What New Classes Will You Experience In Path Of Exile 2? - 4 Classes Overview
Nov 28, 2024 Source: POECURRENCY
After ten years of polishing, Path of Exile 2 will finally be officially released as early access! At this stage, several trailers and players’ test videos indicate that this is a completely new game, completely different from the original, and has added a lot of interesting new content for players to explore, the most important of which is a new You can see that it’s an addition of a class.
In POE 2, you can experience 12 classes with different styles, 6 of which are retained from the original, and the other 6 are newly added, namely Monk, Druid, Huntress, Mercenary, Sorceress and Warrior. Each class will give you a unique gameplay experience, but there are four that are highly anticipated by players.
So before entering this fresh and exciting game, it is very necessary to understand these 4 new class usage guidelines introduced in this guide. This will not only help you choose a class that suits you best according to your gaming habits, but also help you sort out the advantages and disadvantages of this class and the subsequent development of the build ideas.
Monk
First, let’s introduce the most anticipated class, Monk. Since it has the same name as a class in Diablo 3, many players are looking forward to how it will differ from the previous Monk. In fact, Monk in this game focuses more on DEX and INT, which is somewhat similar to the Shadow class in the original game.
In POE 2, Monk is a highly flexible class that can cleverly combine fast-paced melee attacks with excellent elemental projectiles such as Ice, Lightning or Wind. So when creating the best Monk build, you can use more of the above elemental abilities to enhance its melee attacks, thereby causing a lot of damage to the enemy.
For example, Monk’s combo skill Tempest Bell can release a very large resonating bell in the game, and then use Quarterstaff to cause very strong AOE damage to the enemy. At this time, using Freeze or Shock on this bell will increase all your AOE damage with elemental effects.
If you are a player who likes to complete all battles in an exciting arena with a very flexible combat state, Monk will definitely be your best choice, especially with its freeze mechanism and crowd control mechanism being optimized in POE 2.
Mercenary
Unlike Monk, Mercenary is a class that focuses on ranged attacks and is dedicated to using crossbows to cause piercing damage to enemies. Because of this special class, POE 2 has added a lot of ammunition types that can be turned into shotguns, snipers, or assault rifles, making this game very much like a shooting game! If you are a loyal player of loot shooting games such as Destiny or Borderlands, then the Mercenary class will definitely give you a nearly identical gaming experience in the large-scale ARPG of POE 2.
Of course, besides traditional ammunition, Mercenary can also use some elemental ammunition, so you can combine ammunition of different element types to maximize damage output. For example, you can use Glacial Bolt to disperse a group of enemies in battle, and then use Fragmentation to enhance your AOE damage greatly.
As a very versatile class, Mercenary can also use grenade in combat, but it does not kill the enemy directly, but applies a debuff to the enemy. For example, a gas grenade can help you create a poison cloud, which can continuously apply poison and vulnerable effects to the enemy. At this time, if you use explosive bombs, the damage you cause to the enemy will be doubled.
Here is a suggestion for you: you can spend more POE 2 Currency on Attachments, which is an important component of the crossbow. Although it does not change the attribute value of the crossbow, it can give you an extra skill slot than other characters, which will increase your chances of winning when facing a more tough enemy.
Sorceress
Sorceress is also a class that focuses on ranged combat, but is more focused on using elemental abilities, such as fire, ice, or thunderstorms to cause super damage to enemies. As of now, you can choose from 25 active elemental abilities, each of which can provide you with a unique grinding experience.
You can choose only one element and maximize its ability. But in POE 2, the way to make your exploration easier is to combine 2 or more different elemental abilities, some of which can even have devastating effects!
For example, after you use Wall of Fire to ignite the enemy, any projectiles you fire at the enemy will be greatly enhanced as long as they pass through the flames. Or you can release Lightning Sparks through this fire element, and your fire damage and lightning damage are enough to kill some low- and medium-level enemies directly.
In addition, a Dual Specialization system has been added to Sorceress in POE 2, so you will use the weapon switching function to have two weapons specialized for different damage types, so that you can switch weapons seamlessly when using different skills, while also reducing a lot of the risks you face in the process of changing weapons.
Warrior
Unlike the previous classes, Warrior is a melee class that focuses on strength, suitable for players who like to launch slow but powerful attacks. Its main combat weapon is Mace, a weapon type that continues from the original game, and it also provides this class with some defensive capabilities of armor and shield.
