Best Leveling Builds in Path of Exile 2 [0.3.0]

Ben Author

Created - 20.08.2025 Updated - 22.08.2025

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Struggling to find a reliable build to level up quickly in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict? Well, you have stumbled upon the right guide! For today, we will break down the top leveling builds in PoE 2 Patch 0.3.0.

Whether this is your first time playing the game or you are a returning veteran who is looking for a fast way to get through the campaign, we'll save you the trouble of scouring for information about the top PoE 2 starter builds. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy!

If you need any assistance with currency, do not hesitate to visit our PoE 2 Currency Store. We are open 24/7 and provide you with exclusive bundles so that you can save big!

Top Path of Exile 2 Leveling Builds for Patch 0.3.0

What are the qualities of the best leveling builds in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict? First of all, they should have a very fast clear speed. Whether they are using skills that deal single-target damage or those that encompass a larger area, these builds should be able to handle groups of monsters with relative ease.

In addition, a top leveling build in PoE 2 should have minimal gear dependency. When playing such a build, it should perform well even on budget, rare pieces of gear.

Another quality that a leveling build must possess is that they use skills that scale damage immensely early on. Fortunately, there are such skills in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict, particularly those that require a spear to use.

Although you should only think about improving damage when leveling, for the most part, a good PoE 2 leveling build should still have strong defenses. This can either be in the form of a character's main defensive layers (armor, evasion, energy shield) or other mechanics, such as life leech, life recoup, etc.

That said, you are probably itching to know the ideal builds to use as a starter character in the game. So, without further ado, here are the best leveling builds in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict.

Rake Stomping Ground Smith of Kitava

Arguably, the best leveling build in the entire game is one that utilizes the Rake-Stomping Ground combo. However, for this build, we are actually going for the Smith of Kitava mainly for defensive purposes.

So, why is Rake and Stomping Ground a potent combination of skills that will help you start Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict from level 1 all the way to level 65? Well, there is a weird interaction between the two that you can take advantage of.

You see, Rake deals more damage if you use the skill at a considerable distance from the target. If supported by Stomping Ground, you create a fissure that emits damaging shockwaves in the process. These shockwaves somehow scale from Rake's damage multiplier, allowing them to easily destroy any monster in the campaign, provided that you have the right gear for damage scaling.

If you are leveling a twink or second character, it is highly recommended that you equip the Splinter of Loratta to not only increase your melee strike range (and therefore, make Rake more powerful) but also to inflict poison on the enemy (for even more damage).

Now, Rake won't be available until level 18, so use Whirling Slash and Twister for the time being. Press Whirling Slash a few times before unleashing the whirlwind using Twister for improved clear speeds.

When you're level 18, use the Uncut Skill Gem III and leave Rake at level 3. A low-level Rake is fine to reduce the DEX requirement and mana cost of the said skill. The bulk of the damage comes from Stomping Ground anyway.

Speaking of which, Stomping Ground scales really well with STR, so it is necessary to have the "Strength" modifier on every piece of gear. This can be found on pure armor or hybrid armor/evasion bases, as well as rings and amulets.

Continuously upgrade your weapon as soon as you can. Make sure to prioritize physical damage, strength, and increased attack speed. Other modifiers are irrelevant. In fact, you don't even need "+ to Level of All Melee Skills" for now.

Once you are able to complete the Trial of the Sekhemas, choose the Smith of Kitava at the Altar of Ascendancy. The reason why you should pick the Smith of Kitava is that it is quite easy to achieve good defenses.

Start by taking Coal Stoker to address your elemental resistance. After that, find a suitable body armor (of Normal rarity), and then take Support Straps, Kitavan Engraving, and Molten Symbol, in that order.

The gist of this build is to stack STR as high as possible in order to make Stomping Ground obliterate any monster in the campaign. Here are the skills that you need for this build:

Rake

• Stomping Ground
• Martial Tempo
• Heft
• Close Combat

Thunderous Leap

• Shocking Leap
• Pinpoint Critical
• Inevitable Critical

Companion

• Elemental Army
• Meat Shield
• Last Gasp

Herald of Ash

• Magnified Effect

Disengage

• Ingenuity

Whirling Slash

• None

Overwhelming Presence

• None

For the companion, you can go for the Diretusk Boar (Infested Barrens) or the Quadrilla (Jungle Ruins). Make sure to tame a beast that has any (or all) of the following buffs:

• Haste Aura (for increased attack and movement speed)
• All Damage Shocks (Shock allows you to deal 20% increased damage)
• Extra Physical Damage Aura (Boosts the damage of Rake and Stomping Ground)

The Rake Stomping Ground Smith of Kitava is an awesome PoE 2 leveling build that will surely take you from zero to hero in no time!

