If you’re diving into Path of Exile 2, you already know this game isn’t for the faint of heart. Complexity is baked into every mechanic, and one of the key layers of that complexity comes from the Charge system. There are three types of charges in PoE 2 — Power, Frenzy, and Endurance Charges — and while they follow similar foundational rules, each has its own unique role. Today, we’re deep diving into Endurance Charges in Path of Exile 2, how they work, how to build around them, and why you should care.

Whether you’re new to the sequel or a long-time PoE vet trying to wrap your head around the changes in Dawn of the Hunt, understanding Endurance Charges in Path of Exile 2 is essential for beefy, tanky, and bruiser-style builds.

What Are Endurance Charges in Path of Exile 2?

Let’s get the basics out of the way. Endurance Charges are one of the three primary charge types in Path of Exile 2, functioning as temporary buffs that can be gained and consumed through specific mechanics. They’re mainly tied to defensive benefits and synergize well with melee or warrior-style builds that favor close-range engagement and mitigation.

Unlike Power Charges, which generally increase critical strike chance, or Frenzy Charges, which boost attack and cast speed, Endurance Charges empower defensive and retaliatory mechanics. In PoE 2, they’re not just passive buffs — they’re a currency for explosive payoffs when consumed.

How Do Endurance Charges Work in PoE 2?

Here’s the basic lifecycle:

1. You gain Endurance Charges through specific skills, passives, or items.

2. You consume them using other skills, supports, or gear.

3. While active, they grant certain passive benefits, but when consumed, they empower attacks, defenses, or grant other bonuses depending on the source.

Not all skills interact with charges. Skills must explicitly state they use or affect Endurance Charges, and they aren't interchangeable with the other charge types. That means a build focused on Endurance Charge synergy needs to be tailored to support that gameplay loop.

How to Gain Endurance Charges in Path of Exile 2

This is where things start getting juicy. Most of the charge-generating mechanics are locked into Warrior skills, though there are some passives and support gems that make it accessible to other classes. Here’s a breakdown of key sources for gaining Endurance Charges in PoE 2:

Skills and Support Gems

• Magma Barrier (Warrior Skill)
  Raise your shield, infuse it with magma, and gain an Endurance Charge when you block during the effect. This one is bread-and-butter for tanky warriors.

• Break Endurance (Support Gem)
  Grants a 40% chance to gain an Endurance Charge when Supported Skills fully break armor. Great for bleed or armor-shredding builds.

Passives and Notables

• Cranial Impact
  Gain an Endurance Charge when you Heavy Stun a rare or unique enemy. Also comes with +30% stun buildup — nice for crowd control-heavy builds.

• Grit
  Has a 5% chance to grant max charges instantly when you’d gain a charge. Also provides +1 to Maximum Endurance Charges.

• Resonance (Keystone)
  This one swaps around how you gain each charge type — gaining Endurance Charges instead of Power Charges, etc. It’s an advanced pick but can open up cool interactions.

Class-Specific Options

• Elemental Infusion (Amazon Ascendancy Passive)
  Though it's in the Amazon tree, it triggers a powerful infusion mechanic. When you consume an Endurance Charge, you gain 2 Fire Infusion stacks, which can drastically improve elemental builds.

How to Increase Maximum Endurance Charges in PoE 2

By default, you start with a cap of three Endurance Charges. But trust me, that won’t cut it if you’re trying to make a full charge-based bruiser or support build. Here’s how to boost that ceiling:

Passive Notables

• Endurance
  Gives you a whopping +2 to maximum Endurance Charges — must-have for charge stacking.

• Guts
  Grants +1 to maximum Endurance Charges and adds 3% life recovery per charge consumed — synergy heaven.

• Grit (again!)
  As mentioned above, it’s versatile and provides +1 max charge.

Gear and Enchantments

• Belt Enchantments (from Vaal Orb Outcomes)
  Rare but worth the hunt — belts can roll +1 to Maximum Endurance Charges through corruptions.

If you’re serious about building around this mechanic, stacking max charges is non-negotiable. More charges = more survivability, more damage potential, and bigger payoff when consumed.

How to Use or Consume Endurance Charges in PoE 2

So you’ve stacked up your Endurance Charges, now what? You burn them — strategically — to turn good skills into devastating finishers. These are some of the best ways to consume Endurance Charges in Path of Exile 2:

Active Skills

• Infernal Cry
  A warcry that consumes all your Endurance Charges to empower upcoming attacks. Enemies hit combust on death — solid for AOE clear and DOT builds.

• Seismic Cry
  Knocks back enemies and resets cooldown if used on a heavily stunned target. When charged, your next slam unleashes an extra aftershock.

• Shielding Cry
  One of the coolest shield-based skills right now. Empowers your shield attacks to perform counterattacks on hit/block — each one consumes an Endurance Charge to deliver extra hurt.

• Charge Infusion
  A buff-based skill that consumes charges over time in exchange for serious buffs. Think of it like a temporary ultra-mode — great for boss fights or rippy encounters.

Support Gems & Items

• Rally (Support Gem)
  Consumes all Endurance Charges on use to restore life based on charges spent. It’s a tank’s best friend in tight spots.

• Nebuloch (Unique Mace)
  This unique weapon consumes an Endurance Charge to Critically Hit, but has a downside — you take 100 Chaos damage per second per charge. Risk/reward at its finest.

Why Endurance Charges Matter in PoE 2 Meta

In Path of Exile 2, Endurance Charges have become more than just flat physical mitigation. They now fuel some of the most potent warcry, shield, and bruiser playstyles, and with the right investment, they can make or break a build.

Want to facetank projectiles? Build for charges. Want a warcry-heavy build that deals burn damage and counterstrikes everything in melee range? Endurance Charges. They open the door to powerful hybrid offensive-defensive builds, especially when paired with high-scaling warcries or support gems.

With Patch 0.2.0 and the Dawn of the Hunt expansion adding even more emphasis on class identity and skill synergy, investing in Endurance Charge mechanics is not just viable — it’s top-tier for both solo and group play.

Final Tips: Building Around Endurance Charges

• Pick the Right Class: Warrior is the go-to, but with clever use of passives and gear, Amazon and others can make use of Endurance Charges too.

• Stack Maximum Charges Early: More charges = more utility. Prioritize notables like Guts and Endurance.

• Don't Hoard, Use Them: The real power comes when you consume Endurance Charges. Skills like Infernal Cry and Shielding Cry scale like crazy off consumption.

• Keep Your Sustain In Mind: Pair charge consumption with life gain mechanics like Rally or Guts to stay alive during heavy combat.

And of course, if you're trying to speed up your build progress or gear up for an Endurance-focused setup, it’s always helpful to buy PoE 2 currency early and avoid the grind. Personally, I’ve had good experiences with PVPBank — quick delivery, no nonsense.

Conclusion

So, how do Endurance Charges work in Path of Exile 2? They’re no longer just passive buffs. They’re an integral part of the buildcraft meta — powering your attacks, healing you, buffing your defenses, and turning your warcries into nuclear warheads.

Mastering them isn’t easy, but if you put in the time, Endurance Charges can take your build from average to elite. Whether you’re gearing up for high-end mapping, boss farming, or just want to feel unkillable in melee combat, this mechanic is well worth your attention.