The Best PoE Class for Bestiary League
It’s that time again! Patch 3.2 is live and we’ve got a brand new league, namely the Bestiary League. This one brought a lot of new content, including new PoE items, skills, and crafting options. On top of this, the Ascendancy classes have been tweaked. Everyone’s use to the hierarchy of the best classes changing a bit in the new league, but all the changes in 3.2 have shaken things up even more than usual. Read on to learn about the classes, including the Best PoE Class for the Bestiary League.
Table of Contents
Spectral Shield Throw Gladiator
Have you ever wished that Captain America was a playable character in PoE? You’re not the only one. The PoE community has been eagerly awaiting the release of the spectral shield throw skill since it was announced. Now that it’s here, you can prove that the best defense is a good offense, by tossing a ghostly copy of your shield at your enemies’ heads.
Spectral shield throw is a very interesting and dynamic skill, dealing physical damage on the initial hit and then shattering into shrapnel that pelts other nearby enemies with additional physical damage. The amount of physical damage dealt by the attack is based on your shield’s defensive stats (Armour and Evasion), and your energy shield rating affects spectral shield throw’s chance to crit. This build is expected to be able to level through the game effortlessly and hold its own at endgame.
Hierophants
Patch 3.2 is the Hierophant’s turn to get some big buffs, and they are projected to utterly dominate the Bestiary League. The author has always been a big fan of totem builds, so the Totem Hierophant variants are probably going to be my number one pick in this league. The only reason the Spectral Shield Throw Gladiator made the top of the list over the hierophant is because Spectral Shield Throw is brand new, sounds hilarious, and should at least be tried out by everyone.
The two recommended Hierophan builds use Righteous Fire Totem or Lightning Bladefall Totem, but really any totem build will work. I personally prefer Righteous Fire Totems, but it’s completely up to you. To use Righteous Fire, you would normally need a deep life lifepool, lots of life regeneration, and a ton of fire resistance to survive the fire degeneration damage that the spell does to your character.
However, if you support the spell with a Spell Totem gem, then your totems take the damage instead of you, making for much more relaxed play and lower item requirements. As a Hierophant, you’ll be able to summon four totems at once, resulting in every enemy around you to disintegrate into a pile of ashes in no time flat. This class has high DPS, high survivability, and is a treat to level.
Tectonic Slam Slayer
Do you like to do huge DPS? Do you like to run at your enemies and cut them down with a giant, two-handed sword in your best Braveheart impression? Then this is the class for you. Slayers are quite possibly the most DPS-focused class in PoE, and can absolutely carve through Wraeclast with a two-handed weapon equipped. On top of this, the class has superb Life Leech to keep you standing so you can continue your onslaught. When you add the new skill gem, Tectonic Slam, you get an AoE melee damage juggernaut of epic proportions. The Tectonic Slam Slayer can kill everything around them very quickly, and the in-your-face gameplay style is sure to satisfy.
Like most of the classes to make this list, the Tectonic Slam Slayer will make leveling a breeze and is also fully endgame viable with solid endgame gear. It really opens up if you kit it with an Atziri’s Disfavour axe.
Tornado Shot Raider
If you’re not a big fan of magic, or really one for melee combat, don’t worry, you’re not forgotten in the Bestiary League. The Ranger has always had a solid set of Ascendency Classes to choose from, and in Patch 3.2 it seems that the Raider has pulled to the front of the class. Thanks to a healthy helping of buffs in 3.2, the Raider is likely going to dish out the highest single-target DPS in this league, and will, therefore, be able to clear out end-game content more quickly than other Rangers.
One of the hallmarks of this build is its simplicity. All you need is a decent bow and some moderate boosts to physical damage, and you’re ready to roleplay Legolas. The cornerstone ability of the build is Tornado Shot, which has long been a crowd favorite. This beautifully destructive skill sends an arrow through all targets in its path and then detonates upon reaching its destination. At that point, the arrow explodes into a flurry of smaller arrows to deal AoE damage on top of the already devastating single-target power of the initial shot.
It is important to note that this class is somewhat light on defense, with your lifepool, dodge, and evasion being the only things to stand between you and gruesome death at the hands of a tough enemy. Fortunately, if you’re playing a ranged class, then you’re presumably accustomed to kiting enemies from your experiences in PoE and other games.
Conclusion
Patch 3.2 has brought a lot of big, exciting changes to PoE. A lot of interesting classes have gotten buffed, which will provide a lot of new and exciting way to survive the horrors of Wraeclast. With the new cast of Best PoE Classes in the Bestiary League, this is sure to be a fascinating league indeed, and we’re really looking forward to it. So, which class are you going to play?
For more PoE, check this out: The Best PoE Loot Filters for Patch 3.2.0 (Bestiary League)
