Path of Exile 2 Classes Tier List - PoE 2 Best Class for Solo, DPS, SSF, and More

With 12 distinct character classes to choose from in Path of Exile 2, which is the right one to go with? Before the Early Access goes live, here we’ll go through a PoE 2 class tier list to select the best character that you can enjoy and make you unstoppable.   

Path of Exile 2 Best Class Tier List

When choosing the best class for Path of Exile 2 (Early Access), several key factors come into play, including damage dealing, speed leveling, farming efficiency, ease of play, endgame potential, and more. If you're a beginner, the Witch class is a great option due to its solid defenses and crowd control. For solo players, the Ranger class shines with its strong base damage and AoE skills, allowing for fast clears and efficient farming. If you're looking for high DPS or speed-farming capabilities, the Ranger class is again a top choice, and the Templar class offers tankiness and forgiveness for new players. Mercenary is an overall strong class that excels in various aspects including farming, leveling, and DPS. With PoE 2's skill gem system, any class can be tailored to different playstyles, allowing for creativity and flexibility in builds. 

1 - Mercenary (S Tier)

Starting from the first S-tier class to play in PoE 2, the Mercenary excels in both ranged and melee combat. With excellent AoE damage, strong single-target capabilities, and good survivability, this class performs exceptionally well across various game modes. Its ability to scale effectively into the endgame and perform well even with limited gear makes it a top choice for both softcore and SSF play.

2 - Marauder (S Tier)

The Marauder's strength lies in its versatility and consistent performance across different aspects of the game. As a powerful melee class with strong AoE and single-target damage, it shines in both softcore and hardcore modes. The class also offers great support capabilities through warcries, making it valuable in group play. Its ability to perform well with mostly rare items in SSF further solidifies its high-tier position.

3 - Templar (S Tier)

The Templar stands out for its exceptional tankiness and reliability across all game modes. As the primary class for managuard builds, it provides strong defensive capabilities for parties. In hardcore and SSF modes, the Templar's ability to perform well without relying on rare uniques makes it an excellent choice. While it may lack in speed, its durability and consistent performance earn it a spot in the S-tier.

4 - Ranger (A Tier)

The Ranger excels in DPS output, offering unmatched AoE and single-target damage with the fastest map clear speed. It's particularly strong in softcore play, where its squishiness is less of a drawback. However, its reliance on specific gear and vulnerability in hardcore modes prevent it from reaching the absolute top tier when considering all aspects of gameplay.

5 - Witch (A Tier)

The Witch is a strong class in terms of both support and DPS. As the main class for Aurabot/Cursebot builds, it excels in boosting party members' capabilities. Its minion-based builds offer great single-target DPS and safety in hardcore. However, slower map clearing speed and challenges in acquiring endgame gear in SSF keep it from the highest tier. Considering the difficulty, Witch is a great choice for PoE 2 starters.

6 - Sorceress (A Tier)

The Sorceress offers strong ranged capabilities with powerful AoE damage and decent defenses through stagger mechanics. It performs well on a low budget in softcore play and offers safety in hardcore modes through long-range combat. However, difficulties in scaling for endgame content without specific items in SSF separate it from reaching the top tier.

7 - Druid (A Tier)

The Druid offers a unique blend of tankiness, debuffing abilities, and strong AoE damage in bear form. It performs well in Path of Exile 2 hardcore and SSF due to its survivability and flexibility. But its early and mid-game performances are relatively slower and potentially lack mobility or single-target damage in the late game.

8 - Shadow (B Tier)

The Shadow shines in the early game with strong trap and DoT builds but may fall off in effectiveness late game. It offers good mobility and decent AoE clear but struggles with survivability in hardcore modes and scaling issues in SSF without specific meta builds.

9 - Monk (B Tier)

The Monk offers a mix of melee and ranged capabilities with good mobility and crowd control. It excels with elemental melee builds but may struggle to scale as effectively as other classes with physical damage. Its complexity and potential early game difficulties in hardcore make it be ranked in the B-tier.

10 - Duelist (B Tier)

The Duelist offers strong attribute stacking and good performance against both mobs and bosses. However, it can be squishy in the endgame and lacks strong support options. Its reliance on specific gear for optimal performance in SSF also limits its overall ranking.

11 - Huntress (C Tier)

As a hybrid ranged/melee class, the Huntress offers flexibility but may require multiple skill setups and gear sets. This versatility comes at the cost of optimization, making it less effective than more specialized classes in most scenarios.

12 - Warrior (C Tier)

The last class - Warrior suffers from limited build options and difficulties in scaling physical damage. It's primarily a melee-focused class with slow clear speeds, which limits its effectiveness in the current meta that favors faster gameplay.