Path of Exile 2: Guide to Understanding Eldritch Battery

Image Credit: Grinding Gear Games, Path of Exile 2 (POE2)

Path of Exile 2, or PoE2, brings new mechanics and updates to the game. One returning concept is Eldritch Battery, a keystone passive skill. For many builds, it changes how energy works, and gives you unique ways to manage spells and auras. If you’re wondering what Eldritch Battery does and how to use it in Path of Exile 2, this guide will explain everything.

What is Eldritch Battery?

Eldritch Battery is a keystone passive that makes Energy Shield (ES) protect your Mana instead of your Life.

Here’s what it does:

• Your Energy Shield becomes a resource that absorbs mana costs instead of damage.

• You no longer lose mana when you cast spells.

• Your Energy Shield will be spent first when casting.

Basically, it changes how mana works. Instead of worrying about running out of mana, you use your Energy Shield like a battery to power your spells.

How Eldritch Battery Works

Normally, your Energy Shield protects your Life. It absorbs damage before it hits your health pool. With Eldritch Battery, it stops doing that. Instead, ES is like a power reserve that fuels your spell casting.

For example:

• You have 500 Energy Shield and 200 Mana.

• You cast a skill that costs 100 Mana.

• Your ES will drop to 400, and your Mana stays at 200.

When your Energy Shield hits 0, you’ll use your Mana again as normal. This works well for builds that need to spam spells but don’t want to run out of Mana.

Why Use Eldritch Battery?

Eldritch Battery is helpful for builds that:

1. Use skills with high mana costs.

2. Want to reserve most of their mana pool for auras.

3. Prefer to focus on Energy Shield regeneration instead of mana recovery.

For example, let’s say you reserve almost all of your Mana for powerful auras. If you don’t have Eldritch Battery, you’d have no mana left to cast spells. But with EB, your spells use Energy Shield instead of Mana.

Key Benefits of Eldritch Battery:

• Cast high-cost spells without worrying about mana.

• Use your Mana pool for auras or other buffs.

• Works well with items that increase Energy Shield recharge.

Best Builds for Eldritch Battery

Eldritch Battery is best for builds that rely heavily on spamming spells or stacking auras. Here are a few examples:

1. Spellcaster Builds

   • If you’re playing a Witch (especially Witch), Shadow, or Templar with a focus on spells, EB can make mana management easy.

   • Skills like Arc, Fireball, or Lightning Tendrils work well here.

2. Aura Stacking Builds

   • With Eldritch Battery, you can reserve 90-100% of your Mana for auras.

   • This works with builds like Herald stacking or aura-based Necromancers.

3. Energy Shield Focused Builds

   • Builds that already have a lot of Energy Shield can use Eldritch Battery for smoother casting.

How to Build Around Eldritch Battery

If you decide to use Eldritch Battery, here are some tips:

• Get Energy Shield Gear:
  Prioritize items with high Energy Shield values. Focus on helmets, body armor, gloves, and shields that give a lot of ES.

• Boost Recharge and Regeneration:
  Energy Shield recharge rate helps you recover your ES quickly. Look for passive nodes and items that improve this.

• Avoid Taking Damage to ES:
  Since your Energy Shield is now powering your skills, you don’t want it to drop too often. Consider skills like Mind Over Matter or gear with Energy Shield on Kill.

• Combine with Auras:
  Eldritch Battery lets you reserve all your Mana for auras. Focus on defensive auras like Discipline and offensive ones like Wrath or Anger.

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