Whirlwind Lance has always been a relatively low-profile skill in PoE2, for a simple reason: a mediocre early-game experience and a complex output logic, leading most players to invest few resources in its development.
However, in Patch 0.5, with changes to the skill mechanics, gear system, and Ascendancy synergy, some previously overlooked skills began to show their potential again, and Whirlwind Lance is one of them.
This Mercenary build utilizes these changes to rediscover the potential of Whirlwind Lancer. If you enjoy exploring unconventional builds or want to try a playstyle different from the mainstream meta, it's definitely worth a try.
Why has Whirlwind Lancer Suddenly Become So Powerful?
The most important aspect of Whirlwind Lancer isn't Lance itself, but Whirlwinds that follow. Many players underestimate this skill because they focus on Lance itself while ignoring the subsequent mechanics.
Once Whirlwind forms, PoE 2 players entering its range will trigger collapses, which are the true source of this skill's damage.
This skill has a crucial mechanic: as the number of phases increases, collapses gain significantly more damage multipliers.
The problem in the past was that this skill required multiple conditions to be met simultaneously. You needed a sufficient number of phases, skill quality, elemental damage boosts, and a stable energy recharge cycle. But Return of the Ancient's Gemling Legionnaire solves all these problems.
The core Ascendancy skill Advanced Thaumaturgy greatly increases the benefits of skill quality while providing additional elemental damage. For a skill like Whirlwind Lance, which heavily relies on quality, this boost is enormous.
Combined with The Taming, allowing characters to benefit from multiple elemental effects simultaneously, the damage of Whirlwind Collapse is further amplified.
Why Choose Gemling Legionnaire for Mercenary?
Although this Whirlwind Lancer build developed in Patch 0.5 won't ultimately have a Passive Tree centered on the traditional Mercenary area, Ascendancy mechanic provided by Gemling Legionnaire synergizes very well with this skill.
The most crucial element is Advanced Thaumaturgy.
Whirlwind Lance heavily relies on skill quality for its benefits, and Advanced Thaumaturgy significantly increases these benefits while providing additional elemental damage. This boost is critical for a skill that grows through mechanics rather than simply skill level.
Another important Ascendancy skill is Gem Studded.
This node requires the number of Support Gems for Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence to be consistent. Meeting this condition allows you to simultaneously gain benefits from all three attributes, making the build's attribute and gem system more complete.
It's crucial to avoid arbitrarily adjusting Support Gems for the sake of a single gem effect. Many PoE 2 players add a support gem simply because it offers an improvement, but this disrupts the balance of the three attributes and ultimately reduces the overall benefit of Gem Studded.
Passive Tree Route
In Return of the Ancient, one interesting aspect of this build is that you are a Merchant, but you rarely use Passive Skills near your Merchant starting point. The reason is simple: Merchant starting area offers lower benefits than other areas.
This build utilizes Split Personality to modify PoE 2 Passive Tree. By leveraging the special mechanics of Split Personality, you can maximize the benefit of talent distance. The method is to first connect from Merchant starting point to the target area, then place Split Personality.
After connecting, you can delete the original Merchant starting node and allocate more points to higher-yielding locations.
However, it's crucial to avoid changing Split Personality positions once they are determined. Otherwise, readjusting the route will be extremely difficult.
Equipment Selection
For the helmet, Crown of Eyes allows the build's stacked spell damage to be converted into attack damage, thus enhancing Whirlwind Lance. It needs to be paired with Mystical Rage.
Simply put, this combination means that much of the spell damage you invest in will ultimately become the damage Whirlwind Lancer needs.
If you have enough Path of Exile 2 Currency, you can further enhance the helmet. If currency is limited, a regular defensive helmet will work, but the damage ceiling will be lower.
For rings, the new Patch 0.5 ring, The Taming, is practically the soul of this build. Its elemental damage boost synergizes perfectly with Whirlwind Lance's mechanics. Equipping it will significantly improve Whirlwind Lance's damage output.
For weapons, don't aim for the absolute best from the start. Ordained Grand Spear is sufficient. Later, when you have ample currency, consider the rare Lance with its high base damage and high critical hit rate.
Armor selection is relatively flexible, focusing on energy shields, defensive attributes, and attribute requirements. However, one point must be emphasized: Life Regeneration affix is essential.
This build utilizes Berserk and Chaos Inoculation. Without Life Regeneration, you'll find yourself draining your own health, not being killed by monsters.
Skill Combinations
All skill choices in this build revolve around three goals: increasing Whirlwind count, improving Collapse damage, and maintaining the energy recharge cycle.
The primary skill is, of course, Whirlwind Lance. All investments in this Patch 0.5 build are focused on skill quality, number of phases, and Collapses damage. When farming in PoE 2, I recommend using Glacial Lance as a support.
The reason is simple: Whirlwind Lance handles large monsters and bosses, while Glacial Lance clears monsters while moving. Glacial Lance also helps maintain Berserk recharge, making the entire cycle smoother.
Barrage's primary function is to increase the number of Whirlwinds. The more Whirlwinds there are, the greater the benefit from a single collapse.
Berserk is a crucial button during the burst phase; try to level it up as much as possible.
Combat Frenzy handles charging, while Wind Dancer provides additional defense and trigger benefits.
The overall skill logic isn't complex; it revolves around creating more Whirlwinds and then detonating them all at once.
As PoE 2 continues to evolve, new patches and balance changes may bring more unexpected possibilities for builds like Whirlwind Lancer. Follow EZG Facebook helps you keep track of the latest PoE 2 news, updates, and giveaway events, so you won't miss future build opportunities.
In actual gameplay of PoE 2 Return of the Ancients, the most fun part is watching Whirlwinds spread out and then clearing the screen with a single collapse. This build is worth trying for players who enjoy experimenting with unconventional builds and don't want to follow mainstream builds.
