
  • Herald of Thunder

FrostFerno Witch Hunter PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

FrostFerno Witch Hunter Gameplay Tips

The FrostFerno Witch Hunter stands out due to its hybrid playstyle, freezing enemies before exploding them in flames and smoke. Early on, use Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards with Herald of Thunder to clear mobs. Later, Explosive Shot will let you embrace your inner pyromaniac!

With Explosive Grenade, Gas Grenade, and Explosive Shot, you can clear the battlefield. Use Permafrost Bolts to freeze enemies, preventing their escape from your grenades. Hypothermia and Biting Cold gems will extend freeze duration, maximizing damage. Utilize two separate skill trees for ice and fire damage, optimizing your weapons and skills for effective bonuses.

Best Monk Build in PoE2

The Herald of Thunder Invoker is the best Monk build in Path of Exile 2, emphasizing defense while still dealing significant damage to progress through the campaign and endgame. Herald of Thunder is the core skill of this build, making it excellent for newcomers due to its survivability.

Best Monk Build in PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

Herald of Thunder Invoker Important Skills

  • Tempest Flurry + Martial Tempo & Lightning Infusion & Crescendo
  • Tempest Bell + Persistence
  • Staggering Palm + Overpower
  • Vaulting Impact
  • Orb of Storms + Unleash
  • Storm Wave + Concentrated Effect & Magnified Effect

Herald of Thunder Invoker Gameplay Tips

In the early game, Quarterstaff Strike will keep enemies at bay. Once you gain the Herald of Thunder buff, your strikes will unleash lightning bolts, turning you into a living storm.

Tempest Flurry showers enemies with lightning strikes, and Orb of Storms helps control crowds. Tempest Bell and Storm Wave clear areas with powerful AoE damage. The Monk's mobility is key to victory, so use Vaulting Impact to charge into enemy crowds and Staggering Palm to stun and electrify opponents.

Best Warrior Build in PoE2

The Armour Breaker Warbinger is the recommended Ascendancy Class for the Warrior, providing a balanced build with a Two-Handed Mace for impressive damage and survivability in intense melees.

Best Warrior Build in PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

Armour Breaker Warbinger Important Skills

  • Mace Strike + Rage & Close Combat & Maim
  • Stampede + Momentum & Fist of War & Brutality & Stomping Ground
  • Leap Slam + Martial Tempo & Holy Descent & Culling Strike
  • Ancestral Warrior Totem + Rolling Slam & Jagged Ground & Ancestral Urgency & Heavy Swing
  • Scavenged Plating + Vitality & Cannibalism
  • Hammer of the Gods + Second Wind & Hourglass & Execute & Concentrated Effect
  • Seismic Cry + Premeditation
  • Attrition

Armour Breaker Warbinger Gameplay Tips

Early on, use Earthquake with Shockwave Totem to clear enemies quickly. Mace Strike with enchanted gems deals high single-target damage, while Rolling Slam enhances mobility and survivability. Later, gain access to Warbinger-exclusive skills like Anvil's Weight and Imploding Impacts to break enemy armor and boost outgoing damage.

For a mace-and-shield setup, focus on Giant's Blood, Glancing Blows, Turtle Charm, and Renly's Training for better survivability. With the right gear and skills, you'll achieve a perfect balance, delivering devastating mace strikes while shrugging off enemy attacks.

Best Sorceress Build in PoE2

The Ember Fusillade Stormweaver is the top Sorceress build, offering a strong balance of damage and survivability to quickly level up and complete campaign acts.

Best Sorceress BuildImage: skycoach.gg

Ember Fusillade Stormweaver Important Skills

  • Spark + Pierce
  • Flame Wall + Fortress
  • Ember Fusillade + Scattershot & Controlled Destruction
  • Solar Orb + Magnified Effect & Fire Exposure
  • Firestorm + Overabundance & Spell Echo
  • Flammability
  • Blasphemy + Enfeeble

Ember Fusillade Stormweaver Gameplay Tips

Start with Spark and Flame Wall, gaining access to more powerful spells as you progress. Use Flame Walls to block mobs and boost Spark's fire damage. Once you acquire Solar Orb, you can shift away from Spark. Enhance Ember Fusillade with Scattershot and Controlled Destruction gems, and use Flammability to weaken bosses and boost your damage.

As you level up, focus on nodes like Exploit the Element, Potent Incantation, and Dampening Shield. For maximum fire damage against bosses, use a rotation of Flammability, 3x Fusillade, Flame Wall, Solar Orb, and Firestorm. If you need more defense, use Blasphemy Enfeeble with extra Spirit.

Best Ranger Build in PoE2

The Deadeye Grenadier offers excellent mobility and area damage, making it ideal for clearing locations and battling bosses. However, its lack of survivability makes it challenging for beginners. If you're confident in your skills, you'll enjoy its explosive gameplay!

Best Ranger Build in PoE2Image: skycoach.gg

Deadeye Grenadier Important Skills

  • Permafrost Bolts + Pierce
  • Fragmentation Rounds + Double Barrel
  • Flash Grenade + Scattershot & Magnified Effect & Ingenuity
  • Gas Grenade + Corrosion & Deadly Poison
  • Explosive Shot
  • Explosive Grenade + Fire Infusion & Execute
  • Rapid Shot + Martial Tempo & Blind

Deadeye Grenadier Gameplay Tips

Freeze enemies, then throw grenades, poison, and explode them! Use a crossbow for this build, which offers high physical damage and elemental bonuses. Stack Evasion, Elemental Resistances, and movement speed buffs.

Initially, rely on Fragmentation Rounds and Permafrost Bolts. Flash Grenade stuns bosses, allowing you to throw Explosive Grenades. Gas Grenade creates a poisonous cloud that weakens armor, and a precise Explosive Shot can ignite the gas clouds for massive damage!


These are the top builds in Path of Exile 2 at the moment, but expect new heroes and tactics as the game evolves. Balance changes may also shift the meta. We hope this guide helps you make an informed choice and find the perfect character to conquer the challenges ahead!

Previous article:Construction Simulator 4: Master Building With Expert Tips Next article:Prickle Launches Minimalist Hedgehog Puzzle Game