Grasping Vines
- You are slowed by grasping vines. Move to break the vines.
For example: Grasping Nightshade Sporebloom Tincture: (20–30)% chance to inflict a Grasping Vine on Melee Weapon Hit. Up to 10 Vines can grasp you, inflicting 8% less Movement Speed per Vine. Broken by moving.
AI Guides
Grasping Vines is a debuff in Path of Exile (PoE) that significantly reduces the movement speed of affected characters. This debuff can be particularly dangerous in situations where mobility is crucial, such as dodging boss mechanics or escaping large packs of enemies. Understanding how Grasping Vines work, how to counteract them, and the unique items and keystone passives that interact with this mechanic is essential for surviving in the treacherous world of Wraeclast.
Mechanics of Grasping Vines
Grasping Vines is a debuff that applies a movement speed reduction to the player or affected enemies. Each stack of Grasping Vines inflicts an 8% reduction in movement speed, with a maximum reduction of 90%. While most sources of Grasping Vines can apply up to 10 stacks (80% movement speed reduction), different sources of the debuff can stack together, potentially reaching the hard cap.
- Visual Indicator: Each stack of Grasping Vines is represented by a vine that runs from the player to the ground. The appearance of these vines may vary depending on the source of the debuff.
- Elastic Nature: Grasping Vines are elastic, meaning they stretch as the player moves, but continue to impede movement until removed or the cap is reached.
- Movement Skills Interaction: Certain movement skills can interact with Grasping Vines in specific ways:
- Teleporting Skills: Movement skills that instantly teleport the player, such as Flame Dash or Blink Arrow, remove all stacks of Grasping Vines immediately.
- Other Movement Skills: Skills like Leap Slam or Shield Charge remove stacks based on the distance traveled. The further you move, the more stacks you can remove.
- Bypassing the Penalty: The unique boots The Stampede allow players to bypass the movement speed penalty imposed by Grasping Vines entirely.
Unique Items Related to Grasping Vines
Several unique items in Path of Exile interact with the Grasping Vines mechanic, either by inflicting the debuff on enemies or by providing benefits when the player is affected by the debuff.
1. Natural Affinity
- Base Item: Small Cluster Jewel
- Required Level: 1
- Stats:
- Grants the Nature’s Patience keystone, which interacts with Grasping Vines.
2. Grasping Nightshade
- Base Item: Sporebloom Tincture
- Required Level: 52
- Stats:
- 25% chance to Blind Enemies on Hit with Melee Weapons.
- (25-35)% increased Effect of Blind from Melee Weapons.
- Melee Weapon Hits inflict (2-3) Withered Debuffs for 2 seconds.
- (20-30)% chance to inflict a Grasping Vine on Melee Weapon Hit.
- This item provides a way to apply Grasping Vines to enemies, slowing them down and making them more vulnerable to attacks.
3. Inextricable Fate
- Base Item: Fugitive Boots
- Required Level: 70
- Stats:
- +(13-17)% to Chaos Resistance.
- +(80-100) to maximum Life.
- 30% increased Movement Speed.
- You gain 3 Grasping Vines when you take a Critical Strike.
- Nearby stationary Enemies gain a Grasping Vine every 0.5 seconds.
- All Damage inflicts Poison against Enemies affected by at least 3 Grasping Vines.
- You take (50-30)% reduced Extra Damage from Critical Strikes by Poisoned Enemies.
- These boots provide both offensive and defensive benefits when dealing with or applying Grasping Vines.
Keystone Passive Skills Related to Grasping Vines
Certain keystone passive skills enhance or interact with the Grasping Vines mechanic, providing unique advantages for specific builds.
1. Nature’s Patience
- Stats:
- Gain 2 Grasping Vines each second while stationary.
- 2% chance to deal Double Damage per Grasping Vine.
- 1% less Damage taken per Grasping Vine.
- This keystone is ideal for stationary playstyles, offering increased damage and damage mitigation the longer the player remains stationary.
2. Vinespike Cordial
- Stats:
- Inflict a Grasping Vine on Hit against Enemies with fewer than 8 Grasping Vines during the Effect of any Life Flask.
- This keystone or mod enables players to consistently apply Grasping Vines to enemies, slowing them down and making them easier to manage in combat.
Strategies for Dealing with Grasping Vines
Given the significant movement speed reduction caused by Grasping Vines, it’s important to have strategies in place to counteract this debuff, especially in situations where mobility is crucial.
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Utilize Teleporting Skills: Skills like Flame Dash or Blink Arrow are extremely useful for quickly removing all stacks of Grasping Vines and maintaining mobility in tight situations.
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Use The Stampede Boots: These unique boots allow players to ignore the movement speed penalty from Grasping Vines, making them an excellent choice for builds that prioritize mobility.
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Movement Speed Buffs: Stack movement speed buffs through gear, flasks, or passive skills to counteract the effects of Grasping Vines, allowing you to stay mobile even when affected.
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Avoid Stationary Combat: If you’re not using Nature’s Patience, avoid staying stationary for too long, as this can lead to accumulating multiple stacks of Grasping Vines, severely hindering your movement.
Conclusion
Grasping Vines is a unique and potentially dangerous debuff in Path of Exile, capable of severely reducing a player’s movement speed and limiting their mobility in combat. However, with the right understanding and strategies, players can mitigate or even turn this debuff to their advantage, particularly with the use of certain unique items and keystone passives. Whether you’re dealing with this mechanic yourself or using it against your enemies, mastering Grasping Vines is crucial for success in Wraeclast’s most challenging encounters.