Path Of Exile 2 Skill Gem Tier List | All Archetypes, Classes & Support Gems

The Meta Has Shifted - Are You Ready For The Best Skill Gems In PoE 2?

Overview Of Skill Gems In Path Of Exile 2

How to Use POE 2 Meta Gems - Path of Exile 2 Meta Gems Explained

How To Obtain Skill Gems In Path Of Exile 2

How To Level Up Skill Gems In Path Of Exile 2

PoE 2: Using Skill Gems Effectively In Combat

The New Weapon Swap System

• Automatic Swapping:When you use a skill assigned to a specific weapon set, the game will automatically and seamlessly swap to that set. For example, if you have a bow in Weapon Set 1 and a two-handed mace in Weapon Set 2, casting a bow skill will instantly swap you to the bow.
• Dual Specialization:The passive skill tree now has dedicated "Weapon Set Skill Points." This allows you to allocate different passive nodes for each weapon set, effectively giving you two unique specializations within a single character. You can have one set focused on fire damage and another on lightning, or a heavy-hitting melee set and a defensive shield set.
• Binding Skills:In the skills panel, you can configure which weapon set a skill belongs to. You can choose to bind a skill to Weapon Set I, Weapon Set II, or both, giving you complete control over your combat flow.

Path Of Exile 2 Classes And Ascendancies

Warrior (Strength)

• Titan:Focuses on slow, heavy-hitting attacks, stunning enemies, and aftershocks.
• Warbringer:Specializes in breaking enemy armor and using powerful Warcries that can make corpses explode.

Witch (Intelligence)

• Infernalist:Draws upon demonic power, granting skills like "Infernal Flame" and enabling powerful ignite mechanics.
• Blood Mage:Specializes in blood magic, using life as a resource for spells and causing aggravated bleeding on cursed targets.

Mercenary (Strength/Dexterity)

• Witchhunter:Excels at fighting thaumaturgists, with skills that ward against elemental damage and can reduce enemy life by a percentage.
• Tactician:A support-focused class that can pin foes, provide buffs, and command artillery ballistas.

Ranger (Dexterity)

• Deadeye:A projectile specialist who can fire extra projectiles and gain increased movement speed.
• Pathfinder:Specializes in flask manipulation and poison damage, with the ability to double the maximum number of poison stacks on an enemy.

Path Of Exile 2 All Skill Gems

1. All POE 2 Spear Skill Gems

Level I

• Disengage: Leap backward while throwing your spear forward. Excellent for mobility-focused Druid/Warrior builds.
• Whirling Slash: Fast slashing spin that hits in an arc. Scales well with attack speed and bleed effects.
• Twister: Unleashes a short-range vortex that pulls enemies in. Synergizes with elemental and hybrid builds.
• Explosive Spear: Detonates on impact, causing AoE fire bursts. Strong early clear tool, ideal for Ignite builds.

Level III

• Cull the Weak: Executes low-health enemies below a threshold. Great for high-damage burst rotations.
• Lightning Spear: Mid-range skill with chaining electric arcs. Excellent for shock stacking.
• Fangs of Frost: Applies Cold damage with pierce. Slows enemies and can freeze in DoT-focused builds.
• Rake: Sweeping melee strike. Effective for clearing in narrow corridors.

Level V

• Barrage: Repeated spear thrusts in a line. Great single-target pressure.
• Rapid Assault: Dash forward with multiple spear hits. Combines damage and movement.
• Storm Lance: Strikes enemies with lightning and has a chaining effect. Scales well with elemental builds.
• Spearfield: Plants spears in a pattern that explodes after a delay. Good for area control and trap-style setups.

Level VII

• Blood Hunt: Marks enemies and grants bonuses when attacking marked targets. Boosts crit and leech.
• Glacial Lance: Ice projectiles in a spear-like formation. Slows and shatters mobs.
• Primal Strikes: Converts melee damage to elemental. Strong hybrid option.

Level IX

• Thunderous Leap: Leaps to target and deals Lightning AoE. Combines gap closing with damage.
• Bloodhound’s Mark: Increases damage and tracking vs marked enemies. Good for single-target priority.
• Tame Beast: Summons a wild beast temporarily. Good utility for Druid builds.

