Path of Exile 2: Monk Class Guide

Path of Exile 2 introduces the Monk, one of six new classes debuting alongside the original six. The addition of new classes brings fresh opportunities for building diversity and character fantasy. This guide will provide everything we know about the Monk class and how it works, giving you the tools to prepare for your journey.

PoE 2 Monk Overview

The Monk is an INT/DEX hybrid class, meaning it starts near the Shadow's position on the passive skill tree (top-right). This starting point offers proximity to Intelligence and Dexterity nodes, enabling you to specialize in elemental damage, mobility, evasion, and energy shield defenses.

Core Weapons: Quarterstaves and Unarmed Combat

Quarterstaffs: A Monk-exclusive melee weapon, focusing on attack-based modifiers.

Unarmed Combat: Specialized abilities that allow the Monk to deal damage with bare hands, enhancing mobility and evasion over brute strength.

Staffs: While Quarterstaves roll attack modifiers, traditional staffs are caster weapons that feature spell damage and hybrid scaling.

Monks function as agile melee fighters who emphasize mobility and elemental attacks rather than raw power. Their quarterstaves and unarmed abilities provide both offense and evasion, blending combat finesse with smooth movement.

Passive Tree and Defenses

As a class aligned with INT/DEX, the Monk will likely benefit from a blend of defensive mechanics:

Evasion: Dodge incoming attacks to avoid direct damage.

Energy Shield: Acts as a buffer for life, recharging outside combat.

Spell Suppression: Reduces spell damage taken, adding survivability against magic attacks.

Additionally, with easy access to Cold and Lightning nodes on the passive tree, Monks can integrate elemental attacks into their playstyle. These nodes provide synergies for freezing enemies and dealing bonus damage with shock effects.

New Crowd Control (CC) Mechanics in PoE 2

GGG is reworking CC mechanics in Path of Exile 2. In PoE 1, many bosses were immune to Freeze and CC, as these mechanics could trivialize content. However, PoE 2 introduces a new internal CC meter for bosses:

Internal CC Meter: As you apply Freeze, Stun, or other CC effects, the meter builds until the boss becomes affected.

Scaling CC Threshold: After a boss is frozen or stunned, the threshold increases for the next application. However, the threshold gradually decays over time, allowing strategic re-application.

This new system ensures that CC mechanics remain relevant throughout the game, giving the Monk class a valuable role with abilities like freezing enemies and disrupting boss mechanics.

Monk Skill Gems and Abilities

Here's a list of the Monk's abilities based on gameplay showcases. These skills focus on elemental attacks, mobility, and combat utility:

Lightning and Mobility Skills

Falling Thunder: Strikes the ground with lightning, consuming Power Charges to increase damage and area of effect.

Flicker Strike: Teleports between enemies, consuming Power Charges to deal instant damage.

Ice and Control Skills

Ice Strike: Strikes an enemy multiple times, freezing them.

Wave of Frost: Rolls backward while sending out a wave of ice to damage and slow enemies.

Glacial Cascade: Sends spikes of ice toward a target, dealing bonus damage to frozen enemies.

Utility and Culling Skills

Culling Palm: Instantly kills enemies at low health, granting Power Charges.

Wind Blast: Creates a gust of wind, knocking enemies back to create distance.

Shattering Palm: Places an ice bomb on a target. The bomb explodes when the target dies or takes enough damage.

How to Play the Monk Class Efficiently

In PoE 2, the gameplay focuses on skill rotation and situational abilities. Monks will need to use a variety of skills to stay mobile and adapt to combat scenarios. Below are some strategies to consider:

Use Utility Skills for Positioning:

Skills like Wind Blast or Wave of Frost help you disengage and reposition. These can be lifesavers when you need to retreat from dangerous situations.

Combo Skills for Burst Damage:

Use Ice Strike to freeze enemies, then follow up with Glacial Cascade to maximize damage with the freeze bonus.

Build Power Charges with Culling Palm:

Defeat low-health enemies using Culling Palm to generate Power Charges. These charges can then be spent on abilities like Falling Thunder or Flicker Strike for boosted performance.

Monk Ascendancy Classes (Speculated)

While we don't yet have detailed information on the Monk's Ascendancy Classes, we can speculate based on the class's theme and attributes. Each of the three Ascendancies is likely to focus on a specific aspect of the Monk's playstyle:

Elemental Specialist:

Focuses on Cold and Lightning damage, increasing freeze and shock effects.

Mobile Combatant:

Enhances mobility skills like Flicker Strike, allowing the Monk to dart across the battlefield effortlessly.

Survivability and Leech:

Specializes in life leech or energy shield recovery, helping the Monk sustain through prolonged battles.

We will update this section when official details are released.

Challenges and Considerations for the Monk Class

Skill Management:

In PoE 2, you'll need to use multiple skills to stay effective. The new skill gem system encourages skill diversity, so sticking to a single skill may not be as efficient.

Defense Balance:

Balancing Energy Shield, Evasion, and Spell Suppression is key to staying alive. Avoid becoming too reliant on one defensive layer.

Item Dependency:

Monks will likely rely on specific quarterstaffs and elemental gear to maximize their potential. Access to the right items early on can make a huge difference.

Power Charge Management:

Many Monk abilities revolve around gaining and consuming Power Charges. Learning how to manage these efficiently will be crucial for maximizing damage output.

Wrap-Up

The Monk class offers a unique blend of mobility, elemental attacks, and unarmed combat. As a melee fighter with INT/DEX alignment, it provides a new playstyle compared to the existing classes. Monks will likely be effective in freezing enemies, generating Power Charges, and using evasive tactics to survive dangerous encounters.

While the Shadow class in PoE 1 focused heavily on traps and critical strikes, the Monk brings a fresh, dynamic melee playstyle. With PoE 2's reworked CC mechanics, Monks will have even more opportunities to disrupt enemies and control the battlefield.

Make sure to stay updated on POE currency and valuable PoE items to keep your build competitive as new characters emerge in PoE 2!