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
	MAGNETIC SALVO
	A TIER
	FALLING THUNDER
	RAGING SPIRITS
	GAS GRENADE
	TOXIC GROWTH
	B TIER
	STAMPEDE
	CORRUPTING CRY
	C TIER
	HAMMER OF THE GODS
	FLICKER STRIKE

SPARK

The Spark Archmage is currently one of 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

MAGNETIC SALVO

The Magnetic Salvo is an extraordinary Bow Skill that creates overlapping AoE explosions to delete most Bosses from existence. It is an excellent Boss-killer, but thanks to the Tailwind from the Deadeye Ascendency and bonuses to Movement Speed your Clear Speed remains superior, as can be expected from a Bow Build. 

Build Guides: MAGNETIC SALVO DEADEYE

FALLING THUNDER

The Invoker Monk can use a lot of various Attacks in its arsenal, but the Falling Thunder proves to be the most dominant. Thanks to the built-in projectiles and high Attack Speed you will have an excellent Clear Speed, while the Boss encounters can be trivialized with the Tempest Bell ability. You will also need decent defense, which this Build achieves via a high Evasion Rating mixed with an Energy Shield and powerful Freeze effects.

Build Guides: coming soon

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  - build concept only

GAS GRENADE

The Gas Grenades release 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 will throw multiple Granades creating many Clouds at once. 

Build Guides: coming soon

TOXIC GROWTH

Elemental Hit of the Spectrum is the number #1 Bow Skill in the game right now. It took the crown from Tornado Shot as soon as it was introduced (alongside significant nerfs to Tornado Shot though). This Skill offers very high base Elemental Damage which fits the current meta very well, with most of the Attack Build using high triple Elemental Damage Weapons. Due to high base Damage, it is also one of the best skills for a Starter Builds in its Tier and even above. It is most often played on Deadeye, and as of 3.25, also the Warden class. 

Build Guides: TOXIC GROWTH PATHFINDER  - build concept only

STAMPEDE

The Stampede is a remarkable ability that can deal insane amounts of Damage while also moving your character a long distance. The Stampede ends with a powerful Slam that deals an insane amount of Damage. Thanks to the Warbringer Ascendency you can easily Fully Break Armour of your Enemies which is a great boost against Bosses, but can also be weaponized for Clear Speed with the explosive Armour Breaker Gem. 

Build Guides: coming soon

CORRUPTING CRY

This Build utilizes the opposite feature of Warbringer Ascendency - the Warcries. Thanks to the Greawolf's Howl you can completely ignore the Cooldown of all your Warcries. You can then use Corrupting Cry Support to apply stacks of Corrupting Blood on your Enemies very quickly. This creates a very fast and safe playstyle that can fully focus on defense.

Build Guides: coming soon

FLICKER STRIKE

The Flicker Strike is an advanced form of the Invoker Build. In its final form, it is very powerful, fast, and flashy, but requires you to solve many problems to be fully functional and enjoyable, which is why we decided to put it lower on the list, as it is less accessible than the much simpler Falling Thunder variant.

 Build Guides: FLICKER STRIKE INVOKER  - build concept only

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: HAMMER OF THE GODS TITAN  - build concept only

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.