PoE 2 0.3 Best Class & Starter Builds Tier List (The Third Edict)

Here we update the PoE 2 0.3 Best Class & Build Tier List to rank all ascendancies for the massive The Third Edict patch, and present the best league starter builds for Rise of the Abyssals league based on the massive changes and new content in The Third Edict. 

Main Class Changes in Path of Exile 2 0.3.0 Patch (The Third Edict)

Path of Exile 2 0.3.0 Patch, known as The Third Edict, is a game-changer for both new and experienced exiles. Sadly, no new class, but every class is getting reworked, improved, buffed in some way, with the following changes:

• Support Gem System Rework: The previous restriction of one support gem type per character is gone. Multiple copies of the same support can now be used on different skills, enabling much broader build diversity. Support gems also have multiple tiers, adding a sense of progression and endgame chase with new "lineage" supports dropping from bosses.

• Class Buffs and New Keystones: Every class received buffs, new skills, and a huge passive tree expansion, over 100 new notables, often themed around ascendancies. For example, the monk now gains access to the hollow palm technique for unarmed martial arts, while warrior shield skills are much more fluid and impactful.

• New Lineage Supports: They're also adding lineage support gems, which are giga endgame versions of support gems. And these you can only get as drops. Some will be rarer than others. Some will only drop from certain bosses. Some are completely build defining, some are simply uh power upgrades, and some are going to be rarer to find than others. There are 40 zero lineage support gems being added.

• Major Defense Reworks: Evasion gains the new "deflection" mechanic, allowing 40% less damage taken on successful deflects, with a possible 100% cap. Armor can now mitigate elemental damage via new modifiers. Block and parry have become much more reliable, and ailments such as shock, chill, and freeze now last longer, encouraging multi-element builds.

• Minion and Spectre Improvements: Minions no longer require accuracy and always hit. Spectres are cheaper and stronger, and new minion command skills and jump abilities have been added for better clear and bossing.

• Crafting and Itemization: New crafting orbs with higher tiers guarantee better modifiers. Exceptional items can drop with extra sockets or quality, and essences have more impactful tiers for powerful early-game upgrades. The addition of omens and sanctified items further expands endgame crafting depth.

Also, this massive update brings sweeping changes to nearly every system in the game, new acts, support gem overhauls, rebalanced defenses, an innovative trade system, and a new league. New classes and build meta situations are going to be shaped in the new league! Which ascendancy to play in The Third Edict? And which starter build to set up for the new bosses and Rise of the Abyssal League? Let's find out now!

PoE 2 0.3 Class Ascendancy Tier List (The Third Edict)

The Third Edict patch introduces a staggering number of changes to classes and ascendancy, which will obviously bring buffs and nerfs. Here we rank all ascendancies for the Rise of the Abyssal league, factoring in the new skills, defense, gear, and passive tree changes:

1. Deadeye (Ranger) - S Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Deadeye is a top choice this patch. Evasion now features the deflect stat, allowing up to 100% deflection (40% less hit damage). Evasion, in general, or evasion builds are getting a buff with the introduction of a new mechanic called deflect. So, evasion could only avoid certain kinds of damage. Deflect can avoid any kind of damage. And if you get a successful deflect, you take 40% less damage. There's also no limit to your deflect chance, so you can reach 100% deflect chance. The deflect roll happens in addition to the evasion roll. So you're stacking these two basically.Improved cold and poison skills, better movement, and a denser passive tree make Deadeye fast, tough, and deadly.

2. Bloodmage (Witch) - S Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Bloodmage receives notable improvements in 0.3. Players now get Sanguimancy for free, freeing up two ascendancy points for immediate power. Early access to high spell crit and life flask interactions means Bloodmage can start strong and scale well into the endgame. The class gets better sustain and more build flexibility than before, making it a much more attractive option for spellcasters who don’t mind managing their life as a resource.

3. Ritualist (Huntress) - S Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ritualist holds the top spot, almost taking the top position due to its defensive strengths and buffs to jewelry. The third ring slot and amulet grant massive defensive and stat benefits for thorns. While stat stacking isn’t as important this patch, having three rings still offers unique advantages. Ritualist was arguably the best Thorns ascendancy in the last patch, and the slight buffs it received only improve its standing. Its starting position is a little further from the optimal armor and thorns nodes than the warrior, which makes league start a bit tougher, but it remains a top contender for reflect and defensive builds.

