It is a Support Gem.
Support
Minion
Tier: 1
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Int
Supports skills which create Minions, bolstering the Elemental Resistances of those Minions.
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 Elemental Army Support Gem is a powerful support option for players focused on minion builds in Path of Exile 2. It provides an important defensive boost to minions, specifically enhancing their elemental resistances. For players summoning armies of minions—whether for Elemental Damage, Chaos Damage, or simply for damage mitigation—this gem ensures that your summoned allies are more resilient against elemental damage.
If you’re building a minion-focused character, particularly one relying on summon-based spells, this gem should be considered for bolstering your minions’ ability to withstand the often overwhelming elemental damage they face from enemies.
The Elemental Army Support Gem specifically targets minion-based builds, making them significantly more resilient to elemental damage types. When you socket this gem into a skill that creates minions, the minions summoned will automatically gain a +30% bonus to all elemental resistances (fire, cold, and lightning). This means that they will be able to withstand elemental attacks more effectively, reducing the damage taken from enemies that deal fire, cold, or lightning damage.
While most minions in Path of Exile 2 come with their own base resistances, the Elemental Army gem boosts their elemental defenses, providing a significant defensive advantage. This becomes crucial in higher-tier content, where minions may otherwise be vulnerable to overwhelming elemental damage.
Summon Minion Builds:
The Elemental Army Support Gem is perfect for any build that creates minions, such as those using Summon Skeletons, Summon Raging Spirits, Summon Phantasm, or Spectres. Any skill that spawns minions can benefit from this support gem, making it an excellent choice for summoner builds focused on keeping minions alive while they deal damage.
Elemental Minion Builds:
If your build focuses on elemental minions, such as those utilizing Elemental Resistances for fire, cold, or lightning damage, this gem is even more powerful. It provides both an offensive and defensive synergy for builds that rely on summoning Elemental Minions.
Necromancer and Witch Builds:
The Elemental Army gem works particularly well with Necromancer or Witch builds that are designed to summon minions. The ability to give your minions +30% to all Elemental Resistances adds an extra layer of survivability, making them better able to deal with elemental-heavy enemies.
Increased Minion Survivability:
The main benefit of the Elemental Army gem is its ability to boost the elemental resistances of your minions. In many cases, minions can be quite vulnerable to elemental damage, especially in higher difficulty tiers. This gem helps to mitigate that vulnerability, ensuring that your minions can survive longer and continue to contribute to damage.
Synergy with Minion Builds:
For minion-focused builds, having the ability to boost their elemental resistances adds a lot of value. Whether you’re summoning Skeletons, Zombies, or Spectres, the increased resistance gives your minions the ability to tank more damage, allowing them to stay in combat longer and deal more damage in return.
Flexible for All Elemental Damage Types:
Since the gem provides a +30% increase to all elemental resistances, it’s useful for elemental-themed builds in general. It doesn’t matter if your enemies deal fire, cold, or lightning damage—your minions will be more resilient to them all, ensuring your army’s longevity in battle.
Early Game to Endgame Utility:
The Elemental Army gem is useful from the early stages of the game through to the endgame. As elemental damage is a major factor throughout Path of Exile 2, giving your minions additional elemental resistances provides a reliable boost to their survivability. This gem ensures that even in high-difficulty encounters, your minions can stand their ground longer.
Limited to Minion Builds:
As with all support gems, the Elemental Army gem only works with minion-based skills. If you’re not using any skills that summon minions, this gem won’t have any effect, meaning it’s not useful for non-minion or direct damage builds.
No Bonus to Other Resistances:
While the Elemental Army gem boosts elemental resistances, it does not affect other resistances, such as chaos resistance or physical damage mitigation. If you’re looking to boost a broader range of resistances for your minions, you’ll need to rely on other sources of defensive bonuses.
Prioritize Minion Survival:
While Elemental Army helps make your minions more resilient to elemental damage, it’s still important to ensure that your minions have proper defensive stats and support skills. Consider pairing this gem with other minion defensive gems or aura skills like Discipline or Vitality to increase their overall survivability.
Leverage Elemental Resistances in High-Difficulty Content:
As elemental damage becomes more prevalent in endgame content, having minions with enhanced elemental resistances can make all the difference. The Elemental Army gem ensures your minions are better equipped to handle the damage spikes from elemental-inflicting bosses and elemental projectiles.
Stack Additional Minion Buffs:
In addition to Elemental Army, look for other ways to boost your minion effectiveness, such as increased minion damage or minion life. The combination of both offensive and defensive buffs will ensure that your minions not only deal significant damage but also survive for longer periods, providing better support in tougher battles.
The Elemental Army Support Gem is an essential addition for minion builds in Path of Exile 2, particularly those that want to enhance their minions’ elemental resistances. Whether you’re summoning Skeletons, Spectres, or Zombies, the +30% increase to elemental resistances ensures that your minions remain resilient against fire, cold, and lightning damage. This makes it a vital gem for minion summoners who want to boost both the defensive and offensive potential of their armies, giving them the staying power to endure throughout endgame content.
For players who rely heavily on minions, especially in high-difficulty areas, the Elemental Army Support Gem offers an essential upgrade to their overall performance.