PoE 2 Best Leveling Gear (Items), Skill Gems, and Passive Tree for All Class Builds
This guide will walk you through the essential gear, skill gems, and passive tree to maximize your leveling efficiency in Path of Exile 2, no matter what class you are going to play.
Best Path of Exile 2 Leveling Gear and Unique Items for All Class Builds
Leveling in Path of Exile 2 can be a rewarding yet challenging process. By equipping some of the best unique items on your character, you can optimize your leveling builds for each class.
1. Helm: Greymake/Thrillsteel
Greymake is excellent for early leveling from level 5, providing all attributes (Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence). While the attributes decrease per level gained, it remains useful until you can equip Thrillsteel. Thrillsteel, which is one of the best leveling uniques in PoE 2, requires level 27 and grants Onslaught, providing 10% movement speed and 20% faster skill speed.
2. Weapon: Pillar of the Caged God
Pillar of the Caged God is the core unique Quarterstaff that makes your leveling build work, providing increased weapon damage per 5 strength, attack speed from Dexterity, and area of effect from Intelligence. Best used with two Glacial Runes for cold damage. There's no real alternative as this is build-enabling.
3. Body Armor: Foxshade
Foxshade offers a 10% increased movement speed at full life, which is crucial for campaign progression speed. This is a level 1-2 item that provides consistent value throughout early leveling.
4. Ring: Blackheart
Blackheart is a solid level 1 ring that should eventually be replaced with rares having flat cold/lightning damage and attribute mods. Polcirkeln serves as a complementary ring at level 12 for Herald of Ice interactions.
5. Amulet: The Everlasting Gaze
The Everlasting Gaze solves early mana issues completely. It can be replaced by Carnage Heart later for more attributes and resistances, or Astramentis if you can afford it as it is very expensive.
6. Gloves: Northpaw/Jarngreipr
Northpaw provides early physical damage to attacks. While not exceptional, it's better than nothing at the start. You can also use Jarngreipr at level 6. Jarngreipr allows using Strength to meet Dexterity/Intelligence requirements for monk skills, solving attribute requirements. Rare gloves with flat damage and attributes could be considered once stats are sufficient.
7. Belt: Meginord's Girdle
Meginord's Girdle provides a massive early strength boost (40-50), it is valuable throughout the entire campaign despite being otherwise basic.
8. Boots: Luminous Pace/Wanderlust
Luminous Pace offers 10% movement speed at level 1, you can replace it with top-tier unique boots - Wanderlust at level 11. Wanderlust provides 20% movement speed and cannot be slowed, available at level 11. This item be used until finding rare boots with 25% movement speed, typically around level 30+.
Best PoE 2 Leveling Build Gear Setup
Act 1
Greymake (Brimmed Helm)
Pillar of the Caged God (Long Quarterstaff)
Foxshade (Quilted Vest)
Blackheart (Iron Ring)
The Everlasting Gaze (Azure Amulet)
Polcirkeln (Sapphire Ring)
Northpaw (Suede Bracers)
Meginord's Girdle (Rawhide Belt)
Luminous Pace (Straw Sandals)
Act 2+
Thrillsteel (Spired Greathelm)
Pillar of the Caged God (Long Quarterstaff)
Blackheart (Iron Ring)
Carnage Heart (Amber Amulet)
Polcirkeln (Sapphire Ring)
Jarngreipr (Ringmail Gauntlets)
Meginord's Girdle (Rawhide Belt)
Wanderlust (Wrapped Sandals)
Best Path of Exile 2 Leveling Skill Gems for All Class Builds
1. Glacial Cascade
One of the major skills and also an excellent starting skill gem available at level 1. It creates a cone of frost damage with increased damage at the end spike, it is particularly effective when properly positioned relative to enemies. For optimal damage, you'll want to position yourself so the end spike hits your targets. It pairs well with Martial Tempo and Primal Armament support gems for faster attack speed and increased damage.
