PoE 2 Withering Touch – Path of Exile 2

PoE 2 Withering Touch

It is a Support Gem.

Support
Chaos, Duration
Tier: 1
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Int

Supports any skill that Hits enemies, giving it a chance to Wither enemies on Hit.

  • Withered last 4 seconds
  • Supported Skills deal 50% less Damage
  • Supported Skills inflict Withered on Hit with Chaos Damage

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 Withering Touch Support Gem is a valuable tool for chaos-based builds in Path of Exile 2, offering a reliable way to apply the powerful Withered debuff to enemies. By sacrificing a portion of direct skill damage, this gem ensures steady chaos damage amplification through Wither. In this article, we’ll explore the gem’s mechanics, its applications, and how to best incorporate it into your builds.

Withering Touch Support Gem Overview

Attributes:

  • Type: Support Gem
  • Tags: Chaos, Duration
  • Tier: 1
  • Requires: Level 1, +5 Intelligence
  • Effect:
    • Wither Application: Supported Skills inflict Withered on hit with chaos damage.
    • Withered Duration: Withered lasts 4 seconds per stack.
    • Damage Penalty: Supported Skills deal 50% less damage.

How Withering Touch Works

The Withering Touch Support Gem enhances skills by allowing them to apply the Withered debuff on hit. Withered increases the chaos damage enemies take, making it an essential component for chaos-damage builds.

Mechanics:

  1. Inflicting Wither:
    Supported skills with Withering Touch apply Withered to enemies on every hit. Each stack of Withered increases the chaos damage the enemy takes by a percentage (stacking multiplicatively with other sources).

  2. Duration:
    Withered lasts for 4 seconds per stack, giving players time to reapply or build stacks with repeated hits.

  3. Damage Trade-Off:
    The gem reduces the damage of supported skills by 50%, so its primary value lies in enabling the Withered debuff rather than direct damage.

  4. Chaos-Specific:
    Skills must deal chaos damage to trigger Withered. Non-chaos damage skills will not benefit from this gem.

Best Builds for Withering Touch Support

The Withering Touch Support Gem is an essential addition to builds that focus on chaos damage, particularly those that rely on debuffs and damage-over-time mechanics. Here are some optimal setups:

1. Chaos Damage Builds

  • Skills like Essence Drain, Contagion, and Soulrend benefit greatly from Withering Touch, as their chaos damage scales significantly with the Withered debuff.

2. Poison Builds

  • Poison builds using skills like Viper Strike or Venom Gyre can use Withering Touch to amplify the poison damage dealt over time.

3. Hybrid Chaos Builds

  • Builds that combine chaos damage with other damage types can use Withering Touch to enhance the chaos portion of their damage.

4. Summoner Builds

  • Minions dealing chaos damage, such as those supported by Herald of Agony, can benefit from Withering Touch, as it applies Withered on hit.

Tips for Optimizing Withering Touch Support

  1. Pair with Rapid-Hit Skills:
    Fast-attacking or rapid-casting skills are ideal for quickly stacking Withered, maximizing the chaos damage multiplier.

  2. Combine with Other Chaos Amplifiers:
    Use passives, gear, or other support gems that increase chaos damage or duration to make the most of Withering Touch.

  3. Mitigate Damage Reduction:
    Counteract the 50% damage penalty by stacking damage boosts from other sources or using the skill primarily for debuff application.

  4. Use AoE Skills for Multiple Targets:
    Skills with an area-of-effect component can apply Withered to multiple enemies simultaneously, improving crowd control and chaos damage output.

  5. Leverage Passive Skills:
    Invest in passive tree nodes that enhance chaos damage, duration, or ailment effectiveness to amplify Withered’s impact.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths:

  • Ensures consistent application of Withered, a powerful chaos damage multiplier.
  • Synergizes well with chaos-damage-over-time builds.
  • Low level and attribute requirements make it accessible early in the game.

Weaknesses:

  • The 50% damage penalty makes it unsuitable for skills focused on direct damage.
  • Only benefits builds dealing chaos damage.
  • Requires frequent hits to maintain Withered stacks.

Conclusion

The Withering Touch Support Gem is a must-have for chaos-focused builds in Path of Exile 2, offering a reliable method for applying Withered to enemies. While the damage reduction of supported skills is a significant trade-off, the amplified chaos damage output from Withered more than compensates for this drawback in the right build.

Whether you’re creating a poison-focused assassin or a chaos-damage spellcaster, Withering Touch provides the utility and synergy needed to maximize your chaos damage potential. Equip this gem, fine-tune your skills, and let Withered pave the way to victory against even the toughest foes!

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