HOME Path of Exile 2 Path of Exile 2 Best Classes

Choosing Path of Exile 2 Best Classes is no easy task, especially when you do not know for sure what changes the release of the game will bring. However, our team is not afraid of the challenges. We have prepared this Class Tier List for you, and here you’ll learn our tier lists for overall best classes, understand their strongest and weakest points, as well as get the list of best classes for beginners and League starters, and optimal best classes for leveling.

League Starter Builds
Why wasting your time when you can kickstart your journey in the new league? Dive straight into high-level content and enjoy the game!
Path of Exile 2 Best Classes 4.9

PoE 2 Class Tier List

Path of Exile 2 introduces a bunch of new classes, but we are also going to meet the already-known ones. There are 12 classes in PoE 2 in total, so it’s no surprise that some of them are better than others. But only 6 classes are available in PoE 2 Early Access,  launched December 6. Subjectively, you can pick a class to play relying on your personal preferences and beloved aesthetics. Objectively, you can examine our Path of Exile 2 Overall Best Class Tier List to understand who performs better than the others and base your decision on this information. This tier list is also viable for Early Game and you may consider it as a League Starter tier list.

Tier STier ATier BTier C
Path of Exile 2 Best Classes
Mercenary
Path of Exile 2 Best Classes
Monk
Path of Exile 2 Best Classes
Ranger
Path of Exile 2 Best Classes
Warrior
Path of Exile 2 Best Classes
Huntress
Path of Exile 2 Best ClassesWitch
Path of Exile 2 Best Classes
Sorceress

Here the Path of Exile 2 Best Classes are shown as a list for your convenience:

  • Mercenary (S-Tier);
  • Huntress (S-Tier);
  • Witch (S-Tier);
  • Sorceress (S-Tier);
  • Monk (A-Tier);
  • Ranger (B-Tier);
  • Warrior (C-Tier).

📌 Note: The Tier List is a subject to change. We will keep this guide updated in order to provide the most recent data.

In fact, these rankings represent the overall best classes in PoE 2 for DPS, Solo, and Solo Self-Found (SSF) play, as well as for challenging Hardcore (HC) mode. Criteria for choosing the best damaging class rely on the ability to one-shot the enemy, either with spellcasting or with a strong weapon. Remember that your performance depends not only on the class itself, but also on gear options, weapon choices, and your build.

The Tier List itself is yet to get its final shape, and the classes may switch their position within the list. We are going to update this section in order to supply you with up-to-date information. However, there’s one thing that we know for sure — you’ll love PoE 2 Delves and their rewards. Whether your character is Top-Tier or not, Delves are made to make you suffer for the rarest rewards. That’s why our team can help you get fossils, resonators, and unique items without long hours of trying.

S-Tier

So, what makes the Path of Exile 2 Best Classes from our Tier List so powerful? What are their drawbacks? We’ve prepared a brief overview for each class, where we outline the reasons they fall under their Tier, each class’s strengths and weaknesses in PoE 2.

Classes that fall under S-Tier are the ultimate best, they have the best capabilities and sustainability. These classes are also flexible, and versatile and do not need any particular build or gear to succeed. In S-Tier we can find:

  • Mercenary;
  • Huntress;
  • Witch;
  • Sorceress.

Mercenary

In Path of Exile 2 Mercenary performs exceptionally well. They have an extremely powerful arsenal and have always been considered versatile. Their advantages and disadvantages for the best class are:

ProsCons
✅ Great at both melee and range, has high AoE/Single-target damage; strong in SSF⛔️ Playstyle has limited flexibility, though versatile enough for most builds

Huntress

Huntress is a new dexterity-based class in Path of Exile 2, with a dynamic playstyle of agile movements and elemental attacks. While her versatility allows her to adapt well to a wide range of combat situations, this hybrid approach may require her to manage multiple skill setups and gear configurations, which could complicate optimization.

ProsCons
✅ Hybrid class, very flexible and versatile⛔️ Relies heavily on build and gear, ineffective in all but a few situations

📌 Note: Huntress is a new class, and her position and overall class performance may change.

