PoE 2 Despair – Path of Exile 2

PoE 2 Despair

It is a Skill Gem.

Spell
AoE, Duration, Chaos, Curse
Tier: 9 (Witch)
Level: 9
Cost: 89 Mana
Cast Time: 0.70 sec
Requires: Level 31, Int 72

Curses all targets in an area after a short delay, lowering their Chaos resistance.

  • Cursed enemies have -32% to Chaos Resistance
  • Curse radius is 1.8 metres
  • Curse duration is 6.6 seconds

Skills can be managed in the Skills Panel.

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Despair is a Chaos Curse skill in Path of Exile 2 designed to amplify your Chaos damage by lowering enemies’ Chaos resistance. This powerful AoE (Area of Effect) curse is ideal for Witch-based builds, especially those focusing on Chaos damage over time or Chaos-based damage. Despair allows players to boost their damage output significantly by weakening their enemies’ resistance to Chaos damage, making it a staple in many Chaos and Curse-focused builds.

Key Details of Despair

  • Gem Type: Skill Gem
  • Skill Type: Spell, AoE, Duration, Chaos, Curse
  • Level Requirement: 9
  • Tier: 9 (Witch)
  • Mana Cost: 89 Mana
  • Cast Time: 0.70 seconds
  • Requires: Level 31, 72 Intelligence
  • Curse Type: Chaos
  • Radius: 1.8 metres
  • Curse Duration: 6.6 seconds
  • Effect: Reduces enemies’ Chaos resistance by -32%

How Despair Works

Despair is a Chaos curse that afflicts enemies in an AoE radius. After a short delay, all enemies within the radius are cursed, causing them to take increased Chaos damage due to a significant reduction in their Chaos resistance. With Despair, cursed enemies have -32% to Chaos Resistance, making them more vulnerable to all Chaos-based attacks.

Key Mechanics:

  1. AoE Curse:
    When you cast Despair, it creates an AoE around your target, cursing all enemies within a 1.8 metre radius. This allows you to curse multiple enemies at once, significantly increasing your overall damage against those within the area.

  2. Chaos Resistance Reduction:
    The main effect of Despair is its ability to lower Chaos resistance by -32% for all cursed enemies. This debuff makes them far more susceptible to Chaos damage, especially useful for builds that rely on Chaos damage over time or Chaos-based attacks.

  3. Curse Duration:
    The curse lasts for 6.6 seconds, providing a significant window for you and your allies to deal amplified Chaos damage. The duration is long enough to ensure that it remains active through multiple attacks or abilities, ensuring that Chaos damage continues to benefit from the lowered resistance.

  4. Delayed Effect:
    After casting Despair, there is a slight delay before the curse is applied to enemies. This means timing and positioning are essential when using Despair effectively. However, once the curse is active, it has a powerful impact on enemy defenses.

  5. Scaling Chaos Damage:
    Despair synergizes exceptionally well with Chaos damage builds, particularly those that rely on Chaos damage over time. By lowering Chaos resistance, Despair effectively amplifies the damage of all Chaos-based abilities you or your allies use against cursed enemies.

  6. Curse Radius:
    With a 1.8 metre curse radius, Despair can affect multiple enemies in close quarters, making it ideal for crowd control and AoE damage setups. The curse radius can also be increased with AoE modifiers or support gems that boost curse effects.

Synergies with Other Skills and Builds

Despair fits naturally into Chaos-based builds, especially those that rely on damage over time, minions, or AoE damage. Here are some ways to make the most of Despair:

  1. Chaos Damage Over Time Builds:
    If you’re running a Chaos DoT build (for example, using Contagion, Blight, or Essence Drain), Despair is a perfect complement. By reducing the Chaos resistance of enemies, Despair increases the damage dealt by your DoT effects, making it more effective in both single-target and AoE scenarios.

  2. Minion Builds:
    For Chaos-focused minion builds, Despair can be applied to enemies before summoning minions or triggering minion-based skills. Since minions benefit from increased Chaos damage against cursed enemies, Despair maximizes your minions’ damage output. Minion builds with Chaos Golems or Spectres benefit greatly from Despair.

  3. AoE Chaos Builds:
    Despair is especially strong when combined with AoE Chaos builds that use skills like Wave of Conviction or Blight. The reduced Chaos resistance makes AoE Chaos damage much more potent, ensuring that even in crowded fights, enemies will fall quicker.

  4. Curse Hybrid Builds:
    If you are running a Curse Hybrid build, combining Despair with other Curses like Flammability, Enfeeble, or Temporal Chains can create an incredibly powerful setup. Despair weakens enemies’ Chaos resistance, while other curses provide defensive and offensive debuffs to increase overall damage and crowd control.

  5. Chaos Proliferation:
    Since Contagion and other proliferation skills spread Chaos damage, having Despair active can further increase the damage of these Chaos spreads, ensuring that enemies affected by proliferated damage are more vulnerable to the incoming Chaos damage.

Pros and Cons of Despair

Pros:

  • Increased Chaos Damage: Reduces enemies’ Chaos resistance, making them much more vulnerable to Chaos attacks.
  • AoE: The curse affects multiple enemies at once, making it excellent for clearing packs of enemies or enhancing AoE damage against groups.
  • Duration: With a 6.6-second duration, the curse stays active long enough to deal significant damage.
  • Synergy with Chaos Builds: Despair works exceptionally well with Chaos DoT builds, minion-based builds, and AoE Chaos skills.
  • Low Mana Cost: At 89 Mana, Despair is relatively cost-efficient, allowing for frequent application.

Cons:

  • Short Delay: The curse has a slight delay before activation, which can make timing and positioning important.
  • Mana Cost: Although the Mana cost is relatively low, it still requires proper Mana management in longer fights.
  • Limited Single-Target Use: While Despair is excellent for AoE and Chaos DoT builds, it may not be as effective for single-target damage unless part of a highly focused build.

Conclusion

Despair is an incredibly powerful Chaos curse in Path of Exile 2, designed to weaken enemies by reducing their Chaos resistance. This curse makes enemies more vulnerable to Chaos-based damage, significantly amplifying the effectiveness of Chaos DoT builds, minion builds, and AoE Chaos damage. With its AoE radius, duration, and Chaos resistance reduction, Despair is an essential skill for players looking to dominate with Chaos damage. Whether you’re spreading Chaos damage over time, summoning minions, or casting powerful AoE attacks, Despair ensures your enemies will be easier to destroy.

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