Path of Exile 2: Heraldry Combo Guide

Mastering the Double Herald Setup in Path of Exile 2: A Guide to Herald of Ice and Thunder Synergy

The Double Herald setup in Path of Exile 2 is a powerful technique that leverages the synergistic interaction between Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder to create devastating chain reactions, clearing entire screens with a single hit. While not strictly necessary to understand the mechanics, grasping the interplay between these skills enhances build crafting. This guide details the implementation and underlying mechanics.

How to Implement the Double Herald Setup

Four key elements are required:

1. A Herald of Ice Skill Gem socketed with a Lightning Infusion Support Gem.
2. A Herald of Thunder Skill Gem socketed with a Cold Infusion Support Gem (Glaciation is highly recommended).
3. 60 Spirit.
4. A method for inflicting Cold damage.

Ensure both Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder are activated in your skill menu.

Effective ways to initially trigger Herald of Ice (crucial to initiate the chain reaction) include:

• Monk's Ice Strike (highly effective).
• Passive skills boosting Freeze buildup.
• Weapons/gloves with flat cold damage.
• Against the Darkness Time-Lost Diamond Jewel (+Cold damage percentage).

Understanding the Synergy

Herald of Ice activates when an enemy is Shattered (a result of attacking a frozen enemy), causing an AoE cold damage explosion. Crucially, Herald of Ice's cold damage cannot Freeze, preventing self-perpetuating chain reactions.

Herald of Thunder activates upon killing a Shocked enemy, unleashing damaging lightning bolts. Similarly, Herald of Thunder cannot inflict Shock independently.

The key lies in their damage conversion: Lightning Infusion on Herald of Ice converts a portion of its damage to Lightning (which can Shock), while Cold Infusion on Herald of Thunder converts a portion to Cold (which can Freeze). This allows one Herald to trigger the other.

Ideally, this creates an infinite chain reaction (Herald of Ice → Herald of Thunder → Herald of Ice, etc.). In practice, the chain usually ends after one or two cycles due to the need for a continuous stream of enemies. Breaches are particularly advantageous due to their high enemy density.

To start the chain, initially trigger Herald of Ice by Freezing and shattering an enemy using a cold damage skill (like Ice Strike). The resulting icy explosion will Shock, initiating the chain reaction. Prioritizing Herald of Ice is beneficial because Freeze is easier to inflict than Shock, and Herald of Thunder's lightning bolts have better range.