Patch 0.4 marks a major inflection point for Path of Exile 2. With sweeping system changes, new Ascendancies, and a significantly expanded passive tree, early league decisions matter more than ever. Choosing the wrong starter can slow campaign progression, delay Atlas entry, and stall early currency generation.
This guide breaks down the best League Starter Ascendancies for Patch 0.4, ranking them based on real league-start priorities: speed, reliability, and low gear dependency in a fresh Softcore Trade economy.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- A full Ascendancy tier list for PoE 2 Patch 0.4, focused on league-start performance
- Which Ascendancies provide the smoothest campaign progression into early maps
- How each class performs with minimal gear and limited crafting
- Strengths and weaknesses that affect early currency farming and survivability
- Which Ascendancies are safe picks, risky bets, or better saved for a second character
Patch 0.4 Context (Why This Tier List Is Especially Volatile)
Patch 0.4, The Last of the Druids, introduces the new Druid class, the Shaman and Oracle Ascendancies, and the Disciple of Varashta for Sorceress. Alongside these additions, the patch delivers over 20 new Skills, 35+ Support Gems, Lineage Supports for endgame progression, 10+ new unique items, and a massive expansion of the passive tree.
Because many of these systems are new or reworked, Ascendancy performance during launch week is subject to rapid change as balance hotfixes roll out. Rankings in this guide reflect the current launch-state meta, informed by official patch notes, early theory-crafting, and observed community trends.
How This Tier List Is Ranked
| Ranking Factor | What It Measures | Why It Matters for League Start |
| Campaign Speed | Act-to-map progression efficiency | Faster Atlas access and farming |
| Gear Independence | Reliance on uniques or crafted rares | Fresh economy viability |
| Currency Potential | Early farming and scaling ability | Faster upgrades and respecs |
| Mechanical Forgiveness | Survivability and ease of play | Fewer deaths, smoother progress |
| League Context | Softcore Trade assumptions | Speed prioritized over HC safety |
To ensure accuracy for a fresh economy, ascendancy classes are ranked based on the following criteria:
- Campaign Speed: Efficiency moving from the early acts into maps.
- Gear Independence: Low reliance on specific Unique items or perfect rare gear.
- Currency Potential: The ability to farm early Atlas mechanics efficiently.
- Mechanical Forgiveness: Durability and ease of use during progression.
- Context: Rankings assume Softcore Trade League conditions.
Quick Take: When looking for the best class tier list for a smooth start, Pathfinder and Amazon stand out as the most consistent options due to their versatility and tree efficiency. However, Deadeye and Lich frequently compete for top spots depending on whether you value safety or speed. A-Tier options remain excellent within their archetypes, while other classes in lower tiers generally demand specific endgame gear, complex mechanics, or post-campaign optimization to function well.
| Ascendancy | Class | Tier | Core Strengths | League Start Risk |
| Pathfinder | Ranger | S | Tree flexibility, poison scaling, stat efficiency | Low |
| Amazon | Huntress | S | Defensive surges, safe clear, strong early damage | Low |
| Deadeye | Ranger | A | Fastest clear speed, projectile scaling | Medium |
| Lich | Sorceress | A | Safe DoT damage, built-in sustain | Low |
| Titan | Warrior | A | Tanky melee, strong slams, forgiving playstyle | Low |
| Blood Mage | Sorceress | A | No mana issues, strong crit scaling | Medium |
| Witch Hunter | Mercenary | A | Extremely tanky, strong defensive layers | Low |
| Warbringer | Warrior | B | Armor Break utility, totems & slams | Medium |
| Shaman | Druid | B | High ceiling, new Spirit & Rage mechanics | High |
| Disciple of Varashta | Sorceress | B | Strong minions, Command skill scaling | Medium |
| Infernalist | Sorceress | B | High damage potential, Demon Form | Medium |
| Invoker | Monk | B | Tanky, ailment immunity, slower damage | Medium |
| Tactician | Mercenary | B | Ballista Totems, grenade scaling | Medium |
| Smith of Kitava | Warrior | C | Armor crafting, fire triggers | High |
| Stormweaver | Sorceress | C | Mana stacking, spell scaling | High |
| Ritualist | Huntress | D | Gear-gated, attribute stacking | Very High |
| Oracle | Druid | D | Complex mechanics, debuff management | Very High |
| Acolyte of Chayula | Monk | F | Weak Volatility scaling | Very High |
| Gemling Legionnaire | Mercenary | F | No clear identity | Very High |
| Chronomancer | Sorceress | F | Cooldown-heavy, slow progression | Very High |
S-Tier: The Best League Starters in Patch 0.4
These Ascendancies offer the highest efficiency for campaign clearing and early mapping. In most early-launch predictions, these two picks consistently surface as the most well-rounded starters.
