PoE2 0.2.0: Dawn of the Hunt – Content Reveal Review
Time: 2025-03-28 by mmojugg Game: Path of Exile 2 Guide
Path of Exile 2 is gearing up for its first major content drop, Dawn of the Hunt, set to launch on April 4th. If you didn't catch the livestream reveal, don't sweat it—I've got you covered. This update is packed with exciting additions: a brand-new Huntress class, five fresh Ascendancy classes, over 100 new support gems and unique items, a slew of new skills, and some much-needed endgame polish. As someone who's sunk countless hours into the Path of Exile universe, I'm thrilled about what's coming—but I've got a few reservations too, especially around the endgame's relentless RNG grind and the crafting problems. Let's break it all down, and I'll sprinkle in my take as we go.
The Huntress: A Spear-Slinging Powerhouse
The centerpiece of Dawn of the Hunt is the Huntress, an Azmeri warrior wielding a spear and buckler with style and swagger. Her backstory is classic Path of Exile—exiled for using forbidden skill gems to protect her village, she's a rebel with a cause. What sets her apart is her hybrid playstyle: she can dart into melee range with a flurry of spear slashes, then leap back to hurl her weapon at distant foes. It's fast-paced, dynamic, and feels like a love letter to Diablo 2's Amazon—a comparison I can't help but adore. (Side note: I'm still holding out hope for a Druid class someday, Grinding Gear Games!)
Huntress Class Overview
The Huntress brings 22 new skills to the table, and they're bursting with combo potential. Here are some highlights:
Whirling Slash: Spin up a whirlwind that blinds enemies and explodes with a fiery bang when you step out. The more hits you land, the bigger the blast—perfect for clearing tight packs.
Lightning Spear: Hurl a spear that chains lightning between enemies. It's a satisfying crowd-control option that lights up the screen.
Explosive Spear: Plant spears in the ground that detonate after a delay, roasting anything caught in the blast radius. The visuals alone make it worth spamming.
Parry: Raise your buckler to counter an attack, stunning the enemy and juicing up your next hit.
What really makes her click is how these skills play off each other. Picture this: drop an Explosive Spear to create a fire patch, then spin through it with Whirling Slash to pull the flames into your whirlwind for bonus damage. Or, time a Parry to block a big hit, then use Disengage to trigger an explosion and snag a Frenzy Charge. She can even tame rare beasts (Minion fans Hype!!!) as companions, keeping their unique mods for extra perks—like a tanky bear or a speedy bird. I've already got build ideas swirling, but I'm itching to see how she fares against endgame bosses.
Five New Ascendancy Classes: Fresh Flavors for Every Playstyle
Alongside the Huntress, Dawn of the Hunt introduces five new Ascendancy classes, shaking up build options for both her and existing characters. Here's the rundown, starting with the Huntress's trio:
Huntress Ascendancy Overview
Ritualist: This one dives deep into the Azmeri's darker traditions. With Corrupted Lifeforce, enemies sprout blood boils that burst and spread on death, while Ritual Sacrifice lets you steal mods from rare monsters you kill. It's macabre and a little messy, but I'm intrigued by its potential for chaos builds.
Amazon: A precision-based elite guard who marks enemy weak spots with Predatory Instinct and turns consumed charges into explosive projectiles via Elemental Infusion. It's a slick throwback to Diablo 2, and I'm all in for that nostalgia hit.
Third Huntress Ascendancy: Details are still fuzzy from the livestream, but hints suggest a beast-taming focus—maybe amplifying her companion mechanics. I'd love to see it lean into mobility and pet synergy.
New Ascendancy for Other Class
Other classes get love too:
Smith of Kitava (Warrior): A blacksmith-themed powerhouse who crafts fiery weapons and armor with Against the Anvil. You can even summon animated weapon clones to fight for you. The visuals are jaw-dropping, and it might just make melee Warrior builds my new obsession.
Tactician (Mercenary): A tactical leader with Suppressing Fire to lock enemies in place and Unleash Hell! to call in a barrage of off-screen archers. It's functional but doesn't scream “game-changer” to me.
Lich (Witch): A chaos-and-curse specialist wielding a Crystalline Phylactery jewel to store souls for power—at the cost of your own life. It's niche, but the occult aesthetic is spot-on for Witch fans. - But, infernalist and blood mage too perfect seem to make lich not that perfect to me.
These Ascendancies feel like a playground for theorycrafters. The Smith of Kitava has me especially pumped—it could finally give Warriors the edge they've been missing.
