Path of Exile 2 (POE 2) continues to build on its legacy by introducing new weapons, skills, and mechanics that appeal to both veteran players and newcomers alike. Among these, the Cultist Greathammer stands out as a remarkable two-handed mace base type that offers substantial damage potential, versatile playstyle options, and deep synergy with various builds. Whether you're a fan of hard-hitting melee or elemental-based combat, the Cultist Greathammer is a weapon that has the power to shape your character's journey through Wraeclast.

In this article, we will explore everything you need to know about the Cultist Greathammer-its core attributes, synergy with skill gems, optimal builds, and methods for acquiring this powerful weapon. Additionally, we will discuss how to make the most out of the weapon through crafting, trading, and leveraging POE 2 Currency for upgrades.

What is the Cultist Greathammer?

The Cultist Greathammer is a two-handed mace base type introduced in Path of Exile 2. It features a unique combination of high base physical damage, strong critical strike potential, and elemental adaptability. The weapon's design emphasizes both offensive and defensive capabilities, making it an ideal choice for players who want to deal massive damage while maintaining a solid defense.

This weapon is tied to the "Cultist" theme in the game, which reflects the darker, occult side of Wraeclast. The hammer itself is visually striking, with a menacing, ornate design that is sure to appeal to players who favor a gothic aesthetic in their builds.

What sets the Cultist Greathammer apart from other two-handed weapons in Path of Exile 2 is its ability to scale in multiple directions-whether you're stacking physical damage, elemental damage, or leveraging critical hits, the Cultist Greathammer can be molded to suit a wide range of build types.

Key Stats and Modifiers of the Cultist Greathammer

Before diving into potential builds and synergies, it's important to understand the weapon's key stats and modifiers that make it a formidable choice:

Base Physical Damage

The Cultist Greathammer has high base physical damage, which is a cornerstone for many melee-based builds. The weapon's damage output can be further enhanced by stacking physical damage nodes on the passive skill tree, applying different support gems, or utilizing specific crafting methods. With a strong base physical damage, this hammer can be a great choice for players who focus on dealing raw damage through melee attacks.

Critical Strike Chance and Multiplier

The hammer boasts a solid critical strike chance, making it an excellent weapon for critical strike builds. Critical hits deal a significant amount of bonus damage, especially when combined with the right modifiers and support gems. For players who enjoy building around critical strikes, the Cultist Greathammer's high critical strike chance and multiplier can significantly enhance your overall damage output.

Attack Speed

While the Cultist Greathammer's attack speed is not the highest, it makes up for this with its raw damage per hit. Slower attack speeds with higher damage potential can actually be beneficial in Path of Exile 2, as you can focus on maximizing each blow's impact. Players who focus on tanky, slow-hitting builds will find that the hammer complements their style well, allowing for devastating single-hit damage.

Elemental Affinities

One of the most appealing aspects of the Cultist Greathammer is its ability to scale elemental damage. While it starts with a strong physical damage base, players can imbue the weapon with elemental properties through crafting, passive skill tree nodes, or skill gems. This versatility enables the hammer to fit into a variety of elemental build strategies, whether you're going for fire, cold, lightning, or a hybrid elemental setup.

Synergies with Skill Gems

The Cultist Greathammer shines when combined with the right skill gems, as certain skills will interact more favorably with the hammer's base stats. Below are some of the best skill gems to pair with this weapon:

1. Melee Skills

Smash or Hammer Slam: These melee skills make the most out of the Cultist Greathammer's high base physical damage. With the hammer's critical strike potential, skills like Smash or Hammer Slam can quickly dispatch enemies with overwhelming force. These skills can be used to target both single enemies and larger packs, thanks to the wide AoE effects of the attacks.

Cyclone: For players who prefer a more dynamic playstyle, Cyclone is an excellent choice when combined with the Cultist Greathammer. This melee skill allows players to spin through enemies while dealing both physical and elemental damage. With the right support gems and passive tree investment, Cyclone can become a devastating tool for both clearing mobs and dealing with bosses.

