Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Righteous Providence, Inevitable Judgement, Augury of Penitence, and Instruments of Virtue. An Immutable Force jewel is important for up to 1000% stun recovery which makes stun almost unnoticeable. The Mana Mastery and Reservation Mastery near the bottom of the tree are important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. The Replica Conquerors Efficiency jewel can also be used if you are a standard player to lower the mana cost of your non-channeled skills. This is a melee critical strike build so make sure and take all of the nearby critical strike nodes for much higher damage and as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. Note: The above skill tree image is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

The Augury of Penitence ascendancy gives 16% increased elemental damage and 8% reduced elemental damage taken. This build also uses Enduring Cry, which automatically casts instantly with the Autoexertion gem, for Endurance charge generation which decreases your physical damage taken and decreases your elemental damage taken. This build also has the strong defensive advantage of being able to use a shield.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at level 4 to trigger Arcane Surge on every cast)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level 1 to trigger more frequently)

Power Charge On Critical Support

 

Shield (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Sigil of Power​

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Armour (6 Link)

Cyclone

Awakened Cast on Critical Strike Support

Ice Nova

Inspiration Support

Increased Critical Strike Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Flame Dash

 

Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Summon Skitterbots

Clarity

Enlighten

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Boots (4-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

Precision

Enlighten Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and give very high evasion. Precision is the best offensive aura for this build and gives increased critical strike chance and increased accuracy. Summon Skitterbots is selected to apply Chill and Shock which significantly increases your damage. Clarity is also needed for the high mana cost of this build. Summon Skitterbots can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, and a level 4 Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

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Gem Notes​​​​

1. Steelskin is the recommended guard skill for this build because Immortal Call requires you to use potions more often and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. Ice Nova of Frostbolts is not recommended because it causes Ice Novas to cast away from you on Frostbolts which weakens your single target damage and weakens your damage against nearby enemies which are usually more dangerous.

3. The Enduring Cry warcry is used for Endurance charge generation and up to 10% life regeneration per second. Endurance charges reduce your physical damage taken and elemental damage taken.

4. Aim for 100% critical strike chance with Power charges and no higher than 0.15 second attack speed to cast Ice Nova every time your Cyclone hits with Awakened Cast On Critical Strike Support. Awakened Cast On Critical Strike Support has a 0.15 second cooldown so if you attack faster than 0.15 seconds your Ice Novas will take significantly longer to trigger.

5. Summon Ice Golem gives increased critical strike chance and accuracy, 2% life recovery on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack. 

6. The CoC Ice Spear Cyclone Inquisitor was majorly buffed in 3.23 and now surpasses the CoC Ice Nova Cyclone Inquisitor with the same equipment, same gems except Ice Nova, and the same tree. If you think you would prefer to try out the CoC Ice Spear Cyclone Inquisitor you can check out a guide for the build here CoC Ice Spear Cyclone Inquisitor Guide.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Critical Strike Dagger

Look of a high base critical strike chance dagger with critical strike multiplier, high increased spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, +1 to all cold spell skill gems, and if you can roll hits cannot be evaded. You should add 1% increased elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting station which can be added to your hideout using the edit option. 

Cospri's Malice (budget)

Gives up to 80-200 cold damage, 60-110 added cold damage to spells, 60% increased critical strike chance against chilled enemies, 14% increased attack speed, and triggers a socketed cold skill on melee critical strike. You should add 1% increased elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting station which can be added to your hideout using the edit option. 

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Shield

Rare Spell Damage Shield

Look for high spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, high life, high energy shield, and optionally +1 to level of all cold spell skill gems.

 

Armour

Belly of the Beast

Gives up to 40% increased life, 15% to all elemental resistances, and 50% increased flask life recovery rate. For a little more currency you can also look for a Belly of the Beast with  a +1 to level of socketed gems corruption.

 

Helmet

Rare Blizzard Crown

Blizzard Crowns have a high added cold damage implicit and the 10% increased enemy cold resistance is negated by the Inevitable Judgement ascendancy which treats all enemies resistances as zero. Look for high life, energy shield, resistances, and you can optionally use a Warlord's Exalted Orb for a chance to roll increased elemental damage with an open prefix or increased global critical strike multiplier with an open suffix.

