Strong classes are the pillars of any game, and in our Path of Exile 2 Warrior Guide we will tell you about one of them. Warriors are a well-known class, and in Path of Exile 2 they receive stuns, provide good DPS, and take their strength from the Ascendancy of your choice. In this PoE 2 Warrior guide, we are going to cover all these aspects, as well as share the Warrior gameplay basics, abilities, skill gems, and weapons. Want to test other classes? Read our PoE 2 Witch Guide sharing the secrets of another popular class.
Path of Exile 2 Warrior Overview
Path of Exile 2 Warrior is a Strength-based class that specializes in heavy melee combat. Equipped with maces and shields, Warriors can perform powerful slam attacks, stunning and knocking back enemies. High durability means they are able to withstand massive damage, so you can be at the frontline and fight enemies face-to-face even in the endgame content.
It would be fair to mention, that the PoE 2 Warriors have excellent offense and defense due to Shields and Maces that they’ll carry. It provides a fairly balanced playstyle that can adapt to most combat situations, whether it’s a boss fight or simply mob clearing. Their AoE damage through spells like Earthquake, Rolling Slam, or Sunder make the process even easier.
Early access is on its way, and now is the best time to ensure that your Warrior’s full potential will be unleashed. Our professional team can help you prepare a Custom Build for your class. Thanks to expert build optimization you will achieve maximum performance in-game.
Path of Exile 2 Warrior Changes
PoE 2 brings a few changes to Warriors. New skills and mechanics related to the Warrior class make it feel different compared to how it had been in PoE 1. Also, bosses can now finally get stunned, frozen, etc., but, of course, not to the extent of being permanently incapacitated. Warriors are allowed to play closer to powerful opponents due to this new possibility to stun them.
With the addition of new skills and Ascendancy classes, Warriors get more extensive customization and strategic options to make diverse and personalized builds. But we are going to cover this topic a bit later.
Path of Exile 2 Warrior Basics
PoE 2 Warriors are all about Strength, which provides them with access to some of the most powerful melee attacks and high durability. They use maces and shields, performing slam attacks to deal area damage and control. Warriors play aggressively up close with enemies, delivering heavy blows. Besides, they use their defensive skills to mitigate incoming heavy damage.
In the Passive Skill Tree, strength classes such as the Warrior start in the lower-left section. It grants access to melee damage, life, and armor nodes. Want to skip the grind and start exploring your skill trees, gems, and the whole world straightaway? No problem, League Starter Builds are made specifically for this purpose.
Path of Exile 2 Warrior Stun
While stunning enemies is a baseline mechanic in many games, Path of Exile 2 announced the reworked CC system for bosses. In a nutshell, CC mechanics now have an internal meter. Using your CC spells on a boss will accumulate their effect till the boss is controlled. It erases the 50/50 control chance, so the game becomes less unpredictable.
What does it mean for the Warriors in PoE 2? Well, stunning an enemy is intrinsic to a lot of the Warrior’s combat. Several Warrior skills contain inherent mechanics that interact positively with stun, facilitating a variety of movement and enemy control by allowing openings to strikes. This all comes with PoE 2 revised mechanics: even bosses are vulnerable to stun these days, so every single battle requires strategic decisions now. It is expected that some skills like Rolling Slam will do well in combat.
Path of Exile 2 Warrior Ascendancy Classes
Warriors can specialize further by choosing one of three Path of Exile 2 Warrior Ascendancy classes:
- The Titan;
- The Warbringer;
- The Smith of Kitava.
The Titan Ascendancy
In Path of Exile 2 The Titan is the first warrior ascendancy.
“The Titan focuses on stuns, slams, and beefy defense. Call upon your ancestors to boost your slams. Push your enemies to the ground. Shrug off any attack”.
