In Path of Exile 2, the Ritualist class offers an exciting combination of Bleed and Poison mechanics, making it a versatile choice for leveling. With the introduction of new passive skill trees, skill gems, and the expanded mechanics in PoE 2, the Bleed & Poison Ritualist build has become a popular and effective choice for players looking to combine damage over time (DoT) effects and sustain. This guide will walk you through the POE 2 Currency fundamentals of the Bleed & Poison Ritualist leveling build, focusing on key attributes, gear, and skills to help you succeed in Path of Exile 2.

Core Mechanics

The Ritualist excels in applying both Bleed and Poison simultaneously to enemies, leveraging the power of Damage over Time (DoT) effects to deal consistent damage throughout combat. Bleed effects cause enemies to take damage over time based on a portion of their health, while Poison deals damage based on the enemy’s chaos resistance. The synergy between these two mechanics allows the Ritualist to create overwhelming damage stacks.

The Ritualist also excels at summoning totems, which can aid with applying these DoTs. Totems are a great asset for leveling, as they deal damage while keeping you at a safe distance from enemies. This is particularly useful for new players or those who want to minimize the risk of dying while leveling.

Key Skills and Gems

For a Bleed & Poison Ritualist build, you'll want to prioritize the following skill gems for your main damage setup:

Essence Drain: A primary Chaos-based skill that can trigger Poison when hitting enemies. It's great for clearing packs of monsters and works well with the Ritualist's abilities to stack damage over time effects.

Vaal Blight: A great skill that allows for widespread damage application, especially when combined with the Ritualist's passive tree, which focuses on increasing Poison and Bleed damage.

Toxic Rain: This skill applies both Poison and Bleed through its spreading projectiles, making it an ideal choice for those looking to apply multiple layers of damage quickly.

Ancestral Protector: The totem skill that increases your attack speed and overall damage output, making it an essential skill in this build to ramp up your Bleed and Poison stacks.

Herald of Agony: This aura skill can further enhance your Poison damage, working synergistically with your primary Poison application skills.

Passive Tree and Ascendancy

When allocating points on the passive tree, focus on improving your damage over time (DoT) modifiers, increasing your Bleed and Poison damage, and boosting your energy shield and life for survivability. The Ritualist’s ascendancy is particularly beneficial for stacking multiple DoTs simultaneously and enhancing their damage potential. Prioritize nodes that increase the effectiveness of Chaos Damage and Poison damage, as well as nodes that boost life regeneration and energy shield.

Gear and Flask Setup

For gear, you should prioritize the following:

Weapons: Dual wielding daggers or swords is ideal for a Bleed & Poison Ritualist. Look for high physical damage, chaos damage, and increased DoT modifiers.

Body Armor: A high-energy shield armor with resistances is key for survivability. Prioritize life, resistances, and energy shield.

Flasks: Ensure you have a Flask of Staunching for Bleed immunity, as well as Life Flasks for sustained healing. You’ll also want an Atziri’s Promise for increased Chaos damage and Poison damage, which complements this build's theme.

Conclusion

The Bleed & Poison Ritualist leveling build in Path of Exile 2 is a powerful and versatile choice for players looking to scale high DoT damage while maintaining a safe distance from enemies. By focusing on Bleed and Poison mechanics, utilizing powerful totems, and optimizing your passive skill tree, this build can efficiently clear content, making it perfect for new players and veterans alike. Whether you're a POE 2 Currency for sale fan of chaos-based builds or simply enjoy the power of Damage over Time, the Bleed & Poison Ritualist is an excellent choice for your Path of Exile 2 journey.