Witch

Witch in Path of Exile 2 summons undead minions into the fray and unleashes dark energies to bludgeon foes. She offers a pretty safe playstyle, especially for new players, but her reliance on minions might slow down map clearing in general and make acquiring high-end gear more difficult in solo play.

ProsCons
✅ Strong support and DPS, minion builds are safe to play, great for starters⛔️ Slow map clear speed, very hard to acquire high-end gear in SSF

Sorceress

Sorceress is a classic elemental spellcaster in Path of Exile 2. She channels the elements of Fire, Cold, and Lightning to unleash her devastation against enemies. Though flashy and explosive, the spells are very enjoyable in combat. However, positioning is key because she is rather fragile due to her low defenses.

ProsCons
✅ Ranged AoE with decent defenses, safe in Hardcore⛔️ Limited scaling for endgame DPS, reliant on specific skills for efficiency

A-Tier

A-Tier classes are usually excellent fighters with high DPS. What makes them fall behind is their reliance on particular items or generally less optimized attributes. Anyway, the classes listed in A-Tier are good and enjoyable to play:

  • Monk.

Monk

Monk has always been an agile, combo-based fighter who uses quick Staff attacks and unarmed strikes to empower elemental explosions. The Monk’s fast-paced, mobile playstyle will be perfect for players who enjoy dynamic combat, although his advanced combos may need some practice.

ProsCons
✅ Both melee and ranged class, intensive gameplay⛔️ Scaling problems, too hard for beginners

Even A-Tier classes may find it difficult to progress through the game. Whether you are a fan of Softcore, or like to face the Hardcore challenges, our pro players are ready to assist you with Atlas and make your game even more enjoyable and smooth.

B-Tier

We move to B-Tier, and classes placed here can be considered average. Their DPS and spells are just enough for playing the game, but there’s nothing outstanding. Or they have some difficulties in gearing or any particular aspect of the game. Some of them may require high skill and good resource management to allow pleasant gaming. B-Tier includes the following classes:

  • Ranger.

Ranger

Ranger is a manifestation of an agile, quick-moving archer who can overwhelm enemies with either elemental arrows or poisonous attacks that create explosive toxic areas. In PoE 2, her mobility skills let her move in and out of combat quickly.

ProsCons
✅ High DPS and clear speed, good for fast farming and solo play⛔️ Squishy, requires specific gear and struggles in Hardcore modes

C-Tier

And finally, C-Tier classes. These are the classes in PoE 2 which have some significant drawbacks compared to other classes. Some of them can perform well only with a particular costly build, while others are hard to scale.  In C-Tier we can find:

  • Warrior.

Warrior

Warrior is a classical, tanky melee class, performing outstandingly in close combat with giant two-handed weapons. However, the reliance on close-range positioning also makes it more difficult than that of other classes that use an attack from a distance.

ProsCons
✅ Classic Melee class⛔️ Limited build options, the scaling of physical damage is bad

Playing for C-Tier characters can still be fun, but you may have a hard time completing certain activities in Path of Exile 2. We know the struggle and offer you to reach out to our pro players. They are experienced in PoE games and can help you with any task, from leveling to getting Uber Boss Fragments. Just ask, and it all will be yours without the grind.

Path of Exile 2 Best Class For Beginners

When you launch the game for the first time, one common question arises: “What class should I choose?” And again, you can either trust your guts and choose the most visually pleasing option with a straightforward description, or inspect some Tier Lists to figure out optimal choices. Let’s examine the PoE 2 Best Class For Beginners Tier List:

Tier STier ATier BTier C
SorceressMercenaryWitchMonk
Ranger
Warrior

As you see, the best classes for a freshman in Path of Exile 2 would be Sorceress, Ranger, and Warrior. They don’t require hard skills or advanced resource management. You can also consider them PoE 2 Best League Starter Classes, as you will surely jump into one of the PoE 2 Leagues to test your skills or to shape them. These classes make for rather straightforward gameplay:

  • Sorceress is the best in AoE damage and high-DPS ranged attack;
  • Ranger is really good at ranged attacks and mobility;
  • Warrior is very tanky and show the best survivability.

The rest of the classes placed into A-Tier and below may be a bit too complicated for beginners, especially Monk. And they may also require more control over the situation. Also, these classes have a rather complicated playstyle, so you’d better train with easier options.

