Whether you're diving into Path of Exile 2 for the first time in patch 0.4 or planning your next league-start push, choosing the right build is everything. Early in a fresh league, your gear is weak, currency is scarce, crafting options barely exist, and boss fights can feel brutal without solid scaling. A strong starter build speeds up your Acts progression, gets you into mapping ahead of the crowd, and puts you in the best position to farm valuable drops before the economy stabilizes.

This PoE 2 (0.4) build guide breaks down the top 3 best league starters for The Last of Druids, how they function, why they work, and what gear/passives you should prioritize.

PoE 2 0.4 Best Builds for Every Class

A good league starter in Path of Exile 2 must meet several criteria:

· Low gear requirements

· Fast clear speed

· Reliable boss damage

· Simple rotations

· Easy early defenses (resists, armor/ES, mitigation)

· Smooth scaling without uniques

The following builds hit all of these marks and outperform their respective class counterparts in patch 0.4.

1. Arc Stormweaver Sorceress – Best Caster Starter (PoE 2 0.4)

The Arc Stormweaver is the strongest caster league starter in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.4 thanks to its perfect blend of screen-wide clear, reliable single-target damage, and tankiness that comes online early.

Why This Build Is Good

· Arc offers massive chaining damage and constant Shock uptime.

· Orb of Storms adds consistent single-target DPS with overlapping pulses and Unleash.

· Sorceress gains early access to high Energy Shield, Resistances, and Sigil of Power for mitigation.

· Surprisingly tanky even on scuffed gear—around 13k effective health on day one.

· Beginner-friendly rotation and smooth leveling curve.

Recommended Gear

Main Weapon: Wrath Cry Siphoning Wand

Offhand: Dread Wish Tasalian Focus

Helm: Miracle Visage Ancestral Tiara

Armour: Pain Wrap Vile Robe

Gloves: Tempest Grip Sirenscale Gloves

Belt: Skull Harness Double Belt

Boots: Sol Sole Sekhema Sandals

Rings: Emerald Ring, Sapphire Ring

Amulet: Horror Noose Lunar Amulet

These items emphasize Lightning Damage, Spell Scaling, Energy Shield, and Resistances—everything the build needs early on.

Passive Tree: The focus is Lightning Damage, Charge Generation, and ES layers.

2. Deadeye & Amazon Ranger – Best Bow Starter (PoE 2 0.4)

The Deadeye + Amazon build is the top bow starter in patch 0.4 for players who want unmatched speed, fluid gameplay, and scalable Lightning bow damage.

Why This Build Works So Well

· Fastest movement speed in 0.4—up to 129% with frenzy charge uptime.

· Clear with Tornado Shot or Lightning Arrow, then swap to Lightning Rod or Barrage for bosses.

· Natural evasion + dodge gives great layered defenses for a dexterity class.

· Lightning penetration and frenzy scaling ramp the damage automatically as you level.

· Feels good on low gear and scales extremely well into early maps.

This build clears faster and smoother than any other bow build in the patch.

Recommended Gear

Main Weapon: Gloom Gemini

Offhand: Torment Spike Primed Quiver

Helm: Sorrow Brow Freebooter Cap

Armour: Loath Coat Slipstrike Vest

Gloves: Rapture Hand Grand Bracers

Belt: Hate Thread Mail Belt

Boots: Glyph Slippers Dragonscale Boots

Rings: Breach Ring, Iron Ring

Amulet: Mind Gorget Azure Amulet

These pieces prioritize Attack Speed, Lightning Damage, Penetration, and Movement Speed.

Passive Tree: Pathing focuses on Dexterity scaling, Frenzy Charges, Bow Damage, and Crit.

3. Mercenary Grenadier – Best Early Campaign Rusher (PoE 2 0.4)

The Mercenary leveling/Grenadier build dominates patch 0.4 thanks to its absurd low-level damage, zero gear dependency, and incredibly fast campaign times.

Why This Build Is So Strong

· Explosive Grenade, Gas Grenade, and Galvanic Shards scale extremely well at low gem levels.

· Deletes bosses before most builds even come online.

· Practically no gear requirements—rarely needs upgrades while leveling.

· Long-range playstyle + blinds from Flash Grenade = surprisingly safe.

· Wind Dancer provides strong mitigation during burst windows.

· Converts to early-mapping seamlessly, even on budget items.

If your goal is to rush to maps faster than everyone else, nothing beats Mercenary in 0.4.

Recommended Gear

Main Weapon: Pandemonium Core Makeshift Crossbow

Helm: Torment Cowl

Armour: Vagabond Armour

Gloves: Pandemonium Fist

Boots: Runner’s Threaded Shoes of the Flatworm

Rings: Lazuli Ring of the Clouds, Heated Topaz Ring of the Bear

Amulet: Rune Rosary Jade Amulet

These items simply support projectile scaling, elemental damage conversion, and early resistances.

Passive Tree: Focus on projectile nodes, Wind Dancer mitigation, and AoE scaling.

Final Thoughts

Each of these builds excels in a different playstyle. No matter what class you prefer, these three builds represent the absolute best league starters for Path of Exile 2 patch 0.4 and will carry you deep into early maps with little Path of Exile 2 Currency to no investment.