Frost Blades
Perma-Freeze Raider build

Updated for Patch 3.15

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Estimated budget: medium

Frost Blades is a Top Tier Melee Attack that can be used as early as level 1. It is a ranged projectile-based Attack with incredible AoE thanks to additional projectiles being released from your initial Hit and covering your entire screen. It is an amazing Skill for leveling, as well as, it allows extremely fast map clearing. At the same time, this build is able to clear all the content on a very reasonable budget.

For the full list of our Path of Exile builds you can visit the following article: Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List

1. Gameplay

This build should be used mainly for extremely fast Maps farming but will do just fine against Bosses. The gameplay mechanics are pretty much the same starting from level 1. You use Frost Blades as your main Ranged Attack that deals with incredible AoE damage.  Frost Blades combined with Herald's of Ice explosions will clear entire screens of monsters within seconds. On the other hand, your defenses rely on Dodge and Evasion rolls, which should allow you to use Abyssus Helmet for maximum DPS. This build is also insanely fast with insane Movement Speed bonuses from Raider's Ascendancy.

Full gameplay video: 0:08 Tier 16 Lair of the Hydra 0:31 Tier 16 Maze of the Minotaur 1:10 Tier 16 Forge of the Phoenix 1:43 Tier 16 Shipyard 2:02 Tier 16 Volcano The video was recorded on a level 93 Raider with 5,400 Life and approximately 2.5kk Frost Blades DPS in Patch 3.12. We have used only Rare equipment except for Flasks and Jewels

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

This build uses Frost Blades right from the start. It offers very high farming speed and allows you to quickly progress through the campaign. Also, by using Claws, you get an easy way to recover your Life - by Life gain on Hit implicit modifiers which can be found on them. For your equipment, you should prioritize high Physical DPS Claws, added Physical Damage to Attacks, and Life/Elemental Resistances on your armor parts and jewelry.

Suggested leveling gem setups:

Frost Blades
	Frost Blades - your main DPS Attack which releases additional projectiles from your initial Hit
	Melee Physical Damage Support - increases your Frost Blades damage
	Added Cold Damage Support - adds flat Cold Damage to your Attacks
	Multistrike Support - mandatory support Gem for the Frost Blade setup

Utility gems
	Herald of Ice - grants added Cold Damage and causes AoE explosions on killing Frozen enemies
	Whirling Blades - your primary Mobility Skill
	Ancestral Protector - Totem Spell which increases your Attack Speed
	Summon Ice Golem - the recommended Golem for this build which increases your Crit. Chance and Accuracy Rating

Bandits:

Both killing all the Bandits for two additional Skill Points and helping Alira for Mana Regeneration, Critical Damage Multiplier, and Elemental Resistances are viable options

Leveling Skill Trees:

34 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Finesse 2) Winter Spirit 3) Command of Elements 4) Herbalism 5) Claws of the Magpie

62 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Blood Drinker 2) Assassination 3) Depth Perception 4) Point Blank

Recommended leveling items:

Last Resort - amazing starting weapon, will grant a lot of DPS until you reach a higher level to swap for better DPS weapons

+3 Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks 25% increased Attack Speed when on Low Life (80-100)% increased Physical Damage Adds 2 to 10 Physical Damage 100% increased Claw Physical Damage when on Low Life 100% increased Accuracy Rating when on Low Life

Praxis - in order to maintain your Mana this Ring (or even two of them) will be extremely useful. After all, you won't get much Mana/Mana Regeneration from your Passive Skill Tree

+(20-25) to maximum Mana +(30-60) to maximum Mana (3-6) Mana Regenerated per second -(8-4) to Mana Cost of Skills 8% of Damage taken gained as Mana over 4 seconds when Hit

Karui Ward - great Damage and Movement Speed boost granted by this Amulet, make it one of the best leveling items for this build

+(20-30) to Dexterity +(20-30) to Strength +100 to Accuracy Rating 30% increased Projectile Speed 10% increased Movement Speed 30% increased Projectile Damage

Tasalio's Sign - if you can manage your Mana without the Praxis Ring, it's recommended to grab at least one of these. Your DPS will skyrocket after equipping Tasalio's Sign

+(20-30)% to Cold Resistance Adds (7-10) to (15-20) Cold Damage to Spells and Attacks +(200-300) to Evasion Rating 50% chance to Avoid being Chilled 10% chance to Freeze Adds 40 to 60 Cold Damage against Chilled Enemies

