Path of Exile 2: Thorns Warrior build guide (0.3.0)

Thorns Warriors are a fun, if not niche build in Path of Exile 2, and they will continue to be playable in patch 0.3.0, but there’s a bit of a catch. If you’re new to Thorns builds, you absolutely cannot play it without a particular Unique: Crown of the Pale King. It’s the premier Thorns build item, but there are others you’ll want as you level up. It’s a build that does require more upkeep than something like a Summoning Lich, though.

If you’re a fan of boldly wading into battle, and watching your enemies break themselves upon your body, this is the playstyle for you. It takes some work to set up, but once you have the gear and stats, Thorns Warrior builds can shred through content in Path of Exile 2.

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Pros and Cons of a Thorns Warrior build in Path of Exile 2

I’ve always been a fan of Thorns builds, whether it’s in Diablo 4 or Path of Exile 2, and Thorns Warrior is exactly what I want in patch 0.3.0. It’s not going to overwhelm you with complicated rotations. It is gear dependant to an extent, so it’s not going to be your first build in a League; that is, unless you’re supremely confident you’ll be able to acquire a Crown of the Pale King at level 16.

Pros

• Thorns builds don’t take a lot of effort; use some skills, let enemy attacks strike you.
• Once you have some Thorns, clearing gets a lot faster.
• Thanks to Warbringer talents like Anvil’s Weight, it’s easier to use Scavenged Plating.

Cons

• Requires Crown of the Pale King, so not an ideal first build for a League.
• With as many bosses that can one-shot you, Thorns builds can be a little on the scary side.

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How to play a Thorns Warrior in Path of Exile 2

Without Crown of the Pale King, this whole thing doesn't work (Image via GGG)

Until you reach level 16, and get your Crown of the Pale King and start stacking thorns, you play like any other Warrior. Mace Strike for single-target (bosses), and clearing with Rolling Slam canceled into Boneshatter. That’s really all there is to it. Then, once you start stacking Thorns, you’re going to let enemies break themselves on you.

Early Game
Skill Gem	Recommended Support Gems
Rapid Assault/Rake	Barbs, Quil Burst, Martial Tempo
Shield Charge	Stomping Ground, Quill Burst, Crackling Barrier
Disengage	Stomping Ground, Martial Tempo
Infernal Cry	Premeditation, Ingenuity
Scavenged Plating	Persistence
Spear Stab (Saitha's)	Exploit Weakness
Mid-Game
Magma Barrier
Herald of Ash
Endgame
Rapid Assault	Barbs, Quill Burst, Martial Tempo, Hit and Run, Lacerate
Infernal Cry	Premeditation, Ingenuity, Tireless, Raging Cry, Enraged Warcry

You let enemies attack you and allow your defenses and healing to carry you through dangerous situations. As far as combat abilities go, you’re going to be using Rapid Assault to deal with Elites and Unique enemies. If you prefer Rake, you can go with that, instead.

That said, you still have a few other useful powers. Disengage to get out of sticky situations, and Shield Charge to engage enemies with. Later on, you’ll be adding in things like Herald of Ash and Infernal Cry. When you have enough Spirit, do add Magma Barrier, as the rework was solid. It should give you plenty of Block.

It’s worth noting that even if you block an attack, the target still takes the Thorns damage they would have in Path of Exile 2, making Thorns Warrior a very satisfying build to play. Having lots of block % is going to be to your benefit.

The main crux of this build is thanks to good thorns gear, and a few of our Warbringer passives. You use Armour Break and Anvil’s Weight to make it easier to Armour Break enemies, which in turn triggers Scavenged Plating. Armour Break is inherent from Anvil’s Weight, which will fuel your Scavenged Plating. That’s the crux of this build, and what makes it so satisfying.

This makes you more durable, and increases your thorns. That, in turn, makes it easier to Armour Break, and the cycle continues. The only true danger you’re in is from one-shots, or if you’re dealing with lots of rapidly attacking bosses/enemies. If I were going to pick Ascendancies to focus on, it would be Anvil’s Weight, Jade Heritage, Imploding Impacts, and Warcaller’s Bellow.

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Ideal gear stats for leveling a Thorns Warrior in Path of Exile 2

Thorns as a stat comes on a few gear slots in Path of Exile 2, so as a Thorns Warrior, we’ll want to upgrade these on a regular basis. When you’re going between 16-28, you’ll definitely want to focus on Thorns gear on your Belt, Chest, and Shield.

Then, when you reach level 38, 48, and 60, you’ll want to upgrade that gear with rolls that have Thorns as well. In each gear bracket, you’ll see higher Thorns damage, so it’s imperative that you upgrade.

Other than Crown of the Pale King, there aren’t any required Uniques while leveling as a Thorns Warrior in Path of Exile 2. Crown allows all incoming hits to trigger Retaliate, giving you way more Thorns output. There are a few that I’d recommend, should you find them:

• Briarpatch
• Saitha’s Spear
• Dreadfist
• Cloak of Flame
• Icetomb
• Prized Pain
• Chernobog’s Pillar (endgame)

Unlike some caster builds that require ridiculous gear stats on every single piece of gear, Thorns Warrior isn’t quite that way in Path of Exile 2. Now, gear slots that can have Thorns, should always have Thorns, post level 16. Below, I’ll cover the most important stats you can have.

Ideal gear stats

• Thorns Damage
• Thorns Damage %
• Maximum Life
• Block %
• Strength
• Bleed %
• Cap Elemental Resistances

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Best Ascendancy nodes, Keystone Passives, and other notable nodes for Thorns Warrior in Path of Exile 2

Note: We don’t have access to the full, updated Skill Tree, so we cannot give you a path yet. Once it has been revealed, we’ll update accordingly with a final build route.

Here's an idea of what your Ascendancy would look like (Image via GGG)

The talent tree path for a Thorns Warrior in Path of Exile 2 shouldn’t be too complicated. You should immediately start gunning for the Vengeance ability, because it gives you 40% increased Thorns damage. That makes it the most important ability you can get in the early game. You’ll also want Voracious (20% of Leech is instant), and Fast Metabolism (Life Leech effects are not removed when Unreserved Life is filled).

Towards the midgame, you’ll want more Thorns of course, with talents like Spiked Armour to make thorns damage have a chance to ignore enemy armour, and Thornhide to add more Crit for your Thorns. Retaliation is another of the most important talents, as it gives you 75% increased Thorns damage if you’ve Blocked Recently. Below, I’ll highlight some other nodes you should consider getting, as we wait on the final build.

• Vulgar Methods
• Barbaric Strength
• Wide Barrier
• Offensive Stance
• Lay Siege
• Unbending
• Prism Guard
• Relentless Vindicator
• Cruel Fate
• Radial Force
• Avatar of Fire
• Fulmination
• Burning Nature
• Immolation
• Burn Away

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Check out our other Path of Exile 2 guides and features

• Path of Exile 2 0.3 patch notes: Everything new in The Third Edict
• Path of Exile 2: 5 biggest changes in patch 0.3.0
• Path of Exile 2’s Support Gem rule change in 0.3 is a big buff to all builds
• Path of Exile 2 The Third Edict: 0.3 walks back all the Skill nerfs in 0.2, and then some