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 defines the core structure of your build. Classes determine your starting mechanics, while ascendancies refine how you scale damage, defences, and utility. Prioritise choices that align with your build's function rather than thematic appeal.

Key Factors to Consider

• Playstyle
  • Determine your preferred combat style: melee, ranged, or spellcasting.
  • Warrior and Monk offer varied melee options with strength or hybrid focus.
  • Sorceress and Ranger provide strong ranged damage, excelling in scaling AoE or mobility.

• Damage Type
  • Choose a damage focus: elemental, physical, chaos, or poison.
  • Infernalist maximises fire damage scaling, while Titan prioritises physical output.
  • Hybrid-focused options like Witchhunter allow dual-scaling mechanics with physical and magical interactions.

• Defence vs. Offence
  • Define your approach: pure damage output or sustainable survivability.
  • Titan and Acolyte of Chayula provide tank-oriented options, while Deadeye leans into crit-heavy, evasive playstyles.
  • Consider whether scaling mobility, sustain, or damage mitigation is more efficient for your goals.

• Hybrid Builds
  • Hybrid ascendancies like the Witchhunter or Gemling Legionnaire enable mixed scaling. Use this for builds relying on diverse interactions (e.g., spell-triggered melee attacks or flask sustain).

• Utility and Synergy
  • Ascendancies that provide utility, like Chronomancer's cooldown resets or Pathfinder's flask bonuses, can streamline otherwise resource-intensive mechanics.
  • Utility options should support gaps in your build—mobility, cooldown recovery, or sustain.

Choosing the Right Class

Class and ascendancy synergy is crucial for efficiency. Avoid selecting purely on preference; evaluate whether they enable or limit your build strategy:

• Sorceress and Witch: Best suited for spell scaling with a focus on elemental or chaos damage.
• Warrior: Prioritises melee builds with strong defences and physical scaling.
• Monk: Flexible melee option with hybrid potential for elemental damage and defence.
• Ranger: Excels in ranged builds, optimised for projectile or poison scaling.
• Mercenary: Hybrid class ideal for adaptable builds relying on multiple mechanics.

Decision Process

Use these considerations to guide your choice:

1. What is your build's core mechanic or defining skill?
2. Is your priority burst damage, sustained output, or reliable defences?
3. Does the ascendancy provide efficient synergy with your gear, passives, or core skill interactions?

Focusing on efficient scaling and synergy between class and ascendancy ensures your build functions effectively in all stages of progression. Build around mechanics, not themes, for consistent success 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