PoE 2 0.2.0 Dawn of the Hunt Best Warrior League Starter Builds

There are lots of buffs and nerfs to Warrior Ascendancies in the Path of Exile 0.2.0 Patch. How do we adjust the builds around Titan and Warbringer? What is the best build for Smith of Kitava? In this article, we are going to introduce the top-tier PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt Warrior builds for leveling from the league start.

PoE 2 0.2.0 Dawn of the Hunt Best Warrior League Starter Builds

In the Dawn of the Hunt Patch Notes for Path of Exile 2, the Warrior class has seen substantial enhancements, particularly through its Ascendancy passives, making it more viable in both leveling and endgame content. The Titan ascendancy now offers 50% more damage against heavily stunned enemies (up from 40%), and the Earthbreaker notably grants a 25% chance for Slam skills to cause Aftershocks (previously 20%). For the Warbringer, the Warcaller's Bellow now causes Warcries to explode corpses, dealing 25% of their life as physical damage, scaling the explosion’s area of effect. Additionally, the Turtle Charm has been adjusted to reduce block chance from 35% to 25%, while the Encase in Jade skill has been reworked to provide a Guard based on maximum life for each Jade stack consumed. The Ancestral Spirits skill now enhances minion accuracy and damage based on your Dexterity and Strength, adding a strategic layer to minion management. Mobility remains essential, so incorporating Leap Slam or Shield Charge is recommended for quick repositioning, especially during boss fights and map clearing. Warriors should also prioritize support gems that enhance physical damage or critical strike chance and remain flexible with gear choices to adapt to what they find during leveling.

1. PoE 2 0.2 Rolling Slam Warrior (Smith of Kitava) Build

The first Warrior build for Path of Exile 2 Dawn of the Hunt patch 0.2.0 is one of the best league starters and is effective for leveling with high damage output and survivability. With significant buffs to melee skills and the introduction of new mechanics, this Smith of Kitava build by Ulfhednar focuses on a powerful combination of Rolling Slam and Boneshatter to handle both mob clearing and boss encounters. The build capitalizes on the warrior’s strengths, utilizing heavy weapons for devastating single-target hits while maintaining a solid AOE clear capability through clever skill interactions and stuns.

Gear

• Leaden Greathammer

• Spired Greathelm

• Topaz Ring

• Steel Plate

• Stellar Amulet

• Ruby Ring

• Moulded Mitts

• Rawhide Belt

• Bronze Greaves

• Colossal Life Flask

• Sapphire Charm

• Colossal Mana Flask

• Essential Gear Pieces

Stat Priorities

• Physical Damage: Boosts your melee attacks.

• Life: Essential for survivability.

• Resistances: Helps mitigate damage from various sources.

• Attack Speed: Increases your damage output significantly.

Skill Gems & Support Gems

• Mace Strike + Concentrated Effect + Close Combat + Brutality

• Perfect Strike + Fire Infusion + Martial Tempo

• Rolling Slam + Unbreakable + Overpower

• Boneshatter + Magnified Effect + Impact Shockwave

• Infernal Cry + Premeditation

• Shield Charge + Ingenuity

• Leap Slam + Holy Descent

• Herald of Ash + Cannibalism + Herbalism

Ascendancy Options

For Warrior builds in Dawn of the Hunt, you can choose from 3 ascendancy classes, but Smith of Kitava is recommended for a robust defensive foundation and high resistance. It offers excellent survivability and flexibility in weapon choices, allowing you to adapt to different combat scenarios.

Passive Tree

Key Nodes:

• Damage Nodes: Prioritize attack speed, physical damage, and stun-related nodes.

• Defense: Invest in life, resistances, and armor.

• Skill Speed: Increases your cast and attack speed, enhancing overall performance.

Recommended Path

• Start with generic damage and stun buildup nodes.

• Progress towards Resolute Technique for guaranteed hits.

• Choose between survivability or damage as you level up, depending on your experience with the campaign.

2. PoE 2 0.2 Corrupting Cry Warrior (Warbringer) Build

This PoE 2 DotH Warbringer build by Skadoosh revolves around the Corrupting Cry support gem, which applies stacks of corrupted blood, dealing significant damage over time. It excels in crowd control and damage output, allowing players to hit multiple enemies simultaneously, explode corpses, and maintain a high level of mobility without the need for mana flasks. Its unique mechanics, such as stacking corrupted blood through warcries, provide a fresh and engaging gameplay experience. Ideal for league starters, this build is designed to be hardcore viable, ensuring that you can face the toughest challenges without compromising on safety or efficiency.

Gear (Starter)

• Main Hand Weapons: Advanced Brigand Mace or Oak Greathammer. Aim for high strength on these weapons, as they directly impact your damage and survivability.

• Helmet: Black Sun Crest. Provides essential stats for survivability and damage.

• Shield: Expert Braced Tower Shield. Prioritize block chance and strength.

• Belt: Meginord’s Girdle. Focus on strengths and resistances.

Stat Priority

• Resistances: Aim for a minimum total of 75% elemental resistance, with chaos resistance ideally between 0-35%.

• Movement Speed: Important for kiting and positioning.

• Strength: Maximize strength on all gear for increased damage and survivability.

• Maximum Life: Essential for tankiness.

• Armor: Increases physical damage mitigation.

Gear Progression

As you move into mapping, replace starter items with better options that provide enhanced stats.

Dual-wielding will become important for scaling certain skills, focusing on weapons that enhance melee skill gems.

Skill Gems & Support Gems

• Seismic Cry + Corrupting Cry + Brutality + Swift Affliction + Inspiration

• Ancestral Warrior Totem + Earthshatter + Upheaval + Martial Tempo + Heavy Swing

• Infernal Cry + Raging Cry + Dazing Cry + Mobility

• Shield Charge + Ingenuity + Second Wind

• Leap Slam

• Scavenged Plating + Persistence + Physical Mastery

• Overwhelming Presence + Vitality + Cannibalism

Ascendancy Options

The ascendancy for this build is Warbringer, which enhances the effectiveness of your warcries and allows you to recover health while dealing damage. If you haven't unlocked Greatwolf's Howl, you can utilize Warcaller's Bellow support instead of Corrupting Cry or Seismic Cry. This setup prevents Seismic Cry from going on cooldown, allowing for more consistent use.

Leveling & Gameplay Tips

• Focus on acquiring Venoms for chaos resistance and elemental ailment thresholds.

• Level 41 is crucial as it unlocks key skills and mechanics for the build.

• Configure weapon sets in your skill menu to ensure skills are used with the correct weapon set.
  

• Keep Seismic Cry at a low level (level 3) to manage its mana cost effectively.

• Prioritize obtaining jewels with bleed on hit to enhance your damage potential.

Passive Tree