It is a Support Gem.
Support
Melee, Attack, Strike
Tier: 1
Cost Multiplier: 120%
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Str
Supports Melee Strike skills, causing them to create an Aftershock that damages enemies around the target.
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 Impact Shockwave Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 is a powerful option for melee attack builds, specifically for Strike-based skills. This gem is designed to enhance melee strike attacks by creating an Aftershock effect that damages enemies around the primary target when a Stun is inflicted. This makes it an excellent choice for stunning and area-of-effect (AoE) damage-focused builds.
The Impact Shockwave gem is designed to enhance melee strike attacks by adding an Aftershock effect that damages enemies around the target when the target is Stunned. Here’s how it works:
Aftershock Creation:
When you use a melee strike skill that stuns an enemy, the Impact Shockwave gem triggers an Aftershock effect. This Aftershock deals the same damage as the initial Strike to enemies within 1 metre of the stunned target. This creates a localized AoE around the stunned enemy, hitting all nearby enemies.
AoE Damage Boost:
The Aftershock effect is essentially an AoE burst that allows you to hit multiple enemies simultaneously. Since it deals the same damage as the original strike, this provides additional damage scaling in situations where multiple enemies are in close proximity to the stunned target.
Stun Dependency:
The Impact Shockwave gem relies on the target being Stunned for the Aftershock to trigger. This means that you will need to focus on stunning enemies with your strike skills, which could involve building into Stun chance or Stun duration as part of your melee build.
Synergy with Stun Mechanics:
Since the Aftershock effect requires a Stun, the gem synergizes well with Stun-based builds. This is ideal for players who want to take advantage of the Stun mechanics in Path of Exile 2, particularly those using strike-based melee attacks like Heavy Strike, Smite, or Ground Slam.
Here are some of the key benefits of using the Impact Shockwave Support Gem:
Additional AoE Damage:
The Aftershock effect is an added area-of-effect (AoE) damage burst. This allows you to deal with multiple enemies at once, making it an excellent choice for crowd control in dense packs of monsters. It significantly boosts your overall damage output in situations where enemies are clustered together.
Synergy with Stun Builds:
The gem is a perfect fit for Stun-based builds, as it enhances the effectiveness of your melee strikes by triggering the Aftershock effect. This is especially useful in boss fights or large packs of enemies, where you can Stun one enemy and have the Aftershock damage spill over to nearby targets.
Simple Mechanic:
The mechanic is easy to understand and doesn’t require any complex interactions. As long as you Stun an enemy, the Aftershock will trigger, dealing damage to enemies in the vicinity. This makes it a simple but powerful addition to your damage arsenal.
Scalable Damage:
Since the Aftershock deals the same damage as the original strike, it scales with all the damage modifiers that apply to your strike skills, including damage multipliers, critical strike modifiers, and melee damage bonuses. This means that the Aftershock can benefit from increased damage as your character progresses through the game.
While the Impact Shockwave gem offers many benefits, there are a few things to keep in mind:
Stun Requirement:
The biggest limitation of the Impact Shockwave gem is that it requires a Stun to trigger the Aftershock. This means you need to focus on stunning enemies with your attacks, which may not be feasible in all situations. For builds that struggle to Stun enemies consistently, this gem may not be as effective.
No Additional AoE Without a Stun:
If you are unable to Stun the target, the Aftershock will not trigger. This makes it less useful against bosses or boss-like enemies that cannot be stunned, as you won’t benefit from the AoE damage in those encounters.
Limited AoE Radius:
The Aftershock only affects enemies within a 1-metre radius of the stunned target. While this can still be effective in tight combat situations, it limits the overall spread of the AoE compared to other AoE support gems that have larger radii.
Focus on Melee Strike Skills:
The gem is specifically designed for melee strike skills. If your build focuses on ranged or spell-based damage, Impact Shockwave will not provide any benefit. It is limited to melee builds and cannot be used in ranged or spellcasting setups.
The Impact Shockwave gem is ideal for melee strike-based builds that rely on stunning enemies. Here are some builds and skills that work particularly well with Impact Shockwave:
Stun-Melee Builds:
The Impact Shockwave gem is perfect for melee builds focused on stunning enemies. Builds using Heavy Strike, Ground Slam, or Smite can greatly benefit from the extra AoE damage triggered by the Aftershock when the target is stunned.
Boss and Mapping Builds:
For bossing and mapping, Impact Shockwave can be used in melee builds to deal with large packs of monsters or to enhance the effectiveness of your Stun-focused single-target skills. It is also effective in dense monster packs, where you can Stun one enemy and have the Aftershock affect others around it.
Strike Skills with High Damage:
Any Strike skill that focuses on high single-target damage will benefit from Impact Shockwave when used in crowd control situations. Skills like Cleave, Heavy Strike, or Infernal Blow can trigger the Aftershock and deal substantial AoE damage to nearby enemies after the Stun.
The Impact Shockwave Support Gem is an excellent choice for melee stun builds that want to enhance their AoE damage. By adding an Aftershock that deals the same damage as the original strike, this gem allows you to deal significant damage to enemies around the target when the Stun occurs.
Its synergy with Stun mechanics and melee strike skills makes it ideal for crowd control in both boss fights and large packs of enemies. However, it requires consistent stuns to function effectively, which can be a limitation in certain scenarios, especially against bosses that cannot be stunned.
Overall, Impact Shockwave is a great option for players who want to boost their AoE damage and enhance melee strike builds, particularly those focused on stunning enemies while dealing damage to multiple targets in the process.