This Divinity: Original Sin 2 tier list ranks every major option by overall effectiveness. Rankings factor in damage output, survivability, versatility, gear requirements, and how well each option scales.
Tier definitions: S = best in class, always a strong pick. A = strong and competitive, minor weaknesses. B = solid but clearly outperformed in most situations. C = viable only for players who enjoy the playstyle.
Builds Rankings
| Tier | Build | Rating | Playstyle |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | Lone Wolf | 9.5/10 | Run a 2-character party, invest heavily in one damage type, and overwhelm enemies with doubled stats. Lone Wolf warriors deal 2-3x the damage of regular characters. |
| S | Necromancer | 9.5/10 | Strip Physical Armor with Necromancer spells (they deal physical damage despite being magic skills), then apply CC like Knockdown. Lifesteal keeps you alive. |
| A | Pyro/Geo | 8.5/10 | Open with oil surfaces, ignite them, and layer fire spells for massive AoE. Use Geomancer armor buffs for self-protection. Control the battlefield through surface denial. |
| A | Summoner | 8.5/10 | Summon the Incarnate on the optimal surface, buff it with infusions, then support the team with heals and utility while your Incarnate tanks and deals damage. |
| A | Ranger | 8.5/10 | Position on high ground before combat starts, focus fire to strip one enemy's Physical Armor, then CC them with Knockdown arrows. Use mobility skills to maintain elevation advantage. |
Detailed Builds Analysis
Lone Wolf (S-Tier)
The Lone Wolf talent doubles your attribute points, combat ability points, and vitality when running with 2 or fewer party members. Two Lone Wolf characters are significantly stronger than a full party of 4. A Lone Wolf melee fighter hits like a truck and has massive armor pools. The talent also doubles civil ability investment.
Best with: Best available two-handed weapon, armor with matching Physical/Magic armor focus, Skin Graft scroll Stat focus: Strength or Finesse (doubled), Warfare (doubled), Constitution, Memory
Necromancer (S-Tier)
Necromancers deal physical damage with magic, bypassing the split-damage problem. Skills like Grasp of the Starved, Blood Storm, and Totems of the Necromancer deal physical damage scaled by Intelligence. Living Armor talent heals your Magic Armor whenever you heal from Necromancer lifesteal. It's the strongest magic damage build because it targets the typically lower Physical Armor.
Best with: Staff (for basic attacks), Intelligence gear, Necromancer skill books, Skin Graft scroll Stat focus: Intelligence, Warfare (scales physical damage), Necromancer ability, Memory
Pyro/Geo (A-Tier)
Pyromancer/Geomancer combo creates devastating surface control. Oil Infusion + Fireball creates massive burning surfaces. Pyroclastic Eruption (Source skill) deals enormous AoE damage. Geomancer provides physical armor buffs and CC through oil surfaces. The combo excels at area denial and AoE burst.
Best with: Staff (fire or earth), Intelligence gear, Pyro and Geo skill books, Fire Resistance gear Stat focus: Intelligence, Pyrokinetic, Geomancer, Memory, Wits (for initiative)
Summoner (A-Tier)
At Summoning 10, the Incarnate becomes a champion-level summon that matches or exceeds most party members in power. The Incarnate inherits elemental properties from the surface it's summoned on — summoned in fire becomes a fire champion, in blood becomes a blood champion. The Summoner can then buff the Incarnate with Power Infusion and Farsight Infusion.
Best with: Any weapon (Summoner doesn't rely on attacks), Summoning gear, Leadership aura gear Stat focus: Summoning 10 (priority one), then support skills (Hydro for heals, Aero for Teleport)
Ranger (A-Tier)
Rangers deal massive single-target physical damage with bows/crossbows from safety. The Huntsman ability increases damage by 5% per point when attacking from high ground. Sky Shot and Ballistic Shot deal enormous damage to single targets. Rangers excel at eliminating priority targets and benefit hugely from elevation positioning.
Best with: Best available bow/crossbow, Finesse gear, Huntsman skill books, high-ground positioning Stat focus: Finesse, Warfare (scales all physical damage), Huntsman (high ground bonus), Ranged ability
Equipment Rankings
| Equipment | Best With | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Anathema | Lone Wolf | The most powerful two-handed sword in the game, found in Arx during the final act. |
| Falone Scythe | Lone Wolf | A unique two-handed weapon found in the Nameless Isle that deals both physical and air damage. |
| Swornbreaker | Lone Wolf | A unique crafted weapon required to free certain characters from their sworn covenant. |
| Rune-crafted weapons | All builds | Any weapon can be socketed with runes crafted from Pixie Dust and elemental essences. |
| Eternal Artefact | Summoner | Found in the Tomb of Lucian on the Nameless Isle, this is one of the strongest shields in the game with high armor values and bonus stats. |
Equipment Analysis
Anathema: The most powerful two-handed sword in the game, found in Arx during the final act. It has massive base damage and level 18 stats. Only has 4 durability — meaning 4 hits before it breaks permanently. Save it for the final boss and use with Enrage for guaranteed critical hits.
Falone Scythe: A unique two-handed weapon found in the Nameless Isle that deals both physical and air damage. It cleaves through Physical Armor efficiently and has a chance to set Shocked status. Good for hybrid builds that benefit from both damage types.
Swornbreaker: A unique crafted weapon required to free certain characters from their sworn covenant. Beyond its story importance, it's a powerful two-handed weapon with high base damage. One can be found, another can be crafted. Essential for certain companion quest resolutions.
Rune-crafted weapons: Any weapon can be socketed with runes crafted from Pixie Dust and elemental essences. Giant runes add significant elemental damage and bonus effects. A masterwork rune in a high-level unique weapon creates the strongest possible equipment. Rune crafting is the primary endgame gear upgrade path.
Eternal Artefact: Found in the Tomb of Lucian on the Nameless Isle, this is one of the strongest shields in the game with high armor values and bonus stats. Essential for any shield-using build. The quest to obtain it involves solving an environmental puzzle.
Meta Analysis
The current meta in Divinity: Original Sin 2 centers on surface combos and initiative system. Builds that leverage both systems outperform those that focus on only one.
What's strong right now:
- Lone Wolf with Anathema is the benchmark. Everything else is measured against it.
- civil abilities builds are gaining ground as players find new synergies.
- Pyro/Geo remains essential for learning hard content.
What's underrated:
- Necromancer is consistently overlooked despite being the most flexible option.
- Swornbreaker offers excellent performance for its investment level.
What's overhyped:
- Pure Ranger builds. High ceiling but the consistency isn't there for most players.
Quick Picks by Situation
| Situation | Best Build | Best Gear | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall best | Lone Wolf | Anathema | Highest consistent performance |
| New player | Necromancer | Falone Scythe | Most forgiving, teaches mechanics |
| Hard content | Pyro/Geo | Swornbreaker | Survivability when you need it |
| Group play | Summoner | Rune-crafted weapons | Utility and team support |
| Experienced player | Ranger | Eternal Artefact | Unique challenge and high ceiling |
For full build guides, see Divinity: Original Sin 2 builds. For progression help, check the walkthrough.
