The Forbidden Rites event is coming to Path of Exile 2, and obviously that brings up the question that always comes with a new start: “What build should I play?”This time, we make the top 10 Path of Exile 2 0.5.5 best builds and league starters.

Top 10 Best PoE 2 0.5.5 Builds for Forbidden Rites

We picked out 10 builds that I think are extremely interesting for starting Forbidden Rites, focusing mainly on three things: making the early game easier, having little dependence on specific items, and, most importantly, choosing builds that won’t make you reach the endgame and think, “Why did I choose this build?”This isn't necessarily a ranking from strongest to weakest. Some builds are great for Solo Self-Found, while others are designed to completely destroy bosses. There are also options for players who want speed, minions, ranged combat, or a more relaxed playstyle.

1. Sanded Fire Varasha

This is probably one of the builds I'd be least afraid to recommend to anyone during the event, especially if you're planning to play SSF or simply don't want to depend on the market from day one. The biggest advantage is that you don't need a mandatory PoE 2 Unique item to get the build working. During the early Acts, you can use grenades to speed up your progression. Once you get the Varasha-related Ascendancy, the build changes dramatically and begins to revolve around the Varasha Scepter and its associated skills.

2. Spirit Walker Monkey

If you don't want to kill monsters yourself and would rather let a monkey do all the work, then Spirit Walker Monkey is the build for you. You start with Twister and Whirling Slash during the early Acts. Once you reach Act 3, the real build begins. You tame the Silverback and start turning your gorilla into an absolute monster. As you progress through the maps, you can find increasingly powerful versions of your companion. One of the most interesting aspects is that critical bonuses can scale through the companion itself.

3. Essence Drain Contagion

Essence Drain Contagion Witch might not be the most broken build on this list, but it is one of the most consistent. Its biggest advantage is how simple the build is. It comes online very early. You get Contagion, add Essence Drain, and you're already clearing packs by combining the two skills. You don't have to wait until level 40, you don't need a specific Unique, and you don't have to make four different transitions during the campaign. It simply works. The build can also become surprisingly tanky with relatively little investment.

4. Plant Daddy

If comfort is your priority, Plant Daddy is one of the most interesting choices. You get your main tools relatively early and can carry the same basic concept all the way into the Uber endgame. As the build develops, more and more parts of the gameplay can be automated. Some versions can automate Thunderstorm with Cast on Critical, while others incorporate Comet, Living Bomb, and even Deadeye-related detonations. So while people simply call it a "plant build," there is actually a lot of room for customization.

5. Whirling Assault Martial Artist

This is probably one of the builds many players expected to be strong in 0.5.5: Whirling Assault Martial Artist. It's one of my favorites because of how satisfying the gameplay feels. You jump into packs, use Whirling Assault, generate charges, unleash your clones, and completely erase everything on the screen. Once the build starts scaling its damage properly, the numbers become ridiculous. Even Pinnacle Bosses can get destroyed. The catch is that Whirling Assault isn't available until around level 41, so you have to survive the early campaign before the build reaches its real form.

6. Ice Shot Deadeye

If you want to play a bow build, Ice Shot Deadeye is an excellent choice. The biggest advantage is Freeze. Freeze isn't just damage — it's also defense. If enemies are frozen, they can't hit you. The progression is also relatively comfortable. You can start with Lightning Arrow and transition into Ice Shot during the campaign. For single-target damage, you can incorporate tools such as Tornado Shot, Snipe, and Barrage depending on the setup. There is an important difference between an Ice Shot build that simply works and one that is fully optimized.

7. Spirit Walker Twisters

Another major meta option for 0.5 is Spirit Walker Twisters. The beginning can feel a little strange while you're trying to combine Whirling Slash, Twister, Fang of Frost, and other tools into a coherent combo. But once you understand how everything fits together, the build becomes a map-clearing machine. It's extremely fast, has strong damage and mobility, and can scale its DPS significantly without requiring huge investment. The main warning is for SSF players: the truly absurd versions of the build start taking advantage of certain Unique items.

8. Hollow Form

We also have another Martial Arts variation: Hollow Form. Again, don't choose this build expecting the smoothest campaign experience in PoE 2. The main problem is reaching the point where Whirling Assault becomes available. Once you get past level 41 and the rest of the build comes together, however, things become much smoother.

9. Frost Bolt Varasha

If you like the idea of Varasha but prefer a more traditional caster playstyle, Frost Bolt Varasha is an excellent alternative. Frost Bolt handles your clear, while Frost Wave and Frost Bomb help destroy enemies and provide strong boss damage alongside other tools such as Comet. It's an extremely solid build, but there is one important consideration: Snake Pit. Snake Pit isn't mandatory for the build to function. You can continue progressing through maps without it. However, once you obtain it, the build's potential increases considerably.

10. Shattering Palm Cast on Crit

Shattering Palm Cast on Crit is another fan favorite, but I wouldn't recommend it as the first choice for a completely new player. That's not because it's weak. Quite the opposite. Once everything comes together, the combination of Shattering Palm, Falling Thunder, and Cast on Critical can completely destroy anything it touches. The problem is getting there. You can level with other skills and use Assault for a while to make the campaign more comfortable. Then you transition into Shattering Palm and eventually into the full Cast on Crit setup.

Honorable Mention: Spark Storm Weaver

As an honorable mention, we have Spark Storm Weaver. Spark is very strong during leveling and the early endgame. The problem starts when you try to reach its true ceiling, because certain Unique items and specific interactions become increasingly important. That doesn't mean Spark is dead or bad.

Why These Are the Best PoE 2 0.5.5 Builds

The main reason these builds stand out isn't simply raw DPS. They cover the things that matter most for a new league/event start: early progression, investment requirements, survivability, endgame scaling, boss damage, and playstyle variety.

• Safest starter: Sanded Fire Varasha

• Best minion/fun build: Spirit Walker Monkey

• Easiest beginner build: Essence Drain Contagion

• Best low-effort build: Plant Daddy

• Best melee DPS: Whirling Assault

• Best bow build: Ice Shot Deadeye

• Best mapper: Spirit Walker Twisters

• Best high-end melee: Hollow Form

• Best caster: Frost Bolt Varasha

• Best advanced CoC build: Shattering Palm CoC

• Best honorable mention: Spark Storm Weaver

Overall, Sanded Fire Varasha is probably the safest all-around recommendation for Forbidden Rites, while Whirling Assault, Spirit Walker Twisters, Hollow Form, and Shattering Palm CoC are more attractive if your priority is pushing the damage ceiling. ED Contagion and Plant Daddy are better choices if you simply want a smooth, low-stress league start.

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