Path of Exile 2 is here, and with Early Access in full swing, players are diving into the game’s fresh content and mechanics. One of the biggest choices players face is selecting an Ascendancy Class. With six base classes, each offering two Ascendancies (12 total options), the variety and depth are staggering. This Path of Exile 2 Class Tier List provides a detailed overview of each ascendancy class, we’ll break down every Ascendancy, rank their strengths, and provide star ratings for different playstyles: Leveling, SSF (Solo Self-Found), Trade, Hardcore, and Endgame.

PoE 2 Tier List - Best Ascendancies for EA Start, Trade, SSF, HC Endgame

In Path of Exile 2 Early Access, six classes have been announced, each offering two ascendancies (subclasses) that define their playstyle and unlock unique abilities. While the full game will include 12 classes, each with three ascendancies, the Early Access focuses on half of them to streamline testing and balancing. The six classes available are Warrior, Mercenary, Sorceress, Witch, Monk, and Ranger, representing a mix of pure and hybrid archetypes: one pure Strength, one pure Dexterity, two pure Intelligence, and two hybrids.

Based on their power, versatility, and potential impact during gameplay, here is a ranking of all 12 ascendancies available in Path of Exile 2 Early Access. This PoE 2 class ranking considers both beginner-friendliness and endgame viability, as well as the SSF and Trade league!

Related Read:

PoE 2 Build Tier List - Top 10+ Builds in Path of Exile 2 Early Access Now

PoE 2 Best Leveling Builds for Each Class | Path of Exile 2 Starter Tier List

1. Stormweaver - Sorceress (S Tier)

Stormweaver is a fantastic choice for new players and veterans alike. This Ascendancy focuses on elemental storm mechanics, leveraging critical strikes and mana scaling to devastate enemies. With its ability to spawn whirlpools on crit and an emphasis on Arcane Surge, it offers incredible synergy for spellcasters. It’s also more forgiving than its counterpart, Chronomancer, making it a solid first pick.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Stormweaver's elemental whirlpools and crit-based abilities make it an extremely effective Ascendancy for campaign progression. The ability to stack Mana and scale Arcane Surge early on allows for strong AoE and single-target damage. However, it requires some Mana management and may feel slightly fragile in the early Acts.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Stormweaver works very well in SSF due to its reliance on generic spell and Mana-scaling gear, which are easy to find or craft. While it doesn’t require specific uniques, access to strong Mana-stacking items in Path of Exile 2 can significantly improve its performance.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  In a trade league, Stormweaver becomes even better due to easy access to Mana-stacking items like Eldritch gear and uniques that enhance crit or lightning damage. This allows you to scale into a strong endgame build with minimal effort.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐
  While its damage is excellent, Stormweaver lacks strong defensive layers early on, making it risky in Hardcore. However, good positioning and mobility can mitigate some of its squishiness.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Stormweaver shines in the endgame with massive elemental DPS scaling through Mana, crit, and Arcane Surge synergy. It’s an excellent boss killer and mapping powerhouse when properly geared.

2. Titan - Warrior (S Tier)

Titan is the epitome of survivability and crowd control. With nodes like Hulking Form (arguably one of the strongest in the game), Titans excel in armor scaling, stuns, and aftershocks. Whether you’re charging into packs or tanking bosses, Titans deliver unmatched reliability. Their blend of AOE damage and defensive options makes them a top-tier choice for new players and Hardcore enthusiasts.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Titan excels during leveling, combining high damage with tanky survivability. Its stuns and AoE slams make it perfect for clearing packs, while its defensive nodes ensure it can take hits during the tougher moments of the campaign.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Titan is an excellent choice for SSF due to its low reliance on specific gear. With natural scaling from life and armor nodes, it performs well with basic crafting and drops.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  While Titan doesn’t rely on trade leagues to succeed, access to high-end gear like two-handed weapons and armor-based uniques can boost its performance even further, making it a strong choice in trade environments.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Titan’s tanky playstyle and defensive options make it one of the safest picks for Hardcore. Its ability to mitigate damage and sustain through life nodes ensures survivability in tough situations.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Titan shines in the endgame as a reliable bruiser that can handle both mapping and bossing. With Hulking Form scaling small passives for massive bonuses, it becomes a late-game powerhouse.