Ewar's Mirage - an amazing weapon for leveling a Frost Blades character. This is not a claw though and you might want to postpone the claw nodes in your Skill Tree until you actually start using Claws

+25% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier (40-55)% increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills Adds 1 to (45-55) Lightning Damage (16-22)% increased Attack Speed Attacks Chain an additional time when in Main Hand Attacks have an additional Projectile when in Off Hand

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

114 Points Final Skill Tree
114 Points Path of Building(PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Rapid Assault
2. Avatar of the Chase
3. Way of the Poacher
4. Avatar of the Slaughter

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of Lunaris 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%, 1% increased Movement Speed for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%

Minor God: Soul of Garukhan  +5% chance to Evade Attacks if you've taken a Savage Hit recently

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Frost Blades setup
	Frost Blades - your main DPS attack. It releases additional projectiles from your main Hit, covering nearly the entire screen and obliterating enemies
	Elemental Damage with Attacks Support - core Support Gem for Elemental Attack Skills
	Multistrike Support - makes your Attack repeat two additional times with greatly increased Attack Speed and Damage
	Fortify Support - grants high bonus Melee Damage, and also a very strong defensive buff making it one of the most convenient Support Gems in this setup. You can swap it for Ice Bite Support if you already have Fortify buff source.
	Added Cold Damage Support - adds Flat Cold Damage to your Attacks which is a very important stat
	Hypothermia Support - grants an insane damage bonus when you Hit enemies that are Chilled

[MOBILITY] Dash setup
	Dash - the recommended Movement Skill you can use in this build
	Second Wind Support - grants additional Dash charges and increases its' cooldown recovery speed
	Lifetap Support - makes Dash cost Life instead of Mana

[UTILITY] Auras (Socketed in the recommended Shield)
	Hatred - the best Aura for this build. It grants a lot of extra Cold Damage and opens up new powerful options on Watcher's Eye jewel
	Flesh and Stone - blinds nearby enemies, and reduces your damage taken from enemies which are beyond this Aura's radius. If you don't have the Shield with Reduced Mana Reservation Cost, just skip this Aura
	Herald of Ice - adds extra Cold Damage to your Attacks and causes AoE Explosions on killing Frozen enemies

[UTILITY] Immortal Call / Frost Bomb
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - keep this Gem at level 1 in order to make it cast supported Gems more frequently
	Immortal Call - will grant damage reduction buff for a short duration. Keep this Gem at level 1 to 3
	Frost Bomb - applies Cold Exposure to enemies. Keep this Gem at a level not higher than 10
	Increased Duration Support

[UTILITY] Phase Run/Golem
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - keep this Gem at level 9 in this setup
	Phase Run - grants Phasing for a short duration, but also increases your Melee Damage when it expires. Keep this Gem at level 11
	Summon Ice Golem - the best Golem for this build. It increases your Accuracy Rating and Crit. Chance
	Increased Duration Support

[UTILITY] Ancestral Warchief
	Ancestral Watchief - allows you to summon a Totem which increases your Melee Damage, and by Supporting it with additional Gems, it actually deals quite decent damage on its own
	Melee Physical Damage Support - one of the best Support Gems here. Also, if you don't have Intimidation from Lethal Pride, you can get an Awakened Gem here with a chance to apply it via your Totem
	Maim Support - increases your Totem's damage and causes enemies to be slowed down
	Culling Strike Support - will make your Totem instantly kill enemies below 10% Life

5. Gear Setup

This is the most interesting part of every Odealo's Crafty Guide. You will find all the recommended gear with minimum stat requirements for each item. This build, in total, shouldn't cost more than 10-15 Exalted Orbs, however, if you want to get all the Influenced gear with expensive affixes, there is basically no upper limit on how much it can cost. In general, all of the equipment can be replaced with Rare gear, as this build offers amazing flexibility in that matter.

