PoE 2 Cold Exposure – Path of Exile 2

PoE 2 Cold Exposure

It is a Support Gem.

Support
Cold, Duration, Critical
Tier: 2
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Int

Supports any skill that Hits enemies, causing it to deal less damage but inflict Cold Exposure when it Critically Hits an enemy.

  • Supported Skills inflict Cold Exposure for 8 seconds on Critical Strike with Cold Damage
  • Supported Skills deal 25% less Damage

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.

Buy PoE 2 Currency Fast

  • Buy PoE 2 Currency Cheap (6% off coupon: z123). Path of Exile 2 currency items. Payment: PayPal, Skrill, Cryptocurrencies.

The Cold Exposure Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 is a powerful tool for players looking to boost their cold damage output by inflicting a Cold Exposure debuff on enemies. This gem takes advantage of Critical Strikes to apply a lasting effect that lowers Cold Resistance, making enemies more vulnerable to cold damage for a brief duration. While the gem reduces the overall damage of supported skills, the trade-off can be highly beneficial when used strategically, particularly for cold-damage-based builds that focus on critical hits.

Skill Gem Details

  • Category: Support

  • Type: Cold, Duration, Critical

  • Tier: 2

  • Required Level: 1

  • Cost Multiplier: 120%

  • Support Requirements: +5 Intelligence

  • Effect: Inflict Cold Exposure on critical strikes with cold damage.

  • Bonus:

    • Supported Skills inflict Cold Exposure for 8 seconds on Critical Strikes with cold damage.
    • Supported Skills deal 25% less damage.

Skill Mechanics

The Cold Exposure Support Gem works by modifying your skills to inflict Cold Exposure whenever you score a Critical Hit with Cold Damage. The Cold Exposure debuff lasts for 8 seconds and applies -25% to the target’s Cold Resistance, significantly increasing the amount of cold damage the target takes from all sources.

However, this gem comes with a downside: the damage of the supported skill is reduced by 25%. This trade-off means that while your cold damage will be significantly boosted on enemies affected by Cold Exposure, your overall output will be lower than normal unless the cold damage debuff leads to much higher damage over time.

Cold Exposure Mechanics Breakdown

  • Inflicts Cold Exposure on Critical Strikes:

    • The gem only triggers the Cold Exposure debuff when you score a Critical Hit with a cold damage skill. This means you will need to build around increasing your Critical Strike Chance to make full use of this gem.
    • Once a critical hit is landed, the Cold Exposure lasts for 8 seconds, reducing the target’s Cold Resistance by 25%. This makes it much easier for your cold damage to hit harder during that window.

  • Reduced Skill Damage:

    • A key consideration when using this gem is the 25% reduction in damage. Supported skills will deal less overall damage, but this is mitigated by the Cold Exposure debuff, which amplifies the damage taken from cold sources.
    • The Cold Exposure effect is particularly useful for team play, as it not only benefits your cold damage skills but also increases the cold damage output of allies attacking the affected enemy.

Strategic Uses

  1. Cold Damage Builds:
    • The Cold Exposure gem is ideal for builds that focus on cold damage, such as frost-based spells, frostbite attacks, or frost-focused archery skills. For example, Ice Shot, Frostbolt, or Freeze Pulse can significantly benefit from the Cold Exposure debuff, dealing much more damage when critical strikes are made.
  2. Critical Hit Builds:
    • Since Cold Exposure is tied to Critical Strikes, it pairs perfectly with critical hit-focused builds. Combining this gem with high critical strike chance and cold damage modifiers will maximize its effectiveness. It’s also a great fit for builds that use critical strike multipliers or power charges to boost critical hit potential.
  3. Supporting Cold Damage with Allies:
    • In group play, Cold Exposure can amplify the cold damage dealt by your party members or minions. By inflicting Cold Exposure on enemies through your critical strikes, you’ll ensure that everyone dealing cold damage benefits from the Cold Exposure debuff.
  4. Bossing and Endgame Content:
    • Against high-resistance bosses or tougher enemies, applying Cold Exposure can greatly reduce their resistance to cold damage, making your attacks (and those of your allies) far more effective. While it does reduce your damage output slightly, the Cold Exposure debuff can result in a net damage increase overall due to the vulnerability it creates.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Cold Exposure Debuff: Inflicts -25% Cold Resistance on enemies, boosting cold damage from all sources.
  • 8-second Duration: The Cold Exposure debuff lasts for a significant amount of time, giving you plenty of opportunity to capitalize on the lowered resistance.
  • Synergy with Critical Strikes: Excellent synergy with critical hit builds, allowing for higher cold damage output on critical hits.
  • Supports Cold Damage Builds: Essential for cold-damage-focused characters, amplifying their damage significantly during the debuff window.
  • Team Play Synergy: Helps allies who deal cold damage to benefit from the Cold Exposure debuff.

Cons

  • Damage Reduction: The 25% damage reduction on supported skills may limit its overall effectiveness, requiring a careful balance of damage output and debuff application.
  • Requires Critical Hits: Only critical hits apply the Cold Exposure debuff, so builds relying on non-critical damage or low critical hit rates may not find this gem as effective.
  • Cold Damage Limitation: The gem specifically requires cold damage, so it won’t work with fire or lightning damage builds.

Gameplay Tips

  1. Increase Critical Strike Chance:

    • To make the most of the Cold Exposure gem, focus on increasing your critical strike chance. Use Power Charges, Critical Strike Chance modifiers, or Critical Strike Multiplier to ensure you consistently apply the Cold Exposure debuff.

  2. Synergize with Cold Damage Amplifiers:

    • Combine Cold Exposure with other cold damage boosting modifiers, such as Cold Damage Over Time, Increased Cold Damage, or Cold Penetration to maximize your damage during the Cold Exposure window.

  3. Duration and Overlap:

    • The Cold Exposure effect lasts for 8 seconds, which is a relatively long time for a debuff. Use this window to build up your damage with cold damage scaling effects, critical hits, or damage over time effects like frostbite.

  4. Pair with Other Damage Buffs:

    • Consider using Curse on Hit with Frostbite or Frost Damage to boost cold damage even further. Also, using Flammability (if you deal cold and fire) or Elemental Weakness will compound the effect of Cold Exposure for maximum damage output.

Conclusion

The Cold Exposure Support Gem is a potent option for cold damage builds, particularly for those who focus on critical hits. By inflicting a Cold Exposure debuff on enemies, it lowers their Cold Resistance, making them more vulnerable to cold damage. While the gem reduces the overall damage of supported skills by 25%, the amplification of cold damage from the debuff can more than make up for this loss, especially in group play and boss fights.

Whether you’re an avid cold damage enthusiast or a player looking to support your team’s cold-based builds, the Cold Exposure Support Gem is a fantastic tool to enhance your offensive capabilities. However, the reliance on critical hits and the damage penalty means it requires thoughtful integration into your build to truly shine. If you’re planning on focusing on cold damage, critical strikes, and elemental debuffs, this gem will prove invaluable for maximizing your damage output in Path of Exile 2.

Similar Posts