Spark Stormweaver

You might think that this next build shouldn't be on the list of the best leveling builds in PoE 2 The Third Edict League. However, despite the nerfs that were done to this build in the previous expansions, it still performs admirably well with the right skill setup and gear investment.

The Spark Stormweaver is easily one of the best mapping builds in the game. Its ability to unleash multiple projectiles in a few seconds is enough to clear the area of monsters quite easily.

The secret to this build is the use of a combination of skills, including Orb of Storms, Flame Wall, and Spark. Flame Wall infuses the projectiles from Spark with fire damage, allowing them to Ignite enemies, and dealing damage over time.

Orb of Storms deals additional damage in a relatively small area. Utilize it whenever you are fighting rare monsters or bosses. Spark is just a reliable skill that has no problems dealing with groups of enemies no matter how many they are at a time.

Spark scales really well with higher skill levels, so anything that has "+ to Level of All Lightning Skills" or "+ to Level of All Projectile Skills" is definitely huge for this build. You can find the former in a well-rolled wand, caster focus, and amulet. The latter, on the other hand, can be found on the amulet only (at least for what you are trying to go for with this build).

When you ascend for the first time, make sure to get Constant Gale, which will unlock Arcane Surge. This will help you improve your cast speed and ensure that you unleash a plethora of projectiles in no time. You can read our PoE 2 Trial of the Sekhemas Guide for tips on how to complete this particular trial of ascendancy.

Anyway, after reaching level 22, do not forget to use the Uncut Skill Gem VII to unlock Conductivity. This is a curse spell that reduces the lightning resistance of those affected by it. Use it whenever you are dealing with tougher foes.

In your second and third ascension, take Force of Will followed by Strike Twice. Force of Will enhances Arcane Surge based on your mana, allowing you to cast your primary skills even faster. Strike Twice affects enemies with Shock a couple of times for even more damage.

When you are at a relatively high level and you have at least 3,500 energy shield, you can take the Chaos Inoculation keystone, which will greatly boost your survivability as you will be immune to chaos damage.

If you are curious about the ideal skills for the Spark Stormweaver, they are:

Spark

• Arcane Tempo
• Controlled Destruction
• Considered Casting

Flame Wall

• Fortress
• Persistence
• Fire Mastery

Orb of Storms

• Conduction
• Lightning Exposure
• Strip Away

Conductivity

• None

Mana Tempest

• Premeditation
• Inspiration
• Murderous Intent

Arctic Armour

• Glaciation
• Deep Freeze
• Clarity

Sigil of Power

• Ingenuity
• Mobility
• Note: This is from equipping a Chiming Staff. Put the staff on the weapon set 2

The Spark Stormweaver may have fallen down the ranks in Patch 0.3.0. However, it is quite an effective leveling build in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict nevertheless.

Galvanic Shards Mercenary

This build is interesting because the choice of ascendancy class does not matter, so long as it is one of the three that's available for the Mercenary. The Galvanic Shards Mercenary is fit for those who like to use a weapon that is similar to a shotgun and assault rifle in real life.

The core of this build is Galvanic Shards—a lightning-based skill that converts 60% of physical damage to lightning damage. Although the projectiles the skill produces cannot chain, multiple fragments are being unleashed with every use, making that a non-issue.

Now, Galvanic Shards won't be available until level 14, so you have a couple of options in the early game to progress through the beginning stages of Act 1. If you want to equip the default weapon (Crossbow), you could go for Explosive Grenade. Use the Uncut Support Gem I to engrave Expedite. This will lower the Explosive Grenade's detonation time.

At level 6, engrave the Flash Grenade by right-clicking on the Uncut Skill Gem III. This allows you to get out of sticky situations by blinding enemies and stunning them for a brief period.

Once you get to level 14, you can unlock the Gas Grenade by using an Uncut Skill Gem V. The Gas Grenade should be fired immediately after the Explosive Grenade to cause a massive explosion that engulfs more enemies at once.

If you find the Explosive Grenade to be a bit slow to your liking, you can go for the alternate route where you replace the crossbow with a bow and quiver. Use the Uncut Skill Gem I to engrave Lightning Arrow and Lightning Rod. These two skills will easily help you reach level 14 in no time!

There is no doubt that Galvanic Shards is an excellent skill for mapping, but it does fall short on single-target damage. To supplement that, use the Uncut Skill Gem V again to engrave Rapid Shot. This skill feels similar to the next skill you are going to engrave, which is the Shockburst Rounds.

The Shockburst Rounds is your primary skill for dealing with bosses well into the endgame. Just make sure to use it after inflicting Shock on the enemy.

As to the ascendancy classes you could select, that all depends on your preference. Each of the Mercenary ascendancy classes should be good with the tandem of Galvanic Shards and Shockburst Rounds. It's all a matter of choice, really.

If you are going with the Witch Hunter, we highly recommend that you take Zealous Inquisition first, followed by Pitiless Killer. The former makes enemies explode upon death, while the latter kills monsters instantly if they fall below a certain HP threshold.

