It is a Support Gem.
Support
Tier: 2
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Str
Supports Skills that leap into the air, causing them to create Consecrated Ground when you land
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 Holy Descent Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 introduces an exciting way to enhance Leap-based skills by providing a powerful Consecrated Ground effect upon landing. This gem transforms your leap attacks or movement skills into more than just mobility tools, adding an area of effect (AoE) buff that enhances your defenses and supports various playstyles. Whether you’re looking for increased survivability, healing, or area control, Holy Descent can be a valuable asset to your build.
The Holy Descent Support Gem works by modifying leap-based skills to generate Consecrated Ground when you land. Here’s what this means for your character:
Leap Skills and Movement:
Many skills in Path of Exile 2 allow your character to leap or jump through the air, often to engage enemies, escape danger, or quickly close gaps in combat. Skills like Leap Slam, Flame Dash, or Leap Strike benefit greatly from this support, as the Holy Descent gem adds a powerful Consecrated Ground effect when you land.
Consecrated Ground Effect:
Consecrated Ground is an area-of-effect buff that grants various benefits depending on your build. Typically, Consecrated Ground provides increased life recovery, damage mitigation, and defensive buffs. By applying this effect upon landing, Holy Descent enhances your survivability, especially during intense combat situations or when jumping into groups of enemies.
Additional Support for Leap Skills:
Leap-based skills are typically used for mobility, and Holy Descent takes advantage of this by allowing you to convert mobility into a defensive bonus. For example, Leap Slam can now function as both an offensive and defensive tool. Not only do you engage enemies with a slam attack, but you also gain the Consecrated Ground buff for both healing and defense after each jump. This makes it ideal for builds that are focused on close-quarters combat and need additional sustain in the form of life regeneration or damage mitigation.
Holy Descent works best with skills that incorporate leaping, jumping, or movement into their core mechanics. Here are a few examples of builds and skills that can benefit from this gem:
Leap Slam Builds:
Leap Slam is one of the most iconic leap skills in Path of Exile 2 and synergizes perfectly with Holy Descent. When you use Leap Slam, you typically want to engage enemies and land quickly, and with Holy Descent you gain an additional defensive buff in the form of Consecrated Ground. The combination of leap mobility and life regeneration makes this a great choice for melee-focused builds that want to dive into the fray without worrying about incoming damage.
Flame Dash Builds:
Flame Dash is another skill that can benefit from Holy Descent, particularly for Spellcasters or Hybrid builds. While Flame Dash is often used for movement and positioning, applying Consecrated Ground on landing can significantly boost your sustain. This is especially useful for low-life builds or energy shield-based characters who need to keep their health up while jumping in and out of combat zones.
Leap Strike Builds:
Leap Strike builds, especially those using high burst damage with Attack Skills, can use Holy Descent to gain more defensive utility. Consecrated Ground on landing will grant you healing and can act as an effective countermeasure against enemy damage when you leap into the midst of combat. This is particularly useful in boss fights or situations where you need to mitigate significant incoming damage while continuing to deal damage yourself.
Hybrid Builds (Melee + Spellcasting):
Hybrid builds that combine both melee and spellcasting can also benefit from Holy Descent. A melee character who utilizes Leap Slam to engage and spells to deal area damage will find that Consecrated Ground can provide both life recovery and damage mitigation in addition to mana regeneration from spellcasting. This support gem can provide a balanced mix of offense and defense for hybrid builds that need to be mobile and self-sufficient.
Here are some of the key benefits of using the Holy Descent Support Gem:
Survivability Boost:
The primary advantage of Holy Descent is the creation of Consecrated Ground on landing, which provides life recovery, damage reduction, and other defensive benefits. This is especially useful when engaging multiple enemies, as it provides a healing buffer for your character after each jump.
Increased Mobility with Defensive Benefits:
Leap-based skills are already excellent for mobility, and Holy Descent adds another layer of utility by providing defense while you’re in the air and upon landing. This allows you to maintain offensive momentum without sacrificing defense, making your leap skills even more potent in high-risk combat situations.
Synergy with Melee and Spellcasting Builds:
Holy Descent is versatile and works well with both melee and spellcasting builds that utilize leap-based skills. Whether you’re a melee character diving into enemy packs or a spellcaster using Flame Dash, Holy Descent adds an extra layer of utility that benefits a wide range of playstyles.
Useful in Boss Fights and Group Combat:
Consecrated Ground can be a lifesaver in boss fights or high-density areas, especially when you’re moving in and out of combat zones. By using leap-based skills to dodge attacks or engage high-priority targets, you can rely on Holy Descent to keep your health topped up and your defenses strong while maintaining offensive pressure.
While Holy Descent is a powerful addition to leap-based builds, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Cost Multiplier and Mana Requirements:
Like many support gems, Holy Descent has a cost multiplier (120%) which increases the mana cost of supported skills. If your build is already mana-hungry, you might need to consider mana regeneration or efficiency to avoid running out of resources too quickly during combat.
Limited to Leap Skills:
The gem only works with leap-based skills, which means it won’t benefit ranged or non-leap abilities. If your build doesn’t include a Leap Slam, Flame Dash, or similar skill, then Holy Descent might not be useful to you. It’s important to ensure your character’s skills align with the gem’s intended effects.
Situational Effect:
While the Consecrated Ground effect is powerful, it’s somewhat situational in that it requires you to use a leap skill. If you find yourself in combat situations where you aren’t consistently using leap skills, you may not be able to take full advantage of the gem’s benefits.
The Holy Descent Support Gem provides a unique synergy for leap-based skills, turning them into powerful defensive tools by creating Consecrated Ground upon landing. Whether you’re focused on melee combat, spellcasting, or hybrid builds, this gem offers increased survivability, damage mitigation, and life recovery that can make a significant difference in both boss encounters and crowd control situations.
If you’re planning to use skills that involve jumping or leaping, Holy Descent is a must-have support gem, offering not only mobility but also crucial defensive bonuses that can keep you alive and in the fight longer.