Skills granted by the Path of Exile 2 Warrior The Titan are:
- Earthbreaker: 20% chance for Slam Skills you use yourself to cause Aftershocks;
- Ancestral Empowerment: Every second Slam Skill you use yourself is Ancestrally Boosted;
- Crushing Impact: Your Hits are Crushing Blows;
- Surprising Strength: 40% more Damage against Heavy Stunned Enemies;
- Mysterious Lineage: 20% more Maximum Life;
- Stone Skin: Armour from Equipped Body Armour is doubled;
- Colossal Capacity: Equip a Chest which has 20 Inventory Slots.
The Warbringer Ascendancy
Path of Exile 2 Warbringer is another strong ascendancy choice for the warrior.
“This fearsome frontline fighter conjures ancestral spirits to pummel his foes and has a voice so powerful his Warcries can detonate his fallen enemies”.
Path of Exile 2 Warrior The Warbringer Ascendancy brings the following skills:
- Anvil’s Weight:
Break Armour equal to 10% of Hit Damage dealt. - Imploding Impacts:
You can Break Enemy Armour to below 0. - Jade Heritage:
Grants Skill: Encase in Jade.
Gain a stack of Jade every second.
Encase in Jade:
Consumes all stacks of Jade to grant a Buff for a duration that absorbs all Damage from Hits, up to a maximum based on the amount of Jade consumed. While encased you cannot move or perform actions. - Answered Call:
Grants Skill: Ancestral Spirits.
Trigger Ancestral Spirits when you Summon a Totem.
Ancestral Spirits:
Each of your Totems will summon an Ancestral Spirit Minion to fight for you. If the Totem that summoned the Minion dies then the Ancestral Spirit will too. - Wooden Wall:
20% of Damage from Hits is taken from your nearest Totem’s Life before you. - Renly’s Training:
Gain 40% Base Chance to Block from Equipped Shield instead of the Shield’s value. - Turtle Charm:
35% less Block chance.
Can Block Damage from all Hits while Shield is not Raised. - Warcaller’s Bellow:
Corpses in your Presence Explode when you Warcry, dealing 25% of their Life as Physical Damage. - Greatwolf’s Howl:
Ignore Warcry Cooldowns.
The Smith of Kitava Ascendancy
Path of Exile 2 The Smith of Kitava is the newest warrior ascendancy.
“Smiths of Kitava are master Blacksmiths and have the ability to forge their weapon, quite literally”.
Small Passives:
- 20% increased Fire Damage;
- 15% to Fire Resistance;
- 20% increased Melee Damage;
- Minions deal 20% increased Damage.
Notables:
- Heat of the Forge:
Grants Skill: Fire Spell on Hit. - Against the Anvil:
Grants Skill: Temper Weapon. - Living Weapon:
Grants Skill: Manifest Weapon. - Coal Stoker:
Modifiers to Fire Resistance also grant Cold and Lightning Resistance at 50% of their value. - Forged in Flame ( <- Coal Stoker ):
Modifiers to Maximum Fire Resistance also grant Maximum Cold and Lightning Resistance. - Smith’s Masterwork:
Can only use a Normal Body Armour;
This Passive Skill is free to allocate.
The nodes below can be allocated after Smith’s Masterwork:
- Flowing Metal: Body Armour grants +5% to Maximum Fire Resistance
- Molten Symbol: Body Armour grants 25% of Physical Damage from Hits taken as Fire Damage
- Internal Layer: Body Armour grants Hits against you have 50% reduced Critical Damage Bonus
- Leather Bindings: Body Armour grants regenerate 5% of Life per second
- Lead Lining: Body Armour grants +75% to Lightning Resistance
- Support Straps: Body Armour grants 20% increased Strength
- Kitavan Engraving: Body Armour grants 15% increased maximum Life
- Tantalum Alloy: Body Armour grants +75% to Fire Resistance
- Heatproofing: Body Armour grants Unaffected by Ignite
- Padded Plates: Body Armour grants +75% to Cold Resistance
- Heavy Bracing: Body Armour grants 100% increased Stun Threshold
- Dedication to Kitava: Body Armour grants Armour also applies to Chaos Damage taken from Hits
Ascendancy classes are a big deal in the way the game is played, as they bring variability and customization. They will enable you to tailor your Warrior for specific playstyles, so you can either adjust this class to your needs or try and make something exceptional out of a basic Warrior. But tailoring is unimaginable without currency — the framework of all PoE 2 improvements. You can get some Chaos Orbs in advance to make sure that your Ascendance will go as planned.