2. Ice Strike
Ice Strike becomes available around level 14 and serves as an excellent boss-killing skill. It's best supported with Close Combat, Practiced Combo, and Crescendo. Adding a Concentrated Effect as a fifth link can further boost its effectiveness. Quality improvements on Ice Strike are valuable as they increase attack speed, making it more fluid to use.
3. Storm Wave
It is available around level 22 and becomes your upgrade from Glacial Cascade for general clearing. Quality improvements on Storm Wave are particularly important as they increase the width of the waves. When combined with Upheaval Support, you'll shoot three fissures instead of one - while this reduces attack speed and damage per hit, the triple-hit capability makes it extremely effective for clearing groups of enemies.
4. Tempest Bell
Combine it with Mantra of Destruction, you’ll be powerful for boss fights in the later game, especially if your gear hasn't been significantly upgraded. The key technique is to build combo points with Ice Strike, then use Mantra of Destruction before casting Tempest Bell to apply chaos damage and purple Flames of Chayula effects to the entire Tempest Bell attack.
5. Herald of Ice
It serves as a primary aura in the early campaign. Initially, you can support it with just Magnified Effect to increase explosion size. Later, it can be transformed into a complex clearing setup using Lightning Infusion to convert it to lightning damage, enabling interesting interactions with Herald of Thunder.
6. Herald of Thunder
When added later, this skill complements Herald of Ice perfectly. By using Cold Infusion and Glaciation, it becomes a cold skill that can freeze enemies. When combined with a shock-enabled Herald of Ice, they create a powerful feedback loop where each herald enables the other's effects.
Gems Setup (Links)
Glacial Cascade + Martial Tempo + Primal Armament
Ice Strike + Close Combat + Practiced Combo + Crescendo + Concentrated Effect
Storm Wave + Martial Tempo + Primal Armament + Upheaval + Longshot
Tempest Bell + Heavy Swing + Blind + Maim
Mantra of Destruction + Premeditation + Murderous Intent
Herald of Ice + Magnified Effect + Lightning Infusion + Innervate
Herald of Thunder + Cold Infusion + Glaciation + Ice Bite
Herald of Ash + Clarity
Best Passive Tree for Path of Exile 2 Leveling Builds
1. Mercenary Passive Tree
Mercenary's optimal path involves rushing to Polymathy and acquiring jewel sockets along the way. Key nodes include Acceleration for movement speed, Adrenaline Rush, and Escape Velocity. Martial Artistry is valuable for its dexterity bonus. For lightning damage builds, grab Frazzled (mana regen and shock effect), Wild Storm, and Lightning Rod Anoints. Mental Toughness and Siphon can help with mana management.
2. Warrior Passive Tree
Warriors can follow a similar pattern despite different starting locations. Priority nodes are Polymathy and Jack of All Trades, followed by Beef, Blurred Motion, Acceleration, Maiming Strike, and Escape Velocity. Focus on getting dexterity nodes while progressing.
3. Ranger Passive Tree
Ranger has an advantage with built-in movement speed from starting points. The path involves taking movement speed nodes to Blur, then proceeding to Polymathy, followed by Escape Velocity. The overall strategy mirrors the Mercenary's path due to similar starting positions.
4. Monk Passive Tree
Monk has strong starting passives but should initially skip nodes like Essence of the Storm and Essence of the Mountain. Instead, prioritize strength nodes, Step Like Mist for movement speed and stats, and then progress to jewel sockets, Jack of All Trades, and Polymathy. Later, grab standard movement speed nodes like Acceleration, Maiming Strike, and Escape Velocity.
5. Sorceress and Witch Passive Tree
Sorceress and Witch share the same tree layout and route south. Their path includes picking up Devoted Protector for stats and regeneration, All Natural for elemental resistance and damage, and Beef along the way. The end goal remains the same: Polymathy, Jack of All Trades, Adrenaline Rush, and jewel sockets, with movement speed nodes scattered throughout.
