Path of Exile 2 Patch 0.4 reshapes the class meta from the ground up.
With the launch of The Last of the Druids, the introduction of the Druid class, the Disciple of Varashta Ascendancy, and multiple system-level adjustments, early class choice matters more than ever. In a fresh Softcore Trade economy, picking the wrong class can slow campaign progression, lock you into fragile builds, or force an early reroll.
This guide ranks all 8 base classes in PoE 2 Early Access for Patch 0.4, evaluating not just peak power, but how each class actually performs when league-starting, pivoting builds, and recovering from bad gear or failed setups.
In this guide, you’ll find:
- A full Patch 0.4 Classes Tier List, ranked by real league-start performance
- How each class performs during Acts 1–3, not just endgame theory
- Which classes are safe blind picks vs. high-risk, high-reward options
- Cheap recovery paths if your starter build stalls or bricks
- Class fail-states and why some builds force rerolls while others don’t
- The best class “jobs” in 0.4 (mapper, boss killer, scaler, control)
- Clear recommendations for Softcore Trade, SSF, and Hardcore
Patch 0.4 Meta Overview: What Actually Matters When Choosing a Class
Patch 0.4 shifts class value away from raw baseline numbers and toward build access and flexibility. Classes that start near strong passive tree spines, reuse gear across archetypes, and scale cleanly through runes and idols rise sharply in value. Meanwhile, classes that rely on tight mechanical loops, perfect sustain breakpoints, or narrow Ascendancy paths become riskier—especially early league.
This tier list reflects that reality. Rankings prioritize consistency, recovery speed, and reroll resistance, not just theoretical DPS ceilings.
Tier List Methodology & Scoring Criteria
To ensure this is the best class tier list for your league start, classes are scored on a 1–5 scale (5 being best/easiest).
- Start (League Start Smoothness): Can the class clear the early acts without specific rare gear or uniques? (Reflects passive tree start + early gem scaling).
- Pivot (Flexibility): Reflects how much of your tree and gear you can reuse when switching archetypes. Can you switch builds without a full reroll?
- Friction (Mechanical Tax): We penalize classes that require high APM or complex resource juggling just to reach stable damage.
- Ceiling (Endgame Power): Maximum potential with investment in endgame gear.
- SSF (Independence): Reliance on trade/uniques (5 = Independent, 1 = Trade-Mandatory).
Worst-Case Outcome:
We also weigh “fail-states” heavily. If a class bricks easily due to bad gear RNG or a failed build plan, it drops a tier regardless of its theoretical ceiling. S-Tier classes recover quickly; B-Tier classes often require a reroll.
Patch 0.4 Class Tier List (League Start Rankings)
| Class | Tier | Start | Pivot | Friction | Ceiling | SSF | Verdict |
| Ranger | S | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 | The speed king. Safest blind pick in 0.4. |
| Druid | S | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | 3 | Highest raw power, but requires managing two forms. |
| Warrior | A | 4 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 5 | Dominated by one S-Tier Ascendancy (Titan). |
| Witch | A | 5 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 5 | Easiest campaign, very low gear dependence. |
| Huntress | A | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 3 | Strong elemental burst, excellent endgame scaler. |
| Sorceress | A | 2 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 2 | Rough start, top-tier endgame clear. |
| Monk | B | 3 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 4 | Invoker carries the class; Acolyte drags it down. |
| Mercenary | B | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 2 | High effort for similar results to Ranger. |
Why There Are No C/D Tier Classes in Patch 0.4
This is a Class Chassis tier list, not an ascendancy tier list. Every base class in PoE 2 has at least one functional path capable of clearing content. Classes land in B-Tier not because they are “unplayable,” but because they have worse worst-case outcomes or a significantly higher mechanical tax than S-Tier options. B-Tier here means “viable, but higher effort/higher brick risk,” not “bad class.”
Class Deep Dives & Ecosystems
S-Tier Classes: The Meta Definers
1. Ranger (S-Tier)
Ranger remains the gold standard for Softcore Trade. Starting on the Dex side means you naturally path through early projectile damage and evasion layers, so you get “damage + not getting hit” online earlier than most classes.
- Endgame Role: Best at speed mapping and currency generation.
