Ice Golem
Elementalist build

Updated for Patch 3.6

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Estimated budget: medium

Ice Golem is the best melee Golem in Path of Exile and one of the best Golems overall. It makes this build fully end-game viable including both Shaper and Uber Elder. This build utilizes Primordial unique items which allow you to summon up to 9 Golems in total. By summoning four different Golems Primordial Harmony jewels provide insane damage bonuses, so stacking up Jewel slots for these is your priority. At the same time, Primordial Eminence and Liege of the Primordial Passive greatly increases bonuses granted by all your Golems, which provide high Physical Damage mitigation and insane Life Regen. Those combined with Mind over Matter make this Elementalist build feel very durable. If you have never played a Golemancer build before, this is definitely something you have to check out!

You can also check our other Path of Exile builds at Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List

1. Gameplay

This is a very fast-paced summoner build which lets you charge right into monster packs and summon your Golems with Convocation to let them obliterate everything on your screen. Progressing through maps, casting Storm Brand, and staying alive will be your main activities. Storm Brand is used to apply your Curse and elemental ailments on enemies. Thanks to the Beacon of Ruin, your Shock will grant insane bonus damage for your Golems. If you have all the required gear and Passives, you shouldn't even have to worry about your Golems dying. In most cases, they will only die when hit by very high damage AoE spells by enemies like Atziri, Guardians and Shaper. In order to maximize your DPS, you have to summon one Chaos Golem, one Stone Golem, one Lightning Golem, and six Ice Golems. This way each Primordial Harmony Jewel increases your Golem Damage by an astounding 80%.

0:06 Tier 16 Lair of the Hydra 0:32 Tier 15 Defiled Cathedral 0:53 Tier 16 Maze of the Minotaur 1:40 Tier 16 Forge of the Phoenix 2:11 Uber Atziri This video was recorded on a level 90 Elementalist on Standard mode

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Leveling up a summoner character is very easy, however, it may also feel slow. Initially, your Minions will have low Movement Speed, and your general clear speed will be mediocre at best. The Primordial Chain is quite expensive, so we will assume that you are going to level up without multiple Golems. We recommend using Summon Raging Spirit since it has quite good DPS and you will benefit from the Minion nodes on the skill tree. 

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Raise Zombie setup
	Raise Zombie - used mainly as meatshields when leveling up your Witch. They don't do much damage, but they are very durable which makes them perfect for soaking up damage
	Minion Life Support - mandatory Support Gem for this setup. Will be available at level 18
	Fortify Support - grants a solid defensive buff for your Zombies and increases their DPS slightly
	Minion Speed Support - increases your Zombies Attack and Movement Speed which allows them to intercept enemies before they get close to you

Summon Raging Spirit setup
	Summon Raging Spirit - your primary DPS during the leveling phase. It's a Spell which summons swift Minions for a short duration that chase enemies and have strong melee attacks
	Minion Damage Support - grants high DPS bonus for Minion skills
	Melee Physical Damage Support - increases the damage of Raging Spirits' attacks
	Melee Splash Support - grants Splash to your Raging Spirits attacks greatly increasing your clear speed
	Spell Echo Support - makes you summon more Minions with each cast

Utility Gems
	Hatred - grants high bonus damage to your Minions based on their Physical Damage
	Punishment - recommended Curse for this build. At lower levels, it can be cast manually
	Clarity - grants increased Mana Regeneration which comes in handy when you want to spam Raging Spirits

Bandits:

You should kill all the Bandits for two extra Passive Skill Points

Leveling Skill Trees:

37 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Lord of the Dead 2) Cruel Preparation 3) Spiritual Command 4) Discipline and Training

61 Points Skill Tree
Priorities 1) Redemption 2) Righteous Command 3) Devotion 4) Necromantic Aegis

Recommended leveling items:

Sidhebreath - cheap and very powerful leveling amulet for Minion-based builds
(20-30)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate +25% to Cold Resistance 0.2% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Mana Minions have (10-15)% increased maximum Life Minions have (10-15)% increased Movement Speed (15-10)% reduced Mana Cost of Minion Skills Minions deal (10-15)% increased Damage

Victario's Flight - the best boots for the leveling phase. They grant very high bonus Movement Speed to you and your Minions
+15 to Dexterity +15 to Intelligence (100-150)% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased Movement Speed (5-10)% of Damage taken gained as Mana over 4 seconds when Hit 10% increased Movement Speed 10% increased Movement Speed for you and nearby Allies

