In this article, we’ll go over some of the best support gems introduced in Patch 0.2.0, grouping them by their socket color to help you quickly find what works for your next build. Whether you’re diving into a Tactician Totem build, unleashing a bleed-heavy Huntress, or crafting a crit-based Twister Amazon, there’s a support gem here for you.
Best Red Support Gems
Ancestral Call
Strike skills like Whirling Slash and Stampede get a massive boost from Ancestral Call. This gem enables attacks to hit two additional nearby enemies, turning single-target strikes into mini-AoE explosions. Even slam skills benefit from the added 20% AoE, making it ideal for any melee build that wants more reach.
Defy
The "surrounded" mechanic is a new condition triggered when you have five or more enemies within three meters. Defy takes advantage of this by making your supported skill Lucky, which means it rolls damage twice and picks the higher number. Use it with AoE attacks like Earthshatter or Whirling Slash for devastating consistency.
Desperation
Desperation allows you to ignore mana costs for supported skills when surrounded. It’s perfect for skill setups with high cost multipliers due to multiple support gems and skill level boosts from gear. Combine this with a big damage setup (e.g., +7 to Melee Skills) and cast freely in the middle of a mob.
Direstrike
Socket this into persistent auras like Ghost Dance or Wind Dancer and gain a damage buff when below 35% HP. It’s high-risk, high-reward, and works well for hardcore melee characters who like to walk the razor’s edge. Just be prepared with plenty of Spirit to meet its requirements.
Expedite
Grenade-based skills are fun but often slow. Expedite helps by reducing grenade detonation delays, making them feel snappier and more fluid. It’s especially helpful for builds using Explosive Grenade, Detonating Arrow, or Explosive Spear.
First Blood
This support gem applies Bleeding on the first hit, making it indispensable for bleed-focused builds. It's particularly strong against full-life enemies—think boss fights or the first strike in an encounter. Works beautifully with Huntress builds and skills like Rapid Assault.
Greatwood
Greatwood limits you to one totem, but massively scales its power based on your passive tree’s totem limit increases. Builds using Warbringer, Titan, or Tactician ascendancies can leverage this gem with notables like Watchtowers for immense single-totem power.
Incision
Incision provides a stacking bleed synergy by applying a debuff that makes targets more susceptible to bleeding. Pair it with First Blood or Whirling Slash for maximum bleed effectiveness and smoother clear speed.
Refraction
Tailored for Tactician builds, Refraction activates Refractive Plating when you plant a Banner with at least 25 Valour. This buff causes your armor to mitigate elemental and physical damage, greatly enhancing survivability during crowded fights. Best used with Defiance Banner.
Rip
Whenever you kill a bleeding enemy with a supported skill, you spawn a Blood Remnant, which gives you 10% life regen per second, stacking up to 100%. This is a sustain-focused gem ideal for bleed builds in high-tier maps. Use with Incision and First Blood to ensure enemies are always bleeding.
Steadfast
With ailments like Shock and Freeze becoming more dangerous in Patch 0.2.0, Steadfast helps by doubling your ailment threshold while channeling. It's excellent for builds using Flameblast, Snipe, or Incinerate, giving you more resistance to debilitating effects.
Tireless
Certain skills, like Infernal Cry, empower your next attack. Tireless gives a 30% chance not to consume the empowered status, letting you double-dip on powerful skill effects. Ideal for builds using Barrage to empower Ice Twister, turning your screen into a swirling vortex of destruction.
Unabating
Designed for slow, heavy hitters, Unabating grants 25% more armor per 0.25s of attack time. That means the longer your skill takes to execute, the tankier you become. Works best with slow attacks like Spear of Solaris or Hammer of the Gods.
Unyielding
This gem increases life recoup while casting long skills—8% of damage taken over time is returned while casting. It synergizes perfectly with Unabating, making you tankier while you unleash your big hitters. Perfect for defensive caster builds.
Best Green Support Gems
Blindside
Blindside increases critical strike chance and damage against blinded enemies. It's a natural fit for the Twister Amazon, where crits lead to screen-clearing damage. While it does prevent the skill it’s linked to from applying Blind, you can solve that by using Blind Support on another linked skill like Whirlwind.
(…more green gems could be added here as they are introduced in future patches…)
Explore All These Gems and More in Our PoE 2 Store
If you’re excited to experiment with these support gems and test their synergies with new weapons, gear, and ascendancies, make sure to check out our PoE 2 Trade Store. We’ve stocked up on all the new items from Patch 0.2.0, including:
• Support Gems
• Perfect Jeweller’s Orbs
• +Skill Level Gear
• Spirit-boosting Equipment
• High-damage Maces and Spears
We’re here to help you optimize your next build, whether you’re planning to explore the Labyrinth of Shadows, farm Valour, or dominate the campaign with a hybrid elemental bleed setup.
Final Thoughts
Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt marks a bold evolution of the support gem system. No longer are supports limited to simple “more damage” or “faster cast” modifiers. Now, they introduce unique mechanics, risk-reward scenarios, and build-defining synergies.
Whether you’re stacking bleed effects with First Blood and Incision, planting powerful totems with Greatwood, or resisting deadly ailments with Steadfast, there’s a gem here that can elevate your gameplay.
As always, theorycrafting is half the fun in PoE, and Patch 0.2.0 has opened the door for countless new builds. So go ahead—experiment, explore, and empower your Exile like never before.
And don’t forget to visit our PoE 2 Store for all your Path Of Exile 2 Currency gearing needs before venturing deeper into Wraeclast. Happy hunting!