On this page
- Quick Answer
- Quick Facts
- Requirements
- Projectile Field and Beam
- Same-Target Hit Interval
- Infusion Mode
- Terrain and Positioning
- Projectile Speed vs Duration
- Support Compatibility
- Support Loadouts
- Skill Interactions
- Mapping Rotation
- Bossing Rotation
- Cast on Crit Usage
- Build Usage
- Troubleshooting
- Community Evidence
- Video Guides
- Sources and Verification
- Patch History
- Changelog
Quick Answer
Spark releases a fan of projectiles that automatically chain to nearby enemies, then travel a short distance and leave a brief beam along their path.
Its clearing power comes from chaining plus the beam overlap, so projectile speed, duration and enemy density matter more than raw projectile count.
With Cold Infusion, the projectiles become Cold and the beam bursts into many projectiles in a circle — a strong burst used in cast-on-crit setups.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Spell / Projectile / Lightning
- Tagged spell, projectile, lightning, chaining, aoe.
- Hit pattern
- Chaining projectiles + beam
- Projectiles chain between enemies then leave a short beam.
- Best infusion
- Cold Infusion burst
- Cold-infused Spark explodes into a circle of projectiles on the beam.
- Acquisition
- Uncut Skill Gem (Tier 3)
- Obtained from an Uncut Skill Gem; sockets into a spell skill slot.
- Best role
- Screen clear + CoC trigger
- Pairs with cast-on-crit and mana-stacking builds.
Requirements
No special attribute gate. Spark is a spell gem slotted into a skill socket and cast with mana.
Because it is a spell, it scales with spell-related supports and can be triggered by cast-on-crit or cast-on-ailment gems instead of self-cast.
Projectile Field and Beam
On cast, Spark emits a set of projectiles in a forward arc. Each projectile chains to nearby enemies a limited number of times, then continues and leaves a beam segment along the path it travelled.
The beam is a secondary hit source. Enemies standing where multiple beams overlap take repeated beam damage, which is why dense packs feel like they melt.
Projectile count, chain count and beam duration are the three knobs that change how much of a room gets covered.
- Chains target the nearest valid enemy within the chain range.
- The beam persists for a short time after the projectile finishes travelling.
- Cold Infusion replaces the beam with a circular projectile burst.
Same-Target Hit Interval
Multiple projectiles from the same cast that hit the same enemy are governed by an internal hit interval, which prevents a single Spark from shotgunning one target instantly with every projectile.
Different casts are treated separately, so faster cast speed from a second Spark does add more chances to hit the same target over time.
For cast-on-crit setups, the trigger source ownership matters: triggered Sparks are their own casts and follow the same per-cast interval rule.
- Same cast, many projectiles on one enemy: limited by the hit interval.
- Separate casts: each can contribute hits subject to its own interval.
- Cold-infused projectiles follow their own pattern and do not simply inherit the normal beam rule.
Infusion Mode
Spark can be infused. Cold Infusion converts the projectiles to Cold damage and makes the beam burst into a ring of projectiles, turning a clear spell into a burst that also stacks chills and feeds cast-on-ailment triggers.
Lightning Infusion keeps the Lightning tagging and is consumed when the projectile or beam deals its hit, so the infusion benefit only applies while you have charges.
The infusion choice changes how you build around Spark: Cold Infusion wants ailment and chill scaling, while Lightning Infusion wants flat lightning and shock payoff.
- Cold Infusion: circular projectile burst, strong with cast-on-ailment.
- Lightning Infusion: consumed on hit, needs a reliable infusion source.
- Infusion cost is separate from the spell's mana cost.
Terrain and Positioning
Spark can get stuck or waste beams against walls and corners. In tight rooms the projectiles chain quickly but the beam may clip geometry, reducing coverage.
In open maps the projectiles travel their full distance and the beams overlap a large area, giving the best clear feel.
Against a boss in a small arena, aim slightly off-center so chains and beams saturate the boss rather than bouncing into a wall immediately.
- Open maps: full projectile travel, wide beam overlap.
- Narrow boss rooms: aim off-center to avoid early wall clipping.
- Corners can trap chains, lowering effective single-target.
Projectile Speed vs Duration
| Goal | Projectile Speed | Duration | Result | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fast open clear | High | Medium | Quick coverage of far enemies | Short stay in each area |
| Narrow boss | Medium | High | More bounces and repeat coverage | Slower feel |
| CoC generation | Medium-High | Medium-High | Frequent hits | Depends on crit |
| Cold Infusion burst | Current client value | Current client value | Many projectiles in a circle | Consumes infusion |
Support Compatibility
Spark is a projectile spell, so supports that add projectile count, chain, area, spell damage and cast speed all apply. Avoid supports that only help attacks or minions.
- Added Lightning Damage and Lightning Penetration for shock builds.
- Chain and Return Projectiles extend coverage in packs.
- Faster Casting and Cast on Crit enablers speed trigger generation.
Support Loadouts
A clear-focused Spark uses projectile and area supports. A cast-on-crit Spark leans into crit and cast-speed supports to keep the energy bar full.
