Early progression in Path of Exile runs on the Skill Gems you earn as quest rewards. Most builds swap these out once their main setup comes online, but a handful stay useful across the whole campaign. Each class gets a limited reward pool during Acts 1 and 2, so picking the right Gem keeps your clear speed high while you save currency for later.
Quick answer: Take the strongest area-of-effect or single-target Skill from your class reward pool in Act 1, keep a movement Skill like Flame Dash or Frostblink, and swap to your build’s main Skill after finishing A Fixture of Fate in Act 3, which unlocks the full Gem vendor.
How Skill rewards work in Acts 1 and 2
During the first two acts, your class only has access to a set reward pool from completed quests. You cannot freely buy any Gem yet. That changes once you reach Act 3 and complete the A Fixture of Fate quest, which opens up every Skill and Support Gem at the vendor.
Because your stash is shared across the whole League, there is a shortcut. You can roll an alternate character, play only far enough to grab the specific Gem you want, and drop it in the stash for your main character to collect. Completing acts also unlocks the related Gems for purchase at the vendor, so you can experiment with different Skills if you are not rushing to endgame.
Best leveling Skills for each Class
The picks below come from the Act 1 and Act 2 reward pools for each class. Some pairings are full combos that carry all the way into endgame, while others are meant to be replaced once your build comes together.
| Class | Recommended Skill(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Duelist | Splitting Steel (Act 1); Earthshatter + Leap Slam (Act 1) | Splitting Steel is an early AoE projectile Skill you will want to swap soon. Earthshatter with Leap Slam is a popular combo for fast movement and area damage. |
| Marauder | Ground Slam + Leap Slam (Act 1); Static Strike (Act 1) | Ground Slam replaces Earthshatter in the same slam-and-jump pattern, and can move to Shatter Slam after Act 1. Static Strike focuses single-target while chaining to nearby enemies; stack attack speed for smoother clears. |
| Templar | Absolution + Holy Relic (Act 1); Wintertide Brand (Act 1); Brand Recall (Act 2) | Absolution with Holy Relic works for both campaign and endgame. Wintertide Brand pairs better with Brand Recall, and Brand Recall keeps Brands from expiring — use it with Automation support. |
| Scion | Storm Burst (Act 1); Blade Vortex (Act 1) | Storm Burst is strong AoE but limits movement while channeling; pair it with Spell Totem Support for easier leveling. Blade Vortex spins damaging blades around you and rewards added duration and cast speed. |
| Witch | Kinetic Bolt (Act 1); Essence Drain + Contagion (Act 1) | Non-Chaos builds can lean on Kinetic Bolt early, then switch to Kinetic Blast in Act 3. Essence Drain with Contagion is another combo that holds up through campaign and endgame. |
| Shadow | Essence Drain + Contagion; Fire Trap (Act 1) | Essence Drain and Contagion carry through Act 3, then swap to Pyroclast Mine. Shadow reaches Trap and Mine nodes faster than any other class, and Fire Trap deals solid early damage before the Pyroclast Mine transition. |
| Ranger | Lightning Arrow (Act 1); Toxic Rain (Act 1) | Lightning Arrow remains a reliable Ranger leveling Skill in this League. Toxic Rain scales Chaos damage over time with Projectile Damage and works well with Mirage Archer Support. |
Movement Skills and transitions
Do not skip a movement Skill. Flame Dash or Frostblink lets you reposition, cross gaps, and dodge dangerous hits, which matters just as much as raw damage during the campaign.
Watch for the Act 3 turning point. After A Fixture of Fate, the Gem vendor opens fully, so this is the natural moment to move from a placeholder Skill to your build’s real setup. Combos like Absolution with Holy Relic, Essence Drain with Contagion, and Lightning Arrow can stay in place, while picks such as Splitting Steel, Kinetic Bolt, and Fire Trap are meant to be swapped out. You will know the transition worked when your target Skill Gem is equipped, levels normally, and your clear speed jumps against packs and single targets.
Because currency is scarce in the opening hours, the safest approach is to pick a strong reward Gem for your class, keep a movement Skill on hand, and hold off on major purchases until the full vendor pool is available. From there you can test alternatives freely and settle on the Skill that fits how you want to play through the Curse of the Allflame League.
