If you want to read up about the all class tier list for Path of Exile in 2022, you can come at the right place. Path of Exile (PoE) is a unique ARPG that allows the player to build their character as they want. There are almost endless possibilities and you can either play alone or with a group of friends. There are tons of classes, items, and other things that the game offers. If you are a new player, you can easily be overwhelmed with all the content the game offers. In this article, we will look at the latest Path of Exile tier list for this year.
We will be mostly looking at the Ascendancy classes – or subclasses. There are a total of 19 sub-classes. However, since the game does not assist the player by walking them through each step, you’ll have to figure out most of the stuff for yourself. Worry not because this tier list will show you what class is worth spending time in and what to avoid. With that said, let’s dive right in and take a look at the class tier list for Path of Exile.
Path of Exile: All Class Tier List
Like our other tier lists, we will divide this Path of Exile list into various tiers – five tiers to be exact. Each tier will be properly explained and why the class is placed there will also be given. While I know that you won’t agree with all of our picks – since everyone has a different experience and opinion – these classes are usually seen this way by the community.
Related: Is Path Of Exile Cross Platform?
Before we start, here are the criteria on which each hero is placed in its respective tier:
- S-Tier: This tier includes the classes that perform the best, especially in the current meta. These classes here deal a lot of damage and have great abilities and stats that can help you out a lot.
- A-Tier: These are strong classes that can help you out in most cases. The abilities are great and the scaling is also quite good, albeit not on the level of S-Tier.
- B-Tier: The classes in B-Tier are decent choices but they are not performing the best in the current meta. While you can choose them and do well, there are better choices out there.
- C-Tier: These classes are highly average and will only be useful in certain matchups. However, they should be absolutely avoided in most cases as they are not comparable to higher-tier classes.
- D-Tier: These classes can be easily skipped and ignored without a second thought.
Plus, I would love to hear your tier lists in the comments below! With that said, let’s get started with our Path of Exile class tier list.
| Tiers | Classes |
|---|---|
| S-Tier | Trickster, Assassin, Necromancer, Elementalist |
| A-Tier | Gladiator, Inquisitor, Occultist, Ascendant |
| B-Tier | Pathfinder, Slayer, Saboteur, Raider |
| C-Tier | Juggernaut, Deadeye, Champion, Hierophant |
| D-Tier | Guardian, Chieftain, Berserker |
D-Tier
The D-tier consists of the following classes: Guardian, Chieftain, Berserker.
Guardian
Starting with the Guardian, it is actually a good class that is quite useful if you are playing with a team. However, that’s where the problem arises. Most people prefer playing PoE solo, so the Guardian cannot perform at its full potential. If you are also one of the players that prefer to play alone, you’ll notice that you cannot use most of your skills due to the fact that there is no one else to buff or heal.
If you have a permanent group of friends that you play with, then the Guardian is easily high B or low A-tier without a doubt. However, considering from the view of an average player, you won’t be having a fun time with this class.
Chieftain
The Chieftain is a decent class that shouldn’t technically belong in the lowest tier. It can deal a lot of damage and work well with some specific builds that allow the Chieftain to shine. However, the builds that allow him to perform well are not considered to be the best. Another reason for it being so low is that you can pick other classes and have a much better time without having to do as much. Hopefully, this class gets a buff so that it can rise in ranks and more players will play it since it is actually a decent class.
Berserker
The Berserker seems like an average class that can perform well in most cases. While that is true due to the good synergies with various builds to increase its damage, there are other classes that do exactly this, but better. If you want to try it out, go right ahead but I don’t suggest spending a lot of time with this class when there are tons of better choices out there that don’t take as much damage from sources.
C-Tier
The C-tier consists of the following classes: Juggernaut, Deadeye, Champion, Hierophant.
Juggernaut
The Juggernaut is a decent choice that works well with a lot of niches and builds. However, much like the Chieftain, the builds that work well with this class aren’t the best in the game right now. Plus, the Juggernaut is quite defensive, which makes it difficult to play when you are playing alone. Since you do not deal a lot of damage, solo players will have a tough time in most fights.
When playing with a team, however, you will be a useful member and the team will thank you for choosing the Juggernaut.
Deadeye
After going through a rough patch, the Deadeye was buffed in a few patches about a year ago. Now, it has new ways in which it can scale its damage and projectiles. If you are patient, you can stack up to three Mirage Archers, making you extremely strong. If the class received buffs and is quite strong, why is it in C-tier, you ask? Well, the answer is simple.
This class does not outperform others since there are better raw damage classes that can dish out damage extremely quickly. maybe this class will rise in ranks after getting a few more buffs and changes.
Champion
I’ll be honest, it hurts me to place the Champion in C-tier. In my opinion, this class is at least deserving to be in the middle of the B-tier due to its insane damage. However, there are other builds for other classes that can deal more damage than the Champion. Now for the good part. The Champion relies heavily on Impale.
The best part is that the builds that most people use are extremely suitable for Impale and can make you quite useful. But, as aforementioned, there are other builds on other classes that can do more damage by taking less effort.