Path of Exile 2 Warrior Abilities
In PoE 2 Warrior Abilities are mainly focused on massive strikes and slamming the enemy. You get your Active Skills from Skill Gems, adding not only the skill itself to your arsenal but also some attributes like attack speed and extra damage. The Passive Skill Tree will further enhance Warrior’s performance via a vast amount of Passive Abilities.
Fine-tuning all skills takes time and understanding, which you may lack at the beginning of playing PoE 2. However, you can trust our team and ask for Build Improvement. Our most experienced players will optimize your character’s gear, skills, and Passive Tree for balanced performance.
Here you can see a list of Path of Exile 2 Warrior Abilities sorted by tier:
Tier | Gems |
|---|---|
| 1 | Earthquake, Boneshatter, Rolling Slam |
| 3 | Shield Charge, Armour Breaker, Shockwave Totem, Infernal Cry |
| 5 | Earthshatter, Perfect Strike, Resonating Shield |
| 7 | Leap Slam, Shield Wall |
| 9 | Sunder, Volcanic Fissure |
| 11 | Seismic Cry, Supercharged Slam, Stampede |
| 13 | Ancestral Warrior Totem, Hammer of the Gods |
Path of Exile 2 Warrior Skill Gems
As mentioned above, PoE 2 Warrior Skill Gems grant us a variety of active spells. Let’s outline these Skill Gems, their effects, and their requirements:
| Name | Description | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Earthquake | Smashes the ground, dealing damage in an area and leaving behind Jagged Ground that slows enemies. The Jagged Ground erupts in a powerful Aftershock after a short duration. Attacking again before the eruption will not create another area of Jagged Ground. | Level: 2 Cost: 10 Mana Attack Speed: 75% of base Attack Damage: 66% Requires: Level 3, 9 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Boneshatter | Attacks enemies with a melee Strike. The Strike will cause a Heavy Stun on enemies that are Primed for Stun. Upon causing a Heavy Stun it will also create a Shockwave, dealing a large amount of damage in an area. | Level: 1 Cost: 10 Mana Attack Speed: 60% of base Attack Damage: 50% Requires: Level 1 Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Rolling Slam | Slam the ground to Stun enemies and knock them away, then continue forward and perform a devastating second Slam. | Level: 12 Cost: 48 Mana Attack Damage: 188% Requires: Level 42, 96 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Shield Charge | Channel to charge in the target direction. You will crash into enemies on your path, stopping your charge and dealing damage to enemies in the area, and extra damage to the enemies you collided with. While charging, your Shield is raised and you will Block all incoming Blockable hits. | Level: 4 Cost: 12.93 Mana per second Cooldown Time: 3.0 sec Attack Time: 0.50 sec Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attack Damage: 100% Requires: Level 10, 25 Str Requires: Shield |
| Armour Breaker | Attack with a forceful blow, knocking enemies back and weakening their armor. | Level: 12 Cost: 20 Mana Attack Speed: 80% of base Attack Damage: 86% Requires: Level 42, 96 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Shockwave Totem | Raises a Totem that Slams the ground around it, repeatedly damaging nearby enemies. Earthquake’s Jagged Ground erupts when in this Slam. Grants bonus fire damage. | Level: 2 Cost: 28 Mana Cast Time: 0.60 sec Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Requires: Level 3 |
| Infernal Cry | Performs a warcry, taunting nearby enemies to attack the use and Empower subsequent Attacks. Consumes all Endurance Charges to Empower additional attacks. Enemies in the warcry’s area are destabilized and will Combust on death. | Level: 3 Cost: 16 Mana Cooldown Time: 8.00 sec Use Time: 0.80 sec Requires: Level 6, 16 Str |
