Summary
Though there is no clear date or window forPath of Exile 2’s next big update, which would be patch 0.2, one could argue that the current early access “League” and its economy are nearing their end. Item prices plummeted for anything that is not high-end, with little in between, which was and still is quite common for the game’s predecessor whenever a League is ending. More importantly, based on the current state of the game, some builds are clearly much stronger or weaker than others, and GGG itself stated thatPath of Exile 2will need a major balance pass in the near future, with one build being much more at risk of getting nerfed.
Some live-service games and action RPGs live and die by their buffs and nerfs, andPath of Exile 2buildsare most likely nearing that space if they can steamroll the game with little effort or if they can barely complete endgame content. There are several builds in these conditions at the moment, but one of the most consistently overpowered interactions in the game is that of Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder chaining off each other. This combo can clear the whole screen, and it’s unlikely to survive patch 0.2.
Path of Exile 2’s Herald of Ice and Thunder Combo is OP
The wayHerald of Ice and Herald of Thunderwork is similar. Herald of Thunder will activate when players kill Shocked enemies, making the next attacks release lightning bolts that deal damage in a small area, whereas Herald of Ice activates whenever an enemy is Shattered, creating an icy explosion. For balance purposes, Herald of Thunder cannot Shock and Herald of Ice cannot Freeze, but players found a way to make them trigger one another by stacking Cold damage and Freeze Buildup on the former and Lightning damage and Chance to Shock on the latter.
Both Heralds are part ofPath of Exile 2’s Persistent Buff Skill Gems, which require Spirit to use - namely, 30 each.
The combo is very effective, and it can fit virtually any elemental build since stacking elemental damage of some kind will add to the Heralds. On top of that, since both Heralds are considered Attacks, they benefit from buffs and other effects that are related to Attacks, including some nodes onPath of Exile 2’s Passive Tree. There are very few builds that wouldn’t benefit from this combo, and even then, one might be encouraged to run Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder over other builds due to how strong they are.
Why Herald of Ice and Thunder Are Likely to Be Nerfed in PoE 2
For these reasons, one of themost popular classes inPath of Exile 2at the moment is the Gemling Legionnaire, which is the ultimate Ascendancy to pick for any stat-stacking build. The build revolves around Hand of Wisdom and Action, which grants Attack Speed and Lightning damage to attacks based on the character’s Dexterity and Intellect, respectively, then using Astramentis to get the highest possible attributes and Pillar of the Caged God to benefit from the attributes even more. In this build, which is just one of many using this combo, Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder clear the entire screen.
Path of Exile 2’s Hand of Wisdom and Actionis currently one of the most sought-after items in the game, and Astramentis one of the most expensive.
Given their versatility and power when scaling off each other and triggering each other, Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder are most likely to be nerfed with the next big patch, which may introducePath of Exile 2’s first proper League. A good way to nerf them without breaking the interaction completely could be to innately reduce Freeze Buildup on Herald of Thunder and Chance to Shock on Herald of Ice, or reduce their Critical Hit Chance. Another way could be to make it so they inherently deal less elemental damage of other elements, which would make it harder to Shock or Freeze. Regardless, players shouldn’t hold their breath for this combo to stay the way it is in the future.
