Path of Exile 2 has continued to excite the community with its ever-expanding range of builds and strategies, pushing players to optimize both power and efficiency in endgame content. Among the many builds that have emerged, one that stands out this season is the Bloodmage Infinite Annihilation Build (version 0.4.0). This guide provides an in-depth explanation of the setup, advantages, limitations, and advanced strategies to maximize your experience with this formidable build.

Overview of the Build

The Bloodmage Infinite Annihilation Build is a highly specialized setup that focuses exclusively on the Annihilation skill, departing from traditional elemental builds such as the “Electric Spark” setups previously popular. In essence, this build allows players to use Annihilation in rapid succession, almost mimicking an infinite-cast style, while maintaining mobility and poe2 rmt. Many players refer to this setup as the “Zha Polaris” or “Black Polaris” setup due to its inspiration from previous high-speed teleportation builds.

The core idea is simple: repeatedly cast Annihilation while using teleportation to traverse areas swiftly. Unlike traditional builds, which may rely on multiple skills or slower tempos, the Bloodmage Infinite Annihilation Build streamlines combat to one devastating ability, enhancing speed and control over encounters.

Combat Mechanics and Playstyle

One of the most notable aspects of this build is its fluid and dynamic combat style. Using Annihilation in combination with teleportation allows for unparalleled mobility. Players can jump over walls, bypass obstacles, and navigate temples or other high-verticality areas with ease. The rhythm is straightforward: cast Annihilation → move forward → cast again. This creates a fast-paced, almost cinematic combat loop that is both satisfying and efficient for clearing content.

While the build is inspired by “true Polaris” mechanics, it does not achieve literal infinite Annihilation. However, it drastically reduces cooldowns, allowing Annihilation to be used with minimal downtime, creating a sense of near-constant casting in most encounters.

Essential Equipment and Setup

The build requires careful attention to armor, shields, and other gear to function effectively. The Bloodmage class is highly recommended due to its self-sustain abilities and adaptability, which make it easier to equip the specialized items needed for this build. Here are the key components:

1. Silk of Sand Armor

The Silk of Sand armor is crucial for this build. Unlike the more common “Contract Armor” used by other classes such as Oracle or Barasita, Silk of Sand provides unique advantages:

It allows the use of Annihilation without consuming mental energy, eliminating the need for constant management of this resource.

The armor naturally reduces cooldowns for Annihilation, increasing overall casting frequency.

When paired with the proper shield, it enables high-speed teleportation and mobility.

Price Tip: Beginner-friendly single-socket versions can be obtained for around 100 Exalted Orbs or 1 Divine Orb with 8 additional Deep Orbs. Advanced multi-socket or corrupted variants are more expensive and are typically used by veteran players seeking maximum efficiency.

2. Ardra Sigil Shield

The Ardra Sigil Shield is paired with Silk of Sand to enhance cooldown recovery. It is especially valuable because:

It provides cooldown reduction, which synergizes with Annihilation’s rapid-cast potential.

It enables the Annihilation skill to be used without mental energy, a core advantage of this build.

Its socketing options allow players to customize elemental resistances or utility gems to compensate for Silk of Sand’s limitations.

For most setups, aim for 50% cooldown recovery speed on the shield to maximize casting efficiency. Higher-end corrupted versions can provide additional socket benefits but come at a high cost.

3. Shin Guards for Smooth Casting

A lesser-known but crucial part of the build is the use of specialized shin guards. When Annihilation is cast without this item, the animation can cause a slight pause in movement, potentially leading to interruptions or damage from enemies. The shin guards eliminate this pause, allowing for fluid mobility and safer positioning in dangerous zones.

Beginner versions usually have 1 socket.

Advanced versions range from 2-3 sockets and can include additional corrupted bonuses.

4. Weapon Sets and Configuration

This build relies on careful weapon set management. Players should assign:

Set 2: Contains the main casting wand or staff and the Ardra Sigil Shield.

Set 1: Can include secondary skills or alternate abilities for utility.

The key is to assign Annihilation to Set 2, which ensures the cooldown reduction and shield bonuses are active. Failing to configure weapon sets correctly can disrupt the build’s efficiency.

Tip: Avoid assigning items with overlapping restrictions, as some runes or items cannot be duplicated across weapon sets. Always check the “fixed in all weapon sets” note to ensure proper assignment.

Passive Skills and Optimization

The passive tree should focus on maximizing cooldown recovery speed and casting efficiency:

Time Mastery: Increases cooldown recovery and casting efficiency.

Duration Reduction Nodes: Helps balance the short duration of certain buffs or effects.

Casting Speed Bonuses: Every node that increases spell casting speed contributes to smoother rotations and faster Annihilation cycles.

