Best starter builds

The Path of Exile 2 starter builds creators rated highest for patch 0.5.5 (Forbidden Rites, Sep 4, 2026) include Palsteron's Grim Pillars Oracle, Fubgun's Ice Shot Deadeye, Goratha's Twisters Gemling Legionnaire and FGKorbyn21's Falling Thunder Martial Artist, in Fubgun's tier list. The 1.0 balance pass on Dec 11, 2026 is expected to change the picks.

For patch 0.5.5 of Path of Exile 2, the Forbidden Rites event league that began on Sep 4, 2026, the starter builds rated highest in Fubgun's league start tier list were Palsteron's Grim Pillars Oracle, Fubgun's own Ice Shot Deadeye, Goratha's Twisters Gemling Legionnaire, FGKorbyn21's Falling Thunder Martial Artist, a Flameblast and oil grenade Mercenary by ds lily, Ruetoo's Galvanic Tactician and Goratha's Poisonburst Arrow Acolyte of Chayula, as Kami Labs summarized on Sep 2, 2026. A starter build is one that levels through the campaign and into the endgame on little currency. These picks are for 0.5.5 only: the large balance pass Grinding Gear Games (GGG) held back from 0.5.5 lands with the 1.0 release on Dec 11, 2026, with Ascendancy reworks among the changes, so the 1.0 picks will come after GGG's patch notes. Every pick below names its creator and patch.

Quick facts

Patch	0.5.5 (Forbidden Rites), live since Sep 4, 2026; 0.5.5e since Oct 5, 2026
Tier list	Fubgun's 0.5.5 league start tier list, summarized by Kami Labs, Sep 2, 2026
S tier, by Fubgun	Grim Pillars Oracle, Ice Shot Deadeye, Twisters Gemling Legionnaire, Falling Thunder Martial Artist, Flameblast oil grenade Mercenary, Galvanic Tactician, Poisonburst Arrow Acolyte of Chayula
Fastest campaign, by Fubgun	GuyThatDies' grenade Gemling Legionnaire (A tier)
Most played in 0.5	Martial Artist, Spirit Walker, Deadeye (GGG, Jun 14, 2026)
At 1.0	A large balance pass with Ascendancy reworks, on Dec 11, 2026
Classes at 1.0	Eight now, plus the Duelist

What are the best starter builds in 0.5.5?

Fubgun's tier list for 0.5.5, made for the start of Forbidden Rites, put seven builds in S tier, according to Kami Labs' summary of Sep 2, 2026. He left out builds that need a switch costing 10 to 20 Divine Orbs midway through leveling.

Grim Pillars Oracle (Druid), by Palsteron	Very high damage on a low budget; Fubgun notes it needs a solid gaming PC
Ice Shot Deadeye (Ranger), by Fubgun	A fast start from the Deadeye's speed nodes and Tailwind, then mapping on one or two buttons
Twisters Gemling Legionnaire (Mercenary), by Goratha	Comfort, damage, speed and toughness together; Fubgun advises against the Lich version for a league start
Falling Thunder Martial Artist (Monk), by FGKorbyn21	A slow start, then a jump in damage and defense after the first and second Ascendancies
Flameblast and oil grenades (Mercenary), by ds lily	Millions of damage per second for a few Divine Orbs, but slow
Galvanic buff stacker Tactician (Mercenary), by Ruetoo	Rated the best crossbow build of the patch, near one button by the endgame
Poisonburst Arrow Acolyte of Chayula (Monk), by Goratha	Strong poison damage on a low budget; the damage lands with a delay

Fubgun's A tier held GuyThatDies' grenade Gemling Legionnaire, which he rated one of the fastest campaign starts, played for the first 20 to 30 hours before switching; a tanky Djinn Disciple of Varashta by ds lily for Hardcore; CaptainLance9's Spirit Walker; DEADRABB1T's plant Lich; Crouching_Tuna's Supporting Fire Tactician; J_Macc's Oil Barrage Martial Artist; and OperatorOtter's Spark Stormweaver. Warrior builds sat in C tier: strong early with Shield Wall, Fubgun said, but painful to switch out of later.

Which class is best for a new player?

Creators separate a build that is strongest from one that is easiest. Woolie's beginner tier list (Aug 25, 2025, for 0.3) ranks Ascendancies by how plain their power is, putting the Deadeye, Stormweaver, Invoker and Titan on top, and urges new players to follow a build guide. GGG's game director Jonathan Rogers told IGN in August 2026 that players need not follow one at first. Every class can use every skill, so the choice is about the Ascendancy and the attributes (Classes, Beginner's guide).

What did players pick in 0.5?

GGG's own figures for the first two weeks of Return of the Ancients (0.5.0), published on Jun 14, 2026, named the Martial Artist, Spirit Walker and Deadeye as the most played Ascendancies (GGG). For leveling in 0.5, Raxxanterax recommended the plant Oracle Druid (May 25, 2026) and Lolcohol a Twister Huntress (Leveling guide).

What will the best builds be in 1.0?

Nobody knows yet, and creators' 0.5.5 lists are not a guide to them. GGG moved its big balance changes from 0.5.5 to 1.0; Mark Roberts told ZiggyD on Aug 28, 2026 that they include Ascendancy reworks and many new and reworked unique items, and building the Duelist touched every system. The Duelist's Ascendancies are due at ExileCon 2026 on Nov 6 (PST), and the patch notes should follow before Dec 11 (Release time). This page will add the 1.0 picks of named creators once they are published.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best Path of Exile 2 league starter build in 0.5.5? In Fubgun's 0.5.5 tier list, the S tier held Palsteron's Grim Pillars Oracle, Fubgun's Ice Shot Deadeye, Goratha's Twisters Gemling Legionnaire, FGKorbyn21's Falling Thunder Martial Artist and three Mercenary and Monk builds. They are picks for the Forbidden Rites patch, not for 1.0.

What is the fastest Path of Exile 2 build for the campaign? Fubgun rated GuyThatDies' grenade Gemling Legionnaire one of the fastest campaign starts of patch 0.5.5, to be played for the first 20 to 30 hours before switching.

What are the best Path of Exile 2 builds for 1.0? Not known as of Nov 1, 2026. Path of Exile 2 1.0 brings a large balance pass with Ascendancy reworks on Dec 11, 2026, and creators will rank builds after GGG's patch notes.

Which Path of Exile 2 Ascendancies were most played in 0.5? The Martial Artist, Spirit Walker and Deadeye, in Grinding Gear Games' figures for the first two weeks of Return of the Ancients, published Jun 14, 2026.

Is the Warrior a good starter in Path of Exile 2 0.5.5? Fubgun placed Warrior builds in C tier for 0.5.5: strong early with Shield Wall, but painful to switch out of after 20 to 30 hours.

Should I follow a build guide in Path of Exile 2? Creators such as Woolie recommend one for beginners, while game director Jonathan Rogers said in August 2026 that new players can enjoy the game without one at first.