PoE2 The Third Edict Monk Ultimate Leveling Build

The third Edict in Path of Exile 2 is here, bringing fresh challenges and opportunities for players to dive into Wraeclast's unforgiving world. If you're picking the Monk as your starter class, you're in for a thrilling yet demanding experience. Known for its melee prowess and tricky playstyle, the Monk requires a thoughtful skill setup to shine during leveling.

This guide will walk you through a powerful leveling build, focusing on the right skills, support gems, and passive tree strategies to make your journey smooth and effective. Whether you're freezing enemies or smashing bosses, we've got you covered with practical tips and tricks. For more Path of Exile 2 resources, consider bookmarking our site and exploring our PoE2 shop for crafting currency, Divine Orbs, Omens, and other essentials to enhance your gameplay.

Why Choose the Monk?

The Monk is a melee class that thrives on precision and adaptability. While it's considered challenging due to its reliance on positioning and skill synergy, the right build can transform it into a powerhouse. This guide focuses on a cold-based leveling setup that shifts the Monk from a traditional melee brawler to a pseudo-ranged fighter, leveraging ice skills for crowd control and burst damage. By combining Glacial Cascade, Frozen Locus, Frost Bomb, and later Tempest Bell, you'll clear packs efficiently and tackle bosses with ease.

Core Skills and Setup for Leveling a Monk

Glacial Cascade: Your Primary Damage Dealer

Glacial Cascade is the cornerstone of this build, especially after reaching Clearfell. This skill, recently buffed in the Edict League, delivers powerful cold damage in a ranged ice projectile form, making it ideal for early-game clearing. Its key strength lies in dealing extra burst damage to frozen targets, but it can't apply freeze itself. To maximize its potential, pair it with support gems like Merchel Temper (look for attack speed buffs, as names may change in patches) and Concentrated Effect for increased area damage. Focus on attack speed to ensure frequent hits, as consistent damage is more important than raw power early on.

Frozen Locus: Freezing and Utility

Frozen Locus is your secondary skill, essential for applying freeze to enemies. Despite what some outdated guides might suggest, Frozen Locus no longer deals instant damage on detonation. Instead, it requires 0.5 seconds to activate its full damage potential against bosses. Use it strategically: place the ice crystal, attack it to detonate, or use it to escape by jumping backward. Support this skill with gems like Deep Freeze to extend freeze duration or Concentrated Effect for more damage. The growing icy surface beneath the crystal also chills enemies, slowing them down for better control.

Frost Bomb: Exposure for Enhanced Damage

Frost Bomb is an elemental skill that requires intelligence but shines in its ability to apply exposure, increasing enemies' cold damage taken. This debuff is critical for amplifying your Glacial Cascade and Frozen Locus damage. Place Frost Bomb to detonate after a short delay, clearing weaker enemies and setting up tougher ones for your freeze combo. Support it with Magnified Effect for a larger area of effect or Arcane Tempo for faster casting. Early on, Frost Bomb's exposure is more valuable than its direct damage, so prioritize gems that enhance this debuff.

Tempest Bell: Boss-Killing Power

After defeating the boss in Red Whale, you'll unlock a level 3 uncut skill gem, and Tempest Bell is the go-to choice. This skill requires four melee combo points to activate, generating a bell that deals damage and resonates with shockwaves when struck. Support it with Overabundance to drop bells more frequently and Rage to generate rage on hits, boosting your damage output. Tempest Bell synergizes beautifully with Glacial Cascade and Frozen Locus, as elemental hits amplify its shockwaves, making it a devastating tool against bosses.

Optional Early Skill: Contagion

If you find an extra skill gem, consider crafting Contagion at level 1. This skill spreads an AOE debuff that rapidly drains enemy health, making it a nice addition for clearing weaker mobs. While not essential, it can ease early-game progression.

Support Gems: Sculpting Your Skills

Uncut support gems are crucial for tailoring your skills to the Monk's needs. Here's what to prioritize:

• Glacial Cascade: Focus on Merchel Temper (attack speed) and Concentrated Effect (area damage). Avoid gems with penalties to ensure consistent performance.

• Frozen Locus: Use Deep Freeze for longer freeze duration or Magnified Effect to enhance the chilling ground effect.

• Frost Bomb: Opt for Magnified Effect or Arcane Tempo to boost exposure and casting speed.

• Tempest Bell: Pair with Overabundance and Rage for frequent bell drops and sustained damage.

When selecting support gems, use the in-game filter (check the box on your controller or UI) to search for keywords like “attack speed," “area damage," or “freeze buildup." Experimentation is key, as new support gems are introduced each league.

