PoE 2 Meat Shield – Path of Exile 2

PoE 2 Meat Shield

It is a Support Gem.

Support
Minion
Tier: 1
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Str

Supports skills which create Minions, granting them more life but making them deal less damage.

  • Minions from Supported Skills l 35% less Damage
  • Minions from Supported Skills ve 50% more maximum Life

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.

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The Meat Shield Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 is a powerful tool for players utilizing minion builds, emphasizing minion durability over damage. By significantly increasing the maximum life of supported minions while reducing their damage output, Meat Shield ensures your minions can serve as reliable protectors, absorbing damage and staying in the fight longer.

Gem Details

  • Category: Support
  • Type: Minion
  • Tier: 1
  • Required Level: 1
  • Support Requirements: +5 Strength
  • Effect:
    • Minions from Supported Skills deal 35% less Damage.
    • Minions from Supported Skills have 50% more maximum Life.
    • 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.

How Meat Shield Works

The Meat Shield Support Gem is designed to enhance the survivability of minions created by supported skills. It shifts the focus of your minions from dealing damage to serving as durable frontliners, ideal for builds that rely on minions as shields or distractions.

  1. Increased Minion Life:

    • Supported minions gain a substantial 50% boost to maximum life, making them significantly harder to kill.

  2. Reduced Minion Damage:

    • In exchange for this durability, supported minions deal 35% less damage, emphasizing their role as protectors rather than primary damage dealers.

  3. Strategic Utility:

    • This gem is perfect for minions that benefit from high durability, such as zombies, golems, or animate guardians, especially in builds that use them to absorb enemy attacks.

Advantages of Meat Shield Support

  1. Enhanced Minion Survivability:

    • The increased life pool ensures that minions can withstand heavy damage, making them ideal for tanking bosses or mobs in endgame content.

  2. Crowd Control and Protection:

    • Durable minions can serve as distractions, drawing aggro and keeping enemies away from the player.

  3. Utility in Hybrid Builds:

    • Builds that use minions for utility rather than damage, such as support-oriented builds or curse-bots, benefit significantly from the survivability boost.

  4. Synergy with Defensive Strategies:

    • Meat Shield complements defensive playstyles, allowing minions to act as reliable meat shields while the player focuses on other mechanics.

Challenges and Considerations

  1. Reduced Minion Damage:

    • The 35% reduction in minion damage makes this gem less suitable for builds relying on minions as the primary source of DPS.

  2. Socket Space:

    • As with all support gems, Meat Shield competes for socket space. Ensure it aligns with your build’s strategy and priorities.

  3. Specific Minion Utility:

    • This gem is most effective with minions designed for durability or tanking rather than aggressive damage output.

Best Builds for Meat Shield Support

  1. Tanky Minion Builds:

    • Builds that focus on zombies, golems, or animate guardians can leverage the increased life to create formidable tanks.

  2. Support Minion Builds:

    • Builds that rely on minions for utility, such as curse application or buffs, benefit from the survivability provided by Meat Shield.

  3. Summoner Defensive Builds:

    • Defensive summoners who want minions to absorb hits while they deal damage from a distance will find this gem invaluable.

  4. Boss Tanking Strategies:

    • Against bosses, Meat Shield ensures your minions can stay alive long enough to tank critical hits or maintain utility effects.

Synergies and Combinations

  1. Minion Life Boosters:

    • Combine with Minion Life Support or passive skills that increase minion life to maximize their durability.

  2. Defensive Auras:

    • Use auras like Determination or Vitality to further enhance your minions’ ability to tank.

  3. Utility Minions:

    • Pair with utility minions like Carrion Golems or Spectres that provide support roles while benefiting from increased survivability.

  4. Aggro Management:

    • Combine with skills or mechanics that draw enemy attention to minions, ensuring they act as effective shields.

Conclusion

The Meat Shield Support Gem is an essential tool for summoner builds focused on minion durability and defensive strategies. By significantly boosting minion life at the cost of damage, this gem transforms your minions into reliable protectors, capable of withstanding even the most intense fights.

Whether you’re creating a wall of durable minions to keep enemies at bay or building a defensive summoner setup, Meat Shield provides the tools to make your minions resilient and dependable. It’s the perfect addition for players seeking to maximize survivability and utility in their minion-focused builds in Path of Exile 2.

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