In terms of skills, Warrior will focus more on melee and mobility, a bit like Barbarian in Diablo 4. For example, they can both use Slam attacks that produce wave-shaped damage to stun enemies and cause huge AOE damage. In addition, Warriors can enhance your next attack, which is also a similar skill ability.
But for Warrior in POE 2, you can use fire attacks and shield skills to enhance the combat flexibility of your build. But if you don’t care about the defensive ability of the entire build, but the damage ability, you can also remove your shield and replace it with heavy two-handed attacks. The builds that Warrior can explore are very diverse.
Overall, while Warrior isn’t exactly new to players familiar with POE, as many of the skills return from the original, this class is the perfect choice for players who want to be a strong character with a giant weapon and knock down enemies with heavy blows.
The above are some detailed information about the 4 most popular classes in Path of Exile 2 and some suggestions for you in the build. No matter how long we have waited, please always believe that this time POE 2 will definitely give you a very big surprise. And I wish you a happy game!
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Some League Mechanics Have Been Confirmed To Be Coming To Path Of Exile 2!
Breaking news! As we get closer to the early access release of Path of Exile 2, GGG has just revealed some leagues mechanics in this new game. You’ll notice that the names of these leagues mechanics are the same as the first few leagues in the original POE, but some of them have completely different gameplay and rewards.
For starters, Leagues mechanics are special content you encounter randomly in Atlas of Worlds in Path of Exile 2, including unique encounters that give you unique rewards, and boss fights that may be themed around the map. Leagues mechanics have always been a staple in both the original and the upcoming POE 2, as they are updated every three months, and the unique themes not only affect the game structure but also provide a very interesting gaming experience for players.
So this guide will introduce you to some leagues mechanics that have been retained from POE to the sequel, so that you can better explore this exquisite game in the early access or the official that will be released later.
Essence
Essence is a crystal-wrapped monster in the game. When you encounter it, you need to destroy the outer crystal before you can fight the monster inside. These monsters will drop specific Essence after being defeated, which can be used to craft some equipment.
In the original game, Essence only ensures that the equipment has one affix during the crafting process, and all other affixes are random. But in POE 2, Essence is divided into different categories and upgrades items in different ways.
The first tier of Essence can upgrade ordinary items to Magic level, while the second tier of Essence can upgrade Magic items to Rare level. This means that you don’t have to worry about the quality of the items when you are crafting them, and you can better enhance your build.
Strongbox
If you like to challenge one-on-many battles, Strongbox will be one of your favorite league mechanics because it is the easiest way to add more monsters to the map you explore. Of course, you will get a lot of extra rewards in the encounters and boss battles in this mechanic.
It’s worth noting that these Strongboxes can be modified using POE 2 Currency, and the higher the difficulty, the more rewards you’ll get from them. In addition, there are different types of Strongboxes, such as Arcanist Strongboxes that give you currency rewards. It is also precisely because of the ability to add additional monsters that Strongbox has become one of the best ways for some high-level players to hone themselves in the endgame, and I believe it will perform well in POE 2.
Shrine
Shrine is a boulder that appears randomly in front of you while you are running the map. After you use your skills or abilities to defeat the empowered enemies around the boulder, you can gain a unique buff for a period.
It may be additional resistance, increased movement speed, or even an increase in the chance of important drops after you defeat the monster. Because it has only been confirmed that Shrine mechanism will appear in POE 2, the specific effect is unknown.
Ritual
Ritual is a long-standing league mechanic in POE and has undergone many improvements. In the sequel, the function of Ritual has not changed much. You need to kill all enemies within a radius. And after the radius is given death, you need to interact with the radius and kill the resurrected versions of all previous enemies.
The second battle can provide you with tribute as a reward, which can be exchanged for various rewards, such as POE 2 Currency, equipment or omens. Among them, omens is a special conditional item used to modify specific affixes on some powerful equipment.
The advice here is to collect as many tributes as possible in Ritual. So you can consider farming rewards after clearing all Ritual totems. In addition, in Ritual, you need to fight Pinnacle boss, The King in the Mists, so you must make sure your build is strong enough before entering this mechanic.
