It is a Support Gem.
Support
Tier: 2
Cost Multiplier: 130%
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Str
Supports any skill that Hits enemies, causing them to deal more Damage against enemies with Broken Armour but preventing them from Breaking Armour themselves. Cannot support skills that Consume Broken Armour.
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 Exploit Weakness Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 is a powerful tool for builds that rely on armor-breaking mechanics and damage amplification against vulnerable enemies. This support gem allows you to maximize your damage against enemies with broken armor, turning a commonly used defensive mechanic into a devastating offensive advantage.
In this article, we will break down the mechanics of the Exploit Weakness Support Gem, its key features, ideal builds, and how to use it effectively in your Path of Exile 2 journey.
The Exploit Weakness Support Gem offers a unique interaction with Armor mechanics. Here’s how it works:
Increased Damage Against Broken Armor:
Exploit Weakness grants a 50% increase in damage against enemies whose Armor is Broken. This synergizes perfectly with builds that focus on Armor-breaking effects, such as Armor Shattering, Armor Reduction, or Physical Damage that targets enemy defenses.
Preventing Armor Breakage by Supported Skills:
One key aspect of Exploit Weakness is that it prevents the supported skill from breaking enemy Armor. This means that while your skills can deal additional damage against enemies with Broken Armor, they cannot directly cause Armor Break themselves. This is a strategic choice that places the focus on skills or abilities that consume broken armor.
Consume Broken Armor for Additional Damage:
Skills supported by Exploit Weakness will consume the enemy’s Fully Broken Armor to deal 50% more damage. This adds another layer of synergy for those using skills that can break armor through other means, such as armor-reducing effects from other sources, debuffs, or external effects.
Synergy with Armor-breaking Builds:
The main strength of Exploit Weakness is its combination with armor-breaking mechanics. If you’re using skills or abilities that reduce armor or shatter armor, this gem will allow you to deal significantly more damage when the enemy’s armor is fully broken. This makes it ideal for endgame bosses and tough enemies with high armor values.
Armor Breaking Physical Builds:
Exploit Weakness works best in Physical damage builds that focus on breaking down the armor of enemies. These builds typically use skills that reduce armor or apply armor-shattering effects, such as Armour Break, Maim, or Vulnerability curses. The 50% more damage when enemies have Broken Armor makes this gem an invaluable asset for physical melee or ranged builds that capitalize on high damage against armored enemies.
Boss-Killer and Tank Builds:
In boss fights where enemies have massive armor pools, the ability to break armor and then exploit the weakness is a game-changer. Exploit Weakness is perfect for boss killer builds that combine armor-breaking abilities with high physical damage. For example, using Vulnerability or Shattering Strikes can break the boss’s armor, while Exploit Weakness increases your damage against them during the critical moment when they are armorless.
Hybrid Builds with Armor Shredding:
Builds that rely on hybrid damage types (such as physical and elemental) will also find Exploit Weakness useful. If your build relies on armor reduction or armor penetration to boost elemental or chaos damage, this gem works by increasing the damage output when the enemy’s armor is fully broken, stacking well with other damage boosts.
Debuff/Support Builds:
Support builds that focus on debuffing enemies and enhancing damage output can greatly benefit from Exploit Weakness. If your character is focused on applying debuffs like Vulnerability or Cripple, Exploit Weakness synergizes by amplifying the damage dealt to enemies who are already under these armor-reducing effects.
50% Increased Damage Against Broken Armor:
The main attraction of the Exploit Weakness gem is the 50% increased damage you deal to enemies with Broken Armor. This makes it a powerful tool for dealing high damage to heavily armored enemies, such as bosses, high-level rares, or endgame encounters.
Synergy with Armor-Breaking Effects:
Exploit Weakness shines in builds that already break armor. If you’re running debuffs, skills that reduce armor, or other mechanics that shatter armor, this gem enhances your ability to deal massive damage once the enemy is armorless.
Great for Endgame and Boss Fights:
Exploit Weakness is tailor-made for endgame content, where enemies tend to have high armor values. By exploiting the weakness of broken armor, you can deal devastating damage in boss fights and endgame content, ensuring that you can quickly bring down even the most toughly armored foes.
Versatility for Many Skill Types:
This support gem is versatile enough to work with a wide variety of skills that can hit enemies. Whether you’re using melee, ranged, or elemental abilities, Exploit Weakness can be adapted to your build as long as you have a mechanism to break armor or apply debuffs.
Prevents Armor Breaking by Supported Skills:
One major limitation of Exploit Weakness is that it prevents the supported skill from breaking armor. This requires you to rely on external sources, like debuffs or other skills, to reduce or shatter the enemy’s armor. This can complicate your build, requiring you to incorporate armor reduction mechanics into your strategy.
Situational Effectiveness:
Exploit Weakness is highly situational. It’s most effective when used against enemies with high armor who need to be debuffed or armor-shattered. Without an armor reduction mechanic, you won’t be able to take full advantage of this gem’s damage increase.
Requires Proper Setup:
This gem works best when you’ve already set up armor-breaking or debuffing mechanics. Players need to plan their build carefully to incorporate the armor reduction that will trigger the Exploit Weakness damage boost, or they risk not benefiting from the gem’s full potential.
Use with Armor-Breaking Skills:
To get the most out of Exploit Weakness, pair it with skills or debuffs that reduce armor. Using Vulnerability, Curses, or Armor Reduction skills like Infernal Blow or Dealing Shatter Strike will break the enemy’s armor, triggering the gem’s increased damage against broken armor.
Synergize with Armor Shredding Effects:
Consider using items or passives that shred armor or penetrate armor, such as Vulnerability curses, Maim, or Infernal Blow, for an additional damage boost when Exploit Weakness is triggered.
Boss Fights and High Armor Enemies:
In endgame boss fights, enemies typically have very high armor. Use Exploit Weakness with armor-breaking skills or debuffs to maximize your damage output and deal significant damage when the enemy’s armor is broken.
Test for Synergy:
Before committing to Exploit Weakness, test it with your build to ensure you have sufficient armor-breaking mechanics in place. If your skill already causes armor break or reduces armor, you’ll be able to deal full damage with Exploit Weakness.