Whether you’re playing a lightning-fast ranger, a crit-focused caster, or an unkillable juggernaut, learning how maximum charges work and how to build around them can elevate your character from average to elite.
What Are Charges?
Charges are stackable temporary buffs that enhance your character in powerful ways. While they existed in PoE 1, PoE 2 greatly expands their importance and interaction depth.
The three main charge types are:
Frenzy Charges
Increase attack and cast speed
Often grant bonus damage
Primarily offensive and speed-focused
Power Charges
Increase critical strike chance
Often increase critical strike damage or spell power
Best for crit-based builds
Endurance Charges
Reduce physical damage taken
Grant elemental resistances or damage reduction
Core for defensive or hardcore builds
Each charge type supports a specific playstyle, and stacking them properly can dramatically improve performance.
What Is “Maximum Charges”?
Your character has a limit on how many charges of each type can be active at once — this is called your maximum charges.
For example:
Base Frenzy Charges: 3
Base Power Charges: 3
Base Endurance Charges: 3
By default, you can only have three of each. But PoE 2 allows you to increase this limit significantly.
If you raise your maximum Frenzy Charges to 7, every Frenzy Charge bonus becomes stronger simply because you have more of them active at once. This is why maximum charges act as a scaling multiplier rather than a flat stat.
Why Maximum Charges Are So Powerful
Maximum charges are strong because they:
Scale multiplicatively with your build
Stack with other buffs and auras
Improve both offense and defense
Enable charge-based mechanics and skills
For example, if each Frenzy Charge gives you 5% attack speed, going from 3 to 7 charges nearly doubles that bonus. If your build also has passives that give bonuses per Frenzy Charge, the scaling becomes even more dramatic.
Sources of Maximum Charges in PoE 2
1. Passive Skill Tree
The passive tree contains multiple nodes that grant:
+1 Maximum Frenzy Charge
+1 Maximum Power Charge
+1 Maximum Endurance Charge
These are typically located near class identity areas:
Ranger and Duelist areas → Frenzy Charges
Witch and Shadow areas → Power Charges
Marauder and Templar areas → Endurance Charges
Some notable passives also grant bonuses per charge, such as increased damage or defenses per charge.
2. Ascendancy Classes
Ascendancies in PoE 2 are more specialized than ever. Many offer:
Increased maximum charges
Faster charge generation
Stronger bonuses per charge
New mechanics tied to charges
This makes ascendancy choice the foundation of any charge-stacking build.
3. Items and Uniques
Some items grant:
+1 maximum charges
Increased effect of charges
Charge generation on hit or crit
Conversion between charge types
Charge-related uniques become extremely valuable because of how strongly they scale into endgame.
4. Skill Gems
Many skill gems:
Generate charges when hitting enemies
Consume charges for burst effects
Gain damage or utility per charge
The more charges you can hold, the stronger these skills become.
Charge Generation and Sustain
Maximum charges are useless if you cannot sustain them.
You must consider:
How you generate charges (on hit, on crit, on kill)
Whether generation works in boss fights
Charge duration and refresh mechanics
Boss encounters often lack kill-based triggers, so relying only on “on kill” generation can leave you powerless during major fights.
Common Charge-Focused Build Archetypes
Frenzy Stacking Builds
Bow builds
Dual-wield attack builds
Extremely fast mappers
Power Charge Builds
Crit-based spellcasters
Assassin-style builds
High burst damage
Endurance Charge Builds
Juggernaut-style tanks
Hardcore melee builds
Extremely durable characters
Mistakes to Avoid
Stacking maximum charges without charge generation
Ignoring defenses while chasing offense
Trying to stack all three charge types inefficiently
Forgetting about boss content
Why PoE 2 Emphasizes Charges More Than Ever
PoE 2 moves away from simple flat stat stacking and toward layered scaling systems. Charges provide:
Dynamic gameplay
Build identity
High-end optimization potential
They reward players who invest intelligently and plan their builds.
Final Thoughts
Maximum charges are not just a stat — they are a core scaling mechanic in Path of Exile 2. By understanding how they work and how to increase and sustain them, you unlock enormous power potential.
Whether you want to map faster, crit harder, or survive longer, mastering maximum charges is one of the best investments you can make in EZNPC POE 2 items.
