This comprehensive guide to Path of Exile 2, a standalone sequel to the original Path of Exile, covers everything from beginner tips to advanced endgame strategies. Released into Early Access on December 6, 2024, PoE 2 boasts revamped mechanics within a traditional ARPG framework. This guide hub, constantly updated, will continue to expand with Early Access and full release content in 2025.
I. Getting Started & PoE 2 Beginner Tips: This section provides essential information for new players, covering game basics, optimal settings, and crucial early-game advice.
- Game Information: Addresses frequently asked questions, details on supporter packs and rewards, character league switching, point acquisition, stash tab recommendations, estimated playtime, improvements over the original game, max level and leveling milestones, level scaling, and claiming Twitch drops.
- Controls & Settings: Guides on optimizing PC settings, dodging and blocking techniques, weapon changes during combat, skill binding, movement input adjustments, linking items to chat, chat hiding, and crossplay enable/disable options.
- Beginner Tips for PoE 2: Offers ten key beginner tips, guidance on purchasing Scrolls of Wisdom, handling excess loot, ranking the best beginner classes, strategies for fast gold acquisition, playing with friends, and prioritizing gold spending.
II. PoE 2 Game Mechanics & Systems: A deep dive into the complex mechanics driving PoE 2 gameplay.
- Character Stats & Skill Points: Explains character attributes, acquiring passive skill points, respeccing passive skill points, utilizing the passive skill filter, weapon set points, the spirit resource, increasing spirit and movement speed, raising maximum mana, energy shield functionality, accuracy's impact, and prioritizing resistance upgrades.
- Gameplay Mechanics: Covers fast travel, free item identification, trading mechanics, all ailments, instances, stunning enemies, skill aiming, armor break, crowd control effects, guild creation and joining, arcane surge, power charges, death penalty, and the mechanics of Herald of Ice and Thunder.
- Skills, Gems, Jewels, & Runes: Explains equipping support gems, acquiring more support gems, equipping and using runes, jewel sockets, obtaining uncut spirit gems, and acquiring raging spirits.
III. Classes, Ascendancies, & Builds: A comprehensive look at character classes, ascendancy systems, and build guides.
- PoE 2 Class Guides: Ranks the best classes, identifies the best solo class, explains mercenary ammo swapping, summoning more minions, aftershock mechanics, and rage mechanics.
- Ascendancies: Details all class ascendancies and ascendancy nodes, and explains how to unlock ascension classes.
- PoE 2 Build Guides: Provides leveling build guides for Monk, Tempest Flurry Invoker, Mercenary, Sorceress, Rolling Slam Warrior, and Witch, as well as a general Warrior leveling guide.
IV. PoE 2 Currencies & Gear: Explores the crafting system, currencies, and gear upgrades.
- Upgrades & Improvements: Covers upgrading item rarity, upgrading and refilling potions, adding sockets to gear, upgrading armor and weapon quality, and rerolling gear modifiers.
- PoE 2 Currencies: Details all currency items and effects, unlocking and using the salvage bench and currency exchange, finding current exchange rates, unlocking and using the reforging bench, acquiring Orbs of Chance and Divine Orbs, and obtaining Greater Jeweler's Orbs.
- Gear & Equipment: Provides tips on early gear farming, acquiring unique items, the charm system, equipping and upgrading charms, stellar amulets, obtaining the Ingenuity Utility Belt, and acquiring the Hand of Wisdom and Action.
V. Quest & Boss Walkthroughs: Detailed walkthroughs for quests and bosses across all three acts currently available in Early Access.
- All Main Quests and Acts: A complete list of main quests and acts.
- All Permanent Bonuses from the Campaign: Details on all permanent bonuses earned during the campaign.
- Act One, Act Two, & Act Three: Comprehensive walkthroughs for each act, including specific quest and boss guides.
VI. PoE 2 Endgame Guides: Strategies and information for navigating the endgame content.
- Endgame Tips & Mechanics: Explains unlocking Cruel difficulty and the endgame, advanced endgame tips, acquiring and upgrading waystones, sustaining waystones while mapping, optimal Atlas skill tree setups, unlocking the hideout, and finding more citadels.
- Endgame Features & Leagues: Covers the Atlas of Worlds (maps, events, etc.), Realmgate, Breach (passives, rewards, tips), Delirium (fog mechanics, passives, rewards), Ritual (passives, tributes, favors), Expedition (passives, artifacts, rewards), Burning Monolith, Trial of Chaos, and Trial of the Sekhemas.
VII. Advanced PoE 2 Tips & Other Guides: Advanced strategies and additional guides to enhance your PoE 2 experience.
- Advanced PoE 2 Guides: Covers fast XP acquisition, loot filter usage, obtaining loot filters on consoles, Sidekick features and installation, FilterBlade usage, items to avoid buying from merchants, items to avoid selling to merchants, and acquiring more character slots.
