The Monk class is Path of Exile 2’s resident martial artist, using their focus and mastery over the elements to destroy their foes. Here’s the best Monk build to try in early access of PoE 2.
Much like the Monk class in other ARPGs games, the character is a holy warrior who combines rapid hand-to-hand combat, infused with the power of ice and lightning to create their unique fighting style. The Monk has total control over their emotions and uses their drive and peaceful state to make the world a better place.
However, as dark forces converge in Path of Exile 2, you’ll want to know what the best build to use in early access is. Below, we’ll give you a full breakdown of the most effective Monk setup we’ve used so far.
What’s The Best Monk Build in Path of Exile 2?
The best Monk build we’ve tried in Path of Exile 2 early access is the Ice Thunder Invoker build, one that you can make use of in the early hours, endgame, and beyond.
Of course, Path of Exile 2 is still in early access, so the meta isn’t complete, however, every major update shakes it up somewhat. But in our experience, this is currently the best and most well-rounded Monk build you can craft.
What’s The Best Ascendancy in Path of Exile 2?
The best Ascendancy to choose for this build is Invoker, as you may have guessed from the name.
This is an Ascendancy all about infusing the Monk’s abilities with elemental damage, making them akin to a martial artist sorcerer in many ways – just one that’s deadly in close combat rather than relying on AOE attacks.
Be warned, once an Ascendancy has been chosen, it cannot be changed, even if you respec your skills, so be sure this is the build you want. If you do want to respec later, you’ll need to choose a build within the same Ascendancy.
What Are The Best Skills for Monk Build in POE 2?
Now that you know which Ascendancy you’ll be using, you’ll want to decide on the key Passive Skills that’ll work best for this build.
So, for the Ice Thunder Invoker, select the following passives from the Skill Tree:
- Coal Stoker
- Unnatural Resilience
- Forged in Flame
- Smith’s Masterwork
- Tantalum Alloy
- Motlon Symbol
- Support Straps
- Kitavan Engraving
- Leather Bindings
- Flowing Metal
You’ll eventually be able to add even more passives from the Skill Tree, so for this build, focus on skills that not only improve your damage output and defense but also boost your elemental attacks.
The Monk is a hybrid class that fights hard up close but also relies on magical elements, so you’ll want to keep this balanced when leveling them up.
Which Skills And Support Skills Should You Pick?
Now you’ll need to decide which Main Skills and Support Skills you use. This is the meat of the build, and the skills we pick here will do the bulk of our offensive damage in combat. First, we’ll be picking our Main Skills, then boosting them with Gems/Support Skills.
Below, we’ll list the best Main Skills for this build and the one to five Support Gems/Skills ideally used alongside them:
| Main Skill | Support Gem 1 | Support Gem 2 | Support Gem 3 | Support Gem 4 | Support Gem 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ice Strike | Primal Armament | Martial Tempo | Rage | Concentrated Effect | Practiced Combo |
| Flicker Strike | Hit and Run | Perpetual Charge | Ambrosia | Rageforged | Close Combat |
| Charged Staff | Persistance | Twofold | Innervate | Conduction | Coursing Current |
| Tempest Bell | Overabundance | Font of Rage | Execute | Heavy Swing | – |
| Herald of Ice | Magnified Effect | Reach | Cold Infusion | – | – |
| Herald of Thunder | Cold Infusion | Glaciation | Lightning Mastery | Embitter | – |
| Combat Frenzy | Profusion | – | – | – | – |
| Wind Dancer | Pin | Lockdown | – | – | – |
| Ghost Dance | Fast Forward | Cannibilism | – | – | – |
Feel free to add more Support Gems to some skills once you complete the build and want to make it your own—if you have points left over.
What Are The Best Items to Equip?
As with all AARPGs, the weapons and armor you pick in Path of Exile 2 are part of what defines your build and buffs your core skills and attributes. These buffs are generally even more useful than the item’s base defensive/offensive stats, which is why we target specific items.
You’ll likely come across multiple versions of each item in PoE2, and your current level will dictate which versions you loot. However, you’ll be able to replace one with a more powerful version of the same item later as you grow in power.
So don’t panic if you find one of the below items and it soon outgrows it.
| Item Type | Item Name | Key Buffs |
|---|---|---|
| Weapon | Sinister Quarterstaff | Boosts Physical Damage, Attack Speed, and Elemental Damage |
| Offhand | – | – |
| Helm | Soaring Mask | Adds chance to poison |
| Armor | Falconer’s Jacket | Boosts Energy Shield, Movement Speed, and Resistances |
| Gloves | Vaal Wraps | Boosts Physical Damage, Attack Speed, and adds Fire Damage |
| Boots | Quickslip Shoes | Boosts Movement Speed and Resistances |
| Belt | Utility Belt | Boosts Energy Shield, Movement Speed, and Resistances |
| Ring 1 | Prismatic Ring | Boosts Cold Damage and Resistances |
| Ring 2 | Prismatic Ring | Boosts Cold Damage and Resistances |
| Amulet | Amethyst Egg | Boosts Mana regen, Resistances, and Cold Damage |
| Charm 1 | Experimenter’s Thawing Charm of the Chemist | Immune to Freeze |
| Charm 2 | Nascent Hope Thawing Charm | Chance to gain charge when killing an enemy |
| Charm 2 | For Utopia Stone Charm | Immune to Stun |
Remember, these are the late and endgame versions of these items, so it’ll take time to find them all. Therefore, don’t worry if you have to use other gear in the meantime; just aim for the above items or consider them as examples.
Will you be punching some monsters with the Monk class in Path of Exile 2? Or would you prefer to use one of the other classes, such as the Mercenary, Huntress, Ranger, Warrior, Witch, and Sorceress?
Let us know via the Insider Gaming forum, where you can get involved in all the latest Path of Exile 2 discussions.