- Recovery Path: If Elemental Bow damage stalls, pivot to Poison (Pathfinder-friendly). This is cheap because you reuse the same bow base and projectile tree spine.
Skill Ecosystem:
- Early Carry: Lightning Arrow, Poison Burst Arrow.
- Bait: Early crit-based bows are a bait; stick to flat damage until Act 3.
Ascendancy Support:
- Pathfinder: The Pathfinder’s S-Tier status is elevated by its ability to convert attributes into global defenses. It is the premier choice for poison builds dealing massive poison damage.
- Deadeye: Speed is the best defense. Deadeye remains a top-tier option for skill speed and map clearing because “speed is defense” in the current meta.
2. Druid (S-Tier)
The new class brings massive power creep. Druid’s start routes through hybrid stat and resource nodes early, so it scales hard once sustain is solved, but feels awkward before those breakpoints.
- Endgame Role: Best at hybrid playstyles and massive AoE clear using stat stacking mechanics (Runes/Idols).
- Recovery Path: If your form/resources feel unplayable, drop “perma-form” dreams and pivot into a single-form core loop (Human Volcano or Bear Slam) until you stabilize.
Skill Ecosystem:
- Early Carry: Volcano (Human), Furious Slam (Bear).
- Bait: Trying to stay permanently in Wolf form without proper Spirit management feels clunky.
Ascendancy Support:
- Shaman: Excels at scaling Spell Damage via Rage mechanics. Bonded modifiers from runes scale disproportionately well with socket density. Offers increased spirit for aura management.
- Oracle: A defensive powerhouse. It utilizes anti-spike mitigation that effectively reduces the frequency of high damage rolls, creating a strong defensive profile against spikes.
Who Should Avoid Druid?
- You hate stance/form swapping and binding a lot of skills.
- You don’t want to track multiple resources (Rage/Mana/Spirit breakpoints).
- You are a “one-button clear” player who gets tilted by mechanical friction.
A-Tier Classes: Reliable & Scalable
3. Warrior (A-Tier)
Warrior’s start pushes you toward early armor/life/stun-style routing, which creates consistent “I don’t die” leveling and sets up slam scaling without needing fancy gear.
- Endgame Role: Best at bossing and physical burst.
- Recovery Path: If Slams feel slow, pivot into a simpler 2H hit-based setup (like Sunder) that still uses your same weapon/armor investment.
Skill Ecosystem:
- Early Carry: Sunder, Rolling Slam.
- Bait: Heavy Sweep (too slow without Attack Speed investment).
Ascendancy Support:
- Titan: Titan is S-Tier in Patch 0.4 due to the Crushing Impacts of its slams. The Mountain Splitter passive adds extra aftershocks on a predictable cadence, boosting hit density for both offense and defense.
- Smith of Kitava: While historically considered a C-Tier Smith option due to clunky offensive mechanics, recent defensive buffs have moved it firmly into viability for safe mapping.
- Warbringer: Remains niche utility; good for defense but slower clear.
4. Witch (A-Tier)
Witch’s start points you straight into spell/ES/minion-style tools, which is why it can progress safely even when weapon drops are trash (power comes from gems and minion uptime).
- Endgame Role: Best at safe, consistent mapping and bossing on a budget.
- Recovery Path: If your caster plan is dying, pivot to minions/DoT because it’s the cheapest “works on bad gear” recovery—these archetypes scale off gem levels, not weapon rolls.
Skill Ecosystem:
- Early Carry: Essence Drain, Contagion, Skeletal Sniper.
- Bait: Trying to play pure Crit Spark in Act 1 is difficult due to mana costs.
Ascendancy Support:
- Lich: The gold standard for physical and chaos damage. The “Eternal Life” node allows for comfortable gearing using energy shield nodes.
- Blood Mage: Powerful but risky. Requires players to stack life aggressively to cap critical hit chance, creating early gearing friction.
- Infernalist: Perfect for minion skills utilizing demon form for burst windows.
5. Huntress (A-Tier)
Huntress’s start is positioned between Dex and hybrid paths, offering high damage early but less passive defense than Ranger. You lack early access to deep evasion nodes, making mid-range engagement riskier.