Our recommended gear pieces will always:

1. Cap your Resistances
2. Grant sufficient Life pool for Mapping
3. Give you more than enough damage to mid/high tier Map farming

(Helmet) Abyssus - grants a terrific damage boost. This will also make you vulnerable to high Physical Damage hits, so you should try to avoid any Attacks at all costs. We are yet to test the Relic version, but possibly it might be an even better alternative with a less significant downside

Adds 40 to 60 Physical Damage to Attacks +(20-25) to all Attributes +(100-125)% to Melee Critical Strike Multiplier (100-120)% increased Armour (40-50)% increased Physical Damage taken

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - a Rare Helmet with high defensive stats which reduce the Cold Resistance of nearby enemies is a solid and well-rounded choice. It's also possible to get a Helmet with extra Crit. Multiplier for some additional DPS too

Min. requirements: 80 maximum Life Nearby Enemies have -9% to Cold Resistance 75% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Critical Strike Multiplier Attributes

Helmet enchantment 40% increased Frost Blades damage

(Body Armour) Belly of the Beast - a decent and budget-friendly pick that grants an insane Life bonus and some extra Elemental Resistances

3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) (150-200)% increased Armour (30-40)% increased maximum Life +(10-15)% to all Elemental Resistances 50% increased Flask Life Recovery rate Extra gore

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - an Elder piece with high Life, Evasion Rating, and added Crit. Chance to your Attacks is the BiS item here

Min. requirements: 100 maximum Life 1200 Evasion Rating Attacks have +1% to Critical Strike Chance Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances maximum Life%

(Weapon) Rare Gemini Claw - grants very high Life and Mana on Hit bonuses and you can get one with some insane base Physical DPS

Min. requirements: 320 Physical DPS 1.8 Attacks per Second Optional affixes: Critical Strike Multiplier Critical Strike Chance

(Weapon) Touch of Anguish - budget-friendly and very solid weapon for this build. It offers high DPS and increases your clear speed via extra Chain but will limit your single-target DPS against end-game Bosses because of the relatively low base DPS

+46 Life gained for each Enemy hit by Attacks Adds (40-50) to (130-150) Physical Damage 30% increased Cold Damage (30-40)% increased Critical Strike Chance 20% chance to gain a Frenzy Charge on Killing a Frozen Enemy Skills Chain an additional time while at maximum Frenzy Charges 10% chance to Freeze Critical Strikes do not always Freeze

(Weapon Slot) Rare Shield - mainly for defensive stats (Life/Evasion) but a Shaper Shield can also reduce the amount of Mana Reserved by Socketed Spells, allowing you to use additional Aura life Flesh and Stone or Precision

Min. requirements: 100 maximum Life Socketed Gems have #% Reduced Mana Reservation Optional affixes: High Evasion Rating Global Physical Damage Elemental Resistances

(Belt) Rare Belt - we recommend picking a high Life/Resistances Rare Belt. You can use almost any base, but preferably Leather Belt, Rustic Sash, or Stygian Vise

Min. requirements: 90 maximum Life 75% Total Elemental Resistances 32% increased Elemental Damage with Attack Skills Optional affixes: increased Damage/Elemental/Cold Damage

(Boots) Rare Boots - aim for the highest defensive stats and high Movement Speed bonus

Min. requirements: 50 maximum Life Chance to gain Elusive on Critical Strike 25% increased Movement Speed Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances Chaos Resistance

(Boots) Darkray Vectors - massive Raider's bonuses for each Frenzy Charge active, make Darkray Vectors one of the best budget picks for this build

(40-70)% increased Armour and Evasion +(20-40)% to Lightning Resistance 5% increased Movement Speed per Frenzy Charge +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges 40% reduced Frenzy Charge Duration 25% reduced Light Radius 2% chance to Dodge Attack Hits per Frenzy Charge

Boot enchantment: 16% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've Killed Recently

(Gloves) Rare Gloves -  very solid choice which will help you Cap your Resistances. Also, Gripped Gloves and Spiked Gloves will both provide a decent DPS increase. End-game items should add extra Frenzy Charge via affix or corrupted Implicit modifier

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 60% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Added Physical Damage to Attacks +1 to Maximum Frenzy Charges

(Gloves) Tombfist -  a corrupted pair with extra Frenzy Charge can also be a  very reasonable choice. Though if you get Intimidate from other sources (Awakened MPD Gem or Lethal Pride Jewel) it kind of loses its purpose

Has 2 Abyssal Sockets (4-6)% increased maximum Life With a Murderous Eye Jewel Socketed, Intimidate Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit with Attacks With a Searching Eye Jewel Socketed, Maim Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit with Attacks

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - required to get all the Attributes for Item Requirements. Some extra offense stats will be also useful here

