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The best Path of Exile 2 classes are ranked in a tier list below, with all eight class options laid out, as well as what players need to know about them before going in. With each classes having various builds and at least two choices to pick from when it comes to the Path of Exile 2 Ascendencies, they can spin off in all manner of directions. Not only that, but there's a clear distinction between early and late or endgame play on all these classes, as well as which classes are more dependant on trading and unique/specific items.
Below, we'll take you through a full tier list of the best classes, what you need to know about them, and what each class has to offer. Keep in mind that while there is definitely a hierarchy of power and clear rankings, POE2 has done a good job balancing its classes at time of writing, and there's no bad or non-functional options.
Path of Exile 2 class tier list
The best classes in Path of Exile 2 are ranked in our tier list below:
- S-tier
- Druid
- Ranger
- A-tier
- Huntress
- Sorceress
- Warrior
- Witch
- B-tier
- Mercenary
- Monk
Class power has varied significantly since POE2 was released, with patches and updates shifting the abilities and potency of different classes and moving them through those tier lists, to say nothing of characters who have been added to the game since that first early access went online.
Still, what's here is based on research and the general feeling and feedback of the community at time of writing. Below, we'll go into all the existing POE2 classes, and what you get from each one.
Druid
- Tier: S
- Pros: Versatile, great late game power
- Cons: Complicated, shapeshifting needs to be used carefully
- Attributes: Strength/Intelligence
- How easy to use: Hard
- Playstyle: Ranged attacks, explosives and a variety of elemental moves
- Essential equipment: Talisman
Added in a later update after the initial early access release, the Druid has come out storming and is one of the truly powerful classes. This is a spellcaster that either slings magic in human form, or shifts into animal shapes like wolves or bears for melee advantage. The challenge here is coordinating all these various powers, and not committing to an animal form only to regret it a moment later. Still, once you master this niche, you'll be unstoppable, especially if you invest in the Shaman Ascendency later on.
Ranger
- Tier: S
- Pros: Precision, ranged, elemental force
- Cons: Low health, no melee power, less AOE
- Attributes: Dexterity
- How easy to use: Easy/Medium
- Playstyle: Keep a distance while throwing out arrows and abilities to slow enemies
- Essential equipment: Bow
The Ranger in Path of Exile 2 is great, and arguably the best class in the game. A dex focus means you're hard to hit, range and agility means you can keep your distance and stay ahead of projectiles, and elemental arrows allow you to exploit weaknesses. Poisoning foes and then just running around is a completely viable (if slightly cowardly) approach, but hey - what works, works. If you're looking at Ascendancies later on, then good news: both Pathfinder and Deadeye are great, giving you free reign to pick. Pathfinder's probably a hair better, but either way you're a winner.
For more Ranger danger, check out how to make the best Path of Exile 2 ranger build.
Huntress
- Tier: A
- Pros: Good mobility, somewhat versatile, bleed powers
- Cons: Poor early game, low health for a melee class
- Attributes: Dexterity
- How easy to use: Medium
- Playstyle: Switch between furious stabs and ranged attacks
- Essential equipment: Spear
The Huntress is one of the more versatile classes for its ability to weave between distance and melee in the same fight, stabbing enemies with a spear before leaping back and throwing more spears at others. It's something of a mix of Ranger, Warrior and Monk, but you know what they say: jack of all trades, master of none. Bleed effects are a big part of the Huntresses' arsenal, but that's a trait that risks losing potency in the mid-game, so players are well advised to start building towards more elemental powers. Speaking of, make sure you pick out the Amazon Ascendency and really lean into those elemental blasts.
Sorceress
- Tier: A
- Pros: Ranged elemental power, AOEs, heavy damage
- Cons: Low health, poor at close range, very mana dependant
- Attributes: Intelligence
- How easy to use: Easy
- Playstyle: Back up and throw lightning and firestorms at the enemy
- Essential equipment: Staff
The Sorc is an elemental spellcaster who serves as the game's real class cannon, throwing out elemental attacks at anything from a distance - fireballs, lightning bolts, ice storms - to the point where you barely need precision or thought. If there's a section of the map that isn't covered in swirling, crackling magic, then correct that.
The two major downsides of the Sorceress are the dependence on mana, perhaps more than any other class, and their extremely low health. Again, Path of Exile 2 tends to be kinder to ranged classes and that's one of the reasons the Sorc is so highly thought of, but if an enemy breaks through your ranged assault and gets in your face, you need to get away quickly. If you're looking at Ascendencies, the Disciple of Varashta is probably the best option, though it chew up mana like you wouldn't believe.
