Path of Exile Wiki Skills: Understanding the Impaler Keystone

The Impaler keystone is a unique skill in Path of Exile that has the potential to raise or lower the total damage done by players who use it. In this article, we will explore the factors that affect the impaler's performance and provide examples of how to utilize it effectively.

Maximum Impales

For players with a maximum of 5 impales, the impale factor may not matter as much. This is because The Impaler gives 5 times the impale damage for higher damage skills than without it. However, this does not mean that the impaler is useless; rather, its impact is amplified when paired with other skills.

Damage Variance

When a player is capable of doing a lot more damage with one single hit occasionally and mostly doing less impale damage afterwards, this increases the damage of The Impaler keystone. Slow attack builds do not have to worry about the 4-second cooldown lowering their damage, as hitting frequently will make the impales run out before they can apply more.

Hits per Second

The more hits per second on enemies, the less likely The Impaler is to be a better option. This is because players who hit quickly may not benefit from the additional impale stacks, and instead, their damage output may be hindered by the 4-second cooldown.

Other Factors

The performance of The Impaler keystone is also dependent on other party members' hits activating your impale damage faster than solo play. In addition, characters using impale damage can benefit from joining a party with strangers and sharing information about this skill to maximize overall damage output.

Example Scenario

For example, if a character uses Vaal Ground Slam as their first hit on an enemy with The Impaler, they can activate 5 additional impale hits. This can be particularly strong when one skill has much more impale damage than others. However, the downside is that no impales are applied for 4 seconds after the impale effect.

The Impaler keystone is a complex skill that requires consideration of various factors to maximize its effectiveness. By understanding how it interacts with other skills and party members, players can harness its power to increase their overall damage output in Path of Exile.

Path of exile wiki skills