Path of Exile 2: How to Check and Improve Critical Strike Chance
3 Key Takeaways:
- Critical Strike Chance (Crit Chance) is skill-dependent, not just tied to your character stats. Building a strong Crit Chance requires a clear understanding of both passive and active mechanics.
- Increased Critical Strikes Support gems stack additively with other modifiers but only work if the linked skill can naturally crit.
- Early game Crit Chance scaling is minimal, but it grows significantly with proper late-game builds and investment.
When it comes to gaming, especially in complex RPGs or action-adventure games, mastering mechanics like Critical Strike Chance can mean the difference between mediocrity and dominance. If you’re confused about what Crit Chance is, how it works, and how to build around it, don’t worry we’ve got you covered. In this guide, we’ll dive deep into understanding Crit Chance, breaking down key mechanics, and optimizing your build to unleash devastating damage.
What Is Critical Strike Chance?
Critical Strike Chance refers to the percentage likelihood of your attacks or skills delivering a critical hit. A critical hit deals significantly increased damage compared to a regular hit, often turning the tide of battles or quickly eliminating tough opponents.
However, many players overlook a crucial aspect: Crit Chance isn’t solely based on your character’s attributes. Instead, it’s often tied to specific skills and abilities. This means the effectiveness of Crit Chance heavily depends on how you build and utilize those skills.
How to Check Your Critical Strike Chance in Games
Most games allow you to view your Crit Chance through skill descriptions or advanced stat menus. Here’s a step-by-step breakdown for typical RPG setups:
- Open Your Skills Menu: Start by navigating to your character’s skills or abilities section.
- Select a Specific Skill: Choose the skill you’re interested in evaluating. For example, a ranged skill like Crossbow Shot might be your focus.
- Access Advanced Information: Look for an “Advanced Info” or “Details” tab. This will often display intricate mechanics like Crit Chance.
- Review the Critical Hits Section: You’ll see a percentage (e.g., 11%). This represents your current chance to land a critical hit with that skill.
But here’s where it gets tricky. The base Crit Chance displayed often factors in passive abilities and gear, but these can have diminishing returns if misunderstood. Let’s break this down further.
Understanding Critical Strike Mechanics
Crit Chance scaling is not as straightforward as it may seem. Here’s what you need to know:
1. Base Crit Chance
Every skill starts with a base Crit Chance. For example, let’s say a skill has a 5% base chance. If you add modifiers like “10% increased Crit Chance,” it doesn’t simply add up to 15%. Instead, the modifier applies to the base, resulting in smaller actual gains early on.
2. Additive vs. Multiplicative Scaling
Many passive skill trees and gear items provide additive bonuses to Crit Chance. However, these bonuses can feel underwhelming early game because they are applied on top of a small base chance.
Example:
- Base Crit Chance: 5%
- Modifier: +10%
- Effective Crit Chance: 5% + (5% × 10%) = 5.5%
It’s only in the late game when your base Crit Chance is much higher that these modifiers become more impactful.
3. Critical Strike Multiplier
Crit Chance determines how often you land a critical hit, but Critical Strike Multiplier determines how much extra damage your crits deal. A typical multiplier might start at 150%, meaning your critical hits deal 1.5x damage. Enhancing this stat is just as important as improving your Crit Chance.
The Role of Increased Critical Strikes Support Gems
In games like Path of Exile, the Increased Critical Strikes Support Gem is a powerful tool for scaling Crit Chance. Let’s explore how it works and why it matters:
How It Works:
- When linked to a skill, this gem boosts both the percentage chance to crit and the base critical strike chance.
- For example, if your skill has a 5% base Crit Chance, using a level 20 Increased Critical Strikes Support Gem can add an extra 117%, bringing your effective chance to 10.85%.
Important Limitations:
- The skill must inherently have the ability to crit. Linking the gem to skills like curses or auras (which cannot crit) will have no effect.
- This gem also applies to minions, traps, or totems summoned by the skill, provided they can already crit.
Gem Progression:
Increased Critical Strikes Support Gems scale as you level them up. For instance:
- At Level 1: Grants a 60% increased chance.
- At Level 20: Grants a 117% increased chance.
This scaling makes them a must-have for crit-heavy builds. However, they shine most in the mid-to-late game when you have a solid base Crit Chance.
Building Around Crit Chance: Tips and Strategies
To maximize your damage output, you’ll need to build around Crit Chance effectively. Here are some strategies to get you started:
1. Prioritize Skills with High Base Crit Chance
Skills with a naturally high base Crit Chance are easier to scale. For instance, a skill with a 10% base chance will benefit more from modifiers compared to one with 5%.
2. Invest in Critical Strike Multiplier
A high Crit Chance means nothing if your critical hits don’t deal significant damage. Look for items, gems, or passives that increase your Crit Multiplier.
3. Leverage Synergies in the Passive Tree
Many skill trees offer powerful crit-focused nodes. These often provide both Crit Chance and Multiplier, creating excellent value for investment.
4. Use Equipment with Crit Chance Modifiers
Items such as weapons, amulets, or helmets frequently include modifiers like “+x% increased Crit Chance.” Combining these with support gems can lead to exponential scaling.
5. Understand Diminishing Returns
While Crit Chance is vital, over-investing can lead to diminishing returns. Balance your Crit Chance and Multiplier for optimal damage output.
FAQs
Q: Why is my Crit Chance so low despite investing in passive skills?
Crit Chance modifiers in passive skill trees often apply additively to your base chance. If your base Crit Chance is low, the actual gains will be minimal until later in the game.
Q: Does Crit Chance apply to all skills?
No, only skills capable of critting can benefit from Crit Chance. For example, support gems like Increased Critical Strikes won’t work with curses or auras.
Q: How can I increase Crit Chance early game?
Early on, focus on equipping gear with Crit Chance modifiers and using support gems. Passive skills become more impactful as you level up.
