Summary
- Path of Exile 2 offers diverse classes, each with unique bonuses and build potential.
- Some classes excel over others in usage rates, with melee classes at a disadvantage.
- Acolyte of Chayula, despite being underused, offers strong defensive capabilities and potential for survival.
Path of Exile 2 already has many classes for players to choose from, as it launched in early access with almost the same number of classes as its predecessor in its finished state. There are currently six base classes in Path of Exile 2, each with two Ascendancy classes tied to them as well as a signature weapon and its associated Skill Gems, and the plan is to add six more with their own Ascendancies. This alone makes GGG's new action RPG stand out for its diversity and near-endless potential for buildcrafting, even though not all classes are made the same. Some are arguably in a better state than others, and one Ascendancy is at the bottom of the barrel with pick rates - but it shouldn't be.
It's not uncommon for ARPGs to have some classes that are better than others, be it overall, be it under specific conditions or within certain niches. In the case of Path of Exile 2, one could argue that melee classes are inherently at a disadvantage as they have to go head-first into danger, whereas casters and bow or crossbow users can safely tag enemies from a distance. This is heavily reflected in the usage rate of the top 1,000 players for Path of Exile 2's Standard and Hardcore Ladders, with the Acolyte of Chayula being left behind.
Path of Exile 2 Could Use Three Big Changes to Improve Its Endgame
Path of Exile 2's endgame is in a great state at the moment, but its endgame could use three big quality-of-life changes to truly shine.
Path of Exile 2's Most and Least Used Ascendancies Explained
Path of Exile 2's Ladders go by experience, so the highest rank on either Standard or Hardcore is earned by the one player with the single most experience on a given character. As it stands, Ladders include the top 1,000 players in each League, and while they don't tell the whole story, they do give a pretty good indication of the best and worst classes in Path of Exile 2 at the moment.
|
Ascendancy |
Standard Ladder Usage |
Hardcore Ladder Usage |
Number of Players Across Ladders |
|
Witchhunter |
1,5% |
0,4% |
19 |
|
Gemling Legionnaire |
14,6% |
6,4% |
210 |
|
Invoker |
14% |
22,7% |
367 |
|
Acolyte of Chayula |
0,7% |
1% |
17 |
|
Deadeye |
6,5% |
6% |
125 |
|
Pathfinder |
1,6% |
8,1% |
97 |
|
Stormweaver |
43,4% |
19% |
624 |
|
Chronomancer |
1,7% |
1,7% |
34 |
|
Warbringer |
0,5% |
1,1% |
16 |
|
Titan |
1,8% |
3,2% |
50 |
|
Blood Mage |
5,5% |
2,3% |
78 |
|
Infernalist |
9,5% |
28,8% |
383 |
These numbers provide a good look into Path of Exile 2's meta in early access, as they show how dominant some classes are over others. For example, while the Invoker is naturally a melee class, it is one of the most used across both ladders because of its layers of defense and easy access to Spirit, as well as its destructive potential with elemental damage. The Stormweaver reigns supreme because it's a straightforward and rewarding spellcaster, and builds like Spark make it hard to kill as it dishes out incredible damage.
The Infernalist is an interesting case too, as it is far more popular in Hardcore over Standard, demonstrating how some Ascendancies can be more effective in Path of Exile 2 depending on where they are used - a summoner is much harder to kill, hence why it's a good pick in Hardcore. However, some classes are dramatically overshadowed across both ladders, with the Witchhunter, Acolyte of Chayula, and Warbringer in the last three spots.
Why Path of Exile 2's Acolyte of Chayula is Worth Picking
The Acolyte of Chayula is arguably an incomplete class, as it is heavily focused on Chaos Damage, which is mainly available via Essence Drain + Contagion or Poison builds, with the latter most likely lacking some key skills from Daggers and Spear weapon Skill Gems. Yet, this particular Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2 has many defensive layers to it that can go a long way into surviving even the toughest bosses and Waystones, such as the Ravenous Doubts and Consuming Questions nodes, which combine to grant incredible Mana and Energy Shield sustain.
Chayula's Gift can single-handedly make Chaos Resistance one of the strongest suits of the character, instead of a weak spot, which can be especially powerful for non-Chaos Inoculation builds. Walking Dream's Into The Breach skill is also a powerful tool that doesn't pigeonhole players into a specific build and provides extra sustain, which is great in Path of Exile 2's endgame. Embrace the Darkness and its follow-up nodes are arguably the weakest parts of the Acolyte of Chayula, as Spirit is too powerful to give up, but these could see changes in the future. Overall, while there are good options, it's a shame that the Acolyte of Chayula doesn't see more use, as it's a well-built Ascendancy that has a lot to offer.
Path of Exile II
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 88 /100 Critics Rec: 100%
- 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
WHERE TO PLAY
Path of Exile 2 takes place in the land of Wraeclast, a dark continent populated by unique cultures, ancient secrets, and monstrous dangers. A sinister threat, long thought destroyed, has begun creeping back on the edge of civilisation, driving people mad and sickening the land with Corruption.
Path of Exile 2 features a brand new campaign with six acts, 100 distinct environments, 600 monsters and 100 bosses.
Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more.
Play with your friends without losing any progress with couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Path of Exile
- Early Access Release
- December 6, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