For the Gemling Legionnaire, take Crystalline Potential to increase the number of bolts loaded into each clip of your primary skills. Next, take either Bolstering Implants or Motoric Implants to raise the level of Shockburst Rounds and Galvanic Shards by two, effectively increasing their damage.

How about the new Tactician ascendancy class? You should definitely allocate Suppressing Fire and Right Where We Want Them. Both of these ascendancy nodes pin enemies to the ground, preventing them from doing anything akin to being frozen.

So, as you can see, the Galvanic Shards Mercenary is flexible in terms of the ascendancy class you choose. Here are the skills and support gems you need to ensure victory on the battlefield (listed in order of importance):

Galvanic Shards

• Martial Tempo
• Fork
• Primal Armament
• Bullseye
• Ammo Conservation

Shockburst Rounds

• Concentrated Effect
• Lightning Infusion
• Elemental Focus
• Close Combat
• Overextend

Stormcaller Arrow

• Conduction
• Lasting Shock
• Lightning Exposure
• Strip Away
• Pinpoint Critical
• Note: Equip a bow and quiver on the second weapon set in order to use the Stormcaller Arrow. This setup is primarily for inflicting Shock on the enemy more consistently

Herald of Thunder

• Magnified Effect
• Innervate
• Reach
• Longshot
• Execute

Wind Dancer

• Blind
• Maim
• Pin
• Note: Pin is not necessary when playing the Tactician ascendancy class

Emergency Reload

• Premeditation
• Ingenuity

Ghost Dance

• Precision
• Fast Forward

Voltaic Mark

• Persistence

Lightning Arrow Deadeye

The Lightning Arrow Deadeye is a consistent top performer no matter what you want to do in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict. Why is that, you ask? Well, that is largely because two of its core skills, Lightning Arrow and Lightning Rod, are available at level 1!

The ideal way to play this build is you unleash and plant 20 Lightning Rods on the ground, and then fire at them with Lightning Arrow to initiate its chaining mechanic for burst damage. This duo can effectively wipe out enemies even on budget gear!

As you progress through the campaign, you should continuously upgrade your bow. The bow must have increased attack speed, critical hit chance, and critical damage bonus for it to be effective.

In the later stages of the campaign, you will start getting the Gemini Bow, which allows you to fire at least one additional arrow. This modifier is quite helpful as it enables you to unleash multiple Lightning Rods in a single use.

If you can afford a mirror-tier Gemini Bow that has a critical hit chance, critical damage bonus, and can fire two additional arrows, then that will be a lot better!

The Deadeye ascendancy class is a great one to choose for projectile builds because of the ascendancy nodes available to her. Start by taking Gathering Winds, which will unlock the Tailwind buff that improves your skill speed and movement speed.

Next, go for Point Blank to deal 20% more damage against enemies that are relatively close by. And then, there's Endless Munitions. This ascendancy node allows you to unleash one more arrow for Lightning Arrow and Lighting Rod, so its inclusion in the build is a must.

In addition, thanks to the introduction of the Rhoa Mount in the previous league, you have the option of riding that as well. Doing so will allow you to use your projectile skills while moving at full speed.

Take note that the only viable version of the Lightning Arrow Deadeye is one that heavily invests in crit. That is because GGG has removed half of the total jewel sockets in the game in the last major update, so the only real way to scale damage to astronomical heights is to improve the critical hit chance and critical damage bonus of your character.

Anyway, you can find the best skills and support gems for the Lightning Arrow Deadeye below:

Lightning Arrow

• Martial Tempo
• Lightning Infusion
• Primal Armament

Lightning Rod

• Scattershot
• Magnified Effect

Herald of Thunder

• Innervate
• Concentrated Effect

Barrage

• Arcane Tempo
• Premeditation
• Ingenuity
• Note: Use before unleashing Lightning Rod against rare monsters and bosses

Wind Dancer

• Wind Wave
• Blind

Voltaic Mark

• Conduction
• Persistence

Rhoa Mount

• Meat Shield
• Loyalty

Are you interested in playing the Lightning Arrow Deadeye in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict? Then check out our full build guide!

Storm Wave Invoker

Invoker, despite receiving some nerfs in the last PoE 2 expansion, is still popular in The Third Edict League. So, if you are interested in creating the Invoker for yourself, then you should check the Storm Wave Invoker!

Storm Wave is such an awesome skill because it can hit multiple enemies at once. By using the Upheaval support gem, the Storm Wave becomes even bigger because of the additional fissures, making it a powerful map-clearing ability.

The skill won't be available until level 22, though, so use Falling Thunder at level 1 and then Tempest Flurry at level 14. If you find these two skills to be too tedious to work with, then you can equip a bow and quiver and just use Lightning Arrow plus Lightning Rod until you can unlock Storm Wave.

