Ultimate Endgame Monk Build Guide for Path of Exile 2

Embarking on your journey as a Monk in Path of Exile 2 is an exciting adventure, especially as you approach the challenging endgame. To maximize your character’s potential, it’s crucial to optimize your build with the best skills, gear, and passive abilities at your disposal. If you’re contemplating a respec, rest assured, your Monk possesses a remarkable versatility that allows for various playstyles and strategies.

Whether you’re inclined towards Cold or Lightning damage, favoring bare-hand combat or wielding quarterstaves, and choosing between Invoker or Acolyte of Chayula, all options are viable for the demanding endgame content. Here’s a guide to constructing a formidable Monk to thrive in the later stages of Path of Exile 2.

Optimal Gear for an Endgame Monk Build in PoE 2

Top Weapons for Your Endgame Monk

Path of Exile 2 characters including a monk, druid, and sorcerer. — Image by: Garrett Ettinger

While a bare-fisted Monk build is feasible, it’s advisable to prioritize quarterstaves as you reach the endgame. Focus on weapons that enhance your Monk’s strengths in Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, and increase your elemental or physical damage, critical hit chance, evasion, and energy shield.

A prime weapon choice is the Collapsing Horizon Wyrm Quarterstaff, obtainable through boss farming or on the Exchange. Requiring a level of 65, it provides an impressive 100% increase to elemental damage, boosts critical hit chance, and automatically elevates the level of your spells. This synergizes exceptionally well with an elemental damage Invoker build, which we will discuss further.

Ideal Armor for Your Endgame Monk

As a Monk, your armor choices are limited to lighter gear such as robes or garments. In the endgame, continue seeking armor with enhancements in Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, elemental or physical damage, and critical hit chance. A standout option is Atsak’s Sight Veiled Mask, which boosts Intelligence, Dexterity, and critical hit chance while applying poison to enemies upon landing critical hits.

Essential Skill Gems for Your Endgame Monk Build in PoE 2

Gathering Storm

A Monk levitating rocks in a canyon in Path of Exile 2.

One of the pinnacle skills available to Monks is Gathering Storm, requiring a level 13 Uncut Skill Gem, 66 Dexterity, 66 Intelligence, and a level 52 Monk. This skill enables your Monk to perform an acrobatic backflip, distancing themselves from enemies while empowering their weapon. Following this, your Monk returns with a slam, dealing potent Lightning damage to nearby foes.

This skill comes with a timing mechanism, rewarding expert players who can trigger it at just the right moment. A perfectly executed Gathering Storm emits lightning shockwaves, continuously damaging enemies within the area for a limited time, satisfying crowd control needs effectively.

Tempest Bell

Available early on, Tempest Bell requires a level 3 Gem, a level 6 Monk, and 10 Dexterity and Intelligence. With sufficient upgrades, this skill remains valuable throughout the game, unleashing a massive bell that sends shockwaves when struck. Placing it strategically beside an enemy significantly amplifies damage output in a short duration.

Shattering Palm

If you’re leaning towards a Cold damage build, look no further than Shattering Palm. This skill requires an 11-level Skill Gem, a level 41 Monk, plus 52 Dexterity and Intelligence. It allows your Monk to leap forward, striking an enemy and creating an icy explosion that inflicts widespread damage.

Crucial Passive Skills for Your Endgame Monk Build in PoE 2

Critical Exploit

Path of Exile 2 skill tree illustration.

When you level up, you’ll earn skill points to navigate the skill tree, beginning from the upper-right side that features Intelligence and Dexterity-related passives. One notable passive is Critical Exploit, providing a straightforward increase of 25% to your critical hit chance.

Moment of Truth

To further enhance your crits, select Moment of Truth, granting an added 25% crit chance after not striking a critical hit recently, alongside a flat 20% crit increase at all times.

The passive skills are easily accessible through PoE 2’s skill tree search feature for convenience.

Deadly Force

Another exceptional choice is Deadly Force, which boosts your critical hit chance by 12%. Furthermore, it offers an additional 30% damage for a brief period after scoring a critical hit.

Flow State

Your Monk will depend heavily on mana for casting elemental spells, making Flow State an invaluable passive. This skill amplifies your mana regeneration while increasing the speed of your skills, enabling quicker attack sequences.

Overload

As you face foes with Lightning resistance, Overload becomes essential, allowing your damage to bypass 15% of the enemy’s Lightning resistance. Pairing this with Surging Currents, which grants an additional 10 Dexterity points, can provide a significant advantage. Alternatives like Storm Swell and Storm Surge are also excellent choices for Ice-focused builds.

Top Spirit Gems for Your Endgame Monk Build in PoE 2

Herald of Ice/Herald of Thunder

Path of Exile 2 showcasing Spirit gems, Spirit skills, and Ascendancy portraits. — Image by Katarina Cimbaljevic

When choosing how to allocate your Uncut Spirit Gems, Herald of Ice or Herald of Thunder should be the first picks for your Monk. Attacks infused with Ice may freeze foes, while Lightning can shock them. By using these Heralds, defeating an enemy under these status effects creates damaging shockwaves, establishing a continuous wave of damage.

Elemental Invocation

This level 8 Spirit Gem requires a level 26 Monk plus 34 Intelligence and Dexterity. It provides a notable boost to your energy whenever you inflict status ailments like freeze, ignite, or shock, maintaining your energy levels while enhancing your elemental effects.

Ascendancies for Your Endgame Monk Build in PoE 2

Acolyte of Chayula

A Monk surrounded by candles in Path of Exile 2.

Monks in Path of Exile 2 can choose between two Ascendancies: Acolyte of Chayula and Invoker. The Acolyte is geared towards a Mana Leech-oriented build, converting outgoing damage into mana restoration. However, this mechanism may prove less effective in the endgame, where ample mana-restoring options typically exist, rendering it less necessary.

Invoker

Given this context, selecting the Invoker path is the superior choice for fortifying your Monk build. Focus on a specific elemental damage type and manipulate your skills accordingly. With the right setup, you’ll enjoy a powerful Monk that excels in the endgame arena. Remember, experimentation is key to discovering the optimal setup for your personal playstyle in Path of Exile 2.

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