4. Invoker (Monk) - S Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Invoker remains largely untouched, as a powerhouse for staff users, with most staff skills dealing cold or lightning damage. Invoker provides strong generic power for both elements, as well as reliable defensive options and energy shield scaling. The 0.3 patch introduces the hollow palm technique, letting staff skills be used unarmed, which fits perfectly into Invoker’s toolkit. Players can expect to see a lot of Invoker builds utilizing this new node, making Invoker both versatile and robust.

5. Lich (Witch) - A Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Lich is stable and consistent, providing good damage and survivability for minion or self-cast builds. While its power level hasn’t changed much in 0.3, Lich’s endgame potential is somewhat capped by speed, and it lacks the ceiling found in higher tier ascendancies. It’s a safe pick for those who want a reliable caster experience.

6. Infernalist (Witch) - A Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Infernalist focuses on fire damage, offering options for fire spells or minions. While the synergies are obvious at first glance, more experienced players will find hidden depth in her mechanics. Good beginner builds will naturally gravitate toward fire damage, but Infernalist remains open to creative paths and off-meta experimentation thanks to recent buffs.

7. Stormweaver (Sorceress) - A Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Stormweaver is the ascendancy for spellcasters, offering cast speed, crit chance, and the ability to trigger spells off of other spells. While fire spells tend to lag behind the other elements, Stormweaver has unique interactions for lightning and creates a lot of elemental remnants. The class feels great for elemental spell builds and brings a lot of synergy for new and experienced players alike.

8. Tactician (Mercenary) - A Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Tactician has seen multiple updates in 0.3.0, with both nerfs and important quality of life upgrades. Cannons Ready now grants a plus one maximum totem, and a new strategic embankments notable has been added behind it, increasing damage against immobilized enemies and boosting mobilization buildup. Banners have become much more reliable and last longer, making them better buffs overall. The ascendancy now allows only one instance of any given skill gem, but support gems can be used across all skills, leading to much more flexible build options. Totem attack damage now scales off your weapon, not just gem levels, which opens up a wider array of gear and scaling strategies. While the artillery ballista received some base damage and speed nerfs, added weapon scaling may compensate, and the improved support system allows for creative and varied builds. Tactician is a strong league starter due to its flexibility and new scaling options, especially for players who enjoy totem or ballista-based gameplay.

9. Acolyte of Chayula (Monk) - A Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Acolyte has received new offensive and defensive options in the 0.3.0 patch, with volatility and breach-based nodes now more appealing for damage, while darkness offers extra tankiness. The volatility node lets you stack damage safely, rewarding frequent elemental ailment application, while Into the Breach has been buffed to make it easier to keep up powerful chaos damage stacks. The darkness node remains a top option for players seeking defense, especially in hardcore. These changes add flexibility but also bring some nerfs to hybrid sustain and darkness damage. Most players are likely to prioritize Into the Breach and volatility for a blend of survivability and DPS.

10. Warbringer (Warrior) - A Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Warbringer earns the middle spot, remaining a solid option thanks to the new 75% block cap and easy access to armor break. The ability to consistently apply armor break is a huge win, especially now that fire damage can benefit from armor break for additional synergy. Warbringer’s armor breaking remains unchanged, and features like the jade heritage passive make it even more attractive for thorns setups. While some are concerned about changes to the warrior, Warbringer still looks strong on paper and could even rise in ranking depending on how the meta shifts with the new patch.

11. Amazon (Huntress) - B Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Amazon is widely picked for her ability to scale flat critical strike chance based on accuracy, making it easy to achieve high or even capped crit chance. Although the node that grants this is getting a nerf, increased player accuracy and reduced monster evasion mean that Amazon’s crit scaling remains effective. She also brings elemental bonuses for spears and offers options for damage, evasion, and resource recovery, making her a strong and safe pick.

12. Pathfinder (Ranger) - B Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Pathfinder is tricky for new players, as she doesn’t stand out in any one area. Her main generic benefit is moving faster while attacking, and her nodes are largely flask or poison-oriented. With these mechanics still not fully fleshed out in early access, Pathfinder is best approached with caution unless you have a specific build in mind.

13. Gemling Legionnaire (Mercenary) - B Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆

Gemling Legionnaire can be difficult to unlock without a guide, as its power depends on effectively pairing the right skills and supports. When built correctly, it offers strong and clear generic power. However, missing a key detail can have a drastic impact on performance, making it less forgiving than other choices.

