In Path of Exile 2, the road to becoming a POE2 Currency powerful exile is paved with strategic passive choices and synergy-driven builds. Among the many impactful passives that players can choose from, Storm Charge stands out for its incredible value to elemental and critical-strike-based characters. Whether you’re slinging spells or launching attacks imbued with elemental energy, Storm Charge can give your build the edge it needs.
What is Storm Charge?
Storm Charge is a passive skill that grants two core effects:
40% increased elemental damage if you've dealt a critical hit recently
20% increased critical strike chance
Storm Charge can be gained in one of two ways:
By allocating skill points in the passive skill tree, or
By applying it to an amulet via the anointing (infusion) system using specific crafting materials.
The keyword "recently" in Path of Exile refers to actions taken in the last 4 seconds. So, once you deal a critical hit, you gain a 40% boost to all elemental damage for 4 seconds.
How Storm Charge Works in Practice
What makes Storm Charge so effective is how broadly its elemental bonus applies. Once you trigger it with a critical hit, all subsequent elemental damage you deal—even from non-critical hits—receives the 40% boost for the duration.
This is particularly useful in hybrid builds or in builds that rely on elemental damage sources that don't inherently crit. For example:
A totem that deals elemental damage but cannot crit can still benefit from the Storm Charge buff if another skill or source crits.
A trap-based build or damage-over-time spell build that uses critical hits for utility or triggering effects can tap into this passive to boost consistent elemental damage output.
Pairing Storm Charge with critical hit spells or attacks ensures that you maintain near-continuous uptime on the elemental damage buff, especially in fast-paced combat.
How to Anoint Storm Charge in PoE 2
While you can spend skill points to reach Storm Charge on the passive tree, Path of Exile 2 also offers the option to infuse it onto an amulet, freeing up those points for other investments.
Required Items: Distilled Emotions
To anoint Storm Charge onto an amulet, you’ll need three specific Distilled Emotions, applied in the correct order:
Distilled Fear
Distilled Terror
Distilled Envy
These are special crafting items similar to oils from the original Path of Exile, and they are used in the infusion system to apply passive skills directly onto jewelry.
Where to Find Distilled Emotions
There are two main methods to acquire the necessary Distilled Emotions:
Delirium Enemies in the Ultimate Delirium Map
These enemies can drop various Distilled Emotions, including the ones needed for Storm Charge. Running the Ultimate Delirium map is a reliable (though RNG-based) way to farm them.
Buying Distilled Mood via the Currency Exchange
Talk to Alva in your Hideout, and you can purchase Distilled Mood, which acts as a currency version of the Distilled Emotions. This is ideal if you prefer trading or want to avoid the grind of Delirium runs.
Note: Monsters encountered in maps accessed with an Infused Waystone do not drop Distilled Mood, so be sure to run maps that allow normal loot drops if you’re farming.
Step-by-Step: How to Infuse an Amulet with Storm Charge
Once you have Distilled Fear, Distilled Terror, and Distilled Envy, and an amulet you wish to enhance, follow these steps:
Place all materials in your inventory.
Right-click on any of the Distilled Emotions to open the Infusion window.
Insert your amulet into the top slot of the window.
Place the Distilled Emotions in the following exact order in the row below:
First: Distilled Fear
Second: Distilled Terror
Third: Distilled Envy
If you’ve done it correctly, the preview box at the bottom will display “Storm Charge.”
Click “Infuse” to apply the passive skill to the amulet.
Now, simply equip the amulet and your character will automatically benefit from Storm Charge’s effects—no need to spend additional passive points.
Why Storm Charge is a Must-Have Passive
Storm Charge is incredibly effective in a wide range of builds that focus on elemental damage, especially those with high critical hit potential. It’s one of the few passives that rewards crit investment while still benefiting non-crit elemental sources, making it both powerful and flexible.
Whether you're looking to enhance your DPS in high-end mapping, improve consistency in boss fights, or just optimize your build’s synergy, Storm Charge is a Path of Exile 2 Currency for sale top-tier passive that shouldn’t be overlooked.