Leveling a melee build in PoE 2 Carry Run can feel dramatically different from the experience players had in the original game. The pacing is slower, combat is more deliberate, and animations carry more weight. This means a leveling path needs to be smooth, intuitive, and capable of dealing with all content without the player feeling underpowered. Woolie’s Armor Break Warbringer build fulfills these requirements perfectly, offering a steady, resilient, and highly impactful leveling experience. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to level efficiently, what skills to prioritize, when to transition into key mechanics, and how to keep your build strong throughout the campaign.

The earliest levels in PoE2 serve to introduce core melee fundamentals. You’ll begin with basic strike skills—often something like Cleave or Heavy Strike—that allow you to hit multiple enemies or deliver slow, powerful blows. Both work well for this build because they hit hard and apply Armor Break stacks once you unlock that mechanic later on. Early on, prioritize skills with simple, clean animations and good AoE. Cleave is typically the smoother option for clearing.

As you progress through the first few acts, focus on weapon upgrades above all else. In PoE2, weapon bases matter tremendously; even a slight increase in base damage will significantly boost your effectiveness. Whenever you see a vendor selling a higher-level two-handed axe or mace, buy it or craft something passable. Don’t worry about perfect modifiers—raw damage is what carries you in early levels.

By the time you reach Act 2, you’ll begin unlocking more warcries. This is where the leveling process starts to resemble the final build. Warcries in PoE2 restore life, empower attacks, and generate momentum. Start practicing the rhythm early: shout, strike, reposition, shout again. You don’t need perfect timing yet, but building the habit helps later.

At this stage, you should also begin stacking small defensive nodes and life passives on your tree. Warbringer is a tanky ascendancy path, but you don’t want to rely solely on warcries to survive. Aim for a balanced early tree with life, armor, and weapon damage. If you feel too squishy, lean into defenses; if enemies feel too tanky, lean into weapon nodes. The tree is flexible during leveling.

Around the midpoint of the campaign—Acts 3 and 4—you will unlock the Armor Break mechanic. This is your build’s turning point. Suddenly, every melee hit applies a stacking debuff that weakens enemies significantly. Bosses that previously felt slow to kill now crumble faster with each hit. The key during these acts is to use skills that hit multiple targets or hit very hard, maximizing Armor Break value.

The best leveling setup often includes:

• Cleave (wide AoE)
• Slam or Ground Slam (burst damage)
• A primary warcry for power
• A mobility option like Leap ability (depending on what’s available)

The moment you unlock your first warcry-based life restoration node or ascendancy—notably the early Warbringer points—your survivability skyrockets. Suddenly, even if you’re surrounded or caught out of position, a single shout can bring you from critical health back to full. This gives melee players much more room for mistakes during leveling.

Your ascendancy progression should look like this:

1. First Lab: Take the initial Warbringer node that boosts warcry effectiveness and recovery.

2. Second Lab: Focus on nodes that improve your warcry damage bonuses or exerted attacks.

3. Third Lab: Add more defensive or offensive layers depending on how your campaign is going.

4. Fourth Lab (endgame): Finalize the build with the strongest multipliers for Armor Break synergy.

Once you reach Act 5 and beyond, Path of Exile 2’s campaign starts introducing tougher rares with more complex attack patterns. This is when your rhythm matters. Remember:

• Apply Armor Break on your first swings
• Use warcries just before heavy attacks
• Reposition deliberately—don’t animation lock
• Keep your weapon updated every act

If your damage ever feels like it is falling behind, 90% of the time the issue is simply your weapon being outdated. Replace it immediately.

The later acts (6–9) will feel increasingly smooth as your Armor Break stacks ramp faster, your warcries hit harder, and your defenses mature. At this stage, start experimenting with the skill you intend to use in endgame. Some players prefer heavy slams, others like sweeps or strikes. Path of Exile 2’s skill gems encourage experimentation thanks to their socket evolution system.

When you reach Act 10 and prepare to enter the endgame, you should already feel like a powerhouse. Your Armor Break should be stacking quickly, warcries should feel natural, and most bosses should fall in two or three windows of fully buffed attacks.

By the end of the campaign, your leveling priority list should look like this:

• Strong weapon base
• Armor gear with life and resistances
• A chosen melee skill that feels good
• Several warcries integrated into your rotation
• A basic defensive backbone on your passive tree

The true beauty of Woolie’s Armor Break Warbringer build is that the campaign feels like a training period that naturally transitions into endgame power. Every act strengthens your mechanical mastery, making you more effective against late-game content.

In short, leveling this build is intuitive, impactful, and incredibly satisfying. It offers a steady curve from Act 1 all the way to endgame while teaching the player the exact rhythm, pacing, and decision-making required for peak performance later on. If you want a smooth melee leveling experience in PoE 2 Carry Services, this is one of the best routes available.