PoE Trauma Support 3.25 – Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur

Trauma Support is an innovative gem in Path of Exile 3.25, designed to enhance melee strike skills by introducing a unique mechanic: Trauma. This article explores the mechanics, benefits, and optimal usage of Trauma Support, providing players with insights on how to maximize its potential in their builds.

Key Mechanics

Trauma Support

• Type: Physical, Support, Melee, Attack, Strike, Duration
• Level: 20 (Max)
• Cost & Reservation Multiplier: 140%
• Quality: +20%
• Requirements: Level 70, 111 Str

Skill Mechanics:

• Added Attack Physical Damage: Supported skills have 10 to 17 added attack physical damage per Trauma.
• Reduced Enemy Stun Threshold: Supported skills have 10% reduced enemy stun threshold.
• Increased Stun Duration: Supported skills have 5% increased stun duration per Trauma.
• Gain Trauma: Gain 1 Trauma the first time a supported attack hits an enemy.
• Physical Damage Taken: Take 146 physical damage per Trauma when you gain Trauma from supported skills.
• Trauma Duration: Trauma lasts 6.9 seconds.
• Weapon Restriction: Supported skills can only be used with axes, maces, sceptres, or staves.

Benefits of Trauma Support

Increased Physical Damage: Trauma Support significantly boosts the physical damage of supported skills, making it ideal for builds focusing on raw physical output.

Enhanced Stun Mechanics: The reduced stun threshold and increased stun duration per Trauma enhance the crowd control capabilities of supported skills, making it easier to manage groups of enemies.

Strategic Playstyle: The added mechanic of taking physical damage per Trauma introduces a risk-reward dynamic, encouraging strategic gameplay and careful management of Trauma stacks.

Optimal Usage

To fully leverage the power of Trauma Support, consider the following recommendations for skills, links, and gear:

Recommended Skills:

1. Heavy Strike: With its high base damage, Heavy Strike benefits greatly from the added physical damage per Trauma, making it a powerhouse for single-target damage.
2. Earthquake: The delayed explosion of Earthquake synergizes well with Trauma Support, allowing you to stack Trauma before the explosion for massive damage.
3. Ground Slam: Ground Slam’s wide attack arc benefits from the added physical damage and enhanced stun mechanics, making it a solid choice for area control.

Recommended Links:

1. Melee Physical Damage Support: Further increases the physical damage of your attacks.
2. Brutality Support: Adds a significant damage boost by removing elemental damage.
3. Fortify Support: Provides defensive benefits by granting fortification on hit.
4. Ruthless Support: Increases the damage of every third attack, synergizing well with the added physical damage from Trauma Support.

Recommended Gear:

• Weapons: Prioritize axes, maces, sceptres, or staves with high base damage and attack speed.
• Armor: Focus on gear that boosts physical damage, melee damage, and stun duration.
• Jewelry: Rings and amulets with added physical damage and life leech are ideal to mitigate the self-inflicted damage from Trauma.

Example Setup

Heavy Strike Setup:

• Heavy Strike – Trauma Support, Melee Physical Damage Support, Brutality Support, Fortify Support, Ruthless Support.

Earthquake Setup:

• Earthquake – Trauma Support, Melee Physical Damage Support, Brutality Support, Fortify Support, Increased Duration Support.

Defensive Setup:

• Cast when Damage Taken Support – Immortal Call, Increased Duration Support.

Conclusion

Trauma Support introduces a unique mechanic to Path of Exile 3.25, enhancing melee strike skills with significant added physical damage and improved stun mechanics. By carefully managing Trauma stacks and optimizing your skill and gear choices, you can create powerful and strategic builds that excel in both damage output and crowd control. Experiment with different skills and support gems to find the perfect setup that maximizes the potential of Trauma Support in your Path of Exile journey.