The Thunderstorm is a highly effective skill for the Disciple of Varashta in Path of Exile 2. Based on our latest ladder analysis of 16 top players in the 90-plus bracket, this build frequently maximizes damage by utilizing support gems such as Shock, Shock Conduction, Magnified Area II. To optimize survivability and DPS, players commonly allocate key passives like Insightfulness, Pure Energy, Melding on the skill tree.

Thunderstorm
(Disciple of Varashta) Builds
Sample size: 16 characters analyzed.
Last updated: 2026-07-28 19:43:54 UTC
Below data represents gem links within this cohort. Selected main skills are strictly isolated.
★ Selected Main Skills
Other Active Skills & Auras
Flasks Distribution
Main Hand (Set I)
Top Bases / Uniques
Top Explicit Mods
#% increased [Spell] Damage
50%
# to Level of all [Physical|Physical] [Spell|Spell] Skills
43.8%
#% increased [Critical|Critical Hit Chance] for [Spell|Spells]
37.5%
[Gain] #% of Damage as Extra [Cold] Damage
37.5%
[Gain] #% of Damage as Extra [Fire] Damage
31.2%
[Gain] #% of Damage as Extra [Lightning] Damage
31.2%
# to maximum Mana
18.8%
#% increased Cast Speed
18.8%
#% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
18.8%
#% increased [CriticalDamageBonus|Critical Spell Damage Bonus]
18.8%
Offhand (Set I)
Top Bases / Uniques
Top Explicit Mods
# to Level of all [Spell|Spell] Skills
68.8%
# to maximum [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
62.5%
#% increased [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
56.2%
#% increased [Spell] [Physical] Damage
37.5%
#% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
31.2%
# to maximum Mana
25%
#% increased [Spell] Damage
18.8%
#% to [Resistances|Fire Resistance]
18.8%
# to [Intelligence|Intelligence]
12.5%
#% increased [CriticalDamageBonus|Critical Spell Damage Bonus]
12.5%
Helmet
Top Bases / Uniques
Top Explicit Mods
# to maximum [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
75%
#% increased [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
75%
#% to [Resistances|Lightning Resistance]
43.8%
# to maximum Mana
37.5%
#% to [Resistances|Cold Resistance]
37.5%
#% to [Resistances|Fire Resistance]
31.2%
# to [Intelligence|Intelligence]
25%
#% increased [Critical|Critical Hit] Chance
25%
# to maximum Life
18.8%
#% increased [ESRechargeRate|Energy Shield Recharge Rate]
12.5%
Body Armour
Top Bases / Uniques
Top Explicit Mods
#% increased [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
93.8%
# to maximum [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
75%
#% increased [ESRechargeRate|Energy Shield Recharge Rate]
56.2%
# to [Intelligence|Intelligence]
43.8%
#% to [Resistances|Fire Resistance]
37.5%
#% to [Resistances|Cold Resistance]
31.2%
#% to [Resistances|Lightning Resistance]
31.2%
# Life Regeneration per second
18.8%
# to [Spirit|Spirit]
18.8%
#% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
12.5%
Gloves
Top Bases / Uniques
Top Explicit Mods
# to [Intelligence|Intelligence]
75%
#% increased [Critical|Critical Hit] Chance
75%
#% increased [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
75%
#% to [Resistances|Cold Resistance]
75%
#% increased Mana Regeneration Rate if you've dealt a [Critical|Critical Hit] [Recently]
68.8%
Cannot Regenerate Mana if you haven't dealt a [Critical|Critical Hit] [Recently]
68.8%
# to maximum [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
25%
#% to [Resistances|Fire Resistance]
18.8%
# to maximum Life
12.5%
#% increased [CriticalDamageBonus|Critical Damage Bonus]
12.5%
Boots
Top Bases / Uniques
Top Explicit Mods
#% increased Movement Speed
68.8%
#% increased [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
62.5%
# to maximum [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
37.5%
#% to [Resistances|Cold Resistance]
37.5%
#% to [Resistances|Lightning Resistance]
31.2%
#% to [Resistances|Fire Resistance]
25%
# to maximum Mana
18.8%
#% increased [ItemRarity|Rarity of Items] found
18.8%
# to [StunThreshold|Stun Threshold]
12.5%
#% reduced [Shock|Shock] duration on you
12.5%
Amulet