Pathfinder (Ranger) – Best All-Around Starter
The S-Tier Pathfinder has emerged as the premier starter for Patch 0.4. Its strength lies in tree mastery, allowing it to bypass standard pathing restrictions.
- Tree Synergy: With the addition of 250+ new passive skills in Patch 0.4, the Pathfinder’s ability to access multiple starting regions enables far more efficient early pathing to important passive tree nodes.
- Stat Efficiency: The “Traveler’s Wisdom” mechanic allows unneeded attributes to be converted into Increased Damage, Global Defense, or Cost Efficiency, enabling potent stat stacking early on.
- Poison Scaling: The removal of gating mechanics allows earlier access to double poison stacks, enabling strong early single-target poison scaling, making it ideal for Cobra Lash or Poison Concoction.
Amazon (Huntress)
The Amazon is the “safe” Ranger alternative to the Deadeye, offering superior defensive layers while benefiting from offensive reworks.
- Elemental Surges: The rework to Surges simplifies the generation of specific elemental buffs. This is critical for Explosive Spear, which received significant damage buffs and utilizes fire damage and Lightning surges for massive clear.
- Survivability: High evasion rating and recovery make it more forgiving than other Dexterity-based classes.
A-Tier: Strong League Starters With Clear Strengths
Exceptionally strong choices that excel in specific archetypes, offering a smooth progression curve.
Deadeye (Ranger)
The Deadeye remains the king of clear speed. While defensive layers like Wind Ward were removed, the offensive output remains elite.
- Offense: The class excels with attack speed and projectile scaling, making it the perfect home for Lightning Arrow builds.
- Mechanics: It applies significant critical weakness to enemies, boosting single-target damage. While skill speed was tuned down, the new Mirage Deadeye skill creates a clone that mimics attacks, ensuring your crit scaling translates into screen-wide damage regardless of defensive nerfs.
Lich (Sorceress)
The definition of stability. The Lich avoids major nerfs and remains the standard for Damage Over Time (DoT) builds.
- Sustain: It features built-in life leech and power charge generation, solving two major hurdles for early casters.
- Damage Type: It excels at scaling chaos damage, specifically with Essence Drain & Contagion, requiring almost no specific uniques to function in yellow maps.
Titan (Warrior)
For melee players, the A-Tier Titan offers the smoothest progression.
- Mechanics: The “Hulking Form” node (increasing the effect of small passives) simplifies stat scaling during the campaign. With consolidated Stun nodes and buffed Slam skills dealing massive physical damage, it provides a tanky, forgiving playstyle.
- Synergy: It offers excellent synergy with form-based melee playstyles and heavy slams.
Blood Mage (Sorceress)
Despite minor nerfs to life-stacking gear, the Blood Mage remains a top-tier caster.
- Resource Management: Using Life as a resource allows you to stack life instead of worrying about mana.
- Crit: It is highly effective for high-crit spellcasting, utilizing crit multiplier nodes to scale damage efficiently.
Witch Hunter (Mercenary)
The Witch Hunter is a major winner of this patch.
- Defense: It offers superior defense via Sorcery Ward, which now mitigates both physical and chaos damage effectively.