Level XI

• Whirlwind Lance: Spin while moving with spear attacks. Excellent for clear speed and evasion builds.
• Elemental Sundering: Spear attack that splits into multiple elements. Hits with Fire, Cold, and Lightning.

Level XIII

• Wind Serpent’s Fury: Launches a piercing spear imbued with wind, increasing crit chance. Great for ranged-hybrid builds.
• Spear of Solaris: Divine spear that burns enemies and applies exposure. Ideal for endgame bossing.

2. All POE 2 Bow Skill Gems

Level I

• Lightning Arrow: Fires a piercing bolt that chains lightning to nearby foes. Excellent for early-game clear and scaling into Shock builds.
• Escape Shot: Quick backward shot that propels the caster away. Great for mobility and kiting tight early encounters.
• Poisonburst Arrow: Arrows apply poison clouds on impact. Effective for damage-over-time setups.
• Lightning Rod: Converts arrows into electrical projectiles. Useful for triggering lightning-triggered effects and procs.

Level III

• Stormcaller Arrow: Calls down lightning strikes around the target. Good for mid-game AoE and elemental themes.
• Snipe: High-damage single-target shot with extended range. Perfect for bossing and safe positioning.
• Vine Arrow: Shoots thorny vines that latch onto enemies. Ideal for immobilizing foes and utility-centric play.

Level V

• Barrage: Unleashes rapid multiple arrows in quick succession. Great for sustained single-target pressure.
• Toxic Growth: Creates expanding poison zones beneath enemies. Synergizes with chaos damage builds.
• Electrocuting Arrow: Strikes with lightning burst on hit. Solid hybrid between burst and clear speed.
• Freezing Salvo: Arrows freeze enemies on hit. Excellent for control and cold-themed builds.

Level VII

• Sniper’s Mark: Marks enemies, increasing damage and revealing them. Boosts crit-focused ranged strategies.
• Gas Arrow: Explodes into toxic clouds that linger on the ground. Strong crowd-control and DoT potential.
• Voltaic Mark: Applies lightning marks that chain arcs upon being hit. Works well with Shock synergies.

Level IX

• Rain of Arrows: Summons a shower of arrows from above. Superb AoE coverage for mapping.
• Detonating Arrow: Arrows stick and explode after delay. High burst for crowd control.
• Ice Shot: Fires a projectile that splits into freezing shards. Excellent for clear and status effect builds.

Level XI

• Shockchain Arrow: Each arrow chains lightning to additional targets. Exceptional for chain-based clear builds.
• Tornado Shot: Launches projectiles that fly forward then split. Ideal for wide clear and mid-game mapping speed.

Level XIII

• Magnetic Salvo: Arrows apply magnetism, drawing enemies in and slowing them. Strong crowd manipulation.
• Spiral Volley: Unleashes arrow spirals that pierce through multiple targets. High skill-ceiling burst potential.

3. All POE 2 Quarterstaff Skill Gems

Level I

• Falling Thunder: Summons a bolt of lightning from above onto the target. Strong early-game burst with elemental potential.
• Glacial Cascade: Creates icy waves that flow outward in rings. Excellent area coverage and crowd control.
• Killing Palm: A single powerful strike with a chance to bleed. Effective for physical and bleed hybrid builds.
• Frozen Locus: Instantiates a freezing zone where the caster stands. Ideal for chill/stun layering and area denial.

Level III

• Staggering Palm: Palm strike that stuns targets on hit. Great for opening burst combos and control.
• Tempest Bell: Casts a bell-shaped shock that deals area lightning damage. Works well in elemental themed builds.
• Vaulting Impact: Leap into enemies with a staff slam. Combines mobility and burst AoE damage.

Level V

• Wind Blast: Releases a gust that knocks back and damages. Useful for positioning and clearing tight spaces.
• Ice Strike: Throw a precise piercing ice blade. Scales well into cold-damage and crit builds.
• Tempest Flurry: Rapid flurry of lightning-fast staff strikes. Excellent for sustained AoE attack damage.

Level VII

• Wave of Frost: Emits a large cone of freezing energy. Powerful control tool with strong freeze chaining.
• Siphoning Strike: Absorbs life/mana on hit. Great for sustain-based builds and resource management.
• Storm Wave: Swings a staff wave that arcs with lightning. Blends AoE and elemental scaling.
• Freezing Mark: Marks enemies with chill status on hit. Functions as a layered utility for cold builds.

