Spark Witch or Sorceress Leveling Build

Spark is a Solid choice for leveling any endgame elemental witch or sorceress and lines up perfectly with a transition into many endgame builds with little respec required. Cast Spark in combination with Orb of Storms and Frost Bomb + Flame Wall for single target for tri-elemental sparks that deal greatly enhanced damage.

This Path of Exile 2 leveling guide is viable for league starters and new characters requiring minimal to no gear and no budget whatsoever, however there is an endgame setup that ties directly from this build which you can see here:

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Strengths and Weaknesses

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Ascendancy

Select your first Ascendancy after completing the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2. The trial is not difficult, so complete it within the level range of 20-30. During the early access of Path of Exile 2, the Witch can ascend to Blood Mage, Lich, or Infernalist. This choice is permanent and should be made with your endgame build in mind!

Blood Mage is the recommended ascendancy for this build and is the best choice. The Critical Strike Chance gained is massive, and defensives are solid. Though Lich or Elementalist can be other viable choices.

Blood Mage

1. Vitality Siphon – 10% of Spell Damage Leeched as Life. Powerful recovery layer.
2. Sunder The Flesh – Base Critical Hit Chance for Spells is 15%.
3. Grasping Wounds – 25% of Life Loss from Hits is prevented, then that much Life is lost over 4 seconds instead.
4. Crimson Power – Gain Energy Shield from equipped Body Armour as extra maximum Life.

Lich

1. Eldrich Empowerment – 30% more Damage when Sacrificing Energy Shield
Sacrifice 5% of maximum Energy Shield when you Cast a Spell.
2. Soulless Form – 10% of Damage taken bypasses Energy Shield, No inherent Mana Regeneration,
Regenerate Mana equal to 6% of maximum Life per second.

Stormweaver

Stormweaver is much more variable. The Safest Choices are Constant Gale -> Force of will. However Refracted Infusion received a huge buff in the 0.4 patch which makes it a much more tempting choice.

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General Leveling Advice

Path of Exile II’s campaign can be quite difficult starting out, but with this build it will be a breeze. The most important thing by far in the early campaign is to CHECK VENDORS FOR GOOD EARLY GEAR. 

Look for the following gear from vendors:

1. Staves, Wands, and Focus with a priority on stats in order of:
   – +# to Level of All Spells or Lightning Spells
   – #% Increased Spell damage
2. Any Amulet with +# to Level of All Spell Skills
3. Boots with #% increased movement speed
4. Any gear with Maximum Life, Resistances, or good energy Shield and Maximum Life.

Regal Orbs or Orbs of Augmentation can be used on these items that you find as magic. If you cant find pieces from 1 or 2 buy them off the trade site using exalts.

Vendor bad magic or rare items you don’t need for gold, do NOT disenchant anything besides white items with sockets if you’d like.

Try to maintain a level of 2-3 levels below the zone level you are currently in for optimal experience.

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Leveling Passive Tree

The Passive Tree below can be followed through the entire campaign. Beyond that point, you should swap to an endgame set up. If you would like to continue this build here is the endgame version here. Follow along as you level using the arrows on the left and the right of the progression slider at the top of the Passive Tree. If you don’t have enough weapon set passives

Weapon Set Passive Assignments (IMPORTANT)

IMPORTANT: This Leveling Build takes full advantage of the incredibly powerful Weapon Set Passive Mechanic, not doing so can result in a loss of double to upwards of triple DPS.

This mechanic may seem scary at first but it is incredibly simple; to assign a weapon set passive simply open your passive tree and click the arrow in the top-right hand corner of the screen, then click to allocate a passive as its corresponding weapon set passive. You can also do this at the respec vendor in town while respecing passive points to swap already allocated points into weapon set points.

Red Passives = Weapon Set 1
Green Passives = Weapon Set 2

If you do not have enough weapon set passives for where you are in the tree then assign Weapon Set 1 Passives with regular skill points and forgo Weapon Set 2 Passives, assigning them as you unlock more weapon set passive points throughout the campaign.

Weapon Set Passive Skill Assignments

To Assign Skills to be used with specific weapon sets simply press G to open your gem menu, click the -> arrow next to a skill then click the tick boxes at the bottom of the sheet to assign to either 1, 2, or both.

Spark Weapon Set 1 ONLY
Frost Bomb Set 2 ONLY
Elemental Weakness Set 2 ONLY
Orb of Storms Set 1 ONLY
Flame Wall Set 1 ONLY

All other gems should be left active for both sets.

Skill Gems

Listed below are all Skill Gems that should be using during the leveling process. There may be slight variation depending on which Act you’re currently progressing. Notes for each Act will be listed below the Skill Gem tool. All gems and supports are listed in Top->Down Left->Right in order of importance for acquisition.

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Act I Notes

Use Unearth to clear the first zone and keep it slotted as it will help a lot early on.

Once you enter town for the first time, use your first skill gem on Spark, followed by Flame Wall, then Frost Bomb. Use Flame Wall then Spark through it for clear. There is a hidden camp in Clearfell ( the first zone upon exiting down ) that gives a gaurenteed support gem, find and complete this camp and take Pierce I as your first support and slot it into your Spark.

In the next zone, The Grellwood, there is a witch’s hut with a rare witch mob that will drop a guaranteed skill gem along with two new potions which you find inside the hut, make sure to defeat this witch aswell if its your first playthrough of the league.

Pick up Orb of Storms with the first Level 3 Skill Gem you get and use it in combination with Spark for clear and additional single target. Use Frost Bomb to apply exposure for additional single target and position Flame Wall so that your sparks pass through it for extra damage.

