It is a Skill Gem.
Spell
AoE, Duration, Chaos
Tier: 1 (Witch)
Level: 2
Cost: 11 Mana
Cast Time: 1.00 sec
Requires: Level 3
Afflicts a single enemy with a debuff that deals Chaos damage over time. If the enemy dies while affected by Contagion, it and all other Chaos damage over time debuffs spread to nearby enemies and refresh their durations. Reanimating or detonating a corpse affected by Contagion will cause the minion or explosion to spread Contagion on hit.
Skills can be managed in the Skills Panel.
Contagion is a powerful Chaos spell in Path of Exile 2 that allows players to spread Chaos damage over time to enemies, creating a web of devastation as each affected target can potentially spread the damage to nearby foes. This AoE (Area of Effect) Duration skill is an excellent choice for Witch-focused builds, especially those utilizing Chaos damage and damage over time mechanics. Whether used to detonate corpses or trigger minions, Contagion excels at creating a domino effect of spreading debuffs that can obliterate enemy forces.
Contagion is a debuffing spell that applies Chaos damage over time to an enemy, and if that enemy dies while still under the effect of Contagion, the damage over time debuff spreads to nearby enemies and refreshes its duration. This chain reaction creates a domino effect, allowing the Chaos damage to spread quickly across the battlefield, taking out multiple enemies in one go.
Affliction and Damage Over Time:
When you cast Contagion on an enemy, it inflicts a debuff that deals 1.8 Chaos damage per second for 5 seconds. This damage is applied over time, and the effectiveness of the debuff scales with spell damage modifiers that increase damage over time.
Spreading the Contagion:
If the affected enemy dies while still under the effects of Contagion, the debuff is spread to nearby enemies in a 1.7-meter radius. Additionally, the duration of the debuff is refreshed on the newly affected enemies. This mechanic creates an escalating chain reaction, as enemies affected by Contagion can quickly spread the affliction to others, dealing massive amounts of Chaos damage across a wide area.
Corpse Interaction:
Contagion also synergizes with minions and corpse detonations. If you reanimate or detonate a corpse affected by Contagion, the minion or explosion will also spread the Contagion debuff to enemies in the vicinity. This makes it an excellent option for Necromancer builds or for players who want to use corpse explosions to spread damage.
Scaling Damage with Spread:
One of the most potent features of Contagion is that its damage increases with each enemy affected. The more enemies that are hit by Contagion, the higher the Chaos damage over time becomes. Specifically, the damage of Contagion increases by 100% for each debuff transmitted, up to a maximum of 300%. This means that if Contagion spreads to three enemies, the damage over time will increase by 300%, making the skill increasingly powerful as it chains through enemy groups.
Synergy with Chaos Damage Builds:
Since Contagion is a Chaos skill, it naturally works well with builds that focus on Chaos damage, damage over time, or damage amplification. Scaling Chaos damage will directly increase the damage output of the debuff, while damage over time passives can extend the duration and effectiveness of the debuff on enemies.
Spell Damage Modifiers:
As Contagion‘s damage is treated as damage over time, it benefits greatly from spell damage modifiers. This can include bonuses to Chaos damage, damage over time, spell damage, or damage amplification from support gems and gear. Scaling these stats will help you significantly boost the effectiveness of the Contagion debuff, making it one of the best skills for a high-damage, AoE Chaos build.
Contagion excels when paired with Chaos-based builds, as it allows for significant damage over time scaling and AoE effects. Here are some synergies to consider:
Chaos Damage Over Time Builds:
For builds that focus on Chaos damage and damage over time, Contagion is a natural fit. It scales well with Chaos damage modifiers, damage over time, and spell damage. By boosting these stats, you can make Contagion‘s AoE damage even more devastating.
Necromancer Builds:
If you’re running a Necromancer build, Contagion can synergize well with minions. Minions reanimated from Corpses affected by Contagion will spread the debuff, potentially infecting additional enemies. Combining Contagion with corpse explosions or summon minion skills will help you maximize the spread of Chaos damage across enemy groups.
Detonating Corpses:
Contagion pairs excellently with corpse explosion skills. If you detonate a Corpse that was previously afflicted by Contagion, it will trigger a spread of the Contagion debuff to other nearby enemies, helping to extend the AoE Chaos damage.
AoE Scaling:
Increasing the radius of Contagion’s infection and debuff spread through passive tree nodes or gear can allow you to spread the Chaos damage to even more enemies. If you’re running an AoE build, Contagion can clear large packs of enemies quickly as it spreads from one foe to another.
Power Charges and Spellcasting:
Contagion is a spell that benefits from Power Charges that boost spell damage. If your build focuses on generating and using Power Charges, this can help further increase the damage of Contagion, making it a potent tool in high-damage, AoE Chaos builds.
Contagion is a devastating Chaos damage over time skill in Path of Exile 2 that can turn the tide of battle by spreading debuffs and Chaos damage across multiple enemies. Its ability to chain from one enemy to another, combined with the damage scaling from each spread debuff, makes it an incredibly powerful tool for Witch builds focused on Chaos damage. Whether you’re using it in damage over time builds, minion-focused builds, or simply looking to clear out groups of enemies quickly, Contagion is an excellent choice for any player looking to harness the power of Chaos and create a battlefield filled with spreading destruction.