Grinding Gear Games has shaken up the meta once again with Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict. Among the most exciting additions is the spear, a brand-new weapon type that rewards a hybrid playstyle: alternate ranged attacks with melee strikes to unlock devastating bonuses. Today, we'll be focusing on one of the most explosive spear builds available in Patch 0.3.0—the Bleed Blood Mage, a setup so powerful it can drop pinnacle bosses in just two taps.

If that sounds insane, you're in for a treat. This guide will cover everything you need to know about the build—skills, ascendancies, gearing, playstyle, and strategies—to help you dominate PoE 2: The Third Edict.

Why Play the Bleed Blood Mage?

The Bleed Blood Mage shines because of two things:

1. Massive bleed scaling through Rake.

Rake inflicts bleeding based on the damage of its initial hit. With the right setup, one cast can shred bosses.

2. Explosive finishers with Blood Hunt.

Blood Hunt consumes the bleeding ailment, causing a bloody detonation proportional to the target's blood loss. Against bosses, this translates into enormous burst damage.

This synergy is amplified by the Blood Mage ascendancy, which offers both offense and survivability. The key node here is Blood Barbs, which doubles bleeding damage against cursed enemies and lets elemental damage scale bleed magnitude—a unique mechanic that unlocks flexible gearing.

Ascendancy Choices

Here's the recommended path for the Bleed Blood Mage:

· Sanguimancy – Spawns Life Remnants for self-healing.

· Blood Barbs – Doubles bleed damage on cursed enemies; allows elemental damage to scale bleed.

· Grasping Wounds – Converts burst damage into a 4-second bleed-over-time, giving you sustain windows.

· Gore Spike (offense) – +1% crit damage per 40 maximum life. Perfect if you want insane scaling.

· Crimson Power (defense) – More maximum life based on body armor energy shield.

Take Gore Spike if you're chasing DPS records; Crimson Power if you want more durability.

Playstyle Overview

· Mapping: Use Lightning Spear as your bread-and-butter skill, supported by Volt for bonus lightning damage once Voltaic Charges are stacked. Herald of Thunder ensures clean pack clearing.

· Bossing: The real fun begins. Cast Infernal Cry for fire damage, curse with Enfeeble to activate Blood Barbs, and then strike with Rake from a distance. Wait until the enemy's blood bar fills, then unleash Blood Hunt for devastating explosions.

Pro tip: Rake gains a bonus multiplier when cast from range. Use Disengage to leap backwards quickly and maximize this effect.

Gear Recommendations

One of the best aspects of this build is its accessibility. While it scales with expensive uniques, it can function on budget gear too.

Weapon (Spear)

· Tangletongue – Forks crit rolls for double crit damage scaling; synergizes beautifully with the Blood Mage.

· Seaglass Spear (rare) – Best-in-slot if you can afford it. Look for:

  · Added lightning & physical damage

  · Increased elemental damage with attacks

  · +5 to All Melee Skills

Offhand

· Caster Focus – Up to 110% increased spell damage (converted into attack damage with Crown of Eyes).

Helmet

· Crown of Eyes – Converts increased spell damage into attack damage; a must-have.

Gloves

· Doedre's Tenure – Early-game powerhouse (100% spell damage).

· Rare Vaal Gloves with phys/lightning to attacks, life, and +2 melee skills for endgame.

Body Armor

· High-ES chest to boost survivability via Crimson Power. Prioritize max Energy Shield mods.

Rings

· Breach Rings with added elemental damage to attacks. Use Reaver Catalysts for quality scaling.

Belt

· Ingenuity – Boosts Breach Ring modifiers (still solid despite nerfs).

· Alternative: rare belt with life, mana, and resistances.

Key Uniques to Chase

· Sacred Flame (sceptre) – Converts lightning resistance to the lowest resistance, melting bosses with Lightning Spear.

· Prism of Belief (jewel) – +3 to Rake skill levels.

· Ngamahu's Chosen (charm) – Grants 30 Rage when hit by fire damage, fueling Rake DPS.

Skill Setup

Rake (Bleed Source)

· Momentum, Concoct, Ambrosia, Deep Cuts, Concentrated Effect

Lightning Spear (Clear)

· Martial Tempo, Volt, Lacerate, First Blood, Gambleshot

Blood Hunt (Finisher)

· Behead, Blindside, Overextend, Supercritical, Inevitable Critical

Support & Utility

· Orb of Storms (Font of Rage, Overabundance, Inspiration, Brutality)

· Infernal Cry (Premeditation, Raging Cry, Enraged Warcry)

· Enfeeble (Arcane Tempo, Focused Curse, Heightened Curse)

· Wind Dancer (Blind, Maim, Arms Length)

Passive Tree Highlights

Start from Witch:

· Pure Energy → Dampening Shield

· Move right for True Strike, For the Jugular, Deadly Force

· Take Preemptive Strike and Heartstopper cluster

· Spear cluster: Javelin

· Scaling: Throatseeker, Fast Acting Toxins, Deterioration

Slot in the From Nothing jewel for efficient access to First Approach.

Advanced Tips & Strategies (Patch 0.3.0)

· Herald Swaps: Experiment with Herald of Blood for corpse explosions tied to blood loss.

· Unset Ring: Add an extra skill slot if you feel cramped.

· Blasphemy Setup: If manual Enfeeble feels clunky, equip a sceptre for Spirit and run Blasphemy to curse enemies automatically.

· Flask Management: Rake is supported by Concoct and Ambrosia, meaning your Life/Mana flasks feed bleed damage. Prioritize increased charges.

Final Thoughts

The Bleed Blood Mage is easily one of the most exciting builds in Path of Exile 2: The Third Edict. It combines the hybrid spear playstyle with explosive bleed mechanics, giving you both mapping efficiency and boss-shredding potential. Whether you opt for Gore Spike's raw offense or Crimson Power's tankiness, this build is capable of killing pinnacle bosses in just a couple of hits—a true spectacle in Patch 0.3.0.

If you want to gear up quickly, check out our Path of Exile 2 Currency Store for Divine Orbs, Tangletongue, and other uniques that power up this build.

What do you think of the Bleed Blood Mage? Would you rather go for raw DPS or extra defenses?