Passive Skill Tree: Prioritizing Damage

During the campaign, your passive skill tree should focus on raw damage and attack speed to ensure smooth leveling. Ignore critical hit chance and critical damage until you reach maps (around level 60). Here's a step-by-step approach:

1. Early Game (Act 1–3): Invest in nodes that boost attack damage, attack speed, and skill speed. Look for flat damage increases and avoid critical-focused nodes. A small investment in life regeneration can help with survivability.

2. Mid-Game (Act 3–5): Travel toward nodes that enhance cold and lightning damage, especially if you're using Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder. Nodes that increase your chance to shock or blind enemies are also valuable for damage and survivability.

3. Herald Synergy: By Act 3, unlock Herald of Thunder to complement Herald of Ice. These skills amplify your clear speed by adding lightning and cold damage buffs. Use Cold Infusion and Ice Bite on Herald of Ice, and Conduction on Herald of Thunder for shock synergy.

4. Late Campaign: After Act 4 or 5, consider nodes like Resonance, which converts frenzy charges to power charges, boosting your damage further. Pair this with Combat Frenzy or Hint of Chaula for charge generation.

Key Milestones and Spirits

Act 1: Frigid Village and Herald of Ice

In Frigid Village, complete rituals to spawn monsters and defeat the area boss. This boss drops an uncut spirit gem, unlocking Herald of Ice. This spirit skill triggers explosions when frozen enemies shatter, dealing area damage. Support it with Concentrated Effect and Magnified Effect for maximum impact. Herald of Ice is a game-changer for clearing dense enemy packs.

Act 3–4: Herald of Thunder and Charge Synergy

By Act 3, craft Herald of Thunder to gain lightning damage buffs when defeating shocked enemies. Combine it with Conduction for increased shock chance and Cold Infusion on Herald of Ice for a dual-element synergy. Use Lesser Javar Orbs (more common in Act 3) to enhance these spirits or your main skills like Ice Strike or Tempest Bell.

Act 5: Ice Strike and Endgame Transition

After defeating the Executioner, you'll unlock Ice Strike, a level 5 skill that converts physical damage to cold and delivers a powerful third strike in its combo. Support it with Merchel Temper for attack speed and Concentrated Effect for area damage. Optionally, add Cold Infusion for faster freezing. Ice Strike, paired with Tempest Bell, will carry you through the campaign and into tier 15 maps if you keep your gear updated.

Optional: Hint of Chaula and Marks

At level 11, consider Hint of Chaula to apply curses like Freezing Mark (for more freeze buildup) or Sniper Mark (for frenzy charges on critical hits). These marks enhance your damage and survivability, especially in tougher fights. If you pursue critical strikes, invest in passive nodes like Resonance to convert charges and boost power.

Gear and Progression Tips

• Gear Upgrades: Constantly upgrade your gear to maintain damage and survivability. Focus on items with cold damage, attack speed, and life.

• Crescendo for Ice Strike: This support gem makes the third strike of Ice Strike hit twice, significantly boosting damage. Use it if you find a third gem slot.

• Act 1 Boss Strategy: Use Frost Bomb to apply exposure, drop Tempest Bell, and spam Ice Strike or Glacial Cascade to freeze and burst down the boss. Herald of Ice explosions will clear adds.

• Campaign to Maps: Ice Strike and Tempest Bell are sufficient for campaign and early maps. Prioritize attack speed and area damage to handle increasing monster density.

FAQs About the Monk Leveling in Path of Exile 2

Why not use Falling Thunder for leveling?

Falling Thunder is a solid skill but was outshined by Glacial Cascade's buffs in the Edict League. Glacial Cascade offers better range and synergy with freeze mechanics.

Can I skip Frost Bomb if I don't have enough intelligence?

Yes, Frost Bomb is less critical than Glacial Cascade or Frozen Locus. Focus on exposure if you use it, but you can rely on other skills if intelligence is an issue.

How do I find the right support gems with renamed gems in the patch?

Use the in-game filter to search for keywords like “attack speed," “area damage," or “freeze buildup." Check gem descriptions to match your needs.

Is Tempest Bell necessary for leveling?

Tempest Bell is optional until Red Whale but becomes essential for bosses due to its high burst damage. Use it alongside Glacial Cascade for optimal results.

When should I start investing in critical strikes?

Avoid critical hit chance and damage until level 60 or maps. Focus on flat damage and attack speed during the campaign for consistent clearing.

Thanks for Reading

This Monk leveling build for Path of Exile 2's Edict League offers a versatile and powerful approach to dominating the early game and beyond. By leveraging Glacial Cascade, Frozen Locus, Frost Bomb, and Tempest Bell, you'll freeze, shatter, and obliterate enemies with ease. Keep experimenting with support gems and passive nodes to tailor the build to your playstyle. Stay tuned to MMOJUGG for more guides, tips, and resources to elevate your Path of Exile 2 experience.