Leveling in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt can feel like a daunting task, especially for players who aren't quite sure which skills to use early on or how to efficiently transition from the campaign into endgame content. If you've ever felt stuck during the campaign with clunky skills, awkward gear progression, or a complete lack of single-target damage, this guide is for you.

This article outlines a powerful, responsive, and beginner-friendly method to level any Warrior character—regardless of ascendancy or endgame build—using the synergy between Rolling Slam and Bone Shatter. The best part? This method starts at the literal beginning of the game and remains effective through the campaign.

The Core Gameplay Loop: Rolling Slam + Bone Shatter

The backbone of this build is extremely simple but devastatingly effective:

1. Use Rolling Slam to initiate combat and prime enemies for a stun.

2. Immediately follow up with Bone Shatter to explode the entire pack.

That's it. No complicated mechanics or finicky timing windows. Just slam, shatter, repeat.

Let's break it down:

Why Rolling Slam?

Rolling Slam is your setup skill—it primes enemies for a stun. It also has built-in movement, making it much more fluid than other traditional melee setups. Even better, Rolling Slam can be animation canceled—this means you can trigger Bone Shatter almost immediately after Rolling Slam connects, creating a seamless flow that feels like a single action.

Why Bone Shatter?

Bone Shatter is your main clearing and single-target skill, but it only functions at full capacity when enemies are stunned. That's why the synergy with Rolling Slam is so essential. With proper priming, Bone Shatter becomes a pack-destroying nuke that feels amazing to use, even in early acts.

The Best Part? This Build Works from the Start

You get Rolling Slam for free in the Path of Exile 2 tutorial. That means you can start using this setup immediately after character creation. Bone Shatter is your first Tier 1 skill gem, which you pick up right after leaving the tutorial zone. No need to wait until Act 3 or after several passive tree reworks.

This is true melee leveling that's viable from Act 1 to the final campaign boss.

Don't Worry About the Two-Button Playstyle

Some players might feel hesitant about using two skills to clear content. But rest assured—this is not a clunky rotation. Thanks to animation canceling and Rolling Slam's baked-in movement, the combo feels smooth, fast, and powerful. Once you get Leap Slam, clearing becomes even more dynamic. Just leap into the middle of a pack and Bone Shatter immediately.

If you're coming from the slower, heavier swing animations of older Warrior skills, this method will feel like a massive upgrade.

Early Skill Setup

Here's how to set up your skills as soon as you start leveling your Warrior.

Initial Skill Gems:

• Rolling Slam – Comes free from the tutorial.

• Bone Shatter – Your first main skill gem.

• Melee Strike (M Strike) – Use this as a placeholder single-target skill.

• Infernal Cry – Helps burst down tanky enemies.

Key Supports:

1. Overpower (linked to Rolling Slam) – Ensures you stun enemies on the first hit, guaranteeing Bone Shatter detonations.

2. Concentrated Effect (linked to M Strike) – Boosts early single-target damage.

3. Impact Shockwave (linked to Bone Shatter) – Helps clear packs instantly.

4. Brutality (linked to Bone Shatter) – Increases physical damage output.

5. Window of Opportunity (preparation for Perfect Strike) – Reduces the release timing window, making it trickier but deadlier.

6. Fire Infusion – Synergizes with Perfect Strike, your mid-to-late Act 1 boss killer.

The Perfect Strike Power Spike

Once you unlock Perfect Strike (from the Executioner quest near the end of Act 1), your boss-killing potential skyrockets.

Here's how it works:

• You charge up Perfect Strike, and once your weapon glows white hot, you release it.

• When timed correctly, this will nuke bosses in 4–5 hits, even at low levels.

• Window of Opportunity reduces the release window, so this will take some practice—but it's worth it.

Don't forget to pop Infernal Cry before unleashing Perfect Strike on tankier mobs or bosses for maximum damage.

Skill Priority by Tier

Here's a breakdown of your gem progression by tier:

Tier 1:

• Bone Shatter

• Rolling Slam

• M Strike

Tier 2:

• Overpower

• Impact Shockwave

• Brutality

• Concentrated Effect

Tier 3:

• Infernal Cry

• Window of Opportunity

• Fire Infusion

• Perfect Strike

Once Perfect Strike becomes available, drop M Strike entirely.

Gear Overview – Keep It Simple

One of the best things about this leveling build is that it doesn't require specific gear. If you're playing in a league start or SSF (Solo Self-Found), you'll still do great with basic items.

Weapon:

• Any two-handed mace with high base physical damage.

• Attack speed helps, but prioritize damage.

• Look for "+X to Level of Melee Skills" for bonus gem scaling.

Armor & Accessories:

• Life

• Strength

• Resistances

That's it. You don't need to chase Unique unless you have access to them.

Optional Leveling Uniques

If you have access to the trade market or stash tab goodies, here are a few Uniques that can speed things up:

• Limbsplit – An excellent early-game two-handed weapon.

• Tabula Rasa – Six-link armor for Bone Shatter from the get-go.

• Goldrim – For early resistance capping.

• Wanderlust – Movement speed and freeze immunity.

These aren't necessary but can make the campaign smoother.

Animation Canceling – A Game-Changer

If you're struggling with the responsiveness of melee combat, get used to animation canceling Rolling Slam. After the initial slam lands and you've primed the enemies for stun, you can immediately trigger Bone Shatter without waiting for the Rolling Slam animation to complete.

This creates a fluid motion that feels like a single action and drastically increases your clear speed. It's especially noticeable against larger packs and elite mobs.

A Note on Stun Tuning

What if you're stunning enemies too hard with Rolling Slam?

If you fully stun enemies on impact, Bone Shatter becomes ineffective since there's nothing left to trigger the detonation.

Here's the fix:

• Unsocket Overpower Support from Rolling Slam.

• If you're still stunning too hard: congratulations, you deal too much damage (aka "Uno Bongo" status).

This is a good problem to have.

Final Thoughts – Simplicity, Efficiency, and Explosions

This leveling strategy doesn't just work—it feels incredible to play. It rewards players who love the fantasy of a Warrior crashing into combat, destroying everything with sheer brute force, and moving on to the next pack without missing a beat.