How to survive in the harsh world of PoE2: choosing your first character

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 options each, the possibilities are vast. This guide highlights some of the strongest and most enjoyable builds currently available. Remember, the meta may shift with future updates and balance changes.

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Witch: Minion Summoner Infernalist

This build excels at summoning and is relatively beginner-friendly. The Infernalist Ascendancy offers a balanced approach compared to the riskier Blood Mage. You'll command a horde of undead and demonic minions, 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: Master minion management, utilizing Flame Wall for area damage and minion summoning, and Detonate Dead for corpse explosions. Strategic use of Vulnerability is crucial for maximizing damage.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

This hybrid build combines fire and ice damage using crossbows, offering a unique and effective playstyle for both early and late 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 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 offers excellent survivability while dealing substantial 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 for lightning-fast attacks, Orb of Storms for crowd control, and Tempest Bell/Storm Wave for AoE damage. Vaulting Impact and Staggering Palm provide mobility and crowd control.

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Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger

This balanced build utilizes 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, Stampede and Leap Slam for mobility, and Ancestral Warrior Totem for additional damage and survivability. Focus on breaking enemy armor to maximize damage output.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

This build offers a strong 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: Utilize Flame Wall for defense and damage amplification, Ember Fusillade for high damage, and Solar Orb/Firestorm for AoE. Flammability weakens enemies, increasing damage output.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

This build boasts high mobility and area damage but requires more skill 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 crowd control, and Explosive Shot for massive burst damage. Prioritize evasion and elemental resistances.

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These are just some of the top builds currently available. Experiment and find the playstyle that suits you best! Remember that future updates may alter the balance and viability of these builds.