No ARPG can compete with Path of Exile's customization. A passive tree that spans hundreds of nodes and seven classes to pick is enough to keep any dungeon crawler enthusiast happy, but Path of Exile doesn't stop there. Skills, Support Gems, and Ascendancies allow for a near-infinite number of build possibilities.
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Ascendancies, in particular, contribute heavily to a build's identity. They can add new mechanics, reward powerful passive benefits, or grant skills entirely. While no Ascendancies are bad in Path of Exile, some are much easier to use than others. Here are all 19 of Path of Exile's Ascendancies ranked from worst to best. This article was written during patch 3.13, Ritual league.
Updated February 11th, 2021 by Charles Burgar: Patch 3.13, Ritual league, rebalanced every Ascendancy class in Path of Exile. Deadeye, Inquisitor, and Elementalist saw fundamental overhauls. The other 16 Ascendancies also saw some balance changes that ranged from number tweaks to altered mechanics. This article has been updated to reflect these changes.
19 Guardian
No Ascendancy in Path of Exile has such mixed opinions amongst the player base. Guardians are one of the best Ascendancies for supporting other players, but how many players actually partake in group content?
Most of the Path of Exile player base enjoys the game solo, meaning that the Guardian's strong aura benefits are only useful on minion builds. Even then, Necromancers have them beat for damage output and survivability for minion builds.
18 Hierophant
Ritual league saw a confusing nerf to this Ascendancy, mainly to totem builds. Hierophant can no longer summon two totems simultaneously and lost its damage boost for each enemy they've killed recently perk. In exchange, Hieros have seen a buff to their Arcane Surge nodes.
Unfortunately, that just isn't enough to compensate for this massive nerf. Those that want to play Archmage casters still have no better alternative, but totem builds and other spellcasters are better off playing Chieftan or Elementalist, respectively.
17 Juggernaut
Survivability is the main focus of Juggernauts, trading absurd damage notables in exchange for constant Endurance Charge generation and bonus armor.
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With a large focus on one-shot mechanics in recent leagues, Juggernauts have fallen to the wayside. Even with their absurd physical damage mitigation, most attacks in Path of Exile deal so much damage of mixed types that it's near impossible to survive certain boss attacks—Sirus storms, Maven's memory game, and nearly every Oshabi attack are just a few examples. Juggernauts are still a solid league starting Ascendancy for Hardcore characters, but Softcore players and skilled Path of Exile players mostly agree that other Ascendacies have more to offer.
16 Berserker
Berserker excels at dealing absurd amounts of attack damage thanks to the Rage mechanic. They also excel at dying. Players that play risky will face more deaths than normal as a Berserker, but many softcore players will swear by Berserker's immense damage multipliers.
The better a player is at dodging attacks, the better this spec gets. But any player that actively plays PoE knows that avoiding damage isn't always possible. In those moments, Berserker becomes a detriment and, consequently, is a terrible choice in Hardcore.
15 Gladiator
Every Duelist Ascendancy is a fantastic choice, and the Gladiator is no exception. Any bleed-based build or Hardcore character will appreciate Gladiator's benefits. Reaching the block cap of 75% is incredibly easy as a Gladiator, but they can also pack a decent amount of damage in the form of bleed explosions with Gratuitous Violence.
That said, Gladiator relies heavily on gear to push out great damage. They might have a powerful defensive mechanic to lean on, but players will still need to add defensive layers and high-damage gear to get the most out of this spec. Considering how most top-tier Ascendancies are bundled with both, many turn to other Ascendancies after the first few days of a league. They make for an excellent Ascendancy for bleed bow builds, however.
14 Pathfinder
Every build in Path of Exile can benefit from Flask bonuses. Flasks are one of the strongest mechanics in the game, and Pathfinders have a major focus on improving them.
Should players find that too dull, they also have build-enabling synergies with poison builds thanks to their poison proliferation node Nature's Reprisal. Herald of Agony, Toxic Rain, and Scourge Arrow builds would not be nearly as potent if not for Pathfinder. Just note that non-poison builds on Pathfinder require absurdly strong gear to make top-tier, hence their low usage rate when compared to other Asendancies.
13 Ascendant
Ascendant saw a cataclysmic buff in 3.13. Not only did they receive some of the buffs that other Ascendancies received, but Ascendant also saw some of her nerfed nodes reverted. The most notable one is the removal of the Slayer's leech nerfs, which makes her a fantastic choice for most melee builds.
If that wasn't enough, Ascendants also have five more Passive Points than any other class in Path of Exile. This allows for some ludicrous builds involving Cluster Jewels, Timeless Jewels, or anything involving aurastacking. Those that want to play a support aurabot can't choose a better Ascendancy than this.
12 Chieftan
Chieftan became substantially stronger with the release of Ritual league, not because it saw a buff, but because Harvest is now a core gameplay mechanic. Now that players can easily craft explosive Crusader chest plates, Chieftan can much more easily create fire-heavy clear speed builds—the most popular being Blade Blast with Bladefall.
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Even players that ignore Harvest can appreciate Chieftan's inherent survivability buffs from the Tasilo, Cleansing Water node. Better yet, Chieftans get an absurd boost to the damage and attack speed bonuses Ancestral Totems provide. Softcore or Hardcore, Chieftan is a fantastic choice.
