How to Quickly Get XP for Second Build in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt - Best Speed Leveling Build Guide

If you're looking to level your second character in Path of Exile 2 Dawn of the Hunt without slogging through the campaign again, this guide has everything you need. With the setup here, you can complete the campaign in under 4 hours, and the benchmark run clocked in at 3h 54m. It’s fast, smooth, and doesn’t require any broken mechanics, much PoE 2 Currency, or high-end gear. Let’s dive into the best speed-leveling build that’s flexible enough to suit most classes, with special optimization for Amazon, Monk, and Ranger.

PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt Best Speed Leveling Build Core Overview

This Speed Leveling Build in Dawn of the Hunt is all about ruthless efficiency. If it doesn’t get you from point A to B faster or help you vaporize enemies on sight, it’s not part of the plan.

The strategy is built for speed-leveling, boss deleting, and cutting downtime to an absolute minimum.

Primary Focus: Movement Speed, Critical Strikes, and Instant Damage

Momentum is everything. We prioritize movement speed to slice through the campaign, while critical strikes and fast skill execution allow for instant room-clears and surgical boss takedowns.

Every node you allocate, every item you equip, and every flask you pop contributes to one goal: keep moving and keep killing.

• Movement speed scaling from boots, flasks, passives, and gear

• Critical strike synergy for both clear speed and single-target damage

• Instant-cast or rapid-attack skills to maintain tempo and uptime

Build Type: Lightning Spear and Spear-Based Attack Build

This is a Lightning Spear-centered melee setup that excels in rapid clear and flexible engagements.

The spear gives you range and mobility, while Lightning Spear brings the explosive power to chain across packs and finish off bosses.

It’s precise, fast, and lethal.

For tougher encounters, the build includes strategic item swaps on the fly—swapping in gear optimized for burst damage, boss resistances, or survivability where needed.

These quick swaps take seconds but boost efficiency dramatically.

• Lightning Spear scales well with critical strikes and attack speed

• Spear mechanics offer excellent strike range and fluid movement

• Item swapping lets you adapt to bosses without slowing your run

If you like tank builds, check out our PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt Best Tank Build.

Goal: Speed Through Zones, Kill Bosses Fast, Minimize Downtime

This is a campaign domination strategy. The goal is to move fast, kill faster, and never stop.

You’ll use high-efficiency routing, instant-kill mechanics, and constant mobility to bypass the usual leveling grind.

• Optimize movement and kill flow to never slow down

• Clear entire screens before enemies even animate

• Use gear swaps and damage bursts to remove bosses from the equation instantly

• Route intelligently to avoid detours, backtracking, or excessive looting

Whether you're racing to maps, leveling for trade value, or just trying to outpace the server, this strategy gives you the tools to get ahead—and stay ahead.

Best Gear Progression & Item Swaps for Quick Second Build XP Gain

Gear plays a pivotal role in this build, especially when progressing through different stages of the game, and you want to quickly gain XP for your second build in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt. 

Optimal item swaps based on levels and boss encounters will significantly improve both your survivability and damage output.

Body Armor

• Start-to-Finish: Fox Shade Quilted Vest
  +10% Movement Speed—a vital stat that supports your mobility throughout the game.
  Socket in Resistance Runes to boost survivability.

Belt

• Meginord's Girdle
  Aim for high Strength (45+), which boosts your overall stats and performance.
  Prioritize Dual Cold Resistances or Lightning Resistance to handle elemental damage.
  Ideal for Charm slots that can be used for Immunity/Resist charms to further enhance your defenses.

Helmet

• Level 1–5: Wings of Caelyn Rusted Helmet
  A solid early-game choice for its resistance bonuses and general survivability.

• Level 5–27: Greymake Brimmed Helmet
  Provides a nice balance of defenses and energy shield, ideal for mid-game progression.

• Level 27+: Thrillsteel Spired Greathelm
  +10% Movement Speed and +20% Skill Speed (Onslaught)—excellent for increasing your overall pace and attack speed, critical for fast-paced builds.

Boots

• Level 1–11: Laminous Pace 
  A simple starting option to provide some basic defense and movement speed.

• Level 11–33: Wanderlust
  Great for extra movement speed and resistance bonuses, ideal for fast leveling and encounters.

• Level 33+: Bushwhack (High Dexterity, Corrupt for Move Speed)
  As you reach higher levels, prioritize high dexterity and corrupt for movement speed.
  Boss Swap: Wake of Destruction for a damage boost when focusing on high-damage output for bosses.

Weapons

• 

• Spears:

• • Level 1–16: Splinter of Loratta (Corruption: +Lightning Damage ideal)
    Early game spear that offers decent damage scaling and elemental power.

  • Level 16–30: Skysliver Winged Spear
    Solid damage boost, keeping you effective in the mid-game.

  • Level 26–40: Tangle Tongue Forked Spear (Crit-focused)
    Transition to critical strike focus as you push towards later levels.