- Clear: Chain, Lightning Penetration, Area, Energy Retention.
- CoC: Critical Damage, Cast Speed, Lightning Damage, Control.
- Cold Infusion: Cold and Ailment supports instead of pure lightning.
Skill Interactions
Spark feeds cast-on-crit and cast-on-ailment because every chain and beam hit is a separate hit event that can roll a trigger.
Mana Tempest can empower triggered Sparks inside the storm, and Comet triggered from the same crit setup shares the energy economy.
Herald of Thunder gains a Shock chance from your lightning hits, so a Spark clear can keep the herald procs flowing.
- Cast on Critical Strike: primary trigger partner.
- Cast on Elemental Ailment: pairs with Cold Infusion.
- Mana Tempest: empowers spells cast inside the storm.
Mapping Rotation
In maps, cast Spark into the pack from a slight angle so chains pull enemies together and beams overlap the group.
Keep moving: Spark clears the screen fast, so you rarely need to stand still. Re-cast as cooldown or trigger allows.
- Aim off-center into the densest part of the pack.
- Keep casting while moving to chain through multiple groups.
- Use Cold Infusion when you want an ailment cascade.
Bossing Rotation
Against a boss, Spark alone is weak single-target. Use it as the trigger engine for Comet or as a chill applicator while your main damage skill does the work.
Position so the beam crosses the boss repeatedly; in small arenas a slightly angled cast covers the boss better than a point-blank one.
- Treat Spark as a trigger, not the main boss damage.
- Angle casts so beams cross the boss hitbox.
- Time Cold Infusion bursts with boss staggers.
Cast on Crit Usage
In a cast-on-crit setup, Spark is usually the triggered spell: each crit from your main setup fires Spark, and Spark's many hits help refill the trigger energy.
The energy bar fills from crits; faster Spark casting and more chains mean more hits feeding the loop, but you still need crit chance and crit multiplier on the trigger source.
Mana stacking builds pair Spark with Archmage-style mana scaling so the triggered spell also scales with maximum mana.
- Spark is the triggered payload, not the trigger source.
- More chains and cast speed feed the energy bar.
- Mana stacking multiplies the triggered damage.
Build Usage
Spark shines in Spark cast-on-crit Stormweaver and Gemling setups, and in mana-stacking Oracle or Titan builds that use the spell totem or trigger variant.
It is also a reliable league starter because the gem is low tier and the clear is strong even on a budget.
- Spark Cast on Crit Stormweaver: high-density trigger clear.
- Spark Gemling Legionnaire: attribute-stacking variant.
- Mana Tempest Oracle: empowers triggered Sparks.
Troubleshooting
If you fire many projectiles but the boss takes little damage, you are likely in a single-target scenario where Spark's chaining does not help — use it as a trigger or swap to a single-target spell.
If projectiles stick on terrain, you are in a tight room; angle your casts. If faster projectiles drop single-target, you traded duration for speed.
- Low boss damage: Spark is a clear tool, not single-target.
- Stuck projectiles: cast at an angle, avoid corners.
- Slow energy bar: raise crit chance and cast speed.
- Cold Infusion not consumed: confirm an infusion source is active.
- Weapon-set swap drops supports: keep the same supports socketed.
Community Evidence
Players consistently report Spark as a top clear spell in 0.5 patch threads, with the main debate being Cold Infusion burst versus Lightning Infusion sustain.
Cast-on-crit Spark builds are a recurring league-starter recommendation because the gem tier is low and the ceiling is high with investment.
- Cold Infusion burst is the popular 0.5 choice for clear.
- CoC Spark is recommended as a budget-to-high-end starter.
Video Guides
Spark CoC Ritualist
Spark Cast on Critical Ritualist Build Guide (0.5)
A Ritualist cast-on-crit Spark build showing clear speed and trigger setup in patch 0.5.
What to watch for: Watch how the Spark trigger loop keeps the screen clear.
Open source ↗Spark Temporalis
2.5M Tooltip Spark Temporalis Build Guide (0.5)
A high-budget Spark build demonstrating late-game scaling with Temporalis.
What to watch for: Watch the mana and cast-speed scaling behind the damage.
Open source ↗Sources and Verification
GGG official Patch Notes and forums confirming Spark behaviour, chaining and infusion in the current 0.5.4 client.
PoE2DB and Community Wiki provide Spark skill id, tags, chain count and infusion behaviour.
Community wiki page for Spark with projectile and beam details.
YouTube Spark cast-on-crit and Temporalis builds used to cross-check trigger and scaling.
Reddit and forums surface Spark clear and infusion discussions.
Patch History
- 0.5.0 (Return of the Ancients): Spark remains a core chaining spell; Cold Infusion burst behaviour confirmed in client.
- 0.5.4 (2026-08): Current baseline: chaining projectiles plus beam, Cold Infusion circular burst, cast-on-crit trigger scaling.
Changelog
- Initial release: projectile field and beam, same-target interval, infusion modes, terrain behaviour, speed vs duration table, support loadouts, cast-on-crit usage, mapping and boss rotations, troubleshooting and community questions.
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