Hardcore is a difficult game mode with permadeath in Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2). Learn some tips and tricks on how to prepare for Hardcore mode, what the best builds are for Hardcore, what Hardcore mode is and why you should play it!

Hardcore Mode Tips and Tricks

Follow these easy tips and tricks and learn how to stay alive in Hardcore Mode in PoE2!

1. Get Substantial Experience in Standard
2. Plan Out Your Build
3. Learn Boss Attack Patterns
4. Play Slowly and Tactically
5. Use Defensive Items, Equipment, and Skills
6. Play With a Party

Get Substantial Experience in Standard

Before attempting the Hardcore League, the player should spend a substantial amount of time playing in the Standard League to gain knowledge and experience of the game's mechanics. Gaining experience helps players know what mechanics, skills, items, equipment, enemies, bosses, and quests they can expect throughout their run.

That said, Hardcore fanatics will swear by playing Hardcore mode first, treat the game like a roguelike, and just learn as you go. Whichever method you have the time and patience for!
Can You Adjust Game Difficulty?

Plan Out Your Build

Players should also plan their builds for the run. This involves planning which class, equipment, and active and passive skills they should use at various points in the game (i.e., Early-game, Mid-game, and End-game).

Use Builds With High Survivability

Solid builds for Hardcore mode usually involve long-range and also tanky builds, so invest heavily in survivability, and squeeze out whatever DPS you can afterwards. Resistances are very important, so try to max those out as soon as possible.

List of All Builds

Learn Boss Attack Patterns

Before diving into the Hardcore League, players may want to learn and get used to the attack patterns of bosses. Doing so will ensure your survival, compared to rushing in blindly and dying several times before you figure out their attack patterns.

List of Bosses

Play Slowly and Tactically

While Path of Exile 2 is a fast-paced game, players should opt to play the game slowly and practice extreme caution to avoid death in Hardcore League. To do this, players may want to do the following:

• Know the game well and don't be afraid to follow walkthroughs.
• Don't be afraid to grind and overlevel in an area by getting XP fast.
• Abuse the invincibility frames of dodge rolls.
• Practice and implement appropriate movement and character placement to avoid and mitigate damage.
• Lure and fight individual enemies or small enemy clusters one at a time.
• Use ranged attacks, abilities, or items to deal damage from a safe distance.
• Never go away from the keyboard or risk dying

Beginner's Guide and How to Get Started

Use Defensive Items, Equipment, and Skills

To ensure high levels of survivability, players may want to capitalize on all sorts of defensive skills, weapons, armor, and items. Some equipment, such as charms and shields, can prove very useful, giving players automatic debuff cleanses and an additional way to block and avoid damage.

Play With a Party

If players find it difficult to play alone, they may opt to play with a party. Doing so gives them benefits such as dividing enemy agro and increasing offensive power.
Multiplayer Guide: How to Play Coop

Best Hardcore Mode Builds

Minion Infernalist Witch Build

Minion Summoner Infernalist
Summary: This build lets you command an army of skeletal minions, summon Raging Spirits with Flame Wall, and empower them with curses and buffs. Sit back and let your minions do most of the work for you!

This endgame build for Minion Infernalist Witch is crafted by RuseCruize, showcased in a detailed guide over at Goblin Inc. (Youtube). See more in the full build guide below!
Minion Infernalist Witch Build

Grenade Deadeye Ranger Build

Endless Grenades Deadeye
Summary: Our Deadeye Ranger build tries to finish the whole of Cruel Mode by fully utilizing Endless Munitions Ascendancy Skill to fill the screen with various grenades while staying relatively tanky. This build clears enemy mobs with a combination of Explosive, Gas, and Oil Grenades!

PoE 2 Grenade Deadeye Ranger Build

Spark Stormweaver Sorceress Build

Spark Stormweaver
Summary: This build outputs high AoE damage and clear with continuous Shock damage using Spark and enhancing it with other skills such as Flame Wall, Mana Tempest, and Archmage. High Energy Shield synergy also makes this class highly survivable.

Spark Stormweaver Sorceress Build

Lightning Tempest Invoker Monk Build

Lightning Tempest Invoker
Summary: This Monk endgame build uses Charged Staff, buffing Tempest Flurry to clear mobs and deplete Bosses fast. This build focuses on amplifying Physical damage for higher damage outputs from all Skills. For armor and accessories, you'll want to stack on Evasion Rating, Armor, Maximum Life, and Elemental Resistances for your survivability.

Lightning Tempest Invoker Monk Build

Gunslinger Gemling Legionnaire Build

Gunslinger Gemling Legionnaire
Summary: This Gunslinger build focuses on applying Poison and Bleeding ailments to deal consistent damage, while also Freezing and Armour Breaking your enemies for crowd control and dealing huge burst damage.

This Ailment Gunslinger build is based on a build by LazyExile over at LazyExile (Youtube). See more about the build in our full guide below!
Gunslinger Gemling Legionnaire Mercenary

What is Hardcore Mode?

A League with Permadeath

Hardcore is less of a difficulty option, as enemies don't get stronger in this mode. HC mode is more of a League, where the only way to stay in the League is to not die. Dying even once sends you back into Standard mode, where you can perish freely without consequence.
League Guide and List of All Leagues

Why Play Hardcore Mode?

Climb the Leaderboards

You can find Leaderboards for all Leagues on Path of Exile 2's official website. The Hardcore Ladder in particular shows all current characters in PoE2 ranked according to highest level.

If this is something you fancy, rise the ranks and get to the vaunted top of the ladder for some sweet bragging rights and to feel the satisfaction of having accomplished something challenging!

Higher Stakes, Higher Thrill

With the possibility of permadeath haunting you around every corner, every combat situation you encounter could be your last. It's the thrill and adrenaline rush of coming close to the jaws of death and clawing yourself back up that makes players choose Hardcore over Standard.

It Feels Like a Different Game

In HC mode, everything you do has to be deliberate. Your builds have to be polished and min-maxed, your playstyle needs to be one of survivability over DPS, and you have to look into strategies you'll use on every boss before you even face them.

Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2) Related Guides

Beginner's Guide

All Tips and Tricks Guides