14. Titan (Warrior) - C Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Titan is a favorite for its hulking form passive, which increases the effect of all passive nodes by 50%. This makes it nearly impossible to mess up a Titan build, as any small node will synergize well. Titan also provides boosts to damage and survivability, and with the influx of new passive nodes in 0.3, this ascendancy is positioned to capitalize on new build possibilities. Titan enables unique playstyles like cooldown stacking and heavy stun, making it both flexible and beginner-friendly.

15. Witchhunter (Mercenary) - C Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Witchhunter is the most generic of the mercenary ascendancies, best for ranged attacks like bows or crossbows. He provides early map clear and boss damage through explosions and first-strike effects. While ultimately outclassed by Deadeye and others, Witchhunter remains a jack of all trades and a good alternative for those seeking a different ranged experience.

16. Smith of Kitava (Warrior) - C Tier

For Starter: ⭐☆☆☆☆
For Endgame: ⭐☆☆☆☆

Smith of Kitava has taken some heavy hits in 0.3, particularly with the loss of maximum fire resistance stacking and nerfs to key defensive notables. The class can now apply some armor to elemental hit damage and has a possible strength-stacking angle, but overall, it’s less attractive than before. Relying on a normal body armor to access key ascendancy features limits flexibility, and many defenses are now harder to reach.

17. Chronomancer (Sorceress) - C Tier

For Starter: ⭐⭐☆☆☆
For Endgame: ⭐⭐☆☆☆

Chronomancer’s strength lies in niche playstyles, like freezing time and one-shotting bosses during the freeze window. However, it lacks perks for general mapping and requires deep knowledge of the skill system and ability rotation to shine. It’s a class better suited for veterans looking for a unique challenge rather than for newer players.

PoE 2 0.3.0 Best Starter Builds for Leveling in Rise of the Abyssal League

With a massive overhaul of skills, passive trees, new league mechanics, and the introduction of asynchronous trade, the game offers more build diversity and creativity than ever before. In the following section, we are going to sort out the standout build concepts that are poised to shine in this massive 0.3.0 patch. Here are the best starter builds for Rise of the Abyssal league, based on accessibility, power, and ease of gearing:

1. Lightning Arrow / Tornado Shot / Lightning Rod Deadeye

This build leverages the Deadeye ascendancy, pairing the classic Tornado Shot with the new or improved Lightning Rod skill to create an exceptionally high-damage, fast-clearing archer archetype. The synergy between these two skills allows for both devastating single-target and screen-clearing AoE, with Lightning Rod greatly enhancing boss damage—especially when combined with powerful shock effects inflicted via Ball Lightning and Voltaic Mark. The build scales tremendously with flat elemental and physical damage, projectile levels, and attack speed, and receives further boosts from the upcoming patch’s buffs to Deadeye and Lightning Rod. Flexible gearing, optional but strong unique items, and the new automark system make it both accessible and extremely potent for all content, with damage outputs reaching hundreds of millions or even a billion DPS in 0.3. This combination of raw power, flexibility, and ease of setup cements it as a top meta contender.

• PoE 2 0.3 Lightning Arrow Deadeye Build Guide

2. Mortar Cannon Tactician Mercenary

Mortar Cannon Crossbow is a highlight among Mercenary builds following the patch. The fluidity of crossbow skills is improved; reload no longer penalizes movement, enabling true run-and-gun play. Mortar Cannon summons a totem that launches grenades at a rapid pace, with any grenade skill available for socketing. The totem’s cooldown recovery is much improved, supporting a dynamic and strategic playstyle. Banners have also been strengthened, now offering longer duration and not disappearing when moving out of range. These updates make Mercenary mapping and bossing much faster and smoother, placing this build in S tier.

• PoE 2 0.3 Mortar Cannon Tactician Build Guide

3. Gas Arrow Explosive Bow Deadeye

Explosive Gas Arrow Deadeye is a powerhouse for clearing and bossing alike, utilizing the scalable stacking mechanic of Gas Arrow—where layering multiple arrows vastly increases your explosive output. The build is highly accessible, not requiring any mandatory unique items, but it profits from certain uniques and high-tier rares that boost arrow count, fire/physical damage, and attack speed. It has strong synergy with ignite mechanics, as well as supporting skills like Herald of Thunder, Voltaic Mark, and Freezing Salvo for both clear and utility against tough rares. Its ability to stack projectiles for massive detonations means it can delete tanky enemies and bosses, while automark improvements in 0.3 make play even smoother. With strong elemental scaling, broad gearing options, and excellent synergy with Deadeye’s bow passives, this build stands out as a meta pick for sheer damage, flexibility, and smooth gameplay across all content.