When it comes to damage scaling, the Invoker is the right ascendancy class to choose for this skill since Storm Wave deals elemental damage. After becoming an Invoker, pick "I am the Thunder" to receive 10% extra lightning damage.

On your second ascension, allocate "Sunder My Enemies" because it effectively makes Storm Wave ignore monster lightning resistance with critical hits. At this point, you will have a relatively high critical hit chance, so you can make Sunder My Enemies work consistently.

For the third ascendancy node, go for "Lead Me Through Grace." By wearing pieces of gear that contain both evasion and energy shield, you can get copious amounts of Spirit, which will enable you to activate more persistent skills, such as Herald of Thunder, Blink, and Tame Beast, among others.

That said, you should invest in a Sinister Quarterstaff with high amounts of physical damage, critical hit chance, and attack speed. Having the modifier "Increased Elemental Damage with Attacks" also helps improve your overall damage output.

Additionally, you can buy the Wake of Destruction to leave a Shocked Ground in your wake. Enemies that step on this detrimental ground effect will suffer 20% increased damage from your attacks.

Do you want to know what other skills and support gems the Storm Wave Invoker uses? Well, it only needs four skills, including:

Storm Wave

• Martial Tempo
• Lightning Infusion
• Upheaval
• Primal Armament

Herald of Thunder

• Innervate
• Cannibalism

Herald of Ash

• Magnified Effect
• Precision

Blink

• Ingenuity
• Arcane Tempo
• Note: Only get once you have "Lead Me Through Grace" allocated

This build is quite flexible in terms of the skill gems you can use. After putting the four mentioned above into the skills window, you have complete control over the other ones you wish to use. That is one of the major strengths of the Storm Wave Invoker build in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict.

Chaos Minion Lich

This next top leveling build in PoE 2 is quite similar to the Essence Drain Contagion Lich, albeit with some minions to aid you in combat. The Chaos Minion Lich is so powerful that it can take you well into the endgame just by wearing the appropriate gear and using all of the skills available on this build.

When fighting monsters, start by casting Essence Drain—a projectile skill that inflicts chaos damage over time (DoT) debuff on the enemy. Next, use Contagion to apply another chaos DoT effect that can spread to nearby monsters.

For improved single-target damage, you will lay down your Dark Effigy totems. It is important to note that the totems will fire only when the enemy is affected by chaos damage over time effect. So, if you see the totems not doing anything, then you know the reason why.

When it comes to the minions that you can use, we recommend either the Skeletal Sniper or the Skeletal Arsonist. The former has a command ability that leaves a deadly poisonous cloud for additional damage over time against enemies. The latter simply deals considerably more damage right from the get-go (that does not rely on DoT).

At level 22, you will unlock the Bind Spectre skill. This enables you to acquire the services of a slain enemy. That said, there are a couple of spectres you can raise from the dead that will help you immensely in your leveling journey.

The first one is the Slitherspitter, which is a giant snake that you can find in the Venom Crypts in Act 3. This does very high poison damage in a large area, making it suitable for mapping.

The second spectre you can raise is the Chaotic Zealot, specifically the melee version. The Chaotic Zealot attacks enemies rapidly, dealing chaos damage with its fists. And, since this spectre only requires a small amount of Spirit, you can summon several of them at a time.

Because you need a substantial amount of Spirit, we recommend that you use a Rattling Sceptre with “% Increased Spirit.” Don’t forget to also look for “Allies in Your Presence Deal % Increased Damage” when shopping for the weapon. The Rattling Sceptre also raises a couple of Skeletal Warriors, which act as meat shields that soak damage for you.

Do you like to play the Chaos Minion Lich as a leveling build in PoE 2 Patch 0.3.0? Then, here are the skills and support gems you need:

Essence Drain

• Swift Affliction
• Chain

Contagion

• Arcane Tempo
• Magnified Effect

Dark Effigy

• Overabundance
• Chaos Infusion
• Acceleration

Withering Presence

• Clarity
• Persistence
• Chaos Mastery

Despair

• Decaying Hex
• Impending Doom
• Inspiration

Bind Spectre

• Martial Tempo

As for the Lich ascendancy class, choose the Necromantic Conduit as your first ascendancy node and Soulless Form for the second. The third can either be Eldritch Empowerment or Rupture the Soul depending on whether you want a more balanced build or one that is meant for pure mapping.

The Chaos Minion Lich is an improved version of an already popular build that uses subservient allies to help you breeze through the campaign, along with being able to deal huge amounts of chaos damage.

Lightning Spear Amazon

If you are looking for one of the fastest leveling builds in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict, the Lightning Spear Amazon is definitely near (or at the) top of the charts! This build can easily get to white maps in under seven hours!

What makes this build great is its primary skill—Lightning Spear. When used, the skill prompts you to throw a lightning-infused spear that fires secondary lightning bolts on impact, thus hitting more enemies in the process.