Level IX

• Charged Staff: Empowers your staff with lightning charges for successive attacks. Excellent for high-damage combos.
• Mantra of Destruction: Converts spirit to cast an overhead meteor strike. Strong single-target burst tool.
• Hand of Chayula: Throws a shield-shaped spirit that impales enemies and blocks attacks. A defensive and offensive hybrid gem.

Level XI

• Whirling Assault: Spin with your staff continuously while moving, hitting enemies around you. Excellent for clear and evasion setups.
• Shattering Palm: Deliver a concussive blow that deals physical and stun damage. Good for breaking through tough single targets.

Level XIII

• Flicker Strike: Instantly teleport through enemies while striking each one. High-skill mobility/DPS gem for advanced builds.
• Gathering Storm: Channel an increasingly powerful storm around you with chaining bolts. Exceptional late-game scaling in lightning-themed builds.

4. All PoE 2 Occult Skill Gems

Level I

• Contagion: Releases a spreading disease that infects nearby enemies over time. Great for early-area damage and DoT synergy.
• Skeletal Warrior: Summons a durable melee skeleton. Reliable for early-game minion builds.
• Skeletal Sniper: Summons a ranged skeleton with high single-target damage. Useful for early mapping and bossing support.
• Unearth: Burrows underground then erupts, dealing AoE physical and pierce. Effective for surprise burst and mobility.

Level III

• Enfeeble: Applies a debuff reducing enemy damage and accuracy. Essential support for defensive or boss-oriented builds.
• Essence Drain: Casts a projectile that plants a damaging DoT. Synergizes with toxicity and poison scaling.
• Skeletal Arsonist: Summons a fire-mage skeleton. Ideal for hybrid fire/minion builds.
• Bone Cage: Create a protective cage of bones around caster. Excellent for defense and CC setups.

Level V

• Raise Zombie: Summon durable zombies that fight at your side. Core for tanky minion builds and sustained clear.
• Skeletal Frost Mage: Summons an ice mage skeleton. Works well in cold elemental and freeze-centric configurations.
• Pain Offering: Sacrifice health to grant buffs to minions. Powerful utility in high-risk, high-reward summoner builds.
• Bonestorm: Summons a swirling bone cyclone around the caster. Deals AoE physical damage and shields you.

Level VII

• Detonate Dead: Blasts corpses, causing high AoE fire damage. Excellent for corpse-clearing and secondary explosions.
• Vulnerability: Applies chaos exposure and increases damage taken. Important for support or chaos-oriented builds.
• Profane Ritual: Sacrifices minions to maintain buffs. Provides scaling minion buffs in exchange for utility.

Level IX

• Despair: Casts a chaos DoT on enemies, increasing damage taken. Strong synergy with poison/chaos builds.
• Skeletal Reaver: Summons high-damage melee skeletons. Excellent for mid-to-late game minion DPS.
• Dark Effigy: Summons effigies that cast dark spells. Ideal for layered AoE support in minion-centric playstyles.

Level XI

• Bone Offering: Sacrifices minions to grant defensive buffs. Key support gem for boosting survivability mid-combat.
• Skeletal Storm Mage: Summons storm-casting skeletons with high AoE damage. Great for hybrid elemental-minion scaling.
• Hexblast: Unleashes explosive hexes that bounce and deal chaos damage. Effective for utility and mid-game chaos builds.

Level XIII

• Skeletal Brute: Summons a powerful melee minion with high tankiness. Endgame core for minion-heavy builds.
• Skeletal Cleric: Summons a cleric that casts supportive spells, heals, or buffs. Ideal for group play or self-sustain.
• Soul Offering: Sacrifices corpses to grant massive buffs to minions. Best-in-slot for endgame summoner efficiency.

5. All PoE 2 Elemental Skill Gems

Level I

• Ice Nova: Releases a ring of frost damage around the caster. Excellent for early-area freeze control.
• Spark: Launches chained electrical projectiles. Ideal for early clear and lightning synergy.
• Frost Bomb: Throws a freezing bomb that chills enemies in a circle. Great for early slow setup.
• Flame Wall: Creates a burning barrier that damages over time. Useful for area denial and control.

