Path of Exile 2 tier list: Best classes, ranked

Making quick progress in Path of Exile 2 depends on your build, your class, and a little bit of luck. While you can beat the game with any class and build, some of the classes in PoE 2 are simply built different—and we’ve gathered all of them here.

Below, we’ve ranked the best classes in PoE 2 to help you find one that works for you. If you’ve already beaten the game with your favorite class, why not take one of the others listed below for a spin? Playing as melee after beating PoE 2 with a ranged class makes it feel like a new game.

Best Path of Exile 2 classes

We’ve separated the best PoE 2 classes into tiers based on their damage output, survivability, and overall tankiness. Another factor that we considered while picking our top choices was how reliant the classes are on getting perfect gear.

The classes can go up and down in strength based on their build and items, of course, but we’re looking at base power for the most part. Some classes stand out from the rest drastically in the early game and maintain their power throughout the Acts.

Make sure to check out our guide to all the ascendancies in PoE 2 so you know which direction to take your character in while exploring the game’s vastly intricate skill tree and gear mechanics.

S-tier classes

Currently, we only have one class in our S tier. When compared to the other classes in the game, this class excels in survivability and damage output. Provided you can get the right gear, it’ll get you through each Act of PoE 2 smoothly.

Mercenary

Out of all the classes in PoE 2, the Mercenary stands out as the most consistently powerful. Favoring a crossbow or gun with other damage options available, this class is a behemoth and goes against the typically squishy ranged DPS stereotype.

Alongside the various heavy-hitting attacks, decently high damage pool, and interesting Ascendancy options, the Mercenary also stands out for having a unique playstyle. It can be somewhat demanding, requiring precise positioning when aiming at enemies, but it’s satisfying to play.

The main issue that you’ll need to consider when playing through with a Mercenary is the class reliance on gear. Rolling poorly or striking out when trying to farm gear can lead to the Mercenary feeling weaker than it should, placing it more on-par with an A-tier class.

That being said, the process of gearing a character is only getting easier and more efficient as the game gets improved in its Early Access state. If you’ve already run through PoE 2 with another class and you’re looking for a fresh experience, roll a Mercenary. This class feels incredible during battle and has plenty of tools to help manage any nasty foe that the game throws at you.

A-tier classes

The classes in this tier are still powerful and enjoyable to play, but they take more of an upfront time investment to get the hang of. They’re also more build-dependent than the the S-tier of our list, meaning the right Passive Skills and weapon specializations are essential

Monk

The Monk is one of the most impressive classes in the game in terms of sheer power, and we almost placed it in S tier. Unlike most classes in our PoE 2 class tier list, this is a melee class, favoring elemental power and martial weapon-based attacks to keep enemies at bay. They feel truly unique to play and have interesting ascendancy options to experiment with.

Monks have a wickedly fast playstyle with plenty of movement options to help keep them out of trouble. They can stun enemies easily and manage groups of mobs without breaking a sweat.

Monks take a fair amount of time and effort to get the hang of. If you’re a new player who’s not played a PoE game or anything similar, it’s worth trying another class before picking up this one. They require a precise hand and strong game knowledge to master in boss battles.

Additionally, Monks are squishier than you might expect based on their play style. Despite needing to be up close and personal with enemies to thrive, they’re not as tanky as they feel initially, meaning newer players may struggle with survivability.

Despite this, Monks are worth adding to your PoE 2 roster. They have access to Ascendancies like the Invoker which provides access to a wide range of elemental-based attacks, making finding boss counters and weaknesses a breeze.

Sorceress

The Sorceress has the most typical ranged DPS set-up available in PoE 2. This class is a beast in terms of damage output, with a varied spell book that can mitigate enemy resistances.

It’s also resource-dependent, with a need to be at a strict distance to avoid getting stomped. In terms of sheer damage, it’s almost unmatched in the game’s current state, but it does run into issues with mobility and playstyle requirements at times.

