Path of Exile 2 classes
Compare the eight available classes by playstyle, weapon and starting attributes. The ascendancies follow below, by class.
| Class | Style | Starting weapon | Starting attributes | Ascendancies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Warrior | Melee | Mace | Str15Dex7Int7 | Titan, Warbringer, Smith of Kitava |
| Monk | Melee | Quarterstaff | Str7Dex11Int11 | Martial Artist, Invoker, Acolyte of Chayula |
| Sorceress | Caster | – | Str7Dex7Int15 | Stormweaver, Chronomancer, Disciple of Varashta |
| Witch | Caster | – | Str7Dex7Int15 | Infernalist, Blood Mage, Lich |
| Mercenary | Ranged | Crossbow | Str11Dex11Int7 | Tactician, Witchhunter, Gemling Legionnaire |
| Ranger | Ranged | Bow | Str7Dex15Int7 | Deadeye, Pathfinder |
| Huntress | Hybrid | Spear | Str7Dex15Int7 | Amazon, Spirit Walker, Ritualist |
| Druid | Hybrid | – | Str11Dex7Int11 | Oracle, Shaman |
All ascendancies
Each class has two or three ascendancies, which you choose later in the ascendancy trials. Names stay in English, as in the game.
Warrior
- Titan — Slams with Aftershocks and a large pool of life and armour: the most direct way to hit hard and take hits.
- Warbringer — Breaks enemy armour and strengthens Warcries and totems.
- Smith of Kitava — Centred on fire-imbued weapon skills (Fire Spell on Hit) and body armour bonuses.
Monk
- Martial Artist — Built around Combo and Runes tattooed onto the body.
- Invoker — Gains Spirit from defensive items and leaves Shocked or Chilled ground.
- Acolyte of Chayula — Chaos damage, Darkness, Volatility and Chaos resistance.
Sorceress
- Stormweaver — Arcane Surge, Elemental Storm and Shock: elemental magic on a grand scale.
- Chronomancer — Bends time, with skills such as Temporal Rift and Time Freeze.
- Disciple of Varashta — Djinn companions and a strengthened Energy Shield.
Witch
- Infernalist — Infernal Flame, Demon Form and fire passives.
- Blood Mage — Pays costs with life, causes Bleeding, casts curses and uses life-based damage.
- Lich — Plays on Energy Shield and Mana, with Chaos explosions and curses.
Mercenary
- Tactician — Banners, totems and projectiles that pin enemies.
- Witchhunter — Concentration, Culling Strike and a spell aegis.
- Gemling Legionnaire — Plays with support gems grouped by colour and grants extra gem slots.
Ranger
- Deadeye — Extra projectiles, Frenzy Charges and Marks.
- Pathfinder — Movement, poison and flask-related passives.
Huntress
- Amazon — Open Weakness, Elemental Surges and evasion-based defence.
- Spirit Walker — Vivid Stampede, companions and Owl Feather mechanics.
- Ritualist — Charms, extra ring and charm slots, life recovery and corpse-based skills.
Druid
- Oracle — Keystone-adjacent passives, Moment of Vulnerability and Unlucky mechanics.
- Shaman — Adaptation, Rage and Apocalypse.
Announced classes
The Duelist (Strength and Dexterity, swords) arrives in version 1.0. Marauder (axes), Shadow (daggers and magic) and Templar (flails) appear as announced classes, but with no confirmation for 1.0 and no ascendancies revealed.