Level III

• Orb of Storms: Summons a lightning orb that zaps enemies around it. Great for layered, autonomous AoE damage.
• Frostbolt: Launches a precise bolt of ice that chills on hit. Effective for cold-damage and freeze chaining.
• Ember Fusillade: Fires rapid firebolts at your location. Excellent for fast-fire clear speed.
• Cold Snap: Blasts an expanding wave of cold that can freeze. Good for crowd freeze and control.

Level V

• Arc: Chains lightning between enemies on hit. Strong for clustered mobs and mapping.
• Incinerate: Fires a continuous stream of fire damage. Scales well with elemental damage multipliers.
• Solar Orb: Summons an orb that pulses fire waves. Great for sustained flame AoE.
• Cold Snap: (duplicate?)- if meant as is, skip duplication; or assumed replaced with Ice Spearif intended.

Level VII

• Flammability: Debuffs enemies, increasing their fire damage taken. Vital support for fire-heavy builds.
• Hypothermia: Further debuffs chilled enemies for more cold damage. Excellent cold synergy.
• Conductivity: Debuffs enemies to take more lightning damage. Ideal for chain-based strategies.

Level IX

• Frost Wall: Erects frozen blocks that shield and block enemies. Perfect for defensive positioning.
• Lightning Warp: Teleport to a location and release an AoE lightning bolt. High mobility and burst in one gem.
• Mana Tempest: Casts an orb on your target that deals deferred lightning damage. Effective for shock-stacking builds.
• Fireball: Launches a fiery explosion that travels forward. Good balance of AoE and single-target flame damage.

Level XI

• Firestorm: Invokes meteoric fire zones across the area. Excellent for massive AoE fire layering.
• Ball Lightning: Channels a homing orb that zaps foes. Strong continuous lightning clear tool.
• Comet: Hurls a massive projectile that explodes on impact. High single-target and AoE burst power.

Level XIII

• Temporal Chains: Freezes enemies in time, slowing movement and actions. Builds control-heavy setups.
• Flameblast: Charges and releases a powerful explosion. Perfect for timing-based burst builds.
• Eye of Winter: Creates icy zones that chill and freeze enemies inside. Great for freeze control and AoE layering.
• Lightning Conduit: Generates an electric conduit trap that shocks anyone crossing it. Excellent utility for chaining and trap setups.

6. All PoE 2 Mace Skill Gems

Level I

• Earthquake: Massive ground tremor dealing AoE physical damage. Excellent early clear and stun potential.
• Boneshatter: Smashes the ground to shatter bones, dealing area physical damage and stun. Good for early crowd control.
• Rolling Slam: Charge into foes while slamming the mace forward. Effective for burst and repositioning.
• Mace Strike: Simple melee swing with reliable damage. Useful as a fallback or budget gem early on.

Level III

• Shield Charge: Leap forward while smashing with shield and mace. Great mobility plus impact burst.
• Armour Breaker: Delivers an attack that reduces enemy armour. Key for physical damage builds.
• Shockwave Totem: Summons a totem that blasts enemies with seismic shockwaves. Allows safe indirect damage.
• Infernal Cry: Lets out a fiery roar, damaging and igniting nearby enemies. Works well for support and AoE ignite setups.

Level V

• Perfect Strike: Accumulates damage and releases a precise, powerful blow. Excellent for single-target burst.
• Resonating Shield: Shock attacks chain off the shield, dealing lightning damage. Ideal hybrid physical/lightning builds.

Level VII

• Leap Slam: Jump into enemies with a ground slam on landing. Combines travel and impact AoE.
• Earthshatter: Concentric rings of seismic force erupt from caster. Ideal for wide-area area-clear effects.
• Shield Wall: Smash the ground with caster surrounded by a protective barrier. Effective defensively and offensively.

Level IX

• Sunder: Breaks ground in front of you, dealing strong AoE. Classic mapping choice for strength/stun builds.
• Volcanic Fissure: Cracks the earth to erupt bursting magma. Excellent for Ignite-focused AoE burst.

Level XI

• Seismic Cry: Releases shockwaves around you while roaring. Useful crowd damage with taunt and support-synergy.
• Supercharged Slam: Builds kinetic power then unleashes a massive slam. High burst payoff when charged fully.
• Stampede: Charge through enemies in a wide cone stomp. Combines knockdown and AoE physical pressure.