Lightning Spear won’t be available until level 18. Fortunately, you can utilize the combo of Whirling Slash and Twister up to that point.

After completing your first ascension, do not go for Critical Strike yet. Instead, allocate Elemental Infusion, which grants the “Infuse Weapon” skill. The reason why you should take this first is that every time you gain Frenzy Charges, you empower the Lightning Spear to explode on impact, dealing more damage.

The resulting explosion does not affect the secondary lightning bolts from Lightning Spear at all. That is why it greatly improves your ability to eliminate map monsters in a jiffy.

If you are wondering how you can generate Frenzy Charges on this build, socketing the Embitter support gem into Infuse Weapon will allow you to freeze enemies even when using Lightning Spear. With Combat Frenzy active, freezing enemies will generate Frenzy Charges.

Another way to do that is by applying the Sniper’s Mark on the enemy. This is typically used during bossing, where you only have one target to work with. Landing a critical hit with an enemy that is affected by Sniper’s Mark will generate a Frenzy Charge.

Once you are equipped with a Seaglass Spear that has high physical damage, critical hit chance, and critical damage bonus, then that is the time to allocate Critical Strike. This is assuming that you have finished the second Trial of Ascendancy, of course.

This build also uses two different attack skills depending on the type of content you are currently running. While mapping, you can alternate between Lightning Spear and Explosive Spear to obliterate map monsters without a hitch.

For bossing, you can use the Storm Lance instead. This skill can effectively inflict Shock on the boss, allowing Lightning Spear to deal more damage.

If you like to add a companion to accompany you in your leveling journey in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict, you can tame a Quadrilla and Diretusk Boar with Haste Aura, Elemental Resistance Aura, or Temporal Bubble.

Here are the ideal skills and support gems to use for the PoE 2 Lightning Spear Amazon (support gems are listed in order of importance):

Lightning Spear

• Volt
• Overcharge
• Potential
• Perpetual Charge
• Lightning Exposure

Explosive Spear

• Overabundance
• Expedite
• Fire Exposure

Storm Lance

• Lightning Penetration
• Lightning Infusion
• Primal Armament

Infuse Weapon

• Longshot
• Embitter
• Bullseye
• Concentrated Effect

Combat Frenzy

• Profusion
• Precision

Herald of Thunder

• Magnified Effect
• Neural Overload
• Electrocute

Companion

• Elemental Army
• Meatshield

Sniper’s Mark

• Arcane Tempo
• Persistence

Thunderous Leap

• Untouchable
• Martial Tempo
• Pursuit

There is a reason why the Lightning Spear Amazon is one of the best builds in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict. Once the core skill is unlocked, you can quickly breeze through the campaign, especially when you get suitable upgrades along the way.

Quick Overview of the Best Leveling Builds in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict

Best Leveling Unique Items in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict

Although the top leveling builds mentioned above can work with mostly rare pieces of gear, some unique items can certainly make your leveling journey a whole lot easier. In this section, we will go over the best leveling unique items in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict. Let’s start with the ones you can equip as early as level 1, shall we?

Ghostwrithe

Energy shield is still the most preferred defensive layer among PoE 2 players. That is why Ghostwrithe remains one of the best leveling unique items in the game because it can significantly increase energy shield just by improving your maximum life.

Truth be told, even the Rake Stomping Ground Smith of Kitava can benefit from this! Since the build is essentially a STR stacker, it can get tons of energy shield with Ghostwrithe equipped.

Painter’s Servant

These gloves are so overpowered that we don’t understand why they can be worn as early as level 1. Painter’s Servant is a pair of gloves that grants extra fire, cold, and lightning damage based on 33% of your elemental damage.

For example, if you are playing the Galvanic Shards Mercenary, which is a build that uses a lightning-based skill, the Painter’s Servant enables you to deal fire and cold damage as well. This means that you can Ignite and Freeze enemies just by shooting at enemies with Galvanic Shards.

This works for all leveling builds that use some sort of elemental damage skill. Whether that be attack skills or spells, the Painter’s Servant is an awesome addition to your gear!

Meginord’s Girdle

Strength (STR) in Path of Exile 2 is not only an attribute that allows you to wear armor-based equipment, but it also boosts the damage of certain skills and improves maximum life.

That said, Meginord’s Girdle is quite incredible because it is a belt that grants up to 50 STR, and all of that can be yours at level 1! If you want to get a hold of it immediately, you can buy Meginord’s Girdle from our PoE 2 Store.

Horns of Bynden

Aside from providing up to 30 points of STR, the Horns of Bynden not only grants Rage on melee hits but bolsters armor by 1% for every point of Rage as well. This is ideal for leveling builds that use attack skills, such as the Lightning Arrow Deadeye, Lightning Spear Amazon, and the Rake Stomping Ground Smith of Kitava.

