Path of Exile 2 0.2.0 Build Index — Every Class, Ascendancy, and Skill-Based Build
How to use this build index
PoE2 builds in 0.2.0 are organized around three choices: the class, the ascendancy (chosen at the first Trial of the Sekhemas and respec-locked thereafter), and the primary skill. This index groups every build guide on the site by class, then by ascendancy, so you can see at a glance which path through a class is covered. Every entry tags the build's role — league starter, boss killer, mapper, or generalist — so you can pick by what you need from the build rather than by which class sounds most appealing.
If you are completely new to the patch, start with the Class Overview Hub for a fast read on what each class actually plays like, then come back here. If you are returning from a previous league, the Best Ascendancies Tier List has the up-to-date ranking with the 0.2.0 ascendancy changes — Tactician, Lich, Smith of Kitava, and the Huntress class are all new and matter for the tier rankings.
0.2.0 league-starter recommendations
| Build | Class / Ascendancy | Why it starts well | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sorceress Lightning Leveling | Sorceress Lightning Leveling | Sorceress — Stormweaver | Cheap gems, clean clear, scales without investing in trade gear |
| Mercenary Crossbow | Mercenary Crossbow | Mercenary — Witchhunter | Strong out of the box; carries through campaign with minimum craft |
| Monk | Monk | Monk — Invoker | High clear without rare uniques; defenses scale with passive tree |
| Witch Minion | Witch Minion | Witch — Infernalist | Tanky body + AI clear; works on under-geared self-found |
League-starter build guides
- Sorceress Lightning Leveling Build — the cleanest campaign-clear caster start.
- Mercenary Crossbow Build — sustained damage with low gear floor.
- Monk Build — the universal starter for melee players; full progression covered.
- Witch Minion Build (poe2-minion-build) — minion army start that ports into endgame.
- Infernalist Witch Leveling Guide — patch-aware Infernalist leveling specifics.
- League Starter Builds — the broader league-start tier list with picks beyond these four.
Builds by class — Witch
| Build | Ascendancy | Best Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Witch (core) | Witch (core) | Any | Class overview, leveling baseline |
| Witch Blood Mage | Witch Blood Mage | Blood Mage | Single-target boss damage; the strongest pinnacle-boss pick |
| Witch Minion | Witch Minion | Infernalist | Mapping, low-gear-floor; safe pick for SSF |
Builds by class — Sorceress
| Build | Ascendancy | Best Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sorceress Lightning Leveling | Sorceress Lightning Leveling | Stormweaver | League starter through Cruel difficulty |
| Sorceress Ice Nova | Sorceress Ice Nova | Stormweaver / Chronomancer | Mapping; the broadly safest Sorceress mapping pick |
Builds by class — Ranger
| Build | Ascendancy | Best Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ranger (core) | Ranger (core) | Any | Class overview, leveling baseline |
| Lightning Arrow Deadeye | Lightning Arrow Deadeye | Deadeye | The smoothest mapper in 0.2.0 |
| Ranger Poison | Ranger Poison | Pathfinder | Boss killer; poison stacks scale with investment |
Builds by class — Mercenary
| Build | Ascendancy | Best Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercenary Crossbow | Mercenary Crossbow | Witchhunter | League starter through endgame |
| Mercenary Grenade | Mercenary Grenade | Gemling Legionnaire | Mapping powerhouse; AoE-first clear style |
Builds by class — Warrior
| Build | Ascendancy | Best Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior (core) | Warrior (core) | Any | Class overview |
| Warrior Warbringer | Warrior Warbringer | Warbringer | Mapping + survivability; clean defensive layers |
| Titan Warrior Endgame | Titan Warrior Endgame | Titan | Boss killer; the broadly strongest Warrior pinnacle pick |
Builds by class — Monk and Huntress
| Build | Ascendancy | Best Role | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monk Build | Monk Build | Invoker | Full Monk progression; the strongest non-Huntress melee class |
| Huntress | Huntress | New 0.2.0 class — see Class Overview Hub | Hybrid melee/ranged; dedicated guides rolling out |
Build-supporting mechanics
- Best Ascendancies Tier List — the 0.2.0 ranking with all three new ascendancies and Huntress accounted for.
- Best Skill Gems by Class — what to slot at each class level.
- PoE2 Damage Types Reference — what scales what, and which conversions actually work.
- PoE2 Spirit Reserve Explained — how the spirit budget gates auras and minions.
- PoE2 Mana Management Guide — the most-asked-about caster cost question.
