It is a Support Gem.
Support
Tier: 1
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Int
Supports any skill that you can use, causing Energy Shield recharge to begin immediately if you are Stunned while using it.
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 Energy Barriers Support Gem is a defensive support gem designed to benefit Energy Shield-based builds in Path of Exile 2. This gem is particularly useful for builds that rely on Energy Shield for defense, as it provides a crucial defensive mechanic that allows your Energy Shield Recharge to begin immediately if you are stunned while using a skill.
In this article, we will explore the Energy Barriers gem’s mechanics, ideal use cases, and its synergy with different builds.
The primary function of the Energy Barriers Support Gem is to allow your Energy Shield Recharge to begin immediately if you are stunned while using the supported skill. This provides a much-needed layer of protection for Energy Shield builds, especially in scenarios where stuns can be devastating.
Immediate Energy Shield Recharge:
Normally, when you are stunned, your Energy Shield Recharge is interrupted. However, when you use the Energy Barriers gem, this interruption is bypassed. Upon being stunned while using a supported skill, your Energy Shield Recharge begins instantly and is not interrupted for 3 seconds. This allows you to recover your Energy Shield more efficiently during dangerous situations where you are unable to react to incoming damage.
Protection During Stun:
The main benefit of Energy Barriers is its ability to prevent Energy Shield recovery from being delayed when you’re stunned. Stuns are particularly problematic for Energy Shield builds because the inability to react or take actions during the stun can leave your character vulnerable. With Energy Barriers, the effect ensures that your Energy Shield Recharge continues uninterrupted during this critical period, allowing you to potentially recover Energy Shield during the stun and avoid being left vulnerable to follow-up damage.
Duration of Uninterrupted Recharge:
When you are stunned, the effect of Energy Barriers lasts for 3 seconds. This means that for this period, your Energy Shield Recharge will not be interrupted, regardless of any damage you take. This can make a significant difference in encounters with stunning enemies or bosses that apply frequent stuns, allowing you to recover Energy Shield and mitigate the risks associated with being incapacitated.
Synergy with Energy Shield Recharge Mechanics:
The gem works seamlessly with any build that focuses on Energy Shield Recharge as a primary defensive mechanism. It can be used in conjunction with Energy Shield recharge rate modifiers to maximize Energy Shield recovery, especially in boss fights or high-damage areas where stuns can be frequent and dangerous.
Energy Shield Tanks:
Builds that rely on Energy Shield as their main defense (e.g., Occultist, Guardian, or Inquisitor ascendancy classes) will benefit greatly from the Energy Barriers gem. These builds are often vulnerable to stuns that can temporarily disable their ability to act, but Energy Barriers ensures that their Energy Shield Recharge doesn’t stop during these crucial moments.
Hybrid Life/Energy Shield Builds:
For builds that use both Life and Energy Shield, Energy Barriers can provide additional protection against stuns. These builds often face challenges when hit with high damage bursts that cause stuns and could overwhelm their defenses. The Energy Shield Recharge boost ensures that your Energy Shield won’t be left vulnerable during the time you’re stunned, providing an important safety net.
High-Speed or Melee Builds:
Melee and high-speed builds, especially those using Cyclone or Whirlwind-type skills, often encounter situations where stuns are frequent in dense fights. For such builds, Energy Barriers ensures that stuns don’t leave you unprotected. Even though these builds might already have life leech or regeneration, Energy Shield recharge can help boost their overall tankiness during moments when they can’t actively engage enemies.
Bossing Builds with High Risk of Stun:
Boss fights in Path of Exile 2 can frequently involve stun mechanics, especially against certain bosses that hit hard and often leave you incapacitated. For bossing builds focused on Energy Shield, Energy Barriers ensures that you won’t be left vulnerable after a stun. It’s especially valuable for builds using energy shield or hybrid defenses who require uninterrupted recharge to maintain their defense in high-damage situations.
Guardians and Guardians of Energy Shield:
Guardians (specifically the Guardian Ascendancy) that focus on Energy Shield and defensive capabilities will also see great benefit from Energy Barriers. The ability to instantly start Energy Shield Recharge upon being stunned adds significant survivability, particularly in endgame content.
Uninterrupted Energy Shield Recharge:
The most significant benefit is the ability to recharge your Energy Shield immediately upon being stunned, which gives you an additional defensive layer during a typically vulnerable time. This allows you to recover from stuns much faster and ensures that your Energy Shield doesn’t remain uncharged for an extended period.
Increased Survivability:
With Energy Shield Recharge becoming uninterrupted during a stun, Energy Shield builds gain extra tankiness, particularly in high-damage encounters. This reduces the chances of dying when being hit by stunning and burst-damage enemies.
Synergy with Energy Shield Scaling:
If you’re focusing on Energy Shield recharge rate or Energy Shield recovery nodes in your passive tree or gear, Energy Barriers complements those mechanics very well, giving you an extra buffer when things go wrong, particularly when dealing with crowd control effects like stun.
Efficient Against Bosses:
In bossing scenarios, especially against stun-heavy bosses, Energy Barriers can significantly boost your survivability by allowing your Energy Shield to recharge during stun phases, keeping your defensive layers intact.
Limited to Stun:
The effect of Energy Barriers only activates when you are stunned. It does not help you when you are frozen, shocked, or ignited, which means it has no impact on other crowd control effects. You still need to account for other defensive layers or crowd control resistance to ensure you’re protected from other forms of control.
Only Useful for Energy Shield Builds:
Energy Barriers is tailored for Energy Shield builds, so it won’t benefit players using Life-based or Hybrid defensive setups that do not rely on Energy Shield as their main source of defense.
Focus on Energy Shield Recharge Rate:
To maximize the effectiveness of Energy Barriers, focus on increasing your Energy Shield Recharge Rate. This will allow you to recover even more Energy Shield once the stun effect is triggered.
Use with Stun-Resistant Gear or Passives:
While Energy Barriers provides a safety net against stuns, it’s still helpful to pair the gem with stun resistance passives or gear that reduces the likelihood of being stunned in the first place. Combining these elements will help you remain defensive throughout difficult content.
Monitor Energy Shield and Mana:
As Energy Shield Recharge becomes a critical aspect of your survival, monitor your Energy Shield levels and ensure that you are maximizing Energy Shield regeneration to allow for faster recovery after a stun.
The Energy Barriers Support Gem is an essential tool for Energy Shield builds, providing uninterrupted recharge during stuns, a common and dangerous crowd control effect. By allowing you to maintain your Energy Shield recharge even when stunned, this gem dramatically enhances your survivability and defense, especially during intense boss fights or high-risk encounters. If you play an Energy Shield-based build, Energy Barriers is an excellent choice for ensuring that stuns won’t leave you vulnerable, enabling you to keep fighting even when you’re unable to act.