Splinter of Loratta

Rake and Stomping Ground is a potent combination used by many leveling builds in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict. Rake deals considerably more damage when used a fair distance away from your primary target. This makes the Splinter of Loratta an ideal leveling weapon when using the said skill.

What the Splinter of Loratta does is increase your melee strike range by 20%. That is more than enough to amplify Rake’s damage significantly.

Furthermore, attacks with this weapon always poison enemies on hit. The extra damage over time allows you to employ a “hit-and-run” playstyle for better map-clearing efficiency.

Luminous Pace

Luminous Pace is best paired with Ghostwrithe. This PoE 2 unique item provides up to a 30-point improvement in your energy shield. But more importantly, it hastens the process of initiating energy shield recharge. In other words, your energy shield will start to recharge much faster after getting hit.

Another reason why Luminous Pace is one of the best leveling uniques in Path of Exile 2 is that it grants 10% increased movement speed and up to 10 INT. That 10-point increase in intelligence is helpful in letting you use blue support gems like Magnified Effect or Embitter early on.

Wings of Caelyn

The Wings of Caelyn is just like the Horns of Bynden in that you can get one Rage on a melee hit. The only difference is that this helmet’s unique effect improves your stun threshold instead of armor.

If you are planning to use the Rake and Stomping Ground combo while playing the Sorceress, for example, wearing the Wings of Caelyn helps you equip higher-level spears and use more green support gems thanks to its +20-30 DEX.

Northpaw

Being able to land critical hits on enemies in Path of Exile 2 is often achieved much later in the game, when you have access to gear that increases critical hit chance, such as the weapon, helmet, and amulet.

Normally, weapons have a base critical hit chance of 5%. That is fine, though having a higher amount will certainly help. That is where Northpaw comes in.

The Northpaw is a pair of gloves that effectively raises your base critical hit chance to 7%. This particular effect is amplified by any “Increased Critical Hit Chance” modifier, may that be on your other items or the passive tree.

With these gloves equipped, you can obliterate monsters in Act 1 and Act 2 quite easily, all without breaking a sweat!

Blackheart

For attack builds in PoE 2, Blackheart is such an incredible ring thanks to its ability to intimidate enemies on hit. Intimidate is a temporary debuff that increases your damage against affected enemies by 10%. Furthermore, intimidated enemies deal 10% less damage to you, which makes Blackheart a good unique ring for offense and defense.

Doedre’s Damning

Path of Exile 2 has a curse limit by default, wherein you can only apply a single curse on an enemy. You can add one more if you wear Doedre’s Damning.

Aside from being able to apply an additional curse, Doedre’s Damning allows you to gain up to 15 mana per enemy killed. This is very useful when playing a mana-intensive build like the Lightning Arrow Deadeye. The +5-15% elemental resistance it provides also improves your survivability very early into the campaign.

This unique ring can be equipped as early as level 1. With all of the things that it enables you to do, it is no wonder why Doedre’s Damning is one of the best leveling unique items in PoE 2 Patch 0.3.0.

Dunkelhalt

Used primarily to cancel the animation of Whirling Slash and Rake, Dunkelhalt is still a good leveling unique item even though canceling the skill animation is no longer possible.

You see, Dunkelhalt further improves the effect of the parried debuff on the enemy, thus making them take more damage from attacks for a brief period. Besides that, this unique buckler increases your block chance by up to 50% and evasion rating by up to 30.

Greymake

Even though attribute-stacking builds are no longer as popular in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict as they were at the beginning, there is still some value in playing such characters.

For instance, the Rake Stomping Ground Smith of Kitava is still a STR stacker that can deal huge amounts of damage the higher its strength attribute is. That said, Greymake is a cool unique helmet for attribute-stacking builds because it can provide up to 50 points of STR, DEX, and INT depending on the one that you have.

Greymake does have its attribute bonuses reduced by one point each time you level up. That is why this unique helmet is only good until level 30. Be that as it may, Greymake can help alleviate certain requirements on skills and support gems, especially if you do not have any other item equipped that grants additional attributes.

You can buy a well-rolled Greymake from our PoE 2 Store if you are interested.

Blackbraid

Armor is one of the main defensive layers in PoE 2. It is used as a way to mitigate incoming physical damage. This next unique item takes it up a notch by reducing the elemental damage you receive as well.

Blackbraid is an awesome leveling unique item in Path of Exile 2 because it brings a lot of goodies in one package. Its main attraction is that wearing it also reduces the elemental damage you take.

On top of that, Blackbraid provides increases in STR, INT, elemental resistance, and stun threshold. What more can you ask for?

Revered Resin

Path of Exile 2 can be unforgiving at times. Monsters can easily jump on you and kill you shortly after. That is why putting a finger on the hotkey for your Life Flask is a great way to stay alive at the beginning of your leveling journey.