Top Bases / Uniques
Top Explicit Mods
# to Level of all [Spell|Spell] Skills
93.8%
#% increased Cast Speed
43.8%
#% increased [Spell] Damage
37.5%
# to maximum [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
31.2%
# Prefix Modifier allowed
25%
# Suffix Modifier allowed
25%
# to [Spirit|Spirit]
25%
#% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
25%
#% increased [Armour]
25%
#% increased [ItemRarity|Rarity of Items] found
25%
Ring 1
Top Explicit Mods
# to maximum Mana
62.5%
#% increased Cast Speed
62.5%
#% increased [ItemRarity|Rarity of Items] found
50%
#% to [Resistances|Cold Resistance]
50%
#% to all [ElementalDamage|Elemental] [Resistances]
50%
#% increased [Spell] Damage
43.8%
#% to [Resistances|Lightning Resistance]
43.8%
#% increased Mana Cost [Efficiency] of [Spell|Spells]
31.2%
#% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
31.2%
# to [Evasion] Rating
18.8%
Ring 2
Top Explicit Mods
#% increased Cast Speed
68.8%
# to maximum Mana
50%
#% increased [ItemRarity|Rarity of Items] found
50%
#% to all [ElementalDamage|Elemental] [Resistances]
43.8%
#% increased [Spell] Damage
37.5%
#% to [Resistances|Fire Resistance]
37.5%
#% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
31.2%
#% increased Mana Cost [Efficiency] of [Spell|Spells]
25%
Adds # to # [Physical|Physical] Damage to [Attack|Attacks]
25%
#% increased [BuffEffect|effect] of [ArcaneSurge|Arcane Surge] on you
18.8%
Belt
Top Explicit Mods
Has # [Charm] Slots
100%
#% of [Flask|Flask] Recovery applied Instantly
68.8%
All [MagesLegacy|Mage's Legacies] have #% increased effect per duplicate [MagesLegacy|Mage's Legacy] you have
50%
Legacy of [LegacyOfDiamond|Diamond]
43.8%
Legacy of [LegacyOfBismuth|Bismuth]
37.5%
Legacy of [LegacyOfQuicksilver|Quicksilver]
31.2%
Legacy of [LegacyOfSulphur|Sulphur]
31.2%
#% to [Resistances|Fire Resistance]
25%
Legacy of [LegacyOfSilver|Silver]
25%
# to [Armour]
18.8%
Main Hand (Set II)
Top Explicit Mods
#% increased [Spell] Damage
81.2%
# to maximum Mana
68.8%
#% increased Cast Speed
50%
# to Level of all [Lightning|Lightning] [Spell|Spell] Skills
43.8%
[Gain] #% of Damage as Extra [Lightning] Damage
37.5%
#% increased [Critical|Critical Hit Chance] for [Spell|Spells]
25%
#% increased chance to [Shock]
25%
[Gain] #% of Damage as Extra [Fire] Damage
18.8%
# to [Intelligence|Intelligence]
12.5%
#% increased [CriticalDamageBonus|Critical Spell Damage Bonus]
12.5%
Offhand (Set II)
Top Bases / Uniques
Top Explicit Mods
# to [Intelligence|Intelligence]
68.8%
# to maximum [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
68.8%
#% increased [Spell] Damage
68.8%
#% to [Resistances|Chaos Resistance]
68.8%
[Critical|Critical Hits] with [Spell|Spells] apply # Stacks of [CriticalWeakness|Critical Weakness]
62.5%
# to Level of all [Spell|Spell] Skills
12.5%
# to maximum Mana
12.5%
#% increased Cast Speed
12.5%
#% increased [Critical|Critical Hit Chance] for [Spell|Spells]
6.2%
#% increased [EnergyShield|Energy Shield]
6.2%
Interactive Meta Heatmap
No Node Selected
Key Notables & Keystones
Insightfulness
(16)100%✕ Remove
Pure Energy
(16)100%✕ Remove
Melding
(16)100%✕ Remove
Dampening Shield
(16)100%✕ Remove
Instruments of Power
(16)100%✕ Remove
The Fourth Teaching
(16)100%✕ Remove
Wildsurge Incantation
(16)100%✕ Remove
Chaos Inoculation
(16)100%✕ Remove
Controlling Magic
(15)93.8%✕ Remove
Efficient Casting
(15)93.8%✕ Remove
Sacred Rituals
(15)93.8%✕ Remove
Critical Overload
(14)87.5%✕ Remove
Dangerous Blossom
(14)87.5%✕ Remove
Careful Assassin
(14)87.5%✕ Remove
Patient Barrier
(14)87.5%✕ Remove
Alternating Current
(13)81.2%✕ Remove
Cut to the Bone
(13)81.2%✕ Remove
Sudden Escalation
(11)68.8%✕ Remove
Power Conduction
(11)68.8%✕ Remove
Aspiring Genius
(11)68.8%✕ Remove
Practiced Signs
(11)68.8%✕ Remove
Illuminated Crown
(10)62.5%✕ Remove
Breaking Point
(10)62.5%✕ Remove
Barya of Navira
(10)62.5%✕ Remove
Tempered Mind
(9)56.2%✕ Remove
Navira's Well
(9)56.2%✕ Remove
Raw Power
(9)56.2%✕ Remove
Critical Exploit
(9)56.2%✕ Remove
Reverberation
(8)50%✕ Remove
Return to Nature
(8)50%✕ Remove
