Build Introduction
If you are looking for an active, highly mobile pack leader style werewolf build that leaps into the fray while your wolf minions tear their way through monsters, then this is the guide you are looking for! This Path of Exile 2 leveling guide is viable for POE2 Currency league starters and new characters requiring minimal to no gear and no budget whatsoever.

This hybrid melee/minion build combines the raw physical and cold damage of the Druid's Werewolf form with the powerful buffs provided by your wolf companions. By specializing in the Oracle Ascendancy, you gain access to unique passive nodes that allow you to scale your power efficiently without needing expensive gear.

This guide is a collaborative effort from Ghazzy and Lollash. If you have any questions or want to check out some live gameplay, you can find their streams linked in the original guide.

Strengths & Weaknesses
Strengths
Comes Online Early: The build functions effectively from the very first Act.

Stays Powerful Throughout the Campaign: The scaling remains smooth without major power drops.

Hybrid Melee/Minions: Provides more options for useful gear as you can utilize stats that benefit either playstyle.

Weaknesses
Requires Learning How to Combo Your Abilities: Especially early, your damage is tied to skill sequencing.

Squishy Until Late Game: The build relies on freeze as a primary defense and doesn't take significant defensive nodes until later.

Movement Dependent: Functions best with a controller or WASD movement due to the mobile melee playstyle.

Ascendancy (Oracle)
After completing the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2, you will choose the Oracle Ascendancy. Here are the key nodes you'll take:

The Unseen Path: This is the core feature of the Oracle. It allows you to allocate new passive points on the tree (designated by blue travel lines) that are unavailable to other Ascendancies. These nodes are significantly more powerful than regular passives.

Entwined Realities: This allows you to allocate passives in a radius around any Keystone passive you assign. In combination with The Unseen Path, you can take very powerful nodes without having to travel to them.

The Lesser Harm: A potent defensive tool, making all damage rolled against you, and all critical strike chance rolls against you, "Unlucky." Unlucky means the roll will be made twice, and the worst result will be taken (roughly 17% less damage taken on average).

Two Small Passives: Take two Small Passive Nodes to increase your freeze buildup, Life, and Mana Regeneration rates.

General Leveling Advice
Path of Exile 2's campaign can be difficult, but this build smooths out the rough patches. The most important thing is to check vendors frequently for good early gear.

Early Weapons: Use a Wand and Sceptre combo. This allows you to scale both your spell damage (good early) and minion damage simultaneously.

Vendor Priority (Use Gold to Buy these Bases):

Talisman: High physical DPS.

Rings & Gloves: Flat Added Damage to Attacks.

Boots: Movement speed.

General: Maximum Life and Resistances.

Currency: Vendor bad magic or rare items you don't need for gold. Do not disenchant anything except white items with sockets or quality. Always identify rare items; the value gain outweighs the Scroll of Wisdom cost.

Skill Gem Progression by Act
Act 1: Building the Foundation
During the earliest stages, you will use Shred and Lunar Assault as your main skills.

Lunar Assault freezes packs quickly and deals area damage.

Shred provides high single-target DPS and generates Ice Fragments that detonate for area damage behind the enemy.

After defeating The Rust King in The Red Vale, you gain Pounce. This skill is a dash, a minion summoner, an AoE nuke, and a damage amplifier. It applies Predator's Mark to enemies, and killing marked enemies summons wolves.

After defeating The Executioner in Ogham Village, acquire Arctic Howl. This skill is used when an enemy is "Primed for Freeze" (70% freeze buildup on bosses) to provide a massive damage buff to you and your minions.

Early Rotation:

Pounce onto enemies to apply Predator's Mark.

Lunar Assault until an enemy is Primed for Freeze.

Arctic Howl to freeze the enemy and gain the buff.

Shred on bosses/rares until they unfreeze, then repeat.

Act 2: Adding the Combo
After unlocking your first Ascendancy points for Path of Exile 2 Currency, take The Unseen Path and respec some normal passives into the powerful Oracle nodes.