Guide:Creating Your Own Path of Exile 2 Build

This is a guide on the subject of Building a Character.

Valid as of version 0.1.0d. Last updated on Dec 16, 2024.

Creating Your Own Path of Exile 2 Build

Introduction

This guide is designed to help you create a functional and effective build from scratch in Path of Exile 2. Instead of relying on pre-made templates, the focus is on teaching you how to concept, plan, and iterate on your own ideas.

The guide assumes familiarity with ARPG systems and PoE2 basics, offering a structured approach to build theory and decision-making.

Defining the Build Concept

Before diving into specific details, this section helps you establish the core identity of your build. By outlining the primary skill, offensive scaling, defenses, and unique mechanics, you create a solid foundation to build upon.

The goal is to clearly define what your build does and how it achieves that, ensuring each choice has purpose and synergy. Whether you're optimizing for damage, survivability, or playstyle, this framework will guide your decision-making.

1. Primary Skill

• What It Is: Name the skill and briefly describe what it does (damage type, targeting, AoE, etc.).
• Why This Skill: Explain why the skill was chosen (playstyle fit, synergy with mechanics, or endgame viability).
• Key Interactions: Highlight unique mechanics or dependencies (e.g., damage conversion, triggering skills, or scaling with certain stats).

Example:

“We’re using Spark, motes of lightning, originating from your character, shoots in a cone in front of you doing lightning damage, and has a chance to shock. The skill excels at clearing clustered enemies and scales well with Lightning Damage and Critical Hit bonuses. We leverage modifiers like 'Shock Chance' and 'Cast Speed' to maximize damage.”

2. Offense Scaling

• Damage Source: Outline how the build deals damage—hit-based, damage over time, crit, minions, etc.
• Scaling Mechanisms: List primary stats, passives, or gear that scale your chosen skill (e.g., flat damage, attack speed, crit multipliers).
• Support Gems: Mention the most important support gems and how they enhance the skill.

Example:

“This build scales Lightning Hit-Damage as the primary damage source, using the Shocked Ailment to amplify it. Key stats include 'Lightning Damage,' 'Chance to Shock,' and 'Cast Speed,' Support gems like Lightning Penetration and Lightning Mastery improve single-target damage and map clear speed.”

3. Defense Strategy

• Primary Defensive Layers: State the main survivability tools (e.g., armour, evasion, block, energy shield).
• Synergies: Mention how these defenses tie into your skill or passives.
• Sustain: Address life, mana, or energy shield recovery where applicable.

Example:

“Defensively, the build uses a mix of Energy Shield and Life Regeneration to mitigate damage. We pair this with 'Life Gain on Hit' or 'Life Gain on Kill' for consistent sustain.”

4. Unique Mechanics or Build Identity

Describe any standout mechanics that set the build apart, such as interactions with specific passives, items, or skills. Keep it concise and highlight what makes the build unique.

Example:

“A core mechanic of this build is sustaining ailments for elemental vulnerability. By equipping support gems like 'Stormfire' that prolongs shocks inflicted on ignited enemies, we can implement fire into our rotation for ignite damage whilst boosting the capabilities of shock.”

5. Playstyle Overview

Offer a 1-2 sentence description of how the build feels to play in practice (e.g., speed, rhythm, and skill usage).

Example:

“The playstyle is fast-paced and smooth, relying on fast cast speed to keep up ailments while igniting tougher enemies for sustained burning/shock damage. Positioning is key to funnel enemies into AOE lightning skills.”

Class and Ascendancy Considerations

Choosing the right class and ascendancy in Path of Exile 2 will help you declare the foundation of your build. Each class offers distinct mechanics, while ascendancies provide focused specialisations. To decide effectively, evaluate your build goals based on these core factors:

Key Factors to Consider

• Playstyle
  • Identify whether your build favours melee, ranged, or spellcasting. Warrior and Monk suit melee combat, while Sorceress and Ranger excel with spells and ranged.

• Damage Type
  • Determine your preferred damage: elemental, physical, poison, or chaos. Ascendancies like the Infernalist focus on fire damage, while the Titan prioritises physical strength. Hybrid options, such as the Mercenary, enable combining multiple damage types.

• Defence vs. Offence
  • Assess your need for survivability or damage output. Ascendancies like the Titan and Acolyte of Chayula offer durability, while the Deadeye emphasises agility and critical damage.

• Hybrid Builds
  • Hybrid ascendancies like the Witchhunter or Gemling Legionnaire allow you to blend physical, magical, and utility mechanics effectively.

• Utility
  • Some ascendancies offer utility benefits. The Chronomancer enhances cooldown management, while the Pathfinder improves flask synergy and sustain.

Choosing the Right Class

Analyse how each class and its ascendancies align with your build:

• Sorceress and Witch: Strong for elemental or chaos spell builds.
• Warrior: Best for physical, melee-heavy setups with tanky options.
• Monk: Flexible melee class combining elemental and hybrid capabilities.
• Ranger: Suited for ranged attacks, projectile mechanics, and poison builds.
• Mercenary: Balanced hybrid class for blending roles and mechanics.

Decision Process

To finalise your choice, consider:

1. What is your primary skill or ability?
2. Does your build prioritise survivability, sustained damage, or burst output?
3. Will you synergise with gear like flasks, critical hit, or specific unique items?

By aligning your goals with the strengths of a class and its ascendancies, you can create a build that effectively meets your needs. A clear foundation ensures smoother progression in Path of Exile 2.

Tools and Resources

• Path of Building (PoB)
  • This is not currently updated for POE2, however this is expected to be updated within the next few weeks.
  • This is a community built application for planning and simulating builds down to the most painful and tedious details.
• Wiki Links
  • (Relevant links to other articles on the wiki will be populate here in the future)
• Community Builds
  • Use the Official POE2 Forums and communities like Reddit and Youtube for inspiration