• PoE 2 0.3 Gas Arrow Explosive Bow Deadeye Build Guide

4. ED Contagion Lich

The Essence Drain Contagion Lich League starter build stands out in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3 because it has made it more than comfortably through the campaign and is already starting to blast maps, delivering a reliable and smooth start for new players and veterans alike. The combination of chaos bolt with chaos mastery, rapid casting, and two withering touch support gems brings wither stacks that are just completely OP, letting the build ramp up its damage efficiently while maintaining speed and safety. Early on, items like a chaos wand with plus two, a series disdain headpiece, and a wave shaper provide powerful bonuses, while an amulet with plus two all spells and gear with cast speed help maintain steady progression. The synergy between essence strain, which uses chain three for clear and swift affliction, and contagion with unleash, magnified area, and rapid casting, ensures wide coverage and strong mapping potential, while support skills like blasphemy with temporal chains, dark effigy totem, and despair curses add layers of control and damage. The build is super super tanky, thanks to a passive tree that focuses on chaos nodes and mixes in energy shield nodes for nice defenses like essence infusion and refocus, resulting in a character that feels so much better than in 0.2. The high cast speed and lower movement speed penalty while casting is so noticeable now, making the playstyle actually super super fast now and contributing to why the build is so much stronger now. Its flexibility for future upgrades, community validation, and proven performance in maps and early endgame explain why this build is a top meta choice in the current league.

• PoE 2 0.3 ED Contagion Lich League Starter Build Guide

5. Unarmed Hollow Palm Invoker

The Hollow Palm monk build shines in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3 because storm wave is working very very good again, allowing players to focus on a single powerful skill for both clearing and bossing, with branching fissures providing pretty decent clear and making progression smooth. The build achieves high critical hit chance, with a current value of 38% and plans to reach 50-60% or more, which, together with critical damage bonus and pinpoint critical support, delivers strong damage output. Spirit setup uses herald of ash, lingering illusion, and herald of thunder, with herald of thunder making perfect sense due to the passive coming calamity, and herald of ash improving clear by igniting enemies. Invoker ascendancy is chosen for its stability, as invoker right now showcasing much more stable results with holopal, and the passive tree focuses on crit, energy shield, and lightning damage nodes for solid offense and defense. The combination of high-range attacks, strong crit scaling, effective spirit synergy, and robust defensive layering makes this build feel absolutely amazing in endgame maps, securing its place among the meta options for the current league.

• PoE 2 0.3 Unarmed Hallow Palm Invoker Build Guide

6. Comet Frostbolt Stormweaver

The stormweaver build is standing out in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3 because it is clearing tier 15 maps without any issues even while still on a fourlink and before the fourth trial, showing strong performance with minimal investment. The progression starts with essence drain and contagion for early smoothness, but the real power comes after swapping to cold spells around act three, using frostbolt, snap, ice nova, and frost dart to create a rotation that takes advantage of the infusion mechanic for huge damage spikes. Once snake pit is acquired, the build transitions into a cast on crit setup where frostbolt explosions and forks create a cascade of hits, leading to high single-target and map clear potential, while stacking crit chance to maximize consistent procs. Ascendancy choices like shaper of storms allow cold damage to shock, further boosting output, and gear focus on cold skills, cast speed, and energy shield keeps the build safe and effective. Even while still upgrading, the build is fun and reliable, with pinpoint critical support and projectiles making for easy play and strong scaling into endgame content.

• PoE 2 0.3 Comet Frostbolt Stormweaver Starter Build Guide

7. Freeze Shatter Ranger

The ice shot and freezing salvo ranger stands out in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3 as one of the best leveling builds because it offers really good single target damage, really good AoE damage, and just freezes everything, making the campaign and mapping safe and smooth. The build’s main ability, ice shot, delivers fast attacks with around 13k DPS at the campaign’s end, while ice tipped arrows empower bow attacks to create ice shards that pop instantly with the right support, effectively turning single target skills into screen-clearing AoE. Freezing salvo brings massive burst to both packs and bosses, and with barrage for multi-shot frenzy charge bursts and snipe for chunking bosses, every threat can be frozen and shattered before it becomes dangerous. The build takes advantage of recent buffs and new support gem mechanics in 0.3, and with herald of ice, powerful cold penetration nodes, and high attack speed scaling from the passive tree and gear, it remains both reliable and fun from early game all the way into endgame maps.

