PoE 2 0.5 Build Tier List: Top 10 Best Endgame Builds for Return of the Ancients

Summary

This guide covers ten of the strongest endgame builds in Path of Exile 2 0.5, Return of the Ancients. Budgets range from league starter-friendly to thousands of divines. These are builds that have proven themselves in late-game content.

Part 1: Cast on Dodge (JungRoan)

Cast on Dodge is an extremely strong and fast build. It is enabled through the new Absolution amulet, which provides a free spirit charm, allowing two Cast on Dodge setups. This is one of the fastest builds available outside of Temporalis.

Strengths:

Extremely fast clear speed

Very good damage

Clever mechanics enabled by new uniques

Budget: 

High. This build requires significant investment but delivers top-tier speed and damage.

Playstyle: 

Fast-paced, high mobility. Ideal for players who want speed without Temporalis.

Part 2: Lich Twisters (Prada)

Twisters have been popular throughout the league. At very high budgets, nothing beats Lich Twisters. For league-start budgets, Deadeye and Spirit Walker are better options, but with thousands of divines invested, Lich is the best version.

Strengths:

Insane projectile speed

Insane attack speed

Full screen clear

Best Twister variant at a high budget

Budget: 

Very high. This is an endgame investment build.

Playstyle: 

Attack-move build with full-screen coverage. Extremely satisfying at high investment.

Part 3: Ice Shot Deadeye / Pathfinder

Ice Shot has turned out to be one of the best league starters available. It performs exceptionally well from level one all the way to the endgame with multiple mirror-tier investments.

Strengths:

Excellent league starter

Scales to multi-mirror tier

Extremely fast-paced

Walking build (200%+ movement speed with Pathfinder swap)

Full-screen coverage with chain explosions

Budget: 

League starter-friendly to multi-mirror investment.

Playstyle: 

Walking build with high movement speed. No movement skills required. Satisfying ice explosions and chain clears.

Part 4: Spear Worker Beastmaster (Captain Lance)

This is a zero-button build where the monkey companion kills everything. The build is extremely busted, allowing players to AFK content. The monkey instantly kills Ubers and bosses with enough damage.

Strengths:

Zero-button playstyle

Extremely tanky

League starter friendly

Scales to a very high budget

All content viable

Budget: 

50-100 divines for all content; can invest multiple mirrors.

Playstyle: 

AFK-friendly. The monkey does all the work. Perfect for players who want a relaxed endgame experience.

Part 5: Martial Artist (Generic)

Martial Artist has proven to be as broken as expected. While most builds on this ascendancy use quarterstaves, any weapon type is viable. The unique gloves from this ascendancy enable many different build types, and the bells and clones add significant power.

Strengths:

Extremely strong all-rounder

League starter friendly

Scales to multi-mirror tier

Many viable skill options

Budget: 

League starter to multi-mirror investment.

Playstyle: 

Flexible. Can be played with quarterstaves, swords, or other weapons. Strong single-target and clear.

Part 6: Gemling Fall of Thunder (Palsteron)

Gemling is a diverse ascendancy with many viable builds. Fall of Thunder is a powerful option, though it is expensive and not meant for budget players.

Strengths:

Extremely tanky

Extremely fast

One-shots most bosses

High damage output

Budget: 

1,000+ POE 2 Divine Orbs. This is a high-end investment build.

Playstyle:

Attack-move build. Uses Fall of Thunder for both clear and boss damage.

Part 7: Oil Barrage (JMac)

Oil Barrage is a unique build with excellent AoE clear and boss damage. It revolves around snapshotting mechanics for full-screen coverage.

Strengths:

Really good AoE clear

Really good boss damage

League starter friendly

Scales to high investment

Budget: 

League starter to multi-mirror.

Playstyle: 

Stand still for damage. Full-screen AoE clear with snapshot mechanics.

Part 8: Lightning Warp (Kingpin)

Lightning Warp is not new, but this version is interesting. It is fast but has significant screen clutter, making it hard to see what is happening.

Strengths:

Fast clear speed

Interesting mechanics

Budget: 

Moderate to high.

Playstyle: 

High screen clutter. Not for everyone, but a unique build worth checking out.

Part 9: Spark Cast on Element / Crit (Adorned Staff)

Spark Cast on Element or Cast on Crit remains one of the best spellcaster archetypes. Adorned Staff is a broken wand costing only one Chaos Orb, enabling extremely serious damage on a low budget.

Strengths:

Great clear speed

Excellent single-target damage from comets

Still extremely strong despite recent comet nerfs

Low-budget wand enables serious damage

Budget: 

Low to high. Accessible with Adorned Staff; scales with investment.

Playstyle: 

Spellcaster. Spark for clear, comets for single target.

Part 10: Temporalis Lightning Strike (Templar LS)

Temporalis LS is by far the best archetype in the game. Nothing matches its speed, and it delivers extremely serious damage, easily reaching 20-40 million DPS. It is also the most expensive build on this list.

Strengths:

Unmatched speed

Extremely serious damage (20-40 million DPS)

Best build in the game

Budget: 

Extremely high. Multiple mirrors required.

Playstyle: 

Fast-paced, high-damage. Nothing comes close to a fully maxed Temporalis LS build.

Key Takeaways

Cast on Dodge is the fastest non-Temporalis build

Lich Twisters is the best Twister variant at a high budget

Ice Shot Deadeye/Pathfinder is one of the best league starters

Spear Worker Beastmaster is an AFK-friendly zero-button build

Martial Artist is a broken all-rounder

Gemling Fall of Thunder is expensive but extremely strong

Oil Barrage offers full-screen AoE with snapshot mechanics

Lightning Warp is fast but screen-clutter-heavy

Spark Cast on Element/Crit remains one of the best spellcaster builds

Temporalis LS is the best build in the game, but extremely expensive

Conclusion

This league offers a wide variety of viable endgame builds. From league starters like Ice Shot and Spear Worker Beastmaster to high-investment powerhouses like Lich Twisters and Temporalis LS, there is something for every playstyle and budget.

The meta is diverse, and new builds continue to emerge. Whether players prefer fast-paced mapping, AFK farming, or spellcasting, the options are plentiful. Good luck, Exile. Happy farming.