This Infernalist Hexblast build in Path of Exile 2 revolves around staying in Demon Form at all times, utilizing the Demonflame mechanic to stack high spell damage, and combining Hexblast with Ice Nova and Contagion for crowd control and strong damage. The build is effective for all content, including T4 bosses and pinnacle encounters, while being relatively cheap and easy to play.

Build Overview

Demon Form allows you to stay permanently in Demon Form (100% uptime) for damage boosts and mobility.

Hexblast provides high single-target damage and AoE damage for clearing.

Ice Nova and Contagion enable freezing and chaotic freeze to control enemies and map more easily.

The build focuses on a high-energy shield (up to 9k+ ES, with Grim Feast going up to 18k+ ES) to sustain the Demon Form and stay tanky while dealing damage.

Low investment into weapons, as they are disabled in Demon Form—this lowers overall build cost.

Gameplay Overview

1. Activate Demon Form: Start the fight by activating Demon Form. This provides you with bonus spell damage and movement speed while in Demon Form.

2. Use Hexblast for high damage output, targeting packs of enemies and bosses.

3. Ice Nova: This skill is key for crowd control and freezing enemies, especially in tight mapping scenarios.

4. Contagion and Chaotic Freeze ensure freeze mechanics are in place for safety and crowd control.

5. Grim Feast: Make sure to collect Grim Feast orbs to regenerate your energy shield (ES) while mapping.

6. For Bossing: Switch to a more targeted bossing setup, incorporating skills like Dark Effigy and Mana Tempest for increased damage.

7.T4 Boss and Pinnacle Content: The build can handle T4 bosses and pinnacle bosses with proper preparation and adjustments to your skill setup.

Equipment and Gear

Weapon: No weapons are needed, as you'll be in Demon Form 100% of the time.

Chest Armor: Choose a chest that lowers Max Health, while increasing Energy Shield. Look for a corrupted chest with higher % converted stats to ES.

Helmet: A rare helmet with Life Regeneration, resistance, and rarity for mapping. For bossing, consider switching to a more specialized setup (check the video for details).

Gloves: Gloves should help cap your resistances and provide Energy Shield and Mana if possible. Triple resistances are highly recommended.

Boots: Focus on Movement Speed, Energy Shield, and Life Regeneration. Resistances and rarity are also great bonuses.

Amulet: You'll want Life Regeneration, resistance, and Energy Shield on your amulet. Consider anointing it with Spirit or % Energy Shield for bosses. Grim Feast for bossing might be essential.

Rings: Two rings should reduce your maximum health for added survivability and boost spell damage. Use Life Catalyst to reduce max life by up to 24%. Look for Corruption with Skill Speed or Additional Damage.

Jewels: Focus on Life Regeneration and Area of Effect or Stun Threshold. The more jewels with life regen you have, the better. Consider investing in Jewel Sockets for additional utility.

Skill Gems and Setup

Demon Form: Always active for the spell damage bonus.

Hexblast: Main damage skill for AoE and single-target damage.

Ice Nova: Freeze enemies for crowd control during mapping.

Contagion: For chaotic freeze and additional AoE coverage.

Dark Effigy: Replace with for bossing when facing pinnacle bosses.

Mana Tempest: Use this to augment energy shield regeneration and increase mana sustain.

Passive Tree

Ascendancy: Avoid investing in the last ascendency points, as they don't offer significant bonuses for this build.

Jewel Sockets: Aim for as many Jewel Sockets as possible to enhance Energy Shield and Life Regeneration.

Hallowed Ground: A must-have node to fix stun issues and improve your build's survivability.

Heavy Buffer: Improves Life Regeneration and lowers max life, which is crucial for sustaining Demon Form.

Full Recovery: Optional, but great if you can't afford jewels or if your gear doesn't provide the necessary regeneration.

Entropy: An alternative to investing in the socket on the far left side of the tree if you're looking for more mana sustain or capping resistances.

Living Death: Helps to prevent pet deaths if you find that your pet frequently dies during fights.

Mana Issues

Conservative Casting (via Amulet Anoint) can help significantly improve your mana sustain, especially when dealing with bosses.

Make sure your mana regeneration is balanced to allow you to stay in Demon Form without running into issues.

How to Play the Build

Activate Demon Form as soon as possible for damage boost and mobility.

Use Hexblast on packs of enemies and freeze tough foes with Ice Nova.

Pick up Grim Feast to regenerate Energy Shield while mapping and keep your ES at high levels.

For bossing, you will want to use Contagion to spread Hexblasts, and Dark Effigy for increased damage.

Use Mana Tempest when possible for energy shield regeneration and maintaining Demon Form uptime.

For Pinnacle Bosses (like T4 and endgame content), refer to the Bossing Setup in the build guide for more specific details on skill changes and adjustments.

Endgame Tips

Focus on maximizing Energy Shield to ensure you can keep Demon Form active as long as possible.

Utilize Demon Form's mobility to dodge incoming damage while continuing to dish out high damage through Hexblast and Ice Nova.

Make sure your mana regeneration and Life Regeneration are sufficient to keep you alive while Demon Form is active.

Check the build video for adjustments when tackling pinnacle bosses for endgame content.

By focusing on Life Regeneration, Energy Shield, and damage scaling through Demon Form, the Hexblast Infernalist build is an excellent choice for both mapping and bossing, providing a powerful combination of tankiness, damage, and mobility in a relatively low-cost setup.

Final Thoughts

This PERMA Demon Mom - Hexblast Infernalist build is a great option for players looking to take advantage of Demon Form and Hexblast synergy in Path of Exile 2. Whether you're mapping, taking on T4 bosses, or preparing for pinnacle content, this build provides a solid, budget-friendly foundation for all types of encounters.

Since the PERMA Demon Mom - Hexblast Infernalist build is relatively budget-friendly, players can easily acquire Path of Exile 2 currency and Path of Exile 2 items to enhance their gear without having to over-invest in expensive weapons or endgame-exclusive items. However, to fully optimize the build for pinnacle bosses, having access to the right accessories, jewels, and enchants will allow you to fine-tune your damage and survivability.