- Flask Mechanics — the per-charge / per-second tradeoff that gets builds wrong on first pick.
- Ailments Guide — freeze, ignite, shock, poison, bleed; all reworked from PoE1.
Endgame and progression resources
- Campaign-to-Mapping Transition Guide — what to do after killing the final campaign boss.
- Endgame Atlas Passive Tree Guide — the 0.2.0 atlas tree and recommended paths.
- Endgame Pinnacle Boss Guide — gear/spec checklist before attempting pinnacles.
- Endgame Progression — the order to push content after entering maps.
- PoE2 Boss Strategies Guide — fight-by-fight tells for the campaign and early-map bosses.
- Currency-Spending Priorities — what to buy first with your league-start exalts.
- PoE2 Crafting Strategy Guide — when to roll, when to buy, when to save for divines.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best league starter in PoE2 0.2.0?
Sorceress Lightning Leveling (Stormweaver), Mercenary Crossbow (Witchhunter), and Monk (Invoker) are the three safest league starts in 0.2.0. All three have low gear floors, scale through the campaign without needing trade-market exotics, and convert into endgame mappers or boss killers without a full respec. Witch Infernalist Minion is the fourth pick if you want the lowest possible gear floor at the cost of some clear speed.
Which PoE2 class hits the hardest single-target damage?
Witch Blood Mage and Titan Warrior endgame are the two strongest single-target picks in 0.2.0 because both can stack damage multipliers from gear and passive tree to a higher peak than the other ascendancies. Ranger Poison sits a step behind on raw burst but pulls ahead on sustained pressure against bosses with long active phases.
How many ascendancies are in 0.2.0?
Every class has three ascendancies, including the new Huntress class. Patch 0.2.0 added three new ascendancies overall — Tactician (Mercenary), Lich (Witch), and Smith of Kitava (Warrior) — that significantly shifted the tier list. The Best Ascendancies Tier List linked above tracks the current 0.2.0 ranking.
Should I respec my ascendancy in 0.2.0?
Ascendancy is set at the first Trial of the Sekhemas and is not freely respecced — changing it requires a fresh trial run or specific consumables. Most players who want to try a different ascendancy reroll the character instead. If you are mid-campaign and unhappy with your pick, finish the campaign on the current ascendancy and reroll for the second build rather than burning the trial-respec resources.
Where do I start if I am completely new to PoE2?
Read the Beginner Guide and the Class Overview Hub first, pick one of the four league starters above, and follow the linked full guide. Avoid Blood Mage / Pathfinder / Titan as a first build — they all reward existing PoE2 knowledge and have steeper gear floors. Monk and Sorceress Lightning are the two friendliest first-time builds in 0.2.0.
Sources & verification
Coloured pills follow our four-tier source policy.
Continue this guide path
- ›PoE 2 Class Overview — All 6 Classes & 18 Ascendancies SummarizedPath of Exile 2 has six classes, each with three ascendancy options — 18 total. This hub guide summarizes every class's starting stats, playstyle identity, ascendancy overview, and beginner recommendation.
- ›PoE 2 Best Ascendancies Tier List — All 18 RankedTier-ranking of all 18 Path of Exile 2 ascendancies across Sorceress, Witch, Warrior, Ranger, Monk, and Mercenary. Includes S/A/B/C placements with reasoning, the best ascendancy per playstyle, and recommendations for league starters, boss farmers, and endgame map blasters. Updated for the current patch.
- ›PoE 2 Best Skill Gems by Class — Top Picks for All 6 ClassesEach PoE 2 class has a small handful of skill gems that dominate the build meta. This guide ranks the top 3-5 skill gems for Sorceress, Witch, Warrior, Ranger, Monk, and Mercenary, with brief reasoning for each pick. Use this as a starting point when designing a new build or transitioning to a different class.
- ›PoE 2 Best League Starter Builds — Beginner-Friendly Choices for Any ClassDiscover the best Path of Exile 2 league starter builds that are cheap to gear, don't require specific uniques, and clear the campaign smoothly. Warrior Titan, Deadeye Ranger, and Mercenary crossbow builds all excel as first characters.
- ›PoE 2 Sorceress Lightning Leveling Build — Spark, Arc & Lightning Conduit GuideThe fastest lightning leveling path for Sorceress in Path of Exile 2. Open Acts 1-3 with Spark, transition to Arc for boss damage, and finish your campaign with Lightning Conduit pack clear. This guide covers gem progression by act, support pairings, gear priorities, stat targets, and the Stormweaver passives that smooth the entire ride into early maps.