PoE 2 Best Tank Builds for SC/HC (Dawn of the Hunt 0.2.0)

When it comes to survivability in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, tank builds are a reliable way to tackle late-game content with consistency. With most of the players entering the endgame today, we are outlining the current state of tank builds, the best ascendancy options, and showcasing five of the top-performing tank builds for both softcore and hardcore mode, from budget-friendly to high-performance endgame setups.

Best Tank Class Ascendancy in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt (0.2.0 Patch)

Tanking in PoE 2: Dawn of the Hunt has become more diverse than ever. With changes to resistance caps, mitigation mechanics, and support gems, players are now able to build characters that endure heavy incoming damage without sacrificing too much offense. Most of the strongest tank builds are centered around the Warrior class, with several ascendancies offering passive bonuses to resistances, life regeneration, and damage redirection. Smith of Kitava stands out as the most versatile and resilient tank ascendancy. Meanwhile, the Warbringer provides excellent synergy with totems and warcries, allowing for durable, utility-rich melee builds—especially when combined with totem-focused skills like Sunder. Still the Titan offers massive life and armor scaling, making it ideal for enduring heavy hits and boss encounters.

Top 5 Best Tank Builds in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt (0.2.0 Patch)

In Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, tank builds are a reliable way to stay alive through tough encounters while still dealing solid damage. These builds focus on durability, consistent defense layers, and ease of play across both Softcore and Hardcore modes.

1. Smith of Kitava Artillery Ballista Tank Build

The Smith of Kitava is widely regarded as the top tank ascendancy in Dawn of the Hunt. It offers a combination of high resistances, damage flexibility, and unique crafting tools that allow for both offense and defense in one package.

This build offers a rare combination of high defenses and strong damage output. With up to 90% elemental resistances and powerful regeneration, it can comfortably handle tough content while maintaining smooth, safe mapping. Its flexible elemental variants (Fire, Cold, Lightning) allow players to customize their balance of survivability and damage. It’s ideal for players who want a mix of offense, defense, and versatility.

Setup Details:

• Ascendancy Nodes: Forged in Flame, Coal Stoker, Flowing Metal, Temper Weapon

• Main Skill: Artillery Ballista (Totem)

• Supports: Reach Support, Magnify Effect, Elemental Infusion (Fire/Cold/Lightning), Concentrated Effect

• Gear Priorities:

• Weapon: +6 to projectile skill gems and increased elemental damage with attacks

• Body Armour: Honor Plate with life regen corruption

• Helmet: High strength, fire resistance, life regen rate (corrupted)

• Gloves: Volaku’s Vice (for strength + DEX, and elemental conversion)

• Boots: High movement speed, life, resistances

• Amulet: +2 or +3 to Ballista Totem skill gems, high life/res

• Rings/Belt: High life, strength/DEX, fire/chaos res

• Totem Scaling:

• Totem damage, projectile damage, area of effect, elemental damage with attacks

• Key Defense Mechanics:

• 90% elemental resistance cap via ascendancy and gear

• ~25% life regeneration per second

• Ghost Dance or Wind Dancer optional for evasion-based mitigation

• Rune Suggestions:

• Greater Desert Rune for 240% fire resistance

• Greater Body Runes for 40% max life

• Totem Playstyle:

• High AoE mapping with artillery barrage visuals

• Optional gem swaps for bossing (Reach → Concentrated Effect)

2. Warbringer Sunder Totems Tank Build

The Warbringer ascendancy supports a totem-based playstyle where you place totems and let them do the work. This build is easy to maintain and offers high survivability thanks to built-in block mechanics and minion-based tanking. If you want a build that can face tank nearly anything and requires minimal mechanical input, this is the one. It’s one of the easiest and most forgiving tank builds, with max block, reliable minion support, and self-sustaining life regeneration. It can be played on a low Divine orb cost and still clear high-tier content like T16 maps and Simulacrums. Great for new or casual players who want to feel unkillable.

Setup Details:

• Ascendancy: Warbringer

• Turtle Charm, Wooden Wall, Ancestral Call, Training

• Main Skill: Ancestral Warrior Totem with Sunder

• Supports: Brutality, Heavy Swing, Heft, Upheaval

• Gear Priorities:

• Weapon: +5 to melee skill gems (budget) or +6/+7 two-handed mace (endgame)

• Chest Armour: Expert Steel Plate (life regen implicit)

• Helmet/Boots/Gloves: Life, resistances, strength (evasion converted via Iron Reflexes)

• Amulet: Idol of Wuldorn (+1 totem, +1 Orb of Storms)

• Shield: Rise of the Phoenix (life regen, max block)

• Rings/Belt: Life, resistances, optional physical damage to attacks

• Minion Setup:

• Ancestor Spirits with Minion Mastery, Blind, Melee Splash, Culling Strike

• Utility Gems:

• Orb of Storms (trigger rage and regen), Font of Blood, Font of Rage, Arcane Temple

• Blasphemy + Enfeeble for passive cursing

• Time of Need for passive healing and curse removal

• Key Defense Mechanics:

