Path of Exile 2: Overview, Skills, and Ascendancies

The Warrior is one of the six playable classes introduced in Path of Exile 2 Early Access, which launched on December 6th, 2024. While Path of Exile 2 plans to feature 12 classes in total, only six are available initially. The Warrior class is a fresh addition that branches off from the Marauder, carving out its distinct niche.

If you enjoyed Marauder builds in PoE 1, the Warrior will feel familiar but offers a new specialized focus on heavy melee combat with maces, slam attacks, and warcries.

Warrior Class Overview

The Warrior's main attribute is Strength (STR), placing it near the Marauder's starting location on the skill tree, focusing on the Strength nodes in the bottom left area.

Signature Weapon: Mace

The Warrior's signature weapon is the Mace, a weapon type carried over from PoE 1. Whereas the Marauder could use axes, maces, and staves, the Warrior now specializes in Mace builds, with a heavy emphasis on Slam attacks and Warcries.

Slam Attacks: These are powerful but slower strikes, delivering huge bursts of damage compared to faster, smaller attacks.

Warcries: Supportive shouts that provide buffs and debuffs, enhancing both offense and defense.

New Stun Mechanic

PoE 2 changes crowd control dynamics significantly compared to PoE 1:

Bosses are no longer immune to stun or freeze, but you cannot infinitely lock them down.

Instead, bosses have an internal stun gauge that fills as you land stunning or freezing hits.

Once filled, the boss becomes stunned for a short time.

The gauge resets over time, and repeated stuns require more hits to trigger.

This mechanic is central to the Warrior's gameplay since many mace skills synergize with stun effects. The idea is to stun the boss first, then unleash your powerful slam for maximum burst damage.

Warrior Skill Gems

The Warrior's skills are primarily mace-themed, aligning with their brutal melee style. Here's a list of notable Skill Gems associated with the Warrior (revealed in recent livestreams):

Earthquake - Slams the ground, sending a damaging wave.

Boneshatter - High single-target damage but damages you in return.

Rolling Slam - A powerful slam with mobility.

Shield Charge - Rush forward, knocking enemies aside.

Armour Breaker - Reduces enemy armour.

Shockwave Totem - Summons a totem that emits shockwaves.

Infernal Cry - Warcry that boosts damage.

Perfect Strike - Precise, high damage attacks.

Resonating Shield - Defensive ability.

Leap Slam - Jump and slam down.

Earthshatter - A devastating slam.

Shield Wall - Defensive skill.

Sunder - AoE slam attack.

Volcanic Fissure - Fire-based ground slam.

Seismic Cry - Warcry with crowd control.

Supercharged Slam - High damage but slow charging.

Stampede - Movement and attack synergy.

Ancestral Warrior Totem - Summons a totem warrior.

Hammer of the Gods - A powerful slam attack.

Older videos also hinted at these, which may be included in Early Access or added later:

Ground Slam - AoE damage in front.

Herald of Ash - Adds fire damage and exploding corpses.

Magma Barrier - Defensive buff.

Putting It All Together

For Clearing Packs:

Use AoE skills like Earthquake, Ground Slam, or Sunder.

Support with buffs such as Infernal Cry or Herald of Ash for extra damage.

Perfect for quickly melting groups of mobs.

For Boss or Rare Fights:

Use Boneshatter for heavy single-target damage, but be wary of self-damage - build enough defense.

Supercharged Slam delivers massive bursts but requires a charge-up; use crowd control skills like Armour Breaker + Leap Slam to stun the boss first.

Stun synergy is key before unleashing big slams for maximum burst.

Warrior Ascendancy Classes

Path of Exile 2 features Ascendancy subclasses for each class. At the Early Access launch, each class has 2 Ascendancies, with the Warrior getting a third later.

Warbringer

Focus: Totems and Warcries.

Enhances shield defense, totem power, and warcry effectiveness.

Ideal if you want a tactical, buff/debuff supportive melee playstyle.

Titan

Focus: Slam skills and stunning enemies.

Suited for slow, heavy-hitting playstyles emphasizing raw power and control.

Also offers utility nodes for increased life, armor, and inventory space.

Smith of Kitava (Coming April 4, 2025, with Dawn of the Hunt update)

Details to be revealed, but likely focuses on smithing, crafting, or weapon mastery.

Final Thoughts

The Warrior class is not a radical departure from PoE 1's Marauder but a specialization that lets players fully embrace the heavy-hitting, mace-wielding melee fantasy.

By focusing on slams, stuns, and warcries, the Warrior offers a satisfying playstyle for players who want to feel powerful and durable while controlling the battlefield with slow, weighty blows.

As PoE 2 develops, it will be exciting to see how the Warrior differentiates itself further from the Marauder, especially as more Ascendancies and skill gems become available. Path of Exile 2 is still in development, and while detailed official info about its full PoE 2 currency system and PoE 2 items is limited.