Stores all Poison Damage you deal. Using the Plague Nova skill unleashes the stored Poison.
Stores 6% of Expected Poison Damage
Stores up to 240 Poison Damage
Skills can be managed in the Skills Panel.
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Plague Bearer is a potent Spirit Gem in Path of Exile 2, designed for players who want to harness the devastating potential of Poison damage. This gem offers a unique way to deal with Poison, allowing you to store your Poison damage and release it all at once in a powerful Plague Nova. This mechanic makes it a powerful choice for Chaos or Poison-focused builds, adding a new layer of tactical depth to your arsenal.
Key Details of Plague Bearer
Gem Type: Spirit Gem
Skill Type: Buff, Persistent, AoE, Physical, Chaos, Nova
Tier: 4
Level: 6
Requires: Level 18, 43 Dexterity
Reservation: 30 Spirit
Effect: Stores a percentage of the Poison damage you deal, and unleashes it in a Plague Nova when activated.
Storage:
Stores 6% of expected Poison damage
Maximum Storage: Up to 240 Poison damage.
Activation: Plague Nova skill unleashes all stored Poison damage in an AoE burst.
How Does Plague Bearer Work?
Storing Poison Damage:
Plague Bearer allows you to store Poison damage as you inflict it on enemies. The gem captures 6% of the expected Poison damage you deal, accumulating up to 240 Poison damage. This storage is passive, meaning it occurs automatically as you deal Poison damage over time to enemies.
Activating Plague Nova:
Once you have stored enough Poison damage, you can trigger the Plague Nova. This is a Nova-style AoE skill that unleashes all the stored Poison damage in a burst, dealing significant Chaos damage to all enemies within its radius. The Plague Nova delivers the damage as Poison, making it especially effective for Poison-focused builds or those that leverage Chaos damage.
AoE and Scaling:
Plague Nova releases the stored damage in an AoE around you, impacting all enemies within the radius. The skill’s effectiveness is enhanced by increased Poison damage and Chaos damage from other sources in your build.
Requirements and Scaling
Level Requirements: To use Plague Bearer, you need to be Level 18.
Attribute Requirements: The gem requires 43 Dexterity, which is achievable for most Chaos or Poison builds that prioritize Dexterity for their damage scaling and defensive attributes.
Spirit Reservation: Plague Bearer requires 30 Spirit to activate, which is a reasonable cost for the utility it provides in scaling Poison damage.
How to Maximize the Effect of Plague Bearer
Poison Damage Scaling: Since Plague Bearer stores a percentage of your Poison damage, scaling Poison damage through other Poison-boosting modifiers is crucial for maximizing its output. Look for increased Poison damage, Chaos damage, and Poison duration on your gear or passive tree to boost the effectiveness of the gem.
Increased AoE Damage: To improve the effectiveness of Plague Nova, focus on increasing the radius of the explosion. Many AoE-scaling modifiers will enhance how many enemies you can hit, making the burst of stored Poison damage even more potent.
Poisoning Enemies Frequently: The gem stores a percentage of Poison damage you deal, so you’ll want to make sure that you are Poisoning enemies consistently. This means you’ll need to incorporate Poison-inflicting skills or effects, such as Poison Support gems, Critical Strikes, or Poison on Hit mechanics to ensure that Plague Bearer stores a significant amount of damage for later use.
Stacking Poison Damage: If you’re using a Poison build, try to stack as much Poison damage as possible on enemies. The more Poison damage you can inflict over time, the more damage Plague Bearer will store, leading to devastating bursts when you activate Plague Nova.
Pros and Cons of Plague Bearer
Pros:
Powerful AoE Poison Burst: Plague Bearer unleashes a massive burst of Poison damage when you trigger Plague Nova, allowing you to deal a significant amount of damage to surrounding enemies.
Synergy with Poison Builds: This gem is perfect for Poison or Chaos damage builds, as it stores and unleashes additional Poison damage, amplifying your overall output.
Passive Damage Storage: As you deal Poison damage, Plague Bearer passively stores a percentage of that damage, giving you the potential for a huge burst of damage when the Plague Nova is triggered.
Buff-Type Gem: Since Plague Bearer is a buff that persists over time, it doesn’t require constant activation, making it more convenient to use in combat.
Cons:
Requires Consistent Poisoning: To maximize the effectiveness of Plague Bearer, you need to consistently poison enemies. This may require additional effort to maintain Poison uptime or the right Poison-related scaling in your build.
Storage Limit: Plague Bearer has a maximum storage limit of 240 Poison damage, which might not be enough for very high-damage Poison builds unless you focus on Poison damage scaling.
Spirit Reservation: The 30 Spirit reservation can be significant depending on how many other Spirit-consuming skills you use in your build.
Conclusion
Plague Bearer is an exciting Spirit Gem that empowers Poison or Chaos damage builds with a new level of damage potential. The ability to store Poison damage and release it in a powerful Plague Nova makes it a great addition to builds focused on Poison, Chaos damage, and AoE effects. It’s particularly useful for builds that want to deal significant burst damage by saving up their Poison damage for a single, explosive release.
If you’re building around Poison, Plague Bearer can be a fantastic way to increase both your sustained and burst damage. However, be mindful of the storage cap and the need to consistently apply Poison to maximize its effectiveness. If you can build around these requirements, Plague Bearer will significantly boost your damage output and open up exciting possibilities for Poison-based playstyles.