Support
AoE, Trigger, Physical, Chaos
Tier: 1
Cost Multiplier: 140%
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Dex
Supports skills that can Poison enemies, causing Poisoned enemies to gain Plague over time and explode in a Plague Burst on death. Cannot support the skills of Minions.
Support
Cooldown Time: 0.10 sec
Triggered when an enemy Poisoned by a supported skill dies, dealing Physical damage around them based on the built-up Plague.
Deals Physical damage equal to 100% of Plague on Triggering enemy
Has up to 100% more Area of Effect at maximum Plague
This Skill is Triggered when an Enemy dies with Plague on it
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 Bursting Plague Support Gem is a powerful Tier 1 support gem in Path of Exile 2 that combines the deadly effects of Poison, Plague, and Explosions to deal significant Physical damage in Area of Effect (AoE). It is designed for Poison-based builds and creates a synergy between Poisoned enemies and the explosive Plague that erupts upon their death. This gem is ideal for players looking to deal massive AoE damage while applying Poison and Plague effects.
Skill Gem Details
Category: Support
Type: AoE, Trigger, Physical, Chaos
Tier: 1
Cost Multiplier: 140%
Required Level: 1
Support Requirements: +5 Dexterity
Effect: Supports skills that can Poison enemies, causing them to gain Plague over time, which triggers an explosion when the enemy dies. The Plague Burst deals Physical damage in an AoE around the enemy based on the amount of Plague they have accumulated.
Skill Mechanics
Poison and Plague Synergy:
The Bursting Plague gem works with any skill that can Poison enemies. When an enemy is Poisoned, it begins to accumulate Plague over time. This Plague effect is a buildup that increases with the duration of Poison on the enemy, making it an ideal synergy for Poison builds that focus on damage over time.
Trigger Effect:
The key feature of Bursting Plague is its triggered explosion when a Poisoned enemy dies. Upon the death of the Poisoned enemy, the Plague accumulated on them will trigger a burst of Physical damage in an AoE around their corpse. The damage dealt is equal to 100% of the Plague accumulated on the enemy, allowing for significant damage spikes on death.
Increased Area of Effect:
As the Plague builds up on the Poisoned enemy, the explosion’s Area of Effect increases, potentially up to 100% more AoE at maximum Plague. This can result in large explosions that deal massive Physical damage to surrounding enemies, making this gem excellent for clearing mobs in dense packs or for boss fights where your Poisoned targets die in quick succession.
Cooldown and Trigger Conditions:
The gem has a Cooldown Time of 0.10 seconds, meaning that it can trigger explosions rapidly as long as there are Poisoned enemies dying in close proximity. However, this trigger only activates when the Poisoned enemy dies, so it is important to maximize your Poison damage and ensure that enemies are dying quickly for optimal effectiveness.
Strategic Uses
Synergy with Poison Builds:
The Bursting Plague gem is an excellent choice for Poison-based builds, particularly those that focus on Poison damage over time. It works well with skills that apply Poison, such as Viper Strike, Toxic Rain, or Caustic Arrow, and enables explosive damage on the death of Poisoned enemies. This gem works well in builds that already have strong Poison scaling, as the Plague Burst damage is directly tied to the amount of Poison damage applied.
Area of Effect Damage:
The AoE nature of the gem makes it extremely effective for crowd control. The Plague Burst explosion can damage multiple enemies at once, especially when you’re surrounded by large groups. It’s ideal for mapping, where the explosion can clear waves of enemies quickly, and it provides extra damage when you face multiple Poisoned enemies.
Physical Damage Focus:
Even though the gem has a Chaos component through Poison, the bursting effect of the explosion deals Physical damage. This can be enhanced by other Physical damage scaling items, passives, and supports in your build, allowing the explosion to scale well in Physical-focused setups.
Maximizing Plague:
To get the most out of Bursting Plague, you’ll want to increase the duration of Poison and maximize Plague buildup. Support gems like Added Chaos Damage, Contagion, or Toxic Rain can help spread Poison more efficiently, ensuring that enemies accumulate Plague quickly. Increased AoE or Area Damage modifiers will further enhance the Area of Effect and damage of the Plague Burst explosions.
Pros and Cons
Pros
AoE Explosion: The gem deals AoE Physical damage on the death of Poisoned enemies, making it a powerful tool for clearing large groups of enemies.
Synergy with Poison Builds: Ideal for Poison-based builds, where the damage output is increased as Poison accumulates.
Increased Area of Effect: At maximum Plague buildup, the gem’s Plague Burst explosion can have up to 100% more AoE, allowing you to hit more enemies.
Trigger Mechanic: The skill is automatically triggered when Poisoned enemies die, allowing you to focus on damage application without needing to manually activate the effect.
Cons
No Minion Support: The gem cannot support Minion skills, which limits its usefulness for summoner builds or builds focused on minions applying Poison.
Reliant on Poison: The effectiveness of the gem is heavily dependent on Poison applications, so builds that do not focus on Poison or damage over time may not benefit from it.
Cooldown Time: The 0.10-second cooldown may limit how often the explosion occurs if enemies do not die frequently enough or are spaced too far apart.
Gameplay Tips
Focus on Poison Duration:
To maximize the effectiveness of Bursting Plague, make sure your build includes Poison duration modifiers. The longer the Poison lasts, the more Plague accumulates, resulting in bigger explosions when the enemy dies. Added Chaos Damage or Poison Damage Over Time increases can also improve the effectiveness of the Plague buildup.
Combine with AoE Scaling:
Since Bursting Plague scales with the Area of Effect of its explosion, AoE support gems, and passives that increase AoE damage or radius will significantly improve the impact of the Plague Burst.
Maximize Poison Application:
Use skills that apply Poison rapidly, such as Toxic Rain or Caustic Arrow, to trigger frequent Poison and Plague explosions. Combining this with Projectile Skills can ensure you hit multiple enemies and spread Poison efficiently.
Ensure Fast Enemy Death:
Since the gem triggers on the death of a Poisoned enemy, increasing your Poison damage or damage over time will help Poisoned enemies die quickly, enabling more frequent Plague Bursts.
Conclusion
The Bursting Plague Support Gem is a dynamic gem for Poison-based builds that enhances the AoE damage potential of Poison setups. By turning Poisoned enemies into explosive devices, it adds a significant Physical damage burst to your arsenal. This gem shines in crowd control situations where Poisoned enemies can die in clusters, triggering Plague Bursts and dealing massive AoE damage. However, it is important to remember that it only works with Poisoning skills and does not support Minions. If you’re looking to build a character that capitalizes on Poison, Plague, and explosions, Bursting Plague is a fantastic gem to consider.