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PoE 2 Guide

PoE 2 Which Class + Ascendancy to Pick

Classes

By Mobalytics

Updated on Nov 26, 2024

Nov 26, 2024

PoE 2 Which Class Should You Pick?

This article is written by Ronarray. Here is a link to his Youtube Channel for more resources on PoE 2!

In PoE 2 Early Access, we will have 6 classes available, each with a different archetype and approach to gameplay.

There is the Warrior, Monk, Mercenary, Sorceress, Witch and Ranger.

Choosing the Class will affect your starting position on the Passive tree but will not limit your skill choices. If you want to play a warrior with a Crossbow or Witch with a 2-Handed Sword, nothing is stopping you from trying.

Experimenting has always been an essential part of Path of Exile but if you are new to the game it is recommended to stick with the skill recommendations that were added to help beginners.

Furthermore, you will have an option to ascend your character as well.

In the Early Access each class has 2 Ascendancy options leaving us with 12 possible sub classes.

Choosing your Ascendancy will help you specialize your character and get some new skills or strong passive effects. You want to choose the one which compliments your playstyle and skills.

The main point of this guide is to tell you more about each Class and Ascendancy and help you pick the one that will best suit your preferences.

If you want to see some gameplay examples or listen to the Creators representing classes - check out the video on the right.

Disclaimer: Take the ratings with a grain of salt as these are based off minimal information from preview information.

Video

Mercenary

Merc is a mash up of Rogue and a Warrior archetypes that create and unusual combo. It is inspired by Third-Person Shooter gameplay but adapted for ARPG genre.

It also looks like one of the most flexible classes which can dive into melee or ranged playstyle.

Pick a Mercenary if you enjoy experimenting, versatility or blowing up your enemies with bombs.

Overview

poe 2 mercenary overview

Ratings*

poe 2 mercenary ratings

Mercenary Ascendancy Classes

Witchhunter

Witchhunter is a heavy damage oriented Ascendancy. It has Judge, Jury, and Executioner which improves your first hit damage and can take up to 30% of enemies health with the first hit.

Zealous Inquisition is a great way to improve your clear providing satisfying explosions.

This Ascendancy will excel in doing huge damage to enemies and can rely on a ranged playstyle to survive.

Gemling Legionnaire

Legionnaire looks like one of the most versatile Ascendancies. He can boost Gem Quality for various benefits, use more skill slots for cool combos, AND improve max Resistances based on socket colors.

He can also meet Attribute requirements with his highest Attribute, making balancing stats a breeze.

This Ascendancy will be a "Jack of All Trades," stacking well with both Crossbow and Melee playstyle.

Monk

Monk is a great combination of Mage/Rogue and Warrior Archetypes.

Choose Monk if you like it is fast and fluid gameplay together with some Elemental combos.

It is also a natural choice for Energy Shield options and Chaos Damage builds.

Overview

poe 2 monk overview

Ratings*

poe 2 monk ratings

Monk Ascendancy Classes

Invoker

The Invoker is an elemental damage oriented Monk that can use a special form - Unbound Avatar - to improve the damage and apply more Elemental Ailments on enemies. The Invoker can also shoot out waves of Elemental damage on Critical Strike.

Invoker can also double his energy shield which can improve survivability significantly.

This ascendancy will be great for Energy Shield stacking and Elemental Oriented Playstyle.

Acolyte of Chayula

Acolyte of Chayula Is Specialized in Chaos Attacks and has access to instant Mana Leech, improving quality of life while you are spamming mana hungry Monk Skills.

You can even combine this with "Mind of Matter" which lets you take damage from your Mana before Life/ES to make yourself tankier.

Additionally Acolyte can get access to the Darkness resource which replaces Spirit but can boost both your tankiness and damage.

This ascendancy will be great for Chaos Skills and Sustain / Leech oriented playstyle.

Warrior

The Warrior is the ever living melee archetype.

Go for it if you like slamming things with big weapons and overall being a big hulking tank OR if you enjoy using a slower but safer totem playstyle.

Warrior is also a natural pick in case if you want to utilize Shield or 2-Handed weapons.

Overview

poe 2 warrior overview

Ratings*

poe 2 warrior ratings

Warrior Ascendancy Classes

Warbringer

Warbringer can summon ancestral spirits and empower totems with them. Apart from that it gives you an opportunity to Warcry without cooldowns for various benefits such as blowing up corpses when you Warcry.

