Unlocking the Exile's Potential: A Comprehensive Guide to Class Analysis and Selection Strategies

Introduction

In Path of Exile, there are seven base classes, each with their unique characteristics and Ascendancy Classes. To facilitate players in choosing the class that suits them best, this guide will introduce each base class and its corresponding Ascendancy Classes, providing some selection advice to ensure players can make informed decisions for an optimal gaming experience.

Brief Introduction to Ascendancy Classes

Witch

• Background Features: The Witch is a powerful mage adept at manipulating elements, summoning creatures, and casting curses, primarily focused on intelligence.
  Ascendancy Classes:
• Elementalist: Specializes in elemental damage, capable of creating high burst pure elemental damage builds.
• Necromancer: Skilled in summoning undead beings and employing necromancy spells, forming a formidable army of the undead.
• Occultist: Proficient in using energy shields and poison damage, boasting strong survivability and sustained damage capabilities.

Marauder

• Background Features: The Marauder is a strength-based melee specialist with high life and endurance stats, emphasizing strength as the primary attribute.
  Ascendancy Classes:
• Champion: Enhances survival and melee physical output, excelling particularly in counterattacking and fighting while enraged.
• Juggernaut: Focuses more on tanking and defense, possessing additional life regeneration and armor bonuses.
• Berserker: Pursues extreme damage output, able to unleash astonishing combat power within short periods.

Templar

• Background Features: The Templar combines wisdom and strength, proficient in both casting divine spells and engaging in close combat.
  Ascendancy Classes:
• Guardian: Emphasizes defense and team buffs, having strong self-protection and supportive abilities for teammates.
• Templar: Tends towards healing and support roles, while also dealing respectable divine damage.
• Inquisitor: Skilled in light and dark magic, applying purification and corruption effects to exert immense pressure on enemies.

Ranger

• Background Features: The Ranger is renowned for agility and specializes in ranged attacks and trap-setting.
  Ascendancy Classes:
• Deadeye: Represents extreme ranged physical damage, particularly excelling in precise shots and multi-target attacks.
• Ranger: Prioritizes pet companionship during combat, featuring various ranged and trap tactics.
• Pathfinder: Expert in mobility and area damage, enhancing the team through auras and totems.

Duelist

• Background Features: The Duelist is a hybrid of agility and strength, versatile in switching weapons and combat strategies.
  Ascendancy Classes:
• Slayer: Aims for swift kills, with formidable critical strike and poison damage capabilities.
• Gladiator: Possesses strong defensive and countering mechanisms, adept at stunning and disrupting enemy attacks.
• Champion (Note: This shares the same name as the Marauder's Ascendancy Class but specializes differently) – Specializes in sustained combat and damage output, featuring multiple hits and life-leech abilities.

Shadow

• Background Features: The Shadow is agile and intelligent, specializing in stealth, critical strikes, and control.
  Ascendancy Classes:
• Assassin: Specializes in single-target assassination, dealing extremely high critical hit damage.
• Saboteur: Lays traps and poisons fields, excelling in battlefield control and sustained damage.
• Trickster: Boasts high evasion and movement speed, adept at using temporal distortions for offensive output and evading harm.

Scion

• Unlock Method: Unlocked in the game by completing specific tasks and not initially selectable.
• Background Features: The Scion possesses balanced attribute growth, skilled in defense and support.
  Ascendancy Classes:
• Hierophant: Leans towards life and mana recovery, aura and totem support roles.
• Berserker (Note: This shares the same name as the Marauder's Ascendancy Class but specializes differently) – Provides team boosts and sustains substantial vitality.
• Watcher: Combines defense and control, functioning well as a tank and team supporter.