2. Elemental Damage Skills

Molten Strike: If you want to scale elemental damage with your Cultist Greathammer, Molten Strike is a fantastic option. The skill converts a portion of your physical damage into fire damage, which complements the hammer's high base physical stats. The explosive nature of Molten Strike allows players to deal massive AoE fire damage, making it ideal for clearing large groups of enemies.

Elemental Hit: Another great choice for elemental scaling, Elemental Hit converts your physical damage into one of the three primary elements-fire, cold, or lightning. The versatility of Elemental Hit, when combined with the Cultist Greathammer's high damage output, allows players to adapt to different elemental-based needs and deal with various types of enemies.

3. Critical Strike Builds

Power Charge Builds: Players who focus on critical strike-based builds will find that the Cultist Greathammer is a great fit for Power Charge builds. By stacking Power Charges and investing in critical strike chance and multiplier passives, players can achieve massive DPS numbers. The hammer's high crit potential makes it ideal for this build, allowing you to consistently hit harder and more often.

4. Area-of-Effect (AoE) Skills

Earthquake: For tanky, AoE-based builds, Earthquake is a perfect skill to pair with the Cultist Greathammer. The skill's aftershock mechanics work wonderfully with the hammer's high damage output, allowing players to deal devastating AoE physical damage. Earthquake's wide AoE makes it ideal for clearing maps and dispatching large groups of enemies quickly.

Cleave/Sweep: These sweeping melee attacks allow players to hit multiple enemies at once, which pairs nicely with the Cultist Greathammer's high base damage. For larger groups of enemies or crowded boss fights, these skills can efficiently take down multiple foes.

Path of Exile 2 Cultist Greathammer Builds

The versatility of the Cultist Greathammer means it can be used effectively in a wide range of builds. Here are some popular builds that synergize well with this weapon:

1. Physical Crit Build

For players who want to deal massive damage through critical hits, a physical crit build is an excellent option. By stacking critical strike chance, critical strike multiplier, and physical damage nodes in the passive skill tree, you can maximize the hammer's DPS potential. This build can be incredibly effective for single-target bosses and for dealing with high-tier content.

2. Elemental Hammer Build

If you prefer an elemental-based approach, converting the Cultist Greathammer's physical damage into fire, cold, or lightning damage is an effective strategy. By using skill gems like Molten Strike or Elemental Hit, players can leverage the hammer's high base damage and turn it into elemental devastation. This build provides a balance of offense and defense, making it a great choice for all-around gameplay.

3. Tanky Earthquake Build

For those who enjoy a tanky, high-survivability playstyle, a Tanky Earthquake Build using the Cultist Greathammer can be extremely rewarding. With Earthquake's massive AoE damage and the hammer's ability to hit hard, this build allows players to survive in the toughest encounters while dealing overwhelming damage to groups of enemies.

4. Cyclone Crit Build

If you're a fan of fast-paced gameplay, a Cyclone Crit Build works wonders with the Cultist Greathammer. By utilizing critical strike modifiers and enhancing your AoE damage with Cyclone, you can create a highly mobile, fast-hitting build that shreds through enemies with ease.

How to Acquire the Cultist Greathammer

While the Cultist Greathammer is a powerful weapon, acquiring it is no easy feat. Here are a few ways you can obtain it:

1. Crafting

Crafting the Cultist Greathammer can be done through a variety of methods, including Essences, Fossils, and Mastercrafting. Players can either craft the hammer themselves or purchase the necessary materials to craft a version that suits their needs.

2. Boss Drops

The Cultist Greathammer can also drop from high-tier bosses and endgame encounters. While its drop rate may be low, completing higher difficulty content increases the likelihood of finding this powerful weapon.

Maximizing the Potential of the Cultist Greathammer

To get the most out of your Cultist Greathammer, focus on the following:

Optimize your passive tree: Select nodes that increase physical damage, critical strike chance, and elemental damage. Tailor your passive tree to support your specific build, whether it's a crit-focused or elemental-based setup.

Use support gems wisely: Support gems like Brutality, Elemental Focus, and Empower will boost your damage output significantly.

Investing in POE 2 Currency allows you to craft, trade, and upgrade your weapon more efficiently. By buy POE 2 Orbs and using them for crafting, you can ensure that your Cultist Greathammer reaches its full potential.