Reverberation Rod - perfect Wand for socketing the Summon Raging Spirit setup on lower levels
(15-19)% increased Spell Damage +1 to Level of Socketed Gems Socketed Gems are Supported by level 1 Spell Echo +(10-30) to Intelligence

Goldrim - one of the best leveling Helmets in Path of Exile which grants very high All Elemental Resistances
+(30-50) to Evasion Rating 10% increased Rarity of Items found +(30-40)% to all Elemental Resistances Reflects 4 Physical Damage to Melee Attackers

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

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

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Liege of the Primordial
2. Elemancer
3. Shaper of Desolation
4. Beacon of Ruin

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of the Brine King You cannot be Stunned if you've been Stunned or Blocked a Stunning Hit in the past 2 seconds

Minor God: Soul of Gruthkul 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each Hit you've taken Recently up to a maximum of 5%

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Ice Golem setup
	Summon Ice Golem - the primary source of DPS. Ice Golems are powerful melee-based Minions. You should have six of those active at all times assuming you managed to get all the recommended gear
	Minion Damage Support - greatly increases the damage of supported Minions
	Melee Physical Damage Support
	Maim Support - increases Physical Damage of supported skills and makes your Golems' Melee Attacks to Maim enemies, slowing them down and increasing Physical Damage they take
	Ruthless Support - causes every third Melee hit to deal greatly increased damage
	Empower Support - increases the level of all active Gems. Should be level 3 3 or above, otherwise, you may find better Support Gems like Multistrike or Added Fire

[UTILITY] Utility Golems
	Summon Stone Golem - grants very high Life Regenerated per second
	Summon Lightning Golem - increases your Attack and Cast Speed
	Summon Chaos Golem - reduces your Physical Damage taken
	Empower Support

[UTILITY] Storm Brand setup
	Storm Brand - used to apply your Curse and proc Elemental Equilibrium
	Punishment - recommended Curse for this build
	Curse on Hit Support  - makes your Storm Brand apply the linked Curse

[UTILITY] Flesh Offering and Immortal Call
	Cast When Damage Taken Support - will auto-cast supported spells when you take a certain amount of damage. Keep this Gem at level 10
	Flesh Offering - increases Attack, Cast, and Movement Speed of your Minions. Keep this Gem at level 14
	Immortal Call - grants brief immunity from Physical Damage. Keep it at level 12

[AURAS] War Banner and Vaal Haste
	War Banner - increases your Minions' Accuracy Rating and Physical Damage taken by nearby enemies
	Vaal Haste - use only the Vaal Skill which will grant high bonus Attack, Cast, and Movement Speed bonuses when used
	Generosity Support - makes the linked Aura Gems apply to your Minions only, but with greatly increased effect

[MOBILITY] Leap Slam
	Leap Slam - allows you to jump over cliffs and other obstacles improving your mobility
	Fortify Support - grants the Fortify buff on melee Hits
	Faster Attacks Support

[AURA] Hatred (Essence Worm)
	Hatred - grants very high bonus damage to your Golems

[UTILITY] Convocation
	Convocation - recalls your Minions to your location and grants them high Life Regeneration per second

5. Gear Setup

Below you will find all the recommended gear for this build. This Ice Golem Elementalist setup includes all the necessary Unique Items, and there aren't many optional items that could potentially fit in there. It's best to focus on defensive stats (Life, Elemental Resistances) on all the Rare gear, but we encourage you to experiment with your build and leave your feedback. 

We guarantee that the items listed will:

1. Cap your Elemental Resistances 
2. Give you enough DPS and Life to start mapping successfully

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - the best in the slot. Try getting an Elder Helmet with increased Minion Life which will make your Utility Golems nearly immortal

Min. requirements: 80 maximum Life 30% Fire Resistance 30% Cold Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance Socketed Gems are Supported by level # Minion Life Optional affixes: maximum Mana

Helmet enchantment: ​​​​​​​Ice Golems deal 40% increased Damage

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - preferably with +1 to the level of socketed Support Gems

Min. requirements: 100 maximum Life 25% Fire Resistance 25% Cold Resistance 25% Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: +1 level to socketed Support Gems Socketed Gems are Supported by level 1 Maim

(Body Armour) Skin of the Loyal - budget-friendly option for the Body Armour slot. It grants cheap six links and increases the level of Socketed Gems, but has no defensive utility

3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Sockets cannot be modified +1 to Level of Socketed Gems 100% increased Global Defences

(Weapon Slot) Clayshaper - mandatory item for this build which increases the number of your maximum Golems by one