To make the most out of this class, check out our guide to the best Path of Exile 2 Sorceress build, which focuses on ice and freezing foes to great effect.
Warrior
- Tier: A
- Pros: Tanky, high health, stun abilities
- Cons: Slow and not always the greatest for damage outpit
- Attributes: Strength
- How easy to use: Easy/Medium
- Playstyle: Enduring damage while using melee strikes on foes
- Essential equipment: "Sword and Board" Mace and shield, or two-handed weapons
The POE2 Warrior has definitely had an elevation since the early days, moving from the lowest rungs to a solid middle option. Durable and melee-focused, the Warrior works very well at battling bosses, and doesn't need any complex equipment to really make the most of their skillset (though it certainly doesn't hurt). I definitely recommend speccing into burst and local AOE attacks later on, which pushes you towards the superior Titan Ascendency.
Witch
- Tier: A
- Pros: Minions can be highly effective if used right, less item dependant
- Cons: Less direct firepower and control
- Attributes: Intelligence
- How easy to use: Medium/Hard
- Playstyle: Inflict negative conditions on foes while summoned minions tear them to pieces
- Essential equipment: Wands and Rods
The Witch is the class you pick if you want to outsource combat, summoning skeletons and undead to attack foes and reanimating the corpses of those they kill, while you remain at a distance and whittle away with spells and negative effects and conditions.
The problem is that the Witch's minions aren't quite as lethal as we'd like them to be. They do hurt foes and often draw aggression to keep enemies off you (a very useful feature), but you can't really control them and their damage is never quite as high as we'd hope - not to mention that many of your abilities are dependent on fresh corpses, which aren't always there. Still, being so focused on summons means you're a little less compromised by poor equipment, which is no bad thing. When it comes to Ascendancies later on, they're all pretty decent, but the Lich option is probably superior in most events.
Mercenary
- Tier: B
- Pros: Versatile, deadly at a distance, never without options
- Cons: Reload time on crossbow, lacks agility
- Attributes: Dexterity/Strength
- How easy to use: Medium
- Playstyle: Ranged attacks, explosives and a variety of elemental moves
- Essential equipment: Crossbow
The Mercenary at time of writing is basically an inferior Ranger, taking the long way round to get to the same place. Reloading is the big challenge here, finding time to refill your crossbow, something that most other classes don't have to deal with. Still, it's a decently tough class too, with some powerful bomb options. Definitely look at the Witch Hunter for your Ascendency.
To get the most out of this devastating class, find out the best Path of Exile 2 Mercenary build right here!
Monk
- Tier: B
- Pros: Speed, agility, stun damage, melee viability
- Cons: Less health, complexity, difficult to get right in boss fights
- Attributes: Dexterity/Intelligence
- How easy to use: Hard
- Playstyle: Dash around hitting people to inflict status effects
- Essential equipment: Quarterstaff
The Monk used to be one of the game's best classes, but rebalances, greater understanding of the systems and other classes coming in like the Druid have shifted it down a fair amount. Still, it's definitely got some panache and viability, you just need to accept speed and agility as the meta that will keep you alive. Based around fast movement, evasion and melee combat, the Monk has you sprint at enemies and hit them with a variety of attacks that build stun or leave them with special conditions, while other attacks cause special effects for you and enemies alike when you land a killing blow or meet some other condition.
The Monk is complex though, built around precision, the right attack for the right moment, and using special abilities to where they'll be most effective. Not only that, but you have to do that from the fray itself, rather than throwing spells from a distance. The Monk's ability to dash with many abilities is invaluable here - get it right and you'll be very hard to stop, especially if you get the superb Invoker Ascendency later on. There's a lot of builds and variations as to how you make a Monk, so maybe check up on how to respec in Path of Exile 2 for some more flexibility.
To make the best Path of Exile 2 Monk build possible, our guide will help you, with skills based around lightning and speed.
All upcoming classes in Path of Exile 2
There are several more confirmed class options that will be added in Path of Exile 2's future.
- Duelist: Sword-wielder with a focus on speed and evasion
- Marauder: Barbarian that focuses on melee damage
- Shadow: Rogue assassin that deals in high-damage strikes
- Templar: A paladin melee spellcaster that smites enemies
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