Delirium
Because of the fast-paced and deadly combat at the core of Delirium, this may not be a game for new players, but it is a good choice for players who like challenges. In the maps with Delirium activated, you will randomly encounter Mirror of Delirium in the early stages. After you pass through this mirror, the place where you are standing will be filled with thick fog, and your whole body will move in a certain direction.
After you pass through this thick fog, you will see the monsters you need to deal with. There will also be a rewards meter at the bottom of the screen, offering rewards for POE 2 currency and other league mechanics. As for monsters, they can even spawn spectral demons, which are small monsters that can release special attacks.
If your build is strong enough, these monsters are a piece of cake for you. The real challenge is Simulacrum, which is also one of the most hard bosses in POE. After you collect enough Simulacrum Splinters, you can fight Simulacrum. It features a wave-based game mode that gets more difficult the later you get, but the rewards increase.
The above are some of the league mechanisms that may appear in Path of Exile 2. These improved or retained mechanisms can give both new and old players a unique gaming experience. Next, let’s look forward to this Path of Exile 2 that is worth our long wait!
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Why Has The Early Access Of Path Of Exile 2 Been Well Received By Many Players Before It Was Officially Released? - Give Priority To Endgame
Grinding Gear Games, the developer of the most outstanding ARPG Path of Exile, will officially release the new sequel of this game, POE 2, next week. It will bring players similar to gameplay to the original, but will have much better game mechanics, greatly improved visual effects and a new story to enhance the player’s gaming experience.
However, there is no shortage of ARPGs with similar gameplay in the current game market, but why has POE 2 been loved by so many players before it was released? I think this is also what some players who have been waiting to see want to know. Don’t worry, in the information currently leaked about POE 2, we found the specific reasons and will answer this question for you in this guide.
Other ARPGs For Endgame Content
For ARPGs that can provide live-service, the easiest and most common way to retain the player base is to add a lot of Endgame content to the game, making it a driving force for players to participate in the game for a long time. In this way, after players have completed the main quests in the game or explored the upgrade experience, they will still feel fresh about the game because of the new Endgame content.
Unfortunately, Endgame content of most live-service ARPGs cannot effectively attract players, or even retain players. Therefore, in the long-term development of the game world, most of these games will be criticized by many players. Even if some games have made Endgame content very beautiful in the early stage, they are gradually forgotten by players because of the lack of timely updates.
In many player communities, we often see that it is not that Endgame content in these live-service ARPGs is not rich enough, but that players do not feel the fun they deserve in the process of exploring these contents. For example, many ARPGs have farming in the same dungeon or refining some equipment.
Although these repeated game loops reduce the difficulty of exploration for players, they will also make players feel that this is a chore that is not worth spending too much time and energy on, and then turn to another more interesting new game. While the very generous rewards in Endgame content will also have some impact on players, this is not the strongest reason for players to explore this content repeatedly.
Among them, Diablo 4 is a very typical example, because its Endgame content repeatedly relies on exploring Nightmare Dungeons. Even though other events have been added to the newly released DLC at this stage, the number of daily active players in this game is still decreasing. In addition, Marvel’s Avengers is also a game that failed because Endgame content is too repetitive. Players unanimously believe that the rewards in this Endgame content are not comparable to their efforts, so players have given up the game.
POE 2 For Endgame Content
I believe that when you read this, you should understand the most important reason POE 2 stands out among many popular ARPGs-that’s right, it pays more attention to Endgame content. In the previous Path of Exile 2 presentation, developer representative Rogers once said that players will definitely experience the best Endgame in this brand new game! In the latest information released, the developer did what he promised. The main campaign in the early access of POE 2 is about 25 hours long because there are only three Acts.
This means that players can complete the first few main campaigns in a brief time and explore these three Acts again in Cruel mode, and then immediately plunge into Endgame content. Don’t think that Cruel mode will take up a lot of your time. Although the monsters or enemies you encounter in this mode will become more threatening, your character will also get some enhancements here. So you don’t have to worry about your early exploration time being too long, nor do you have to worry about spending too much POE 2 Currency in the early exploration, because the game content of the three Acts of the early is very simple.
In addition, you will experience a completely different exploration experience in Endgame content of the advance of Path of Exile 2 than the original. Whereas in previous games, you were limited to the areas you could explore based on items you picked up, such as maps, in the sequel you’ll be presented with an Atlas, which is a map overview of Endgame content in this brand new game.