3. Deadeye - Ranger (S Tier)

Deadeye brings raw projectile firepower and mobility-enhancing passives. Its flexible nodes allow for both single-target and AOE builds, making it a strong pick for beginners and veterans alike. Point Blank and Tailwind synergize perfectly for leveling, while additional projectiles and Frenzy charge scaling shine in the endgame.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Deadeye is one of the best leveling classes, offering high mobility, excellent clear speed, and strong single-target damage. Its early access to Tailwind and Frenzy Charges makes it a standout option.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Deadeye works well in SSF due to its low reliance on specific gear. Bow builds scale naturally with basic crafting and drops, making it a beginner-friendly Ascendancy.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Deadeye scales exceptionally well in trade leagues with access to powerful bow-related uniques and high-end crafting. However, it’s less gear-reliant than some other builds.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐
  Deadeye’s lack of strong defensive options makes it riskier in Hardcore. However, its high mobility can help avoid damage when played carefully.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Deadeye is a top-tier endgame Ascendancy, capable of handling both mapping and bossing with ease. Its projectile-based damage scales incredibly well with gear.

4. Bloodmage - Witch (A Tier)

Bloodmage is all about crit scaling, health-based casting, and incredible life leech mechanics. With nodes like Grasping Wounds (functionally a Progenesis effect) and Gore Spike, it offers both survivability and damage potential. While slightly harder to master, Bloodmage rewards players who build around its unique mechanics.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Bloodmage’s life-leech mechanics and ability to cast spells using life instead of Mana make it forgiving during leveling. Its crit-scaling potential adds significant damage as you progress.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Bloodmage performs well in SSF, as it doesn’t rely on specific uniques and benefits from generic crit and life gear.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  In trade leagues, Bloodmage scales incredibly well with crit-focused gear, allowing it to dominate late-game content.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐
  Bloodmage’s life-based casting mechanics are risky in Hardcore, requiring careful resource management and defensive planning.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  With access to high crit and leech scaling, Bloodmage becomes a top-tier endgame caster capable of handling even the toughest encounters.

5. Gemling Legionnaire - Mercenary (A Tier)

The Gemling Legionnaire is a versatile pick that buffs all skills and grants flexibility across builds. Its standout feature is maximum resistance scaling via socketed gems, making it a strong defensive choice for Hardcore and endgame players. While its utility truly shines in the late game, new players will appreciate its straightforward progression.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Gemling Legionnaire’s generic buffs make it an excellent choice for leveling, regardless of your skill setup.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  In SSF, its versatility and lack of reliance on specific gear make it a reliable choice.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Trade leagues allow Gemling Legionnaire to scale even better with high-end support gems and crafted gear.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Its defensive options and flexibility make it a safe pick for Hardcore.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Gemling Legionnaire’s adaptability makes it a strong contender for both mapping and bossing.

6. Invoker - Monk (A Tier)

The Invoker melds mobility, Elemental damage, and physical mitigation into one elegant package. With options to specialize in cold, lightning, or hybrid builds, Invokers adapt well to various playstyles. Their Unbound Fury mechanic adds a satisfying layer of burst damage, making them a strong pick for the mechanically inclined.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Invoker’s physical reduction and elemental damage bonuses make it a strong choice during leveling.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  In SSF, its defensive strength and elemental scaling make it versatile and reliable.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Trade leagues enhance Invoker’s potential with access to high-end elemental gear.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Invoker’s defensive layers make it one of the safest Hardcore picks.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Invoker performs well in the endgame, though it’s less specialized than some other Ascendancies.

7. Chronomancer - Sorceress (B Tier)

Chronomancer is a time manipulation specialist, resetting cooldowns and enhancing survivability with time-snap abilities. However, its reliance on cooldown-dependent skills makes it harder to optimize for new or casual players. While it has incredible potential in the late game, it’s not recommended for beginners.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐
  Chronomancer’s mechanics shine in the late game but feel awkward during leveling due to its reliance on cooldown-based skills, which are less effective early on.

• SSF: ⭐⭐
  In SSF, Chronomancer struggles without access to specific cooldown-reducing gear or long-cooldown skills. It’s a niche Ascendancy that takes effort to optimize.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐
  Trade leagues help solve some of Chronomancer’s gear dependencies, allowing players to access cooldown-reducing items and synergistic setups. However, its niche nature limits its appeal.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐
  Chronomancer has defensive utility through skills like Time Snap, which resets health and mana. However, its reliance on cooldown management makes it less forgiving in Hardcore.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Chronomancer can excel in the endgame once fully optimized, offering high utility and burst damage potential. However, it’s more demanding compared to other caster Ascendancies.

