It is a Support Gem.
Support
Spell
Tier: 3
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Int
Supports Spells that deal non-Ailment damage over time, causing them to consume Ailments on enemies it applies damage over time Debuffs to in order to deal substantially more damage over time.
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.
The Drain Ailments Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 is a powerful tool for spellcasters looking to amplify their damage over time (DoT) potential by leveraging ailments on enemies. This Tier 3 support gem enhances non-ailment damage over time spells, allowing them to consume ailments on the target to increase the effectiveness of their own DoT debuffs. If you’re building a character focused on damage over time while also utilizing ailments like Poison, Bleeding, or Ignite, the Drain Ailments gem can significantly boost your damage output.
The Drain Ailments Support Gem is designed for spellcasting builds that rely on damage over time debuffs. When you use a spell that causes damage over time, the Drain Ailments gem interacts with any ailments the target is afflicted with, consuming one of them to boost the damage of your DoT debuffs. The core feature is that it increases the DoT damage by 35% when an ailment is consumed. This synergy can result in significant damage boosts and make ailments a crucial part of your overall damage strategy.
For example, if an enemy is Poisoned, Ignited, or Bleeding, your damage over time spell will have the chance to consume one of those ailments and deal 35% more damage as a result. This ability makes the Drain Ailments gem an essential addition for DoT-focused builds that also incorporate ailments into their attack strategy.
Damage Over Time Spellcasters:
The Drain Ailments gem is particularly effective for builds that focus on DoT spells, such as Burning Damage, Poison, Chaos DoT, or Bleed builds. These builds already apply damage over time debuffs and will see a substantial damage boost when the Drain Ailments gem is added to the mix.
Chaos DoT Builds:
Chaos DoT builds, often centered around spells like Contagion or Essence Drain, greatly benefit from the synergy between ailments (like Poison) and damage over time. The Drain Ailments gem amplifies the effectiveness of these builds by consuming Poison or other ailments, making your Chaos DoT even deadlier.
Ignite and Fire Damage Builds:
If you’re running a Fire DoT build based on Ignite effects, the Drain Ailments gem can be a game-changer. It lets you capitalize on the Ignite status, boosting the damage over time caused by spells like Flameblast or Fireball. This synergy works especially well with Fire DoT setups, turning Ignite into a secondary damage amplifier.
Bleed Builds:
Bleed builds that use skills like Blade Vortex or Lacerate and focus on physical damage over time can also benefit from this gem. The Drain Ailments gem allows you to consume Bleeding status effects, boosting your overall DoT damage from your physical damage over time skills.
Increased Damage Output:
The primary benefit of Drain Ailments is its ability to increase the damage over time caused by your spells. By consuming an ailment, your DoT debuff becomes 35% more potent, which can lead to significant damage boosts, especially in prolonged fights or against enemies with multiple ailments.
Synergy with Ailments:
If your build already incorporates ailments like Poison, Ignite, or Bleeding, the Drain Ailments gem enhances the effectiveness of these ailments by turning them into an additional source of damage. This makes it especially valuable for multi-ailment builds that focus on stacking different ailments on the same target.
Versatility in Ailments:
The gem supports multiple types of ailments (Poison, Ignite, Bleeding, etc.), which makes it useful for a wide range of builds. Depending on the ailments you’re applying, the Drain Ailments gem can boost your damage over time significantly, offering flexible support across various playstyles.
Works with Non-Ailment DoT Spells:
One of the best features of Drain Ailments is that it works with non-ailment damage over time spells. If you’re focusing on spells that deal damage over time without relying on ailments (such as Toxic Rain or Scorching Ray), this gem can still increase the overall damage output by consuming ailments on the target.
Requires Ailments to Be Present:
The Drain Ailments gem relies on ailments being present on the target to function. If the target doesn’t have any ailments when you use a damage over time spell, the gem won’t trigger, and you’ll miss out on the damage boost. As a result, you’ll need to make sure your build consistently applies ailments to the enemy to fully benefit from this gem.
Limited to Damage Over Time Spells:
The Drain Ailments gem only works with damage over time spells, which means that it won’t benefit builds that rely on instant damage or single-hit spells. This gem is geared primarily towards DoT builds, so if you’re using a direct hit spell or burst damage strategy, this gem may not be the best choice.
Ensure Ailments Are Present:
To get the most out of Drain Ailments, ensure that the target has ailments before using your DoT spells. You can easily apply Poison, Ignite, or Bleeding with specific skills or modifiers, so focus on making sure the enemy has ailments before triggering the damage boost from the gem.
Stack Multiple Ailments:
If your build can apply multiple ailments at once, the Drain Ailments gem becomes even more potent. For example, a Chaos DoT build could stack Poison and Decay while also using the Drain Ailments gem to consume both ailments and deal massive DoT damage.
Pair with DoT Boosting Modifiers:
To amplify the benefits of Drain Ailments, pair it with DoT-boosting passive skills, items, or other support gems. The more you can stack damage over time multipliers, the more you’ll benefit from the 35% increased damage when an ailment is consumed.
The Drain Ailments Support Gem is a powerful tool for damage over time spellcasters who wish to leverage ailments to further boost their DoT damage. By consuming ailments on the target, this gem increases your damage output significantly, making it an invaluable addition to builds that use Poison, Ignite, Bleeding, or other ailments. While it does require ailments to function effectively, its synergy with ailment-based builds makes it a must-have gem for many DoT spellcasters.