• 

• Off-hand:

  • Level 16+: Rare Scepter with 100+ Spirit & Malice (Crit Weakness Aura)
    Focus on crit weakness aura to debuff enemies and boost your damage output.

• 

• Shield Slot:

  • Dionadair (Life regen + Shield Charge utility)
    Great for life regeneration and Shield Charge, helping with both mobility and survival.

Gloves

• Level 1–26: Northpaw Suede Bracers (Crit Chance + Physical Damage)
  Ideal for early-game crit chance and a boost in physical damage.

• Level 26+: Rare Gloves - Rift Hold Jewelled Gloves
  Focus on Life, Mana, Lightning Damage, and Attack Speed to scale your damage output and overall survivability in the late game.

Amulet

• Level 1–14: Everlasting Gaze
  A reliable early-game choice that boosts your resistances and stat boosts.

• Level 14+: Rondel of Fragility
  Huge DPS increase but comes with -30 All Resistances, making it a risky option for Hardcore (HC) play.

Rings

• Level 1–20: Blackheart Iron Ring
  A good starting ring for general resistance and critical strike support.

• Level 20–38: Rare Rings 
  Prioritize Lightning Damage and Resistances for more balance.

• Level 38+: Rare Rings - 
  Focus on High Life, Resistances, and Elemental Damage to ensure you’re ready for tougher fights.

Skills Breakdown for Best XP Build in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt

Main Damage Skills

• Lightning Spear (From Level 6)

  • Supports: Volt, Perpetual Charge, Ambush, Primal Armament

• Storm Lance (Boss Killer)

  • Supports: Deliberation, Lightning Infusion, Martial Tempo, Execute

• Shield Charge

  • For faster movement across zones

Utility & Charge Generation

• Barrage (Supports: Premeditation, Inhibitor)

• Sniper’s Mark (Supports: Profusion, Ingenuity, Arcane Tempo)

Spirit Skills

• Herald of Thunder (Supports: Innervate, Electrocute, Neural Overload)

• Combat Frenzy (Supports: Clarity, Precision)

Companion

• Diretusk Boar (Haste Aura from Infested Barrens Camp, Act 3)

  • Supports: Midshield, Elemental Army, Magnified Effect

Check out our amazing guide on Best Beast Companion in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt if you want to get the most out of this game mechanic.

Passive Tree Priorities for Speed Leveling Build

The Passive Tree is the backbone of this build, and prioritizing the right nodes ensures maximum efficiency in both movement and damage output. 

When mapping your path, focus on the essentials that enhance your core attributes—movement speed, spear damage, and critical strike potential.

Route

Regardless of your starting class, your first step is to head to the right side of the tree.

This route provides key nodes that will ramp up your mobility and damage output early on.

• Early Focus: Maximize Movement Speed, Spear Damage, and Critical Strike to keep your momentum high and damage output reliable.

• Mid-Game Focus: Transition towards nodes that enhance Area of Effect (AoE) and Companion Damage to solidify your crowd-control abilities and single-target effectiveness.

Key Nodes

1. Escape Velocity
   Movement speed is crucial for both leveling and boss-fighting efficiency. This node boosts your movement, ensuring you’re always ahead of the pack, slicing through mobs before they even have a chance to respond.

2. Primal Sundering
   A potent damage boost that synergizes well with the build, this node enhances your overall damage, making sure you can deal with bosses and high-health enemies swiftly.

3. Catalyzer
   Amplifies your damage output, making sure your hits land with maximum force. A great way to further improve your offensive capability as you progress through the tree.

4. Pin and Run
   A game-changer for movement speed while pinning enemies with your spear. This node ensures that even when engaging single targets or bosses, your mobility doesn’t take a hit.

5. Companion Nodes
   These nodes boost both Companion Damage and Area of Effect, making sure your summoned allies or minions (if applicable) deal significantly more damage while covering larger areas.

Jewel Sockets

Jewel Sockets are crucial for optimizing your build, adding additional layers of power to your character.

• +2% Movement Speed: Movement speed is everything, so prioritize jewels that grant this bonus to enhance your overall speed and efficiency.

• Elemental Damage (if available): Elemental Damage jewels are a great addition to ramp up your burst potential and ensure you’re delivering solid damage, especially for elemental-based builds.

Important Note:

Avoid investing in Critical Strike nodes early on, particularly before you equip TrangleTongue

Crit scaling will feel unreliable until you have the right gear in place to support it.

Focus on foundational stats first—damage, movement speed, and survivability—before you start stacking critical strike.

Final Thoughts

With this build and gear progression plan, you should consistently run the campaign under 4 hours. Fast movement, smooth transitions, and reliable boss-killing tools make this route a go-to for speed leveling second characters in PoE 2 Dawn of the Hunt.

Stay fast, stay efficient, and most importantly—have fun out there!