Path of Exile 2: Guide to All Ascendancy Classes and How to Choose the Best One

Path of Exile 2 has launched in early access and has literally exploded the gaming community. The game has a huge online presence on Steam and very positive reviews. While Diablo 4 tries to appeal to everyone with its casualness and simplicity, PoE2 unashamedly throws players into a real hell, where just the skill tree alone consists of one and a half thousand passive skills and two hundred skill gems, along with the same number of support gems.

Currently, the game offers 6 out of 12 classes. The Huntress, Druid, Marauder, Duelist, and others will be added in subsequent updates. But even the pool available in early access is more than enough for experiments before the long and grueling endgame in the good sense of the word. In this guide, we will tell you about all the available classes to help you better understand the features of each, as well as the gameplay styles. Additionally, we will suggest which one to choose for a more effective ascension.

Currently, there are six classes available in Path of Exile 2, namely:

Throughout the early access, new classes will be added to the game, so we do not recommend diving deep into the endgame until the game "fattens up" and is content-rich. This is because classes are tied to the character, and you will not be able to change them during the campaign. To avoid being at a disadvantage after dozens of hours and not getting bored with an unsuitable gameplay style, players should clearly understand which class they need.

Mercenary — one of the best classes for the first playthrough. It is perfect for beginners unfamiliar with the ARPG genre and will also appeal to fans of isometric shooters. Despite the lower shooting speed compared to the Ranger, it boasts a good set of powerful attacks: a crossbow that shoots like a shotgun, an assault rifle, a grenade launcher, and a pistol. It has quite high damage, allowing it to easily break through hordes of enemies. By using a combination of abilities: pulling monsters into one point, explosive attack, and elemental damage, you can clear whole crowds at once, compensating for the lack of speed.

In classic ARPGs, "Monks" fight with bare hands. Their abilities are often focused on melee combat. However, in Path of Exile 2, this class was given a staff, which appears to be a more reliable weapon against monsters in forest thickets. The introduced changes to the archetype offer different gameplay sensations compared to games with a traditional vision of the hero. Although the monk is still focused on melee combat, the developers have provided him with many interesting tools for ranged attacks. For example, a giant bell that reflects your attacks onto enemies and a frontal electric cone.

The Monk is a class that should charge headfirst into the thick of battle to gain additional high-damage abilities. Despite the constantly growing power and overall effectiveness, the monk can easily perish without proper control. It is important to understand that this is far from a tank with high armor ratings. In boss battles, players must timely avoid AOE damage and constantly move around the arena. The Monk is undoubtedly one of the most fun and active classes in Path of Exile 2, but be prepared for challenges.

As in other ARPGs, the sorceress in Path of Exile 2 is OP. Especially with the right build. This class is geared towards aggressive play, as its primary task is to clear the location of enemies before they get too close. This is aided by magical spells ranging from fireballs to massive ice arrays. The sorceress actively uses elemental spells for mass extermination of monsters. It is especially effective at dealing with crowds of enemies in narrow spaces.

The sorceress in Path of Exile 2 does not provide radically new emotions and impressions. It is a universal class found in other games of a similar genre. However, if you need a killer capable of destroying entire hordes of monsters at once, this class will appeal to you. It is one of the easiest to master and is perfect for players who like to keep their distance from enemies. You can pre-cast spells in dark dungeon areas to quickly destroy monsters unaware of your presence. Once you learn all the positioning patterns and manage resources, you will quickly become a "killing machine."

The Ranger will appeal to fans of tactical maneuvers. There's nothing better than setting traps around the arena, luring enemies onto them, and finishing them off with special arrows. This class has many abilities that deal excellent damage to a single target as well as multiple targets thanks to AOE skills. You can shoot electric arrows that bounce off enemies and leap away from crowds of enraged monsters while simultaneously freezing them with arrows. The Ranger is a versatile class with a large number of elemental attacks, high mobility, and arena control. Perfect for beginners.

The classic weapon of the Ranger is the bow, but in Path of Exile 2, various characteristics and buffs are provided by the quiver you equip. This expands the variability of equipment and offers more opportunities for experimentation when it comes to build crafting. This class is suitable for players with a creative approach. It has all the necessary skills for effective combat against large crowds of monsters. In the later stages of the game, enemies will start to reflect projectiles and skillfully avoid traps, so you will have to think a lot and be tactical. Additionally, you must constantly attack opponents to maintain a range of negative effects, such as poison; otherwise, damage and efficiency will plummet to unfortunate levels. In general, standing and shooting without doing anything else won't work for you.

