With the release of patch 0.4 for Path of Exile 2, the community EZNPC PoE 2 has experienced a flood of new builds and playstyles, each pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in the game. The update has introduced fresh skills, mechanics, and synergies, making it the perfect time for players to explore new ways of playing the game. Here are some of the standout builds that have emerged from the update.

1. Elemental Scourge Trapper

The Elemental Scourge Trap build has become one of the most popular playstyles following the introduction of a new Trap skill gem. This build revolves around using traps that release massive bursts of elemental damage, with a particular focus on fire, lightning, and cold. The patch has added new trap-related passive skill tree nodes that synergize with elemental damage, making this build even more effective. Players are able to create devastating area-of-effect traps that lay waste to entire rooms of enemies in seconds.

The true beauty of the Elemental Scourge Trapper is its versatility. With access to all three elemental damage types, players can easily adapt their build to suit different encounters, utilizing specific elemental types to exploit enemy weaknesses. Coupled with new trap-specific items and the ability to stack damage over time effects, this build offers a high skill ceiling and provides plenty of room for experimentation.

2. The Poison Raider

The new update has made poison builds even more enticing, especially with the introduction of Raider’s new ascendancy nodes and passive tree improvements. The Poison Raider focuses on applying poison damage over time, stacking high amounts of damage through quick attacks, all while maintaining impressive evasion and mobility. This build excels at clearing waves of enemies while dealing significant damage to bosses.

Patch 0.4 introduces new poison support gems that allow for even greater synergy with Raider's ascendancy. With these, the Raider can now build up stacks of poison faster than ever before. Thanks to the introduction of new unique items that enhance poison effectiveness, the Poison Raider has evolved into one of the most efficient and fun builds in the game.

3. The Dark Summoner Necromancer

For those who enjoy summoning hordes of minions to do their bidding, the Dark Summoner Necromancer has been completely overhauled by patch 0.4. With the release of several new minion-themed skill gems and the expansion of the Necromancer ascendancy, this build feels more robust than ever before. The new update introduces a series of minion enhancements that significantly boost their damage, survivability, and the ability to target enemies more intelligently.

This build relies on stacking summoned creatures that support each other in various ways. Players can summon multiple types of minions, from skeletons to spectres and golems, each benefiting from the new passive skill tree nodes. What’s particularly exciting is the introduction of synergies between minion builds and aura buffs, which adds another layer of depth to how players build their characters.

4. The Chaos Blade Vortex

The Chaos Blade Vortex build focuses on creating a whirlwind of swirling chaos energy around the player, causing chaos damage over time. Patch 0.4 introduced a new vortex skill gem that deals massive amounts of chaos damage in an area around the character, ideal for high-density mob farming. The new nodes added to the passive skill tree have been tailored for chaos damage, allowing players to increase their damage potential dramatically.

The Chaos Blade Vortex build has proven to be one of the most efficient in terms of clearing content. The synergy between chaos damage, debuffs, and the new unique items introduced in this patch gives the player an arsenal of devastating attacks. Additionally, the build scales extremely well in the later stages of the game, making it viable for both early and late-game content.

In conclusion, patch 0.4 has significantly expanded the options available for Path of Exile 2 players, especially in terms of build diversity. Whether you’re looking to experiment with elemental damage, poison stacking, minions, or chaos damage, there’s never been a better time to try out a new build.