Ethereal Knives: What Does It Mean in Path of Exile 2?
Ethereal Knives is a spell skill in Path of Exile 2 that allows players to unleash a flurry of ethereal blades, dealing physical damage to enemies in a fan-shaped area. This skill is particularly popular among players who prefer a ranged spellcasting playstyle with a focus on physical damage conversion and critical strikes.
Mechanics and Usage
Ethereal Knives projects a spread of knives in front of the caster, making it ideal for both clearing groups of enemies and focusing down single targets. The skill scales primarily with spell damage and physical damage increases, and it can be modified to convert physical damage into other damage types, such as elemental damage.
- Projectile Count: The number of knives thrown can be increased with certain support gems and gear, allowing for greater area coverage.
- Physical to Elemental Conversion: Ethereal Knives can be paired with support gems or certain passive skills that convert its physical damage to elemental damage, such as cold or lightning, enhancing its versatility.
- Critical Strike Potential: With the right build, Ethereal Knives can achieve high critical strike rates, making it a strong choice for players focusing on critical damage multipliers.
Build Strategies
Players looking to optimize their Ethereal Knives build in Path of Exile 2 should consider the following strategies:
- Support Gems: Use support gems such as Increased Critical Strikes, Spell Echo, and Physical to Lightning to enhance the skill’s effectiveness and versatility.
- Gear and Passive Skills: Equip items that boost spell damage, projectile damage, and critical strike chance. Additionally, seek passive skills that enhance these attributes.
- Defensive Considerations: Since Ethereal Knives requires players to stay at a moderate range, ensure your build includes adequate defensive layers, such as evasion, block chance, or energy shield.
Interaction with Other Skills
Ethereal Knives can be combined with various other skills to create powerful synergies:
- Curse Spells: Use curse spells like Vulnerability to increase the physical damage taken by enemies, maximizing Ethereal Knives' output.
- Totems: Cast Ethereal Knives through totems to maintain distance from enemies while still dealing significant damage.
- Auras: Employ auras such as Hatred to convert some of the physical damage to cold damage, further enhancing the skill's versatility.
For more in-depth strategies and community discussions, visit the Path of Exile forums.