Like the sorceress, the warrior is a classic class of any ARPG. Signature traits: physical damage, melee combat, a huge supply of health and stamina. The warrior in Path of Exile 2 can boast very powerful AOE attacks capable of destroying an entire crowd of monsters with a single pinpoint strike. Abilities like "Earthquake," "Totem Shockwave," and "Bone Splitting" will help you in this. Unlike Diablo, this is not the same class where you mindlessly rush into a crowd and scatter opponents left and right. In PoE2, it's important to learn to interrupt animations, memorize timings, and properly calculate your strength before an encounter. On the other hand, it's the safest choice for players who want to fight monsters without worrying about a decreasing health bar.

In addition to damage-dealing skills, the warrior has war cries, which are powerful buffs capable of negatively affecting enemies. This class can literally set enemies on fire with its cry. Additionally, the warrior can break an enemy's armor and deliver an attack with a 500% damage increase. If you want to crush skulls with a hammer and are ready to take on the role of a tank, then this class will definitely appeal to you.

At first glance, it may seem that the Mercenary is not too different from the Ranger, but don't rush to conclusions. This class is more challenging to master, yet it offers more dynamic and diverse gameplay. It can easily turn its crossbow into a shotgun, sniper rifle, and even a machine gun. Each of its skills represents a type of ammunition that will be used later. You can pre-load the crossbow with several bullets to perform a powerful combo. Sneak behind an enemy and use arrows with ice elemental damage. Then, shoot with buckshot to blow their body to smithereens. Fun, smart, and original. In some ways, this hero resembles the character Aphelios from League of Legends.

High firepower and an interesting set of abilities come at a price. As befits a true weapon, the crossbow has a certain number of shots, which varies depending on the type of ammunition chosen. You need to constantly plan the battle in advance. What's better to choose: one shell for the shotgun or seven for the machine gun? Once the ammunition is depleted, the Mercenary will start reloading the crossbow, and during this time, he will be extremely vulnerable. Planning and selecting ammunition for the situation are key to survival. The most interesting class that you should definitely try.

If you don't want to run headlong across the map and dive into crowds of enemies, relying only on good armor and high health, then the Witch is exactly what you need. Essentially, it's a regular Necromancer from Diablo, summoning a crowd of minions and resting on the sidelines while the squad fights monsters. The number of summoned skeletons entirely depends on a unique resource — Spirits. The Witch has access to several types of summonable minions — from melee soldiers to bomb throwers. She can also resurrect defeated enemies as obedient slaves, but only for a limited period.

Being a class focused on minion damage, the Witch is highly dependent on the skeletons she summons and corpses for temporary boosts in combat potential. Although her army automatically resurrects after a short cooldown, she lacks special skills that allow her to fight monsters directly. This leads to unpleasant consequences if the player fails to keep track of the skeletons and is left one-on-one with enemies. Not the easiest class at first, but it is perfect for players who don't want to bother with builds and constant skill pressing.

As you progress through the storyline campaign, a new step in character development will become available to you — the Ascendancy class. These are essentially specializations that can enhance classes and thus completely change the type of gameplay while retaining the main characteristic features. For example, a sorceress will remain a spellcaster, but depending on the chosen Ascendancy class, you will determine her specialization in the type of magic that will be the main focus in leveling.

In the early access of Path of Exile 2, each class has two Ascendancy paths, and only one can be chosen by the player. In the full version of the game, a third Ascendancy path will be added.

This Ascendancy turns the Monk into an "Avatar" from the eponymous animated series. The main skills will focus on summoning elemental effects and critical damage. Creating a unique fighting style, you will have to choose elemental damage, for example, between lightning and ice. This Ascendancy path also makes this class more resilient to damage. The player can use the meditation skill to gain an additional shield. This subclass is perfect for solo players who face intense one-on-one boss battles.