In Atlas, there are densely packed nodes with three colors, which represent the types of maps you can explore at this stage, have explored, and have not unlocked. This means that you can choose the map to explore according to your combat ability, and at the same time, you can use Waystones to make the map more advantageous.
In general, POE 2 has greatly increased the expectations of players because it pays more attention to Endgame content. I wonder if those players who are struggling to decide whether to buy this new game have made their decision after reading this guide? No matter what your choice is, it is worth affirming that POE 2, a game that has been polished for a long time, will definitely give you a very big surprise next week!
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How To Better Explore Endgame In Path Of Exile 2 Early Access?
As the official release date of the early access of the new game Path of Exile 2 is getting closer, players are increasingly looking forward to some of the basic gameplay and combat methods. Among all the campaigns, the expectations for Endgame are far higher than other campaigns.
Therefore, this guide will summarize the methods for better exploring Endgame in POE 2 and the explanations of some specific names based on the leaked trailers and some player videos at this stage, so that you can get a head start in the early access version. However, it should be noted that what is introduced in this guide is only speculation, and it is subject to the eventual release.
What Is The Campaign In POE 2?
It should be noted here that since the early access of POE 2 will be released in a few weeks, it will not be a complete campaign, but only Acts 1, 2, and 3. Because this campaign is shorter, there will be a Cruel Mode in the early access version. In this mode, you can re-experience the game content in the 3 Acts you just explored, and then enter Endgame.
Cruel Mode
In the original game, you need to re-explore all the game content in the 3 modes (Normal, Cruel, and Merciless) at some point in the game before you can enter the Endgame. For the upcoming advance version, you only need to complete Cruel Mode to enter it.
Under normal difficulty, all the content of 3 Acts will take about 25 hours; but in Cruel Mode, because your character will be strengthened, the exploration time you need will be reduced accordingly. The specific exploration time may need to be determined according to your game ability and game style.
Endgame Overview
Atlas & Maps
After you have experienced all the above game content, you will enter Endgame. Then you will enter Atlas, which is a super large map that can be infinitely expanded in all directions, and it is also the core endgame system you need to explore.
You will find that there are many small circles in Atlas, each of which represents a portal to a specific map. For example, the blue circle represents the map you can currently access, the gray circle represents the map you can explore next, and the green circle represents the map you have explored.
In these maps, you will clear the corruption that affects the game time and fight powerful monsters. Of course, in the process of exploring these maps, you will be rewarded with a large amount of POE 2 Currency and some loot that is useful for your construction.
Waystones
I believe that in the introduction to Atlas just now; you have discovered one of the most critical differences between POE 2 and the original: in the original, the map you explore is the item you get in other event explorations, and you can choose which maps to run; in POE 2, you can only explore in the order provided to you in Atlas.
And among them, Waystones play a very important role. First of all, before you explore a map, you need a Waystone, just like you need a key to open a lock. The level of Waystones you provide will determine the level or rank of the monsters on the map. In simple terms, the higher the level of Waystones you provide, the higher the level of the monsters you will encounter, the more experience points you will gain, and of course the better the quality of your loot will be.
Like most Path Of Exile 2 Items, you can also add prefixes or suffixes to your Waystones. Prefixes increase the rewards you will receive on the map, while suffixes increase the challenge of the map. This is also a key way to maintain your supply and obtain higher-level drops.
Endgame Map Mechanics
In POE 2’s Endgame map, you’ll encounter bosses, enemies, and mechanics. For bosses or enemies, all you need to do is increase your build’s damage and survivability. In contrast, it’s more important to understand the map mechanics. Here are three mechanics you may encounter in Endgame map.
Precursor Artifacts
It’s Shrines in POE 2, just with a new name. But it’s also where monsters gather. After clearing all the monsters here and pressing the Artifact, you will get a buff for a period.
Strongboxes
Fill these Strongboxes with loot and monsters, which will all depend on your luck. In addition, there will be special modifiers in Strongboxes that will increase the monster weight of the box or apply some debuffs to you. After you clear them of monsters, they will also drop some loot and POE 2 Currency as your reward.
Essences
While exploring Endgame map, you will often find monsters trapped in crystals. After you free them and defeat them, they will drop Essences, which can be used for crafting. It will ensure that the crafted items have a type of modifier, allowing you to craft the effect you want most.
