Path of Exile 2 has always thrived on experimentation, build diversity, and the constant push-and-pull between overpowered metas and forgotten mechanics. Patch 0.4 made that especially clear when Whirling Assault went from a sluggish, rarely-used ability into one of the most satisfying and widely played attack skills in the entire game. Once clunky and overlooked, it suddenly became a centerpiece of many builds, proving that even “dead” skills can be revived with the right design attention.

That transformation naturally raises a bigger question: what other skills are sitting in the shadows, waiting for the same treatment?

Below are six underused or poorly functioning skills in Path of Exile 2 Currency that feel like they’re one thoughtful rework away from becoming meta-defining again in patch 0.5.

1. Hexblast – A Lost Identity in Modern Builds

At a glance, Hexblast should be one of the most iconic chaos skills in the game. Instead, it currently sits at an extremely low usage rate and is almost entirely confined to niche cast-on setups.

Historically, Hexblast had a clear role in chaos damage rotations—especially in combinations like Essence Drain + Contagion setups, where it served as a powerful single-target finisher. Players would layer chaos damage over time effects, drop utility skills like Dark Effigy, and then detonate with Hexblast for burst damage.

But over time, that identity was quietly stripped away.

Now, Hexblast rarely appears outside of cast-on-crit builds. Its original purpose as a chaos-based single-target nuke has essentially been replaced by other systems, particularly Dark Effigy, which now fills much of its intended role.

The result? A skill with no real identity outside of mechanical synergy abuse.

A rework that restores Hexblast as a primary chaos burst skill—rather than a triggered add-on—could immediately bring it back into mainstream builds. Right now, it feels like a spell without a home.

2. Fireball – A Fantasy Icon That Lost Its Impact

Fireball should be one of the most satisfying spells in Path of Exile 2. In nearly every RPG, Fireball represents raw magical destruction: a single glowing projectile that explodes with force.

In practice, however, Fireball in its current form feels underwhelming and diluted.

Instead of a powerful explosive spell, it often ends up being treated as a low-impact projectile spam skill, competing directly with other screen-filling abilities like Spark. This creates an identity crisis—Fireball is neither a high-damage nuke nor a uniquely interesting projectile tool.

Most effective Fireball builds lean heavily into mass projectile stacking, turning it into something visually chaotic but thematically disconnected from what Fireball is supposed to represent.

A better direction might be:

Fewer projectiles

Higher base explosion damage

More emphasis on “lobbed artillery” gameplay

Clear differentiation from Spark-style spam builds

Fireball doesn’t need more projectiles—it needs more weight.

3. Concoctions – A Forgotten Pathfinder Experiment

Perhaps the most surprising entry is the complete disappearance of Concoction skills, which currently sit at effectively zero usage despite Pathfinder being a popular ascendancy.

In Path of Exile 1, Concoctions had a strong identity as flask-driven hybrid attacks. They were flexible, chaotic, and deeply tied to flask mechanics. In Path of Exile 2, however, their identity has eroded.

Key issues include:

Heavy restrictions on scaling

Loss of synergy with herald mechanics

Limited build diversity

Over-reliance on Pathfinder without clear payoff

Even when players try to make Concoction builds work—such as freezing variants—they often fall off hard in endgame scaling.

The core problem is identity fragmentation. Concoctions are neither a true Pathfinder mechanic nor a standalone skill system.

Two possible solutions stand out:

Detach Concoctions from Pathfinder and make them universal skills

Or fully restore their flask synergy ecosystem, including herald interactions

Right now, they feel like a system stuck halfway between design philosophies.

4. Armor Breaker – Obsolete in a World Full of Armor Break Tools

Armor Breaker suffers from a very simple problem: it was designed for a system that no longer needs it.

In early progression, Armor Breaker serves a purpose. But in the current version of the game, armor breaking is already widely accessible through:

Support gems

Passive tree scaling

Alternative skills like warcries and shouts

Automation tools in late-game setups

This makes Armor Breaker redundant almost immediately after the early game.

Even worse, it is locked into melee mace identity, meaning it cannot meaningfully compete in hybrid or ranged setups. Players can easily replace it with more efficient armor-breaking tools that also provide damage or utility.

To fix this, Armor Breaker needs more than numerical tuning—it needs a mechanical hook, such as:

Consuming broken armor for amplified damage

Applying debuffs when armor is shattered

Scaling bonus effects based on armor reduction thresholds

Without something like this, Armor Breaker remains a tutorial-level skill that never graduates into endgame relevance.

5. Flameblast – A Lost “Nuke Moment” Skill

Flameblast once represented one of the most satisfying caster fantasies in Path of Exile: charging power, building tension, and unleashing a devastating explosion.

That identity has largely disappeared.

The introduction of cooldown mechanics and design adjustments intended to separate it from similar skills like Frost Nova fundamentally changed its rhythm. Instead of being a high-impact “charge and detonate” spell, Flameblast is now mostly used in:

Self-ignite proliferation setups

Totem-based spell builds

Highly specialized niche mechanics

The result is a skill that no longer feels like the explosive centerpiece it once was.

What made Flameblast special wasn’t efficiency—it was momentum. Players enjoyed the risk of standing still, charging power, and releasing a massive blast.

Restoring that fantasy could involve:

Removing or heavily reducing cooldown restrictions

Increasing charge payoff scaling

Reinforcing self-cast viability over totems

Right now, Flameblast feels like a shadow of its former self.

6. Spear of Solaris – A Capstone That Feels Like a Weak Link

If there is one skill that players overwhelmingly agree needs help, it is Spear of Solaris.

As a late-game spear capstone, it should represent peak power for spear archetypes. Instead, it is widely considered underwhelming, inconsistent, and lacking impact.

Its main issues include:

Weak damage scaling compared to its investment requirement

Over-reliance on “glory” mechanics that feel restrictive

Poor synergy with spear-focused builds

Lack of satisfying hit feedback

In short, it doesn’t feel like a capstone—it feels like a downgrade.

Spear builds already struggle with identity clarity, and Spear of Solaris does not help that situation. A full rework may be necessary, potentially involving:

Removing or redesigning glory mechanics

Increasing frequency of impactful hits

Enhancing scaling with spear archetype bonuses

Without major changes, it will likely remain one of the least satisfying endgame skills in its category.

Final Thoughts: The Whirling Assault Effect

The success of Whirling Assault in patch 0.4 proves something important: underused skills aren’t necessarily bad—they’re often just one design iteration away from greatness.

When Whirling Assault was updated, it went from clunky and ignored to fast, fluid, and widely played across multiple builds. That transformation didn’t require reinventing the game—it required refining the skill’s identity.

Each of the six skills above suffers from a similar problem:

They either lost their identity over time

Or were overtaken by newer systems

Or were never fully integrated into modern scaling mechanics

If Buy POE 2 Orbs continues refining older skills in the same way it handled Whirling Assault, patch 0.5 could be another major turning point for build diversity.

Because in the end, the healthiest meta isn’t just about adding new power—it’s about making old ideas feel alive again.