Support
Attack, Melee, Physical
Tier: 1
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Str
Supports Melee Attacks, causing them to deal mode damage against Bleeding enemies, but preventing them from inflicting Bleeding.
Supported Skills deal 30% more Melee Physical Damage Against Bleeding enemies
Supported Attacks cannot cause Bleeding
Place into a Skill’s Support Gem socket in the Skills menu to apply its effects to that Skill. You cannot have multiple copies of the same Support Gem socketed at the same time.
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The Bloodlust Support Gem is a Tier 1 support gem in Path of Exile 2 designed to enhance your melee physical attacks by significantly increasing their damage against Bleeding enemies. While it offers a notable damage boost, it comes with a trade-off: it prevents your attacks from inflicting Bleeding on enemies. This makes the gem ideal for builds that already apply Bleeding through other means, or for players who want to focus on maximizing damage output against Bleeding targets without needing to apply the Bleed debuff themselves.
Skill Gem Details
Category: Support
Type: Attack, Melee, Physical
Tier: 1
Required Level: 1
Support Requirements: +5 Strength
Effect: Provides 30% more Melee Physical Damage against Bleeding enemies while preventing your attacks from applying Bleeding.
Skill Mechanics
Increased Damage Against Bleeding Enemies:
The primary benefit of Bloodlust is its ability to increase your melee physical damage by 30% when hitting enemies that are already Bleeding. This makes it an excellent choice for builds that either rely on Bleeding or pair well with skills that can consistently inflict Bleed on enemies, such as Viper Strike or Cleave.
Prevents Bleeding:
The drawback of Bloodlust is that it prevents your attacks from causing Bleeding. While this may seem like a limitation, it can be easily worked around by pairing this gem with other Bleed-inflicting skills or items that automatically apply Bleeding (such as Bleed support gems or Weapons with Bleed chance).
Synergy with Bleed Builds:
If your build already revolves around Bleeding, the Bloodlust Support Gem enhances your damage output by focusing on Bleeding enemies. For example, if you’re using a Bleed-based skill such as Heavy Strike with another support or item that applies Bleeding, Bloodlust will increase your overall damage while keeping your attacks free from further application of Bleed.
Bloodlust is also effective when paired with Bleed Modifiers from other sources (like items, passives, or skills) that already inflict Bleed without needing to rely on your attacks for the Bleed effect.
Versatility in Physical Builds:
This gem is particularly useful for melee physical builds that want to focus on maximizing their damage against Bleeding enemies while using other means of applying Bleed. For instance, Dagger or Sword users who Critically Hit may prefer using this gem to boost their damage while applying Bleeding through critical hits, attacks, or other Bleed modifiers.
Optimizing Your Bleed Build:
If you’re running a Bleed build, you can still benefit from the damage increase provided by the gem, as long as you find a way to apply Bleeding via other skills, such as Poison or Attack Skills. By removing the risk of self-inflicted Bleeding, your focus can shift to maximizing your damage output without worrying about stacking or managing multiple debuffs.
Strategic Uses
Maximizing Damage Against Bleeding Targets:
If you’re facing Bleeding enemies, Bloodlust significantly boosts your damage against them. This makes the gem ideal for situations where enemies are consistently Bleeding, such as Boss Fights, Elite Monsters, or mapping content with a large number of Bleeding enemies.
Works Well with High Physical Damage Builds:
The 30% increased damage against Bleeding enemies is a notable bonus for physical attack builds, particularly those using melee or strike-based skills. Whether you’re using Cleave, Heavy Strike, Whirlwind, or any other physical melee skill, this gem provides a solid boost to damage output.
Perfect for Dual-Debuff Builds:
If you’re using a dual-debuff strategy, where you rely on Bleed in combination with Poison or Fire Damage, Bloodlust can maximize your damage output when your target is already affected by Bleed, allowing you to focus on physical damage while dealing extra bleeding damage.
Pros and Cons
Pros
30% More Damage Against Bleeding Enemies: A significant damage boost for builds focused on Bleeding or when your target is already affected by Bleed.
Good for Melee and Physical Builds: Especially effective for melee builds relying on physical damage.
Flexible Build Synergy: Can be combined with other sources of Bleeding (such as weapon mods, support gems, or passive skills) to create high-damage Bleed-focused setups.
Cons
Prevents Inflicting Bleed: The inability to inflict Bleeding on enemies while using this gem might limit its use for some players who prefer Bleed-based skills.
Requires Strength: The gem requires +5 Strength, which can limit compatibility with builds that focus on Dexterity or Intelligence.
Limited Effect for Non-Bleed Builds: If your build doesn’t rely on Bleeding or other means of inflicting Bleed, this gem will be less effective and might not be the best choice.
Gameplay Tips
Pair with Bleed Inflicting Skills:
To maximize the effectiveness of Bloodlust, pair it with other skills or items that can inflict Bleeding automatically. Consider using Poison or Bleed-focused weapons like daggers, swords, or axes that can apply Bleed without the need for your attacks to do so.
Use with Strike-Based Skills:
Strike-based melee attacks such as Heavy Strike, Cleave, or Dual Strike work well with Bloodlust, as they benefit greatly from the increased damage against Bleeding enemies. Consider incorporating damage over time or Bleed infliction mechanics into your build to get the most out of this support gem.
Consider Weapon Mods:
Consider using weapons with Bleed chance or increased Bleed damage to trigger Bleed effects on enemies while still benefiting from the 30% more melee physical damage provided by Bloodlust.
Great for Boss Fights:
When fighting Bleeding bosses or high-health enemies that are likely to be Bleeding, Bloodlust is a great tool to enhance your damage output and quickly bring down the enemy’s health bar.
Conclusion
The Bloodlust Support Gem is a powerful choice for melee physical builds that want to maximize their damage output against Bleeding enemies. By offering 30% more melee physical damage against Bleeding targets, it provides a significant boost to damage, especially when combined with other Bleed-inflicting abilities. However, its major trade-off is the prevention of Bleeding on your own attacks, which requires careful planning if your build relies on Bleed damage. For those focusing on physical damage or Bleed-based builds, this gem is an excellent choice to increase both your offensive capabilities and survivability in tougher fights.