Blade Vortex in Path of Exile 2: What Does It Mean?
Blade Vortex is a popular skill in Path of Exile 2, known for its unique mechanic and high damage potential. This skill is integral to many builds, offering a dynamic playstyle that combines both offense and defense.
Mechanics of Blade Vortex
Blade Vortex creates a series of ethereal blades that spin around the player character, dealing damage to nearby enemies. The blades last for a specific duration, and players can stack multiple blades, increasing the damage output significantly. Key points to understand the mechanics include:
- Stacking Blades: Players can create up to a maximum of 10 blades, with each additional blade amplifying the total damage.
- Duration: Each blade has a set duration before it expires, requiring players to recast the skill to maintain maximum stacks.
- AoE Damage: The skill deals area of effect damage, making it effective for clearing groups of enemies.
Build Strategies
Blade Vortex can be adapted into various build strategies, catering to different playstyles. Here are some common approaches:
- Critical Strike Build: Focusing on critical strike multipliers and chance can significantly boost the damage of each blade, making it a devastating choice for high-damage builds.
- Elemental Conversion: Converting the physical damage of Blade Vortex into elemental damage allows for synergy with elemental damage increases and penetration, broadening the scope of potential damage boosts.
- Defensive Setup: Incorporating defensive layers such as life leech or evasion can enhance survivability, allowing players to maintain blade stacks while avoiding damage.
Synergies and Support Gems
Optimizing Blade Vortex involves selecting the right support gems and passive skills to complement its mechanics. Some effective choices include:
- Increased Critical Damage Support: Amplifies the critical strike damage of the blades, essential for crit-focused builds.
- Controlled Destruction Support: Boosts spell damage while reducing critical strike chance, useful for non-crit builds.
- Spell Echo Support: Provides a chance to duplicate the casting of Blade Vortex, effectively increasing the rate at which blades are stacked.
Understanding and mastering the intricacies of Blade Vortex can lead to powerful and satisfying gameplay experiences in Path of Exile 2.