PoE 2 Splinter Support – Path of Exile 2

PoE 2 Splinter Support

It is a Support Gem.

Support
Tier: 2
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Str

Supports Skills that Hit Enemies, causing those Hits to Break Armour based on a portion of Physical Damage dealt.

  • Break Armour equal to 15% of Physical Damage dealt by Supported Skill

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 Splinter Support Gem is an excellent utility gem in Path of Exile 2 that enhances skills by enabling them to break enemy armor effectively. This support gem is particularly valuable for builds centered around physical damage, as it leverages a portion of physical damage dealt to diminish enemy defenses.

Gem Details

  • Category: Support
  • Tier: 2
  • Effect:
    • Break Armour equal to 15% of Physical Damage dealt by Supported Skill: Each hit reduces the enemy’s armor proportionally to the physical damage inflicted.
  • Requirements:
    • +5 Strength
    • Usable from Level 1.
  • Placement:
    • Socket the gem into a skill’s Support Gem slot via the Skills menu to apply its effects.
    • Only one copy of the same Support Gem can be socketed at the same time.

How Splinter Works

The Splinter Support Gem enhances supported skills by reducing an enemy’s armor based on the physical damage dealt. This mechanic, known as Armor Breaking, makes it easier to deal subsequent damage, especially when paired with skills or builds that rely heavily on physical damage.

Key Features:

  1. Armor Reduction:

    • A portion of the physical damage inflicted directly reduces the target’s armor, making it weaker against future hits.

  2. No Direct Damage Boost:

    • The gem does not increase the raw damage output but improves the overall effectiveness of sustained physical attacks by lowering enemy defenses.

  3. Works with Skills That Hit:

    • Splinter is applicable to any skill that directly hits enemies, making it versatile across melee, ranged, and some spell builds.

Best Skills to Use with Splinter

The Splinter Support Gem excels when paired with high-damage, fast-hitting physical skills that frequently apply its armor-breaking effect. Here are some ideal options:

  1. Melee Skills:

    • Cleave: Effective for sweeping attacks against groups of enemies.
    • Heavy Strike: Maximizes the benefit of armor reduction for single-target damage.
    • Sweep: A wide-reaching melee skill that benefits from reducing multiple enemies’ armor simultaneously.

  2. Ranged Skills:

    • Split Arrow: Applies physical damage and breaks armor across multiple targets.
    • Barrage: Rapid hits ensure consistent armor reduction for sustained damage output.

  3. Physical Spells:

    • Ethereal Knives: Converts spell projectiles into physical damage, benefiting from armor-breaking effects.

Synergies with Other Gems

  1. Melee Physical Damage Support:

    • Enhances the raw physical damage output, maximizing the armor-breaking effect of Splinter.

  2. Brutality Support:

    • Focuses purely on physical damage, ensuring that Splinter’s effect is consistently impactful.

  3. Faster Attacks Support:

    • Increases the rate of attacks, applying the armor-breaking effect more frequently.

  4. Pierce Support:

    • Useful for ranged builds, ensuring projectiles affect multiple enemies with the armor-breaking effect.

Advantages of Splinter Support

  1. Enhanced Physical Damage Scaling:

    • By reducing enemy armor, Splinter ensures that each subsequent physical hit deals more effective damage.

  2. Versatility:

    • Can be applied to a wide range of physical damage skills, from melee to ranged and even some spells.

  3. Improves Survivability:

    • Lowering enemy armor effectively neutralizes some of their defensive capabilities, shortening fights and reducing the risk to the player.

Limitations

  1. No Direct Damage Increase:

    • Splinter does not boost raw damage output, meaning its benefits are indirect and depend on prolonged engagements.

  2. Dependent on Physical Damage:

    • Builds that rely on elemental or chaos damage will see no benefit from this gem.

  3. No Crowd Control:

    • Unlike some other support gems, Splinter does not provide any utility such as stunning or slowing enemies.

Example Build Integration

Skill: Heavy Strike
Support Gems:

  • Splinter Support
  • Melee Physical Damage Support
  • Brutality Support
  • Faster Attacks Support

This setup ensures consistent and effective application of armor-breaking effects, maximizing the impact of every physical hit.

Conclusion

The Splinter Support Gem is an excellent addition to any build focused on physical damage, enhancing sustained damage by systematically breaking enemy armor. While it does not directly increase damage, its ability to lower enemy defenses makes it a key utility gem for high-damage melee and ranged builds. By integrating Splinter into your setup, you can turn even the toughest enemies into vulnerable targets, paving the way for swift and efficient combat.

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