Path of Exile Classes – Which Is the Best Class for You?

It is finally time to begin Path of Exile, one of the most incredible free-to-play MMORPGs in the last few years. The only trouble is you don’t know which of the Path of Exile classes is for you. Which is the best class for your playstyle? Is there one? Do you like melee attacks, magic attacks, or do you prefer a mixed approach? Path of Exile classes are categorised by their stats. Pure characters have one main stat, while hybrid characters have two or more.

Pure Characters

Marauders are the strength characters of the Path of Exile classes and are all about brute force. They wield maces and inflict brilliant physical damage as well as wearing heavy armour. Fire is closely associated with strength so you expect to see strength monsters wreathed in flame. The Marauder can ascend into a Juggernaut, Berserker, or a Chieftain. The Juggernaut as all about defence, they have health regen and protection against most attacks. The Berserker is more about combat flow, many of their skills get stronger the more they kill or get hit, they’re hyper-aggressive. The Chieftain is a fire-wielding shamanistic character who can summon totems to help him and boost his own fire damage.

Rangers are the dexterity class. They use bows to attack from afar or rapiers to hold their ground. They are fast and accurate and have the ability to evade incoming attacks. They are aligned with the cold and can ascend into a Deadeye, Raider, or Pathfinder. The Deadeye is a long-range fighter focussed on dealing damage while out of range. Raiders are more about buffs and status effects. They tend to focus on melee combat but are handy at range too. The Pathfinder uses flasks to their best effect, mixing poisons and buffs at will.

The intelligence characters of the Path of Exile classes are the Witches. They wield wands or sceptres to attack with their arcane knowledge. They have low defence but also gain an energy shield which recharges when out of combat. They can become a Necromancer, Elementalist, or Occultist. The Necromancer aims to never lift a finger, they summon the undead in order to attack for them. The Elementalist uses an array of elements to attack the weak points of their foes, they require knowledge of your enemy but are fearsome when mastered. The Occultist focus on damage over time effects and curses, they aim to cripple their foes and drain them before they can recover.

Hybrid Path of Exile Classes

Duelists use both strength and dexterity to fight with swords and axes. They use their strength to attack while dextrously evading incoming strikes. They can become a Slayer, Gladiator, or Champion. The Slayer gains the ability to leech the life out of their opponents and are good with two-handed weapons. The Gladiator is great for dual wielding weapons or using a sword and shield. They focus on bleeding opponents out. Champions are a defensive class that can taunt enemies and take the damage for their party, they aim to be hard to kill rather than hard to hit.

The Templar is a strength and intelligence hybrid that use staves and sceptres. They can either become powerful spellcasters or buff their weapons with elemental damage. They can ascend to an Inquisitor, Hierophant or Guardian. Inquisitors are focused on inflicting elemental damage and can buff themselves to deal huge damage. The Hierophant is a spell-based class that summons totems or mark foes with brands to deal damage over time. The Guardians are a support class and look to buff their party and bolster their defences.

Shadows form a dexterity and intelligence class and they rely on their wit. They wield daggers and claws and utilise traps to take enemies out of the fight. They can become an Assassin, Saboteur, or Trickster. Assassins specialise in critical hits, they aim only to hit once rather than hit multiple times. The Saboteur uses traps and mines in order to take out their foes. They use status effects to trash their enemies and can hit large areas. The Trickster mixes speed and evasion. They aim to cause damage over time and have fantastic resilience, thanks to various evasion effects and an energy shield.
The last of the Path of Exile classes is the one you have to unlock by getting through Act 3. The Scion is a perfectly balanced class that is above average in every aspect but also lacks any particular strength. They can become an Ascendant. This is the most flexible class in the game and can take passives from any class. This is the best Path of Exile class if you like to do a bit of everything.