Take Mana Remnants as your first spirit gem from the Freythorn zone.

Skill Rotation:

Clear:

1. Cast Orb of Storms
2. Cast Spark
3. Use Frost Bomb to Generate Frost Remnants
4. Cast Flame Wall First Early on in progression or if extra dps is needed

Single Target:

1. Cast Elemental Weakness
2. Cast Frost Bomb
3. Cast 2xOrb of Storms
4. Cast Flame Wall
5. Spam Spark
6. Maintain all your effects and debuffs for maximum DPS

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Act 2 Notes

Swap Spell Cascade for Spell Echo ASAP on your Frost Bomb to remove the annoyance while maintaining the frost remnant generation. With your first level 7 skill gem pick up Elemental Weakness and change your supports to the act 2 setup as you are able.

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Act 3 Notes

The first zone of Act 3, Windswept Marsh, contains a guaranteed lesser jewelers orb in a wicker basket within a hidden camp usually at the top left or top right of the zone. Make sure to grab this!

Its at this point of the campaign where you may have a dip in damage if you got unlucky with gear, spend your first exalt on a Call of the Brotherhood then a few more on a good staff and amulet if needed.

Once you take down Ignagduk (The Azak Bog, Act 3) you will receive 30 more Spirit. This is where you want to then slot in your Siphon Elements with Harmonic Remnants II.
Continue to adjust your support gem setup to match.

Continue the main questline until you reach the Temple of Chaos and complete its trial for 2 additional Ascendancy points.

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Progressing Beyond Act 3

Not much changes past this point. Keep your spell gem levels up prioritizing Spark, and continue to adjust your support gems to the skill planner above.

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Rotation

1. Cast Elemental Weakness
2. Cast Frost Bomb
3. Cast 2xOrb of Storms
4. Cast Flame Wall
5. Spam Spark
6. Maintain all your effects and debuffs for maximum DPS

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Gearing Progression

Call of the Brotherhood should be picked up ASAP. It is a 1 exalt unique and a gamechanger, buy this immediately upon being able to equip it at level 32. You can also swap to a Widowhail when you can also buy a +2 to the level of all projectile skills quiver with a decent projectile speed increase roll.

This build equips item upgrades during the campaign according to a stat priority list. Both staves or wands and focus are useable, simply take whatever has the best combination of stats.

Prioritize the following for your Weapon / Offhand / Amulet:

1. Levels of All Spell Skills / All Lightning Spell Skills
2. Increased Spell Damage
3. Cast Speed / Crit Modifiers

Defensive Gear

Prioritize the following stats on armor and jewelry pieces to improve your tankiness:

1. Maximum Life
2. Resistances
3. % increased Lightning damage / Crit Modifiers

Runes

Socket Runes into your gear to help bring your missing resistances to the base cap of 75%.

You can Salvage gear you would otherwise vendor that has sockets at the Salvage Bench to obtain Artificer’s Orbs to put extra sockets on your gear.

Leveling Uniques

This build is entirely League-Start / no-budget viable. But if you do have extra currency, pick up these uniques for a twink leveling character:

Weapons and Offhands

• Lifesprig with +3 to the level of all Spell Skills – Be careful to get one with a low level requirement.
• Deathrattle – Useable from level 1 but worse than a +1 All spells focus. Aim to replace fast.
• Threaded Light– Grants spell damage per spirit. Good if you are using a scepter in main hand.
• Widowhail Should be swapped to ASAP upon getting a +2 quiver with a good proj speed roll

Boots

• Luminous Pace – 10% Movement speed Boots useable from level 1.
• Wanderlust – 20% Movement speed Boots useable from level 11.
• Bushwhack– 25% movement speed Boots useable from level 33.

Helm

• Goldrim – Tons of resistances useable from level 10.
• Thrillsteel – Grants Onslaught ( movement speed, attack speed, cast speed ) Useable from level 30.

Chest

• Foxshade– 10% movement speed while on full life. Useable from level 1.
• Sands of Silk – Grants the Blink skill for no spirit cost, and additional cooldown recovery rate.

Gloves

• Doedre’s Tenure – 100% increased spell damage at the cost of cast speed. Useable at level 16 but falls off as you gain more % increased damage sources.

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Campaign Buffs

During the acts there are 4 quests that activate additional bonuses for your character in acts 2,3,5,6. These are my recommended choices:

• Valley of the Titans Altar
  • 30% Increased Charm Charges Gained or 30% Increased Charm Duration. Personal Choice.
• Venom Draught
  • Stun Threshold ( if you are continuing on spark ) or choice dependent on build
• Halls of The Dead:
  • +5 Int / +5% Fire Resistance / +5% Cold Resistance
• Abandoned Prison:
  • 30% Increased Life Recovery From Flasks
• Qimah:
  • Personal Choice, But I always take 3% Movement Speed

For more details, check the guide on Campaign Difficulties and Permanent Stat Bonuses.

Flasks and Charms

While leveling you will find several flasks and Charms. Upgrade your flasks as you go along and if you fail to find flask upgrades check vendors to buy them with gold.

Modifiers to look for on your flasks and charms:

• Health and Mana Flasks
  • Prefix: Increased Amount Recovered
  • Suffix: # Charges gained per second
• Charm: Stone Charm Thawing Charm, Silver Charm/Choice.

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Changelog

December 11th, 2025 – Added for Path of Exile 2 Early Access 0.4 The Last of the Druids