If you’ve played any mage or sorceress classes in other ARPG titles, you should know what to expect here. The Sorceress aims to keep enemies at arm’s length while smiting them with elemental attacks and keeping them in place with harsh AoE spells. Figuring out the ideal Sorceress rotation does take practice. While the class has plenty of damage options to pick from, ranging from freezing enemies to conjuring flaming walls to trap foes, it also struggles up close with limited mobility options to fall back on.

Providing you’ve got the hang of ranged DPS in PoE 2 and have explored the Ascendancies on offer for this class, the Sorceress feels mighty in battle. It’s a little fiddly in places in terms of resource management and movement, but on the whole, it’s perfectly viable from early to late game.

Witch

The Witch has arguably the strongest class fantasy in PoE 2, letting the player raise the dead and have them do their bidding. Everything from their visuals to their ability list contributes to the wickedly ominous aesthetic and overall vibe.

This ranged caster can be rough in the early game, but playing with the right build and toolkit is a delight. They’ve also become more enjoyable to play since the initial Early Access release, with better early-game builds and late-game strategies popping up throughout the community.

Witches have two main paths of damage available to them. They can summon mobs like skeleton mages and skeletal scorpions to fight for them, and they can use DoT abilities to chip away at enemies over time. They struggle up close with limited health available, but at range, they’re beasts.

Despite being a fairly beginner-friendly PoE 2 class, Witches have one main hurdle to overcome in the early game. Minions require Spirit, a resource that’s hard to come across in Act One. Act One Witches have minions, of course, but they’re not as strong or plentiful as in later Acts.

If you can get the hang of zipping about the battle arena and staying out of harm’s way, Witches feel incredible to play. Raising a fallen enemy to fight alongside you as a skeletal scorpion is wickedly cool, and the DoT attacks on offer can be lethal with the right Gems.

B-tier classes

There’s only one class in this tier right now. It’s fun to play and has great class fantasy, but on the whole, it doesn’t match up to the other classes in the tier list. It struggles with squishiness and melee power, but can still provide meaningful damage output with the right build and gear.

Ranger

The Ranger is squishy in places with limited melee power, but it hits hard, moves quickly, and has a wide toolkit to deal with any number of tricky battles. It’s not one of the strongest PoE 2 classes right now, but if you enjoy archery-focused combat, it’s still worth taking for a spin.

Using a bow and arrow to drag enemies around and wear them down, the Ranger’s main strength is mobility. In a game like PoE 2, being able to move while attacking is an advantage, allowing you to kite a boss and get out of AoE damage spots if needed.

Rangers have access to many damage types, ranging from electrified arrows to poison arrows, meaning they’re more likely to have a counter for a boss than other classes. This can make them invaluable for solo players to experiment with. The Ranger also has exceptional class fantasy on offer with its visuals, abilities, and playstyle, just like the Witch. If you value immersion in your ARPG gameplay, it could be a good fit for you to try this class out.

Despite requiring a fair amount of precision to deal damage and decent luck with finding gear, Rangers are still a fairly accessible class for new players to dig into when picking up PoE 2 for the first time, especially when compared to classes like the Monk and the Sorceress.

If you’re new to the game and willing to spend time learning a class, pick up a Ranger for your run. Once you’ve got the hang of the basic attack mechanics and movement-based abilities, you can build up this class to fit your preferred playstyle.

Any class in PoE 2 is viable if you build it correctly, but the five classes we’ve listed above are the best based on where the game is in its early access form right now. We’ll continue to update this guide as the meta for the game shifts and evolves over time.

If you’re just getting started with the game and hunting for the best builds, make sure to look at starter builds or early game builds specifically, like our early game Witch build.

We didn’t include Warrior in this tier list deliberately—while it can be a behemoth in certain circumstances, PoE 2 heavily favors ranged classes. Monk is the stronger melee option right now, providing a wider variety of tools. Make sure to check out our full class guide to learn more.