PoE 2 Build Guide: How to Make Your First Build

Path of Exile 2 is a massive game with all kinds of things you can do to customize your character, gear, and even more. The game has a ton of depth and an almost infinite amount of systems. I want this article to focus on the most important things in your first few days of playing Path of Exile 2. This post will focus on walking you through choosing your first character step-by-step.

Softcore VS Hardcore

● Softcore: Loss of XP

● Hardcore: Perma-Death

Class and Ascendancy

● Sorceress: Stormweaver/Chronomancer

● Warrior: Titan/Warbringer

● Ranger: Deadeye/Pathfinder

● Witch: Blood Mage/Infernalist

● Mercenary: Witchhunter/Gemling Leginonneire

● Monk: Invoker/Acolyte of Chayula

Items and Gearing

Finding a Base

● Picked up off the Ground

● Bought from a Vendor (Gold)

● Gambled (Gold)

Obtaining Currency

● Drops from Monsters

● Disenchanting Items

Blue Items = Blue Currency

Yellow Items = Yellow Currency

Basic Crafting

 (Picture Scouring: the YouTuber Big Ducks) 

Mods to Look for

Armour Pieces and Jewelry

● Life (Prefix) Resistances (Suffix)

Caster Weapons

● % Spell Damage (Prefix)

● Added Spell Damage (Prefix)

● Gem Levels (Prefix)

● Cast Speed (Suffix)

● Spell Crit (Suffix)

Attack Weapons

● % Physical Damage (Prefix)

● Added Physical Damage (Prefix)

● Added Elemental Damage (Prefix)

● Attack Speed (Suffix)

● Crit Chance or Damage (Suffix)

Skill Support and Spirit Gems

Skill Gems

(Abilities you actually use)

● Obtained through Uncut Skill Gems.

● Focus on Combos.

● Don't be afraid to swap if something isn't working out.

● Make sure to use Uncut Skill Gems to level the skills you end up using.

Support Gems

(They are slotted into Skill Gems and modify the ability in various ways)

● Obtained through Uncut Support Gems

● 1 of each per character

● Tons of various effects. Don't be afraid to experiment and combine.

Spirit Gems

(Persistent Auras, Buffs, or Minion)

● Obtained through Uncut Spirit Gems

● Limited by the "Spirit" resource

● Without investing in Spirit, you will only be able to have 1 or 2 auras/buffs.

Passive Skill Tree

This is probably the thing that overwhelms people the most when they see Path of Exile and Path of Exile 2: the giant tapestry of thousands of passive skills that you have to choose from. Something I want you to keep in mind whenever you are playing this game is that although it looks like an infinite amount of choice, it is realistically an illusion of choice. There are a ton of skills on this tree that make absolutely no sense for your build, so not everything here is something you will want.

In general, I suggest using the search function when you go into the game. For example, if you want to play a two-handed build, you can type in "two-handed" and see nodes related to attack speed and damage with two-handed weapons. However, if you want to play a crossbow, you will need to look for specific crossbow nodes. You can search for "crossbow" and find nodes like "chance for crossbow attacks to not consume a bolt" or "crit stuff." Crossbows are projectile skills, so you can also search for projectile nodes.

  (Picture Scouring: the YouTuber Big Ducks) 

Initially, before build guides are available and everything is mathematically optimized, choose points on the passive tree that make sense for your character. You will have plenty of access to respecing using gold, which should be easier early on. If you make a mistake and want to try a different build, play for an hour or two, farm a little gold, and respec your character. It won't be too difficult. I was able to do it quite a bit during early playtesting.

Weapon Set Passives

Weapon Set Passives will automatically swap when you change weapons.

Nodes on the Passive Tree

Attributes

● Choose between Str/Dex/Int as your build requires.

● Can change later for gold

Small Passives

● Minor nodes with small effects will lead you towards notables with stronger effects.

● Minor, but still very important

Notable Passives

● Larger nodes at the end of small paths provide larger and more potent effects.

● These should determine your overall path.

Keystones

● Extremely powerful nodes with huge upsides and typically huge downsides

● Typically character-defining, so be careful with which ones you take

Jewel Sockets

● Can insert Jewels that you can craft like other items

● Sometimes, they are not craftable and have powerful effects.

Conclusion

In conclusion, creating your first build in Path of Exile 2 can seem daunting due to the vast array of passive skills available. With Big Ducks' powerful guide and your patience, you'll develop a build that suits your gameplay preferences and enhances your experience in Path of Exile 2. Happy gaming!