The 0.5 Return of the Ancients update has made Monk feel like a different class, and not in a small balance-patch sort of way. The new Martial Artist ascendancy gives players something more interesting than just chasing bigger numbers on gear and swinging until the screen is empty. If you've been sorting through POE 2 Items looking for a reason to build around timing, spacing, and skill setup, Hollow Form is probably the hook. It lets you channel and create astral clones that repeat your socketed attack. There's a cost, of course. You take a 20% damage penalty and your attack speed drops by 30%, so it won't feel free or brainless. But once you start thinking of clones as extra angles of pressure rather than simple damage copies, the whole thing opens up.

Why Hollow Form changes the pace

Most melee builds ask you to stand close, hit hard, and move before the boss deletes you. Martial Artist is stranger than that. You're still in the danger zone, but your clones let you stretch your reach without becoming a full ranged build. That matters in Path of Exile 2, where enemy attacks hit with real weight. You can channel for a short window, let the clones fire off their copied strikes, then reposition. It feels a bit like setting a trap with your own body. Mess up the timing and you'll get punished. Get it right and packs melt before they properly surround you.

Building around copied attacks

The big question isn't just “what hits hardest?” It's “what works well when repeated?” Skills with strong area coverage, reliable stun buildup, or useful secondary effects tend to shine. A single heavy strike may look great on paper, but if the animation feels clunky during channel windows, it can drag the build down. Faster, cleaner attacks often feel better, even with the attack speed penalty hanging over you. Players are already testing lightning setups, cold control, and physical stun routes. None of them play exactly the same, which is a good sign. It means the ascendancy isn't solved after one weekend.

The trade-off is the point

Some people will hate the penalty, and fair enough. Losing speed on Monk sounds rough at first. Still, that drawback is what keeps Martial Artist from becoming another hold-button-and-win setup. You've got to decide when to channel and when to fight normally. You've also got to watch your resources, because standing still for the wrong half-second can turn a clean map into a corpse run. I like that. It gives the class a rhythm. Tap in, create pressure, dodge out, then go back in when the opening appears. It's not smooth all the time, but it's got personality.

What players should watch next

Martial Artist will probably shift as players find better links, cleaner weapon bases, and smarter defensive layers. That's the fun bit right now. The ascendancy feels new enough that there's room to experiment without copying the same build guide as everyone else. If you're planning to test it seriously, make sure your gear supports the style instead of only chasing tooltip damage; some players may even buy cheap POE 2 Items to speed up early testing, but the real value comes from learning which attacks actually feel good with Hollow Form in live fights.