Updated for Patch 3.19
The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo
Guide notes |
May 12, 2021 -Build created July 07, 2022 -Updated for Patch 3.18 August 26, 2022 -Updated for Patch 3.19 |
Build overview | |||
Tags: [CASTER] [ELEMENTAL] [HYBRID] | |||
Budget: Defenses: |
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Boss DPS: AoE: |
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Winter Orb is one of the best mappings skills for a Cold Damage Caster. Occultist enhances the build by providing Power Charges, Increases Area of Effect, and Increases Cold Damage - these three elements will be one of the most important parts of the build, it elevates the damage by a huge amount. This Build uses Badge of the Brotherhood, which is the most expensive Unique Item in this build. With 2 Void Batteries, all additional Maximum Power Charges from the skill tree, and after the first ascension, your Number of Maximum Power Charges will be equal to 9. In order to gain that many Frenzy Charges you'll need a Chance to gain Frenzy Charge on Hit on Body Armour - a Redeemer's Suffix.
You'll also need Elusive - for movement speed and a chance to avoid hits, Badge of the Brotherhood Increases its effect making it really good. With Life at around 4k and ES equal to give or take half of that, the build is relatively safe. By allocating Corrupted Soul we gain even more ES, but it requires leech on both - Life and ES. Your characters - due to its ascendancy - will be immune to all cold-related ailments: freeze and chill
You can also check our other Path of Exile builds right over here Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List
One of the fastest clearing builds in the game, with Winter Orb you won't have to aim at enemies, just occasionally stop and channel the Ability for a second. Single target damage is good, the build is focused on clear speed but the damage is more than enough to deal with all types of content the game has to offer. Defensive capabilities are dependent on having good rare items - usually capping your Elemental Resistances and having much Life on them is enough, but there are few mods that are absolutely mandatory.
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PROS |
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CONS |
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Equip wands with Increased Spell Damage and any spell that's available from the start, such as Storm Mine or Frostbolt, later switch to Winter Orb and try to mimic the final build. Invest in Tabula to go through the leveling process as fast as it's possible. Even without some really important mods and items, the game will be somewhat playable but meeting the requirements presented as obligatory will make the build as good as it should be in the later stage of the game.
Suggested leveling Gem setups:
Winter Orb setup | |
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Winter Orb - use Winter Orb as soon as your previous Spell will not be sufficient, there is no rush - it all depends on your items when you switch, remember to use Cold Spell after you invest in Cold Damage on the tree |
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Controlled Destruction Support - great increase in damage |
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Lesser Multiple Projectiles Support - increases your clearing speed |
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Inspiration Support - reduces the mana cost of skill |
Flame Dash setup | |
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Flame Dash - one of the best Mobility Skill |
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Faster Casting Support - faster Casting for Flame Dash |
Arcanis Brand setup | |
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Arcanist Brand - attaches to an enemy and activates linked spells, useful when dealing with bosses |
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Frost Bomb - Frost Bomb applies cold exposure to enemies reducing their resistance to Cold Damage |
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Frostbite - a curse that lower enemy Cold Resistance |
Bandits:
Killing all three Bandits for a couple of extra Passive Skill Points is a good choice, but Helping Alira is beneficial too if you need Mana Regeneration Rate, Elemental Resistances, and Critical Strike Multiplier.