- Progression: The class provides access to strong defensive nodes that make it incredibly tanky for a starter, forgiving mistakes that would kill other Mercenaries.
B-Tier: Viable but Risky League Starts
These classes are viable but may face mechanical complexity or rely on new, untested mechanics.
Warbringer (Warrior)
A solid choice for Totems or Slams, but generally outclassed by the Titan for pure melee. The Warbringer received a significant buff where Armor Break now applies to all damage types, allowing it to debuff nearby enemies regardless of your element.
Shaman (Druid)
As a new Ascendancy, the Shaman is tentatively placed here. Some lists mark new Ascendancies as unranked due to lack of testing.
- Mechanics: The potential for Spirit Stacking and managing rage cost is high. It excels in both Human Form and transformed states.
- New Skills: It is uniquely positioned to utilize new Druid builds focused on weather effects like Gathering Storm. However, optimizing a new class on Day 1 carries inherent risk.
Disciple of Varashta (Sorceress)
Patch 0.4 introduces this Djinn-themed Ascendancy focused on minion skills.
- Verdict: While offering both offense and defense through minions, the playstyle can feel clunky during the campaign due to the ramp-up time required for Command skills before proper gear is acquired.
Infernalist (Sorceress)
A functional choice for elemental damage or Minion builds. The Demon Form mechanic provides high theoretical damage but can be cumbersome to maintain during the chaotic early game.
Invoker (Monk)
The Invoker is tanky and reliable. Recent buffs allow for easier ailment immunity and better defensive scaling using energy shield. However, some lists rank Invoker lower than pure damage classes because damage scaling hits a ceiling due to how resistance inversion works compared to penetration. This placement prioritizes early damage efficiency over long-term survivability.
Tactician (Mercenary)
Crossbows remain a dominant weapon type. The Tactician excels at Ballista Totems and Grenades, but often falls behind the Witch Hunter in pure survivability.
C-Tier: Playable, But Slower Progression
These classes function but often struggle with speed or require items not available on Day 1.
Smith of Kitava (Warrior)
The C-Tier Smith received massive buffs to armor crafting and Fire Spell triggers. However, the playstyle remains mechanically demanding, often requiring decent early gear to craft body armor nodes effectively. Better suited as a second character.
Stormweaver (Sorceress)
Viable if you want to stack mana, but feels lackluster without gear.
- Skills: Buffs to skill limits allow for multiple elemental skills or spell totems to be active at once.
- Defense: While it has access to energy shield nodes, managing mana and cooldowns early on is generally less efficient than playing a Blood Mage.
D-Tier: Avoid for League Start
These Ascendancies are powerful in the endgame but strictly rely on gear that does not exist on Day 1.
Ritualist (Huntress)
Do not be misled by endgame tier lists. As a League Starter, the Ritualist struggles significantly. It relies on equipping an extra Ring to stack attributes and crit multi, requiring gear that is unavailable during a fresh campaign run.
Oracle (Druid)
The Oracle is a high-risk choice for starters. Mechanics involving passive tree manipulation and ignoring the curse limit are highly complex. You often need specific early points allocated perfectly to make the “Unlucky” debuffs efficient.
F-Tier: Currently Not Worth Starting
Currently lacking competitive identity.
Acolyte of Chayula (Monk)
The F-Tier Acolyte suffers from fundamental issues with “Volatility” mechanics, making it underpowered compared to the Invoker.
Gemling Legionnaire (Mercenary)
Lacks a distinct offensive or defensive identity. Needs a rework to improve its tier status.
Chronomancer (Sorceress)
The “piano” playstyle (managing multiple cooldowns) is too slow for an efficient league start, failing to maximize critical hit chance or uptime compared to smoother casters.
Disclaimer: This ascendancy tier list reflects predictions for Softcore Trade Leagues based on the 0.4 patch notes. With hotfixes already rolling out, specific ascendancy nodes are subject to rapid change during launch week.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best league starter in PoE 2 Patch 0.4?