15% reduced Enemy Stun Threshold Adds (24-30) to (34-40) Physical Damage (8-10)% increased Attack Speed Minions have (20-30)% increased maximum Life Minions' Attacks deal (5-8) to (12-16) additional Physical Damage Can Summon up to 1 additional Golem at a time Grants level 12 Summon Stone Golem

(Shield) Victario's Charity - grants your Minions Frenzy and Power Charges which greatly increase their DPS

3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) +8% to all Elemental Resistances +(50-70) to maximum Life +(20-30)% to Lightning Resistance +11% to Chaos Resistance 20% increased Area of Effect of Aura Skills 10% chance to grant a Power Charge to nearby Allies on Kill 5% chance to grant a Frenzy Charge to nearby Allies on Hit

(Boots) Command of the Pit - this pair of gloves grant extra Abyss Jewel and high Accuracy Rating bonuses for your Minions

Has 1 Abyssal Socket (6-10)% increased Cast Speed (4-6)% increased maximum Life With a Ghastly Eye Jewel Socketed, Minions have +1000 to Accuracy Rating With a Hypnotic Eye Jewel Socketed, gain Arcane Surge on Hit with Spells

Glove enchantment: Commandment of Frost

(Belt) Rare Belt - with high defensive bonuses

Min. requirements: 85 maximum Life 30% Fire Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance 30% Cold Resistance

(Amulet) The Primordial Chain - allows you to summon three more Golems and greatly increase their Movement Speed. It's a mandatory item for this build

(2-4) Life Regenerated per second Can Summon up to 3 additional Golems at a time You cannot have non-Golem Minions 25% reduced Golem Size Golems Deal (45-35)% less Damage Golems have (45-35)% less Life Golems have (80-100)% increased Movement Speed Primordial

(Ring) Rare Ring - aim to get the highest possible defensive stats and missing Attributes

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 40 Dexterity Optional affixes: maximum Mana Elemental Resistances

(Ring) Essence Worm - allows you to use the socketed Aura Gem without reserving any Mana

Has 1 Socket +2 to Level of Socketed Aura Gems Socketed Gems Reserve No Mana 40% increased Mana Reserved

(Gloves) Rare Boots - getting high defensive stats should be your priority here

Min. requirements: 75 maximum Life 25% Movement Speed 30% Fire Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance 30% Cold Resistance

Boot enchantment: Regenerate 2% of Life and Mana per second if you were Hit Recently

(Jewel) The Anima Stone - mandatory Jewel used in this build. It allows you to summon two additional Golems in total.

Can Summon up to 1 additional Golem at a time If you have 3 Primordial Jewels, can Summon up to 1 additional Golem at a time

(Jewel) Primordial Might - making your Golems more aggressive greatly increases your clear speed. You should use one Primordial Might in your build

(25-30)% increased Damage if you Summoned a Golem in the past 8 seconds Golems Summoned in the past 8 seconds deal (35-45)% increased Damage Golems have (18-22)% increased Maximum Life Your Golems are aggressive Primordial

(Jewel) Primordial Harmony - these Jewels grant the highest DPS. They can be quite expensive but are totally worth it

Golem Skills have (20-30)% increased Cooldown Recovery Speed Golems have (10-15)% increased Cooldown Recovery Speed (16-20)% increased Golem Damage for each Type of Golem you have Summoned Golems regenerate 2% of their Maximum Life per second Primordial

(Jewel) Primordial Eminence - another great Jewel which reduces your Golems Cooldown recovery speed and grants high bonus Attack Speed. You should have approximately one Primordial Eminence for each three Primordial Harmony Jewels

Golems have (16-20)% increased Attack and Cast Speed 30% increased Effect of Buffs granted by your Golems Golems have +(800-1000) to Armour Primordial

(Jewels) Rare Abyss Jewels - should provide extra Life and DPS bonuses to your Minions. Use them only if you have Abyss Jewels on your gear

Recommended affixes: maximum Life Minions deal added # Physical Damage Minions Leech #% of Damage as Life Optional affixes: Minions have increased Attack and Cast Speed if you or your Minions have killed recently

Other suggested Flasks: Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Dousing (Burning immunity) Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching (Bleeding immunity) Catalysed Eternal Mana Flask of Warding (Curse immunity) Ample Quartz Flask of Steadiness (Increased Stun recovery) Experimenter's Quicksilver Flask of Adrenaline (Movement Speed)

If you have tried our Ice Golem Elementalist build let us know how it worked out for you. We will also appreciate you leaving feedback in the comments below. With your help, we can improve our content.

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