Archmage 0.2.0 Nerf Overview

The Archmage support gem in Path of Exile 2 has been a dominant force in the meta, particularly for builds leveraging high amounts of mana to scale lightning damage. However, with the 0.2.0 patch, Archmage has received significant nerfs across multiple axes, reducing its overall effectiveness. Let's break down the specific nerfs and assess the magnitude of the changes.

First Nerf: Damage Per 100 Max Mana

The core mechanic of Archmage involves converting a percentage of your maximum mana into extra lightning damage for non-channeling spells. In the earlier patches, the bonus damage scaling was very potent, with X varying between 6-11% depending on gear and skill investments.

Patch 0.2.0 significantly reduces this bonus:

Old Scaling: Typically ranged from 6-7% early in the game to 9% at moderate investment and 10-11% at very high investment.

New Scaling: The X value is now uniformly reduced to 3% for all investment levels.

Magnitude of the Nerf:

This change results in a 50-73% reduction in bonus damage, depending on your previous scaling levels. For players with high gear investment, this is a substantial loss, as the power of the gem relied heavily on scaling X with maximum mana. However, the nerf doesn't entirely cripple the gem; the raw damage scaling is just significantly reduced.

Second Nerf: Flat Mana Boosts on Gear

Flat mana boosts, which come from various gear pieces (e.g., Lifesprig or Dream Fragments), are also being nerfed. These are sources of mana that directly add a fixed amount of mana to your pool, and they are critical for scaling the Archmage gem's damage.

Lifesprig's fixed mana (10-20 mana) and the Dream Fragments' percentage mana (from 20% to 10%) have both been adjusted.

Flat mana bonuses from rare PoE 2 items are being nerfed unevenly:

Boots and gloves are seeing a reduction of around 30% in flat mana.

Rings are seeing a lesser reduction (around 10%).

The Ingenuity belt is also being completely reworked, no longer providing the same level of mana as it did before.

Magnitude of the Nerf:

Overall, flat mana has been reduced by around 25% across the board. For characters with high gear investments, this means a 10-15% decrease in overall mana, which translates to 10-15% less damage. Less developed characters may experience a 10-12% decrease in damage due to the reduction in flat mana.

Third Nerf: Percentage Mana

Percentage mana bonuses, which were a key part of Archmage's effectiveness, are also being reduced. These include sources like Dream Fragments and Morior Invictus, as well as specific ascendancy nodes. Several of these are being converted from % mana pool size bonuses to mana regeneration rate bonuses instead, which significantly reduces their impact on the Archmage scaling.

Dream Fragments now only provide 10% mana (down from 20%).

Morior Invictus loses its %mana bonus entirely.

Stormweaver ascendancy nodes shift from providing 4% maximum mana to 12% mana regeneration.

Magnitude of the Nerf:

Players who relied on percentage mana for scaling will see a 30% reduction in mana pool size, which equates to around 30% less damage (though the exact impact will depend on each player's specific build and gear configuration).

Is the Build Dead?

While the nerfs are significant, Archmage is unlikely to be completely dead. It was such a powerful overperformer that even after these reductions, it may still hold relevance in certain builds. However, there are a few important changes:

Difficulty in High-End Content: The nerfs will make difficulty 4 pinnacle boss fights much more challenging, especially for those relying on gear looted from Tier 1 maps. Boss fights will take longer, and gear and knowledge of the fight mechanics will play a more important role in success.

More Investment Needed: Players will need to invest more in their builds to reach the same damage levels as before. It might also push Archmage users toward farming more endgame content to obtain higher-level gear that can compensate for the nerfs.

Final Thoughts

The 0.2.0 nerfs to Archmage will reduce its power, particularly in terms of raw damage scaling. However, it will likely still be a viable option for many builds, though players will need to adjust their strategies, especially for high-end content. Archmage won't be the "go-to" option it once was, but with careful planning and adjustments to gear and skill choices, it may remain a competitive choice for lightning-based builds.

If you're sticking with Archmage in PoE 2, even post-nerfs, having extra PoE 2 currency gives you a major edge. It allows you to mitigate the nerfs by fine-tuning your gear and pushing the build into a still-powerful state.