Best Hexblast Build for PoE 3.26 – Still a War Crime?

Path of Exile 3.26: Secrets of the Atlas brought some spicy buffs, brutal nerfs, and major reworks to a lot of skills. One of the most talked-about? Hexblast. This iconic chaos nuke has seen its fair share of ups and downs—but is it still worth using in 3.26? The answer is yes—with the right setup, Hexblast is still a boss-melting machine.

This guide breaks down everything you need to know about the best PoE 3.26 Hexblast build, including the top ascendancies, viable archetypes, how to scale the skill, and why Ignite and Mines are still your best bets.

What Is Hexblast and Why Should You Care?

Hexblast is a chaos-based spell that explodes curses—literally. When cast on a Hexed enemy, it detonates and deals massive chaos damage, especially if the enemy is already under a curse like Despair or Temporal Chains.

It also scales incredibly well with either:

• Ignite (Elemental/Chaos DoT hybrid)

• Poison (using fast hit applications)

• Mine support (for burst nukes)

In 3.26, Hexblast received a bit of a rework:

• Now has a 2-second cooldown (but stores up to 3 charges)

• Base radius increased

• 150% more hit damage and 60% more ailment damage on hexed enemies

That cooldown scared some players off—but trust me, with the right setup, it still slaps.

What Changed in PoE 3.26 for Hexblast?

Here’s a quick breakdown of the patch notes relevant to Hexblast:

Hexblast Ignite Inquisitor (League Starter Friendly)

If you want to keep things budget and league-start viable, Ignite Inquisitor is still one of the best ways to run Hexblast in PoE 3.26. Why?

• Inquisitor has Elemental Penetration

• It can scale Ignite damage well with DoT multipliers

• It uses curse explosions to great effect

How It Works:

1. You apply Flammability + Despair via Blasphemy or Arcanist Brand.

2. Cast Hexblast manually or link to Spell Totem (or cast via trigger setups).

3. Each detonation applies a chunky Ignite that melts bosses.

Pros:

• Smooth league start

• Low gear requirement

• Easy scaling with Ignite gear (Emberwake, Ashes of the Stars if rich)

Cons:

• Not the fastest mapper

• Can feel clunky until cooldown management is optimized

Hexblast Mines (Saboteur – Explosive Burst)

Now here’s the real “war crime” Hexblast build: Mine-based Hexblast. It uses High-Impact Mine Support, Charged Mines, and Minefield to drop up to 5 Hexblasts at once—turning even Uber bosses into puddles.

Build Concept:

• Curse the target using Despair or Temporal Chains

• Drop your Hexblast Mines (auto-primed with Mine Detonation)

• Watch the screen explode as 5 Hexblasts go off in 0.2 seconds

Core Setup:

• Hexblast + High Impact Mine + Minefield + Void Manipulation

• Spell Cascade can be used for larger AoE clearing

• Pair with Profane Proxy ring for curse-on-hit setups

Ascendancy: Saboteur

• Mine speed, placement, and detonation scaling

• Extra layers of defense and regeneration

• Profane Bloom synergy if you’re pushing chaos clears

Hexblast Poison (Occultist – Chaos DoT Build)

While not as common as Ignite or Mines, Poison Hexblast is a dark horse build that’s showing solid numbers in 3.26. This build stacks cast speed and poison duration to make every Hexblast apply strong chaos DoTs.

Why It Works:

• Hexblast can poison with the right gear (Snakebite, Vile Toxins)

• Occultist gives you Despair, Profane Bloom, and Wither proliferation

• Great for chaos-themed gear setups

This one’s more for veterans or those who want a niche chaos-flavored playstyle. Bossing is solid, and with enough investment, it scales into endgame easily.

Gear to Target

Regardless of your version (Ignite, Mines, Poison), here’s what you’ll want:

Uniques

• Profane Proxy – apply curses via cold damage on ring

• Ashes of the Stars – for Ignite or curse builds

• Emberwake – Ignite stacking goodness

• Vixen’s Entrapment – auto-curse setup

• The Devouring Diadem – run multiple auras with Eldritch Battery

Rare Gear

• +1 Chaos/Spell Skill Gems

• Spell damage over time multipliers

• Cast speed / cooldown recovery rate (for Hexblast charge rate)

• Chaos res penetration or curse effectiveness

Pros and Cons Summary

Pro Tips for Playing Hexblast in 3.26

• Don’t spam the skill. Let the charges refill and time your bursts.

• Curse everything—Hexblast scales off hexed enemies. Prioritize curse effect.

• Use Arcanist Brand or Spell Totem to apply curses automatically if you hate micromanaging.

• Think boss killer, not zoomer mapper. Hexblast is great for Delve, Maven, Uber Elder, etc., but won’t replace Lightning Arrow for speed clears.

Final Thoughts – Still Worth It?

Yes, Hexblast is alive and well in 3.26—just not in the same spammy form players were used to in the past. The new cooldown makes it more strategic, but also rewards good setups and smart timing.

Whether you’re an Ignite enjoyer, a Mine spammer, or a Poison purist, Hexblast has a home in Secrets of the Atlas. Want a skill that hits hard, looks cool, and scales well with investment? This is it.

If you’re tired of meta bow builds and want to blow stuff up with some style—Hexblast’s your ticket.