PoE 2 Tier List - Best Class & Builds for Race Event

What to win a Demigod in the Path of Exile 2 first Race Event? Find the fastest classes and builds for the Race in this PoE 2 Tier List!

The first Path of Exile 2 Race Event delivered surprising results, with unexpected winners, new meta strategies, and clear class tier rankings. We’re updating the PoE 2 Race Tier List based on real race data and top player performances. If you want to win the next race event or optimize your leveling speed for the new league, here’s what you need to know.

PoE 2 Best Class & Build Tier List for Race Event

The first Path of Exile 2 Race Event revealed clear winners and losers, reshaping our understanding of the best classes and builds for speedrunning. Based on real race data, here’s a breakdown of why each class ranks where it does, followed by the strongest build for each class.

S+ Tier - Warrior (The Undisputed Champion)

Warrior dominated the race, with Mr. Angoras winning in 2h 28m—30 minutes ahead of the next-best Warrior. His Shield Charge + Leap combo allowed him to traverse areas faster than any other class, while Bone Shatter + Seismic Cry provided insane burst damage to delete bosses instantly. Additionally, Warrior’s natural tankiness let him skip unnecessary fights without dying, further optimizing his run.

Best Warrior Build for Race - Bone Shatter Leap Slam Warrior

• Core Skills:

• Bone Shatter (Main DPS)

• Seismic Cry (Big damage boost for boss fights)

• Perfect Strike (Guaranteed crit burst)

• Shield Charge + Leap Slam (Fastest movement combo)

• Why It Works:
  ✔ Fastest movement in the game – Shield Charge + Leap Slam lets you traverse areas at record speed.
  ✔ One-shot potential on bosses – Seismic Cry supercharges Bone Shatter, and Perfect Strike delivers guaranteed crits.
  ✔ Tanky enough to skip fights – High armor & block chance let Warrior ignore many enemies.

• Key Strategy:

• Use Shield Charge & Leap Slam constantly to move as efficiently as possible.

• Swap to a two-handed weapon for Bone Shatter DPS when fighting bosses.

• Use Seismic Cry before big fights to maximize burst damage.

S Tier - Monk (Second-Best Class, But Slower Than Warrior)

Monk is the second-fastest class, but still significantly behind Warrior. The best Monk player (Sarge) finished 30 minutes behind the top Warrior. While Ice Strike has great scaling, Monk lacks Shield Charge efficiency, making movement slightly slower than Warrior. However, Ice Strike + Frost Bomb provide strong AoE and boss damage, making Monk a solid but inferior choice.

Best Monk Build for Race - Ice Strike Speedrunner Monk

• Core Skills:

• Ice Strike (Main DPS, great AoE & single target)

• Frost Bomb (For debuffing enemies & extra damage)

• Double Bell Combo (Alternating attacks for more burst)

• Shield Charge + Leap Slam (For movement, but worse than Warrior’s version)

• Why It Works:
  ✔ Ice Strike has insane AoE & scaling – Clears large packs quickly.
  ✔ Monk has strong attack speed passives – Faster attacks mean more DPS.
  ✔ Shield Charge helps movement (but not as good as Warrior’s Leap combo).

• Key Strategy:

• Use Shield Charge for movement when not attacking.

• Swap between Ice Strike and Frost Bomb to maximize DPS & clear speed.

• Double Bell combo helps deal with tougher enemies.

A Tier - Witch (Surprisingly Strong, Thanks to Demon Form)

Witch was a surprise contender, with Infernal finishing as the fastest non-Warrior player. While minions were expected to be the best option, the real MVP was Demon Form. Demon Form provided insane movement speed, while Contagion and Flame Wall helped melt enemies quickly. However, Witch still lags behind Monk and Warrior, making it A-Tier instead of S-Tier.

Best Witch Build for Race - Demon Form Poison Witch

• Core Skills:

• Demon Form (Main movement boost & tankiness)

• Contagion (Spreads DoT to entire packs)

• Flame Wall (Extra damage over time synergy)

• Raging Spirits (Minion cleanup support)

• Why It Works:
  ✔ Demon Form gives unparalleled movement speed.
  ✔ Contagion spreads poison, making clearing efficient.
  ✔ Flame Wall + Raging Spirits clean up stragglers.

• Key Strategy:

• Use Demon Form to move quickly between packs.

• Apply Contagion to spread damage while running through zones.

• Use Flame Wall to enhance your minion damage.

B Tier – Ranger (Decent, But Lacks Movement Abilities)

Ranger had solid performances, but lack of strong movement abilities kept it below Monk, Witch, and Warrior. Mr. Donatu’s Pathfinder build was likely Lightning Arrow into Shattering Concoction, which provides good clearing and single-target damage. However, Ranger’s reliance on movement speed passives rather than active movement skills made it slower overall.

Best Build – Shattering Concoction Pathfinder

• Core Skills:

• Lightning Arrow (Best early-game clear skill)

• Shattering Concoction (For strong flask-based damage)

• Momentum Support (Boosts attack & movement speed)

• Tailwind (Passive movement speed boost)

• Why It Works:
  ✔ Lightning Arrow is great for early clearing.
  ✔ Shattering Concoction scales well into late-game.
  ✔ Pathfinder ascendancy boosts flask uptime.

• Key Strategy:

• Use Lightning Arrow early, then transition into Shattering Concoction.

• Stack movement speed passives to compensate for lack of mobility skills.

• Prioritize good bows for faster progression.

C Tier – Mercenary (Decent, But Limited Speed Options)

Mercenary had some strong performances, but overall wasn’t competitive. While grenades provide solid AoE, Mercenary lacks a strong movement tool like Leap Slam or Shield Charge. This makes traversing zones slower, placing it below Ranger in rankings.

Best Mercenary Build for Race – Grenadier Mercenary

• Core Skills:

• Grenades (Main AoE damage source)

• Crossbow Shot (For extra ranged DPS)

• Adrenaline Rush (Temporary movement speed boost)

• Wind Dancer (For extra survivability)

• Why It Works:
  ✔ Grenades provide strong early-game AoE.
  ✔ Crossbows give reliable ranged damage.
  ❌ Lack of mobility makes it slower than other classes.

• Key Strategy:

• Use Grenades to clear packs quickly.

• Rely on Adrenaline Rush for movement boosts when needed.

D Tier – Sorceress (The Slowest Class in the Race)

Sorceress performed the worst, with LightSpeKing finishing at 4h 3m—over 90 minutes behind Warrior. The lack of early-game movement skills and low survivability made Sorceress extremely inefficient for racing.

Best Sorceress Build for Race – Lightning Nova Sorceress

• Core Skills:

• Lightning Nova (Main clearing skill)

• Ice Shard (For CC and extra damage)

• Faster Casting (To speed up spells)

• Blink (If available, for movement)

• Why It Failed:
  ❌ No strong early-game mobility.
  ❌ Too reliant on gear.

Are you interested in testing your own speedrun skills? Would you try Warrior, Monk, or Witch in the next event? We will keep update the list after the next race! Stay tuned!