Level XIII

• Ancestral Warrior Totem: Summons a totem that fights melee like a warrior. Boosts DPS and adds battlefield presence.
• Hammer of the Gods: Calls divine hammers that rain on enemies. Exceptional late-game AoE burst with visual flair.

7. All POE 2 Crossbow Skill Gems

Level I

• Explosive Grenade:Throws a grenade that deals fire damage in an area.
• Fragmentation Rounds:Fires a shell that splits into shrapnel on impact.
• Armour Piercing Rounds: Projectile pierces enemy armour and deals bonus damage.
• Permafrost Bolts:Cold-based bolts that chill and slow enemies.
• Crossbow Shot:A basic crossbow attack with moderate damage and range.

Level III

• Flash Grenade:Temporarily blinds enemies and reduces their accuracy.
• High Velocity Rounds:Fast projectiles that deal high single-target damage.
• Incendiary Shot:Applies burning damage over time on hit.

Level V

• Gas Grenade:Releases toxic gas that deals chaos or poison damage over time.
• Rapid Shot:Fires multiple quick bolts in succession.
• Ice Shards:Splits into freezing shards on impact for AoE cold damage.
• Galvanic Shards:Lightning projectiles that chain between enemies.

Level VII

• Ripwire Ballista:Deploys a trap that snares and damages enemies.
• Voltaic Grenade:Electrifies an area, dealing repeated lightning pulses.
• Explosive Shot:Fires a bolt that explodes on impact for AoE fire damage.
• Glacial Bolt:Delivers a piercing cold projectile with freeze potential.

Level IX

• Artillery Ballista:Summons a turret that fires heavy bolts from afar.
• Oil Grenade:Covers the ground with flammable oil, enhancing fire skills.
• Stormblast Bolts:Unleashes lightning-infused bolts that explode on hit.

Level XI

• Hailstorm Rounds:Fires a cluster of icy projectiles in a spread pattern.
• Shockburst Rounds:Lightning rounds that detonate in a short radius.
• Emergency Reload:Utility skill that instantly reloads the crossbow.

Level XIII

• Siege Cascade:Unleashes a rain of explosive bolts in a wide area.
• Plasma Blast:Fires a high-energy blast that penetrates and explodes.
• Cluster Grenade:Throws a grenade that splits into multiple mini-explosives.

8. All POE 2 Wands Skill Gems

• Chaos Bolt:Fires a projectile dealing chaos damage that pierces enemies.
• Bone Blast:Deals physical damage in an area with bone-shattering explosions.
• Mana Drain:Steals mana from enemies over time.
• Power Siphon:Fires wand projectiles that grant Power Charges on kill.
• Volatile Dead:Summons fiery orbs from corpses that seek enemies and explode.
• Galvanic Field:Creates a charged field that shocks nearby enemies on hit.
• Decompose:Applies a decay that causes enemies to take damage over time and break apart.
• Exsanguinate:Releases tendrils of blood to inflict physical damage over time.
• Wither:Debuffs enemies with stacking chaos damage vulnerability.

9. All POE 2 Sceptres Skill Gems

• Skeletal Warrior:Summons melee skeleton minions that fight for you.
• Discipline:Grants an energy shield aura to you and nearby allies.
• Malice:A curse aura that reduces enemy resistances and increases incoming damage.
• Purity of Fire:Aura that grants bonus fire resistance to you and allies.
• Purity of Ice:Aura that grants bonus cold resistance to you and allies.
• Purity of Lightning:Aura that grants bonus lightning resistance to you and allies.

10. All POE 2 Staves Skill Gems

• Firebolt:Launches a fast-moving bolt of fire that ignites enemies.
• Freezing Shards:Fires icy projectiles that can freeze and shatter enemies.
• Lightning Bolt:Strikes enemies with lightning, chaining between targets.
• Living Bomb:Places a delayed explosion on enemies, causing AoE fire damage.
• Sigil of Power:A totem-like sigil that empowers your spells while you stand within it.
• Soulrend:Launches a projectile that deals chaos damage over time.
• Reap:Slices enemies with a bloody scythe, causing physical and bleeding damage.
• Unleash:Support gem that stores up charges to release multiple spell casts at once.
• Shock Nova:Releases a shockwave of lightning around you, damaging enemies in a ring.
• Consecrate:Creates consecrated ground that heals allies and weakens enemies.
• Dark Pact:Sacrifices minion life (or your own) to unleash chaos AoE damage.
• Ember Fusillade:Unleashes a rapid-fire burst of flame projectiles.
• Spark:Launches erratic lightning projectiles that bounce and chain across enemies.