Revered Resin is such a good unique leveling item because it allows you to gain flask charges for your Life Flask just by wearing it. And oh, it increases your Life Flask’s recovery rate and boosts your HP by up to 60 as well.

Surefooted Sigil

If you are playing a DEX-based build like the Lightning Spear Amazon or Lightning Arrow Deadeye, then you will find the Surefooted Sigil quite a valuable unique item to wear.

The Surefooted Sigil increases your evasion rating by 50% if you performed a Dodge Roll in the past four seconds. Not only that but it also increases the Dodge Roll distance by one meter. That may seem too short, however, it’s sufficient enough to help you get out of harm’s way.

Carnage Heart

Carnage Heart is a good way to sustain life from early- to mid-game. Although it reduces your maximum HP by quite a bit, it does increase the amount of life leeched off of enemies by 100%.

Take note that Carnage Heart’s unique modifier can only be availed when you have life leech modifiers. You can find the life leech mod on the weapon, gloves, and rings. You need at least one for Carnage Heart to do its thing.

Additionally, life leech only works with physical damage, not spells. Only the Blood Mage can leech life with spells thanks to her “Vitality Siphon” ascendancy node.

Wanderlust

At level 11, you should replace Luminous Pace with Wanderlust. This unique footwear increases your movement speed by 20%, and that’s a fixed value.

However, the main reason for using the Wanderlust is that it makes you impervious to slowing effects like Maim and Temporal Chains.

Polcirkeln

When you are playing a PoE 2 leveling build that deals cold damage somehow, then you will find great value in the Polcirkeln. This ring used to be a must-have for almost all Path of Exile 2 builds back then. However, the adjustments made in The Third Edict expansion have definitely affected its popularity.

More specifically, players are no longer able to use Herald of Thunder and Herald of Ice to proc off of each other. This means that there is no more incentive to shatter enemies with the Polcirkeln since Herald of Ice is no longer feasible for builds that don’t heavily invest in cold damage.

Still, it is pretty awesome if you know how to make it work without Herald of Ice. For attack builds, make sure to have “Adds Cold Damage to Attacks” on the gloves or the other ring. When you’re able to deal enough cold damage, even using the Storm Wave Invoker lets you shatter enemies as though they are frozen.

For spellcasters, use a wand that has “Gain % of Damage as Extra Cold Damage” to take advantage of Polcirkeln’s unique effect.

Skysliver

Are you looking to play the Lightning Spear Amazon? The Skysliver is an amazing unique item for the build for a couple of reasons. For one, it greatly enhances your ability to inflict Shock on enemies. This is even without the Conduction support gem!

The main selling point of the Skysliver, however, is that it can hurt enemies using the weapon’s maximum or minimum damage. For instance, the weapon can roll 1 to 120 lightning damage, so it can only deal damage based on those two numbers (1 or 120).

That is the reason why anointing or allocating “Lightning Rod” on the passive tree allows you to deal the maximum amount of damage at all times because of that “Lucky” mechanic. This particular mechanic just means that between two rolls, you always get the higher result (in this case, 120 damage).

Lochtonial Caress

One look at this pair of gloves’ item description and you’d think that they are worn primarily for sharing charges with allies, but that isn’t actually the case.

The Lochtonial Caress is typically utilized only for its ability to grant up to 15% increased skill speed. This modifier basically makes your skills work faster than usual.

For instance, Lightning Spear will be thrown noticeably quicker than without the gloves equipped. Its ability to share Frenzy, Power, and Endurance Charges may come in handy in the future. For now, it’s practically useless.

Titanrot Cataphract

If you are playing any of the best Warrior Builds in PoE 2, then you might want to use the Titanrot Cataphract starting at level 20. This unique item greatly enhances your armor and strength, and mind you, that is a percentage increase in STR—not a fixed amount.

The Titanrot Cataphract works best if you have multiple items that provide flat amounts of STR. Using Robust Runes is also a great idea because they can grant eight points of strength per piece.

While you will have a substantial amount of STR by wearing this thing, it does reduce your total DEX and INT by 10%. Furthermore, you essentially have no life regeneration, so you’d have to rely on your Life Flask for a quick top-up.

If those downsides are okay with you, then the Titanrot Cataphract is easy to recommend, especially for STR-based builds.

Silverthorne

Do you like wielding spears in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict? Silverthorne puts forth a strong case why you should wear this at level 26 until you finish the campaign.

The Silverthorne enables you to land critical hits more consistently because parrying enemies with it applies 10 stacks of Critical Weakness. This translates to a 5% increase in your critical hit chance against that monster.

Even if you do not want to parry the enemy’s attacks, you can still make Silverthorne work for you thanks to its 60-100% increased evasion rating. Not to mention that it also increases your elemental resistance by up to 15%.

