Path of Exile 2's Crazy Flask Build

Time: 2025-01-18 by mmojugg Game: Path of Exile 2 Guide

Today, we're going to take a deep dive into one of the most unconventional, yet incredibly powerful builds in Path of Exile 2 - a build where your flasks are not just for healing, but at the heart of your damage and survival strategy.

Introduction to the build

This build isn't just about casting spells or swinging swords; it's about mastering a rotation where your flasks and a specific skill interaction create a loop of destruction and resilience. Here's a look at what makes this build tick:

Skill Combination: The heart of this build is the Barrier Invocation skill combined with comet effects and flask mechanics. It's like weaving magic with science - your flasks become your lifeline and your weapon.

Functionality: This setup requires you to manage your infernal flame and mana costs carefully. Done correctly, it results in an explosive increase in both damage output and health regeneration.

Detailed mechanics

Skill tree and equipment requirements

Level requirement: Aim for at least level 80. This build is tailored for the endgame content, where you have enough skill points to invest in the necessary nodes.

Skill tree: Use a planner to replicate this build. Key areas include

Flask effect expansion.

Flask health recovery rate.

Base stats:

Health: Approximately 600-675 base, with potential increases to 1600-2000 health per second when all flasks are active.

Energy shield: Up to 7500 per second during the flask loop.

Gear:

Belt: Look for one with at least a 35% increase in flask health.

Dexterity: Items should increase your Dexterity to match the 133 required by the gems.

Energy shield items: For resistances and to maintain the Energy Shield pool.

The Loop Mechanics

Begin the loop:

Transform into Demon form when your Infernal Flame is 746, ensuring that your mana cost (46 for Barrier Summoning + 193 for Bone Cage) exceeds this value. This calculation includes a 1.5x multiplier due to the transformation, for a total of 913 mana consumed.

Rotate:

Right-click: Cast Barrier Summon several times to drain your Infernal Flame.

Q (Flask): Activate your flask to begin the regeneration loop. This should be done in order to maintain the effect.

Common problems:

If the loop breaks or doesn't start due to incorrect timing or gear setting, you'll need to reset by returning to town, exiting demon form and reactivating the loop.

Live Gameplay Demonstration

This is where theory meets practice. We ran this build through a T16 map to show its potential:

Map setup: High difficulty with various mods to test the limits of the build.

Loop activation: Once the loop starts, the focus shifts to maintaining it:

Rotation: Continuous right-clicking, interspersed with flask activations every few seconds.

Survivability: Survivability:survivability:h and Energy Shield recovery, this build can tank significant damage, but be careful around high-damage areas or mechanics that could break the loop.

Challenges:

Overlapping damage: Sometimes the energy shield will drop due to intense map effects or boss mechanics, requiring you to slow down or reposition.

Mistakes: Forgetting to press Q can result in instant death, making this build unforgiving but rewarding once mastered.

Build Investment and Optimisation

Divine Orbs cost: Approximately 3-5 Divine Orbs, mostly spent on optimising flask recovery rates and extending effects.

Potential improvements: Aiming for a 40% flask life recovery from gear could make the build even more efficient.

Community and Credits

Shout out to the "young dynamic man" who came up with this build. It's a testament to the ingenuity of the community in Path of Exile 2, where even flasks can become your primary source of damage.

Thanks for Reading

This flask-centric build in Path of Exile 2 isn't just about surviving; it's about thriving in chaos. It's a testament to the depth and creativity the game allows, making what is usually a support system the centrepiece of a strategy. If you're looking for something new to try, this could be your next challenge.