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Path of Exile 2: A Deep Dive into the Available Classes and Ascendancies in Early Access

Introduction

In the vast and ever-evolving world of Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2), players are about to embark on a thrilling new chapter in the series. This upcoming title promises to POE2 Currency bring a fresh perspective to the beloved action RPG franchise while maintaining the core mechanics and challenging gameplay that fans have come to expect. The game introduces new classes, ascendancies, and customization options that will give players unprecedented freedom in designing their characters and exploring the treacherous world of Wraeclast.

While Path of Exile 2’s Early Access is not expected to release all of the available classes and ascendancies immediately, players will still have plenty of choices to create their ideal characters. With six distinct classes available in Early Access, and two ascendancies per class, Path of Exile 2 offers a diverse array of playstyles and character builds that will cater to a wide range of preferences.

In this article, we will explore the six classes available in Path of Exile 2 Early Access, along with the two unique ascendancy classes for each. This overview will help new players choose a class that aligns with their desired playstyle and provide a deeper understanding of the character progression system in PoE 2.

Path of Exile 2 Classes: A Foundation for Your Journey
In Path of Exile 2, classes determine much more than just your starting stats and basic playstyle. They affect everything from your initial skill tree to the weapons you can wield and your character’s overall progression. The game introduces six classes in Early Access, each designed to offer a distinct experience for players. These classes are as follows:

Mercenary
Monk
Ranger
Sorceress
Warrior
Witch
Each class has its own strengths and weaknesses, and while they are predefined, they offer significant flexibility in terms of playstyle. Players can choose from a wide variety of weapons and skills to craft their ideal character build. Here's a closer look at each of the six classes:

1. Mercenary
The Mercenary is a versatile class, ideal for players who like to control the battlefield with both physical and elemental attacks. This class excels at using explosive abilities, such as grenades and mines, to create devastating chain reactions that deal massive area damage. Mercenaries are also proficient in wielding crossbows, making them excellent at dealing ranged damage while keeping a safe distance from enemies.

Playstyle: Ranged, Explosive, Tactical.
Weapon Focus: Crossbows, Explosives, Mines.
Strengths: Versatility in combining elemental and physical attacks, crowd control, and high burst damage.
2. Monk
The Monk is a class focused on summoning elemental powers and high mobility. Monks are adept at using agility and speed to outmaneuver enemies while delivering devastating elemental strikes. This class can specialize in critical hits and elemental ailments, such as fire and lightning, making them effective against a wide variety of foes.

Playstyle: Agile, Elemental Damage, Summoning.
Weapon Focus: Martial Arts, Staffs, Elemental Magic.
Strengths: Speed, critical hit potential, and powerful elemental damage.
3. Ranger
The Ranger class is ideal for players who prefer precision and ranged combat. Rangers are known for their quick movement and ability to unleash devastating ranged attacks before enemies have a chance to react. With an affinity for bows, Rangers specialize in dodging and evasion and can dish out massive damage through arrow-based skills.

Playstyle: Agile, Ranged, Precision.
Weapon Focus: Bows, Crossbows.
Strengths: Mobility, increased dodge rate, and increased arrow quantity.
4. Sorceress
The Sorceress is a class defined by her ability to manipulate the elements, especially lightning. Sorceresses are masters of elemental magic and can summon powerful storm-based attacks, inflicting massive damage on their enemies. In addition to damage output, they also possess time-manipulating abilities, allowing them to slow down enemies or even reverse time to gain an upper hand in combat.

Playstyle: Elemental Magic, Time Manipulation.
Weapon Focus: Staffs, Wands.
Strengths: Mastery over elemental magic and time-related powers.
5. Warrior
The Warrior is a powerful and defensive class, capable of summoning ancestral spirits to fight alongside them. Warriors excel in crowd control and tanking thanks to their high health and defensive skills. Their Warcry abilities grant them the power to affect large groups of enemies, while their Ancestral Totems can boost their combat effectiveness by providing buffs and summons.

Playstyle: Tank, Summon Support, Warcry Buffs.
Weapon Focus: Axes, Swords, Shields.
Strengths: High survivability, area control, and summoning support.
6. Witch
The Witch class is for players who thrive on magic and minion-based playstyles. Witches can summon creatures like skeletons and zombies to do their bidding, while also casting devastating fire and chaos spells. They can also convert Mana into damage and sacrifice their own health to boost their abilities.

Playstyle: Spellcasting, Minions, Sacrificial Magic.
Weapon Focus: Staves, Wands.
Strengths: Summoning power, strong elemental magic, and high damage potential.
Ascendancies: Refining Your Path in PoE 2
Once players select their class in Path of Exile 2, they will need to decide on their Ascendancy—a subclass that further refines their build and allows for even deeper customization. Ascendancies unlock additional power, passive bonuses, and specialized skills that tailor your character's progression. Players earn these Ascendancy classes by completing Ascension Trials, a series of challenging encounters that test their combat skill, strategy, and teamwork.

In Early Access, each class will offer two Ascendancy classes, providing players with several unique character development directions. After completing all four Ascension Trials, players will receive Ascension points, which can be allocated to their Ascendancy's skill tree, unlocking new abilities and modifiers.

Here’s a breakdown of the Ascendancy options for each class:

Mercenary Ascendancies
Gemling Legionnaire – Focuses on maximizing the efficiency of socketed gems, boosting both offensive and defensive capabilities.
Witch Hunter – Specializes in high-speed, burst damage attacks that allow for quick eliminations of powerful enemies.
Monk Ascendancies
Invoker – Masters the art of elemental summoning, with a focus on critical hits and elemental ailments.
Acolyte of Chayula – Harnesses the power of Darkness as a resource, which can be used to strengthen attacks, absorb Mana, and even peek into Breachlords’ territory for additional benefits.
Ranger Ascendancies
Deadeye – Masters of ranged combat, this Ascendancy enhances arrow count, dodging, and overall attack speed for deadly archers.
Pathfinder – Known for throwing attacks that rely on Health Flask charges, this Ascendancy is particularly adept at poison-based debuffs.
Sorceress Ascendancies
Storm Weaver – The master of lightning, this Ascendancy focuses on unleashing powerful lightning-based spells and generating massive critical damage.
Chronomancer – The manipulator of time, Chronomancers can distort reality itself, causing enemies to slow down or even be stopped entirely.
Warrior Ascendancies
Warbringer – Summons Ancestral Totems and uses Warcries to affect the battlefield, turning fallen enemies into devastating explosions.
Titan – Specializes in using their immense strength to break through defenses, staggering enemies and dealing extra damage while they’re incapacitated.
Witch Ascendancies
Infernalist – A dark summoner that can summon Hellhounds and transform into a Demon to gain extreme attack speed at the cost of defense.
Blood Mage – A practitioner of blood magic, sacrificing health or enemy blood to power devastating spells.
Conclusion
The Path of Exile 2 Early Access offers a promising glimpse into the game’s expansive character customization system, with a variety of classes and ascendancies to explore. While only six classes will be available at launch, each one offers a distinct playstyle and progression path, allowing players to create diverse and powerful characters. Whether you prefer summoning, spellcasting, physical combat, or elemental manipulation, Path of Exile 2 has something for everyone.

As the game continues to evolve, players can expect even more exciting content and challenges, with new classes and ascendancies being introduced in future updates. Until then, the Early Access release offers a wealth of options for players to Path of Exile 2 Orbs experiment with, ensuring that Path of Exile 2 remains a dynamic and thrilling experience for years to come.