![[PoE 2] STRONGEST MONK? - Martial Artist Deep Dive for 0.5 League Start & Builds - Path of Exile 2](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/kB2jHm6nEGM/maxresdefault.jpg)
Overview
This entry is a node-by-node preview of the new Martial Artist ascendancy that joins Invoker and Acolyte of Chill on the Monk side in 0.5 Return of the Ancients. Rather than committing to a single build, the creator walks through each notable, scores them against the current Monk meta, and lays out which combinations are likely to dominate league start while detailed leveling and endgame builds follow in later videos.
The headline takeaway is that Martial Artist gets two of the strongest two-point notables in the tree, with Way of the Stone Fist transforming any pair of equipped gloves into a Fist of Stone variant that converts and amplifies its explicit modifiers. The conversion examples GGG previewed include attacks gain percentage of damage as extra, 10% quality of all skills, and a chance for power charge on crit — all of which dramatically expand glove rolling. The other lock-in is Hollow Resonance, an ethereal bell strapped to the player’s back that rings out on every critical hit for 187% attack damage.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Two best-in-slot notables (Way of the Stone Fist + Hollow Resonance) only cost two points each, freeing the remaining budget for utility
- Way of the Stone Fist supercharges Hollow Palm by adding a large flat evasion and energy shield rating per gloves level
- Runic Meridian (five rune sockets) is an extremely cheap way to fix resistances early and bake in chase rune effects later
- Way of the Mountain stacks well with the buffed deflection formula and the new evasion item rolls
Cons
- Martial Adept and Martial Master both look like trap picks unless a specific build needs the combo retention across weapon swaps
- Hollow Form Technique loses the competition for the last point slot against Runic Meridians or Way of the Mountain
- Big upside is glove-RNG dependent — until Fist of Stone conversion outcomes are mapped, exact item targets are unclear
- Facebreaker may be the strongest interaction but is expected to spike in price at league launch
Key Skills
- Hollow Resonance — passive bell that triggers on crit, scales naturally with any crit-leaning build
- Hollow Focus — three concurrent Tempest Bells with always-crit hits and the buffed 2.05s spawn cadence
- Way of the Stone Fist — glove transformation that unlocks the strongest endgame glove rolls
- Runic Meridians — five extra rune sockets across the gear set
- Way of the Mountain — immobilize-driven damage and damage-taken stack via Mountain’s Teachings
Gear & Anointments
The creator’s recommended ascendancy distribution is Way of the Stone Fist, Hollow Focus, Hollow Resonance, and Runic Meridians as the default kit, with Way of the Mountain or Hollow Form Technique slotting in for bell-less or finisher-heavy variants. Hollow Palm remains the strongest gear-light shell for the leveling phase because the new gloves bonus stacks the evasion and energy shield requirements for free. Specific build-enabling uniques will be confirmed once league launches and conversion outcomes are documented.
Endgame Notes
The big endgame question is whether Facebreaker can stay league-start viable under Way of the Stone Fist. If the conversion preserves the flat physical scaling and bakes in attack-as-extra modifiers, Facebreaker Hollow Palm becomes the obvious bridge into late game. If not, the creator expects standard Ice Strike or Dragon Monk shells to absorb the Martial Artist meta with bell-stacked single target.
Credits & Source
Preview credited to Ronarray. See the source video for the full ascendancy node analysis with patch-note comparisons: [PoE 2] STRONGEST MONK? - Martial Artist Deep Dive for 0.5 League Start & Builds.