It is a Skill Gem.
Ammunition
Attack, Projectile, Fire
Tier: 5 (Mercenary)
Level: 5
Cost: 46 Mana
Attack Speed: 50% of base
Requires: Level 14, 20 Str, 20 Dex
Requires: Crossbow
Loads your Crossbow with a large clip of heavily modified bolts that cause Heat to build up on your crossbow, before unleashing a stream of flaming bolts that gain Fire Damage based on your Heat. Heat also grants bonus damage to Grenades you fire, but dissipates rapidly when not building up. Using this skill again reloads the clip.
Skills can be managed in the Skills Panel.
In Path of Exile 2, Rapid Shot is a powerful crossbow-based skill gem that allows players to fire a burst of flaming bolts after building up heat. The synergy between Heat generation and Fire Damage makes this skill a potent choice for those seeking to deal massive damage with fire-infused projectiles. Let’s explore the mechanics, features, and best strategies for using Rapid Shot effectively.
Rapid Shot functions through a unique mechanic where you load your crossbow with a series of modified bolts that gradually build up Heat. As the crossbow accumulates more Heat, your bolts gain bonus Fire Damage. This is a skill that encourages careful management of Heat, as it directly influences both the power of your projectiles and the damage dealt by grenades fired during the skill’s cooldown.
Heat Mechanic: The key feature of Rapid Shot is the Heat generation. As you fire bolts, Heat builds up on your crossbow. When you reach a certain threshold, you unleash a powerful burst of flaming bolts. Heat also influences the damage of grenades you fire, adding an extra layer of versatility to the skill. However, Heat dissipates rapidly when not in use, making it crucial to manage the timing of your shots.
Projectile Burst: Once enough Heat is built up (requiring a maximum of 7 Heat), Rapid Shot fires a stream of bolts that gain Fire Damage based on the amount of Heat stored. Each bolt in the barrage is empowered by the accumulated Heat, significantly increasing the Fire Damage output.
Grenade Synergy: One of the interesting aspects of Rapid Shot is its synergy with grenades. When you fire grenades, they consume all stored Heat, adding bonus Fire Damage based on the amount of Heat consumed. This mechanic allows for powerful bursts of AoE Fire Damage, especially when used at the right time.
Reload Mechanic: After firing the stream of flaming bolts, you must reload your crossbow. The skill reloads the clip and resets the Heat, meaning you’ll need to be strategic about how and when you fire to maximize damage.
Heat-Based Damage Scaling: The more Heat you accumulate, the stronger your flaming bolts become. Heat also boosts the damage of grenades you fire, creating a dual-damage scaling system that makes Rapid Shot incredibly versatile in both single-target and AoE scenarios.
Large Clip of Bolts: The ability to fire up to 70 bolts before needing to reload makes Rapid Shot a great tool for sustained damage output, especially against groups of enemies. This large clip allows you to pressure enemies with continuous fire, especially when combined with Heat scaling.
Fire Conversion: Rapid Shot converts 60% of its Physical Damage to Fire Damage. This means it can benefit from modifiers to Fire Damage, making it an excellent choice for builds that focus on Fire damage scaling. The synergy between the Heat mechanic and the Fire conversion allows Rapid Shot to deal a significant amount of damage over time.
Knockback Effect: The skill has a knockback effect on enemies, which helps control the battlefield by pushing enemies back while you fire. This effect can be useful for creating space between you and enemies, especially in crowded areas where maintaining distance is important.
Heat Management: The key to mastering Rapid Shot lies in managing Heat. You want to fire frequently enough to build up Heat while ensuring you don’t let it dissipate too quickly. When you have enough Heat, you can unleash a powerful burst of flaming bolts that deal considerable Fire Damage. Timing is essential—let Heat build up for maximum damage, but don’t let it waste away without using it.
Grenade Damage: When you have a full Heat bar, fire your grenades to convert all of that stored Heat into additional Fire Damage. This can provide a significant spike in damage, particularly when facing packs of enemies or large bosses. Be mindful of the cooldown and reload time, as using grenades consumes Heat entirely.
AoE Clearing: Rapid Shot can be a strong AoE skill, especially when you fire in quick succession and take advantage of the large bolt clip. The knockback effect helps to keep enemies at bay while you clear out groups with your fire-infused projectiles. The AoE effect of grenades further enhances your ability to clear large groups of enemies or deal with tough mobs.
Single-Target Damage: Although Rapid Shot is often used for AoE damage, it can also be highly effective in single-target scenarios when you manage Heat properly. The Fire Damage scaling ensures that your damage output remains strong even against tougher enemies.
Increased Fire Damage: Since Rapid Shot is heavily focused on Fire Damage, support gems like Increased Fire Damage, Fire Penetration, and Elemental Focus can significantly boost its damage output.
Elemental Damage Support: Support gems like Elemental Damage with Attacks or Added Fire Damage can enhance the effectiveness of the Fire conversion, allowing each bolt to deal more Fire Damage. This is especially useful for builds focused on scaling elemental damage.
Increased Attack Speed: Gems such as Faster Attacks or Multistrike can further increase the rate at which you fire, allowing you to build up Heat more quickly and unleash a larger number of powerful bolts in a short amount of time.
AoE Support: To improve Rapid Shot’s AoE capabilities, you can use support gems like Increased Area of Effect or Concentrated Effect to increase the blast radius of both the bolts and grenades, ensuring that you hit more targets with each attack.
Projectile Damage: Since Rapid Shot is a projectile-based skill, linking it with Projectile Damage or Greater Multiple Projectiles can boost its overall effectiveness, allowing more projectiles to hit targets and increasing the skill’s total damage output.
Rapid Shot is a versatile and powerful skill gem in Path of Exile 2, offering a unique mechanic based around Heat generation and Fire Damage scaling. Its ability to fire multiple flaming bolts and its synergy with grenades make it a potent tool for both single-target and AoE damage. By carefully managing Heat, you can maximize the damage output of both your bolts and grenades, making it an excellent choice for builds focused on Fire damage and projectile-based attacks.
If you’re looking for a crossbow-based skill that combines fast, powerful shots with elemental damage scaling, Rapid Shot will be a key part of your arsenal. With the right support gems and proper Heat management, this skill can be devastating in a variety of combat scenarios, from clearing packs of enemies to taking down bosses. Embrace the power of Rapid Shot, and unleash a torrent of fire upon your enemies.