Best Path of Exile 2 Builds
Tier List for EARLY ACCESS
 

Path of Exile 2 builds on its predecessor’s legacy as an action role-playing game (ARPG) celebrated for its deep gameplay and unparalleled customization. Set in the grim world of Wraeclast, the game challenges players with a perilous environment full of deadly creatures, traps, and powerful bosses. A hallmark of the Path of Exile experience is its sophisticated character build system, offering players the opportunity to craft unique combinations of skills, passives, and gear to match their personal playstyle.

In Path of Exile 2, build optimization continues to play a vital role in both survivability and progression. The game’s intricate mechanics, including an expansive passive skill tree, diverse gem skill synergies, and nuanced itemization, demand a strategic approach. While the revamped systems are more forgiving, allowing for easier respecs, a well-crafted build remains crucial for mastering the challenging campaign and tackling the endgame content. This complexity appeals to players who enjoy theory-crafting and experimenting with strategies to conquer Path of Exile 2’s toughest encounters.

In this article, we are excited to present our Path of Exile 2 Tier List, featuring a selection of the best meta builds and their defining characteristics. However, we want to emphasize that the game is still in early access, and our list is a work in progress. Not all builds have been fully tested, and we continue to gather data and feedback to refine our recommendations. We aim to feature no more than 15 builds in this Tier List to focus on the most effective and versatile options available.

Additionally, we acknowledge that not all related topics and build archetypes are covered in this article yet. As the game evolves and we gather more insights, we’ll be filling in the blanks over the coming weeks. For players seeking a broader range of builds—including niche and archival guides—you can explore the complete list of our Path of Exile 2 builds here. This collection will continue to expand as we dive deeper into the game and update our guides to reflect its ongoing development.

We appreciate your patience as we refine this content and look forward to helping you navigate the evolving world of Path of Exile 2 with confidence and success. Keep an eye out for updates as we work to provide the most comprehensive and reliable build information possible!

	S TIER
	SPARK
	LIGHTNING ARROW +  LIGHTNING ROD
	A TIER
	FALLING THUNDER /   TEMPEST FLURRY
	RAGING SPIRITS
	GAS ARROW
	EXPLOSIVE SHOT
	B TIER
	SUNDER
	SNIPE
	SKELETAL SNIPER
	C TIER
	HAMMER OF THE GODS
	FLICKER STRIKE

SPARK

The Spark Archmage is currently the strongest and safest Build for Spellcasters. The Spark is arguably the best Skill for Clear Speed, as the fast Projectiles will travel in every direction and cover large areas in an instant. It doesn't slow down against Bosses either thanks to the massive amount of Extra Lightning Damage from the Archmage and stacking large amounts of Mana. 

Build Guides:  SPARK ARCHMAGE STORMWEAVER

LIGHTNING ARROW + LIGHTNING ROD

Lightning Arrow on its' own is just a standard Elemental Arrow Attack. You could easily replace it with Ice Shot or possibly other attacks in terms of raw DPS. However, with Lightning Rod - the best single-target DPS ability for Bows in PoE2, it makes one of the deadliest combinations. Lightning Arrow can beam to the Rods for massive burst of damage, melting Bosses within seconds.

Build Guides: LIGHTNING ARROW DEADEYE

ICE STRIKE & TEMPEST FLURRY

Those two Attacks are the most popular Melee Skills in the game, and both perform exceptionally well, but are based on different Elements, and excel best in different scenarios. Ice Strike makes you teleport to nearby enemies, and Freeze them, offering better clear speed and crowd control, while Tempest Flurry is better in single-target scenarios with higher DPS output. If you want to play a Quarterstaff Monk (or other Melee class) you can't go wrong selecting any of the two.

 Build Guides: ICE STRIKE INVOKER

RAGING SPIRITS

The Minion archetype can struggle during leveling due to the low survivability of your Minions, but your patience will be greatly rewarded once you reach the Endgame. As an Infernalist you will have an insane amount of Spirit, which you can use to raise a powerful army of Minions that obliterate your enemies with ease. To summon the Ragining Spirits you only need to Cast Flame Wall, which will also lower the Fire Resistance of Ignited Enemies via Fire Expsure. The rest of your Minions are permanent and self-reviving, allowing you to fully focus on doing enemy attacks.  

