Path of Exile 2 offers a massive variety of builds, but most players quickly notice a common divide: high-budget min-maxed builds versus budget-friendly setups. Endgame showcase builds often require dozens of Divine Orbs to reach their full potential, which can be a serious time investment for players who don't have endless hours to grind currency.

The good news is that you don't need mirror-tier gear to enjoy Path of Exile 2 or clear endgame content. Many builds perform exceptionally well with modest investment, smart scaling, and good mechanical understanding.

In this guide, we'll break down six of the best budget builds in Path of Exile 2, all capable of handling mapping and bosses without requiring premium gear. While even budget builds may need 10-20 Divine Orbs to fully optimize, they remain highly accessible compared to top-tier meta setups.

1. Hollow Palm Monk

The Hollow Palm Monk is one of the most cost-effective builds in Path of Exile 2. Its defining feature is simple yet powerful: it doesn't require a weapon at all. This single mechanic eliminates one of the most expensive upgrade paths in the game.

The most popular skill combinations include:

·Tempest Flurry

·Falling Thunder

·Whirling Assault

After buffs in Patch 0.4, Falling Thunder became one of the strongest AoE clearing skills available. The build focuses on critical hits and combo scaling, enabling massive burst damage that can even one-shot bosses with minimal gear investment. Players have demonstrated Hollow Palm Monk defeating pinnacle bosses completely naked, making it one of the strongest true budget builds in POE2.

2. Minion Druid

Minion builds gained new life with the Druid's Shaman Ascendancy, making Minion Druid a reliable and safe budget option. By investing in the Sacred Flow passive, players can gain up to 120 additional Spirit, enabling a massive minion army when paired with reservation efficiency nodes.

Most versions use Raise Spectre, turning powerful enemies into permanent allies. While Patch 0.4 removed Frozen Mandibles, alternatives such as Gargantuan Wasps or Ants (available during Interlude 3) remain highly effective. Spectres automatically revive, ensuring consistent damage uptime, while expendable minions act as offerings to empower your main army.

Budget players can farm these minions themselves or speed up progression by choosing to use POE2 Items, making Minion Druid both beginner-friendly and scalable into the endgame.

3. Cast on Critical (CoC) Comet Sorceress

The CoC Comet Sorceress is often seen as an expensive build, but it can function extremely well on a budget if set up correctly. This build shines in solo play or small groups of two to three players.

The core mechanic revolves around stacking Critical Hit Chance to trigger Cast on Critical and automatically fire Comets. Common trigger skills include:

·Spark - applies Shock for increased damage.

·Frostbolt - enables freezes for crowd control.

Early mana sustain can be tricky, so budget players should prioritize Mana Remnants and rings with mana regeneration. With proper scaling, CoC Comet Sorceress delivers smooth, consistent damage without relying on high-end gear.

4. Crossbow Mercenary

Crossbows may be off-meta in Path of Exile 2, but that makes them underrated and budget-friendly. When paired with Culling Strike, easily obtained through the WitchhunterAscendancy, Crossbow Mercenary becomes surprisingly powerful.

Players can choose between two main playstyles:

·Grenade builds using Explosive or Cluster Grenades for strong A.oE

·Projectile builds using Fragmentation Rounds or Permafrost Bolts for single-target damage and freeze cont.rol

Recent buffs to Sorcery Ward add an extra defensive layer over Life and Energy Shield, making this build both safe and effective. Crossbow Mercenary excels as a low-investment mapper with solid bossing potential.

5. Machine Gun Warrior

The Machine Gun Warrior flips traditional Warrior design on its head. Instead of focusing on Strength and melee combat, this build leverages Intelligence scaling and the Titan Ascendancy to fire skills like Ember Fusillade at incredible speed.

By stacking nodes that reduce skill effect duration and combining them with Hulking Form, players unleash near-instant barrages of projectiles. Additional investment into cast speed, along with Time of Need, provides constant healing and debuff removal, making the build surprisingly tanky.

Machine Gun Warrior proves that even traditionally melee classes can become effective, budget-friendly ranged damage dealers in POE2.

6. Plant Druid

The Plant Druid, using the Oracle Ascendancy, is one of the most fun and accessible budget builds available. It revolves around Entangle and Thrashing Vines, which work exceptionally well for both mobbing and bossing.

Entangle slows enemies, and when paired with Bushwhack's unique boots, enemies become pinned in place. This allows Thrashing Vines to fully apply their AoE damage. For additional DPS, players can use Thunderstorm to "water" plants, triggering explosive effects.

With mixed Physical and Spell damage scaling, Plant Druid allows flexible passive choices and strong survivability. Combined with Oracle's Unseen Path, it's an excellent choice for new characters and league starters.

Conclusion

Path of Exile 2 proves that endgame content doesn't have to be locked behind massive currency investments. Budget builds like Hollow Palm Monk, Minion Druid, CoC Comet Sorceress, Crossbow Mercenary, Machine Gun Warrior, and Plant Druid demonstrate that powerful, solo-capable setups are accessible to nearly everyone.

For players who want to save time or quickly access rare components, choosing to buy POE2 Items or buy POE2 Currency can help streamline progression without sacrificing enjoyment. Whether you're mapping, bossing, or experimenting with new playstyles, these budget builds offer incredible value with minimal investment, making them perfect for both casual and dedicated Path of Exile 2 players.