Best PoE 2 builds for beginners

Considering Path of Exile 2 is an ARPG with complete freedom for players to go with the build they think is right, there are multiple potential builds. However, the downside to this is that beginners may find themselves with builds that don’t complement their playing style or the early game.

Fortunately, the best way to address this is by opting for a beginner-friendly PoE 2 build that allows you to learn the game and complete missions. The best PoE 2 builds for beginners include the Mercenary Lightning Melee build, the Ranger Lightning Crossbow build, the Sorceress Cold Spellcast build, and the Witch Chaos Lich build.

So, without further ado, here are some of the best Path of Exile 2 ^[1] builds for beginners. Of course, if you find yourself low on currencies or items, then you can always check out Eloking’s PoE 2 marketplace in case it has what you need.

Lightning Melee - Mercenary

This build turns you into a living thunderstorm, using Storm Wave as your main damage dealer while chaining lightning everywhere with good AoE and crit synergy. It is great for beginners who want powerful attacks with simple mechanics.

Storm Wave hits hard and consistently, and with Herald of Thunder zapping enemies on kill and Tempest Flurry adding burst, you are constantly dealing damage. It is easy to play, scales naturally, and Blink adds mobility.

Main skill

• Storm Wave: Strong lightning AoE damage with phys-to-fight conversion. High base power using a quarterstaff.

Support gems

• Martian Tempo: Speeds up attacks.
• Conduction: Adds lightning penetration.
• Magnified Effect: Boosts AoE size and damage.
• Elemental Focus: Removes ailments and increases damage.

Mobility

• Blink: Short teleport for quick movement. Better with Clarity of Herbalism.

Buffs & utilities

• Herald of Thunder: Zaps enemies on kill to clear them passively.
• Tempest Flurry: Melee combo with full lightning on the final hit.
• Tempest Bell: Builds AoE shockwaves. Good with elemental effects.
• Cast on Critical: Auto-casts linked spells on crits.

Lightning Crossbow - Ranger

This build is for lightning-fast sharpshooting, firing crossbow bolts that chain lightning across groups of enemies. Unlike a melee lightning build, this one focuses on ranged combat with quick reloads, knockback control, and smooth mobility; great if you like staying on the move and picking off from afar.

Galvanic Shards lets you hit multiple targets, and Emergency Reload keeps you shooting continuously. You get extra shock damage and survivability with Voltaic Mark and Wind Dancer.

Main skill

• Galvanic Shards: Fires five electric bolts with chain lightning on impact. Bolts knock back enemies. Recasting the skill lets you instantly reload.

Support gems

• Martian Tempo: Speeds up attacks.
• Lightning Infusion: Boosts lightning damage.
• Double Barrel: Buffs multi-bolt bursts.
• Close Combat: Boosts damage in close range.
• Elemental Focus: Removes ailments and increases damage.

Mobility

• Wind Dancer: Provides evasion and knockbacks when hit, letting you stay offensive.

Buffs & utilities

• Emergency Reload: Reloads your crossbow instantly and buffs damage for a short time.
• Voltaic Mark: marks enemies to increase shock chance and damage.

Cold Spellcast - Sorceress

This build makes you a frost and time master, controlling enemies with chilling bursts and curses while boosting spell power and survivability. It is all about area control, debuffs, and smart buffs, perfect for strategic play and team support.

Frost Bomb bursts with cold damage and weakens enemies, while Frost Wall helps block and funnel them. Hypothermia lowers their cold resistance and is kept active through blasphemy, and Convalescence helps top up your energy shield. Together, you can easily control and damage.

Main skills

• Frost Bomb: Throws a cold orb that deals cold damage and applies cold exposure. Chills and disrupts enemies.
• Frost Wall: Creates an ice wall to block enemies, exploding when broken to deal damage. Helps control movement and defense.

Support gems

• Cold Penetration: Reduces enemy cold resistance for stronger hits.
• Spell Echo: Repeats casts for more damage uptime.
• Magnified Effect: Increases area for better crowd control.
• Elemental Focus: Boosts elemental damage across cold spells.
• Heightened Curse: Increases curse effectiveness, useful with Hypothermia

Curses & buff skills

• Hypothermia: Lowers enemies’ resistance and boosts cold damage.
• Blasphemy: Turns socketed curses into an aura for sustained group control.
• Convalescence: Recharges your energy shield with temporary recharge immunity for downtime survival.

Buffs & utilities

• Sigil of Power: Boosts spell damage for you and allies within range, helping with damage output in longer fights.

Chaos Lich - Witch

This build is perfect if you like to grind enemies down over time. Unlike cold casters, fast rangers, or bursty lightning melee builds, this rewards patience and control. Go for this if you enjoy strategic dominance while keeping things simple and beginner-friendly.

Skeletal Sniper revives endlessly, while Skeletal Arsonist explodes weak minions for chaos bursts. Pair with Despair and Pain Offering for overwhelming damage scaling and speed boosts to your legion of minions.

Main skills

• Skeletal Sniper: Minions launch a poison gas cloud that explodes if touched by enemies or detonator skills. Helps create indirect chaos and zoning.
• Skeletal Arsonist: Detonates weak minions for AoE blasts that scale with their max life. Used to finish enemies off and clear groups.
• Contagion: Spreads chaos DoT to enemies in an area and jumps to others on death. Synergizes nicely with minion AoE kills.

Support gems

• Magnified Effect: Increases the area of gas explosions and contagion spread.
• Feeding Frenzy: Boosts the aggression and movement of Skeletal Snipers for mobility and pressure.
• Fire Penetration: Pushes fire damage through resistances, letting explosions hit harder.
• Persistence: Great with Contagion and Despair for longer uptime on curses and DoTs.
• Minion Mastery: A strong general boost for all summoned minions for more damage and survivability.

Curses & buff skills

• Despair: Reduces enemy chaos resistance, making your DoTs and gas clouds hit hard.
• Blasphemy: Turns Despair into an aura for easier upkeep and passive enemy debuffing.
• Pain Offering: Boosts minion attack/cast speed and damage. Synergizes perfectly with detonations.

Buffs & utilities

• Skeletal Cleric: Revives and protects fallen minions briefly to maintain frontlines and fodder for Arsonist.
• Shield Charge: Gives a solid movement option and small AoE knockback when enemies get too close.

FAQs

How do I choose a good build to start with in PoE 2?

For new players, it’s best to start with builds that scale well without expensive gear. Minion builds, totem builds, and spellcasters with good area damage are generally reliable. Since PoE 2 reworks many mechanics, community tools and updated guides on forums and sites like PoE Ninja or Reddit will be essential once the full game launches. Also, test builds during early acts to see what playstyle you enjoy most.

Will PoE 1 builds carry over or be viable in PoE 2?

Not directly. PoE 2 is designed as a separate game with a fresh campaign, new gem systems, and class structures. While some concepts like elemental stacking or crit builds may carry over in spirit, most mechanics and synergies have changed. That means old builds will need to be reimagined to work within the new systems, and theorycrafting will be a big part of the PoE 2 experience.

References

1. [1] "Official PoE 2 website". pathofexile2.com. Retrieved May 27, 2025