Path of Exile 2: What does Elemental Expression actually do?

Elemental Expression is an Ascendancy skill for Invoker in Path of Exile 2 that triggers with critical melee hits. If you’re looking to add a mix of various elemental damage to your build, this is one of the easiest ways. It features three different elemental spell attacks that activate randomly if you meet the conditions.

However, it is a conditional skill that depends on various factors, the most important being the ability to deal consistent critical hits. This guide will help you figure out exactly how Elemental Expression works in Path of Exile 2, and some basic damage scaling tips.

Path of Exile 2: Elemental Expression skill explained

Elementa Expression can be very strong in a multi-element build (Image via GGG)

To unlock Elemental Expression, you’ll need to spend four Ascendancy points to get the ‘...and Scatter Them to the Winds’ node. Once you do, it will be available in your skills tab. The number of support skills depends on what character level you are.

It features three elemental attacks:

• Fiery Explosion: This skill has a 7% base critical chance and deals (5-152) to (8-228) Fire damage.
• Icy Wave: This skill has a 12% base critical chance and shoots three ice projectiles that pierce all targets while dealing (4-125) to (7-187) Cold damage.
• Arcing Bolt: This skill has a 9% base critical chance and sends out an arc that chains among seven enemies to deal (2-53) to (11-298) Lightning damage.

Each time your melee attacks deal critical hits, the skill will trigger one of the effects, so make sure you have enough crit hit chance on your attacks. As a Monk, you get easy access to passive nodes like Moment of Truth, Careful Assassin, Struck Through, and Deadly Force.

Elemental Expression synergizes well with the previous node, ‘Sunder My Enemies’, which ignores all non-negative enemy elemental resistance. However, the chance to activate the skill depends on the attributes you have. Fiery Explosion depends on Strength, Icy Wave depends on Dexterity, and Arcing Bolt depends on Intelligence.

Attributes can affect your damage type with Elemental Expression (Image via GGG)

If you have much higher Dexterity compared to Intelligence or Strength, most critical hits will trigger Icy Wave, so it is recommended to keep the attributes in moderation. A good way to do this is by using skills with different requirements.

Scaling the skill is also easy by using the Sunsplinter Unique buckler and a weapon with additional skill gem levels. If you like playing around with various elemental ailments, Elemental Expression is one of the best Ascendancy nodes you can pick up.

Check out other related guides and features:

• Path of Exile 2 "Failed to connect to instance" error: Potential causes and fixes
• Path of Exile 2: How to juice your maps post-0.3.1 changes

Edited by Mayank Singh Rathour