Path of Exile: A Closer Look at Returning Skills
With Path of Exile 2’s Early Access launch just around the corner, qw thought it would be a great time to dive into some of the returning skills from Path of Exile 1 and see how they’ve been revamped for the new game.
One thing we’ve noticed is that skills like Toxic Rain have been broken down into multiple parts, with a focus on emphasizing certain aspects of the skill. This could lead to some interesting PoE build possibilities and a more complex gameplay experience.
Arc
Let’s start with Arc, a skill that’s been significantly buffed in Path of Exile 2. The base damage has been increased, and the critical strike chance is now much higher. Additionally, the skill now chains less, making it more suitable for supporting other skills. It’s also worth noting that the base damage is now comparable to the original, but with a higher endpoint damage.
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Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
Level 12 | Level 27 |
6-198 Damage | 14-81 Damage |
20% critical strike chance | 35% critical strike chance |
Totem
The totem skill has also seen some changes, with a focus on making it a more damage-dealing skill. The skill now requires a one-handed or two-handed mace, and the damage has been increased. It’s also worth noting that ancestral totems were nerfed in the last patch of Path of Exile 1, making this skill more viable.
Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
No weapon requirements | One-handed or two-handed mace required |
Support skill | Damage-dealing skill |
Blasphemy
Blasphemy has been reworked to be a more meta-focused skill. It’s no longer a support gem, instead, it’s a persistent gem that reserves 30 spirits per socket of curse. This means that you can apply multiple curses to enemies, making it a more powerful skill overall.
Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
Reserves 35% of total mana | Reserves 30 spirits per socket of curse |
Support gem | Meta gem |
Bone Shatter
Bone Shatter has been reworked to be a more melee-focused skill. It now requires a one-handed or two-handed mace, and the damage has been increased. Additionally, the skill no longer has a trauma mechanic, which could make it more viable for players who don’t want to rely on trauma-based builds.
Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
Trauma mechanic | No trauma mechanic |
No weapon requirements | One-handed or two-handed mace required |
Cast on Critical Strike
Cast on Critical Strike has been reworked to be a more meta-focused skill. It’s now a persistent triggered meta gem that generates energy as your channel and then unleashes a flurry of skills when you reach a certain energy threshold. This could lead to some interesting build possibilities and a more dynamic gameplay experience.
Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
Support gem | Meta gem |
Triggers skills on critical strike | Generates energy and triggers skills when the threshold is reached |
Detonate Dead
Detonate Dead has been reworked to be a more damage-focused skill. The damage has been increased, and the skill now has a higher critical strike chance. Additionally, the skill no longer has a percentage-based damage mechanic, which could make it more viable for players who don’t want to rely on percentage-based damage.
Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
Percentage-based damage | Fixed damage |
Level 4 | Level 12 |
Earthquake
Earthquake has been reworked to be a more melee-focused skill. It now requires a one-handed or two-handed mace, and the damage has been increased. Additionally, the skill now has a shorter duration and a larger impact radius, making it more viable for players who want to deal area of effect damage.
Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
No weapon requirements | One-handed or two-handed mace required |
Longer duration | Shorter duration |
Flicker Strike
Flicker Strike has been reworked to be a more melee-focused skill. It now requires a Quarter Staff, and the damage has been increased. Additionally, the skill now has a higher attack speed and a higher critical strike chance, making it more viable for players who want to deal quick and deadly damage.
Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
No weapon requirements | Quarter Staff required |
Lower attack speed | Higher attack speed |
Ice Spear
Ice Spear has been reworked to be a more melee-focused skill. It now requires a spear, and the damage has been increased. Additionally, the skill now has a higher critical strike chance and a larger impact radius, making it more viable for players who want to deal area of effect damage.
Path of Exile 1 | Path of Exile 2 |
No weapon requirements | Spear required |
Lower critical strike chance | Higher critical strike chance |
Overall, it’s clear that the developers of Path of Exile 2 have put a lot of thought into revamping the skills from the original game. With a focus on melee combat and a more complex gameplay experience, Path of Exile 2 is shaping up to be a great sequel.
Looking to get a head start on your Path of Exile journey? Check out Path of Exile currency for sale and POE guides available at AOEAH and YouTube to help you get started!