Path of Exile 2: Sorceress build guide (0.3.0 League-starter)

The Sorceress is among the most versatile classes to play in Path of Exile 2, and the Stormweaver league starter is built to utilize the newly introduced Element Infusion System in Patch 0.3.0. As you advance through the campaign, you will revolve around a multi-element caster-style gameplay using spells from fire, cold, and lightning damage types. This allows for a smooth and effective build that layers debuffs and deals destructive elemental damage to enemies.

This guide is crafted with solo self-found players in mind, who are starting a new league and are playing with what they find while exploring.

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Pros and cons

The Sorcerer build in Path of Exile 2 is super flashy with visuals and spells that dominate the early mapping section. This particular Stormweaver setup allows for a steady leveling progression and strong offensive and defensive capabilities that can deliver tremendous amounts of AoE damage to clear screens of enemies.

Pros

• Extremely easy to build without specific gear.
• Solid screen clearing capability with Spark and Flame wall combo.
• Reliable against bosses once you’ve acquired Frost Bomb and Fireball.
• Scales both Life and Energy Shield, making the defense flexible.
• Can be highly agile with proper gear.

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Cons

• Early campaigns can feel sluggish and fragile.
• Mana management can be difficult early on.
• Damage output depends on active infusions.

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Build progression (Starter)

With this build you will be utilizing different elemental spells to benefit from infusion multipliers (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

This Stormweaver Sorcerer scales fantastically from the beginning all the way through the endgame of Path of Exile 2. While the build can feel the requirement of mana management early on, the build becomes smooth once the core skills become available.

Early gear priority

• Main Hand: Begin the build with the Ashen Staff (Level 1-20 Firebolt) or the Siphoning Wand (Level 4-20 Power Siphon) until you can acquire Earthbound.
• Offhand: When using a wand, use the Twig Focus or Woven Focus as an offhand option while you wait for drops like the Engraved Focus or the Plumed Focus. A shield can also be used as a more defensive option.
• Armor (helmet, body, gloves): Prioritize Energy Shield rolls in the early game for survivability. Tattered Robes are your go-to option early on until you get a better drop.
• Boots: Anything with a mobility buff is recommended early on in the game.
• Rings and amulets: Focus on items with resistances, mana regen, and increased intelligence.

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Stats to prioritize

• Increased Energy Shield
• Movement Speed
• Spirit
• Mana
• Mana Regen
• Resistances (elemental and chaos)
• Increased Cast Speed
• Max Life
• Critical Hit Chance and Damage
• Levels to Spell Skills and Elemental Skills

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Useful unique gear

1) Luminous Pace

• Energy Shield: 52

Explicit

• 10% increased Movement Speed
• +30 to maximum Energy Shield
• +10 to Intelligence
• 20% reduced Energy Shield Recharge Rate
• 100% faster start of Energy Shield Recharge

2) Lifesprig

Skill: Grants Level 20 Mana Drain

• Requires Level 90, 205 Int

Explicit

• +20 to maximum Mana
• +3 to Level of all Spell Skills
• 10% increased Cast Speed
• Leeches 1% of maximum Life when you Cast a Spell

3) The Devouring Diadem

• Energy Shield: 61
• Requires Level 10, 17 Int

Explicit

• 100% increased Energy Shield
• +60 to maximum Life
• +20 to Intelligence
• +19% to Chaos Resistance

4) Ghostwrithe

• Energy Shield: 153

Explicit

• +100 to maximum Energy Shield
• +37% to Chaos Resistance
• 25% of Maximum Life Converted to Energy Shield

5) The Wicked Quill

Skill: Grants level 20 Chaos Bolts

• Requires Level 90, 205 Int

Explicit

• 100% increased Spell Damage
• +100 to maximum Mana
• +13% to Chaos Resistance
• Spells have a 25% chance to inflict Withered for 4 seconds on Hit

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Early game leveling skill setup for the Sorcerer in Path of Exile 2

The Sorcerer benefits from the newly introduced infusion system in POE 2 allowing for devastating damage dealing capability (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Primary Skills

• Spark: Primary clearing skill at close range.
• Frost Bomb: Provides AoE and shreds enemy resistances.
• Flame Wall: Allows for both offense and buffs for projectile spells.
• Power Siphon: Deals physical damage and adds the Culling Strike buff on spells.

Act 1 inclusions

• Fireball: Great for both single-target damage and AoE damage.
• Orb of Storms: Delete multiple enemies with AoE chaining lightning damage.
• Living Bomb: Deals area fire damage over time.

Support gem priority

• Controlled Destruction: Supported (Fireball) skills deal 25% more damage but can’t do critical hits.
• Unleash: Skill (Fireball) effects reoccur but with 50% less damage.
• Rapid Casting: Spells (Spark) can be cast 15% faster.
• Overabundance: Skills (Frost Bomb) have a +1 to Limit but have a 50% less skill effect duration.
• Spell Cascade: Supported skills (Frost Bomb and Orb of Storms) also deal damage in an area along a random axis.
• Fortress: Skills (Flame Wall) that create straight walls now do so in a circle and deal 40% less hit damage.

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Passive Tree (leveling)

For early leveling, the focus must be on raw damage output with your spells; once you have reached beyond Level 10, you can start to get some defensive options.

• Start from Spell Damage, which will give you a total of 36% increased spell damage till you reach Raw Power (notable), which grants you +10 Intelligence and 20% more spell damage.
• Elemental Damage increases the damage of elemental spells by 8%.
• Infused Spell Damage increases spell damage by another 12% if you have consumed an elemental fusion recently.
• Infused Spell Damage (notable) increases Elemental Fusion duration by 20% while Remnants can be collected from 15% further away.

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Sorcerer league starter playstyle

The build revolves around cycling through Elemental Infusions to stack massive amounts of damage multipliers.

• Use Spark to deal AoE damage.
• Finish off remaining enemies with Firebolt (Ashen Staff implicit), which deals decent single-target damage.
• Use Flame Wall strategically to buff projectiles that pass through it while dealing AoE damage to nearby enemies.
• When under attack by a large group of enemies, use Frost Bomb to deal massive AoE damage.

This cycle is effective against mobs as well as bosses in Path of Exile 2's early game. With stacked buffs from skills like Frost Bomb and Flame Wall, this build is extremely powerful and versatile early in the game.

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Check out our other Path of Exile 2 guides and features

• Path of Exile 2 Endgame systems guide
• Path of Exile 2 Item Crafting guide
• Path of Exile 2 Runes and Sockets guide