Preservation
(8)50%✕ Remove
Affliction Enforcer
(8)50%✕ Remove
Constricting
(8)50%✕ Remove
For the Jugular
(7)43.8%✕ Remove
Proliferating Weeds
(7)43.8%✕ Remove
Boundless Growth
(6)37.5%✕ Remove
Erraticism
(6)37.5%✕ Remove
Hallowed
(6)37.5%✕ Remove
Roil
(6)37.5%✕ Remove
Shimmering Mirage
(5)31.2%✕ Remove
Mental Alacrity
(5)31.2%✕ Remove
Dominion
(5)31.2%✕ Remove
Bone Chains
(5)31.2%✕ Remove
Storm Driven
(4)25%✕ Remove
Turn the Clock Forward
(4)25%✕ Remove
Abasement
(4)25%✕ Remove
Barya of Kelari
(4)25%✕ Remove
Deadly Force
(4)25%✕ Remove
Potent Incantation
(4)25%✕ Remove
Turn the Clock Back
(4)25%✕ Remove
Essence of the Storm
(4)25%✕ Remove
Invigorating Archon
(4)25%✕ Remove
Brain Storm
(4)25%✕ Remove
True Strike
(4)25%✕ Remove
Chakra of Elements
(4)25%✕ Remove
Sanguine Tolerance
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
Dreamcatcher
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
General Electric
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
Desensitisation
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
Haemorrhaging Cuts
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
Crashing Wave
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
Barya of Ruzhan
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
Harmonic Generator
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
Invocated Efficiency
(3)18.8%✕ Remove
Rupturing Pins
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Rapid Recharge
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Conservative Casting
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Baryanic Leylines
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Ingenuity
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Acceleration
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Hastening Barrier
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Mind Eraser
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Electric Amplification
(2)12.5%✕ Remove
Varashta's Intuition
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Heavy Frost
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Shredding Force
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Ether Flow
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Arcane Nature
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Moment of Truth
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Arcane Intensity
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Thin Ice
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Resonance
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Harsh Winter
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Touch the Arcane
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Controlled Chaos
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Resurging Archon
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Convalescence
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Incision
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Energise
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Evocational Practitioner
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Energising Archon
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Wither Away
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Shattered Crystal
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Barrier of Venarius
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Pure Chaos
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Ice Walls
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Thaumaturgic Generator
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Cooked
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Infusion of Power
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Against the Elements
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Pin and Run
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Lightning Storm
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Mana Blessing
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Storm Surge
(1)6.2%✕ Remove
Unbound Forces
(1)6.2%✕ Remove