Min. requirements: 50 maximum Life 25% increased Critical Strike Multiplier 30% Elemental Damage with Attacks Optional affixes: Intelligence Strength

(Rings) Rare Rings - Rings offer the widest variety of extra affixes from this build. Make sure to Cap your Resistances, get some extra Life, and any of the following DPS-oriented bonuses. You should also aim to get one with Frostbite Curse on Hit

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life Missing Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Curse enemies with level # Frostbite on Hit Elemental Damage with Attacks Added Cold Damage per Frenzy Charge Added Cold Damage against Chilled enemies Increased Critical Strike Multiplier if you have Shattered an enemy recently Attributes

(Jewel) Fight for Survival - use two of those for the insane Cold Damage Penetration Bonuses. They can be socketed pretty much anywhere around Ranger and Duelist's part of the Skill Tree

(10-15)% increased Cold Damage With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Melee Damage dealt by Frost Blades Penetrates 15% Cold Resistance With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Frost Blades has 25% increased Projectile Speed

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - one of the best end-game Jewels for this build. You should get one with flat added Critical Strike Chance while you are affected by Hatred

(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield (4-6)% increased maximum Life (4-6)% increased maximum Mana <Two or Three random aura modifiers> Recommended Aura modifiers: +(1.2-1.8)% to Critical Strike Chance while affected by Hatred Adds (58-70) to (88-104) Cold Damage while affected by Hatred

(Jewel) Lethal Pride - socketed on the top right of your Tree (above Blood Drinker) and with proper rolls, can greatly increase your DPS. You are looking to get a Chance to Intimidate on Hit, Melee Damage/Melee Crit. Multiplier/Melee Crit. Chance, or extra Life. Our Jewel had Commanded leadership over 16277 warriors under Kaom, but you could try out other rolls as well for possibly even better bonuses

Commanded leadership over (10000-18000) warriors under (Akoya-Kaom-Rakiata) Passives in radius are Conquered by the Karui Historic

(Jewel) Medium Cluster Jewel - it's recommended to get one Medium Cluster Jewel with the Cold Conduction Passive, which will let you Shock enemies that get Frozen by your Attacks

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Astonishing Affliction 1 Added Passive Skill is Cold Conduction

(Jewel) Small Cluster Jewel - if you are using Small Cluster Jewel, just get the Fettle Passive for its high Life Bonus

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Fettle

(Jewel) Abyss Jewels - with flat Added Physical Damage and Life

Recommended affixes: maximum Life added Physical Damage to Attacks/Claw Attacks Critical Strike Multiplier Optional affixes: Chance to grant Unholy Might on Kill

(Jewel) Rare Jewels - have the maximum Life bonus on each Jewel equipped, as well as any combination of the recommended stats found below

Recommended affixes: increased maximum Life Global/Melee Critical Strike Multiplier Optional affixes: increased Damage with Claws/Projectile/Melee Damage

(Flask) Taste of Hate - grants both amazing DPS and defensive bonuses making it one of the best Utility Flasks in the game

+50% to Cold Resistance 20% less Cold Damage taken (10-15)% of Physical Damage from Hits taken as Cold Damage during Flask effect Gain (10-15)% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage during effect 30% chance to Avoid being Chilled during Flask effect 30% chance to Avoid being Frozen during Flask effect

(Flask) Atziri's Promise - a great inexpensive flask. It's one of the most popular flasks in Path of Exile - grants additional Chaos Damage and Life Leech

+35% to Chaos Resistance 2% of Chaos Damage Leeched as Life during Flask effect Gain (5-8)% of Physical Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect Gain (5-8)% of Elemental Damage as Extra Chaos Damage during effect

(Flask) Lion's Roar - grants a very high Melee Damage bonus. Optionally you can replace it with Bottled Faith for similar DPS bonuses but without the (sometimes) annoying Knockback

+1500 to Armour Adds Knockback to Melee Attacks during Flask effect Knocks Back Enemies in an Area when you use a Flask 75% chance to cause Enemies to Flee on use (7-10)% more Melee Physical Damage during effect

Other suggested Flasks: Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Heat (immunity to Freeze) Experimenter's Diamond Flask of Warding (Curse immunity)

We will appreciate all suggestions regarding this build. Also if you have a request for a future guide please leave it in the comments below.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.