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, the possibilities are vast. This guide highlights the currently strongest builds for each class, offering a head start in Wraeclast.

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Witch: Minion Summoner Infernalist

This build maximizes the Witch's summoning potential, offering a less demanding experience for new players compared to the riskier Blood Mage. Summon a demonic horde, transform into a demon yourself, and unleash hell!

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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, utilizing strategic positioning and Vulnerability debuffs for maximum impact. Flame Wall acts as both damage and additional minion summoning. Detonate Dead provides AoE damage with corpse management.

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Mercenary: FrostFerno Witch Hunter

A hybrid build combining fire and ice, the FrostFerno Witch Hunter utilizes dual crossbows 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: Freeze enemies with Permafrost Bolts and Galvanic Shards, then unleash devastating explosive damage with grenades and Explosive Shot. Utilize Herald of Thunder for additional crowd control and damage.

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Monk: Herald of Thunder Invoker

This build focuses on defensive capabilities while still delivering substantial damage. The Herald of Thunder buff 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 and damage. Vaulting Impact provides mobility, while Staggering Palm stuns and electrifies enemies.

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Warrior: Armour Breaker Warbinger

A balanced build utilizing 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 support. Warbinger ascendancy skills enhance armor-breaking capabilities.

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Sorceress: Ember Fusillade Stormweaver

This build offers a good balance of damage and survivability, allowing for efficient 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 damage and protection, and Ember Fusillade as your primary damage source. Solar Orb and Firestorm provide additional AoE damage.

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Ranger: Deadeye Grenadier

This build boasts high mobility and area damage but requires more skill and experience 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: Freeze enemies, then utilize grenades and Explosive Shot for massive AoE damage. Focus on evasion and elemental resistances.

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These are the top builds currently available, but remember that balance changes and new content will impact their effectiveness over time. Choose wisely, and conquer Wraeclast!