In Path of Exile 2, many skills and abilities are highly valued for raw damage or meta dominance, but several underrated skills offer excellent utility, survivability, or niche power that can elevate a build when used creatively. Recognizing these underappreciated tools can give players an edge, especially when combined with well-crafted gear acquired using poe 2 currency.
1. Auras That Don’t Scale Traditionally
Some auras are often overlooked because their effect seems modest, but they can significantly enhance a build:
Determination and Grace: These defensive auras boost armor and evasion, helping builds survive otherwise lethal encounters.
Hatred or Herald Skills: When paired with elemental or hybrid damage builds, these auras amplify overall damage effectively without requiring constant active input.
2. Movement and Mobility Skills
Many players underestimate the impact of mobility skills, which improve survivability and efficiency:
Dash or Blink Skills: Useful for dodging boss mechanics, traversing maps faster, and repositioning during combat.
Leap Slam or Whirling Blades Variants: Provide both mobility and damage, allowing aggressive playstyles while maintaining safety.
3. Damage Over Time Abilities
While burst damage often gets attention, DoT abilities can dominate long fights, particularly against bosses or high-health mobs:
Poison and Bleed: These effects can bypass high defenses and scale exceptionally with critical chance or damage modifiers.
Ignite or Fire Damage over Time Skills: Excellent for clearing waves or sustaining boss damage while focusing on evasion or defense.
4. Defensive or Utility Skills
Certain defensive skills are frequently ignored despite their game-changing effects:
Molten Shell or Bone Armour: Absorbs significant incoming damage and can be paired with damage reflection mechanics.
Temporal Chains or Curse Skills: These abilities weaken enemies, making encounters much easier, especially in multiplayer scenarios.
5. Niche Skills with Unique Interactions
Some skills shine in specific situations that meta players often overlook:
Summon Skills: Creatures can tank damage, distract bosses, or provide extra utility such as debuffs or elemental coverage.
Trap or Mine Skills: Allow for strategic positioning and safe clearing of dangerous areas, particularly in high-damage zones.
Optimizing Underrated Skills
To maximize the value of underrated skills:
Invest in gear and enhancements that complement their mechanics. This often involves careful crafting and acquisition of items using cheap poe 2 currency.
Combine utility skills with primary damage skills to create hybrid builds that maintain both survivability and output.
Experiment with synergies that may not be apparent at first glance; the PoE 2 system rewards creativity and unconventional approaches.
By incorporating underrated skills into your builds, you can achieve creative and effective playstyles that outperform standard meta setups in specific content or challenges. Leveraging these skills strategically, along with well-crafted gear, allows players to gain an edge in both solo and multiplayer PoE 2 gameplay.