11. All Other Skill Gems

• Blazing Lance:Thrusts a flaming spear, dealing fire damage in a line.
• Ice Spear:Launches a chilling spear that pierces and freezes enemies.
• Impale:A precision strike that increases physical damage through impale stacks.
• Puncture:Inflicts a bleeding wound that deals high damage over time if the target moves.
• Spearfield:Throws a spear that erupts into multiple spectral spears across an area.
• Storm Spear:Channels electricity through your spear to hit multiple enemies with chain lightning.

• Resonating Shield:Emits a defensive pulse that stuns nearby enemies when hit.
• Shield Charge:Charges forward with your shield, knocking back and damaging enemies.
• Shield Wall:Fortifies your defense, reducing incoming damage for a short duration.
• Raise Shield:Temporarily boosts block chance and reflects a portion of damage taken.

PoE 2 Best Skill Gems Ranked By Archetype

1. Best Skills For Ranged Builds

Lightning Arrow

• Greater Multiple Projectiles:Spreads arrows to more targets.
• Added Lightning Damage:Enhances shock scaling.
• Faster Attacks:Smooths gameplay and increases DPS.

Explosive Shot

• Ignite Proliferation:Spreads fire damage to nearby enemies.
• Cluster Grenades:Increases the number of explosions for wide area coverage.

Rain Of Arrows

• Increased Area of Effect:Enlarges the coverage zone.
• Frenzy Support:Generates Frenzy Charges for faster, harder hits.

2. Best Skills For Melee Builds

Supercharge Slam

Bone Shatter

Volcanic Fissure

3. Best Skills For Casters

Comet

Frozen Vortex

Incinerate

4. Best Skills For Minion Builds

Raging Spirits

Last Gasp Support

Bind Spectre

PoE 2 Best Support Gems Ranked For Any Build

• Multiple Projectiles:An essential support gem for any ranged skill, dramatically increasing your area coverage and damage potential.
• Elemental Focus:A high-risk, high-reward gem that boosts raw elemental damage but disables ailments like Freeze or Ignite. Perfect for pure DPS builds that don't rely on status effects.
• Faster Casting:A must-have for spellcasters who want smoother, more responsive spell animations and a higher rate of damage output.
• Ignite Proliferation:Vital for fire-based builds, as it allows your ignites to spread to nearby enemies, turning your character into a mob-clearing powerhouse.
• Endurance Support:An excellent defensive option for melee characters, providing extra survivability and damage mitigation during tough fights.
• Glaciation Support:A core gem for any cold build, as it amplifies freeze buildup, allowing you to consistently crowd-control enemies.
• Meat Shield Support:Makes your minions tankier and more focused on protecting you, a great defensive support gem for summoners.

Path of Exile 2: STOP WASTING SKILL GEMS! - Beginner Tips for Better Support Gems!

Tips For Picking Up The Skill Gems For Your Build

• Don't Fear Complexity:The gem system may seem overwhelming at first, but the best builds are often discovered through experimentation. Try different combinations of skill and support gems; you may find synergies that others overlook.
• Experiment with Buff Gems:Previously known as auras in PoE1, buffs now require more active decisions. You can experiment with combinations like Herald of Ash with Plague Bearer for a potent hybrid damage setup.
• Focus on Keystone Nodes:The revamped passive skill tree allows for deeper specialization. Build around a few key passive nodes, such as Glacial Impact or Blinding Strike, to create powerful endgame combos.
• Keep an Eye on Spirit Costs:Many gems, particularly buff and meta gems, reserve Spirit (the game's mana equivalent). Be sure to balance your active and support gems to avoid running out of resources mid-fight.

FAQs About Path Of Exile 2 Skill Gems

How Do I Get New Skill Gems In Path Of Exile 2?

What Are The Level Requirements For Skill Gems In PoE 2?

How Do I Assign Skills To My Bar In Path Of Exile 2?

Can I Use Any Skill Gem With Any Class?

When Do Higher Tier Uncut Skill Gems Drop?

Conclusion