In Path of Exile 2, few Ascendancies offer a blend of raw elemental dominance and unique utility quite like the Smith of Kitava. This flame-forged warrior channels the primal power of Kitava, twisting it to forge weapons, spells, and armor in the heat of battle. While its mechanics may seem enigmatic at first glance, the Smith becomes a powerhouse once mastered — combining potent defense, fire-based offense, and one of the most fascinating crafting-style abilities in the game.

In this guide, we'll break down the strengths of the Smith of Kitava, highlight the passive skills that define the playstyle, and explore how POE 2 Currency factors into making this build shine.

The Essence of the Smith

Unlike more straightforward Ascendancy classes, the Smith of Kitava thrives on synergy and experimentation. Many of the keystone abilities — like Temper Weapon, Manifest Weapon, and Fire Spell on Hit — require in-game experience to truly grasp their potential. These passives don't offer flat boosts; instead, they open up dynamic interactions between your gear, your skills, and your combat style.

    Temper Weapon and Manifest Weapon allow you to imbue your attacks with enhanced power and even manifest weapons temporarily during combat, blending physical and elemental damage in devastating ways.

    Fire Spell on Hit lets you unleash a secondary burst of flame each time you land a hit, creating an aggressive, spell-infused melee or ranged hybrid build.

These mechanics promote an active, responsive playstyle where weapon choice, attack speed, and fire damage scaling all influence your total output.

Unmatched Defense

Where the Smith of Kitava truly stands out is in its defensive prowess. Two passives — Coal Stoker and Forged in Flame — offer some of the strongest survivability tools available in Path of Exile 2.

    Coal Stoker is a game-changer. It raises your elemental resistances in such a way that you don't need to rely heavily on suffix modifiers from gear. This frees up a large portion of your gear crafting to focus on damage-focused affixes, improving your offensive capabilities while still remaining tanky.

    Forged in Flame grants bonuses that scale with fire damage taken and dealt, often giving mitigation, regeneration, or even offensive bonuses while under fire. This passive fits perfectly with Path of Exile's chaotic, high-damage encounters where standing in danger is sometimes unavoidable.

One of the most overlooked mechanics in the game is maximum resistance. Even a 5% increase in maximum elemental resistance can reduce incoming elemental damage by up to 20%, making passives and gear that scale this stat exceptionally valuable. This is where POE 2 Currency becomes vital — you'll want to prioritize items with these rare modifiers, and that means heavy crafting or trade.

Smith's Masterwork

Perhaps the most defining trait of the Smith of Kitava is Smith's Masterwork, a passive that allows you to craft a custom chest piece using your own Ascendancy points. This comes at a cost — fewer points to spend elsewhere — but the reward is a tailor-made armor piece that synergizes perfectly with your build.

The chest piece can incorporate elements of both defense and offense, based on your choices and the structure of your passives. This unique customization makes the Smith one of the most flexible Ascendancy paths in the game — ideal for creative players who enjoy theorycrafting.

When designing your chest, keep in mind how other key passives such as Living Weapon, Against the Anvil, and Heat of the Forge affect your build. With only 8 Ascendancy points to spend, balancing your loadout is crucial. Investing points into the Masterwork should be strategic — use it to patch weaknesses or enhance your core strengths.

Supporting Passives Worth Exploring

Beyond the main keystones, the Smith offers a wide array of passives that contribute to different playstyles. Not all will fit every build, but many have strong situational value:

    Dedication to Kitava: Buffs damage while also feeding into thematic synergy with Kitava's chaos and hunger.

    Support Straps: Improves armor-based scaling, excellent for more tank-oriented builds.

    Flowing Metal and Molten Symbol: Lean into elemental and melee hybridization, boosting both direct and spell damage.

    Kitavan Engraving: Offers unique modifiers that can interact with the fire-themed mechanics or add bonus utility depending on your weapon setup.

Each of these passives adds a layer of identity and can dramatically alter your gameplay depending on your priorities.

Using POE 2 Currency to Perfect the Build

Mastering the Smith of Kitava isn't just about choosing the right passives — it's also about leveraging POE 2 Currency to fine-tune your build. Currency is crucial for:

    Crafting powerful chest pieces using Smith's Masterwork.

    Rolling high-tier resistances or fire damage affixes without compromising on suffixes.

    Trading for niche uniques that enhance fire damage, weapon manifestation, or resistance scaling.

Chaos Orbs and Divine Orbs will be your bread and butter, but don't ignore currency like Orbs of Binding or Imprints, especially when dealing with custom-crafted gear. Keep an eye out for rare base poe2 items that naturally roll with resistance or fire-specific affixes, and be ready to invest.

Final Thoughts

The Smith of Kitava is not your average Ascendancy — it's a playground for players who enjoy theorycrafting, customizing gear, and forging a warrior in the flames of combat. With flexible defense, spell-and-attack synergy, and one of the most intriguing crafting mechanics in Path of Exile 2, this class offers a rewarding experience for those willing to master it.

And remember, a well-built Smith isn't just forged in battle — it's built with time, knowledge, and the smart use of POE 2 Currency.

MMOexp POE 2 Team