Some rising builds include:

Firestorm Totem hybrid tanks, using defensive stats to POE2 Currency outlast enemies while fire totems do the heavy lifting.

Burning ground shield throwers, combining flame-based AoEs with armor-based scaling.

Molten Shell bunker builds, triggering massive Guard effects and recovering instantly under damage pressure.

These builds may not make the top 10 in speed-clearing races, but they provide incredible consistency in league progression and farming, particularly for solo players or those tackling endgame content like Uber bosses or Delve.

A Counter-Meta Pick with Meta Potential

Ironically, Smith of Kitava's popularity has emerged because of the shift in meta. As offense-heavy classes like Amazon and Deadeye dominate the top of the charts, they’ve created a counterbalance—making defensive, stable classes like Smith of Kitava more desirable to those looking for reliability over risk.

And while it doesn’t appear in quite as many builds as Amazon or Lich, the Smith of Kitava is surging in popularity precisely because it fills a role no other ascendancy truly does: the reliable tank. As more players begin pushing further into harder endgame content, the value of defensive builds only continues to grow.

Conclusion: Smith of Kitava Is a Defensive Powerhouse in a Glass-Cannon World

Dawn of the Hunt has brought many changes to the game’s landscape, and while flashier classes are getting the spotlight, the Smith of Kitava is quietly becoming a fan-favorite among min-maxers, hardcore players, and anyone who values build security over gimmicks.

Its combination of powerful resistance scaling, deterministic crafting, and creative build flexibility makes it one of the most well-rounded ascendancies in Path of Exile 2 patch 0.2. For those willing to POE 2 Currency Orbs trade some DPS for a whole lot of defense—and have fun forging their own gear along the way—the Smith of Kitava may be the best choice this league has to offer.