• PoE 2 0.3 Ice Shatter Ranger Leveling Build Guide
  

8. Black Flame Bloodmage

The blood mage build has quickly become a top choice in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3, with smooth progression into endgame as shown by consistent T15 map clears and strong bossing, all while running at level 84. After swapping from essence drain around level 45 or playing longer for a smoother transition, the build relies on the blood mage helmet and high gem levels from the wand, amulet, and focus for its main source of damage scaling. Prioritizing gem level, gem level, gem level, and then percent damage and crit chance, the build uses ember fusilade for single target and fireball for clear, with spell leash and instant recovery flasks supporting the demanding life cost playstyle. Gear is crafted for projectile count and spell scaling, with notable interactions like rune of wildness for extra projectiles and spell slinger for generating fire infusions. Heavy curse scaling with despair and a dual-weapon swap setup for maximum curse effect and damage nodes adds to its burst potential, and the gameplay feels smooth and powerful, with the character’s damage described as kind of ridiculous and boss fights ending in seconds.

• PoE 2 0.3 Black Flame Bloodmage Starter Build Guide

8. Artillery Ballista Totem Tactician

The Ballista Totem Banner Tactician build using mortal cannon and explosive shots stands out in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.3 for its ability to dish out a lot of damage in mapping, creating chain explosions that overlap and kill monsters very easily, even on a very budget setup. The use of veil of the night helmet allows the build to focus on stacking maximum life and strength instead of resistances, while defense is managed through a large HP pool and armor that helps against small hits, especially since armor now applies to elemental damage with new mechanics like refraction. This build efficiently supports multiple banners and auras thanks to persistent buff ascendancy and glory regeneration, letting you keep all your banners up for strong buffs and survivability. Grenade skills benefit from overlapping projectiles, which is one of the strongest mechanics in POE 2 currently, and payload support allows grenades to activate a second time, further multiplying the chain reactions. With urgent totem for fast placement and a focus on projectiles, area, and life, this setup makes for a smooth, high-damage, and budget-friendly league starter that can easily scale into higher maps.

• PoE 2 0.3 Artillery Ballista Totem Tactician Starter Build Guide

9. Rolling Slam Boneshatter Warrior

The Rolling Slam Boneshatter Warrior is a powerful league starter for Path of Exile 2’s 0.3 Third Edict league, focusing on combining Rolling Slam for area clearing with Boneshatter animation-canceled after the first hit to maximize AoE and efficiency, while using both hits of Rolling Slam on bosses for huge single-target damage and heavy stun buildup.

This setup allows you to rapidly clear mobs by animation canceling Rolling Slam into Boneshatter, which is particularly effective once you master the timing, and for bosses or targets with adds, the classic sequence is Rolling Slam followed by Boneshatter to trigger a shockwave for more burst. For campaign speed, skipping rares is recommended due to their durability, but picking up runes and drops remains helpful. Early on, prioritize damage nodes in your tree, stack flat damage and resistances on gear, and use two-handers if possible for better scaling. Key support gems include Brutality, Concentrated Effect, Close Combat, and Impact Shockwave or Magnified Effect for boosting damage and AoE, while War Banner, which is receiving substantial buffs, should be your first spirit gem for increased attack damage, accuracy, and attack speed. For mobility, Shield Charge will be a strong option due to no cooldown in the new league, and you can animation-cancel it with disengage for fast movement. If you struggle with mana, Blood Magic is an option, and for survivability, invest in armor nodes as needed. This build is versatile enough to transition into Earthquake or Earthshatter later, but its core rotation, using Rolling Slam for both mobility and damage, Boneshatter for efficient clearing, and leveraging spirit gems and support links for multiplicative scaling, makes it a reliable and rewarding league starter for any aspiring Warrior.