- Endgame Role: Best at elemental burst and Magic Find.
- Recovery Path: If Spear leveling feels scuffed, pivot to a safer ranged-tempo setup (like Bows) to keep the class while swapping the delivery method.
Skill Ecosystem:
- Early Carry: Lightning Spear, Storm Spear.
- Bait: Bleed builds without proper weapon scaling fall off mid-campaign.
Ascendancy Support:
- Amazon: Reworked Elemental Surges make Amazon a top-tier pick for elemental skills, offering high burst by scaling crit multiplier.
- Ritualist: The king of stat stacking. Best as a “second character” once you have currency.
6. Sorceress (A-Tier)
Sorceress starts far from defensive layers, making mana management and positioning your only survival tools early on. However, the access to big elemental scaling is why endgame clear ramps so hard.
- Endgame Role: Best at screen-wide clear and cast speed scaling.
- Recovery Path: If self-cast is too squishy, drop crit early and pivot into flat damage/mana sustain, then reintroduce crit later once defenses stabilize.
Skill Ecosystem:
- Early Carry: Arc, Spark (with investment).
- Bait: Channeling skills leave you vulnerable without stun immunity.
Ascendancy Support:
- Disciple of Varashta: A major addition in Patch 0.4. Excellent for lightning damage and power charge generation, but mana-hungry.
- Storm Weaver: Buffs to Infusions make it great for endgame Gathering Storm builds, but the leveling process is painful.
- Chronomancer: Remains complex and niche.
B-Tier Classes: Viable but Polarized
High-Risk Classes for New Players
Monk and Mercenary rely on specific mechanics (Combo/Reload) that punish mistakes heavily. They are strong when mastered, but frustrating when misplayed.
7. Monk (B-Tier)
Monk’s start leans into fast melee movement and precision play. Your early defense is “don’t be where damage lands,” which is less forgiving than armor/ES starts.
- Endgame Role: Best at mobile melee and evasion tanking.
- Recovery Path: If your build feels like paper, pivot to Invoker-first defensive conversion play plus a consistent, non-combo damage skill; don’t try to force Acolyte scaling early.
Ascendancy Support:
- Invoker: S-Tier worthy on its own. It utilizes evasion rating to Physical reduction conversion to become very durable.
- Acolyte of Chayula: The Acolyte is currently a D-Tier Ascendancy pick. “Volatility” mechanics feel clunky, making it a difficult starter.
8. Mercenary (B-Tier)
Mercenary’s start gives early access to control and ranged damage, but it lacks the Ranger’s early ‘free defense’ layering, so reload mistakes are punished.
- Why B-Tier? Mercenary isn’t weak—it’s B-Tier because reload/ammo downtime is a real mechanical tax. In trade league, tempo equals currency, and reloading lowers your currency per hour compared to Deadeye.
- Recovery Path: If reload/downtime kills your DPS, pivot to grenade/control-centric gameplay where burst happens during safe windows, not constant firing.
Ascendancy Support:
- Witch Hunter: The highlight of the class. Sorcery Ward changes make it very tanky against physical and chaos hits.
- Tactician: Good for spell totems (Ballistas) and controlling nearby enemies, but generally lags behind Ranger in clear speed.
- Gemling: Struggles to find a clear identity in the current meta.
Meta Build Archetypes by Class (Patch 0.4)
These archetypes are examples of specific “jobs” each class excels at in Patch 0.4.
1. The Meteor Bear (Druid – Shaman)
- The Tech: Uses the Walking Calamity skill combined with Shaman’s ability to convert Mana Regen into Rage Regen.
- Why it works: Infinite channeling of meteor showers without paying the rage cost. Requires specific gear to sustain.
2. The Poison Proliferator (Ranger – Pathfinder)
- The Tech: Uses Running Assault to prevent stuns while sprinting, combined with Toxic Growth.
- Why it works: You drop a pod, shoot it, and delete the screen with poison. Fastest mapper for early gear farming.
3. The Shotgun Slammer (Warrior – Titan)
- The Tech: Mountain Splitter adds extra aftershocks on every third slam.
- Why it works: Massive overlap damage on bosses. It utilizes support gems like Shockwave to clear entire screens while stunning bosses into submission.