If you are not interested in dabbling with elemental damage, then you should follow the Ascendancy path to Acolyte of Chayula. In this specialization, the character relies on the power of darkness as the main resource. You will be able to drain mana from enemies and thus recharge your shield. The strength of this Ascendancy class lies in a special resource — Chayula's Flame. It simultaneously gives you health, mana, and increased damage. A rather complex Ascendancy class to master, requiring a well-prepared build. Depending on your leveling, the Monk can effectively deal with groups of enemies or, conversely, concentrate all power on a single, but very resilient one.

An Ascendancy path that allows the Sorceress to blow up enemies with elemental spells. With this development path, you will become a stronger elemental mage. You will learn to summon elemental storms on the battlefield, which effortlessly "cleanse" locations of large crowds of enemies. Your AoE abilities will be more effective than before. The Storm Weaver gains access to powerful electric skills that prevent monsters from getting close. This Ascendancy turns mages into an endless stream of damage that leaves no living space on the map.

A rather unusual Ascendancy path. The Sorceress will learn to stop time. Now monsters definitely won't reach her. In addition to stopping time, the hero will learn to rewind it to restore spent mana and health. Additionally, the cooldowns of your abilities will be instantly reset. The Chronomancer has a whole array of abilities that radically change the usual Sorceress gameplay. Recommended for fans of unusual mechanics.

This Ascendancy path will appeal to players who are bored with bows and arrows with elemental damage. Now you can pre-prepare flasks with substances and throw them at enemies, provoking a variety of effects. For example, one such bomb causes enemies to bleed, while others deal powerful electric damage. The essence of this Ascendancy is that the Ranger will weaken enemies as much as possible before the battle begins, and then quickly kill them. Additionally, this path allows you to quickly deal with bosses through pre-prepared flasks with vulnerabilities.

The opposite side of the Pathfinder. With this Ascendancy path, you will get even more arrows and various combinations with them. The specialization enhances all of the Ranger's abilities to the maximum: more mobility, higher attack speed, and more powerful arrows. Dodge enemy projectiles to gain buffs and shoot back with multiple arrows with different effects. An ideal choice for those who don't want to relearn, play again, and still be as effective as possible in battle.

If you're tired of playing as a Warrior with AoE attacks and shouts, then choose this Ascendancy path. Now Ancient spirits will be on your side, fighting alongside you. The Harbingers of War place totems around the arena and create armies like a necromancer. This subclass also gains several powerful skills that enhance the hero and apply vulnerabilities to the enemy. A good path for solo players.

The Titan is an improved version of the classic warrior. After using abilities, it charges at enemies until the victorious end. This Ascendancy path gives players new skills that increase damage and stun entire crowds of enemies. It can apply vulnerabilities that significantly increase attack power. A true berserker, capable of standing even against particularly strong bosses. An indispensable tank in co-op.

This Ascendancy path makes the Mercenary even stronger through gems and access to more skill slots. You won't receive any special new abilities, but the significantly increased power will allow you to quickly tackle difficult content and confidently clear maps with any terrain. Additionally, the Mercenary will have access to more ammunition, which will noticeably simplify gameplay. Perfect for players who don't want to try something new.

The Witch Hunter is the perfect fighter against undead and magical creatures. The class will gain access to a single talisman that protects against elemental strikes while simultaneously reducing the overall defense rating. This Ascendancy path grants an ability that allows you to strike enemies for 30% of their health. A great path for leveling if you want to deal as much damage as possible and kill large enemies in seconds. Additionally, this subclass receives buffs when encountering demons and undead. That's why it's called the Demon Hunter.

If an ordinary Witch raises the dead and skeletons, then after Ascending, she goes further and begins to drain the life energy from her enemies to destroy them. However, to activate very powerful skills, the Blood Mage must sacrifice not only her mana but also her health points. At the same time, you can always restore lost health through vampirism and draining the life essence from enemies. An excellent subclass for those who like to take risks and want to make their Witch an active hero who relies not only on her minions.

This Ascendancy path is suitable for players who enjoy the core gameplay of the Witch and don't want to make any drastic changes after Ascending. In the end, you'll get a hellhound for your skeleton crew, which will attack enemies and scorch them with fire. But don't think that's where the innovations end. You can ignite enemies yourself and transform into a demon that deals more damage to enemies. It's worth noting that the fire can easily ignite the Witch as well. Overall, this Ascendancy is very dangerous for players who don't know how to interrupt spells in time.