Support
Chaining, Projectile
Tier: 1
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Dex
Supports Projectile skills and any other skills that Chain, causing them to Chain additional times.
Supported Skills Chain +1 times
Supported Skills Chain 100% more times
Supported Skills deal 50% less Damage with Hits
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 Chain Support Gem is a Tier 1 support gem in Path of Exile 2 that enhances Projectile skills and Chaining skills by adding more Chain interactions. When applied to a skill, it allows the skill to chain additional times, increasing its effectiveness in clearing large groups of enemies. This gem is perfect for players looking to increase the reach and damage of their Projectile or Chaining skills, though it does come with a damage penalty to ensure balance.
Skill Gem Details
Category: Support
Type: Chaining, Projectile
Tier: 1
Required Level: 1
Support Requirements: +5 Dexterity
Effect: Supports Projectile and Chaining skills by allowing them to Chain additional times and increasing the number of times they Chain.
Skill Mechanics
Increased Chains:
The primary benefit of the Chain Support Gem is the ability to chain additional times. Supported skills will Chain +1 additional time, meaning that each projectile or chained attack will hit more enemies, allowing for larger AoE (Area of Effect) coverage. This is extremely useful in crowded maps or high-density encounters, where hitting multiple enemies can drastically increase your effectiveness in combat.
100% More Chains:
In addition to the +1 Chain, the gem also grants 100% more Chains. This means that supported skills can potentially double the number of chains they make, further increasing their coverage and impact. For example, if your skill initially chains twice, with this support gem, it will now chain four times, hitting even more enemies across a wider area.
Damage Penalty:
To balance the additional chain interactions, Chain comes with a 50% reduced damage penalty with Hits. This means that while your skills will hit more enemies, the damage per hit will be reduced by 50%. This trade-off ensures that you can benefit from the increased area coverage while preventing the gem from being overpowered, especially in high-damage builds.
Strategic Uses
Crowd Control and Area Coverage:
The Chain Support Gem is ideal for crowd control and area coverage. Whether you’re facing large groups of enemies in the map or bosses with minions, the added chains allow you to hit more targets, clearing waves of enemies with ease. It’s particularly effective for skills that spread damage across the map, like Fireball, Flameblast, or Lightning Tendrils, turning them into powerful AoE skills that can clear entire rooms or zones in seconds.
Projectile Skills:
For Projectile-based builds, the Chain Support Gem greatly increases the effectiveness of skills like Arc, Fireball, Lightning Arrow, or Ice Shot. These skills will hit additional enemies as they chain, ensuring that your projectiles have maximum coverage and hitting the maximum number of targets. This synergy is especially beneficial for builds focused on high-speed projectile attacks or skills that rely on multiple hits to trigger status effects like Bleeding, Poison, or Elemental ailments.
Synergy with Chaining Skills:
Chaining skills that already have built-in chain effects, such as Storm Call or Chain Lightning, become significantly more powerful with the Chain Support Gem. These skills already chain several times, but adding even more chains can amplify their damage and coverage. If you’re using a skill that naturally chains, this support gem is an excellent choice for further enhancing the skill’s power.
Minion and Trap Builds:
If you’re playing a minion-based or trap build, Chain can also help with area coverage. Although it doesn’t directly support minion abilities, it can be used with trap and mine skills that use projectiles, enhancing their ability to chain through enemies and trigger additional effects like damage over time or elemental status ailments.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Increased Coverage: Grants +1 Chain and 100% more Chains, allowing skills to hit more enemies across a wider area.
Great for AoE: Perfect for AoE and crowd control builds that need to hit multiple enemies.
Synergy with Projectile Skills: Especially useful for Projectile-based builds, turning regular projectiles into more effective, chain-reacting projectiles.
Synergy with Chaining Skills: Increases the effectiveness of Chaining skills that already have the ability to hit multiple targets.
Cons
Damage Reduction: Comes with a 50% damage penalty to Hits, meaning that the damage dealt to each target will be reduced to compensate for the added chains.
Reduced Single-Target Damage: While excellent for crowd control, it’s less effective for single-target damage builds, as the damage per hit is reduced.
Requires Dexterity: Requires a +5 Dexterity stat for use, which might limit the gem’s compatibility with builds that don’t focus on Dexterity-based stats.
Gameplay Tips
Pair with High AoE Skills:
To maximize the effectiveness of Chain, pair it with AoE skills that hit multiple enemies at once. Skills like Fireball, Lightning Arrow, and Elemental Hit benefit greatly from this support gem, as it allows your projectiles to bounce between even more targets.
Mind the Damage Penalty:
Keep in mind that Chain reduces damage per hit by 50%, so it’s important to build around this penalty. Consider scaling your damage through damage over time effects, debuffs, or area damage (e.g., Elemental Proliferation or Poison).
Use with Skills That Have High Base Chains:
For skills that already have an inherent ability to chain, like Chain Lightning or Arc, the gem is even more effective, as it increases the number of times the skill can chain and hit additional enemies.
Consider Synergies with Minions:
While the gem doesn’t support minions directly, you can still benefit from its increased chain range by using it in conjunction with Trap and Mine builds or minion-supporting skills like Summon Raging Spirits.
Conclusion
The Chain Support Gem is an excellent choice for players who want to enhance their Projectile or Chaining skills in Path of Exile 2. By allowing your skills to chain additional times, it opens up new possibilities for crowd control and area clearing, making it perfect for AoE-based builds. However, its 50% damage penalty requires careful planning to ensure it fits into your build without reducing overall effectiveness. If you’re aiming for massive coverage and multi-hit potential, the Chain Support Gem is a valuable addition to your skill arsenal, providing more chances to hit multiple enemies and clearing entire zones in seconds.