4. The Frost Bomb “Jin” (Mercenary – Custom)
- The Tech: A community nickname for a specific Mercenary setup utilizing Frost Bomb.
- Why it works: Uses frost bomb to freeze and zone enemies, capitalizing on critical weakness debuffs. A control-heavy playstyle that compensates for Mercenary’s clunkiness.
5. The Minion Core (Witch – Lich/Infernalist)
- The Tech: Stacks minion damage nodes and uses the Lich’s survivability to clear content with minimal input.
- Why it works: Requires zero aiming and scales naturally with level, making it the safest early game option.
6. The Surge Lancer (Huntress – Amazon)
- The Tech: Utilizes Lightning Spear combined with the Amazon’s reworked Elemental Surges.
- Why it works: Generates massive burst windows by overlapping Surge procs with critical strikes.
7. The High-Velocity Sparker (Sorceress – Disciple of Varashta)
- The Tech: Scales cast speed and lightning penetration to fill the screen with projectiles.
- Why it works: Overwhelms enemies with volume of fire, though it requires significant mana regeneration investment to feel smooth.
8. The Unarmed Tank (Monk – Invoker)
- The Tech: Bypasses weapons entirely using Unarmed techniques, converting Evasion to Armor.
- Why it works: Removes the need for weapon drops (RNG) and creates an incredibly durable brawler for early acts.
Best Classes by Game Mode (Softcore, SSF, Hardcore)
Best for Softcore Trade
- Ranger: The versatility to swap between Poison and Elemental Bows makes it the safest blind pick.
- Druid: If you can handle the button bloat, the power level is absurdly high once you get established.
- Sorceress: Disciple of Varashta allows you to blast maps with high cast speed immediately upon hitting the endgame.
Best for SSF (Solo Self-Found)
- Warrior: Slams scale well with any heavy two-hander, minimizing reliance on specific uniques.
- Monk: The Invoker can bypass weapon dependency entirely (via Unarmed techniques), removing the hardest RNG element of gearing.
- Witch: Chaos DoT spells scale with gem levels, not just weapon stats, making progression smooth even with bad drops.
Best for Hardcore
- Warrior: Using the Shield Wall skill provides portable cover. Whether playing Titan or Smith of Kitava, the combination of shield mechanics and armor makes it very hard to kill.
- Mercenary: The Witch Hunter is the only ranged class with melee-tier mitigation thanks to Sorcery Ward buffering.
- Druid: The Oracle’s defensive mechanics significantly reduce spike damage from maps with critical mods.
Additional Notes
- Meta Volatility & Patch Resilience: Patch metas in PoE2 can swing hard. Treat this list as a 0.4 snapshot: classes with multiple viable archetypes (Ranger/Witch) are more resilient to hotfixes. If you hate rerolling, pick a resilient class.
- Curse Limit: Be mindful of your curse limit when playing Witch or curse-stacking setups, as applying multiple hexes is a significant buff to single-target damage in Patch 0.4.
- Fire Damage: Be careful adding fire damage to gear on Poison builds, as it can interfere with specific ground effects and proliferation mechanics.
- If you’re unsure, pick from the Softcore Trade section—those picks minimize reroll risk.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best class in PoE 2 Patch 0.4?
Ranger is the best overall class in Patch 0.4 when you factor in league-start speed, survivability, scaling, and recovery options. It starts near strong projectile and evasion nodes, scales damage without needing perfect gear, and clears maps faster than any other class early on. Most importantly, if your initial setup underperforms, Ranger can pivot cheaply without rerolling.
Is Druid overpowered in Patch 0.4?
Yes, but with conditions. Druid has the highest raw power ceiling in 0.4, especially once form sustain and resource breakpoints are solved. However, that power is locked behind form swapping, Spirit/Rage/Mana management, and tight rotations. Played well, it’s absurdly strong. Played poorly, it feels clunky and frustrating.
What is the best league starter class for Softcore Trade?
Ranger is the best Softcore Trade starter because it converts time directly into currency. Fast clear speed, low downtime, and strong movement scaling mean more maps per hour and more drops. Unlike slower but tankier classes, Ranger’s efficiency snowballs earlier in the economy.
