Path of Exile 2 is an upcoming expansion of the critically acclaimed action RPG, Path of Exile, developed by Grinding Gear Games. In PoE 2, the POE 2 Currency developers are introducing new mechanics, skills, and character progression options, enhancing the already deep and intricate world of Wraeclast. Among the many new builds and classes, the Tactician class is generating a lot of excitement. This build is designed to focus on strategic combat, crowd control, and tactical maneuvering, making it a perfect choice for players who enjoy planning ahead and manipulating the battlefield. In this guide, we’ll explore the ins and outs of the Tactician Build in Path of Exile 2, covering everything from core mechanics, skill trees, and gem setups, to gearing and playstyle.

What is the Tactician Build?
In Path of Exile 2, the Tactician is a new ascendancy class designed to capitalize on intelligent decision-making, battlefield control, and precise use of resources. Unlike many other builds that focus on sheer damage or tankiness, the Tactician revolves around strategic gameplay, leveraging tools like minions, traps, projectiles, and area-of-effect (AoE) skills to control the pace of the battle.

Key features of the Tactician class include:

Crowd Control: The ability to handle large mobs of enemies effectively through debilitating effects, traps, and minion control.

Area of Effect (AoE) Abilities: Skills that affect large areas, ideal for clearing swathes of enemies.

Resource Management: Unlike some other builds that deal with mana or energy, the Tactician excels at efficiently managing resources for maximum impact.

Strategic Playstyle: Every skill and move is designed to be used at the right time, making the build highly satisfying for players who enjoy being methodical.

The Tactician is all about choosing the right moments to strike, setting up traps, and dealing devastating area damage while keeping enemies under control. It’s a perfect class for players who enjoy the tactical side of gaming, preferring to outsmart their opponents rather than relying on brute force.

Core Mechanics and Playstyle
The Tactician build thrives in the mid-to-long range of combat, using strategic positioning and environmental advantages to gain an upper hand. Here’s an overview of some of the core mechanics and playstyle elements for this build:

1. Traps and Mines
A large part of the Tactician's playstyle revolves around trap-based combat. Traps are placed on the battlefield, allowing the Tactician to control the flow of enemies without having to engage directly. Traps have the benefit of preemptively hitting enemies before they even get close, and they can often cover large areas.

Proximity Traps: These will activate as enemies approach, dealing damage or applying debuffs such as stun, freeze, or burn.

Timed Traps: These have a set duration and detonate after a brief period, dealing massive area damage in exchange for precise timing.

2. Minions and Allies
The Tactician can summon and control minions, effectively turning enemies into tools for crowd control. These minions can deal damage, tank hits, or even help trigger other abilities on the battlefield.

Summon Skills: Whether it’s a zombie horde or constructs, minions serve to tie up enemies, create space, and deal steady damage over time.

Control Mechanism: The Tactician’s ascendancy includes various ways to buff and control minions. Properly positioning your minions is key to getting the most out of them.

3. Strategic Buffs and Debuffs
The Tactician is also great at buffing allies and debuffing enemies, which allows the player to dictate the tempo of combat. Skills that apply damage amplification, damage mitigation, or crowd control effects will often turn the tide of battle in the Tactician's favor.

Debuffs: Inflict negative effects like weaken, shock, and curse on enemies to reduce their resistance and increase incoming damage.

Buffs: Provide your minions or allies with boosts in defense, offense, or speed. For example, an AoE defense boost can keep your minions alive longer, while an offensive buff can empower your traps or mines.

4. Area-of-Effect (AoE) Spells
As a Tactician, many of your primary skills will be AoE spells, which allow you to clear mobs efficiently. These include projectile attacks like Fireball, Arc, or Ice Nova, as well as traps and area-based summoning.

Projectile Traps: These traps can be set up to POE 2 Currency for sale hit targets from a distance and can often deal both debuffing effects and high damage.

Summon AoE Effects: Skills that create large summon circles or shockwaves to obliterate multiple enemies at once.