Pros and Cons of Playing Warbringer in Path of Exile 2

Before diving into specific builds, it's important to Path of Exile 2 Currency understand what makes Warbringer tick - and where it struggles. The Ascendancy is all about sustain, scaling, and synergy. With high armor, layered defenses, and a natural affinity for warcries and totems, Warbringer builds can survive hits that would annihilate most other classes. However, this durability comes with a few trade-offs.

Pros:

Extremely tank-heavy with up to 80% Physical and Elemental mitigation.
Cheap to build and easy to scale into the endgame.
Excellent synergy with minions and totems.
Capable of defeating pinnacle bosses like Kitava or the Pale Court with ease.

Cons:

Slower movement speed than other ascendancies.
Heavy particle effects may cause performance issues on lower-end PCs.

1. Forge Hammer Warbringer - The Volcanic Slayer

The Forge Hammer Warbringer is a standout from The Third Edict, introducing one of the patch's new signature Skill Gems: Forge Hammer. This skill acts like a ranged melee hybrid - you throw a hammer that explodes with volcanic fury when triggered by a Warcry. When paired with slam-based mechanics and Fire Attunement scaling, it becomes a devastating, screen-clearing build.

Main Skills Used:

Forge Hammer: Rageforged - Fist of War - Fire Attunement - Elemental Armament
Shockwave Totem: Overabundance - Urgent Totems - Rapid Attacks - Magnified Area - Font of Blood
Ancestral Cry: Prolonged Duration - Close Combat - Fire Penetration - Immolate - Elemental Armament
War Banner: Cannibalism - Magnified Area - Daresso's Passion - Prolonged Duration

Recommended Unique:

Chernobog's Pillar (optional)

Gameplay Loop:

Throw your Forge Hammer, Warcry to detonate it into Volcanic Fissures, and let your Shockwave Totems multiply the explosions. The War Banner builds "Glory" stacks, fueling Ancestral Cry to enhance melee strikes and fire damage.

Even without uniques, this build is powerful. Chernobog's Pillar adds extra fire conversion and resistances, helping smooth out survivability in late maps. If you enjoy fast-paced melee with fiery explosions, this is the definitive Warbringer experience.

2. Ancestral Totem Warbringer - The Army of Fire

Want to play a summoner without rolling a Witch or Sorceress? The Ancestral Totem Warbringer brings an army of spirit warriors to your side - and they hit like a truck. Using Warcries to command spectral fighters, this build feels like a hybrid between a minion commander and a battle shaman.

Main Skills Used:

Ancestral Warrior Totem: Earthshatter - Branching Fissures - Fire Attunement - Urgent Totems - Rage
Infernal Cry: Raging Cry - Swift Affliction - Second Wind - Brutality - Corrupting Cry
Seismic Cry: Execute - Elemental Focus - Astral Projection - Magnified Area
Fortifying Cry: Raging Cry - Second Wind - Astral Projection

Recommended Uniques:

Hateforge (with "three random charge" gain)
Constricting Command (optional)

How It Works:

Each Warcry fuels your Rage and triggers Hateforge, converting charges into explosive summons. Your Ancestral Totems spawn spectral warriors that synergize with Warbringer's Ancestral Spirit passive, effectively doubling your minion output.

When combined with Earthshatter, the army creates spikes that can be detonated with another Warcry for burst AOE damage. The result is a chaotic screen full of fire, explosions, and spirits tearing through enemies - all while you remain safely behind your frontline.

3. Thorns Warbringer - The Reflective Juggernaut

For players who love unconventional builds, the Thorns Warbringer flips the traditional damage formula on its head. Instead of avoiding hits, you want enemies to attack you. Every blow they land reflects devastating damage on them, making this one of the most satisfying off-meta builds in Path of Exile 2.

Main Skills Used:

Rapid Assault: Barbs - Quill Burst - Rapid Attacks - Ancestral Call
Fortifying Cry: Raging Cry - Cooldown Recovery - Physical Mastery
Time of Need: Thornskin
Scavenged Plating: Thornskin - Prolonged Duration - Physical Mastery

Recommended Uniques:

Crown of the Pale King
The Brass Dome

Playstyle:

The idea is to soak up hits and turn them into death sentences for your attackers. Crown of the Pale King ensures every hit (physical, elemental, or spell) triggers a Thornstrike retaliation. Meanwhile, the Brass Dome boosts your physical mitigation and armor, letting you laugh in the face of bosses and mob swarms alike.

Pair POE2 Items with Anvil's Weight Ascendancy, and your Rapid Assault skill will shred enemy armor while triggering counter-attacks that wipe screens clean. It's a slower, tankier, but incredibly unique way to dominate the endgame.

Final Thoughts: The Rise of the Warcry Meta

Patch 0.3 redefined the Warbringer Ascendancy, transforming it from a niche tank option into a full-fledged juggernaut capable of both clearing maps and deleting bosses. Whether you prefer explosive slams, totem armies, or reflective armor, there's a Warbringer build for you in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict.

If you're diving into this patch and looking to make the most of your time without spending hundreds of Divines, the Warbringer stands tall - literally and figuratively - as one of the best Ascendancy options in the game.

For faster leveling and stronger endgame gearing, don't forget to POE 2 Chaos Orbs for sale stock up on key materials or buy Path of Exile 2 Currency safely to accelerate your Warbringer journey.