Path of Exile, a popular action role-playing game, offers players a wide range of support gems to enhance their gameplay experience. One such gem is Living Lightning, which was first introduced in PoE 2. This support gem creates floating minions that follow you around and attack enemies for a short duration, adding extra damage to your lightning-based skills. Living Lightning was added to the game in patch 3.27, known as the Keepers of the Flame update, and can be obtained as a quest reward in Act 2 for certain classes or from Siosa in Act 3 for all players.
Living Lightning works similarly to Summon Phantasm and is a great choice for players looking to boost their lightning damage output. In this article, we will delve into the mechanics and stats of Living Lightning to help you understand how to effectively use this support gem in Path of Exile.
Mechanics and Stats of Living Lightning:
Living Lightning is a support gem that is socketed alongside a skill gem to create floating sparks that deal lightning damage to enemies when using a lightning-based skill. With a level 20 gem, you can have a maximum of eight minions active at a time. Unlike Summon Phantasm, Living Lightning has a 100% spawn chance as long as you hit the enemy, making it easy to keep all minions active at once.
Each spark created by Living Lightning has a base duration of five seconds and will disappear after three attacks, regardless of duration. However, each attack can chain between enemies three times, resulting in a total of 24 hits at max stacks. This makes Living Lightning a powerful tool for dealing damage to multiple foes simultaneously.
While Living Lightning only triggers with lightning damage, you do not necessarily need a lightning-specific skill to use it. As long as your skill gem includes lightning damage, you can summon the elemental army provided by Living Lightning. The support gem offers various in-game stats, such as converting physical damage to lightning, maximum number of minions, attack frequency, and chaining capabilities.
Is Living Lightning Worth Using in Path of Exile?
Living Lightning is an excellent support gem for beginners and can be effective throughout the campaign. The minions created by Living Lightning convert physical damage to lightning and can chain between enemies, making it easy to inflict Shock and deal additional damage. However, in the endgame, where enemies become more resistant or immune to certain elements, players may opt for support gems that increase overall damage output.
For players who still want minion support, Sacred Wisps can be a better alternative to Living Lightning. While it deals 50% less damage, it offers longer base duration and additional attack damage with improved gem quality. Ultimately, the choice between Living Lightning and other support gems will depend on your playstyle and the specific needs of your build in Path of Exile.
In conclusion, Living Lightning is a valuable support gem that can enhance your lightning-based skills in Path of Exile. By understanding its mechanics and stats, players can make informed decisions on whether to incorporate this gem into their builds. Experiment with different support gems to find the combination that best suits your playstyle and objectives in the game.
