7 Best Path of Exile builds in 2024 ranked: Necromancer, Gladiator & more

The best Path of Exile builds represent the best way to level and tool up your characters to not only thrive in PvP and PvE, but to create an avatar that suits your playstyle. Here is the best Path to Exile builds in 2024.

Path of Exile plays a lot like the Diablo series and features a total of seven base classes and many more Ascendancy classes (or subclasses), each with their own styles of play – and there are a whole host of builds available that can push these classes a step further.

Whether want to be a caster, a warrior, or something more nuanced like a necromancer, there’s a build to suit every style. The game’s approach to character-building is still very different from Diablo’s. There’s also more flexibility when it comes to classes.

Below, we’ve featured some of the classic and most celebrated Path to Exile builds that players can use to create a powerful play style. Or, a build that can be used as a foundation for some of the more custom and experimental builds players may want to create.

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Contents

• Oro’s Flicker Strike Raider
• Tectonic Slam Chieftain
• Mage Skeleton Necromancer
• Elemental Hit Slayer
• Impervious Herald of Agony Juggernaut
• Lacerate Gladiator
• Detonate Dead Necromancer

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Best Path of Exile builds

Each build listed below is simple to create, resulting in a character that can do massive amounts of damage in combat – we’ve also ranked them in order of power, so you’ll know which is the best to use in Path of Exile.

7. Oro’s Flicker Strike Raider

As a build that relies on the weapon Oro’s Sacrifice and the skill Flicker Strike, the idea here is to strike with your weapon to cause massive fire damage, before teleporting away with Flicker Strike and repeating.

The build essentially allows powerful tank characters to bounce around the screen, blasting mobs of enemies with an overpowered skill that’s supposed to be lugged around slowly. Flicker Strike unlocks the potential of Oro’s Sacrifice, and together, they make for a dangerous combination.

The beauty of the build is it can be created by any Strength-based build, so pick a Maunder and level them towards the goal of using powerful two-handed weapons.

6. Tectonic Slam Chieftain

The Tectonic Slam Chieftain is a celebrated build in Path of Exile, but don’t let its ranking at six on our list put you off. This is a physical powerhouse that also does massive AoE damage to enemies.

Start out with a standard Strength class like the Marauder and focus on leveling skills like Tectonic Slam and Endurance Charges with a tank build in mind. However, these two main skills will be your bread and butter. While the build is incredible at killing mobs of enemies, the reliance on AoE damage makes fighting bosses tough.

This is because Tectonic Slam and Endurance Charges aren’t geared around killing solo enemies. Therefore, always be sure to create a backup plan that takes advantage of the setup.

5. Mage Skeleton Necromancer

The Necromancer is a magic-based character whose skills rely on manipulating and reanimating the dead to do their bidding. These macabre casters are able to summon skeletons and dead enemies to fight for them, while they then hide in the background casting buffs to aid their minions and curses to hinder their foes.

To create the build, start with the Witch class and focus your efforts on summoning skills — specifically targeting the Skeleton Mage ability. You’ll need to have an abundance of Mana to pull this off – but you’ll need to accept that you’ll be vulnerable when your minions die.

Be aware that the build also has a high casting time, so overcompensate for this by summoning before the melee, or by doing so out of harm’s way and in good time. Then sit back and watch your minions annihilate your enemies.

4. Elemental Hit Slayer

As the name suggests, the Elemental Hit Slayer is a build that takes advantage of elemental magic to smite their opponents. You can focus on one certain element if you like, but you’ll come unstuck when you face an enemy that’s overly resistant to your chosen power.

Therefore, we’d recommend the Witch to be your starting class, before focusing your efforts on leveling Fire, Lightning, and Cold for a well-rounded set of skills. The good news is that you can use all three by leveling the same magic stats, but, the Elemental Hit ability is undoubtedly the icing on the cake for this build.

This will use all three of the above elements to pour massive amounts of elemental damage onto enemies at random. The beauty is that even if an enemy is resistant to one element, they’ll likely be destroyed by the next.

However, the ability can be focused on one particular element (like Fire) by using items like the Unique Jewel. Those who enjoy playing as traditional Wizards will love this build the most.

3. Impervious Herald of Agony Juggernaut

If you enjoy playing as Crusader or Paladin-like characters, then the Impervious Herald of Agony Juggernaut will be the best build for you in Path of Exile. To create this build, create a classic tank character, such as the Marauder or Duelist, then look to acquire the Herald of Agony skill gem.

A vital piece of the build overall, this already hardy Juggernaut class will have its mana buffed thanks to the gem, and will be able to poison foes and summon an Agony Crawler to turn them into dust in a flash

This build allows you to create a Templar-like warrior who can endlessly inflict status effects on mobs while moving in for the kill when they’re weakened. Be sure to keep your mana buffed, as the gem may not always be enough.

2. Lacerate Gladiator

A classic Dexterity build, the Lacerate Gladiator mostly uses the Lacerate skill to increase the likelihood of causing bleed damage. You can also use Blood and Sand which will stack with Lacerate and increase your damage output.

While a Dexterity class like the Ranger is the best route for this build, feel free to experiment with another class if you feel as if the build would benefit from more survivability should fights get intense.

The build also works with the Marauder, but we’d recommend the Duelist class, as this offers a good balance between tanky and roguish styles, allowing you to get the best of both worlds.

1. Detonate Dead Necromancer

The Necromancer reigns supreme in Path of Exile, and while there are two builds on this list in total, the Detonate Dead Necromancer undoubtedly takes the cake

Of course, like any good Necro build, this one makes use of summoning minions and watching them wreak havoc from a distance — although this time, we’ll be turning these minions into bombs to take down your foes with.

Start by creating your classic summoner Necromancer build and then switch focus to the Volatile Dead and Detonate Dead skills. This turns your minions into volatile orbs, while the corpses around them explode, causing massive damage to any enemy in the vicinity.

You can use each skill separately if you like, and in some cases, this may be preferable. However, using both at the same time to clear a map of enemies is the ultimate Path of Exile power trip, and this build is insanely overpowered.

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So, there you have it — that’s the seven best Path of Exile character builds you should be using in 2023, ranked.

For more content like this, check out some of our Diablo guides below:

Best Barbarian Builds in Diablo 3  | Best Crusader Builds in Diablo 3 | Best Demon Hunter Builds in Diablo 3 | Best Monk Builds in Diablo 3 | Best Witch Doctor Builds in Diablo 3