Summary
- Path of Exile 2 offers diverse character-building opportunities via Ascendancy classes.
- The Titan and Witchhunter Ascendancy classes could benefit from buffs to increase popularity.
- Some nodes in the Titan and Witchhunter classes may not be as effective in regular gameplay.
One of the cornerstones of Path of Exile 2 and its predecessor is that players can build their characters in many different ways, to the point that two builds may never be completely identical even when just considering the passive tree and no gear. Given the nature of the ARPG featuring random rolls on items, "identical" gear is only possible if one gets their hands on Path of Exile 2's Mirror of Kalandra, which can copy and duplicate an existing item. For the purpose of building characters, a very important choice comes in the form of a character's Ascendancy class - and right now, there are two that could use some help and simultaneously have a hard time getting it.
With the current version of the game, Path of Exile 2 offers six base classes and two Ascendancy classes for each of them, with plans to double this number by adding six more base classes and their respective two Ascendancies. Before GGG moves on to big additions, it's more likely that the game will receive multiple patches and balance passes, and this makes for the perfect opportunity to buff two underused classes. These are the Warrior's Titan Ascendancy and the Mercenary's Witchhunter.
Path of Exile 2 Could Use Three Big Changes to Improve Its Endgame
Path of Exile 2's endgame is in a great state at the moment, but its endgame could use three big quality-of-life changes to truly shine.
Why PoE 2's Witchhunter and Titan Are Underused Ascendancy Classes
Not all Ascendancy classes in Path of Exile 2 are born equal, and it's obvious that some are favored over others due to their more powerful nodes or improved gameplay loop. For example, while each has its merits, the Sorceress' Stormweaver is much more popular than the Chronomancer. The same holds true for the Gemling Legionnaire over the Witchhunter for the Mercenary as well as the Warbringer over the Titan for the Warrior. This doesn't mean that the Witchhunter and the Titan are inherently bad or worse, but there are some aspects that may make them less desirable than other Ascendancies, hence why they could use some changes.
Why Path of Exile 2's Witchhunter Falls Short of the Gemling Legionnaire
The most likely reason why the Witchhunter is less popular than the Gemling Legionnaire is that the latter has a powerful stat-stacking build in Path of Exile 2, but there is more to it. The Witchhunter has some powerful nodes, like Judge, Jury, and Executioner, which grants an ability called Decimating Strikes that removes between 5% and 30% of an enemy's health before calculating the damage of the player's first attack against them. However, there are also nodes that are very unlikely to be picked up, such as Weapon Master or Zealous Inquisition, with the former focusing on weapon-swapping and the latter on a small chance to make enemies explode on death.
Path of Exile 1's Gladiator Ascendancy is often popular due to its on-kill explosions, but this effect is far less reliable in the sequel. Likewise, nodes like Wtichbane and No Mercy from the Witchhunter can be good against pinnacle bosses in Path of Exile 2, but for regular gameplay they are underwhelming at best, and it can be a nuisance to respec them in and out based on what content one is playing. Obsessive Rituals' Sorcery Ward is a powerful ability to have, but it comes at the cost of 50% less Armour and Evasion Rating, which is far from ideal when one can take Acrobatics from the skill tree and Evade all Hits while also keeping some Armour.
PoE 2's Titan Would Benefit From Better Armour Support
Like the Witchhunter is all about the fantasy of fighting magical powers, the Titan may be pigeonholed into being a big, tanky melee class, offering little unique benefits and diverse playstyles. The Titan focuses on Stuns with melee damage, which is in line with the class' identity, but it can be a slower and less rewarding playstyle than other classes. Likewise, the Stone Skin node is limited in how useful it can be since Path of Exile 2's Armour is in need of some buffs and changes. Finally, allowing its skills to become Ancestrally Boosted or granting Aftershocks to Slams is something that can be achieved with Support Gems.
What follows is that, while both the Witchhunter and the Titan are among the least used classes in Path of Exile 2 and thus may need some buffs, it can be hard to move away from their identities to broaden and improve their respective playstyles. It remains to be seen if GGG makes either class more alluring, but for now, their alternative options may better suit more builds.
Path of Exile II
-
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
Path of Exile 2 takes place in the land of Wraeclast, a dark continent populated by unique cultures, ancient secrets, and monstrous dangers. A sinister threat, long thought destroyed, has begun creeping back on the edge of civilisation, driving people mad and sickening the land with Corruption.
Path of Exile 2 features a brand new campaign with six acts, 100 distinct environments, 600 monsters and 100 bosses.
Path of Exile 2 features twelve character classes, 240 Skill Gems, hundreds of equipment base types, a six-act campaign, more than a hundred unique boss fights, a deep endgame system and so much more.
Play with your friends without losing any progress with couch co-op, cross-play and cross-progression.
- Engine
- Proprietary Engine
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer, Online Co-Op
- Franchise
- Path of Exile
- Early Access Release
- December 6, 2024
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Hack and Slash, MMORPG
