Stormweaver Ascendancy: A Tale of Fall and Potential Rebirth in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt

In the world of Path of Exile 2, ascendancy classes undergo a constant cycle of rises and falls, with POE2 Currency each patch bringing balance changes that can drastically shift the landscape. In Dawn of the Hunt, however, the Stormweaver has experienced what can only be described as a devastating fall from grace. Once a popular choice in patch 0.1, this ascendancy has seen its play rate plummet by more than 30%, and it's become a shadow of its former self.

But is the Stormweaver truly doomed to irrelevance, or does it have the potential for a comeback in future patches?

Let’s explore what happened, where it went wrong, and what—if anything—might bring it back to the forefront.

The Rise and Fall of Stormweaver: Patch 0.1 to Patch 0.2

In patch 0.1, the Stormweaver was a beloved choice among players who enjoyed high-mobility spellcasting with strong area-of-effect (AoE) abilities. With its mana stacking mechanics and the devastating power of Spark, the Stormweaver ascended to popularity quickly, thanks to its ability to dish out constant damage while staying elusive and mobile. Players could stack a substantial amount of mana and use it to fuel Archmage, Ingenuity, and the Stormweaver’s powerful abilities to devastating effect.

However, the Stormweaver’s reign in patch 0.1 came crashing down in Dawn of the Hunt—and the primary culprit was the nerf to mana stacking. The core of the Stormweaver’s power lay in its ability to stack mana efficiently to fuel various damaging abilities, especially Spark, which was the bread and butter of its AoE clearing. With the nerfs to mana scaling and the change to Archmage that significantly reduced mana scaling efficiency, the class found itself in a position where its damage output was simply not sustainable or competitive anymore.

The Effects of the Spark Nerf

Perhaps the most damaging change for Stormweaver was the nerf to Spark, a skill that had been synonymous with this ascendancy. Prior to patch 0.2, Spark’s ability to rapidly fire multiple projectiles and hit a large number of enemies made it one of the most powerful spells in Path of Exile 2. Combined with mana stacking, it created a cycle of consistent, high-damage bursts that could clear screens in seconds.

But with the nerf to Spark’s effectiveness, the Stormweaver lost its primary tool for both clearing and single-target damage. Players who had relied on Spark to clear vast groups of enemies were left scrambling for new ways to fill the void. With the removal of the mana stacking synergy, Stormweaver no longer had the explosive burst potential it once offered.

While there were several buffs and changes designed to compensate for these losses, they didn’t go far enough to restore the class to its former glory. It became clear that Stormweaver players were going to need more than just some minor tweaks to poe2 trade make it viable in the new patch.