Call down a shocking bolt of lightning to strike an enemy.
50% chance to Shock enemies
Radius is 0.5 metres
9 to 172 Lightning Damage
Skills can be managed in the Skills Panel.
Buy PoE 2 Currency Fast
Buy PoE 2 Currency Cheap (6% off coupon: z123). Path of Exile 2 currency items. Payment: PayPal, Skrill, Cryptocurrencies.
Lightning Bolt is a Spell Skill Gem in Path of Exile 2 that delivers quick and precise lightning damage to your enemies. With a short cast time and the ability to shock foes, this skill provides great versatility for players looking to add instantaneous damage to their arsenal. Lightning Bolt is especially effective for single-target damage, but it can also be used to enhance lightning-based builds that focus on Shock effects.
Key Details of Lightning Bolt
Gem Type: Skill Gem
Skill Type: Spell, Lightning
Level Requirement: 12
Cast Time: 0.70 seconds
Mana Cost: Not provided (default behavior)
Radius: 0.5 meters
Damage: 9 to 172 Lightning Damage
Chance to Shock: 50% chance to Shock enemies
How Lightning Bolt Works
Lightning Bolt is a direct damage spell that calls down a lightning bolt to strike a target. The skill has the potential to Shock the target, making it especially useful for lightning-focused builds or shock-based synergies. Here’s a breakdown of how the skill functions:
1. Lightning Strike
When cast, Lightning Bolt summons a shocking bolt of lightning that directly strikes an enemy. The damage it deals is purely lightning damage, which can be boosted by lightning damage modifiers, spell damage, and other synergies with elemental damage scaling.
2. Shock Chance
Lightning Bolt has a 50% chance to Shock enemies it hits. Shock is a status ailment that increases the amount of damage the affected enemy takes, making it an excellent mechanic for dealing extra damage to bosses or high-health enemies. Shocked enemies take 50% more damage from all sources for a short duration, making Lightning Bolt even more potent when paired with critical strikes or other elemental skills.
3. Radius
The radius of Lightning Bolt is small, measuring at only 0.5 metres, which means the bolt strikes single-target enemies. This makes it particularly effective for single-target damage in boss fights or PvP encounters. It doesn’t hit multiple enemies in an area, but the shock mechanic adds significant value to each individual hit.
4. Lightning Damage Scaling
The base damage of Lightning Bolt ranges from 9 to 172 Lightning Damage depending on your level and other modifiers. This damage can be further scaled by investing in lightning damage passives, gear, and support gems. Given that this skill is a direct strike, it benefits greatly from increased spell damage, elemental damage, and critical strike chance/multiplier stats.
Synergies with Other Skills and Builds
Lightning Bolt is best suited for builds focused on lightning damage or shock mechanics. Here are a few ways to enhance its effectiveness:
1. Lightning Damage Builds
Lightning Bolt naturally scales with lightning damage modifiers. Support gems like Added Lightning Damage or Elemental Focus can significantly boost its damage output. Combining Lightning Bolt with Elemental Damage or Spell Damage amplifiers from gear or passives will further enhance its effectiveness.
2. Shock Builds
Since Lightning Bolt has a 50% chance to Shock enemies, it works great with builds that focus on Shock mechanics. You can combine Lightning Bolt with Shock duration or Shock effect modifiers to make sure enemies stay shocked longer, maximizing the extra damage they take from all sources.
Increased Effect of Shock from support gems like Hypothermia or passive tree nodes can further boost the effectiveness of Shock, making Lightning Bolt an even more potent tool for debuffing enemies.
3. Critical Strike Builds
Lightning Bolt can be combined with critical strike builds to maximize its potential. You can use critical strike chance/multiplier mods to further increase the damage output when a critical hit lands, especially on shocked enemies. This synergy works particularly well in bossing or high-damage fights, where shock plus crit damage can amplify overall damage.
4. Cast on Critical Strike or Cast on Hit
Combine Lightning Bolt with Cast on Critical Strike or Cast on Hit support gems to trigger it as part of a combo. For example, if you’re using Cast on Critical Strike with a Lightning Arrow or Fireball, you can trigger Lightning Bolt automatically whenever a critical hit occurs. This setup allows Lightning Bolt to be used more frequently without needing to manually cast it.
Pros and Cons of Lightning Bolt
Pros:
High Chance to Shock: With a 50% chance to shock, Lightning Bolt is a reliable skill for setting up shock-based combos.
Direct Lightning Damage: Deals pure lightning damage, which can be amplified with lightning and elemental damage modifiers.
Great for Single-Target: Lightning Bolt is an excellent choice for single-target damage in boss fights or focused damage scenarios.
Fast Cast: With a 0.70-second cast time, it is a relatively quick skill, making it easy to use in conjunction with other spells or attacks.
Cons:
Small Radius: The small 0.5-metre radius means that Lightning Bolt can only hit one target at a time, making it less effective in crowd control situations or for large groups of enemies.
Limited Chain Effect: Unlike other lightning skills that chain to multiple enemies, Lightning Bolt focuses on single-target damage, so you may need to rely on other skills for crowd clearing.
Scaling Required for Higher Damage: To maximize Lightning Bolt’s damage, you’ll need to focus on scaling lightning damage and spell damage, which may require specific gear or passives.
Tips for Using Lightning Bolt
Maximize Shock:
Since Lightning Bolt has a high chance to shock, consider investing in shock effect or shock duration to maximize the damage increase. The more often you can shock an enemy, the greater your damage output will be.
Combine with Other Lightning Spells:
Lightning Bolt works well in combination with other lightning spells, like Arc or Chain Lightning, which can clear groups of enemies while Lightning Bolt handles the high single-target damage.
Use in Critical Strike Builds:
Critical strikes synergize well with Lightning Bolt. Focus on critical strike chance and lightning critical damage to amplify its damage potential, especially when the enemy is shocked.
Optimize for Bossing:
For boss fights, Lightning Bolt can be a key source of single-target damage. Make sure to have increased damage and critical strike multipliers for optimal performance.
Conclusion
Lightning Bolt is a highly effective lightning damage spell that excels in single-target scenarios, offering a 50% chance to shock enemies and delivering reliable lightning damage. With its quick cast time, it’s perfect for critical strike builds or shock-based synergies, allowing you to deal devastating damage while benefiting from the shock effect. Whether you’re looking to enhance your lightning spell builds or create a shock-based synergy, Lightning Bolt is a great choice for adding instantaneous and reliable damage to your character’s arsenal.