The above are some of the details we have learned about Endgame in the early access of Path of Exile 2. In general, after seeing a very perfect POE 2, our long wait will become very worthwhile. I hope you can have fun playing the new game in a few weeks!
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What Game Mode Is Suitable For You In The Upcoming Path Of Exile 2 Early Access? - Mode Detailed Explanation
Finally! The highly anticipated Path of Exile 2 will officially meet players in a few weeks on December 6. I believe that after this long wait, GGG will bring us a nearly perfect POE 2. But in the meantime, besides waiting foolishly, what you can do is to learn as much as possible about the detailed information of this new game.
And this guide will introduce you to the various game modes in Path of Exile 2 today. If you are a player who has just come into contact with POE series of games, you are likely to be confused by these more complex game modes. But don’t worry, this guide will solve these doubts for you and help you make the most suitable choice for you.
What Is League?
Similar to the seasons (also called ladders and stages) in other action role-playing games, there is a permanent league called Standard League and a limited-time league that usually lasts for three months in Path of Exile 2, usually called Challenge League. For example, Settlers of Kalguur in POE are currently an active Challenge League. Let’s introduce them one by one.
Challenge League
In Path of Exile 2, a new temporary Challenge League is launched every 3-4 months, during which all players will use a character starting from level 1 to start exploring this league again, without pre-existing items and advantages. During this Challenge League, the developers will occasionally introduce a lot of new content and new patches, which will achieve balance in the game by enhancing or weakening items, classes, skills or enemies.
These new changes will not only bring more opportunities for many players to try new builds and new combat strategies, but also keep players in a strong sense of freshness in the game. This is also the main reason why most players choose to explore the temporary Challenge League in POE.
When this Challenge League ends, you will not lose all the characters and items you have spent a lot of POE 2 Currency to obtain. They will be transferred to Standard League that has always existed.
Standard League
As I just said, Standard League is a permanent league in POE 2, which means that you will never be forced to restart your progress in this league, and you can always access all the characters and items you have obtained in Challenge League. This is the most stable choice for some players who don’t have much time to explore the game or those who don’t like to reset their progress frequently.
But this does not mean that Standard League is perfect. Its disadvantage is that you can’t try some new league mechanisms and many new contents in Challenge League. You may only be able to explore continuously in one game mechanism. Fortunately, Standard League will also make some real-time adjustments like the temporary league to achieve the balance within the game.
Here you need to be reminded that some objects in Standard League may change and produce some variants with the start of a new Challenge League. But please rest assured that the builds applicable to these original items will not change as a result, so for the builds in Standard League, you may not need to spend too much time and energy to make frequent changes to it.
To summarize, if you are a player who loves novelty and the thrill of exploration, then Challenge League will be more suitable for you. If you are a player with limited time or a player who likes an unchanging way of exploration, Standard League may be more suitable for you, and most importantly, you will not feel the pressure to complete the objectives before the end of the league.
Game Modes
In addition to the two most important leagues, POE 2 also offers players several game modes. Here is a detailed explanation of these game modes. You can choose the corresponding one according to your game style.
Softcore (also known as SC)
Softcore is the default game mode in the game and is the most suitable for novice players. In this game mode, once you die in combat or exploration, you can choose to respawn in the town or choose to respawn at the last checkpoint you just experienced.
Softcore game mode is available in both Standard League and Challenge League, but you can only explore and trade with players in the same league as you. Like the previous characters and items, all progress in this mode will be reset to zero after Challenge League ends and return to Standard League.
Hardcore (also known as HC)
Unlike Softcore, characters that die in Hardcore mode will not be able to explore in this league. They are not permanently deleted, but sent back to Standard League to explore. This game mode is very suitable for players who are experienced in the game, very confident in their builds and operations, and have a lot of free time, because they don’t mind losing everything they have when they make mistakes.
But from another perspective, Hardcore mode provides players with a way to train their build and exploration abilities with a focus on strengthening defense capabilities. Of course, players in this mode can also choose to explore in Standard League or Challenge League.
The above is the detailed information of several game leagues and modes in POE 2 that will be available to players this time. In any case, after such a long wait, we will definitely see an extraordinary Path of Exile 2. I hope you can choose the game mode that suits you best with the help of this guide. I wish you a happy game!
