In every era of Path of Exile 2, there is always one build that feels less like a legitimate character setup and more like a glitch in reality itself. A build so absurdly powerful that players stop asking whether it is “good” and instead begin asking how long it will survive before the developers swing the nerf hammer.

Right now, that build revolves around one of the strangest and most explosive interactions currently discovered in the game: the interaction between Incinerate and Oil Grenade Ignite compounding.

And honestly? It feels completely illegal.

With Patch 0.5 approaching and Grinding Gear Games preparing major balance changes, many players believe this build is living on borrowed time. What we are witnessing may become one of those legendary moments in POE 2 Divine Orbs. During this short-lived period, a bugged interaction accidentally created one of the strongest damage engines ever seen in the game.

This is not just strong.

This is “delete the screen while standing still” strong.

Understanding Ignite in POE 2

To understand why this build is so ridiculous, you first need to understand how Ignite normally works in Path of Exile 2.

Under standard conditions, Ignite follows a simple rule:

When you apply a new Ignite to an enemy, the game compares it to the previous Ignite already active. If the new Ignite is stronger, it replaces the old one. If it is weaker, it is ignored. The duration may refresh or extend, but the damage itself does not infinitely stack.

This is important because Ignite is normally balanced around controlled scaling. You are supposed to create a powerful burn, sustain it, and amplify it through modifiers like:

Fire Damage

Damage Over Time

Ignite Magnitude

Elemental Penetration

Exposure

Critical scaling

The system is intentionally designed to prevent infinite exponential growth.

Except one skill appears to completely ignore that philosophy.

Why Incinerate Is Different

The centerpiece of this build is Incinerate, the flamethrower-style skill that unleashes a continuous stream of fire damage.

On its own, Incinerate already feels strong due to its rapid-hit nature and consistent Ignite application buy POE 2 Divine Orbs. But hidden inside the skill is a mechanic that changes everything:

Ignites from Incinerate can compound.

That single mechanic is what transforms this build from powerful into absurd.

Normally, repeated Ignites overwrite each other. Incinerate does something different. When the target is already Ignited by Incinerate and receives another Ignite from the same skill, the new Ignite inherits damage from the previous Ignite.