 

Gloves

Rare Damage Against Chilled Enemies Gloves

Look for high life, increased damage against chilled enemies, resistances, and increased critical strike chance/elemental damage if you've dealt a critical strike recently. Avoid attack speed if it takes you over 0.15 attacks per second because Awakened Cast On Critical Strike Support has a 0.15 second cooldown. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors on your gloves to roll increased global accuracy rating and increased critical strike chance for attacks.

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Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, strength, resistances, increased damage (or better yet increased damage against chilled enemies), and an abyssal socket. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for life, tier one dexterity (for Cospri's Malice's dex requirement), high resistances, and movement speed. Once again you shouldn't use Onslaught if it takes you over 0.15 seconds per attack because of the 0.15 sec cooldown on Awakened Cast On Critical Strike Support. You can also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors on your boots to roll increased effect of the buff granted by your Ice Golem and a chance to avoid elemental ailments.

 

Amulet

Rare Amulet

Look for high attributes, life, resistances, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier. You should use Unstable Catalysts on the amulet to increase its critical strike modifiers.

 

Rings

Rare Diamond Rings

You won't need a Frostbite on Hit curse ring here because your ascendancy makes enemy resistances always zero. Look for high critical strike chance, life, energy shield, resistances, and reduced mana cost of skills. You can use Unstable Catalysts on your rings to increase their critical strike modifiers or if you don't need critical strike chance you can use Fertile Catalysts to increase their life bonuses and reduced mana costs.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 40% increased damage, 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Diamond Flask (if you haven't reached crit cap use this flask)

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance and increased critical strike chance as a second modifier. The legacy version can have a higher critical strike chance. You should use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Rumi's Concoction (you can use this flask for defenses once you have reached crit cap without a Diamond Flask)

When you no longer need a Diamond Flask you can use this flask to greatly improve your survivability. This flask gives 1500 armour, increased block chance, and increased spell block. The legacy version is better and gives much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Jade Flask

Gives 1500 evasion. Try and roll immunity to Bleeding and Corrupted Blood during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Arcane Potency for 30% increased spell critical strike chance and 30% increased critical strike multiplier for spells at Cassia using an Azure Oil, Black Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Ice Nova Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 35% Increased Mana Regeneration Rate If You've Cast A Spell Recently

Belt: Enemies Blinded By You Have 30% Reduced Critical Strike Chance

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Bandits

The best bandit to help in Act 2 is Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances which allows you to focus more on damage from your equipment. If you don't need the resistances you can switch to Oak for 40 life which helps with survival.

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Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power and gives 6% reduced physical damage taken when only one enemy is present, a 20% chance to take 50% less area damage, 8% reduced elemental damage taken if you haven't been hit recently, take no extra damage from critical strikes if you've been hit with a critical strike recently, and a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments from critical strikes. Soul of Ryslatha is the best minor power and gives 60% increased life recovery from flasks at low life, life flask charges every 3 seconds if you haven't used a life flask recently, and enemies you hit have 50% reduced life regeneration.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Lifesprigs

You can use two level one Lifesprigs that each give 40% increased spell damage, +1 to level of socketed spell gems, increased cast speed, life, mana, and life regeneration.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one offensive chest armour that has six linked white sockets. Any combination of gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also purchase a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

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Helmet

Goldrim

A great level one resistance helmet that has up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These level one gloves are excellent even at a high level and give 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate a Frenzy, Power, or Endurance charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots require level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

This amulet requires level 5 and gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 30 intelligence, 40 to life, and 10 to all elemental resistances. The Purity of Elements aura increases your elemental resistances for a 50% mana reservation cost.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signet rings at level one that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience gained.

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Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four for 40% increased movement speed and can have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which increases your attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27. It can also have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Bottled Faith (use a Sulphur Flask for 40% increased damage if you can't afford Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 and gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground.

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Leveling Gems

Frostbolt which is one of your endgame skills can be used for damage at level one. Ice Nova of Frostbolts can optionally be used at level 12 to cast Ice Novas with your Frostbolts if you can afford it. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and can be used once you reach level 10 for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. You won't have enough critical strike chance to switch to CoC Ice Nova until much later in the game. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade your wands to two Ashcallers at level 12 for increased spell damage, high added fire damage to spells, a 10% chance to cover enemies in Ash on hit, and a chance to summon Level 10 Raging Spirits. Carnage Heart is a great budget amulet that can be equipped at level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also upgrade to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. The items in the section above can be used all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for the CoC Ice Spear Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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