For players who love spinning through enemies in a whirlwind of destruction, the Blade Vortex Cast on Critical Strike (CoC) build in Path of Exile 2 Currency (0.4) is a perfect choice. Combining high-frequency spellcasting with critical strikes, this build turns every encounter into a spectacle of rapid, overlapping damage, making it both satisfying and deadly.

Why Blade Vortex CoC is Unique

Blade Vortex is a spell that summons ethereal spinning blades around the caster, dealing massive spell damage over time. When paired with CoC, critical hits from your primary attack skill can trigger Blade Vortex repeatedly, letting the blades appear instantly and stack for maximum damage.

Unlike single-target or projectile-focused CoC builds, Blade Vortex thrives in close-range, high-density combat, giving the caster both offensive and defensive utility by punishing enemies who get too close.

Choosing the Main Trigger Skill

The trigger skill should deliver frequent critical strikes to maximize Blade Vortex casts. Common choices include:

  • Cyclone: Continuous melee hits provide a near-constant stream of crits, keeping Blade Vortex active.

  • Glacial Cascade: For elemental hybrid builds, this allows a secondary AoE cold damage layer with crit synergy.

  • Kinetic Blast (ranged): Useful for ranged Blade Vortex setups, letting you trigger the spinning blades from a safe distance.

The goal is to maintain a high rate of crits without sacrificing survivability.

Recommended Ascendancy Classes

  1. Assassin (Shadow) – Natural for high crit builds, offering extra multiplier, poison synergy, and damage amplification. Ideal for melee or hybrid triggers.

  2. Occultist (Witch) – Boosts elemental damage, chaos synergy, and curse effects, making Blade Vortex CoC deadly in AoE and boss fights.

  3. Deadeye (Ranger) – If using projectile triggers, Deadeye can increase area of effect and projectile chaining, turning ranged CoC into a map-clearing powerhouse.

Passive Tree Strategy

Prioritize:

  • Critical Strike Clusters: Ensure high crit chance and multiplier to trigger Blade Vortex reliably.

  • Spell Damage Nodes: Amplify the spell portion of Blade Vortex.

  • Area of Effect Nodes: Larger blade radius increases coverage for AoE damage.

  • Survivability: Life, energy shield, and resistances are crucial since Blade Vortex builds are melee-proximate by nature.

Optional nodes include attack speed if you use a melee trigger, or cold/fire elemental nodes depending on Blade Vortex conversion.

Gear Priorities

  1. Weapon: Wands or daggers with high spell damage and crit multiplier. Melee weapons for Cyclone triggers work best.

  2. Armor: Prioritize energy shield plus life for durability in melee range.

  3. Rings / Amulets: Spell damage, crit multiplier, and elemental damage.

  4. Boots & Gloves: Movement speed and resistances for positioning and survival.

Support Gems Setup

  • Cast on Critical Strike (CoC): Essential for triggering Blade Vortex.

  • Blade Vortex Support: Increases damage, number of blades, and duration.

  • Controlled Destruction: Amplifies damage without relying entirely on crit.

  • Increased Area of Effect: Maximizes the coverage of the spinning blades.

  • Elemental or Physical Conversion Support: Optional, based on your desired elemental synergy.

Playstyle Tips

  • Positioning is critical: keep moving through packs while letting Blade Vortex spin.

  • Use mobility skills like Flame Dash or Dash to reposition during heavy damage.

  • Stack duration and blade count for longer-lasting AoE coverage.

Endgame Scaling

Blade Vortex CoC is extremely effective for both map clearing and single-target encounters, especially in dense endgame maps. High crit chance allows repeated triggers for consistent damage, and uniques such as Cyclone Wand (fictional PoE 2.4 example) or Ring of Whirling Blades enhance damage and blade duration.

Conclusion

The Blade Vortex Cast on Critical Strike build in Path of Exile 2 (0.4) is perfect for players who enjoy fast-paced, high-risk, high-reward gameplay. By combining critical strikes with spinning blades, this build delivers constant AoE damage while maintaining a melee edge. For anyone who loves being at the center of the action while raining destruction on all sides, Blade Vortex CoC is an exhilarating choice.