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PoE 2 Build

[0.4] Thorns Warbringer - Leveling & End Game Guide

Warrior

Warbringer

Starter

End Game

Verified

0.4 TLotD

By KallTorak

Updated on Dec 7, 2025

Dec 7, 2025

Build Overview

Hey guys, KallTorak here! I'm an Off-Meta creator with an affinity for silly goose time builds! This is my Thorns Warbringer build for leveling through the campaign & end game.

Watch This Before League Starting Thorns!!!!

For years now monsters in ARPGs have gotten too used to the idea of hitting us with no repercussion. Thorns is a really fun playstyle where you take damage to deal damage! However that isn't the only way we deal damage. Thorns is a very diverse playstyle that can be used to enhance many different skills in the game. Crown of the Pale King makes it to where all hits we take deal thorns damage and proc us Barbs and Quill Burst. This helmet is required to play thorns, so if you are SSF do not play this build until you have it. Thorns builds play no different than your standard melee skill builds, we just take advantage of the fact that melee characters are always getting pummeled with lots of blows!

Videos
An Introduction To Thorns
Thorns Warbringer Guide
POE NINJA

Streams

Leveling Stream #1
Leveling Stream #2
Leveling Stream #3
Leveling Stream #4
End Game Stream #1
End Game Stream #2

Strengths and Weaknesses

Thorns is cool. Take damage to deal damage!
Cheap, Fun, and Fast Leveling
Warbringers Anvil's Weight removes a lot of the friction around armour breaking. This allows you to easily maintain stacks of Scavenged Plating.

Not SSF / League Start Friendly. Crown of the Pale King is REQUIRED for thorns.
Gotta take damage to deal damage. Always risky in a game with so many one shots. This requires us to invest heavily into defenses.

Build Variants

Act 1 | 1 - 16

Act 2 | 16 - 28

Act 3 | 28 - 40

Act4+ | 38 - 75

Armour Stacker

Avatar of Fire

REMEMBER TO UPGRADE YOUR THORNS GEAR AT THE START OF EACH SECTION. YOUR THORNS DAMAGE DOUBLES AT EVERY LEVEL BRACKET!!!!

Equipment

Act 1 | 1 - 16

Act 2 | 16 - 28

Act 3 | 28 - 40

Act4+ | 38 - 75

Armour Stacker

Avatar of Fire

Set 1

Set 2

Equipment Priority

You can find thorns damage rolls on the following item slots: Belt, Chest, and Shield. You will want to get items with thorns damage rolls at the following leveling brackets:

Level 15 - 11-23 Physical Thorns Damage
Level 30 - 24-53 Physical Thorns Damage
Level 38 - 40-92 Physical Thorns Damage
Level 50 - 64-145 Physical Thorns Damage
Level 59 - 101-220 Physical Thorns Damage

To make the leveling process as smooth as possible you will want to be upgrading your Belt, Chest, and Shield as often as possible. Each level bracket our thorns damage receives a MASSIVE spike. If you find your damage is lacking try upgrading your gear at these level brackets.

Jewels

Prism of Belief for Scavenged Plating. Scavenged plating is where a majority of our thorns damage comes from.
Ruby Thorns Damage > Block Chance(Until 75% cap) > Global Physical Damage > Bleed Hit Chance

Skill Gems

Act 1 | 1 - 16

Act 2 | 16 - 28

Act 3 | 28 - 40

Act4+ | 38 - 75

Armour Stacker

Avatar of Fire

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 90

Dex 20

Int 5

Expand all

Rapid Assault

Rake

Spear Stab

Scavenged Plating

Magma Barrier

Fortifying Cry

Resonating Shield

Leap Slam

Gem Priority

+17

Upgrade to Rapid Attacks III in Rapid Assault. Rake, and Spear Stab. The damage loss doesnt impact our thorns damage. This is good for us. Also add Ancestral Call II to Rake and Rapid Assault.