How shock works in current game version

Hi, I want to know how the "shock" mechanic works in the current version of the game. All help is appreciated, even if u can't answer all the questions! Thanks!

I've seen previous forum posts, and they all conflict with what's currently on the wiki (https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Shock). But the wiki doesn't make sense to me either, for example, it says u need to deal 100% of a monster's ailment threshhold (ailment threshold is usually the unit's max hp) in order to get 50% shock. But, obviously, dealing 100% kills the unit, so getting shock on it is useless.

My questions are:

1. Is the wiki's "example shock values" chart correct? If not, what are the proper numbers?

2. How long does shock last and does it scale with size of the shock? The wiki says 2 secs, but all the forum posts I've seen state 3 secs minimum and that it scales with how "big" of a shock u did. They say the bigger the shock (higher %), the longer it lasts. But the wiki makes no mention of this.

3. If u look at the wiki, in the "in depth mechanics" section, it talks about how "x% increased effect of shock" changes the damage thresholds for getting min 5%, or max 50% shock. However, the values they give seem totally off to me. They give min as 0.06% (from 0.32%) and max as 17.68% (from 100%) when applying +100% increased effect of shock. To me, it would make sense if min changed to 0.16% and max to 50%, because +100% means u've doubled the effectivenes of shock. So could someone please explain how the math actually works out? I'll quote the wiki entry below:


"Modifiers to shock effect, such as X% increased Effect of Shock, apply to the effect of the shock before the minimum or maximum effect is enforced. This means that increases to the effect of shock effectively reduce the amount of damage needed to apply both a minimum and a maximum shock. For example, a total of 100% increased Effect of Shock would reduce required the amount of damage dealt to apply a minumum effect shock to 0.06% of the enemy's ailment threshold, and reduce the required damage dealt for a maximum shock to 17.68%." - from https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Shock

Shock and Chill are the two most useless mechanics for players.

For monsters, they apply 20% to 60% on the players when they hit you.

Usually it won't work at all. Just treat it as a bonus and focus on dps...

Skitterbots...

"

Setasuna wrote:

Shock and Chill are the two most useless mechanics for players.

For monsters, they apply 20% to 60% on the players when they hit you.

Usually it won't work at all. Just treat it as a bonus and focus on dps...

Amazing feedback from a gamer with 4 life flasks on a ci build

From the same chart, you could see that you must remove 17.68% chunk of life (twice lesser against bosses since they have reduced ailment threshold %) of the enemy in a single hit to inflict 25% shock. Due to the diminishing nature in shock formula, you need way even more damage from that point onwards to get better shock effectiveness.

Fortunately there is a more practical alternative. Instead of getting more damage, you get percent increase of shock effectiveness, either from items or passives. Hence the conclusion that you could also achieve 50% shock if you have 100% increased shock effectiveness (doubling shock effectiveness).

Shock mechanics have been revised several times. Currently, base shock duration is 2 seconds which can be increased through certain items or passives. That forum post which you read could be old.

Most recently, they've made it so that inflicting the minimum 5% shock is as easy as inflicting minimum chill. If you have mana to spare, you can reserve it for skitterbots which is a constant 15% shock. There is also the improved Wake of Destruction boots which leaves shocking ground.

If you have more doubts, you can confirm it using PoB Party (online) or PoB Community (offline) tools to check it out.

Thanks, jeerinho! So the chart is correct then? Still seems odd to me that 50% shock is at 100% damage, makes it so that u need % shock effectiveness to make getting 50% shock worthwhile.

So are those the only ways of getting increased shock duration? Does shock duration no longer scale with damage anymore?

Thanks for the tips! I looked them both up on the wiki. Do I need mines in order for the skitterbots to work? If I don't have mines do they just stay beside me? How much shock do those boots apply (I looked up shocking ground but the values were different for different things and the boots wasn't listed).

Some new questions have come to me.

Let's say I shock an enemy for 5%. Then I hit him in his shocked state, and that damage applies shock for 10%. Is the monster now shocked for 10% or 15%, and what is the duration (would it reset to 2 or be 2 + whatever duration was left from the first instance of shock)?

Also, when I hit an enemy that is shocked, for determining the value of my next shock, do I look at my "base" damage or damage after being increased from shock? Example: My lightning attack does 100 base damage. I attack a unit that has 10% shock. For determining how much shock this strike will apply, do I use 100 or 110 in the formula?

Thanks again so much!

As far as I know, shock duration does not scale with damage anymore.

Skitterbots work like auras. You reserve mana to summon them and they are invulnerable. Miners will get additional benefits but they are useful to non-miners too. They will home to nearby enemies and apply chilling and shocking effect. If you are clearing too fast with your ranged skill then they won't be able to get close to enemies in time but against bosses when it matters most, they will definitely be able to get close. They are pretty unreliable for miners anyway because they detonate mines too slowly.

Shock is a straight 15% for these kinds of effects, including shocking ground from Wake of Destruction, Vaal Lightning Trap, etc. unless stated.

Shock duration will be reset on re-application. If you hit them with more damage thanks to 5% shock, then it will be easier to re-apply with higher percentage shock on your next hit.

Thanks, jeerinho, for answering again. You're the best!

Also, I'm assuming that the highest value of shock is always applied, correct? Like, for example: You're against a boss and u have skitterbots beside them, and u deal enough lightning damage enough to shock for 10%. The boss would ignore this and stay at 15% shock, correct?

Another question came to me from looking at the skill tree.

Some skills say "+x% increased damage if you have shocked an enemy recently". Does this count any means (including shocked ground, skitterbots, etc)? Or would the shock have to come directly from you via an attack or spell? Thanks!

PoE language tends to be precise (except when it's not...) so "you" does mean "you" here. Skitterbots and shocking ground wouldn't count. SKitterbots are a little funky. The gem has an aura tag, and it's the aura that shocks, but it doesn't count as your aura. They are minions and the aura belongs to them.