If you're looking for a leveling build in Path of Exile 2 that brings the satisfying crunch of melee combat, punishes enemies with explosive area damage, and feels powerful from Act 1 onward—look no further than the Boneshatter Warbringer. This bruiser-style build combines massive hits with a clever use of trauma POE2 Currency stacking, delivering fast clears and bossing potential, all while maintaining tankiness throughout the leveling journey.
At Eld.gg, we've tested dozens of early-game builds—and Boneshatter Warbringer stands out for its simplicity, power, and feel-good gameplay. Whether you're new to POE 2 or just want to power through the story, this guide breaks down everything you need to know.
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? What Is Boneshatter Warbringer?
Boneshatter is a melee slam skill that deals high physical damage in a wide area and scales based on Trauma stacks—a unique self-inflicted debuff that increases your outgoing damage but also causes you to take damage over time. In short: the more pain you inflict on yourself, the more pain you unleash on your enemies.
Paired with the Warbringer class, which enhances Warcries and provides sustain and buffs, this combo creates a powerful synergy that fuels both survivability and offensive momentum. Think of it as a berserker that gains strength the more it gets hit (by itself!).
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⚙️ Why It's Great for Leveling
Here are a few reasons why Boneshatter Warbringer excels as a leveling build:
- Massive AoE with Boneshatter clears entire packs in one swing.
- Trauma scaling gives you power spikes without needing crazy gear.
- Warcries like Seismic Cry and Enduring Cry offer healing and burst damage.
- Simple gear requirements make it easy to progress without expensive items.
- Can be adapted into endgame builds with minimal transition effort.
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?️ Core Skills and Supports
Main Skill: Boneshatter
This is your primary damage dealer. The goal is to stack trauma efficiently, survive the self-damage, and obliterate enemies in one or two swings.
Supports:
- Pulverise – Increases AoE and melee damage.
- Brutality – Scales with physical damage and removes elemental distractions.
- Ruthless – Adds burst every third hit—perfect for slower weapons.
- Fist of War – Massive slams with bonus impact damage.
Mobility: Leap Slam
Your bread-and-butter movement skill, Leap Slam not only helps you traverse zones quickly but also scales with Trauma and triggers AoE when supported with movement attack modifiers.
Supports:
- Faster Attacks – For smoother movement.
- Endurance Charge on Stun – Helps build tankiness.
Warcries:
- Seismic Cry – Boosts your next slam; synergizes with Fist of War.
- Enduring Cry – Regenerates life and generates endurance charges for damage reduction.
- Infernal Cry – Adds explosions for better pack clearing.
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? Defensive Layers and Sustain
One concern with Boneshatter is the self-inflicted trauma damage, especially when trying to ramp stacks quickly. To survive and sustain, you'll rely on:
- Life regeneration from passive tree and gear.
- Enduring Cry for periodic life bursts and endurance charges.
- Armour scaling for mitigating physical damage.
- Leech on gear or ascendancy options (later in the campaign or maps).
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?️ Passive Tree Priorities
While the POE 2 passive tree is being redesigned with more fluidity and specialization, here are the core stats and nodes you should prioritize while leveling:
- Melee Physical Damage – Bread and butter for Boneshatter scaling.
- Maximum Life and Regeneration – Helps with trauma damage mitigation.
- Warcry Effect and Cooldown Recovery – To keep your Warbringer engine rolling.
- Trauma and Slam Nodes – Unlock the full potential of your playstyle.
Don't forget to grab Jewel Sockets as they become available and slot in life + phys damage jewels when you find them.
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?️ Gear: What to Look For While Leveling
One of the great things about this build is how gear-flexible it is. You don't need Uniques to perform well.
Weapon:
- Two-handed mace or axe with high base physical damage.
- Prioritize attack speed and flat phys rolls.
- Look for modifiers like "Adds to Physical Damage" or "Increased Melee Damage".
Armor:
- Focus on armour-based gear for tankiness.
- Life on every piece is a must.
- Resistances will carry you through mid-acts and into early maps.
Flasks:
- Life flask with instant recovery mod.
- Armour flask or Quartz flask for avoidance.
- Optional: Sulphur for damage boost, Staunching to remove bleed.
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? Transitioning to Endgame
As you move into maps, the build can evolve in a few directions:
- Critical Slam Build with gear focused on crit scaling and Berserker-like tree nodes.
- Tankier Slayer-style Boneshatter, focusing on leech, endurance charges, and more life.
- Warcry-focused variant, abusing cooldown reduction and overlapping warcry benefits.
Regardless of the path, your Boneshatter Warbringer will be well-positioned to crush early maps and scale into red-tier content with modest investment.
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? Final Thoughts
The Boneshatter Warbringer is one of the best leveling builds in POE 2 for players who enjoy impactful melee, self-scaling mechanics, and the visceral thrill of slamming through enemies. Its balance of damage, survivability, and ease of gear make it ideal for first characters, league starters, and anyone wanting a build with depth and simplicity.
Whether you're slamming through Acts 1–10 or diving buy POE 2 Orbs into early mapping, this build hits like a truck and keeps on going.