Tangletongue

Whether you are playing the Rake Stomping Ground Smith of Kitava or the Lightning Spear Amazon, the Tangletongue is almost always a common fixture among spear-wielding builds in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict.

Its main draw is that it allows you to land consistent critical hits. Moreover, in some cases, your damage is multiplied by three if you are able to roll a critical hit chance twice thanks to the spear’s “Forks Critical Hits” unique effect.

While the Tangletongue is defeated by a mirror-tier Seaglass Spear later on, the value that it provides as early as level 26 is immeasurable.

Trampletoe

Often used by Titan Builds that use Hammer of the Gods religiously in the past, the Trampletoe is quite an amazing pair of boots that enable you to destroy anything that comes your way even to this day.

Basically, Trampletoe takes 30% of the overkill damage received by your main target and spreads that damage across enemies within a two-meter radius. Its typical usage involves skills that produce something that can be broken like Earthshatter or Frost Wall. After that, unleash a devastating skill like Hammer of the Gods or Comet.

Destroying the walls of ice from Frost Wall, for example, allows you to deal considerably more damage against a boss (since it will be wounded by the initial hit, along with the overkill damage from Trampletoe).

Because of how powerful these boots are, you can see the Trampletoe being used by bossing builds in Path of Exile 2 to eliminate T4 pinnacles like Xesht and The Arbiter of Ash.

Black Sun Crest

When you are using Greymake for leveling, the Black Sun Crest is the sure upgrade. Available at level 16, this unique helmet provides up to 15% of each attribute, including strength, intelligence, and dexterity.

Getting a perfect roll on the Black Sun Crest is nearly impossible, but having at least your main attribute at 15% is more than enough. Take note that if you have Greymake equipped, you can use that until level 30. Only replace it with the Black Sun Crest once you have reached that point.

Gifts from Above

Increased critical hit chance can only roll on certain items in PoE 2. This modifier can normally be found on the weapon, helmet, and amulet. Gifts from Above is a rare case because it is a ring that can roll up to a 30% increased critical hit chance.

Another incentive to wearing this ring is that it creates consecrated ground if you stay put for a couple of seconds. Consecrated Ground allows you to regenerate about 5% of your maximum life per second for a short period.

If your Life Flask is empty, the Consecrated Ground created by Gifts from Above can be a lifesaver!

Slivertongue

What’s with GGG and its fascination with tongues? Here is another unique item that has “tongue” in its name, but at least it’s not icky. If anything, it works well for bow builds in PoE 2 like the Ice Shot or Lightning Arrow Deadeye.

The Slivertongue is a level 39 bow that has an odd blend of modifiers. Not only does it allow you to leech life and mana off of enemies, but it also provides some physical damage, critical hit chance, and the ability for your arrows to fork, thereby hitting more enemies in the process.

That’s not all! After the projectiles have split, the arrows pierce all targets from that point onward! As you can see, the Slivertongue makes it incredibly easy for you to get rid of monsters, particularly when playing strong projectile builds like the ones mentioned earlier.

Final Verdict: Which PoE 2 Leveling Build is for You?

Now that we have shared with you all of the builds and unique items that you can use for leveling, there is only one question left: Which PoE 2 leveling build is the right one for you?

Well, if you want the absolute best, you can go for the Rake Stomping Ground combo and use it on whatever base class you like in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict. Just make sure to take the passive nodes that make sense for the build, particularly those found on the right side of the passive tree.

For more specific choices, the Rake Stomping Ground Smith of Kitava, Lightning Arrow Deadeye, Chaos Minion Lich, and the Lightning Spear Amazon all take the crown for the top leveling builds in PoE 2.

The Smith of Kitava build is just awesome for both beginners and veterans alike. Its incredible damage scaling, coupled with the strong defensive mechanics from the Smith of Kitava ascendancy class, make this build almost immortal even in the endgame!

Fire chaining lightning to your foes! The Lightning Arrow Deadeye is adept at that. With a powerful tandem of projectile skills, all you really need is a good bow and quiver and you’re all set!

Do you want the idea of having powerful allies to fight alongside you? The Chaos Minion Lich is definitely one of the best leveling builds in that regard. The powerful chaos DoT effects from Essence Drain and Contagion, followed by the immense pressure that the Dark Effigy can put on enemies, make this a suitable build for clearing the campaign with ease.

Of course, there’s the Lightning Spear Amazon. Quick, efficient, deadly—these are the words we’d use to describe this build. Because of these qualities, it is no wonder why the Lightning Spear Amazon is enjoyed by the vast majority of Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict players, and it’s not even close!

All of the seven builds featured in this article are amazing in their own way. It’s just a matter of which ascendancy class you are going for in the endgame.

So, which PoE 2 leveling build are you going to try out? Tell us what you think in the comments! If you need any of the unique items mentioned in this guide, do not forget to visit our PoE 2 Store.