Elemental Storm is a powerful spell skill in Path of Exile 2 (POE2) that creates a stationary storm of Fire, Cold, or Lightning damage at a target location. It is triggered by elemental hits and cannot be manually cast. To maximize its effectiveness, you can enhance it with specific support gems. Below is a detailed guide on the best support gems in POE2 for Elemental Storm and how they synergize with the skill.
1. Best Support Gems for Elemental Storm in POE2
1.1. Concentrated Effect
- Effect: Increases area damage by 40% but reduces the area of effect by 50%.
- Why Use It?: This gem is ideal for focusing damage in a smaller area, making it more effective against single targets like bosses.
- Synergy: Works well with Elemental Storm’s high damage-per-tick mechanic, ensuring maximum damage output in a concentrated zone.
1.2. Controlled Destruction
- Effect: Boosts spell damage by 30% but prevents critical hits.
- Why Use It?: Since Elemental Storm cannot deal critical hits, this gem provides a pure damage boost without drawbacks.
- Synergy: Enhances the base damage of the storm, making it more effective in both clearing mobs and boss fights.
1.3. Elemental Focus
- Effect: Increases elemental damage by 49% at level 20 but prevents elemental ailments (e.g., Chill, Shock, Ignite).
- Why Use It?: Elemental Storm’s primary role is damage, and this gem amplifies its effectiveness without relying on ailments.
- Synergy: Perfect for builds focused on raw elemental damage output.
1.4. Increased Area of Effect
- Effect: Expands the area of effect by 49% at level 20.
- Why Use It?: Useful for clearing large groups of enemies by increasing the storm’s coverage.
- Synergy: Complements Elemental Storm’s hindering effect, slowing more enemies within a larger radius.
1.5. Arcane Surge
- Effect: Grants Arcane Surge after spending a certain amount of mana, boosting mana regeneration and cast speed.
- Why Use It?: Improves overall mana sustainability and casting efficiency for builds that rely on frequent spellcasting.
- Synergy: Works well with mana-heavy builds, ensuring consistent uptime for Elemental Storm.
1.6. Cold Penetration / Fire Penetration / Lightning Penetration
- Effect: Reduces enemy resistance to the corresponding element.
- Why Use It?: Increases damage output by bypassing enemy resistances.
- Synergy: Essential for maximizing damage against high-resistance enemies, especially in endgame content.
1.7. Hypothermia
- Effect: Increases damage against chilled enemies and adds a chance to freeze.
- Why Use It?: If your build includes cold damage or chilling effects, this gem provides a significant damage boost.
- Synergy: Enhances Elemental Storm’s effectiveness in cold-based builds.
2. How to Use Support Gems with Elemental Storm in POE2
Elemental Storm is a triggered skill, meaning it cannot be manually cast or bound to a key. Instead, it is activated by elemental hits from other skills. To use support gems effectively:
- Socket Support Gems: Place the desired support gems in the same skill gem socket as Elemental Storm.
- Trigger Elemental Storm: Use skills that deal elemental damage (e.g., Fireball, Spark) to trigger the storm.
- Optimize Synergy: Ensure your build complements the support gems you choose. For example, if using Hypothermia, incorporate chilling effects into your build.
3. Build Synergy and Tips
- Mana Management: Elemental Storm can be mana-intensive, especially with support gems like Arcane Surge. Invest in mana regeneration and efficiency to maintain uptime.
- Cooldown Recovery: Use gear or passives that increase cooldown recovery rate to reduce the 5-second cooldown of Elemental Storm.
- Elemental Focus: Choose one elemental type (Fire, Cold, or Lightning) and focus your build around it for maximum damage output.
Elemental Storm is a versatile and powerful skill in Path of Exile 2 (POE2), and its effectiveness can be significantly enhanced with the right support gems. Whether you’re focusing on area coverage, single-target damage, or elemental penetration, the gems listed above will help you optimize your build.
you can also check Master the Elementalist’s Storm Build in POE2.