Class Characteristics

Please note that due to potential updates and adjustments in the game version, some of the above descriptions may change over time. Always refer to the latest settings within the actual game. The choice of class depends on the player's interests, playstyle, resource investment, and desired gameplay experience. Below are introductions to the features of each base class:

Witch

Offers the richest spell skill tree, excelling in area-of-effect damage and summoning minions for battle. Ascendancy classes like Necromancer or Elementalist deliver impressive performances. If you enjoy playing a character that commands natural forces, destroys enemies with magic, or prefers nurturing an undead army, the Witch is an excellent choice. It suits players who enjoy complex skill combinations and non-direct conflict.

Marauder

With high health points and physical resistance, suited for tanking roles and can also opt for heavy hitting builds. After ascending, they become even more robust and resilient. If you relish head-on melee combat experiences, enjoy crushing enemies, and are willing to take on the role of the main tank in a group, then the Marauder is your perfect companion. It suits players who enjoy straightforward, brute force output and higher endurance-based combat.

Templar

Can build around physical, elemental, or mixed damage types while having some self-healing and defensive capabilities. After ascending, they can provide greater team support. The Templar suits players seeking a balanced character that can deal effective melee damage and leverage wisdom-based skills for support and control of the battlefield. It's suitable for those who prefer diverse skill combinations and balancing offense with defense.

Ranger

Has excellent ranged striking abilities and kite techniques, proficient in setting traps and controlling enemies. Ascending can boost their burst damage or enhance survival. If you fancy fast movements, kiting enemies from a distance, and utilizing environmental tactics, the Ranger is your ideal pick. It suits players who enjoy precision maneuvers and tactical setup.

Duelist

Possesses high attack speed and dodge abilities, developing into dual-wielding, one-handed + shield, or projectile attack styles. Ascending enhances their blocking, control, or burst damage capabilities. The Duelist suits players who chase efficient combos and close-range confrontations, developing into potent DPS characters or versatile ones combining defense and control.

Shadow

Relies on high critical strike rates and critical damage, enabling quick target elimination. Ascending further strengthens their burst capability or provides extra survival assurance. If you yearn for high-risk, high-reward combat styles and enjoy the thrill of instant kills, the Shadow caters to your need for stealth and burst. It suits players who prefer sudden ambushes and heavily depend on operational skills.

Scion (Hidden Class)

The Scion has unique passive and active skills, blending strengths from other classes to form an exceptionally comprehensive character profile. It suits players who enjoy exploring different playstyles and are willing to assume team support roles. This class offers a wide variety of build options in the late game, adaptable to various combat scenarios.

Choosing a class is a highly personalized process since every class in the game can achieve diverse builds through the intricate talent tree system and rich gem socketing system. Here is a set of class selection suggestions based on different player types and playstyles:

Selection Suggestions

• New Players: Beginners are recommended to choose either the Witch or the Duelist; the former for the ease of use of spells and summoning mechanics, while the latter boasts a more balanced base attribute distribution and relatively straightforward controls.

• Low-Cost Investment: When starting with a limited budget, Witch's Summoner path, Duelist's dual-wielding physical damage style, or Ranger's archery output are all viable choices, as they generally have lower equipment requirements.

• Pushing the Limits: For players seeking maximum output and complex builds, the Shadow Assassin, Templar, or the Witch's Necromancer are high-potential professions.

• Team Play: In multiplayer environments, the Templar's Aura support and the Ascendant's (referring to the 'Noble' here, although it's not specified in this context) overall attribute boosts often play significant roles in team dynamics.

• Exploration Fun: Each profession offers a wealth of build possibilities to explore, allowing players to select their preferred class based on the desired skill effects, combat style, or even storylines.

Conclusion

Each profession opens up to distinct subclasses after Ascendancy, thus extending the depth and variety of gameplay. When selecting a profession, consider not only the inherent traits of the class itself but also combine your understanding of the game and your intended build direction for the future. For new players, it's suggested to begin with a class that is easy to learn, has strong survivability, or straightforward abilities, such as the Templar or the Marauder. Experienced players, on the other hand, can choose their profession according to their preferred build type and the level of challenge they seek. To enhance your gameplay experience in Path of Exile, purchase POE currency/items from Gameusd to quickly get up to speed and enjoy an excellent gaming journey.