Yo, what’s good, Verra grinders? Ashes of Creation Alpha 2 hit Steam Early Access on December 11, 2025—and queues are wild, but Cleric mains are thriving. With thousands of hours since Alpha 1 (2021), I’ve mastered the primary healer archetype through wipes, metas, and zergs. Clerics dominate PvE dungeons, Tumok world boss farms (NE Winstead, east of Gravepeak), and GvG chaos—delivering crit heals, Res, shields, and radiant smites.
Why Cleric? Alpha 2’s S-Tier Primary Healer (PvE/PvP/Solo Viable)
Ashes‘ trinity (Tank/DPS/Healer) crowns Cleric raw HPS king—unlike Bard buffs or Summoner pets. Burst singles, AoE blankets, shields, Purify CC, Resurrect (no-fast-travel savior). Solo? Smite/Judgment clears mobs.
Divine Power Resource: Fills via heals/dmg (max 10% heal crit). Spend on:
- Essence Infusion (toggle): Divine > mana/HP—early sustain.
- Divine Infusion (active): Instant channels—spike clutch.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| God HPS, Res meta, solo clear (radiant DPS) | Early mana starve, swap target, backline bait |
Gear Priority (Alpha 2): Healing Power > Intellect/Wisdom > Mana Regen. Weapons: Scepter/Wand + Focus (hybrids); Staff pure heals. Light armor early; medium PvP. Post-25: Apostle (pure), Templar (tanky).
Best Cleric Leveling Build Alpha 2: Skills Priority to 25 (Fast Farm Rotation)
Cap 25 (secondaries @25 quest)—free respecc adapts to comp. This PvE/PvP hybrid maxes sustain/burst/utility for solo/duo/world bosses. (Skills verified wiki/launch).
| Level | Skill/Passive | Why? (HPS/DPS/Utility) | Base HPS/MP |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Smite + Mend | Smite: Radiant + Conflagrate (burns). Mend: 150% projectile (3ch). | 150% / Low |
| 2 | Soothing Glow | 60%/s HoT x8s (2ch). Pre-pull. | 480% / Med |
| 3 | Flash Cure | 175% instant—interrupt channels. | 175% / Low |
| 4 | Deliverance | Channel to 1000%. Efficient core. | 1000% / High |
| 5 | Resplendent Beam | 300% + bounce 4 allies. AoE must. | 1200% / Med |
| 6 | Resurrect + Divine Flare | Res key. Flare: 1000% ground AoE. | 1000% / Med |
| 7 | Defiant Light | 5% max HP HoT x10s + execute block. | 3000% pot. / Low |
| 8 | Barrier | Sac 25% HP → ally shield (10s). | 25% max / None |
| 9 | Purify (flex) | Dispel 3 debuffs—CC counter. | Utility |
| 10-11 | Consecrating Wave (C-Wave) + Restorative Wave | Conal 150% dmg/dispel. Passive: 250% AoE heal (10 allies). | 250% / Low |
| 12 | Communal Restoration | 150% + 10% shield + 30%/s HoT x6s (party). | Mitigation god |
| 13-14 | Wings of Salvation + Unyielding | Dash shield (250%) + CC break. | 500% / Low |
| 15 | Judgment | 1500% heal / 280% dmg + burn. Instant w/ Infusion. | 1500% / High |
| 16 | Healing Touch | 500% melee instant—efficient self. | 500% / Low |
| 17 | Abundant Soothing Glow | +1ch (3), extend HoT. | HoT spam |
| 18 | Plentiful Mend | +2ch (5). Projectile king. | 750% |
| 19-20 | Blessed Weapon + Bountiful | Finisher +5% radiant + mana (self/ally). Bard synergy. | Sustain |
| 21-22 | Divine Flare: Protection/Retribution | +30% mag def / 250% dmg + silence. | Hybrid |
| 23 | Redemptive Deliverance | Scales missing HP. | Smart heal |
| 24 | Condemn | 10s incap / 3s stun (burn). | Peel |
| 25 | Chains of Restraint (flex) | AoE snare/root + 40%/s radiant. | Zerg control |
Leveling Rotation (Fast XP): Soothing pre-HoT > Deliverance channel + Flash interrupts > C-Wave AoE > Resplendent/Flare groups > Infusion bursts. Solo: Smite/Judgment pulls. Swap Essence → Divine post-Blessed. Farm: Korraloch (1-8), Gravepeak (9+).
Alpha 2 UI Settings & HUD Optimization: Healer Setup for GvGs
Low graphics for 100+ stability (Harbinger zergs).
- Attach Player Effects: Off—editor resize buffs/debuffs.
- Auto-Attack: On (combos). Melee swap for CC.
- PvP Flags: Force flag heal/attack—Alt+F keybind.
- Targeting: Dual ally/enemy.
- Nameplates: Always HP/names (highlight tanks).
- HUD Editor: Drag raid frames; pencil opacity. Stack trackers visible.
Pro Macro: Cancel-cast bind.
Cleric Positioning & Heal Priority: Survive Swaps, Maximize Uptime
Mobility weak—positioning = 50% skill.
- PvE: Tank rear, LoS cover, AoE max.
- PvP: Mid-backline (C-Wave range, swap-safe). Wings repos/CC break.
- Priority: 1) Tank, 2) Burst DPS, 3) Self (HoT), 4) AoE. Pre-HoT spikes; Infusion executes.
Mana: Blessed Bard/DPS; auto regen; Essence early.
Tumok World Boss PvP Healing Breakdown: Real Alpha 2 Zerg Rotation
Tumok the Wretched (Lv30 Cyclops, Riverlands): NE Winstead, east Gravepeak—prime loot zerg spot. Guild vs rivals, muted comms—reaction test.
- Hill push: Flare/C-Wave top-off. Copium low → Flash/Deliverance. Smite Tim (priority).
- Posture: Mir swap → Soothing/Mend. Copium kill. Jelly → Judgment (Infusion instant).
- Tank yank: Wings Mugsy (shield). C-Wave refresh.
- Root/backpedal: Beam CDs (Defiant/Communal). Auto mana. Server lag → Resplendent.
- Mugsy burst: Deliverance OOM—secure Tumok loot. Battle L, War W.
Keys: Survey > React > Reposture > CDs. No tunnel.
Final Thoughts: Dominate Alpha 2 Cleric – Farm to 25 & Beyond
This meta build heals anything—solo to 100v100s. Post-25: Test Apostle/Templar. Queues brutal—friends essential.