Pathfinder and Amazon are the most consistent league starters in Patch 0.4. They offer fast campaign progression, low gear dependency, and strong early damage without relying on rare uniques or complex mechanics.
Which Ascendancy is the safest league starter in PoE 2?
Amazon, Lich, Titan, and Witch Hunter are considered the safest league starters due to strong defensive layers, reliable damage scaling, and forgiving gameplay during early mapping.
What Ascendancy should beginners start with in PoE 2?
New players should start with Pathfinder, Amazon, Lich, or Titan. These Ascendancies have simple scaling, low mechanical complexity, and perform well without perfect gear.
Is Deadeye still good as a league starter in Patch 0.4?
Yes. Deadeye remains one of the fastest league starters, especially for projectile builds like Lightning Arrow. However, it is less forgiving defensively than Amazon or Lich, making it better suited for Softcore Trade players who prioritize speed.
Why is Pathfinder considered S-Tier in Patch 0.4?
Pathfinder benefits from flexible passive tree access, efficient stat conversion through Traveler’s Wisdom, and early poison scaling. These strengths make it exceptionally efficient from campaign through early Atlas progression.
Is Amazon better than Deadeye for league starting?
For most players, yes. Amazon trades some clear speed for significantly better survivability, making it more reliable during early maps and less punishing when mistakes happen.
Are new Ascendancies like Shaman good league starters?
Shaman is viable but risky. It has a high ceiling due to Spirit and Rage mechanics, but its complexity and lack of testing make it a weaker choice for Day 1 league starts.
Should I league start as Oracle in PoE 2 Patch 0.4?
No. Oracle is not recommended for league starting. Its mechanics are complex, gear-sensitive, and require precise passive allocation, making it better suited for a second character.
Is Disciple of Varashta a good league starter?
Disciple of Varashta is playable but inconsistent early. Minion and Command mechanics scale well later but feel slow and clunky during the campaign without proper gear.
Which Sorceress Ascendancy is best for league start?
Lich and Blood Mage are the best Sorceress league starters. Lich excels at safe DoT scaling, while Blood Mage removes early mana issues and enables strong crit-based spell builds.
Is Blood Mage hard to play early?
No. Blood Mage is actually easier early on because it uses Life instead of Mana, removing one of the biggest bottlenecks for early spellcasters.
Why is Witch Hunter ranked higher than Tactician?
Witch Hunter offers significantly stronger defensive scaling, especially through Sorcery Ward, making it more forgiving and consistent than Tactician during early mapping.
Are melee builds viable as league starters in PoE 2?
Yes. Titan and Warbringer are strong melee league starters, with Titan being the smoother and more forgiving option for most players.
Why is Invoker not ranked higher?
Invoker is very tanky, but its damage scaling hits a ceiling early due to resistance inversion mechanics. The tier list prioritizes early damage efficiency over long-term survivability.
What Ascendancies should I avoid for league start?
Avoid Oracle, Ritualist, Acolyte of Chayula, Gemling Legionnaire, and Chronomancer. These Ascendancies are either gear-gated, mechanically complex, or underpowered early.
Is Ritualist good in the endgame despite being bad for league start?
Yes. Ritualist can be very strong later, but it requires specific gear and attribute stacking that simply isn’t available early in a fresh economy.
Does this tier list apply to Hardcore or SSF?
No. This tier list is designed for Softcore Trade Leagues. Hardcore and SSF players should prioritize survivability and self-sufficiency more heavily.
Can tier rankings change after launch?
Absolutely. Patch 0.4 introduces many new systems, and balance hotfixes can shift Ascendancy power quickly, especially during the first week of the league.
What matters most when choosing a league starter in PoE 2?
The most important factors are campaign speed, gear independence, survivability, and early currency generation. High endgame scaling matters far less early on.
Should I follow tier lists exactly when choosing a starter?
Tier lists are a guide, not a rule. Playing a familiar or comfortable Ascendancy often outperforms forcing a meta pick, especially during league start pressure.