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How To Make Your Monk Stand Out From The Crowd In The Early Access Of Path Of Exile 2 Next Month? - Class Guide
As the final date of the early access of Path of Exile 2 promised by GGG is getting closer, players are more and more interested in this game that has been polished. But in this anxious waiting process, you can’t just wait foolishly, but you should learn more about some new information or new gameplay in this brand new game during this period, and the most important one is Class.
There will be 12 Classes for players to choose in POE 2, 6 of which are retained in the original game, and the other 6 are newly added. Among these newly added new Classes, the most likely to attract players is Monk, because this Class has appeared in Diablo 3, a game that has long been compared with POE series of games.
Many players have always wanted to understand what the difference is between Monk in POE 2 and in Diablo 3. Don’t worry, this guide will introduce it to you and teach you how to make it more powerful. If you are familiar with this Class knowledge, you will create a very outstanding Monk in the early access of the game at the fastest speed!
Monk Overview
First of all, we need to understand that Monk is a Class with both Intelligence and Dexterity attributes, which makes it located in the upper right part of the passive skill tree, similar to Shadow class in the original game. If your game style is to explore with a flexible combat state, then Monk will be your best choice.
For Monk’s weapons, the most commonly used are Quarterstave and Quarterstaff. Quarterstaff is a spell-casting weapon with modifiers such as Spell Damage; while Quarterstave is a weapon with a modifier of attack damage. In some necessary situations, Unarmed is also one of Monk’s main combat methods.
From this, it can be concluded that Monk will be more suitable for melee use and will rely more on mobility rather than brute force. So you can use more skill points to add more Cold Damage nodes in Dex area of this Class’s passive skill tree and don’t forget Lightning Damage nodes in Int areas. These will make your Monk more powerful in combat.
But this does not mean that you don’t need to invest in some defensive capabilities. Defensive layers such as Energy Shield, Evasion, and Spell Suppression are also worth your effort to use POE 2 Currency to obtain, so that Monk will have both strong offensive capabilities and survivability.
Some Changes To Monk’s Mechanics
In the leaked Monk gameplay trailer and test videos, we can see that GGG has made some changes to Monk’s Crowd Control and Freeze mechanisms - in POE, the effect of Crowd Control is a single thing: either it happens or it doesn’t happen.
So in the original game, many bosses are immune to Crowd Control and Freeze mechanisms, which is also one of the most unsatisfactory shortcomings of many players in POE. But in POE 2, the Crowd Control mechanic has an internal meter, so when you Freeze or other Crowd Control abilities on a boss, the meter will continue to build until the boss is hit by your crowd control ability.
But if you have already Freezed a boss in the meantime, the threshold will increase, so you need to Freeze them more before Freezing them again to achieve the crowd control effect. But don’t worry, this threshold increase will slowly decay as your character levels up.
Monk’s Skills
Similarly, based on the trailers and test videos that are currently available, we have summarized some skills of Monk Class and their effects. However, it should be noted that these are our summaries and do not represent the eventual results. Everything is subject to the final pre-release.
- Falling Thunder: Monk will use Lightning to damage all enemies on the ground, and this skill will consume Power Charges to increase its range and damage.
- Culling Palm (also known as Killing Palm): It can be used to kill some enemies with low health and increase Power Charges for yourself.
- Wind Blast: This skill will cause your character to generate a gust of wind and knock back all enemies, with the purpose of distance between yourself and the enemy, and put yourself in a safe range.
- Ice Strike: It can continuously attack the enemy multiple times and eventually freeze it.
- Glacial Cascade: Much like Ice Strike, you will cast an ice waterfall and send spikes at the last location. These spikes will cause greater damage to those enemies who have been frozen.
- Wave of Frost: You roll backwards a distance, and a wave of ice spikes appears in front of you, causing damage to enemies.
- Whirling Assault: You spin very fast and cause damage to enemies as you move.
- Shattering Palm: This skill allows you to place an ice bomb on the target enemy. When the target dies or causes enough damage to it, the bomb will explode.
The above is some information about the new Monk Class in POE 2. This new game has undergone a lot of revisions, but please believe that you will see a very perfect Path of Exile 2 next month, and it will make all your waits worthwhile. I wish you a happy game!
