The Two-Handed Mace Fire Build in Path of Exile 2 is designed to deliver devastating area-of-effect (AOE) damage and powerful single-target strikes. By combining Leap Slam and Bone Shatter with a fire-based arsenal, this build can annihilate packs of enemies and melt bosses in just a few hits. In this guide, we’ll cover everything from skill choices and passive tree optimizations to gameplay tips and strategies.

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Core Skills and Gem Setup

1. Leap Slam:

• Purpose: Used for mobility and to initiate combat.
• Support Gems:
  • Overpower: Increases stun buildup by 50%, ensuring enemies are stunned upon landing.
  • Heavy Swing: Adds 35% more melee physical damage at the cost of 10% attack speed.

2. Bone Shatter:

• Purpose: Primary AOE and single-target skill.
• Support Gems:
  • Impact Shockwave: Triggers an aftershock dealing additional fire damage upon stunning enemies.
  • Brutality: Adds 35% more physical damage, enhancing both AOE and single-target potential.
  • Concentrated Effect: Boosts AOE damage by 40%.

3. Herald of Ash:

• Purpose: Triggers explosions upon overkill, spreading fire damage to nearby enemies.
• Key Interaction: Activate by right-clicking in the skill menu to ensure it functions properly.

4. Perfect Strike:

• Purpose: High single-target damage for bosses.
• Support Gems:
  • Hourglass: Increases damage by 40% and executes an additional 40% if the target is below 40% health.

By optimizing these skills and support gems, this build maintains high damage output and versatility for both mob clearing and boss fights.

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Passive Skill Tree Overview

The passive tree focuses on maximizing fire and melee damage, armor for survivability, and some life regeneration:

1. Fire Damage:

• Key Nodes:
  • Burnway: Increases fire damage significantly.
  • Melee Damage: Smash and burn for synergized fire and melee damage boosts.

2. Armor and Survivability:

• Key Nodes:
  • Multiple armor nodes for enhanced defense.
  • Life regeneration nodes:
    • 1.5% life regen when below 20% health.
    • 40% increased life recovery from flasks.

3. Two-Handed Weapon Specialization:

• Key Nodes:
  • 12% increased damage per node, stacking to a total of 60%.
  • 20% increased stun buildup for crowd control.

Focusing on these areas allows you to withstand enemy damage while delivering powerful strikes.

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Gear Recommendations

Weapons:

• Two-Handed Mace: Prioritize fire damage and critical strike chance.
• Mods to Look For:
  • Increased fire damage.
  • Added physical damage as extra fire.

Armor:

• Heavy armor with high armor rating and resistance to fire and lightning.
• Look for mods that reduce physical damage taken.

Accessories:

• Amulets and rings with:
  • Increased fire damage.
  • Life leech or life regeneration.
  • Armor or physical damage mitigation.

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Gameplay Tips and Strategies

1. Combat Rotation:

• Initiate with Leap Slam: Ensure stun to trigger shockwave.
• Follow-Up: Use Bone Shatter for AOE and single-target damage.
• Against Bosses:
  • Prioritize Perfect Strike for high burst damage.
  • Maintain Herald of Ash for additional AOE fire explosions.

2. Positioning:

• Leap in and out of combat to mitigate damage.
• Use terrain and obstacles to reset boss attacks.

3. Managing Health:

• Keep a life flask with instant recovery.
• Use life regen passives to sustain during longer fights.

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Boss Fight Strategy: Handling Act 2 Boss

The Act 2 boss can be challenging due to high-damage AOE attacks and phases:

Key Tips:

• Avoid AOE Zones: Keep moving between attacks.
• Use Infernal Cry: Amplifies fire damage and provides additional AOE.
• Armor Break: Apply to reduce boss defenses and maximize Perfect Strike damage.

Execution:

• Open with Leap Slam to close the gap.
• Alternate Bone Shatter and Perfect Strike for burst.
• Time Perfect Strike when the boss drops below 40% health for execution bonus.

By mastering these strategies, even tough bosses become manageable.

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Conclusion

The Two-Handed Mace Fire Build excels at dealing massive fire damage and managing groups of enemies with ease. By focusing on fire synergy, effective passive nodes, and smart gear choices, this build ensures a smooth campaign progression and efficient boss fights. Embrace the power of fire and leave nothing but ashes in your wake, Exile!