• Max block with Turtle Charm

• 20% damage redirection to totems

• Passive regeneration with fonts and auras

• Playstyle:

• Drop totems and let them kill everything

• Use Orb of Storms near bosses for buffs

• Very hands-off and durable

3. Lightning Spear Amazon Tank Build

This Amazon-based spear build blends damage and evasion-based survivability with ghost-based recovery mechanics. This build balances speed and survivability, making it ideal for players who want to map quickly without sacrificing safety. With high evasion, Ghost Dance synergy, and 8–10k Energy Shield, it can comfortably take hits while dishing out consistent lightning damage. Its efficient use of critical strikes and synergy with Maligaro’s gloves make it a damage-dealing tank that feels smooth in both bosses and mapping.

Setup Details:

• Ascendancy Nodes: Lead Me Through Grace, Sunder My Enemies, I'm the Thunder

• Main Skill: Lightning Spear

• Supports: Deliberation, Primal Armaments, Perpetual Charge, Wol, Ambush

• Secondary Skill: Stormlands (for bosses)

• Supports: Scatter Shot, Lightning Infusion, Execute, Overextend

• Gear Priorities:

• Weapon: Tangle Tongue (critical synergy with Maligaro gloves)

• Gloves: Maligaro (fixed 300% crit damage)

• Helmet/Chest/Boots: High ES and evasion, movement speed, resists

• Rings/Belt: Attributes, flat lightning damage, high ES

• Aura Setup:

• Precision, Clarity, Cannibalism

• Key Defense Mechanics:

• Ghost Dance + high ES recovery

• 84% evasion

• Knockback and Wind Dancer for melee safety

• Playstyle:

• Blink movement for fast clears

• Stormlands for bossing, Lightning Spear for packs

• Shock scaling and critical synergy for high burst

4. Lich Storm Mage Tank Build

This Lich ascendancy build uses minions for offense while the character stays safe behind layers of evasion and energy shield. This build combines minion safety with strong single-target damage. Storm Mages do the work while the player focuses on positioning and maintaining buffs. With hybrid defenses (Evasion + Energy Shield) and Ghost Dance, it recovers well from damage while maintaining uptime on minions. Great for players who like minion builds but want more consistent performance in endgame content.

Setup Details:

• Ascendancy Nodes: Ghost Dance, Sacrificial Lamb, Overwhelming Presence

• Main Skill: Skeletal Storm Mages

• Supports: Feeding Frenzy, Arcane Temple, Elemental Focus, Muster, Minion Mastery

• Sigil of Power Setup:

• Weapon Swap: Increase AoE and Duration (for bossing)

• Gear Priorities:

• Weapon: Sigil power staff with +spell levels

• Helmet/Chest/Boots: High ES and evasion, resistances

• Jewels: Minion damage, ES, crit scaling

• Rings/Belt: Life, resists, attributes

• Utility:

• Shock Bot for shock uptime (50%+)

• Voltaic Mark, Conduction, Exposure

• Key Defense Mechanics:

• 1,800+ ES with Ghost Dance regen

• Minions act as meat shields

• Sigil of Power boosts boss damage

• Playstyle:

• Maintain Sigil uptime

• Use Storm Mages for AoE and bossing

• Minions tank while you reposition safely

5. Lightning Spear Invoker Monk (CI Variant)

This Chaos Inoculation (CI) spear build uses a hybrid approach with Energy Shield and Evasion to remain on the move while staying safe. So this build is perfect for players who want to go full Energy Shield with Chaos Inoculation. It offers massive ES scaling (up to 10k), reliable shock effects, and high single-target power through Stormlands and Sniper Mark. With high stun and freeze thresholds, it handles most boss mechanics with ease. The combination of critical hits and elemental penetration makes it a powerhouse tank with great recovery tools.

Setup Details:

• Ascendancy Nodes: Lead Me Through Grace, Sunder My Enemies, I'm the Thunder, Unbound Avatar

• Main Skill: Lightning Spear

• Supports: Wol, Deliberation, Primal Armament, Ambush, Perpetual Charge

• Bossing Skill: Stormlands

• Supports: Execute, Lightning Infusion, Scatter Shot, Overextend

• Charge Generation:

• Combat Frenzy (budget) or Cast on Crit + Sniper Mark (endgame)

• Gear Priorities:

• Weapon: Sealglass Spear with 10%+ crit chance

• Shield/Offhand: Focus with +lightning damage

• Helmet/Chest/Boots: Max ES, resistances, intelligence

• Gloves: Lightning/Physical damage, resistances

• Rings/Belt: Mana, attributes, resistances

• Jewels:

• Energy Shield, stun threshold, crit damage

• Key Defense Mechanics:

• Chaos Inoculation + 10k ES

• Icebreaker node for freeze protection

• Stun immunity via jewels or self-mortification

• Playstyle:

• Charge up, then launch Lightning Spear for AoE

• Use Stormlands for boss DPS

• Safe casting with CI and high shock uptime