The Huntress Class in Path of Exile 2 uses a combination of Spears and Bucklers to devastate their enemies. A Huntress can choose to get close up and personal with her enemies or keep her distance, throwing spears from afar.

The most crucial decision every Huntress has to face during the campaign is which Ascendancy to pick: Amazon or Ritualist? This choice is irreversible, meaning it can be respecced down the road.

Path of Exile 2_ All Vaal Orb Outcomes feature image
Path of Exile 2: All Vaal Orb Outcomes

Vaal Orbs are a key part of the endgame crafting loop in Path of Exile 2, with multiple possible outcomes that the game doesn’t really explain.

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Which Huntress Ascendancy Should You Choose in PoE 2

PoE 2 Huntress Class Dawn of the Hunt New Classes Ranked

The short answer: Amazon. Of the two available ascension paths for the Huntress Class, Amazon and Ritualist, Amazon is clearly the winner. Not only does it mesh well with the Huntress's overall playstyle, but it has some of the most powerful ascendancy skills in the game. Amazon is about all-out offense, with multiple nodes that lean into the hyper-offensive archetype. Here are some of the most powerful nodes in this path:

Ascendancy Node

Description

Benefit

Critical Strike

Chance to Hit with Attacks can exceed 100%. Gain additional Critical Hit Chance equal to 25% of excess chance to Hit with Attacks.

Allows for builds centered around Critical Hits, like Bleed Huntress.

Penetrate

Attacks using your Weapons have Added Physical Damage equal to 25% of the Accuracy Rating on the Weapon.

Since Accuracy Rating is one of the easiest stats to get on your weapon, Penetrate is easy to build around.

Elemental Infusion

Grants Skill: Infuse Weapon

When you Consume a Power Charge Trigger Infuse Weapon to gain 2 Cold Infusion

When you Consume an Endurance Charge Trigger Infuse Weapon to gain 2 Fire Infusion

When you Consume a Frenzy Charge Trigger Infuse Weapon to gain 2 Lightning Infusion

Frenzy Charge is incredibly easy to generate with Combat Frenzy and Sniper's Mark, and Lightning Infusion works extremely well with Lightning Spear.

In comparison, Ritualist lacks in all of these areas. It doesn't do anything to boost what the Huntress already wants to specialize in and the power spike its nodes provide to off-meta builds is underwhelming. The only argument for choosing Ritualist over Amazon is that the Ritualist gains the ability to equip three Rings instead of the regular two and receives a +25% effect from Amulets and Rings. If you have some absolutely insane Rings sitting in your stash, it might be worth experimenting with Ritualist, but even then, it's not worth it. An extremely expensive Ritualist build is only comparable to a relatively cheap Amazon Huntress build even on a good day. That's why it is not recommended to pick Ritualist over Amazon.

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9 /10

Path of Exile II
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Action RPG
Hack and Slash
MMORPG
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Systems
PlayStation-1 Xbox-1 PC-1
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Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
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Released
December 6, 2024
ESRB
Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Nudity, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Language, Users Interact, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)
Developer(s)
Grinding Gear Games
Publisher(s)
Grinding Gear Games
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Path of Exile 2 Cover
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Path of Exile 2 Cover
The Player Facing An Optional Boss
The Player Standing By Una's Lute Box
Mighty Silverfist map boss in Path of Exile 2
The Player Getting The Book Of Specialisation From Una
Sorceress with Act 3 gear in PoE 2
Atlas portals in PoE 2
The Link To Chat Option In The Menu
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WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
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Genre(s)
Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG