Infused Channelling Support

Percentage mitigation feels like a really strong option, I'm glad the gem was created, very innovative! I'm running this on a lightning tendrils character, trying to stack as much lightning mitigation I could with lightning coil and mind of the council. Character is The_ThunderLord.

I did not play the build for long and it's outdated now, but here's some feedback regarding the gem itself:

- While the effect is very strong, paying the opportunity cost of a support skill gem slot is huge. It would be great to have the gem give a bit of increased spell or lightning damage (something like 20% increased, nothing huge).

- Also, it would be great if the buff would have a secondary duration, it's really annoying to be channeling and then having to sidestep a dangerous monster or projectile or deadly slam attack and lose all that awesome mitigation you invested so heavily into because the buff is ONLY active while channeling. Having it persist for something like 0.5 second after end of channeling would be a huge quality of life boost!

Oh and by the way, the VFX for the gem, while subtle, is amazing!

Love you guys <3

It would help justify a support link if it shocked enemies who hit you, maybe along with X% increased effect of shock per gem level

Agree with Pyromancer4, it's not worth using in its current state since it does not give any damage boost at all, and is only active when channeling. It should have a short buff duration ~2-4 seconds and give increased damage to help make it more attractive as a support.

Stacking damage buff would be nice.
More you stand still chanelling - the more damage you inflict.

Or may be some random lightning hits around while chanelling, increasing in number per stack.

Storm Barrier would see a reversal in use if it were converted to an active Spell gem, one which grants a self-buff containing the current support gem's effects, much like Tempest Shield or Blood Rage. As long as the buff is active, the caster gains less (or reduced) physical and lightning damage taken from hits while channeling, and a chance to generate a Power Charge when hit while channeling. Storm Barrier's buff would refresh itself if the character channels any skill for 1 second, similar to the aforementioned skills refreshing on block or kill.

A change like this would make Storm Barrier attractive to virtually every form of channeler solely for the damage reduction, with the added benefit of providing a potential source of Power Charges for builds that utilize them.

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PoofySleeves wrote:

It would help justify a support link if it shocked enemies who hit you, maybe along with X% increased effect of shock per gem level

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought of this. Adding shock when you get hit would certainly increase its utility and provide at least some sort of damage boost to compensate for its lackluster defense and having to stand still.


Regarding Storm Barrier's less damage taken though, if it's going to be compared to a damage support (and it must be compared because it takes up a slot a damage support would) then we need to consider how much damage we avoid by doing more DPS.

If we assume an average support now grants 40% more damage, then adding that support takes a fight of say 10 seconds long down to 10 / 1.4 = 7.1428 seconds. So if you normally would take 100 damage in those 10 seconds (or 10 damage per second) then the support means you cut off about 28 damage, so it's 28% less damage taken.

Or if it's a 6th slot then maybe we call it 30% more damage, so 10 / 1.3 = 7.69 seconds, meaning it's about 23% less damage taken.

So Storm Barrier would need to have at the very least 15% less damage taken and preferably 20%+ to compete with the damage support. And this is lowballing since the damage support also means more leech which will increase sustain on the fight too. It's also lowballing because standing in one place while channeling is a big risk since movement is essential for certain things, especially stuff on the ground.

The only way to really use Storm Barrier's unique quality is to have some sort of self-hit setup using Scold's Bridle or Eye of Innocence to generate Power Charges and then spend those charges on Discharge. Otherwise the Power Charge generation is mediocre and perhaps pointless because nearly everything else based on Power Charges are passive bonuses from simply having them up, which is quite easy to do.

I tried and honestly, it's not worth it. I gained like 30% more damage for swapping it for another damage support. In my opinions there are 2 big problems with it:
-It should reduce ALL damage, not just physical and lightning - it's too situational.
-The shield disappears in the moment you take a step. And in PoE you always have to be on the move to dodge dangerous stuff. Which means, you get no shield when you really need it.

But even if they buffed those 2 things, I'm still not sure, would I use it. There released so many damage supports and you need to min/max your DPS so much in this game, that you can't afford losing 1 link on your main skill for defense.

This gem is very much needed for channeling spells because you are a sitting duck. I really want to use this on my incinerate character running cowards trial for the phys dmg reduction, but as others have said the opportunity cost is just so huge. It should have some kind of offensive benefit. Right now literally nobody uses this gem as i'm sure your data will show.

More damage the longer you channel, would be cool. Something, anything.

Feedback above is related to pre 3.6 gem.

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3.6.0 patchnotes
Storm Barrier Support has been renamed. It is now called Infused Channelling Support.
No longer grants reduced Lightning Damage taken from hits while Channelling.
No longer grants a chance to gain a Power Charge when hit while Channelling.
Now grants reduced Damage taken from hits while Channelling, of types matching the supported skill gem's tags. Still also reduces Physical Damage taken from hits while Channelling.
Now grants Infusion after channelling for a duration. Infusion grants more Damage of types matching the supported skill gem's tags.
Now causes supported skills to deal more damage based on the gem's level.

Infusion grants 10% more Damage of Types matching Supported Skill Gem's tags

I think the fact 'gem tag' concept is now directly involved into game mechanic is vaguely bad thing.

it's very effective with elemental channeling spells, it's bad in every way with Blade flurry.

Blade Flurry has no Damage Type tag. It's not bound to any particular damage type. Blade Flurry is not a physical damage -based skill.