Impale Support: What Does It Mean in PoE 2?
The Impale Support is a support gem in Path of Exile 2 that enhances the physical damage output of your attacks by adding the Impale mechanic. This support gem is crucial for players focusing on physical damage builds, especially those emphasizing sustained damage over time.
Mechanics of Impale
When an attack supported by the Impale Support gem hits an enemy, a portion of the physical damage is stored as an Impale effect. This stored damage is then dealt to the enemy over subsequent hits. Here's how it works:
- Each hit has a chance to Impale the enemy, storing a percentage of the attack's physical damage.
- The stored damage is released over the next five hits.
- Multiple Impales can stack on a single target, amplifying the total damage output over time.
Strategies for Using Impale Support
To maximize the effectiveness of the Impale Support gem, players should consider the following strategies:
- Focus on Attack Speed: Higher attack speed ensures quicker application and release of Impale stacks, optimizing damage over time.
- Pair with Physical Damage Skills: Skills that deal significant physical damage will benefit the most from the Impale mechanic.
- Utilize Support Gems: Combine with other support gems like Faster Attacks or Fortify Support to enhance both speed and survivability.
Builds Utilizing Impale Support
Impale Support is a popular choice in various physical damage builds, particularly for melee characters. Some popular builds include:
- Champion Duelist: Known for its sustainability and high physical damage, the Champion can effectively utilize Impale to dominate in both single-target and AoE situations.
- Slayer Duelist: With high critical strike multipliers and leech capabilities, the Slayer can maximize the damage output from Impale stacks.
- Gladiator: Combining blocking capabilities with physical damage, Gladiators can use Impale to enhance both offense and defense.