PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt: Ascendancy Buffs & Nerfs

The Dawn of the Hunt update for Path of Exile 2 has dramatically shaken up the meta with brand-new ascendancies and sweeping balance changes. In this guide, we break down the biggest winners and losers of patch 0.2 to help you decide where to invest your time in Wraeclast.

The Winners

Amazon – The Offensive Powerhouse

The Amazon, a fresh ascendancy for the Huntress class, has quickly taken over the meta. In just the first 10 days, more than 50% of level 90+ Huntresses have picked Amazon, and for good reason.

Core passives like Critical Strike and Penetrate give straightforward, massive DPS gains, while Predatory Instinct is a universal multiplier for attacks. Elemental Infusion pushes projectile-based builds even further, making Amazon the go-to choice for pure damage.

Most Amazon builds currently favor Lightning Spear for AoE clear and Storm Lance for bossing. While her defenses are paper-thin, the Amazon lives by the rule: kill first, or die trying.

Lich – Master of Chaos and Undeath

The Lich, the new Witch ascendancy, is the uncontested spellcasting king of patch 0.2. It offers flexible tools for both Chaos DoT builds (think Essence Drain and Contagion) and summoners.

Thanks to notables like Eternal Life, which improves survivability through a unique life-to-ES mechanic, the Lich blends offense and defense without compromise. It’s also taken over minion meta roles previously held by Infernalist, offering a new home for skeletons, zombies, and the like.

Deadeye – Speed and Versatility

Deadeye continues to be a fan favorite, boosted by buffs to crossbows and the introduction of spear weapon types. About half of Deadeye builds now use spears, while the rest still enjoy crossbow dominance.

The Gathering Winds notable remains a staple, granting permanent action speed and mobility—essential for any build that values pace and fluidity. New skills like Shockburst Rounds and Galvanic Shards have also added to Deadeye’s toolkit.

Smith of Kitava – The Defensive Juggernaut

The Smith of Kitava, a new Warrior ascendancy, is a defensive dream. Notables like Coal Stoker and Forged in Flame make it easy to cap resistances and scale damage via fire conversion.

This ascendancy becomes a tanky powerhouse when paired with Unnatural Resilience and unique gear like Infernoclasp. And don’t overlook Smith’s Masterwork, which allows players to craft custom body armor—an incredibly rare form of deterministic crafting in PoE 2.

Warbringer – The Comeback Kid

Once considered niche and forgettable, Warbringer has made a strong return in patch 0.2. Reworked skills like Encase in Jade, which now acts as a useful Guard skill without rooting the player, give Warbringer much-needed flexibility.

While not a top-tier pick yet, Warbringer now stands as a viable middle-ground option for those wanting balance between tankiness and power.

The Losers

Stormweaver – From Top to Bottom

The Stormweaver has seen a catastrophic drop in popularity. In patch 0.1, it made up roughly a third of high-end builds. Now? Less than 1%.

Nerfs to mana-stacking were brutal—Archmage, Ingenuity, and the ascendancy itself all got hit. On top of that, the beloved Spark skill was nerfed, gutting many former Stormweaver builds. It’s currently one of the least played ascendancies in PoE 2.

Gemling Legionnaire – Attribute Stacking No More

Another victim of stat-stacking nerfs, the Gemling Legionnaire has taken a backseat. The Enhanced Effectiveness passive now comes with a 20% less Attributes penalty, reducing its synergy with high-attribute weapons and armor.

Popular tools like Pillar of the Caged God have also been nerfed, making strength-stacking much harder to scale. The result: Gemling is no longer the stat-monster it used to be.

Invoker – A Shadow of Its Former Self

The Invoker, once dominant with quarterstaff spell builds and Tempest Bell setups, has fallen off. Nerfs to Tempest Bell especially hit hard, leaving Invoker with fewer viable endgame builds.

While it still has its niche uses, Invoker’s golden age appears to be behind it… at least for now.

Infernalist – Minions No More

The Infernalist has lost its spot as the king of fire-themed minions and spells. Demon Form now requires maximum Life scaling to be effective, which limits hybrid builds. Meanwhile, the Loyal Hellhound lost its damage-transfer mechanic, gutting one of Infernalist’s core defenses.

With the Lich now taking over minion builds, Infernalist may need a rework or identity refresh to stay relevant.

The Rest

Ritualist – Potential Yet to Be Realized

The Ritualist, another Huntress ascendancy, hasn’t seen much play yet—but that could change. Strong passives like Unfurled Finger and Mystic Attunement offer great utility, but they require well-rolled gear to shine.

Expect Ritualist to gain traction later in the league as more players gear up and build around its potential.

Acolyte of Chayula – In Need of Overhaul

Still languishing at the bottom of the ladder, the Acolyte of Chayula hasn’t benefited much from recent buffs. While Embrace the Darkness got minor tweaks, the ascendancy’s design still feels awkward.

Requiring Mana leech to recover Energy Shield is unintuitive and doesn’t synergize well with many builds. Unless major reworks are made, Acolyte will likely remain a fringe pick.

Tactician – Support Role Challenges

The Tactician, the new Mercenary ascendancy, has had a quiet launch. Its defensive and team-oriented design doesn't mesh well with the solo-focused meta of PoE 2’s early patches.

That said, the Tactician could become much more relevant in group play scenarios or with future buffs that increase the value of support builds.

Conclusion

Patch 0.2’s Dawn of the Hunt update has brought dramatic shifts to the Path of Exile 2 ascendancy landscape. Whether you’re chasing DPS, tankiness, or unique mechanics, there’s plenty to explore in this new era. Just keep in mind—what’s meta today might not be tomorrow.

Let the hunt begin.