In Path of Exile 2, understanding how to synergize your skills and passives is essential to creating a POE2 Currency high-performance build. Among the many powerful passive skills available in the game, Storm Charge stands out as a must-have for characters who rely on elemental damage and critical strikes. Whether you're a spellcaster, bow user, or elemental melee warrior, Storm Charge can amplify your damage output and make your build far more efficient.

This guide covers everything you need to know about how Storm Charge works, how to apply it to an amulet, and how to best integrate it into your character build.

Storm Charge is a passive skill in Path of Exile 2 that grants two valuable bonuses:

+20% Increased Critical Strike Chance

+40% Increased Elemental Damage if you've dealt a Critical Hit recently

These effects combine to support both crit-based and elemental builds. The critical strike chance increase helps ensure you land crits more consistently, while the elemental damage boost significantly increases your total damage potential—whether you’re dealing crits or not.

How Storm Charge Functions in Practice
To understand Storm Charge, it’s important to break down what "recently" and "elemental damage" mean in the context of Path of Exile 2.

The game defines “recently” as the last 4 seconds. So, any critical strike you land within a 4-second window will activate the Storm Charge effect, giving you a 40% boost to all elemental damage during that time.

This means that as long as you’re landing critical hits regularly (even just once every few seconds), you’ll benefit from a nearly constant elemental damage bonus.

Applies to All Elemental Damage
Crucially, this 40% increase applies to all elemental damage—not just damage dealt from critical strikes. That means even skills or effects that can't crit (such as elemental damage over time effects like Burning Ground or Ignite) will still benefit from Storm Charge if you’ve recently landed a crit.

This makes Storm Charge a unique bridge between crit-focused and elemental DoT builds. Even characters that don’t primarily rely on critical damage can still benefit from the passive by incorporating a consistent crit source into their rotation.

How to Anoint Storm Charge in PoE 2
While you can allocate Storm Charge through the passive skill tree, you can also anoint it onto an amulet. This allows you to gain the effect without spending passive points, making it an attractive option for many builds.

To do this, you’ll need three specific items known as Distilled Emotions:

Distilled Fear

Distilled Terror

Distilled Envy

These items can be obtained in two primary ways:

1. Farming Delirium Content
The Distilled Emotions are rare drops from Delirium enemies, which are found in Ultimate Delirium maps. These maps are part of PoE 2’s endgame and are known for their high difficulty and high reward density.

2. Purchasing from Alva
If you prefer not to grind Delirium maps, you can use a currency item called Distilled Mood, which can be exchanged at the Currency Exchange via Alva in your Hideout. This is a convenient method for those with the resources or trade connections to acquire the materials without relying on RNG.

Note: Monsters in maps accessed via an Infused Waystone will not drop Distilled Mood. Be sure to avoid these maps if you're hunting for this infusion currency.

How to Apply Storm Charge to an Amulet
Once you’ve acquired Distilled Fear, Distilled Terror, and Distilled Envy, you’re ready to anoint your amulet. Here’s how to do it:

Step-by-Step Infusion Process:
Open your inventory.

Right-click on any Distilled Emotion. This will open the Infuse UI.

Place the amulet you want to infuse into the top slot of the Infuse window.

Insert the Distilled Emotions in the correct order (from left to right):

Distilled Fear

Distilled Terror

Distilled Envy

Verify the effect. If done correctly, the bottom text box will say: “Storm Charge”.

Click “Infuse” to complete the process.

Your amulet is now enhanced with the Storm Charge passive. Equip it, and the bonuses will take effect immediately.

Best Build Types for Storm Charge
Storm Charge can be used in a wide range of builds. Here are a few ideal candidates:

Lightning Arrow Rangers – Fast attacks + high crit + elemental damage = perfect synergy.

Elementalist Spellcasters – Especially those using shock or ignite-based spells.

Totem or Trap Builds – If the crit comes from a totem or trap and you're using elemental DoTs, Storm Charge still boosts overall output.

Hybrid Builds – Where your crit comes from one skill but your damage from another.

Even if your primary damage skill can’t crit, incorporating a fast-crit secondary skill can help you trigger the elemental damage boost frequently.

Storm Charge is one of the most versatile and rewarding passives in Path of Exile 2. Whether you're stacking crits or melting enemies with elemental DoTs, this passive skill offers an easy way to multiply your damage with minimal effort. By understanding how it works and taking the time to properly anoint your gear, you can unlock a powerful boost to your character’s potential.

For players looking to squeeze every drop of Path of Exile 2 Currency Orbs performance from their builds, Storm Charge is absolutely worth the investment.