Which Class is Best for You in Path of Exile 2? A Comprehensive Guide to Early Access Classes

In this article, we'll explore each of the six starting classes in PoE2 from the swift Monk to the elemental Sorceress Path of Exile 2 Currency . Whether you're new to the Path of Exile universe or a returning veteran, we'll help you figure out which class is best for your playstyle.

1. Monk: Agile Melee Combat with Elemental Power

The Monk is an excellent choice for players who want a dynamic, mobile melee character capable of dishing out elemental damage. This class is all about agility and power, using a Quarter Staff as its primary weapon. The Monk specializes in elemental attacks—particularly Lightning, Ice, and Wind—and its playstyle revolves around quick, high-impact attacks and a unique Power Charge system.

Monks can generate Power Charges by killing enemies with specific abilities, which can then be spent to enhance other skills. For example, the Killing Palm skill allows you to dash in and instantly kill any enemy with low health, generating a Power Charge. This can be followed by Falling Thunder, an area-of-effect lightning attack that becomes far more powerful when triggered with a Power Charge.

Additionally, the Monk has access to skills that combine offense and mobility. Whirling Assault allows you to move while attacking, making it a great choice for repositioning in combat. The Monk's Ascendancy classes—Invoker and Acolyte—offer further specialization. The Invoker emphasizes elemental damage, while the Acolyte allows you to spend a special resource called "darkness" to boost your damage or defenses.

If you enjoy fast, mobile gameplay with a heavy focus on elemental damage, the Monk will suit your style perfectly.

2. Witch: Command the Undead and Spread Destruction

If you prefer playing a spellcaster who can summon armies of minions to fight for you, the Witch is a fantastic choice. Known for her powerful curses, status effects, and control over the dead, the Witch excels in summoning and commanding minions. Whether you're raising an army of skeletal warriors or manipulating enemy corpses, the Witch is the quintessential Summoner class in PoE2.

The Witch's Spirit resource allows you to summon permanent minions, which can be further enhanced by skills like Bind Spectre, which captures the souls of enemies and turns them into powerful minions. If you want your minions to deal even more damage, you can trigger additional debuffs on enemies, making the summoned minions even stronger. One of the most exciting features of the Witch is her ability to trigger the Infernal Ascendancy, which allows her to summon a hellhound or transform into a demon, massively increasing her damage output.

For those who enjoy managing a horde of undead while spreading status effects across the battlefield, the Witch will likely be your ideal class. Additionally, her Blood Mage build provides a unique risk/reward playstyle, where you sacrifice your health to cast powerful spells, but kill enemies to regenerate life fragments.

3. Mercenary: Tactical Crossbow Combat with Gadgets and Ammo

The Mercenary is the class to choose if you prefer ranged combat with a tactical edge. Using crossbows, the Mercenary has access to a wide range of ammunition types and firing modes, including heavy single-target bolts, rapid-fire machine gun shots, and even close-range shotgun blasts. This versatility lets you adapt your strategy to suit different situations, whether you're taking down a single enemy or overwhelming a group.

Crossbows can also be modified with a variety of attachments, such as grenade launchers or flashbangs, allowing for some seriously creative setups. Elemental ammo, like frost or incendiary bolts, can add additional layers of strategy. For example, you can fire a frost bolt that leaves ice crystals on the ground, slowing enemies, or use incendiary ammo to set explosive traps that ignite nearby foes.

The Mercenary's Ascendancy classes—Witch Hunter and Gemling Legionnaire—offer further customization. The Witch Hunter focuses on defense and the ability to make enemies explode upon death, while the Gemling Legionnaire offers advanced modifications to your skills, allowing for even greater synergy between your attacks and buffs.

If you love ranged combat that requires precise positioning and tactical thinking, the Mercenary will keep you on your toes and reward you for good strategy.

4. Warrior: Tanky Melee Fighter with Massive AoE Damage

For players who want to get up close and personal with their enemies, the Warrior is the perfect class. This tanky melee fighter excels at dealing massive AoE (area-of-effect) damage with powerful slam attacks. Warriors are also highly durable, with the ability to block incoming damage using a shield or engage in devastating attacks using two-handed weapons.

Warrior skills, such as Magma Fisher, can create fiery rifts that erupt in shockwaves, while War Cry abilities buff your next attack or apply status effects to nearby enemies. If you're looking for even more power, the Warrior can choose between the Warbringer and Titan Ascendancy classes. The Warbringer summons ancestral spirits to fight alongside you, while the Titan turns you into a true powerhouse, enhancing your slam attacks and stunning enemies.

The Warrior is perfect for players who enjoy a straightforward, tanky playstyle, especially those who love crushing hordes of enemies with powerful, sweeping attacks.

5. Ranger: Precision Archery and Elemental Traps

If you're someone who enjoys ranged combat but prefers more finesse than the Mercenary's tactical approach, the Ranger is the way to go. This class relies on a bow and focuses on maneuverability, allowing you to shoot while moving and dodge incoming attacks with ease.

Rangers have access to a variety of elemental arrows, including shock arrows that can bounce between enemies or explode upon impact, and ice arrows that slow down enemies and provide an escape tool. In addition, the Ranger can set up traps and plant special plants that spread poison between enemies, allowing for powerful crowd control and environmental damage.

The Ranger's Ascendancy classes—Deadeye and Pathfinder—allow you to specialize further. The Deadeye enhances your archery skills by increasing projectiles and guaranteeing critical hits on precise shots, while the Pathfinder focuses on poison damage and dangerous concoctions that can be thrown at enemies.

The Ranger is a great pick for players who want a more mobile, precision-based ranged class with lots of flexibility in terms of elemental attacks and traps.

6. Sorceress: Master of the Elements with High-Risk Spells

Last but certainly not least, the Sorceress is a class for players who want to harness the raw power of elemental magic. With access to a wide variety of Frost, Shock, and Fire spells, the Sorceress can obliterate enemies with powerful spells that interact with each other to deal devastating damage.

One of the Sorceress's unique features is her ability to use Trigger Gems, which allow certain spells to trigger automatically after meeting certain conditions, such as shocking enemies or applying debuffs. The Sorceress's Storm Weaver Ascendancy increases elemental mastery, allowing you to summon elemental storms or convert other damage types into shock damage. Alternatively, the Chronomancer Ascendancy offers powerful time manipulation, including resetting cooldowns and health.

While the Sorceress is a powerful glass cannon, she isn't the tankiest class, so you'll need to focus on positioning and spellcasting to stay alive. Spells like Arctic Armor can help, but survivability will still be a challenge.

Conclusion: Which Class Should You Choose?

Ultimately, the best class for you in Path of Exile 2 depends on your preferred playstyle. Do you enjoy quick and agile melee combat with elemental power? The Monk may be perfect. Prefer summoning minions and spreading destruction with status effects? The Witch is your go-to. Love tactical ranged combat with crossbows and gadgets? Look no further than the Mercenary. Want to tank through massive battles and slam through enemies? The Warrior has you covered. Prefer fast and mobile ranged combat with elemental arrows? The Ranger is a great pick. Or, are you drawn to the power of elemental magic and high-risk, high-reward spells? The Sorceress awaits.

With each class offering distinct gameplay mechanics and Ascendancy options, there's a lot of depth to explore in Path of Exile 2. As the game continues to evolve, more classes and specializations will be added POE 2 Currency , giving you even more options to experiment with.

No matter which class you choose, you're in for an exciting adventure in the expansive world of Path of Exile 2.