Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

As a seasoned Path of Exile player with countless hours spent summoning minions and casting spells, I must say that the upcoming sequel has me absolutely thrilled! After carefully reviewing each class, I find myself drawn towards the Witch – the Summoner. Having always gravitated towards summoner builds in the original game, I can’t wait to see what new ways the developers have come up with to customize my minions.


In just a week from now, the long-awaited sequel to the popular ARPG game, Path of Exile 2, will be available for early access. Many players are already pondering which classes to choose, as there are several new ones to select from. This guide aims to assist you in making a decision if you’ve secured or purchased access to the game’s early access launch!

Which Class to Pick in Early Access

If you’re a player who’s back from the original version of “Path of Exile” and haven’t kept up-to-date with information about its sequel, you might be taken aback to discover that several new character classes have been introduced into the game.

In addition to this, there are also options to choose from for each one, which can be thought of as specialized roles or paths within their main classes. These choices will further guide you in constructing a specific gameplay style, or build path. As expected, the extensive skill tree remains, being a key feature that makes Path of Exile unique.

In summary, this game shares the same level of complexity as its predecessor, but with limited information available, no one has determined a definitive “best” class yet. Regardless, the meta, or popular strategies, is not the ultimate deciding factor in Path of Exile.

Considering all that we’ve discussed, let’s explore some key aspects to assist you in choosing suitable classes based on your preferred playing style. At present, only six out of the twelve confirmed classes are available for play, and we’ll begin by discussing the Warrior class.

Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

The Warrior – Strength Powerhouse

Without a doubt, the Warrior will be your top pick if you’re aiming for a build focused on physical combat. Are you seeking a character that offers incredible toughness along with reasonable area-of-effect damage output? In that case, it’s highly probable that this character is just what you need!

For each class, there will be two primary paths available at the start. For instance, for the Warrior, your decision will shape whether you specialize more in survivability and summoning, by opting for the Warbringer path, or if you prefer to deal powerful blows and resonating slams, choosing the Titan ascendancy instead.

In essence, this class will likely become your preferred option if you’re seeking one that aggressively engages the enemy and effectively handles large groups with minimal effort.

Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

The Monk – Lightning Fast

On the contrary, there’s the Monk, who is not only a skilled fighter but also excels in swiftly entering and exiting combat. If you have played Diablo III before, this might seem somewhat recognizable. This class boasts a great deal of mobility and can place and detonate marks on enemies, as well as employ various other elemental assaults.

In other words, one of its dominions is the Invoker, which primarily inflicts and endures elemental damage while also relying on energy shields. On the other hand, the Acolyte of Chayula ascendancy draws upon a resource called “Darkness” and employs chaos damage.

If you’re seeking an exciting, swift-moving combat experience with emphasis on close-quarters battles and strategic positioning as opposed to just wielding large weapons and causing explosions, then perhaps you ought to investigate the Monk class for a more suitable fit.

Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

The Ranger – Agile Archer

Without a doubt, the Ranger class excels at attacking foes with their bow while performing acrobatic feats across the battlefield. Similar to the last character, this class can also employ diverse elemental attacks and boasts good maneuverability.

Among its abilities, one is called the “Deadeye,” which enhances your skill with the bow and could increase your agility, provided you manage to dodge incoming attacks. Conversely, the “Pathfinder” ascendancy concentrates on inflicting damage through elements by utilizing harmful concoctions and plants.

By this point, it’s clear that this option seems ideal for gamers seeking a swift-moving ranged gameplay centered on DEX. However, it’s worth noting that the early access version offers another choice that may appeal to a different group of players…

Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

The Mercenary – Crossbow “Gunner”

Here comes the Mercenary, a character that appears to be a slightly more practical version of the Ranger, drawing on both dexterity (DEX) and strength (STR). This class is versatile, employing various types of ammunition and firing techniques. This flexibility allows for the creation of powerful sniper-like shots or rapid bursts in medium to close range combat.

The dominance of the Witchhunter empowers a mercenary, making them more resilient against unique damage categories, but simultaneously increasing their susceptibility to regular physical assaults. Additionally, this power-up will enable them to inflict greater harm on specific foes like the undead.

From another perspective, the dominance of the Gemling Legionnaire focuses on enhancing skill gems and providing you with additional slots to deploy even more skills in your setup. This specific ascendancy appears to bend one of Path of Exile’s fundamental mechanics, giving rise to the possibility of some extremely creative or absurd build designs.

Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

The Sorceress – Elemental Mage

As a gamer, I’m thrilled to introduce myself as the Sorceress, the game’s elemental mage. If you’re looking for a straightforward magic class, I’m your gal! In simple terms, I can seamlessly blend different elemental damage types to sweep through every pesky mob you encounter like they’re not even there.

Her “Stormweaver” dominance primarily revolves around enhancing the power of lightning and dishing out massive, rapid-fire damage. If you’re partial to this kind of attack, selecting this dominance shouldn’t require much thought.

The Sorceress, on the contrary, possesses the Chronomancer ascendancy, which revolves around the realm of time magic. Unlike conventional elemental powers, the Chronomancer manipulates time itself, granting it the power to freeze all nearby adversaries for a fleeting instant.

Beyond that, I must admit, as a follower of the Chronomancer’s ways, I possess the power to bend time and return myself to an earlier moment. This unique skill allows me to replenish my health, mana, or even reset my ability cool-downs in quite unusual fashion. It’s a fascinating subclass that adds an element of resilience to this otherwise delicate mage.

Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

The Witch – The Summoner

In conclusion, the Witch is a recurring character that I have always adored, mainly because I’ve consistently opted for summoner-style gameplay in Path of Exile. The forthcoming sequel introduces innovative methods to tailor your minion’s behavior, while the Witch can also cast an array of curses to enhance the performance of her minion horde.

With her Blood Mage ascendancy, a role that undeniably hints at its potential pitfalls, she can now cast spells at a reduced cost – albeit at the expense of her own life energy. Interestingly, this specialization inadvertently enhances her survivability as well, granting additional health points and a touch of spell leech to compensate for the health expenditure.

Ultimately, the dominion of the “Sorceress of Hell” empowers the Witch beyond her role as a mere practitioner of the arcane arts. She acquires the talent to conjure a “Hellhound” that takes some damage meant for you. Furthermore, she will be bestowed with the capacity to transform into a “Demonic Form,” which enhances her attack power substantially.

This class excels in the role of a summoner, ideal for those who enjoy this playstyle. However, other classes can still cater to this preference to an extent. Yet, among them, this one stands out as the most effective, at least from our current perspective.

Path of Exile 2: Which Class to Pick in Early Access

Wrapping Up

During early access, choosing the optimal class is quite a matter of personal preference, given that we’ll only get to try out half of the playable classes during this testing phase. In the meantime, it would be beneficial to identify your preferred gameplay style and select a class that aligns with it.

Since the game is currently in its pre-release phase, the balance may undergo significant changes. Therefore, choose the class that appeals to you the most and adapt as you play throughout this initial campaign. Keep in mind that this current campaign represents approximately half of the content planned for release when the game fully launches!

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2024-11-28 13:06