| Perfect Strike | Charge up your weapon while channeling. Releasing the moment you fully charge will release a wave of fire. | Level: 3 Cost: 10.52 Mana per second Attack Speed: 120% of base Attack Damage: 121% Requires: Level 6, 17 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Leap Slam | Jump into the air, damaging and knocking back enemies with your mace where you lang. Enemies you would land on are pushed out of the way. | Level: 12 Cost: 31 Mana Attack Damage: 188% Requires: Level 42, 96 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Earthshatter | Slam the ground, sending out a fissure that deals area damage to enemies it passes under and thrusts a spike from the ground when it ends. Warcries or other Slam Attacks performed near the spike will cause it to shatter damaging surrounding enemies. | Level: 5 Cost: 13 Mana Attack Speed: 80% of base Attack Damage: 85% Requires: Level 13, 34 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Resonating Shield | Repeatedly strike your Shield with your weapon causing damaging shockwaves in an area around you. Enemies hit by the shockwave lose Armour for a duration. While using Resonating Shield your Shield is raised and you will Block all incoming Blockable hits. | Level: 6 Cost: 11.25 Mana per second Attack Time: 0.80 sec Attack Damage: 38% Requires: Level 21, Level 38 Requires: Shield |
| Sunder | Slams the ground, creating a wave of churning terrain that damages enemies in a sequence of areas in front of you. A number of enemies hit by the wave will release a shockwave, damaging other enemies. | Level: 9 Cost: 40 Mana Attack Damage: 237% Requires: Level 31, 72 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Volcanic Fissure | Slam the ground, creating a winding fissure that deals area damage while traveling outwards then persists for a duration. Slamming a fissure with a different Slam skill will cause it and all connected fissures to trigger Aftershocks. | Level: 7 Cost: 11 Mana Attack Speed: 80% of base Attack Damage: 98% Requires: Level 27, 46 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace, One Hand Mace |
| Shield Wall | Ram your Shield into the ground, throwing up a wall of earth on either side and losing your Shield for the duration of the skill. Enemies can attack the walls and your Slams will instantly destroy them. Each wall segment explodes when destroyed, damaging enemies around it. | Level: 9 Cost: 41 Mana Attack Time: 1.25 sec Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attack Damage: 100% Requires: Level 31, 72 Str Requires: Shield |
| Seismic Cry | Performs a warcry, Taunting, and Knocking back nearby enemies. If a heavy-stunned enemy is hit, your next slam does an additional Aftershock. | Level: 12 Cost: 27 Mana Cooldown Time: 8.00 sec Cast Time: 0.80 sec Requires: Level 42, 96 Str |
| Supercharged Slam | Channel to charge up a heavy swing, drawing earth from the ground to enlarge your mace. Release to Slam the ground, dealing damage in an area around the impact, followed by Aftershocks dealing damage in a large area. | Level: 11 Cost: 27.22 Mana per second Attack Time: 1.00 sec Attack Damage: 111% Requires: Level 41, 95 Str Requires: Two Hand Mace |
| Stampede | Charges forward, cracking the earth and leaving a patch of Jagged Ground with every footstep. At the end of your charge, a massive leaping Slam damages enemies and causes all patches of Jagged Ground to erupt in Aftershocks. | Level: 11 Cost: 44 Mana Attack Damage: 161% Requires: Level 41, 95 Str Requires: One Hand Mace, Two Hand Mace |
| Ancestral Warrior Totem | Raises a Totem that uses socketed Mace skills. | Level: 13 Cost: 54 Mana Requires: Level 52, 119 Str Requires: One Hand Mace, Two Hand Mace |
