Path of Exile Best Skill Gems to Upgrade First – MMOexp Tips

[Nevinchnabel]

Path of Exile (PoE) is one of the most complex and rewarding ARPGs in the world, offering endless ways to customize your character. At the heart of its build system lies a unique mechanic that sets it apart from other games: Skill Gems and Support Gems.

Instead of learning abilities through a traditional POE currency skill tree, PoE uses socketed items to grant your character active abilities and enhancements. For beginners, understanding how skill gems and their support counterparts interact can be overwhelming. That’s why we’ve created this beginner-friendly guide, complete with MMOexp pro tips, to help you master skill gems, supports, and the core of PoE’s combat system.

What Are Skill Gems?

Skill Gems are items that grant your character active abilities. By socketing them into gear, you unlock the ability to cast spells, use attacks, summon minions, or trigger special effects.

Colors: Each gem has a color that corresponds to an attribute:

Red (Strength) – Heavy attacks, defense, life-based skills.

Green (Dexterity) – Fast attacks, projectiles, evasion-based abilities.

Blue (Intelligence) – Spells, energy shield, elemental damage.

Leveling: Gems gain experience as you play. Higher levels increase their effectiveness but also raise attribute requirements.

MMOexp Tip: Don’t neglect your attribute stats. If you plan to run multiple blue gems, for example, you’ll need enough intelligence to use them.

What Are Support Gems?

Support Gems don’t grant skills on their own but instead enhance active skills when linked to them in socketed gear.

Examples include:

Added Lightning Damage – Adds extra elemental damage to attacks or spells.

Increased Critical Strikes – Boosts your crit chance.

Multistrike – Makes melee attacks repeat multiple times.

MMOexp Tip: Supports only work if they are linked to a skill gem in your gear. A skill gem in a non-linked socket won’t receive the bonus.

The Importance of Linked Sockets

PoE’s gear is socket-based, and the links between sockets determine how skill and support gems interact.

1-Link (Basic): A skill gem alone grants you an ability.

2-Link: A skill gem + one support gem for basic enhancement.

3-Link / 4-Link: More supports for stronger scaling.

5-Link / 6-Link: The ultimate setup, where a skill gem can be enhanced by five supports.

MMOexp Tip: Your first big gear upgrade should be a 4-link setup—it’s often enough to carry you through most of the campaign.

How to Choose the Right Skill Gem

With hundreds of skills available, beginners may feel overwhelmed. Here’s a breakdown of beginner-friendly skill archetypes:

Melee: Cleave, Ground Slam, Cyclone (great for learning positioning).

Ranged: Rain of Arrows, Toxic Rain, Lightning Arrow (simple and effective).

Spells: Fireball, Arc, Freezing Pulse (classic caster spells).

Summoner: Raise Zombie, Summon Raging Spirit, Skeletons (minion builds are beginner-friendly).

MMOexp Tip: Pick a main skill early and stick with it. Constantly swapping skills makes progression slower.

Best Support Gems for Beginners

While support gems vary depending on your build, some are universally strong for early progression:

Added Elemental Damage – Great flat damage boost.

Lesser Multiple Projectiles (LMP) – Fires multiple projectiles instead of one.

Increased Duration – Extends buffs, debuffs, and damage-over-time skills.

Faster Attacks / Faster Casting – Improves skill speed and smoothness.

Life Leech – Restores life while dealing damage.

MMOexp Tip: Damage supports scale better early on, while utility supports (like leech or duration) shine in mid- to late-game.

Active + Support Gem Combos

Here are a few powerful combinations beginners can try:

Fireball + Added Lightning Damage + Faster Casting

Turns your fireball into a rapid-fire elemental nuke.

Toxic Rain + Mirage Archer + Vicious Projectiles

Creates a constant barrage of damage-over-time projectiles.

Raise Zombie + Minion Damage + Minion Life

Tanky zombies that can fight alongside you through the campaign.

Cyclone + Life Leech + Increased Area of Effect

A melee spin-to-win build with sustain.

MMOexp Tip: Experiment with different supports to see how your skills change—the gem system is designed to reward creativity.

Leveling Your Gems

Gems level up automatically as you gain experience, but there are some things to keep in mind:

Higher-level gems require more attributes—don’t get locked out.

Some supports scale better at high levels, while others remain flat.

Use a Gemcutter’s Prism to increase gem quality, boosting its effectiveness.

MMOexp Tip: If you level an extra copy of your main skill gem in your secondary weapon slot, you’ll have a high-level replacement later on.

Skill Gems in the Endgame

In PoE’s endgame (maps, bosses, and leagues), your gems become the backbone of your build. To succeed:

Aim for a 5-link or 6-link setup for your main skill.

Use support gems that synergize with your specific damage type.

Keep utility skills (movement, buffs, curses) on secondary links.

Experiment with trigger supports like Cast When Damage Taken for automation.

MMOexp Tip: In tough boss fights, defensive gem setups like Immortal Call + Cast When Damage Taken can save your life.

Currency and Gem Upgrades

Skill gems can get expensive as you experiment with builds. That’s where efficient currency management comes in.

Orbs of Fusing – Used to link sockets.

Chromatic Orbs – Change socket colors to fit your build.

Jeweller’s Orbs – Reroll the number of sockets.

Exalted/Chaos Orbs – High-value currency often traded for powerful gems.

Farming this currency takes time, but trusted marketplaces like MMOexp let players obtain PoE currency safely and quickly.

Why Use MMOexp?

Cheap PoE Currency – Save time and avoid endless grinding.

Fast Delivery – Get your orbs and currency in minutes.

Safe & Secure Transactions – Trusted by thousands of PoE players.

24/7 Support – Always there to help.

MMOexp Tip: Use MMOexp to stock up on Orbs of Fusing and Chaos Orbs when setting up your first 5- or 6-link—it saves hours of farming frustration.

Common Beginner Mistakes with Gems

Using Too Many Different Skills – Spreads your damage too thin. Focus on one main skill.

Ignoring Support Synergy – Not every support works with every skill. Always check compatibility.

Skipping Defensive Gems – Only stacking damage leads to frequent deaths.

Not Prioritizing Links – A well-linked 4-link setup often beats an unlinked 6-socket.

Wasting Currency Early – Save your high-value orbs buy POE currency for endgame gear.

Final Thoughts

Skill gems and support gems are the foundation of Path of Exile’s build system. For beginners, mastering how they work—and how to link them effectively—will dramatically improve your gameplay experience.

By focusing on core abilities, prioritizing linked setups, and learning which support gems best complement your playstyle, you’ll progress through Wraeclast much more smoothly. And with MMOexp’s trusted marketplace, you’ll always have the currency you need to unlock powerful setups without being bogged down by endless farming.

Enhance your skills, optimize your links, and start strong in PoE with MMOexp at your side.