11 Deadeye
Deadeye saw a fundamental overhaul in patch 3.13, focusing more on her identity as the projectile-focused Ascendancy. Tailwind and bleed nodes are still present, but Deadeye now has more potent avenues for scaling her projectile's damage and functionality.
Spawning duplicate Mirage Archers, scaling Marks, and ricocheting projectiles off surfaces are just a few things Deadeye can do. Virtually every projectile build can benefit from those effects, making Deadeye a great choice for many top-tier builds. If she didn't rely on Evasion and Tailwind to survive, Deadeye would be even higher on this list.
10 Raider
Raider saw some fantastic buffs in Ritual league, buffing her Onslaught path by a substantial amount. As a result, Raider has become one of the best leveling and mapping Ascendancies for Softcore leagues. A permanent 30% speed increase is insane for leveling, while her Frenzy Charge and Phasing benefits make Raider particularly deadly in tougher content.
Similar to Deadeye, Raider can never truly flourish in Hardcore due to this spec's reliance on Evasion and Dodge. Evasion will eventually fail, forcing the player to take a devastating hit. For Hardcore players, that type of defensive mechanic makes Raider a gamble to play in Red-tier Maps and tough boss fights. For Softcore players that want to go fast, Raider is one of the best Ascendancies in the game.
9 Saboteur
When players want to carve through hordes using traps and mines, few Ascendancies can do it better than the Saboteur. Offensive buffs are in full display here with a few defensive measures such as blind and Life regeneration for triggering traps and mines.
As with Gladiators, their restriction to a certain archetype makes Saboteurs lackluster when it comes to versatility. Some notable changes in patch 3.13 also made certain mine builds worse than before. Nevertheless, players that love using traps or mines can't go wrong with a Saboteur.
8 Champion
Despite Champion's Impale nerfs in patch 3.13, league starting and melee builds alike will still gravitate towards this Ascendancy. Impale buffs make Champions hit like a truck, and Fortify buffs allow Champion to cruise through leveling.
Champions also serve as good support characters, taunting enemies while gaining a passive 35% increased aura effect from their tree. They might not scale as well as other Ascendancies with excellent gear, but Champions are easily one of the most forgiving and easy Ascendancies to build around.
7 Assassin
After repeated nerfs from recent leagues, Assassins are still one of the best Ascendancies for Softcore builds. Mistwalker grants a strong defense layer, while Assassin's copious amount of critical bonuses make any non-minion build scale well into the endgame.
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Poison builds on Assassin are so effective that the game lags trying to calculate the number of poisons a target is suffering from.
6 Slayer
Leech and attack damage are the Slayer's strengths. Any melee build in the game can take advantage of the Slayer's incredible bonuses. Having as many maximum Endurance Charges as Frenzy Charges is a great defensive buff, further amplified by the Slayer's ability to leech while they're at full life. Players that want to play a Berserker but don't want to sacrifice their defensive capabilities should play a Slayer.
5 Inquisitor
Grinding Gear Games overhauled the Inquisitor in patch 3.13, opting to make this Ascendancy more focused on a hybrid playstyle between spell casting and attacks. The result is one of the most powerful Ascendancies in the game if played correctly.
Sanctuary and Pious Path allow for an incredible boost to any build's survivability. Inquisitor also gains an absurd amount of damage from Instruments of Zeal, giving players a 75% more cast speed multiplier if they've attacked four times recently. Needless to say, this Ascendancy is insane if built around correctly.
4 Occultist
Damage-over-time builds should seriously consider choosing Occultist as their Ascendancy. Chaos and Cold DoT damage is massively amplified by Occultists thanks to Void Beacon and either Withering Presence or Frigid Wake. Occultists also make for fantastic curse support characters thanks to Malediction. And since the Witch class is near most Energy Shield nodes, Occultists can quickly transition into Chaos Innoculation for complete Chaos damage immunity. From damage to defenses, Occultists have it all.
3 Elementalist
Elementalists saw a massive buff in patch 3.13. Replacing their awkward rotating buff mechanic is a passive tree that allows Elementalists to specialize in what damage they deal. Players can spec for Fire, Cold, Lightning, or a mix of all three. Bastion of Elements also provides an absurd boost to this spec's survivability.
This Ascendancy can force shocks, chills, or ignites with every attack they deal—which can enable certain builds. Golem builds are also alive and healthy. New players, veterans, and theory crafters can all appreciate what Elementalist provides.
2 Necromancer
Necromancers can do virtually anything in Path of Exile. Minions? Nearly every node buffs them. Support? Commander of Darkness and corpse nodes make for a solid support build that can be played as a minion/support hybrid as well. Melee? Surprisingly viable due to Offerings, corpse buffs, and cluster jewels. No matter the build, Necromancer brings something to the table.
1 Trickster
Trickster is the most versatile Ascendancy in the game. Nearly every build in the game can benefit from what Trickster brings to the table. Damage-over-time builds particularly love Trickster's Harness the Void and Patient Reaper nodes, although virtually any build can benefit from these.
Every node on Trickster is good, contributing a solid chunk of offense and defense. From league starters to endgame builds, Trickster is one of the best Ascendancies a player can choose.