We still do not know for sure whether all of these PoE 2 classes will receive major changes or remain the same in Path of Exile 2, but they look really promising. If there are any changes, we will share them in our guide. Anyway, feel free to choose based on your preferred playstyle, which will give you an easier start. Our team can help you to Improve Build, and make sure that your PoE 2 experience will be fire 🔥.

Path of Exile 2 Best Class For Leveling

Leveling in Path of Exile 2 can be quite a challenge at times; it can also be quite rewarding. Based on the mechanics from the original PoE, leveling usually tends to favor versatile classes that are able to clear mobs efficiently while keeping survivability in mind. According to the PoE 2 Ladders, the following classes can be considered PoE 2 Best Classes for Leveling:

Tier STier ATier BTier C
WitchSorceressRangerWarrior
Monk
Mercenary

All these classes have different playstyles. It just comes down to whether you like to keep your fights ranged or melee and your approach to survivability. That being said, they all make for a great starting point in terms of speed-leveling your way through PoE 2.

It is also important to mention that the best way to level fast in PoE 2, according to several sources from the community and our advanced players, is to select a class that has really good early-game skills and is capable of dealing with masses of enemies. You will also need to find the optimal build. Often, these builds focus on damage output. Mobility and defense are especially important during the later parts of the game.

PoE 2 Upcoming Classes

We’ve tried to figure out how the upcoming classes in PoE 2 will perform based on datamined info. It’s unknown yet when these classes will be released, though.

Marauder

Marauder is expected to be as mighty as it was in the original PoE. Based on our knowledge about this class, Marauders are excellent melee attackers who can withstand tons of damage. Time will show whether they’ll take the position in S-Tier or will drop the rank, but it’s still a good option to start the game.

ProsCons
✅ Amazing melee damage, warcry support, tanky for both HC and SSF⛔️ Nearly all rare items are required,  map clearing is kinda slow

Templar

Templars were popular both as totem-summoning mages or tanky, spell-based casters who could take a lot more damage but were still capable of dishing out significant elemental damage. In Path of Exile 2, we believe that they could emphasize the use of Flails and holy magic with their summoning abilities.

ProsCons
✅ Super tanky/reliable; great league starter in HC and SSF⛔️ The whole gameplay is slower compared to other classes since the Templar has a low speed; it requires group play for full potential

Druid

Druid is a class able to transform into all forms of creatures, such as a Werebear or Werewolf, which mixes spellcasting together with melee attacks. This hybrid class introduces powerful Primal attacks, though class complexity for beginners might be daunting.

ProsCons
✅ AoE damage and a pack of debuffs, Tanky⛔️ Slow in early and mid-game, low mobility

Shadow

Assuming what we do know, Shadow will be an Intelligence/Dexterity hybrid focused on traps and mines. With craftable, equippable traps and mines, this class can be strategic with high-burst damage, which allows players who like strategic combat. However, you need to set everything up and position yourself precisely in order to be safe and alive.

ProsCons
✅ Early game dominator, good DoT, and AoE, impressive mobility⛔️ Top builds dependent, scaling difficulties in several modes (e.g. SSF), worse in hardcore and SSF

Duelist

Duelist is a hybrid class that takes advantage of both strength and dexterity to shine brightly in melee combat with swords and axes. While Duelist’s versatility lends itself to many melee builds, the Duelist may face challenges when ranged, needing strategic positioning to maximize effectiveness.

ProsCons
✅ Good against mobs and bosses⛔️ Weak in the endgame, no support options, relies heavily on gear
Power Leveling
Skip the need to choose the Best Class for Leveling and quickly reach level 100!
Path of Exile 2 Best Classes 4.9

All in all, Path of Exile 2 classes show the variability of the possible best options. With our comprehensive guide, you’ve received a full list of the Best Classes in PoE 2. We’ve also discussed the PoE 2 Best Classes for Beginners, so now you are ready to make your move to the endgame. Additionally, you can use the list of the Best Classes for Leveling to pick the best leveling option.

Changelog

13 Nov. 2024 Guide added.
26 Nov. 2024 Minor text formatting update.
Show more

Related Guides