Build Guides: RAGING SPIRITS INFERNALIST

GAS ARROW

The Gas Arrow releases poisonous Clouds that can be triggered in a flame explosion by your Detonator Skills, or by contact with an Ignited Enemy. The Gas Clouds cover great AoE which is essential for great Clear Speed, but can also stack on each other so the Damage against Bosses is also great, as you can fire multiple Arrows creating many overlapping Clouds at once. This build requires 0 expensive or Unique Items, making it also a great pick for a Starter build, and is fully suitable for beginners.

Build Guides: GAS ARROW PATHFINDER

EXPLOSIVE SHOT

Explosive Shot is one of the most popular Crossbow abilities with massive AoE and solid damage. It has a limited number of Bolts loaded, but the damage it deals will allow you to kill most enemies in a single hit, so the playstyle is very smooth. Combined with abilities like Shockburst Rounds for Bosses, it is a very solid pick for any Crossbow-wielding character.

Build Guides: EXPLOSIVE SHOT DEADEYE

SUNDER

Sunder is the best attack available to Mace users, and currently, it's most commonly used via Ancestral Warrior Totems for the best end-game performance. This skill is generally slow and requires complex set up with weapon swaps, so it certainly is not for everyone. 

Build Guides: coming soon

SNIPE

Snipe is one of the deadliest abilities when it comes to single-target damage. This is usually the culprit behind the "one-shot" videos you can commonly see on YouTube with simply devastating hits when used properly. Whether you aim for high-hit damage or inflict deadly ailments,  this Skill will be the best choice against single stationary targets. 

Build Guides: BLEED SNIPE WITCHHUNTER

SKELETAL ARCHER

The Skeletal Sniper ability in Path of Exile 2 is a Top-Tier Minion ability and offers a unique and powerful take on summon-based ranged damage. Unlike traditional Minions, these spectral marksmen take advantage of precise, high-damage attacks, making them an excellent choice for a hybrid summoner/playmaker build. Their ability to scale with projectile and critical strike modifiers gives them significant late-game potential, especially when paired with the right support gems. However, their fragility and AI-dependent targeting may require careful positioning and investment in minion survivability. 

 Build Guides: SKELETAL SNIPER INFERNALIST

HAMMER OF THE GODS

This Build relies on the Hammer of the Gods which deals a tremendous amount of damage but is limited by a long Cooldown to compensate. It can also inflict an Ignite on enemies, which will deal even more Damage over the next few seconds, which is usually enough to defeat most Bosses in one use. 

Build Guides: IGNITE HAMMER OF THE GODS TITAN

FLICKER STRIKE

Flicker Strike is among the most iconic Path of Exile skills that transitioned into the second installment of the game. It can strike nearly 20 times with a single cast, offering simply insane DPS potential against Bosses or clear speed when used against bigger packs of enemies.  Unfortunately, the skill is very inconsistent currently, as charge generation is quite clunky and limited to just a few mechanics, and the ability itself sometimes seems to stop looking for new targets - limiting its clear speed potential and making it a better tool to simply one-shot Bosses.

Build Guides: POISON FLICKER STRIKE ACOLYTE OF CHAYULA

END NOTE

We hope this article has provided you with a solid overview of the current meta and helps you choose the build that best suits your playstyle. We are committed to keeping this guide up-to-date and relevant, with plans to revise it regularly—at least twice per League. Our updates will coincide with key moments, such as the release of new Patch Notes, where we’ll share our predictions, and again after about a month, once the meta has settled, allowing us to pinpoint the most effective builds and identify those that fell short of expectations.

We are fully aware that some content and guides are still missing, and we are working diligently to fill those gaps as quickly as possible. Our team is dedicated to continuously learning about the game and the mechanics of each character build to deliver the most accurate and useful information.

Your feedback is invaluable in this process, so if there’s additional information you’d like to see—such as detailed gameplay tips or other relevant insights for each build—please let us know. Together, we aim to make this guide a comprehensive resource for all Path of Exile 2 players. Stay tuned for more updates and improvements!

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.