Path of Exile 2: How Do Herald Of Ice And Thunder Work Together

Mastering the Double Herald Strategy in Path of Exile 2

Path of Exile 2's Double Herald setup harnesses the power of Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder to create a devastating chain reaction, clearing screens with a single hit. While understanding the intricacies of their interaction isn't mandatory, it significantly aids in build optimization. This guide details the setup and its mechanics.

Implementing the Double Herald Setup

This powerful strategy requires four key elements:

1. A Herald of Ice Skill Gem linked with the Lightning Infusion Support Gem.
2. A Herald of Thunder Skill Gem linked with the Cold Infusion Support Gem (Glaciation is highly recommended).
3. 60 Spirit.
4. A method for inflicting Cold damage.

Remember to activate both Heralds in your skill menu.

Effective ways to initially trigger Herald of Ice include:

• Monk's Ice Strike (highly effective).
• Passive skills enhancing Freeze buildup.
• Weapons/gloves with flat cold damage.
• Against the Darkness Time-Lost Diamond Jewel (+Cold damage percentage).

Understanding the Synergistic Mechanics

Herald of Ice activates when an enemy is Shattered (attacking a frozen enemy). Crucially, Herald of Ice's cold damage cannot Freeze, preventing self-perpetuating chains.

Herald of Thunder activates upon killing a Shocked enemy, unleashing damaging lightning bolts. Similarly, Herald of Thunder cannot inflict Shock independently.

The synergy lies in their damage conversion: Lightning Infusion on Herald of Ice converts a portion of its damage to Lightning (which can Shock), while Cold Infusion on Herald of Thunder converts a portion to Cold (which can Freeze).

Ideally, this creates an endless chain: Herald of Ice shocks, triggering Herald of Thunder; Herald of Thunder freezes, triggering Herald of Ice, and so on. In practice, the chain usually ends after one or two cycles due to the need for a continuous supply of enemies. Breaches, with their high enemy density, are where this setup truly shines.

Initiating the chain requires first proccing Herald of Ice via a Freeze effect (like Ice Strike), shattering an enemy to trigger the initial cold explosion and subsequent shock. Prioritizing Herald of Ice is strategic because Freeze is easier to inflict than Shock, and Herald of Thunder's lightning bolts have better range.