• PoE 2 0.3 Rolling Slam Boneshatter Warrior Build Guide

10. Cold Bow Deadeye

The Cold Bow Deadeye build is set to stand out in Path of Exile 2’s 0.3 league, thanks to sweeping buffs to cold bow skills and reworked ascendancy nodes for Deadeye. Deadeye remains a top choice for bow builds, and the combination of new cold skill synergies and ascendancy updates makes this archetype especially appealing. Snipe serves as the main boss nuke, with its explosion now dealing 363% to 936% attack damage at gem levels 3 to 20, a threefold increase over its previous values. The new interaction that doubles Snipe’s damage against frozen enemies, when combined with frenzy charge stacking and Deadeye’s ascendancy, enables this build to one-shot pinnacle bosses.

For freezing, Freezing Salvo is a key tool, now providing up to 40% more freeze buildup and interacting with ice fragments generated by skills like Escape Shot and Ice Tipped Arrows. This setup allows players to quickly freeze bosses and take full advantage of Snipe’s damage. Ice Shot continues to be the main clearing skill, and upcoming mana cost reductions in patch 0.3 will make it easier to use, especially at higher gem levels. The Deadeye ascendancy also introduces new features, such as chaining projectiles to marked enemies and a meta skill that repeatedly marks enemies, boosting clear and crit consistency. Overall, Cold Bow Deadeye promises fast clears, huge single-target damage, and a smooth league start for both new and experienced players.

• PoE 2 0.3 Cold Bow Deadeye Build Guide

11. Arc Bloodmage Witch

The Arc Blood Mage Witch build is centered on spamming Arc, which is now a projectile that chains more times, has a 50% more shock magnitude, and consumes lightning infusion to chain even further and hit harder. The build starts with Witch and focuses on Blood Mage, benefiting from critical damage buffs and HP increase, which makes spamming Arc way stronger in theory than the Sorceress using Stormwaver. With the Blood Mage ascendancy, all skills cost life instead of mana, allowing the build to focus on stacking life and energy shield rather than mana. Additional ascendancy nodes provide more life, prevent a portion of life loss from hits and convert it over time, and grant extra maximum life based on unequipped body armor's energy shield, encouraging heavy energy shield investment. Early leveling uses Contagion and Essence Drain, which give a smooth and enjoyable campaign experience, with the transition to Arc planned towards the end of the campaign and into mapping. The build also takes advantage of high spell crit chance and critical damage scaling, with nodes like Gore Spike and Sunder of the Flesh, and uses arc mage support for even greater damage. This approach results in a playstyle that feels both fun and effective, providing strong bossing and clearing potential as Witch advances through the acts.

• PoE 2 0.3 Arc Blood Mage Witch Starter Build Guide

12. Fissure Totem Warbringer

This Fissure Totem Warbringer build as a league starter for Path of Exile 2 0.3 focus on summoning volcanic fissures and placing totems on top, which can be triggered every 0.2 seconds to create rapid fire explosions, with the build already performing impressively even before factoring in the fissure buff, forge hammer, or the full Warbringer bonuses. The gameplay involves creating fissures, dropping totems, and watching everything go up in flames, allowing for fast progression such as reaching level 33 and act three in about four hours without any issues. Early leveling utilizes bone shatter and rolling slam for reliable damage, and the shockwave totem is available from level three, providing efficient clearing and bossing. Patch 0.3 introduces the ability to use multiple of the same support gem, which benefits skills like bone shatter, shockwave totem, rolling slam, and perfect strike, all of which can be supported with marshall tempo and concentrated effect for massive damage. The build also benefits from changes where totems use your weapon as a damage base, making weapon upgrades directly impact totem effectiveness. Additionally, buffs to perfect strike and the area of effect for attacks contribute to even larger volcanic fissures and more impactful explosions. The build scales with melee, area, and totem nodes, and gathering strength and dexterity is important for supporting marshall tempo and other key gems. With the ability to summon up to four totems, improved ancestral spirits, and strong physical damage reduction from jade stacks, this build provides a fast, powerful, and enjoyable league start experience focused on explosive gameplay and efficient scaling throughout the campaign.

• PoE 2 0.3 Fissure Totem Warbringer Build Guide

13. Gas Arrow Amazon

The Gas Arrow Amazon is a powerhouse for rapid mapping and effortless farming. The approach is to stack as many gas arrows on the ground as possible, then detonate them with fire for a massive explosion. The build is described as super chill, and comfy to play, making it ideal for those who want smooth progression and fast clear. Budget alternatives exist if you can’t acquire the main uniques, such as using a rare dual string bow or boots that ignite on step. This versatility and reliability place it firmly in S tier.