For ultra-endgame players above level 98, additional nodes like Multitasking can be used to further increase skill efficiency, though these are optional and cater to highly specialized playstyles.

Support Gems and Utility

Support gems enhance both survivability and casting speed:

Life Residue with Renewal Catalyst: Stacks to increase cooldown recovery speed while providing healing over time.

Annihilation-specific Cooldown Gems: Dramatically reduce cooldown, ensuring near-constant availability.

Diala’s Longing (2-piece set): Further improves Annihilation frequency based on progression.

Advanced Users: Gems like Uthred’s Divination can be added for additional high-end performance.

Advantages of the Build

Annihilation Without Mental Energy: Normally, Annihilation consumes significant mental resources, limiting casting frequency. With this setup, it can be used freely.

Rapid Cast Frequency: Beginners can achieve roughly 1 cast per second, while optimized setups reach 0.7 seconds per cast.

Exceptional Mobility: Teleportation combined with shin guards and cooldown reduction allows effortless navigation of complex terrain, including temples with vertical movement requirements.

Reduced Manual Micromanagement: The build streamlines skill usage, removing the need for intricate mouse or keyboard macros that would otherwise be necessary in high-speed setups.

Limitations and Challenges

Despite its power, the build has several notable downsides:

No Energy Shield on Silk of Sand: This reduces survivability, meaning beginners with low health may die instantly to boss hits.

Reduced Resistance Options: Traditional armors provide elemental resistances that are difficult to replicate, requiring careful socket planning.

Cannot Use Strength Amulets in Boss Fights: Because the shield occupies key slots for cooldown recovery, players lose the option to equip additional damage-enhancing amulets.

Expensive for Endgame Optimization: Multi-socket corrupted variants for maximum efficiency can cost hundreds of Divines or Exalted Orbs, making this build less accessible for casual players.

Step-by-Step Setup Guide

Armor Shield:

Equip Silk of Sand with at least 19-level Annihilation and 30% cooldown recovery speed.

Equip Ardra Sigil Shield with ~50% cooldown recovery speed.

Socket gems to compensate for any missing resistances.

Weapon Sets:

Assign Annihilation and the shield to Set 2.

Ensure secondary abilities or utility spells are in Set 1.

Double-check fixed item restrictions to prevent conflicts.

Passive Tree:

Prioritize cooldown reduction, casting speed, and duration reduction.

Optional endgame nodes for advanced players include Multitasking or additional cooldown nodes.

Support Gems:

Life Residue + Renewal Catalyst.

Annihilation cooldown support gems.

Optional high-end gems: Diala’s Longing 2-piece set or Uthred’s Divination.

Shin Guards:

Equip appropriate shin guards for smooth Annihilation movement.

Advanced players can achieve motion canceling via macros, though this is unnecessary for most users.

Practical Usage:

Begin combat loops with teleportation and Annihilation.

Maintain positioning to avoid high-damage hits due to reduced defenses.

Monitor skill cooldowns and ensure weapon sets are correctly configured.

Beginner vs. Advanced Considerations

Beginners:

Stick with 1-2 socket armor and shield variants.

Focus on learning the movement and casting rhythm before investing heavily in Divines or Exalted Orbs.

Advanced Players:

Upgrade to 3-4 socket corrupted items.

Maximize cooldown recovery speed and casting frequency.

Optimize passive nodes for ultra-high efficiency and mobility.

Final Thoughts

The Bloodmage Infinite Annihilation Build represents one of the most exciting and dynamic ways to play Path of Exile 2. By streamlining combat to a single devastating skill while maintaining incredible mobility, this build offers both efficiency and spectacle. However, it is not without challenges: expensive items, path of exile 2 trade, and careful gear management are required to reach its full potential.

Whether you are a beginner experimenting with new builds or an advanced player seeking extreme speed and efficiency, this guide provides the knowledge necessary to unlock the power of infinite Annihilation. With proper setup and execution, players can dominate both standard content and high-level temple runs with ease, enjoying one of PoE2’s most thrilling playstyles.

In Summary:

Bloodmage class is ideal for self-sustain and gear flexibility.

Silk of Sand armor and Ardra Sigil Shield are mandatory for cooldown reduction and mental energy-free casting.

Shin guards eliminate movement pauses during casting, enhancing mobility.

Weapon set configuration and passive nodes are crucial for optimal Annihilation frequency.

Support gems further enhance casting speed, survivability, and endgame efficiency.

The build balances extreme power and speed with higher resource costs and reduced defensive options.

By following this guide, players can experience one of Path of Exile 2’s most powerful, fast-paced, and visually satisfying builds in 2026.