8. Infernalist - Witch (B Tier)

Infernalist specializes in fire damage, spirit mechanics, and demonic transformations. It’s one of the most complex Ascendancies to master, requiring careful resource management to maximize damage without taking fatal overheat damage. While incredibly rewarding for experienced players, its learning curve makes it less ideal for newcomers.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐
  Infernalist’s fire damage and ignite mechanics are reliable, but managing Infernal Flame and other buffs can feel overwhelming for new players.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Infernalist works well in SSF with its flexibility between fire-based and minion builds, both of which scale effectively with basic gear.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  In trade leagues, Infernalist benefits from access to fire-scaling gear and uniques, making it a versatile choice for mapping and bossing.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐
  Demon form and Infernal Flame mechanics are risky in Hardcore, requiring precise play and planning to avoid unnecessary damage.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Infernalist is a versatile endgame option, capable of scaling into powerful fire builds or minion hybrids. However, it lacks the raw power of some other Ascendancies.

9. Pathfinder - Ranger (B Tier)

Pathfinder revolves around poison damage and flask mechanics, making it a niche pick. While it can dominate with proper flask management and poison builds, it lacks the general utility of Deadeye. For veterans familiar with poison scaling, Pathfinder has strong potential, but it might frustrate newer players.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐
  Pathfinder’s flask mechanics and poison synergy take time to ramp up, making it less effective during the early campaign.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐
  In SSF, Pathfinder struggles without access to crafted or unique flasks that enhance its mechanics. However, poison builds can still perform well with basic gear.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Pathfinder shines in trade leagues where specialized flasks and poison-scaling gear are readily available. With the right investment, it can become extremely powerful.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Pathfinder’s flask mechanics provide excellent survivability, making it a solid choice for Hardcore players who can manage resources effectively.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  While Pathfinder has strong endgame potential, it’s more niche than Deadeye and requires specific setups to maximize its performance.

10. Acolyte of Chayula - Monk (B Tier)

The Acolyte trades Elemental damage for chaos and darkness mechanics, offering extreme risk-reward gameplay. While its damage potential is massive, it demands precise resource management. It’s a tough choice for Hardcore, but chaos-focused builds in Trade leagues can thrive.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐
  Acolyte’s chaos mechanics take time to ramp up, making it less effective during the early campaign.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐
  In SSF, Acolyte struggles without access to chaos-scaling gear or Darkness synergy.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Trade leagues allow Acolyte to shine with chaos-scaling uniques and crafted gear.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐
  Acolyte’s high-risk mechanics make it less forgiving in Hardcore.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Acolyte performs well in the endgame with optimized chaos builds.

11. Warbringer - Warrior (C Tier)

Warbringer focuses on war cries, corpse explosions, and totem mechanics. While its mapping potential is excellent, its bossing capabilities fall short compared to Titan. For players who love utility-oriented builds, Warbringer can be fun, but its overall power level feels underwhelming.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Warbringer’s war cries and corpse-detonation mechanics provide strong clear speed during leveling. However, it lacks the raw simplicity and power of Titan.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐
  Without access to specific gear or corpse-synergy skills, Warbringer can feel weaker in SSF. It requires more planning and optimization to perform well.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Trade leagues benefit Warbringer greatly, as access to corpse-synergy uniques or gear can make its mechanics shine.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐
  Warbringer’s survivability is decent, but its complexity makes it a riskier pick than Titan in Hardcore.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Warbringer is a strong mapper, but its single-target boss damage is less impressive compared to Titan.

12. Witchhunter - Mercenary (C Tier)

Witchhunter offers debuffs, weapon swapping mechanics, and exploding enemies. While its potential for advanced players is high, it’s overly complicated for most beginners. Additionally, its power level feels outclassed by Gemling Legionnaire in most scenarios.

• Leveling: ⭐⭐⭐
  Witchhunter’s mechanics feel situational during leveling, and its benefits are less noticeable early on.

• SSF: ⭐⭐⭐
  In SSF, Witchhunter struggles without specific gear setups to maximize its potential.

• Trade: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Trade leagues allow Witchhunter to access niche setups that elevate its performance.

• Hardcore: ⭐⭐⭐
  Its situational utility makes it less reliable for Hardcore, though it remains viable with defensive planning.

• Endgame: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
  Witchhunter performs well in specialized builds but lacks the versatility of Gemling Legionnaire.