Additionally, Warbringer can utilize Jade Heritage, which will allow you to gain Jade stacks to receive less damage and tank bigger hits head on.

This ascendancy will be great for Totems or Warcry oriented playstyle.

Titan

Titan can add aftershock to the slams improving the damage significantly.

You can also make all your hits Crushing Blows, lowering enemies' physical damage reduction.

But the main dish here is "Surprising Strength" which allows you to do 40% increase damage against heavy stunned enemies.

This ascendancy will be great for Stun or Aftershock based straightforward playstyle.

Ranger

Ranger is the classic archer archetype, but with a twist.

Pick Ranger if you would like to specialize in Elemental attacks and combine the elements with the opportunity to immobilize bosses and shock enemies increasing damage taken by them.

Apart from that Ranger is not a stranger to using Poison and damage over time skills that destroy enemies slowly but steadily.

Overview

poe 2 ranger overview

Ratings*

poe 2 ranger stats

Ranger Ascendancy Classes

Deadeye

Deadeye is similar to its PoE 1 counterpart it is focused on increasing projectile damage and quantity.

With Eagle Eyes the Accuracy range penalty is removed and you can stop worrying about disengaging, so offscreening will feel better than ever.

Additional projectiles from Endless Munition is a great way to destroy your opponents faster and Tailwind from Gathering Winds will make Deadeye one of the fastest characters.

This Ascendancy is great for Bow / Crossbows or Projectile related skills.

Pathfinder

Pathfinder can throw offensive Concoctions which can lead to some truly unique builds and combinations.

But apart from those most of the Pathfinder skill kit is Poison oriented.

Overwhelming Toxicity doubles amount of Poison that you can inflict on enemies which will help you to destroy enemies with poison much faster while Contamination will improve your clear allowing your poisons to spread.

This Ascendancy is a natural pick for Concoctions builds or Poison related playstyle.

Witch

The Witch is the dark mage Archetype with some summons on top.

This is the go to choice for anyone willing to raise an undead army of unholy creatures or if you are interested in Blood Magic using your life to improve your damage.

The Witch can also specialize in Curses making enemies weaker either to boost her minions or finish off her foes herself.

Overview

poe 2 witch overview

Ratings*

poe 2 witch ratings

Witch Ascendancy Classes

Infernalist

This Ascendancy heavily focuses on Fire and Ignite damage.

With the Infernal Flame Ascendancy Passive you turn your mana into Infernal Flame that instead of being spent is gained when you use skills.

Once it reaches the maximum your character takes Fire damage. This skill should make mana sustain nonexistent, yet the life sustain can be a bit of a challenge.

This passive combines perfectly with Bringer of Flame, making all your damage cast not on low Infernal Flame contribute to Ignite. So now matter what she plays the Infernalist will always make it burn.

This Ascendancy is mostly based around fire elemental skills so it will be a natural pick for it.

Blood Mage

Blood mage will be able to spend health instead of mana for skill costs which is a pretty unique and powerful mechanics, solving your mana issue completeley.

With Gore Spike you also get Damage that scales from your maximum health. This way you get tankier AND hit harder the more health you have.

This Ascendancy will shine in combination with spells and would gravitate towards tanky mage playstyle.

Sorceress

Sorceress is a pure Mage archetype with a spicy addition of time or elemental control on top.

Choose Sorceress If you would like to play a versatile spellcaster that can bend time while blasting enemies with flashy elemental skills.

Sorceress is a natural pick for all elemental related abilities, from spells to bow or staff skills.

Overview

poe 2 sorceress overview

Ratings*

poe 2 sorceress ratings

Sorceress Ascendancy Classes

Storm Weaver

Storm Weaver is damage oriented with extra synergies for critical strikes, that can spawn Elemental storms whenever you crit an enemy.

Weaver can also shock enemies with any type of damage which allows you to utilize Shock with Fire or Cold skills while Strike Twice doubles your shock to boost DPS.

This Ascendancy will be a great all rounder for elemental related playstyle.

Chronomancer

Chronomancer grants you an ability to manipulate time, in many ways.

You can return your character to a few seconds in the past, restoring your health and position with Temporal Rift or reset your cooldowns immediatley with Time Snap.

Or Freeze in time all enemies on the screen which can be combined with a set of duration skills.

This Ascendancy will be a wild card that works well with many Duration / High Cooldown Skills.