Leveling Skill Trees:
29 Points Skill Tree
Go immediately for the Cold Damage Cluster using the path presented here
62 Points Skill Tree
Take all the Aditional Maximum Power Charges and Disciple of the Forbidden, and invest in offensive and defensive nodes as you go
Recommended leveling items:
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Adds 1 to 4 Physical Damage to Attacks +(10-30) to all Attributes (10-30)% increased Damage (10-30)% increased Rarity of Items found +(10-30)% to all Elemental Resistances |
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+(30-50) to Evasion Rating 10% increased Rarity of Items found +(30-40)% to all Elemental Resistances Reflects 4 Physical Damage to Melee Attackers Level Requirement reduced by 100 (Hidden) |
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Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Item has 6 White Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden) |
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(11-15)% increased Spell Damage (40-60)% increased Physical Damage Adds 1 to (35-45) Lightning Damage (15-25)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate +1 to Maximum Power Charges (25-35)% chance to gain a Power Charge on Kill |
Final Skill Tree:
88 Points Final Skill Tree (doesn't include Cluster Jewels nor Thread of Hope)
122 Points Path of Building (PoB) link
Ascendancy points:
Preferably in that order:
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 Abberath: 60% less Duration of Ignite on You
[DPS] Winter Orb setup | |
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Winter Orb - auto-targeting enemies with Projectiles makes mapping a really comfortable experience. You need to channel it for a moment and then progress fast while the Orb kills enemies all around you |
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Power Charge on Critical Strike Support - more damage per Power Charge |
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Inspiration Support - for Less Mana Cost and more damage |
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Added Cold Damage Support - adds Cold Damage to your Projectiles increasing your damage. After acquiring the Unique Amulet, switch it to ![]() |
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Infused Channeling Support - great offensive and defensive choice for any Channeling Skill |
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Greater Multiple Projectiles Support - upgrades your clearing speed |
[DPS] Vortex setup | |
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Vortex - This should be your move button, it creates a zone dealing Cold Damage over Time which also Explodes |
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Bonechill Support - enemies Hit by Vortex take much more Cold Damage from all sources |
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Inspiration Support - it's optional |
[UTILITY] Immortal Call and Vall Righteous Fire setup | |
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Immortal Call - Guard Spell, used to avoid incoming damage. Best to use it at level 1 for more frequent casts |
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Vaal Righteous Fire - upon activation provides your character with more Spell Damage, use one with Divergent Quality for more Spell Damage |
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Increased Duration Support - use to make linked Skills last longer |
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Cast when Damage Taken - Immortal Call will be cast after taking a specified amount of damage. Do not upgrade this Gem above level 1 for the best efficiency |
[MOBILITY] Dash setup | |
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Flame Dash - Mobility Skill to rapidly teleport from one place to another |
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Arcane Surge Support - keep it at level 7 for more Spell Damage and Mana Regeneration Rate |
[UTILITY] Arcanist Brand setup | |
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Arcanist Brand - Brand that triggers linked to it Spells - Curse and Frost Bomb |
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Frost Bomb - Frost Bomb applies cold exposure to enemies reducing their resistance to Cold Damage |
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Sniper's Mark - Curse that makes your enemies take more damage from projectiles and grants you Flask Charges |
[UTILITY] Mana-reserving setup | |
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Hatred - an aura that makes you deal more Cold Damage |
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Herald of Ice - Herald-type skill that makes you deal increased Cold Damage and adds Cold Damage to Skills while also shattering Frozen enemies. |
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Enlighten Support - increases Mana Reservation Efficiency for linked Spells |
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Zealotry - More Spell Damage and more Spell Critical Strike Chance |
[UTILITY] Mana-reserving setup | |
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Determination - Use it for more and increased Armour. With the removal of Mana Reservation Efficiency Mastery, it will be hard to keep it so to fit it you will need to adjust the whole build a bit. That's why it is no longer recommended. |
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Defiance Banner - Increases your Armour, Evasion, and reduced Critical Strike Chance for nearby enemies. If you need more unreserved mana, don't use it. |
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Enlighten Support |
[UTILITY] Frostbite | |
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Frostbite - This Curse reduces Cold Resistance, it should be applied automatically via Ring's Affix |
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This build's source of power is its gear, so it's really important to get it right. In this section, you'll find all the guidance on which mods are important, which uniques are necessary, and what to look for when looking for items.
