PoE Sanity

[PoE2 0.5] This Guy Just Broke the World Record with Twister TWICE!

By SnooBAE85Watch videoDuration: PT20M32S

Summary

  • Twister has transitioned from a niche, “clunky” skill to a world-record-holding powerhouse for campaign leveling in Path of Exile 2.
  • Speedrunner GuyThatDies set two consecutive world records (level 1 to maps) using Twister, beating his own Grenade record by 10 minutes total.
  • The upcoming Spiritwalker ascendancy features high synergy with Twister, further increasing community hype for Patch 0.5.
  • The build relies on “visionary gameplay,” requiring high mechanical skill to manage multiple active abilities and weapon swaps.
  • Key technical interactions include using Ice-tipped Arrows (which works with spears) and Frost Nexus to convert physical damage to cold and freeze enemies.
  • While powerful, the build’s complexity may make it difficult for average players to replicate the top-tier results.

The Evolution of Twister’s Reputation

Twister has recently dominated the conversation surrounding the upcoming Patch 0.5. Historically, the skill was viewed as clunky or mediocre, with a play rate of only 1-3%. However, two major events have shifted public perception:

  1. GGG’s Spiritwalker Reveal: The showcase featured end-game Twister gameplay with ascendancy points specifically designed to synergize with the skill.
  2. World Record Speedruns: Content creator GuyThatDies took the skill seriously for the first time, breaking his own world record for leveling from level 1 to maps twice. His final time was 3 hours and 25 minutes, proving Twister is a world-class speedrunning archetype.

Behind the Scenes: The Speedrunning Shift

Prior to the recent records, the general consensus among top players—including GuyThatDies—was that Twister and Spears were subpar for leveling. This perception changed rapidly following the Spiritwalker reveal and the discovery of specific “tech” involving Ice-tipped Arrows.

During a “Creator Cup” event hosted by Crimson_Cass, a narrative was initially built to pit the “two worst” leveling archetypes against each other: Monk (Quarterstaff) vs. Huntress (Spears). However, after the new ascendancy reveals and the realization of Twister’s true power, the narrative shifted from a “for fun” challenge to a showcase of what these newly featured classes can actually achieve.

Performance vs. Accessibility

Despite the record-breaking times, I must set expectations for the average player. Twister is a highly technical “visionary” skill that requires managing a large rotation of abilities. A world-class gamer can easily juggle 8 to 12 buttons with minimal practice, but the average player might find it overwhelming. The rotation often includes:

  • Frost Bomb
  • War Banner
  • Barrage
  • Ice-tipped Arrows
  • Freezing Mark
  • Whirling Slash
  • Twister

Build Setup: Spear Archetypes and Wolf Tech

There are two primary ways to optimize a Twister build for the campaign:

  1. The Double Spear Setup (GuyThatDies’ Version):
    • Off-hand Set: One side uses a spear with an off-hand for Dance with Death and Whirling Slash, focusing on skill/attack speed nodes.
    • Main Set: A secondary spear focused purely on raw damage for the Twister casts themselves.
  2. The Wolf Setup (SnooBae85’s Version):
    • Off-hand Set: Uses a Talisman and focuses on movement speed nodes (Wolf/Shape-shifting tech).
    • Mobility: Provides roughly 30% increased movement speed via pouncing and dodge-roll sprinting.
    • Trade-off: Slightly slower Whirling Slash and damage compared to the double spear setup, but significantly higher map traversal speed.

The Power of Ice-tipped Arrows and Frost Nexus

The standout mechanic for current Twister builds is the interaction with Ice-tipped Arrows. While the name implies it is limited to bows, it currently works with spears.

  • The Interaction: Ice-tipped Arrows must be set to the same weapon set as Twister.
  • Frost Nexus: By socketing Frost Nexus into Twister, you lose a traditional damage support but gain a “wintry wonderland” effect.
  • Damage Scaling: The setup converts physical damage to cold. With Ice-tipped Arrows active, Twister gains a “50% more cold damage gained as extra” multiplier against chilled enemies, allowing for fluid clears and easy freezing of rare mobs and bosses.

If Ice-tipped Arrows is ever removed or nerfed, Twister remains viable by using Salvo and Fangs of Frost to create chilled ground, though it requires slightly different positioning and button timing.

The Future of Twister and Potential Nerfs

I am not particularly concerned about Twister receiving a heavy nerf. The skill’s complexity and multi-button requirement align perfectly with GGG’s “vision” for Path of Exile 2 gameplay. GGG typically avoids nerfing unpopular or complex skills unless they become overwhelmingly dominant in a way that bypasses intended mechanics.

If a nerf occurs, it will likely target the Ice-tipped Arrows interaction specifically. However, the skill was already strong before this tech became mainstream, so the archetype would remain competitive regardless.

Conclusion and Ascendancy Choices

The world record was set using the Amazon (Huntress) ascendancy, which is considered relatively weak. The upcoming Spiritwalker is expected to be significantly more powerful for Twister.

I am currently undecided between playing Spiritwalker or Deadeye.

  • Spiritwalker: The “new” choice with fresh interactions.
  • Deadeye: Likely still the overall strongest ascendancy for Twister due to its superior scaling with parry and evasion in the end-game.

Key References