PoE2 Monk Leveling Build for Dawn of the Hunt

Ice Monk Basics: Cold, Calm, Collected

The Ice Monk in Dawn of the Hunt leans hard into cold damage, turning enemies into popsicles before smashing them to bits. Early on, you'll be ditching slow skills like Thunder Strike - monsters get too zippy for it. Instead, we're rocking Glacial Cascade as a starter, paired with Frost Bomb. Why? Glacial Cascade converts physical damage into cold, while Frost Bomb exposes enemies to more cold damage and chips away at their health. It's a slick duo that keeps you safe at range while your melee swings deal with anything stupid enough to get close.

Gearing Up and Skill Progression

Starting out, grab an uncut skill gem from the abandoned stash in Clearfell—easy pickings. After defeating the worm boss in Wild Nest with your Frost Bomb and Glacial Cascade combo, you'll get a level 2 Skill Gem. Return to the camp for an uncut support gem and slot Concentrated Effect into Glacial Cascade. It shrinks the AoE, but increases damage by 30% - multiplicative, not additive, so it's a chunky upgrade.

At Gruwood's Witch Hut you'll find another support gem. This is where Contagion enters the chat - it requires 9 Intelligence (grab it from gear or a quick attribute point), but it's worth it. This DoT spreads like wildfire when an enemy dies, clearing packs effortlessly. Later, at level 14 in Aram Village, swap Contagion for Ice Strike. With 80% physical to cold conversion and freeze potential, it's your bread and butter in melee. Add Frozen Locus back into the mix for crystals that set up explosive finishes with Glacial Cascade.

Support Gems and Combos: The Icy Edge

Support gems are where this build shines. For Tempest Bell (unlocked around level 6), use Overabundance (reduces duration but lets you chain bells) and Rage (2% more damage per hit, stacks quickly). Ice Strike gets Concentrated Effect for raw power, while Frozen Locus rocks Ice Bite (35% extra cold damage when freezing) and Glaze to make sure freezes stick. Herald of Ice adds Magnified Effect to boost AoE shatter, and Glacial Cascade finishes with Leverage for crits on frozen foes.

The combo? Frost Bomb reveals, Frozen Locus freezes, then Ice Strike or Glacial Cascade shatters. Against bosses, drop a Tempest Bell, build up combos with melee hits, and watch the stun lock pile up. Need range? Drop back, let Glacial Cascade use up Frost for big explosions - just don't overdo it or you'll thaw your targets too soon.

Passive tree: Frosty Foundations

The Monk's old top-right rush for crit and resonance got nerfed hard in Dawn of the Hunt. Instead, focus on flat damage early on. Start with attack damage nodes, grab skill speed, and snag mana regeneration to keep spamming. Pick up dexterity and intelligence as needed—gear can fill gaps, but don't sleep on freeze buildup nodes later. Mid-game, pivot to the quarterstaff cluster for better freeze scaling, then loop back for Resonance and power charges if you want lightning flair. Early survivability comes from dodge and energy shield nodes - movement speed is a bonus.

Late game tweaks: Full Ice Power

By Act 4 or 5, ditch Glacial Cascade for Charged Staff (needs Combat Frenzy and Resonance for power charges) if melee feels comfy. Slot Freezing Mark or Hand of Chaula with Hypothermia to boost cold damage. Gear-wise, look for maces or quarterstaffs with physical damage, attack speed, crit, and added cold/lightning - skip fire, it's dead weight here. Wind Dancer (unlocked late at 100 Spirit) adds card dodge to round out your defences.

Why Ice Monk Rules

This build's not about one-button facerolls—it's about timing and flow. Freezing a mob, dropping a bell, and watching it all explode feels downright satisfying. Sure, it's not the old brain-dead glory days of Monk, but it's smarter, smoother and still packs a punch. From campaign to maps, it scales without breaking a sweat.

Thanks for Reading

The Ice Monk in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt is a frosty gem - easy to pick up, rewarding to master. Keep an eye on MMOJUGG for more builds and tips on how to dominate the hunt!