Our recommended items will:
Stat priorities on items:
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Min. requirements: 70 Maximum Life 80% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: +1 to Maximum Power Charges Nearby Enemies have -#% to Cold Resistance Chaos Resistance |
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Helmet enchantments: Winter Orb has +2 Maximum Stages |
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(36-40)% increased Spell Damage 80% reduced Spell Damage (10-20)% increased Cast Speed (50-65)% increased Global Critical Strike Chance +(40-50) to maximum Mana +1 to Maximum Power Charges 25% increased Spell Damage per Power Charge |
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Min. requirements: 10% chance to gain Frenzy Charge on Hit 100 Maximum Life Gain 10% of Maximum Life as Extra Maximum Energy Shield (crafted) Optional affixes: Enemies you Kill have a #% chance to Explode, dealing a tenth of their Maximum You can apply an Additional Curse Elemental and Chaos Resistances |
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Min. requirements: 10% chance to gain Elusive on Critical Strike 70 Maximum Life 30% Increased Movement Speed Optional affixes: You have Tailwind if you have dealt a Critical Strike Recently Elemental and Chaos Resistances chance to gain Onslaught for 4 seconds on Kill |
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Boot enchantment: 16% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've Killed Recently |
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Min. requirements: 80 Maximum Life 80% Total Elemental Resistances Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Maximum Energy Shield Attributes Increased Damage with Hits against Chilled enemies |
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Min. requirements: 100 Maximum Life 90% Total Elemental Resistances Strength Optional affixes: Attributes increased Cold or Elemental Damage increased Damage with Hits against Chilled Enemies |
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+(16-24) to Dexterity and Intelligence (7-10)% increased Cooldown Recovery Rate of Travel Skills per Frenzy Charge (7-10)% increased Effect of Elusive on you per Power Charge (20-25)% chance to lose a Frenzy Charge when you use a Travel Skill (20-25)% chance to lose a Power Charge when you gain Elusive Your Maximum Frenzy Charges is equal to your Maximum Power Charges |
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Recommended Anointments: Disciple of the Slaughter Charisma |
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Min. requirements: Curses enemies with Frostbite on Hit, with #% increased Effect 60 Maximum Life 90% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Chaos Resistances Added Cold Damage per Frenzy Charge Cold Damage Leeched as Life Attributes |
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Recommended affixes: |
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Bathed in the blood of (100-8000) sacrificed in the name of (Ahuana-Doryani-Xibaqua) Passives in radius are Conquered by the Vaal Historic |
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(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: Critical Strikes Penetrate (8-10)% of Enemy Elemental Resistances while affected by Zealotry Adds (58-70) to (88-104) Cold Damage while affected by Hatred Damage Penetrates (10-15)% Cold Resistance while affected by Hatred |
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Only affects Passives in <size> Ring Passives in Radius can be Allocated without being connected to your tree -(20-10)% to all Elemental Resistances |
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Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Blanketed Snow 1 Added Passive Skill is Blast-Freeze 1 Added Passive Skill is Doryani's Lesson 1 Added Passive Skill is Disorienting Display 1 Added Passive Skill is Prismatic Heart |
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Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Magnifier 1 Added Passive Skill is Vast Power 1 Added Passive Skill is Pressure Points 1 Added Passive Skill is Quick Gateway |
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40% increased Damage Creates Consecrated Ground on Use (30-15)% reduced Duration Consecrated Ground created by this Flask has Tripled Radius Consecrated Ground created during Effect applies (7-10)% increased Damage taken to Enemies (100-150)% increased Critical Strike Chance against Enemies on Consecrated Ground during Flask effect |
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+50% to Fire Resistance 20% less Fire Damage taken (125-150)% increased Charges per use (40-60)% reduced Duration (10-20)% increased Area of Effect during Flask Effect Skills fire 2 additional Projectiles during Flask Effect |
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+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 |
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Other suggested Flasks:
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If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below. We are always open to suggestions and constructive feedback.
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