New Skills for All: Spectres and Mounts
Beyond the Huntress's kit, two new universal skills are dropping:
Raise Spectre: After years of teases, it's finally here. Trap monster souls and summon them as minions—go for a horde of small fry or a few beefy bruisers, depending on your Spirit budget. With hundreds of monster types in the game, this could be a minion lover's dream. I'm already plotting a spectre army build.
Summon Rhoa: Call up a rideable Rhoa bird for mounted combat at full speed. It's tailor-made for bow or spear users, but watch your stagger bar—take too many hits, and you're back on foot. It's a fun gimmick, though I'm skeptical about its durability in endgame chaos.
Support Gems: Over 100 New Toys
Build fanatics, rejoice: Dawn of the Hunt adds over 100 new support gems. Here's a taste:
Loyalty: Minions tank hits for you but lose some life in the process—a risky trade-off I can't wait to test.
Cadence: Speeds up your attacks but locks them if you overdo it. It's a burst-damage dream with a skill ceiling I respect.
Rip: Killing bleeding enemies leaves blood remnants that boost your life regen—simple but effective.
Tear: Doubles on-kill effects against bleeding foes, stacking nicely with Rip.
This seems to be the real content of poe2 0.2.0 patch, gems like Haemocrystals (turns bleed into explosive crystals) and Alignment (rewards bow users for pinpoint positioning) add strategic depth. The community's going to go nuts with these, and I'm right there with them.
Unique Items: Loot Worth Chasing
The update drops over 100 new unique items, with a mix of midgame and endgame goodies. Some standouts:
Nocturne (Buckler): Boosts mana, resistances, and accuracy, with a tweak to parry mechanics that could make Huntress builds sing.
Mjolnertorment Club: A one-handed mace that triggers level 18 lightning spells on melee hits. It's a hybrid build enabler, though it's one of many uniques teased.
Zerphi's Serapescalper's Jacket: High evasion and Soul Eater perks, balanced by hefty attribute requirements.
The Fall of the Axe (Charm): Grants Onslaught when slowed—a clever way to flip a debuff into a win.
A Monk Quarterstaff was teased too, offering core passive skills without Spirit cost—potentially broken for Ice Strike Invoker builds. I'm praying it ships as-is. The Huntress gets unique spears and bucklers, and GGG's aiming for a unique for every base type eventually. Still, I'd love more true “chase” items to keep the loot grind addictive.
Endgame Overhaul: Maps, Wisps, and Exiles
The endgame's getting a hefty upgrade with seven new maps:
Phaaryl Megaliths: Activate rune stones for 10 waves of escalating bosses. It's a brutal gauntlet with juicy rewards.
Fractured Lake: Fight mirrored rares and craft jewelry with bonus prefixes or suffixes—crafting fans will eat this up.
Azmeri Ranges: Hunt Azmerian Wisps that juice up monsters and lead to lore-heavy boss fights.
Azmerian Wisps are a new twist: these spirits bolt when you get close, buffing monsters as they go. Catch them, and they possess rares or uniques, adding new abilities and loot. With 12 variants—like Great Bear Wisp (extra life and stun) or Winter Owl Wisp (cold damage and tornadoes)—they're a neat distraction, though not a game-changer.
Rogue Exiles spice things up too: these gear-clad foes dodge, taunt, and use player skills. Beat them for their loot; lose, and they portal out. It's got Elden Ring invader vibes, and I'm hooked on the chaos they bring.
Crafting and Economy: Progress and Pain
Crafting gets:
Multi-tier runes for beefy mods.
Corrupted Essences (Hysteria, Insanity) for wild outcomes like dual-belt enchants.
Fracturing Orbs: Lock a mod for stable bases.
Recombination: Merge items in Expedition for a best-of-both gamble.
Pinnacle boss uniques now drop at any difficulty—rarer at lower levels, but accessible.Still, the heavy reliance on RNG - still no divine orb use or crafting bench - might leave crafting purists wanting more deterministic options. Economic stability? We'll see post-launch.
Thanks for Reading
Dawn of the Hunt is Path of Exile 2 flexing hard. The Huntress is a blast, Ascendancies and gems spark creativity, and the endgame feels alive. RNG's still a grindfest, and the pace can overwhelm, but it's a hell of a reason to return. April 4th—be there.
Special Pack for Your Endgame:
Also, we made some packs for your endgame! Easy Trading (Divine x50, Exalted x400), All-in-One Quality Pack (Etcher, Whetstones, Scraps, Baubles), and Ultimate Skill Pack (Gemcutters and Jewellers). Awesome, right? Check them Out!
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