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. Launched into Early Access on December 6th, 2024, PoE 2 offers a revamped ARPG experience with evolved mechanics. This guide hub, constantly updated, provides in-depth coverage of all aspects of the game.
Getting Started & Beginner Tips:
This section equips new players with essential knowledge, covering game information (like max level, playtime, and microtransactions), optimizing PC settings, mastering combat controls (dodging, weapon switching), and other crucial beginner tips.
- Game Information: Addresses frequently asked questions, details on supporter packs and rewards, league switching, point acquisition, stash tab recommendations, and more.
- Controls & Settings: Provides guidance on optimal PC settings, combat mechanics (dodging, blocking), skill binding, movement input customization, chat management, and crossplay options.
- Beginner Tips: Offers ten essential tips for newcomers, advice on using scrolls of wisdom, managing loot, choosing beginner-friendly classes, acquiring gold quickly, playing with friends, and prioritizing gold spending.
Game Mechanics & Systems:
PoE 2's complexity is addressed here, explaining core mechanics for maximizing build potential. This section covers character stats, core gameplay mechanics (both in and out of combat), and the new skill and socket systems.
- Character Stats & Skill Points: Explains character attributes, acquiring and respeccing passive skill points, using the passive skill filter, weapon set points, spirit resource management, increasing spirit and movement speed, maximizing mana, understanding energy shields, accuracy, and resistance upgrades.
- Gameplay Mechanics: Covers fast travel, free item identification, trading, ailments, instances, stunning enemies, skill aiming, armor break, crowd control effects, guild creation and joining, arcane surge, power charges, death penalties, and herald mechanics.
- Skills, Gems, Jewels, & Runes: Explains equipping and acquiring support gems, using runes, jewel sockets, obtaining uncut spirit gems, and acquiring raging spirits.
Classes, Ascendancies, & Builds:
This section details the six (soon to be twelve) classes, the Ascendancy system, and build recommendations.
- PoE 2 Class Guides: Provides rankings of the best classes, recommendations for solo play, guidance on mercenary ammo types, minion summoning, aftershock, and rage mechanics.
- Ascendancies: Covers all class ascendancies and nodes, and explains how to unlock ascension classes.
- PoE 2 Build Guides: Offers leveling build guides for Monk, Tempest Flurry Invoker, Mercenary, Sorceress, Rolling Slam Warrior, and Witch, along with general Warrior and Witch leveling guides.
Currencies & Gear:
This section focuses on gear upgrades, crafting, and currency management.
- Upgrades & Improvements: Explains 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, and acquiring Orbs of Chance, Divine Orbs, and Greater Jeweler's Orbs.
- Gear & Equipment: Covers early-game gear farming, obtaining unique items, the charm system, equipping and upgrading charms, stellar amulets, and acquiring the Ingenuity Utility Belt and Hand of Wisdom and Action.
Quest & Boss Walkthroughs:
This section provides detailed walkthroughs for quests and bosses across all three acts currently available in Early Access.
- All Main Quests and Acts: Provides an overview of all main quests and acts.
- All Permanent Bonuses from the Campaign: Highlights all permanent bonuses obtainable during the campaign.
- Act One, Act Two, and Act Three: Offers detailed walkthroughs for individual quests and boss fights within each act.
PoE 2 Endgame Guides:
This section covers endgame mechanics, including the Atlas system and various endgame activities.
- Endgame Tips & Mechanics: Explains unlocking Cruel difficulty and the endgame, advanced endgame tips, obtaining and upgrading Waystones, sustaining Waystones while mapping, optimal Atlas skill tree setups, unlocking hideouts, and finding more citadels.
- Endgame Features & Leagues: Provides guides on the Atlas of Worlds (maps, events), Realmgates, Breaches, Delirium, Rituals, Expeditions, Burning Monoliths, Trial of Chaos, and Trial of the Sekhemas.
Advanced PoE 2 Tips & Other Guides:
This final section covers advanced strategies and additional helpful guides.
- Advanced PoE 2 Guides: Covers fast XP gain, loot filter usage, obtaining loot filters on consoles, Sidekick features and installation, FilterBlade usage, identifying items to avoid buying or selling from merchants, and acquiring more character slots.
