PoE Kinetic Bolt


Kinetic Bolt, another projectile-based skill in Path of Exile, offers a distinct flavor compared to its explosive cousin, Kinetic Blast. Let's unravel its unique mechanics and potential:

Mechanics:

  • Fires a projectile that forks and changes direction in a zigzag pattern as it travels.
  • Each time it changes direction, a secondary projectile shoots off in the opposite direction.
  • This creates a weaving line of projectiles, ideal for covering a wider area and hitting more enemies.
  • Can be linked with various support gems to modify its behavior, such as:
    • Fork Support: Increases the number of times the main projectile forks, creating more secondary projectiles.
    • Chain Support: Causes the initial projectile to chain to nearby enemies after hitting its initial target.
    • Elemental Hit Support: Converts physical damage to an element based on your linked attack gems.

Strengths:

  • Excellent Coverage: The zigzag pattern and additional projectiles make it fantastic for hitting enemies in a wider area.
  • Decent Clear Speed: With good investment, it can effectively clear maps and packs of enemies.
  • Single-Target Potential: When focused on single-target damage, it can handle bosses and tougher encounters.
  • Unique Visuals: The weaving projectiles offer a distinctive and satisfying gameplay experience.

Weaknesses:

  • Less intuitive aiming: Controlling the precise direction of the projectile's path can be tricky.
  • Mana intensive: Similar to Kinetic Blast, higher attack speeds demand efficient mana management.
  • Requires investment: Reaching its full potential often requires specific gear and gem setups.
  • Potentially clunky projectile pattern: The zigzag weaving can sometimes miss enemies in tight spaces.

Building with Kinetic Bolt:

  • Ascendancy options: Similar to Kinetic Blast, Deadeye, Raider, and Elementalist offer beneficial options.
  • Damage scaling: Focus on projectile damage, elemental damage (if converted), and attack speed.
  • Defense: Balance offense with survivability through evasion, energy shield, or life regeneration.
  • Movement skills: Utilize efficient movement skills to reposition and maximize clear speed.

Overall:

Kinetic Bolt offers a strategic and visually appealing playstyle, rewarding skillful aiming and positioning. While it might not be the top contender for pure clear speed, its unique projectile pattern and decent single-target potential make it a viable choice for those seeking a different flavor of projectile experience.

Choosing between Kinetic Blast and Kinetic Bolt:

  • Kinetic Blast: Prioritize maximizing clear speed and explosive AoE damage.
  • Kinetic Bolt: Value strategic aiming, decent single-target potential, and unique projectile interaction.

Ultimately, the "best" option depends on your individual playstyle and preferences. Both skills offer rewarding potential, so experiment and find what suits you best!

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Kinetic Bolt Kinetic Bolt is an active skill gem.

Fire a projectile from your wand that changes direction in a zig-zag pattern at regular intervals or when hitting enemies. Each time it changes direction, a secondary projectile breaks off, flying in the direction it changed away from.

Attack, Projectile. Level: 1–20. Cost: 6–10 Mana. Effectiveness of Added Damage: 140–175%. Requires Level 1.

  • Increases and Reductions to Spell Damage also apply to Attack Damage from this Skill at 200% of their value
  • Projectile changes direction (5–8) times
  • Modifiers which would cause projectiles to Fork instead cause them to change direction additional times

Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.

NameAdditional Effects From QualityWeight
Kinetic Bolt(0–20)% increased Projectile Speed50

Related Gems

Level Effect

LevelRequires LevelIntelligenceCostBase DamageProjectile changes direction 5 timesExperience
11106140%570
22126141.8%5308
34166143.7%61,554
47227145.5%66,667
511317147.4%626,047
616417149.2%649,725
720507151.1%695,714
824588152.9%6169,595
928678154.7%7283,759
1032758156.6%7453,996
1136838158.4%7703,128
1240928160.3%71,061,223
13441009162.1%72,065,870
14481099163.9%72,507,110
15521179165.8%85,798,936
16561259167.6%815,083,919
17601349169.5%827,792,735
186414210171.3%843,869,739
196714810173.2%8242,081,556
207015510175%8
217210176.8%9
227410178.7%9
237611180.5%9
247811182.4%9
258011184.2%9
268211186.1%9
278411187.9%10
288612189.7%10
298812191.6%10
309012193.4%10
319112194.3%10
329212195.3%10
339313196.2%10
349413197.1%10
359513198%10
369613198.9%11
379713199.9%11
389814200.8%11
399914201.7%11
4010014202.6%11

Kinetic Bolt is a wand attack skill that fires a bolt that forks in a zig-zag pattern at it travels, releasing secondary projectiles as it forks. The user (of this skill)'s additive (not multiplicative) spell damage modifiers affect this skill's damage.

Skill functions and interactions

  • Only increases and reductions to spell damage are applied to attack damage. More and less modifiers do not apply to attack damage.

Item acquisition

Kinetic Bolt can drop anywhere. Drop level: 5.

Recipes

Kinetic Bolt can be created from the following recipes:

Amount Part Description
6 The Fox Random level 20 gem
8 Dying Anguish Random level 19 gem with 19% alternative quality
8 The Hook Random corrupted level 21 gem with 23% alternative quality
3 Gemcutter's Promise Random gem with 20% quality
1 Gemcutter's Incubator Random gem with 1–20% quality
1 The Void Random divination card set exchange

Quest reward

This item is given as a quest reward for the following quests:

Class → Witch Shadow Ranger Duelist Marauder Templar Scion
Quest ↓
Enemy at the Gate
Act 1		 ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗

Vendor reward

This item can be bought at the listed NPC vendors, after completing the following quests:

Class → Witch Shadow Ranger Duelist Marauder Templar Scion
Quest ↓
Enemy at the Gate
Act 1
Nessa		 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓
A Fixture of Fate
Act 3
Siosa		 ✓
Fallen from Grace
Act 6
Lilly Roth		 ✓

Threshold jewels

The following threshold jewels augment Kinetic Bolt:

Item Limit Radius Stats

Related helmet enchantments

The following helmet enchantments affect Kinetic Bolt.

Name Level Labyrinth Stats Spawn Weighting
Enchantment Kinetic Bolt Attack Speed 1 66 Merciless Labyrinth Kinetic Bolt has 10% increased Attack Speed helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Kinetic Bolt Attack Speed 2 75 Eternal Labyrinth Kinetic Bolt has 15% increased Attack Speed helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Kinetic Bolt Extra Bounces 1 66 Merciless Labyrinth Kinetic Bolt changes direction 1 additional time helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Kinetic Bolt Extra Bounces 2 75 Eternal Labyrinth Kinetic Bolt changes direction 2 additional times helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Kinetic Bolt Projectile Speed 1 66 Merciless Labyrinth Kinetic Bolt has 20% increased Projectile Speed helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Kinetic Bolt Projectile Speed 2 75 Eternal Labyrinth Kinetic Bolt has 30% increased Projectile Speed helmet 100
default 0

Alternate skill effects

Kinetic Bolt has the following alternate skill effects:

Item Effect(s)
Ghostflame Kinetic Bolt Effect Your Kinetic Bolt becomes a Ghostflame Effect.