PoE Crimson Dance — Path of Exile

Crimson Dance is a keystone passive skill in Path of Exile that alters the way Bleeding works for your character. Instead of a single powerful Bleed effect, Crimson Dance allows you to stack up to eight Bleeds on an enemy, with each stack contributing to the overall damage. However, this comes with significant trade-offs, including reduced Bleed damage per stack and the loss of increased Bleed damage while the enemy is moving.

PoE Crimson Dance

Mechanics

You can inflict Bleeding on an Enemy up to 8 times:

• Crimson Dance enables your hits to apply Bleeding up to eight times on a single target. Each Bleed stack adds its own damage over time effect, leading to a cumulative increase in the total Bleed damage dealt. However, the damage per Bleed stack is reduced, which makes this keystone particularly useful for builds that can apply Bleeds rapidly.

Your Bleeding does not deal extra Damage while the Enemy is moving and cannot be Aggravated:

• Normally, Bleed deals increased damage while the enemy is moving, which is a significant part of its damage potential. With Crimson Dance, this bonus is completely negated, meaning that your Bleed damage remains constant regardless of whether the enemy is stationary or moving. This requires a different approach to Bleed-based damage, focusing more on applying multiple Bleed stacks rather than relying on movement for extra damage.

50% less Damage with Bleeding:

• Each individual Bleed stack inflicted by your character deals 50% less damage than a standard Bleed. However, since you can apply up to eight stacks, the total potential damage across all stacks can exceed that of a single, non-Crimson Dance Bleed. This mechanic shifts the strategy from maximizing single-hit Bleed damage to maximizing the number of Bleed stacks applied to the target.

Strategic Considerations

Scaling Bleed Damage:

• To make the most out of Crimson Dance, it’s essential to focus on attack speed and other mechanics that allow for rapid hits, ensuring that you can apply and maintain the maximum number of Bleed stacks on enemies. Skills that hit multiple times or hit very quickly are ideal for this purpose.

Managing Movement Penalty:

• Since Crimson Dance removes the extra damage bonus while enemies are moving, you’ll need to ensure that your Bleed damage remains effective even without this bonus. This might involve investing in increased physical damage, additional sources of Bleed damage, or other damage multipliers that apply regardless of the target’s movement.

Synergies with Other Skills and Items:

• Crimson Dance works well with items and skills that can help apply Bleed quickly. For example, Lacerate or Cyclone can rapidly hit enemies, stacking Bleed multiple times in a short period. Additionally, items that increase attack speed or add flat physical damage can help maximize the effectiveness of each Bleed stack.

Dual-Wielding and Skills with High Hit Frequency:

• Skills that hit multiple times in quick succession are particularly effective with Crimson Dance. Dual-wielding or using skills like Flicker Strike or Blade Flurry can help you reach the maximum number of Bleed stacks quickly, maximizing the overall damage output.

PoE Crimson Dance Build

Classes:

• Gladiator: 79%
• Slayer: 11%
• Juggernaut: 5%
• Ascendant: 3%
• Elementalist: 1%
• Necromancer: 0.5%
• Berserker: 0.5%
• Inquisitor: 0%
• Pathfinder: 0%
• Deadeye: 0%
• Hierophant: 0%
• Trickster: 0%
• Occultist: 0%
• Assassin: 0%
• Warden: 0%
• Chieftain: 0%
• Saboteur: 0%
• Champion: 0%
• Guardian: 0%
• Shadow: 0%

Main Skills:

• Lacerate of Haemorrhage: 52%
• Bladestorm of Uncertainty: 7%
• Shield Crush: 5%
• Spectral Shield Throw: 5%
• Eviscerate: 3%
• Double Strike: 3%
• Lacerate: 3%
• Cyclone: 2%
• Vaal Double Strike: 2%
• Sunder: 2%
• Bladestorm: 2%
• Flicker Strike: 2%
• Boneshatter of Complex Trauma: 2%

Masteries:

• +3% to Damage over Time Multiplier for Bleeding per Endurance Charge: 68%
• Bleeding you inflict deals Damage 15% faster: 47%
• 12% increased Mana Reservation Efficiency of Skills: 43%
• +1% Chance to Block Spell Damage per 5% Chance to Block Attack Damage: 43%
• 10% more Maximum Physical Attack Damage: 42%
• +1% to all maximum Elemental Resistances if Equipped Helmet, Body Armour, Gloves, and Boots all have Armour: 30%
• 8% increased Evasion Rating per Frenzy Charge, 8% increased Armour per Endurance Charge: 30%
• +1% Chance to Block Attack Damage per 5% Chance to Block on Equipped Shield: 29%
• +30 to maximum Life: 26%
• 30% increased Damage while in Blood Stance, 15% increased Area of Effect while in Sand Stance: 26%
• 3% increased Damage per Endurance, Frenzy or Power Charge: 22%
• Melee Hits Fortify, -3 to maximum Fortification: 20%
• You take 30% reduced Extra Damage from Critical Strikes: 18%

Conclusion

Crimson Dance transforms the way Bleed is used in Path of Exile, turning it from a single powerful debuff into a stacking mechanic that can result in higher overall damage when properly managed. While it comes with the drawback of reduced damage per stack and the loss of the movement damage bonus, the ability to stack Bleeds up to eight times opens up new strategies for physical damage builds. This keystone is particularly potent in builds that can hit frequently and consistently, allowing them to fully leverage the stacking mechanic to overcome the inherent damage reduction per Bleed.

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