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How To Use Energy Shield In Path Of Exile 2 To Enhance Your Survivability? - Mechanics Explained & Potential Changes
As we all know, the much-anticipated POE 2 Early Access has been postponed to December 6, which has whetted everyone’s appetite. Many players are now a little impatient and want to experience the content of Path Of Exile 2 in person.
But while waiting, you can also learn about some of the mechanics in Path Of Exile 2 in advance, and how these differ from those in POE 1. For example, this article will introduce Energy Shield in detail. Without further ado, let’s take a look.
How Does Energy Shield Work?
Energy Shield is a form of defense that can be used as an additional hit point pool in the life pool. In addition to armor and evasion, it is also one of the defense types that can appear implicitly on equipment.
Energy Shield Recharge
Energy Shield Recharge is a mechanic that restores Energy Shield over time at a base rate of 33.3% per second. It only starts after Energy Shield or resource has not taken damage, and the duration of Energy Shield protection lasts for 2 seconds. Energy Shield recharge is interrupted if Energy Shield or the resource it is protecting takes any damage.
However, Energy Shield recharge does not stop when full Energy Shield is not reached or if resource loss comes from non-damage sources, such as using Lifetap Support to consume life.
Application Of Energy Shield
In addition, each class has no Energy Shield in its initial form. But after that, for every 10 intelligence increase, the maximum Energy Shield will increase by 2%. Of course, Energy Shield also reduces the amount of damage the class takes. As long as the character has Energy Shield when it takes damage, even damage from Labyrinth traps, that damage will be applied to Energy Shield first.
It’s worth noting that physical damage reductions and elemental resistances also apply to damage before being deducted from Energy Shield. Damage only starts to be applied to life or mana when all Energy Shield is depleted.
The exception is chaos damage, which bypasses Energy Shield. Of course, Energy Shield can also be mixed and matched with some other items. For example, Corrupted Energy, which makes 50% of chaos damage unable to bypass Energy Shield, but on the downside, it causes 50% of physical damage to bypass Energy Shield.
Additionally, Eldritch Battery Keystone can cause Energy Shield to conserve mana instead of life, causing the character to consume Energy Shield before spending skill charges. Mind Over Matter can be used in conjunction with Eldritch Battery, with damage dealt being redirected to mana and deducted from ES.
If the class does not take damage for a certain period of time, Energy Shield will begin to recharge. Also, when using Blood Magic or Sacrifice mechanic, consuming Energy Shield does not count as taking damage.
By default, Energy Shield starts charging after a delay of 2 seconds. Players can also reduce this delay by using passive skills and equipment to activate Energy Shield Recharge modifiers more quickly.
In general, as a form of recovery, Energy Shield Recharge Rate can reach 20% per second. If you want to speed up your recovery efficiency, it is essential to invest some POE 2 Currency to re-roll stats, which will give you more generation opportunities in some critical endgame situations.
Avoiding Stun
Energy Shield also has an inherent stun prevention mechanic. When a character takes hit damage while having Energy Shield, they will have a 50% chance to ignore being stunned by that hit unless they also have Eldritch Battery Keystone in use. This stun prevention mechanic is completely independent of other sources of stun avoidance, and is rolled separately.
Chaos Inoculation keystone can also be used to render a character immune to damage, but at the cost of losing only one life. All these changes make Energy Shield a primary resource for absorbing damage.
Potential Changes
Now, POE 2 is making some major changes to the core Energy Shield mechanic, mainly regarding which damage types bypass Energy Shield. For example, chaos damage will no longer bypass Energy Shield by default, unless it is chaos damage from poison ailment.
Any non-poison type of chaos damage will remove twice Energy Shield after mitigation calculations. Therefore, please be aware of the damage type and equip the appropriate POE 2 items in advance to avoid unnecessary consumption of your Energy Shield.
Although physical damage from bleeding ailment bypasses Energy Shield, bleeding only causes damage from direct hits, so GGG is currently planning to provide players with immunity of bleeding in the same way as Chaos Inoculation keystone did in POE 1, so that when attacked, no life damage is dealt and ailment is applied.
Of course, since Path of Exile 2 Early Access hasn’t officially launched yet, some of the new mechanics and changes we’ve learned about so far haven’t been fully confirmed. However, for some players who can’t wait, you can also read this guide in advance to make a full understanding before officially playing POE 2. I hope it can help you get a better gaming experience!