• Gas Arrow Amazon Build for PoE 2 0.3.0

14. Shockwave Totem Warbringer

This build centers around the Warbringer ascendancy and leverages shockwave totem as a primary damage source. The key change for this league is that shockwave totem now scales off your weapon, rather than its own internal stats, so weapon choice will be more impactful. The build continues to be strong, with consistent performance since the start of Path of Exile 2. Notably, ancestral warrior totems now have no limit but require endurance charges, which is manageable thanks to new support gems that help with endurance charge sustain. The playstyle remains reliable and safe for starting a new league, even with some adjustments to totem speed and synergy requirements. If you’re looking for a sturdy build that has been reliable across several updates, this is a top contender.

• Totem Warbringer Build for PoE 2 0.3.0

15. Incinerate Blackflame Pathfinder

This creative Pathfinder build features Incinerate as its main skill, taking advantage of the Blackflame ring and the new Black Flame Covenant keystone. The synergy here is that you can use a different ring slot for ignites or chaos damage, pushing the build’s power ceiling higher. Incinerate itself was reworked in 0.3, now requiring fuel gained by spending mana, with its base damage scaling almost doubled. The skill now stacks up to 12 times and features new interactions with ignited ground and flammability, making the damage profile even stronger. This build has proven effective in previous leagues and is expected to remain powerful, especially given the Incinerate buffs. The leveling process is straightforward, and Pathfinder’s improved movement while attacking fits perfectly with Incinerate’s playstyle. If you want a mobile caster with strong ignite or chaos options, this is a great choice.

• Incinerate Pathfinder Build for PoE 2 0.3.0

16. Thorns Warbringer

For those who prefer a passive, tanky approach, Thorns Warbringer is a solid pick. This build uses thorns mechanics for damage reflection, with items like Crown of the Power King, Briar Patch, and Dreadfist to scale thorns damage through the passive tree. Thorns remains strong for campaign progression, and the 0.3 patch brings even more sources for thorns crit and scaling through new socketable items. Trading improvements mean you can quickly acquire key uniques, making early gearing easier. The build is especially recommended for players who want to focus on durability and let enemies destroy themselves, with plenty of flexibility to adapt to new items and mechanics as the league develops.

• Thorns Warbringer Build for PoE 2 0.3.0

17. Skeletal Brute Infernalist

This minion build relies on Skeletal Brutes, which have become even more effective after the 0.3 update. Minions now always hit, eliminating accuracy issues and making Brutes reliable damage dealers. The Brutes gain synergy with cold damage and benefit from new command skills like consuming freeze and shattering roar, increasing both crowd control and damage output. The build is easy to follow and has strong league start potential, as minion skills have been buffed across the board. With the overhaul to support gems and minion mechanics, there’s even more room for customization and future power spikes. For players interested in minions, especially those new to the archetype, Skeletal Brutes Infernalist offers a rewarding and straightforward path.

• Skeletal Brutes Infernalist Build for PoE 2 0.3.0

18. Explosive Shot Witchhunter

Explosive Shot Witchhunter is a league starter idea from Exiled Cat, focusing on the explosive shot skill combined with the Witchhunter ascendancy. This setup benefits from a range of buffs in 0.3 and takes advantage of the weapon master node, which is expected to become very popular as players learn to maximize its potential. Defensive layers are provided by sorcery ward, which remains a solid inclusion despite a recent nerf. Exiled Cat’s builds are well constructed and entertaining to follow, and his SSF-friendly approach makes this a good option for both solo and group play, especially for those looking for something fresh at league start.

• PoE 2 0.3 Explosive Shot Witchhunter Starter Build Guide

19. Lightning Invoker Monk

Lightning Invoker Monk is presented as a reliable and safe pick, especially for players who want a smooth progression through early leveling and the campaign. The build, as explained in Loopy’s video, is set to get even stronger with 0.3 due to being able to use support gems on any skill multiple times, which is a major change for skill setups. Loopy details the progression from early game to endgame, including power charge management and passive tree development, highlighting the synergy between ascendancies. The template is flexible, allowing for experimentation with hollow palm, different weapons, or even switching to skills like Primal Strike, giving players multiple build paths.

• PoE 2 0.3 Lightning Invoker Monk Stater Build Guide

The above rankings are based on the known 0.3.0 patch notes. More accurate rankings and meate builds will be updated here soon. Stay tuned.