In the diverse world of Path of Exile (PoE), players can enjoy unprecedented freedom in character customization.
A critical element of this customization is your choice of class and Ascendancy, which dictates the direction of your build, affecting the skill gems and items you’ll lean toward. Understanding each class’s nuances and associated Ascendancy subclasses is essential for optimizing your gameplay and effectively utilizing PoE currency for upgrades.
Here’s a comprehensive overview of each main class and Ascendancy subclass in PoE, along with their primary attributes:
1. Marauder
- Primary Attribute: Strength
- Ascendancy Classes:
- Juggernaut: Focused on endurance and survivability.
- Berserker: Known for high damage output and aggressive play.
- Chieftain: Specializes in fire damage and totems.
2. Duelist
- Primary Attribute: Strength and Dexterity
- Ascendancy Classes:
- Slayer: Excels in two-handed weapons and life leech.
- Gladiator: Master of blocking and bleed-related skills.
- Champion: Offers utility and buffs for allies.
3. Ranger
- Primary Attribute: Dexterity
- Ascendancy Classes:
- Deadeye: Enhances projectile damage and accuracy.
- Raider: Focuses on speed and evasion.
- Pathfinder: Offers alchemical prowess and flask optimization.
4. Shadow
- Primary Attribute: Dexterity and Intelligence
- Ascendancy Classes:
- Assassin: Specializes in critical strikes and poison.
- Saboteur: Expert in traps and mines.
- Trickster: Provides versatile utility and evasion.
5. Witch
- Primary Attribute: Intelligence
- Ascendancy Classes:
- Necromancer: Mastery over minions and offering skills.
- Elementalist: Harnesses the raw power of elemental damage.
- Occultist: Excels in curses and chaos damage.
6. Templar
- Primary Attribute: Strength and Intelligence
- Ascendancy Classes:
- Inquisitor: Focuses on elemental damage and critical strikes.
- Hierophant: Specializes in totems and mana.
- Guardian: Provides support and buffs to allies.
7. Scion
- Primary Attribute: Balanced blend of Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence
- Ascendancy Class:
- Ascendant: Offers a versatile mix of traits from other ascendancies.
Each class and its Ascendancy subclasses offer unique pathways to explore in your PoE adventure. Whether through spending PoE currency to enhance your gear or experimenting with different skill combinations, these classes form the foundation of your character’s identity and playstyle in the vast realm of Wraeclast.
Path of Exile Classes 7 Core and Hybrid Options
Path of Exile (PoE) boasts a dynamic class system, offering seven core classes, each uniquely aligned to the game’s primary attributes: Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence. These classes are divided into three ‘pure’ types, each focusing on a single point and four ‘hybrid’ categories, which blend the benefits of multiple features.
Additionally, players can choose from 19 Ascendancy subclasses, providing three subclass options for each main class, except for the Scion, which has a singular subclass choice.
The alignment of PoE classes with the game’s main attributes plays a crucial role in shaping your character’s development and abilities. Each attribute contributes specific benefits to your character’s stats, offering diverse pathways for character progression. Here’s a breakdown of the main classes and their corresponding primary attributes:
- Marauder: Primary Attribute – Strength
- Ranger: Primary Attribute – Dexterity
- Witch: Primary Attribute – Intelligence
- Duelist: Primary Attributes – Strength & Dexterity
- Templar: Primary Attributes – Strength & Intelligence
- Shadow: Primary Attributes – Dexterity & Intelligence
- Scion: Primary Attributes – Strength, Dexterity & Intelligence
In PoE, while your class choice influences your starting position on the expansive passive skill tree, it doesn’t confine you to a predetermined skill or item build. You can explore various forms, even those that deviate from your class’s norm.
However, it’s important to remember that venturing into different attribute zones on the skill tree may require extra skill points, especially if those areas are distant from your class’s primary attribute. This aspect adds strategic depth to leveling up and skill allocation, encouraging players to plan their progression thoughtfully.
Unlock the Ascendancy Subclasses in Path of Exile
In Path of Exile, refining your character is pivotal once you conquer the Labyrinth and complete your first Aspirant Trial. This triumph unlocks the Ascendancy Tree, a specialized segment of the vast skill tree, allowing you to select your subclass. The Ascendancy subclasses are unique to each game’s seven main classes, providing a tailored enhancement to your character’s abilities with potent passive skills.
Each main class in Path of Exile boasts three distinct Ascendancy subclasses, except the Scion, which uniquely offers a single subclass. These subclasses are potent extensions of your main class’s attributes, offering specialized paths to further define your character’s strengths. Here’s a breakdown of the Ascendancy subclasses for each category:
- Marauder Ascendancy: Juggernaut, Berserker, Chieftain
- Ranger Ascendancy: Deadeye, Raider, Pathfinder
- Witch Ascendancy: Necromancer, Elementalist, Occultist
- Duelist Ascendancy: Slayer, Gladiator, Champion
- Templar Ascendancy: Inquisitor, Hierophant, Guardian
- Shadow Ascendancy: Assassin, Saboteur, Trickster
- Scion Ascendancy: Ascendant
Players are allotted eight Ascendancy skill points per character to navigate these specialized trees. However, Path of Exile ensures flexibility in character development. You can reset your subclass choice if you yearn for a different approach or wish to experiment with a new build.
To do this, revisit the Labyrinth, complete the Aspirant Trial again, and then use Orbs of Regret to refund your Ascendancy skill points. This allows you to select a new subclass at the Altar of Ascendancy, offering a fresh perspective on your character’s capabilities.
With the wide variety of options available, the Ascendancy subclasses in Path of Exile open up a world of strategic possibilities, allowing players to fine-tune their characters to their preferred playstyle.
Whether through the robust trading system on PoE Trade or the intricate choices in the Ascendancy tree, Path of Exile continually offers players the tools to craft their unique journey through Wraeclast.
