PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt Ascendancy Buffs & Nerfs

The latest Path of Exile 2 patch, Dawn of the Hunt, dropped like a meteor, shaking up the ascendancy meta and flipping the tier lists on their heads. Whether you’ve been grinding since early access or you’re just now theorycrafting your next alt, understanding the PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt ascendancy buffs and nerfs is absolutely crucial if you want to stay competitive. Let’s break down who rose, who fell, and who got caught in the middle of GGG’s ever-unforgiving balancing hammer.

Big Winners: Ascendancies That Dominated the Meta

Amazon – Queen of the Meta

If you’ve logged into the game at all recently, you’ve seen the Amazon ascendancy everywhere—and I mean everywhere. This Huntress-based ascendancy is running the show in Dawn of the Hunt, sitting at over 50% of level 90+ characters just ten days into the patch. That’s not just meta-defining—it’s meta-warping.

What makes her so strong? For starters, Critical Strike, Penetrate, and Predatory Instinct give her incredible offensive scaling. If you’re stacking attack speed and crit, you’re laughing. And then there's Elemental Infusion, which absolutely turbo-charges projectile-based builds.

Want to clear like a god? Pair Lightning Spear with the Amazon’s natural synergy and you’ll erase entire screens in seconds. Boss damage? Storm Lance is your go-to.

Sure, she’s a glass cannon, but the Amazon embodies the kill-or-be-killed philosophy like no other. And for now, the payoff is absolutely worth it.

Lich – Chaos King and Minion Master

Next up is the Lich, the spellcaster’s answer to the current attack-heavy meta. It’s the only new ascendancy from Dawn of the Hunt that’s casting shadows over older casters—and for good reason.

The Eternal Life notable is the real MVP here, enabling tankier setups that can actually sustain through some of the new league’s nonsense. Most players are running Chaos DoT builds (think Essence Drain and Contagion), but interestingly, the Lich is also eating up the minion meta—stealing thunder from the now-weakened Infernalist.

Balanced, versatile, and stylish. If you want a caster that doesn’t crumble under pressure, Lich is your jam.

Deadeye – Fast, Furious, and Full of Spears

The Deadeye just keeps climbing. This Ranger ascendancy was already solid in patch 0.1, thanks in part to Gathering Winds and its focus on speed. But in Dawn of the Hunt? It’s practically sprinting laps around the competition.

GGG buffed Crossbows, added juicy new Crossbow skills like Galvanic Shards and Shockburst Rounds, and then threw Spears into the mix. That combo is lethal in the right hands.

Half of all Deadeye builds right now are Spear-based, many inspired by Fubgun’s new Lightning Spear and Wind Serpent’s Fury setup. If you want speed and style with a strong mid-to-endgame, Deadeye’s looking better than ever.

Smith of Kitava – The Tank That Doesn’t Die

On the opposite end of the spectrum, we’ve got the Smith of Kitava, a defensive beast of a Warrior ascendancy that’s thriving in a game where survivability often feels like an afterthought.

With Coal Stoker and Forged in Flame, you’re basically capping resists by default. Stack that with Unnatural Resilience and gear like Infernoclasp, and you’ve got a build that shrugs off content others struggle to face-tank.

Throw in Smith’s Masterwork, letting you forge your own armor pieces, and you’ve got one of the most creative and durable ascendancies in PoE 2 right now.

Warbringer – From Trash Tier to Sleeper Pick

This one’s a glow-up story. In patch 0.1, Warbringer was a joke—less than 0.5% play rate. Now? Thanks to serious buffs, it’s actually viable.

The biggest win is Encase in Jade, which no longer roots you while casting and now grants a real Guard buff. Add in other QOL tweaks, and Warbringer's feeling much less clunky.

It’s not top-tier just yet, but it’s headed in the right direction—and if Huntress didn’t overshadow the meta so hard, we’d probably be seeing even more of this class in action.

The Big Losers: Ascendancies That Fell From Grace

Stormweaver – The Fall of an Icon

This one hurts. The Stormweaver was a force in patch 0.1, owning nearly a third of high-end builds. Now? It’s under 1%.

Why? Three words: Mana stacking nerfs. GGG hit Archmage, Ingenuity, and the ascendancy itself in one fell swoop. Throw in a harsh nerf to Spark, and the whole self-cast archetype collapsed.

Stormweaver’s identity feels gutted right now, and unless mana scaling gets some serious love, this ascendancy won’t be back anytime soon.

Gemling Legionnaire – Nerfed Into Obscurity

Attribute stacking got kneecapped in patch 0.2, and Gemling Legionnaire was collateral damage. The killer? A 20% less Attributes penalty on Enhanced Effectiveness.

That alone might’ve sunk it, but Pillar of the Caged God got hit too, turning the once-dominant Gemling into a fringe pick at best.

Invoker – The Meta Magician Gets Clipped

Invoker was a top-tier caster in 0.1 thanks to quarterstaff setups and skills like Tempest Bell. But GGG took the nerf hammer to its best tools, and now the class is fighting for relevance.

It’s not dead—you’ll still see some solid builds—but it’s nowhere near the powerhouse it was just a few weeks ago.

Infernalist – Minion Master No More

Patch 0.1’s Infernalist had two core identities: minion overlord and spell demon. Now? Both are gone.

Demon Form requires max Life scaling, shifting how you need to build entirely. And Loyal Hellhound’s damage transfer? Flat out removed. What?

Needless to say, the Lich ascendancy swooped in and took over the Infernalist’s spot, leaving it with a pitiful 1% play rate.

Everyone Else: Middle of the Pack or Still Struggling

Ritualist – Good Ideas, Weak Execution

As the second new Huntress ascendancy, Ritualist was expected to shine. But while Unfurled Finger and Mystic Attunement are great, the ascendancy’s power curve requires top-tier gear to really feel effective.

The third ring slot is cool, sure, but it’s not carrying builds yet. Expect Ritualist to scale better later in the league.

Acolyte of Chayula – Still at the Bottom

Embrace the Darkness got buffed, but it’s still unusable if it deletes your Spirit. Meanwhile, Ravenous Doubts and Consuming Questions suffer from bad synergy. Recovering ES based on mana leech doesn’t work when your leech turns off at full mana—duh.

This ascendancy needs a redesign, plain and simple.

Tactician – Cool Concept, No Demand

The Tactician is the newest Mercenary ascendancy, but a support-focused, defense-heavy tree just doesn’t excite the average player. Cannons, Ready! and Unleash Hell! might be sleeper hits next patch, but right now it’s collecting dust.

Titan, Witchhunter, Pathfinder, Blood Mage & Chronomancer – Forgotten Few

These ascendancies are currently the also-rans of the meta. Even with buffs to Titan and Blood Mage, they’re not breaking into the big leagues due to poor identity and clunky archetypes.

Chronomancer swapped out a solid life recovery node for Flood of Echoes, which might have potential—if spellcasting gets a revival in the next patch.

Witchhunter got minor buffs, but not enough to draw players back in. As for Pathfinder, nerfs to Concoction Skills and uneven reworks put it in a worse spot than before.

Final Thoughts: Who Should You Play in Patch 0.2?

If you want raw power and fast leveling, Amazon, Lich, or Deadeye are your best bets. For tanky builds or off-meta creativity, Smith of Kitava or the newly improved Warbringer offer solid options.

And remember, the meta can shift fast in Path of Exile 2. Stay flexible, keep experimenting, and don’t be afraid to try out off-meta ascendancies—sometimes the best builds are just waiting to be discovered.

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