Path of Exile 2: A Complete Beginner’s Guide

Are you ready to play a game that offers an expanse equal to the massive open world that you travel through? Path of Exile 2 is filled with action, strategy, and limitless opportunities for customization; but it can seem overwhelming to a new player. This guide is intended to make the experience less complicated to understand by dissecting it into bite-sized chunks, so that you can start playing without getting bogged down.

Whether you are fascinated by the power of elemental magic, the thrill of ranged combat, or the brute force of melee combat, Path of Exile 2 has something for every gamer. From character level building to skill mastery, this guide will guide you through the basics, helping you build a solid foundation in this intricate and multi-layered game. Let’s get started!

The Playable Classes

Path of Exile 2 has an impressive 12 playable classes, each with their own flavor and playstyle. But in Early Access, you get to play six classes: the Warrior, Monk, Ranger, Sorceress, Witch, and Mercenary. Let’s run through them:

• Warrior: Imagine the Warrior as the traditional tank. They’re all about raw power, standing on the front lines and whacking enemies with heavy guns like hammers, swords, and axes. They can also block attacks with shields. Their power fantasy is easy: smash faces and survive.
• Monk: If the Warrior is slow and methodical, the Monk is the speed and agility acrobat. They’re all about speed and finesse, using Quarter Staves as weapons, and even tossing bells to stun enemies. They’re the ultimate combination of melee damage and crowd control.
• Ranger: Range is the game for this class. Rangers use bows, traps, and nature-based attacks to kill enemies from afar. They’re ideal if you want to kite enemies or lay down poison or slow-down traps to kill them.

The other three classes in Early Access—Sorceress, Witch, and Mercenary—each have their own special magic and mechanics:

• Sorceress: Elemental damage galore! Fire, lightning, and ice spells are your bread and butter. You’ll call down walls of fire or freeze enemies solid at a distance.
• Witch: More of a summoner, the Witch summons undead minions to do her work. She also uses curses and dark magic to weaken enemies.
• Mercenary: The ranged powerhouse of the group, the Mercenary uses crossbows, shotguns, and grenades to kill enemies. Imagine them as a medieval version of an assault rifle.

Later in 2025, the complete launch will introduce six additional classes, such as the Druid, Marauder, and Shadow, each with their own playstyles. So there’s lots to master as you level up.

One of the main ideas you’ll hear about is ascendancy. Ascendancy is a class specialization, which allows you to access a special skill tree and higher-end abilities. For instance, a sorceress can ascend to be a Chronomancer (time magic) or a Storm Weaver (elemental master). Once you’ve committed to an ascendancy, you’ll need to work in that tree, so choose wisely!

How Combat Works

Combat in Path of Exile 2 is a combination of strategy, dodging, and resource management. As you play through the game’s massive maps, you’ll battle monsters in large open spaces. Here’s the lowdown on the basics:

• When you’re in combat, you’ll use skills (aka special attacks specific to your class) to slay monsters. These skills are bound to keys on your keyboard, and you’ll manage resources like Mana (for spellcasters) or Rage (for some classes like the Warrior). For instance, as a Sorceress, every time you cast a spell, your Mana pool (the blue orb in the bottom right) is depleted.
• Healing and Flasks: Path of Exile 2 has a special system for healing and resource management. You’ll heal over time through flasks. Every time you consume a flask, it drains charges, which you can recharge by killing monsters or at wells in town. You also have an Energy Shield (a different bar to the side of your health) that absorbs damage before it hits your health. When it’s depleted, the damage overflows to your health.
• Dodging is a survival necessity. Pressing the spacebar dodges in any direction—use this to get out of the way of enemy attacks. Master dodging to survive brutal boss battles, where AOE attacks with massive damage are the norm.

Skills, Gems, and Passive Skills

Path of Exile 2’s skill system is one of its most distinctive and complicated aspects. Here’s how it works:

• Skill Gems: These are the building blocks of your character’s abilities. You acquire skill gems by killing monsters. Right-clicking a gem opens the Gem Cutting page, where you can learn or upgrade a skill. Higher-level gems unlock more advanced abilities.
• Support Gems: These tweak your skills, altering how they work. For instance, a support gem could convert a single-target spell to an AOE attack or poison your weapons. Think of them as a means of personalizing your playstyle.
• Passive Skill Tree: This is a huge web of passive abilities that you unlock as you level up. Different classes begin in different locations on the tree, and the decisions you make here shape your character. Larger nodes (notables) provide more benefits, so attempt to aim for them if you can. You can respec your passive tree at any time in town, but it costs gold.

Experiment slowly. Unlock new skills, slot alternative support gems, and mess around with your passive tree. Path of Exile 2 doesn’t hold your hand, but that’s half the fun.

Attributes, Weapons, and Armor

All characters in Path of Exile 2 have three basic attributes: Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence.

• Strength: Controls melee damage and how much gear you can wear. Tanky classes like the Warrior depend heavily on this.
• Dexterity: Improves ranged accuracy and evasion (chance to avoid attacks). The Monk and Ranger adore this stat.
• Intelligence: Improves spell damage and Mana capacity. Critical for spellcasters like the Sorceress and Witch.

Your gear, like your weapons, armor, and accessories, also plays a significant role in your skill. For instance, a weapon may have cold damage, while a chestplate may have additional fire resistance. Upgrading is a huge aspect of the game, so feel free to try out varied sets.

Runes, Orbs, and Socketing

You’ll find all sorts of items that allow you to upgrade gear:

• Runes: You can socket them into equipment or armor to provide elemental damage or resistance. For instance, a Fire Rune on your sword causes every hit to deal additional fire damage.
• Orbs: They’re strong consumables that can transform or enhance your gear. For instance, an Orb of Alchemy upgrades a standard item to a rare item with additional stats.

Experiment with runes and orbs freely. Once you become proficient with swapping gear during combat, you’ll find even more ways to fine-tune your loadout.

Journeys to Town

Roaming the wilderness is fun, but you’ll need to travel back to town eventually to heal, resupply, and maintain your gear.

• Making a Portal: Click the Portal to Town button (bottom of your screen) to make a portal. It costs mana, but it’s instant, so you can flee combat immediately.
• Waypoints: Most areas have predetermined waypoints you can use to instantly travel to other areas. It saves time and allows you to jump between locations easily.

Final Thoughts

Path of Exile 2 is a deep but rewarding gaming experience. Its complex skill system, unique class designs, and limitless possibilities for customization guarantee that it will be loved by a wide audience. Explore through deep discovery, experiment with different character builds, and accept the danger of failure. The experience itself is as precious as the end result. Wishing you prosperous endeavors, Exile!

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