Hierophant
This class would easily be in the B-tier if it wasn’t for the continuous nerfs. Now, Hierophant cannot summon two additional Totems which is a massive nerf to this class. The reason why it is not lower right now is thanks to the buffs surrounding Arcane Surge. If you are going for a mana-based build, it is extremely viable right now. If this class gets even one buff, it will again go into the B-tier without any doubts.
B-Tier
The B-tier consists of the following classes: Pathfinder, Slayer, Saboteur, Raider.
Pathfinder
Another class that was targetted by tons of nerfs and changes, the Pathfinder sits comfortably in the B-tier. Before this, the Pathfinder was overpowered in my opinion as it had tons of affinity with Flasks and Poison. Even now, if you want to use a lot of Flasks, you can find a few specific builds that can help you with it and even reward you.
Focusing on builds that help you deal more Chaos damage and Area of Effect spells is the best course of action right now. You can also get more projectiles by using the Unique Flask Dying Sun which is always a great thing.
Slayer
Moving on to the Slayer. This class used to be one of my favorites when I first started the game. The Slayer has tons of Critical Strike Chance, making it one of the most useful attacking classes. That’s not even the best part, though. The Culling Strike allows you to instantly execute enemies that are below 20% HP. This comes in extremely handy in most situations. This class is in a perfect spot of being slightly above average but not too much to be considered A-tier.
Saboteur
When a new League starts, you’ll have the time of your life playing Saboteur. This class has tons of strong single-target abilities that can destroy enemies in an instant. Plus, the traps and mines are quite annoying to play against. Both of these traps have amazing scaling that causes them to deal an insane amount of damage even in the later stages of the game.
However, after players have equipped tons of strong gear, you’ll notice that your damage is starting to fall off rapidly. However, this class is still quite nice and it deserves at least an A-tier if not for the relatively poor late-game.
Raider
After being changed in a few updates previously, the Raider synergizes well with a few meta builds in the game right now. Whether you want to focus on a spell-based build or a dexterity one, the Raider is a great class that is quite versatile. This is another class that is great for new players due to the sheer versatility and being fun to play as well.
A-Tier
The A-tier consists of the following classes: Gladiator, Inquisitor, Occultist, Ascendant.
Gladiator
Moving on to our first pick in the A-tier, the Gladiator is not only one of the most well-balanced classes but also great for either attacking or defending. Thanks to your Bleedsplosion perk, you can explode enemies that you kill which are affected by Bleed. This deals a decent amount of AoE damage to nearby enemies. If you are fighting tons of enemies or are surrounded, this perk comes in handy a lot and it can save you from sticky situations.
Inquisitor
After the launch of the Ritual update, this class climbed ranks like no other. Now, you can use spells or attacks depending on what you need or what your playstyle is. In my opinion, this is one of the best hybrid classes in the game right now. The node will give you a lot of cast speed that will help you use spells like no other class.
Occultist
This is another class that is quite versatile and well-rounded thanks to how well-balanced it is. This class is quite good without being considered overpowered. The best part is that this class is even useful against Hexproof enemies as it can cast curses on them without any issues. When it comes to damage over time, the Occultist is quite strong and is one of the strongest classes in Path of Exile.
Ascendant
This class has tons of flexibility as you can apply almost any type of build on it, and get good results. Thanks to the Scion, you can choose two Ascendancies instead of the usual one. This gives you more options as you can build this class however you want. The only issue with this is that newer players cannot use this class at its full potential.
Plus, if you do not know how to effectively use it, you’ll have a tough time properly playing the Ascendant. Otherwise, this class is easily in the S-tier.
S-Tier
The S-tier consists of the following classes: Trickster, Assassin, Necromancer, Elementalist
Trickster
This is my favorite Ascendancy thanks to its insane attacking nodes. On top of that, the perks of this class allow it to be great at defense as well. This makes it quite versatile as you can choose your own style depending on your preference. If you are a new player or are looking for a starter pick, then look no further than the Trickster. You’ll be extremely happy with this class. Plus, the more time and effort you spend with this class, the better it will get. So, the grind is worth it.
Assassin
After getting nerfed like crazy, the Assassin is still in the S-tier. Thanks to its consistency, this class is the most played in the game. Players cannot get enough of its fast-paced combat and raw damage output. In my experience, PoE rewards this type of playstyle so it is no surprise that the Assassin is the most played class. On top of that, this class is useful throughout the game so you won’t have to worry about falling off thanks to some of the strongest meta builds.
Necromancer
In most ARPGs, Necromancers are extremely strong. Needless to say that it is the same in Path of Exile as well. You can summon tons of minions to help you overwhelm the enemy and also generate corpses if it comes to that. Out of all the other classes, this is easily the most consistent and it has been in the S-tier for a long time.
Elementalist
This class is considered to be the best in PoE due to one simple reason: Golems. You can summon Golems to aid you against enemies. The best part is that the more you summon, the stronger the Golems will be thanks to their passive. The more you summon, the better they will perform. This allows you to sit back and relax while your army does everything for you. If you want to be an active participant, you can always make use of the buffs that your Golems give you to cast powerful spells and one-shot enemies.
There you have it, that’s the all class tier list in Path of Exile. Do you agree with our picks? If not, we would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! Let us know which class you think should be placed higher or lower and why.
