Summary
- Dawn of the Hunt update sparked debates and improved Path of Exile 2 builds.
- Balancing Ascendancy classes is challenging, with the Lich and Smith of Kitava standing out.
- PoE 2 needs more Ascendancies interacting with gear to enhance build uniqueness.
Despite a mostly negative reception of the Dawn of the Hunt update for Path of Exile 2 when it first came out, it proved to be a good thing for the game as it sparked debates among the community and with GGG developers themselves. After several hotfixes and smaller patches, Dawn of the Hunt is in a much better state than when it came out, and many previously nerfed Path of Exile 2 builds are now thriving with more or better tools. The update also added five new Ascendancy classes to the game - two for the Huntress, one for the Mercenary, one for the Witch, and one for the Warrior. Two of them are game-changing, and there should be more of them.
Balancing Ascendancy classes is not an easy task, considering the incredible number of moving pieces in a given Path of Exile 2 build, so it makes sense that some of them may be more powerful than others under certain circumstances. For example, the Warbringer and Acolyte of Chayula were the least used Ascendancies in Path of Exile 2 before Dawn of the Hunt, but they received decent buffs with patch 0.2.0. Yet, the new Lich and Smith of Kitava Ascendancies stand out from the rest, proving more like them should be added.
Path of Exile 2’s Best Build Proves the Spear is Also Mightier Than the Sword
Path of Exile 2 players have already found the best skill in Dawn of the Hunt, and GGG should be careful with how it deals with it.
Why Path of Exile 2 Players Shouldn't Sleep on Lich and Smith of Kitava
The reason that Path of Exile 2's Lich and Smith of Kitava are peculiar Ascendancy classes lies in the fact that they both have nodes that interact in some way with players' gear, making loot an active part of buildcrafting rather than a means to a goal. Normally, loot is extremely important in ARPGs because it enhances what a character can do, and while some items (especially Uniques) can be build-defining, it is mostly the other way around - a build defines what kind of gear players should use.
The Lich and Smith of Kitava can dramatically change this in different ways. The Lich has a node called Crystalline Phylactery, which has some simple rules:
- Players can only socket non-Unique basic Jewels into this node
- The Phylactery provides 100% increased effect of the socketed Jewel
- Players' Mana costs for skills increase by 50% if they have no Energy Shield
What this does, other than the obvious benefit of having a juiced-up Jewel in Path of Exile 2 builds, is allow players to craft their builds accurately and potentially even make gear slightly more relevant than ever.
Likewise, PoE 2's Smith of Kitava Ascendancy allows players to grab the Smith's Masterwork node for free and gain great benefits at the cost of not being able to wear a body armor above Normal rarity. This would normally be a massive detriment to any build, as body armor items tend to have great stats in terms of defenses, Life, Mana, Resistances, and even some other niche rolls, like Thorns. Not every Smith of Kitava build will want to grab Smith's Masterwork even if it's free, but the fact that it is free also dictates how useful it can be - be it to have incredibly strong effects while leveling or craft interesting builds in the endgame.
Smith's Masterwork can provide one of 12 different effects, making it versatile and interesting at the same time.
Path of Exile 2 Needs More Ascendancies That Interact With Items
A lot of what Path of Exile 2's endgame revolves around is player builds, as one can't truly tackle all the harder content the game has to offer without a powerful character. The endgame is also where the power fantasy of a given build should reach its apex, and that's because better and more powerful gear starts dropping - or at least the currency to purchase it. As such, more Ascendancies should be like the Lich and Smith of Kitava in the way they approach their design - have more direct interactions with loot and items to make each character feel more unique and simultaneously give players more space to get creative with buildcrafting.
Path of Exile II
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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
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