Which PoE 2 class has the smoothest campaign leveling?
Witch has the smoothest Acts 1–3 experience. Minions and Chaos DoT skills scale off gem levels instead of weapon quality, which means bad drops don’t slow you down. Even with terrible gear, Witch can progress safely and consistently.
Why isn’t there a C-Tier or D-Tier class in this tier list?
Because this list ranks base class chassis, not individual Ascendancies. Every class in PoE 2 currently has at least one viable progression path. B-Tier doesn’t mean weak—it means higher effort, higher failure risk, or less flexibility, especially early league.
What class is best for Solo Self-Found (SSF) in Patch 0.4?
Warrior, Witch, and Monk (Invoker) perform best in SSF because they rely less on specific uniques or perfect rolls. Warrior scales off generic weapons, Witch scales off gem levels, and Invoker Monk can bypass weapons entirely with Unarmed setups.
Which class should beginners avoid in PoE 2 Patch 0.4?
New players should be cautious with Druid, Monk, and Mercenary. These classes punish mistakes hard—whether through missed sustain breakpoints, combo failures, or reload downtime. They’re strong, but only when piloted cleanly.
Why is Mercenary only B-Tier?
Mercenary’s damage is fine, but its reload and ammo mechanics reduce uptime, especially early on. In Softcore Trade, slower mapping means less currency, and Mercenary simply can’t keep pace with Ranger unless played very deliberately.
Is Warrior still viable in Patch 0.4?
Yes. Warrior is extremely viable, particularly Titan. It offers excellent survivability, reliable damage, and strong boss control via stuns and armor scaling. It’s slower than Ranger, but far more forgiving when mistakes happen.
What Ascendancy is the strongest overall in Patch 0.4?
Pathfinder and Titan stand above the rest. Pathfinder dominates mapping through speed, poison scaling, and recovery, while Titan excels at physical burst, stun locking, and boss fights. Both are powerful with minimal gear investment.
Is Sorceress bad early game?
Early game Sorceress is fragile and mana-starved. Without proper sustain or positioning, you’ll die quickly. However, once mana and defenses stabilize, Sorceress becomes one of the strongest screen-clear classes in the game, especially with lightning builds.
Can I recover if my league starter build fails?
That depends on the class. Ranger and Witch recover easily because their trees and gear overlap across multiple archetypes. Druid, Monk, and Mercenary are much more likely to force a reroll if your first plan fails.
What does “mechanical tax” mean in this tier list?
Mechanical tax refers to extra effort required just to deal damage—high APM, tight rotations, reload timing, or resource micromanagement. High tax increases fatigue, mistakes, and inconsistency, especially during long play sessions.
Why is Huntress ranked below Ranger?
Huntress has strong damage but less passive defense early. You’re forced into mid-range or melee engagements without Ranger’s natural evasion and movement safety, making mistakes more punishing during the campaign.
What is the safest Hardcore class in Patch 0.4?
Warrior is the safest Hardcore pick due to armor, stun mitigation, shield skills, and predictable damage intake. Witch can also work with minions, but Warrior forgives positioning errors more consistently.
Does gear RNG affect some classes more than others?
Absolutely. Druid, Sorceress, and Mercenary are very sensitive to gear and sustain breakpoints. Witch and Warrior are much more tolerant of bad drops and inconsistent upgrades.
Are minion builds still good in Patch 0.4?
Yes. Minion Witch remains one of the lowest-effort and safest archetypes. It scales naturally, requires little aiming, and performs well even with mediocre gear.
What class has the highest endgame ceiling?
Druid and Sorceress. Druid wins in raw stat scaling and AoE dominance, while Sorceress excels at screen-wide elemental damage. Both require investment and good piloting to fully unlock their power.
How stable is this tier list against future patches?
Classes with multiple viable archetypes (Ranger, Witch) are more resilient to balance changes. Classes reliant on specific mechanics or interactions (Druid, Monk, Mercenary) are more volatile when hotfixes hit.
If I don’t want to reroll, which class should I pick?
Pick Ranger or Witch. They have the lowest brick risk, the cheapest pivots, and the highest tolerance for mistakes, bad RNG, and shifting metas.
