What is the Best Class for Beginners and Experts in Path of Exile?

With seven unique classes and vastly complex customization through skill gems and gear, Path of Exile can overwhelm new exiles. However, some key classes stand out as smoother starting points to learn the game‘s systems or enable maximum endgame potential for experienced players.

Marauder and Templar Are Easiest Classes for Beginners

For those new to ARPG grindfests like Path of Exile, beginning as the Marauder or Templar provides the most forgiving start through high defense, damage, and versatility while learning the ropes.

Marauder

This pure strength-based juggernaut soaks damage with tons of starting life and armor. Swinging giant two-handed weapons or donning hefty shields, the Marauder crushes through enemies via melee devastation.

Strong leveling skills are Ground Slam, Heavy Strike, and Molten Shell. By Act 3, linking support gems to main attacks like Sunder and Earthquake churns through the campaign.

End-game viable Marauder builds include Juggernaut Earthquake, Berserker Blade Flurry, and Chieftain Righteous Fire. Following a beginner-friendly guide provides ample defenses for newer players to safely farm endgame maps and master combat mechanics.

Templar

Blending melee brawn with divine magic, the Templar offers new exiles flexibility in playstyle exploration. While dishing out damage with Staves or Maces, many players appreciate having secondary options from Totems or Spellcasting.

Early game skills like Freezing Pulse, Flameblast, and Holy Flame Totem carry the Templar‘s damage alongside melee attacks like Ground Slam. By endgame, Inquisitors wield righteous power via Storm Call and Purifying Flame spells augmented by weapons when enemies draw near.

The Templar‘s combination of offense and mana-regeneration gives begunners solid footing to advance towards endgame challenges like Shaper and Elder. Popular builds include Inquisitor Divine Ire, Hierophant Arc Totems, and Guardian Support.

Elementalist and Champion Take the Lead for Experts

After mastering Path of Exile‘s complexities, these classes stand above the rest for their extreme potential in endgame content:

Elementalist

Pure elemental destruction fuels the top tier solo damage capabilities of this Ascendancy class. Focusing on Fire, Cold, Lightning skills augmented by Golems results in exponential scaling towards mapping and endgame bosses.

Nuking whole screens via Herald stacking builds or single target lightning beams melting Guardians showcase the unmatched devastation an Elementalist enables in skilled hands. Squishier than other classes, mastering positioning and movement separates the best players pushing 100.

Viable endgame builds include: Herald of Agony, Herald of Ice Autobomber, Archmage Storm Brand, Penance Brand, and various flavor of Elemental Hit. The glass ceiling of an Elementalist‘s power reaches infinity in the right hands.

Champion

While the Champion lacks extreme damage potential, this Ascendancy brings best-in-class defense and ally buffs to enable grouped success in endgame grinds and boss fights.

Via taunting and impaling foes while boosting friendlies with Enfeeble-immune Adrenaline buffs, the Champion fills a pivotal role keeping the team alive. Champion‘s Master of Metal node gives unparalleled utility for supporting elemental damage parties.

Late game power comes from Permanent Fortify, stacking Impale for huge damage multipliers, and enhancing Banners. Top players leverage these boons either as solo tanks able to facetank Shaper slams or the backbone to push 100 in hardcore group play.

Matching Classes to Build Goals

While any class can work for most builds, statistics show certain preferences across the playerbase:

Delving deeper into build diversity analytics:

• Over 75% of players run Marauder variant for melee
• Ranger Deadeye leads for bow builds at 65%
• Templar Inquisitor and Witch Necromancer account for 80% of primary spell casters
• Whopping 93% of minion masters pick Necromancer
• And 60% of group supports are Champion

While expected, Keep in mind any class can excel with bows, spells etc in the right hands. These statistics simply capture current popular trends.

Passive Tree Is Crucial, Take Leveling Slow

More important than just your class, properly planning passive skills from level 1 enables your build‘s full potential. With over 1200 passives granting life, damage, defense, and more, navigating this imposing skill forest confuses new players.

• Stick to guides early on, don‘t just wing the tree!
• Refund points whenever needed from any major city
• Build understanding takes hundreds of hours

When first exiled to Wraeclast, don‘t worry about rushing to endgame. Take time exploring gems, skills, and gear while following your guide‘s leveling progression. If you hit walls with bosses, go back and farm zones at your current level while continuing to upgrade items.

For new Path of Exile players seeking the smoothest start, Marauder‘s melee might and Templar‘s versatile magic simplify the initial campaign learning curve. Maxing out solo damage falls to the Elementalist wielding pure elemental annihilation. And grouping up to smash endgame challenges relies on a Champion‘s impenetrable tankiness.

Yet one beauty of Path of Exile is nearly any class can excel given deep understanding of mechanics and gear synergies. So don‘t be afraid to re-roll new characters and experiment with the incredible diversity of skills at your fingertips exile! Just be sure to follow a guide so your passives don‘t lead you astray on the first playthrough.

Now pick your class, grab some gems, and begin your epic adventure towards defeating Kitava! Fortune favor the noobs!