| Hammer of the Gods | Entreats the Ancestors to crush your enemies, manifesting a massive hammer that falls from the sky onto your target. | Level: 11 Cost: 46 Mana Cooldown Time: 24.00 sec Attack Speed: 50% of base Attack Damage: 1307% Requires: Level 41, 95 Str Requires: Once Hand Mace, Two Hand Mace |
Path of Exile 2 Warrior Weapon
Finally, Weapon — the source of power for the class. In Path of Exile 2 Warrior Weapon is mainly a mace, two- or one-handed. Additionally, you will carry a Shield, which allows all the slam attacks and grants defensive capabilities. Here’s a list of Warrior Weapons in PoE 2:
| Weapon | Description | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Advanced Feathered Targe | Grants Skill: Raise Shield. | Shield Chance to Block: 25% Armour: 93 Evasion Rating: 73 Requires: Level 62, 62 Str, 62 Dex |
| Crescent Targe | Grants Skill: Raise Shield. | Shield Chance to Block: 25% Armour: 41 Evasion Rating: 35 Requires: Level 26, 31 Str, 31 Dex |
| Crumbling Maul | Destroys Enemies Killed by Critical Strikes. | Two Hand Mace Physical Damage: 38-46 Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attack per Second: 1.05 Requires: Level 37, 122 Str |
| Cultist Greathammer | Strike Skills deal Splash Damage to surrounding targets. | Two Hand Mace Physical Damage: 43-58 Fire Damage: 3-7 Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attack per Second: 1.10 Requires: Level 22, 52 Str |
| Frostbreath Slim Mace | “A merciful murderer swept through the streets of Sarn Robbing breath from the weak and worthless”. | One Hand Mace |
| Jade Club | Always Hits. | One Hand Mace Physical Damage: 20-33 Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attack per Second: 1.20 Requires: Level 46, 149 Int |
| Jingling Crest Shield | Grants Skill: Raise Shield. | Shield Chance to Block: 25% Armour: 44 Requires: Level 28, 33 Str, 33 Int |
| Lycosidae Rampart Tower Shield | “A true predator does not chase; It waits”. | Shield |
| Merit of Service Pelage Targe | Grants Skill: Raise Shield 46% increased Chance to Block. 73% increased Armour and Evasion. +75 to Stun Threshold. Allies in Presence have a Block Chance equal to yours. | Shield Chance to Block: 36% Armour: 35 Evasion Rating: 24 Requires: Level 8, 10 Str, 10 Dex |
| Mjölner Torment Club | Look the storm in the eye and you will have its respect. | One Hand Mace |
| Slim Mace | N/A | One Hand Mace Physical Damage: 11-17 Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attack per Second: 1.55 Requires: Level 10, 32 Str |
| Splintered Tower Shield | Grants Skill: Raise Shield. | Shield Chance to Block: 24% Armour: 14 |
| The Wailing Wall Effigial Tower Shield | Grants Skill: Raise Shield. 117% increased Armour. +122 to Stun Threshold. Can Block Damage from all Hits. Cannot use Shield Skills. | Shield Chance to Block: 26% Armour: 148 Requires: Level 21, 40 Str |
| Totemic Greatclub | Crushes Enemies on Hit. | Two Hand Mace Physical Damage: 40-54 Critical Strike Chance: 5.00% Attack per Second: 1.10 Requires: Level 47, 152 Str |
| Wulfsbane Painted Tower Shield | Grants Skill: Raise Shield. +40 to maximum Life. +12 to Strength. +80 to Stun Threshold. Permanently Intimidate Enemies on Block. | Shield Chance to Block: 26% Armour: 31 Requires: Level 6, 13 Str |
4.9Wrapping all the information up, our Path of Exile 2 Warrior guide introduced you to one of the strongest classes in the game. Warriors are not only “strong” as a matter of fact, they also have Strength as their primary attribute, determining their starting position on a Passive Skill tree. The new Stun system will be a nice addition to Warrior gameplay, as well as Ascendancies will add some spice. We hope that the list of Warrior Abilities and Weapons will be helpful in your adventures.
