Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Profane Bloom, Void Beacon, Frigid Wake, and Vile Bastion. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for up to 6% life, 6% energy shield, 6% mana, 30 energy shield on hit while affected by Discipline, 60% increased cold damage while affected by Hatred, and optionally increased critical strike chance while affected by Hatred. The Reservation Mastery and Mana Mastery are also important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. This life build fights in melee range in the Witch area of the tree which is more energy shield focused so make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival.

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Defensive Layers

The Vile Bastion ascendancy gives stun immunity, regenerates 40 energy shield per second, and regenerates 2% energy shield per second for each enemy you or your minions have killed recently up to 10% per second. With the Frigid Wake ascendancy nearby Chilled enemies deal 10% less damage and every 4 seconds you will have a 50% chance to Freeze nearby enemies. Cold Blade Vortex can also Chill and Freeze enemies with its cold damage. When using the recommended The Pandemonius amulet Chilled enemies will also be Blinded. The Witch area of the tree also has several combined life and energy shield nodes to help you survive and the strong defensive advantage of using a shield.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support
 

Shield (3-link)

Flame Dash

Sigil of Power

Clarity (doesn't need to be level 20 if you need more unreserved mana)

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Armour (6 Link)

Vaal Blade Vortex

Empower Support

Awakened Unleash Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Awakened Cold Penetration Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level one)

Cold Snap (keep at a low level)

Frost Bomb (keep at a low level)

Power Charge On Critical Support 

 

Gloves (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Discipline

Enlighten Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Enduring Cry

Call To Arms

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Reservation Skills

Grace and Discipline are the best defensive auras for this build and provide very high evasion, energy shield, and energy shield recharge rate. Hatred is the best offensive aura for this build and gives physical damage as extra cold damage and increased cold damage. Clarity is also recommended to regenerate mana which is important for the high mana cost of the build. Hatred can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, mana on your equipment, and a level 4 Enlighten Support linked to your reservation 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 armor to be effective.

2. Having Unleash Support or Awakened Unleash Support is very important for maintaining blade stacks with Blade Vortex.

3. The Enduring Cry warcry is used to provide a large heal over one second, generates Endurance charges, and gives an extra 2% increased physical damage reduction and 2% increased elemental resistances per charge. Enduring Cry should also be linked to Call To Arms to instantly cast Enduring Cry on cooldown.

4. Frost Bomb gives -15% cold exposure to enemies, lowers the life regeneration of enemies by 75%, and generates Power charges with Power Charge On Critical Support.

5. Cold Snap gives a 25% chance to generate a Frenzy charge when an enemy dies in its area of effect and generates Power charges when linked to Power Charge On Critical Support.

6. A low level Cold Snap and Frost Bomb linked to a level one Cast When Damage Taken Support makes Cold Snap and Frost Bomb trigger more frequently which increases your Frenzy and Power charge generation, lowers the cold resistances of enemies by 15% more often, and reduces the life regeneration of enemies by 75% more often.

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

8. If you think you would prefer to play a Cyclone Champion which is a strong melee build that has a similar playstyle to this build you can also check out the Impale Cyclone Champion Guide here Impale Cyclone Champion.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Wand

Look for high spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, global critical strike multiplier, increased cast speed, and mana if you need more mana to use the recommended reservation skills.

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Shield

Rare Shield

Look for +1 to level of all physical spell skill gems, increased spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, life, and energy shield. A wand and shield is preferred for Cold Blade Vortex Occultist because it's an offensive ascendancy.

 

Armour

Rare Armour

The offensive option is a Shaper influenced body armour with increased spell critical strike chance, life, life percent/mana percent, energy shield, optionally spell suppression, and if you can afford it +1 to level of socketed intelligence gems.

Belly of the Beast

The defensive option gives up to 40% life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased flask life recovery. Once you have enough currency you can also upgrade to a +1 to level of socketed gems corruption.

 

Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for nearby enemies have -9% to cold resistances, high life, high energy shield, resistances, and optionally the combined +2 to level of socketed AoE gems and 10% increased area of effect.

 

Gloves

Hrimsorrow (corrupted)

Gives up to 30 strength, 30% cold resistance, and converts 100% physical damage to cold damage. You should also look for a +2 to level of socketed aura or AoE gems corruption if you don't have it on your helmet. If you get a +2 to level of socketed aura or AoE gems modifier on your helmet you can go for a increased spell critical strike chance corruption instead.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, energy shield, strength, dexterity, increased damage with hits against chilled enemies (a prefix that can be added with a Redeemer's Exalted Orb), resistances, and an abyssal socket.

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, energy shield, increased global critical strike multiplier, and added physical damage to spells.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, high energy shield, resistances, Onslaught on kill, and movement speed. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll chance to avoid being Ignited and physical damage as extra cold damage.

 

Amulet

The Pandemonius

Gives up to 30% increased cold damage, 20% cold resistance penetration against Chilled enemies, blind Chilled enemies on hit, 40% cold resistance, and Chill enemies when hit reducing their action speed by 30%. You should use 20 Turbulent Catalysts on the amulet to increases its cold damage and cold resistance penetration.

 

Rings

Rare Frostbite Curse Ring

Look for Frostbite curse on hit, life, energy shield, resistances, increased cast speed, and add the combined increased critical strike chance/critical strike multiplier if you've shattered an enemy recently modifier. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses or Prismatic Catalysts to increase their resistances.

Rare Increased Cast Speed Ring

Look for high resistances, life, energy shield, increased cast speed, and increased cold damage, and add the combined increased critical strike chance/critical strike multiplier if you've shattered an enemy recently modifier.

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Utility Flasks

Taste of Hate (legacy is better)

Gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage, 20% less cold damage taken, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% less chance to be Chilled. Legacy Taste of Hate is better. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased attack block, and 6% 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 when it has full charges.

Diamond Flask

Gives 100% increased critical strike chance. Try and roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity 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 Overcharged for a chance to generate an Endurance, Frenzy, or Power charge on kill at Cassia using a Clear Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Silver Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Blade Vortex Has 3% Critical Strike Chance Multiplier For Each Blade

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: Damage Penetrates 10% of Enemy Elemental Resistances if You Haven't Killed 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 for critical strike builds because she gives 15% increased elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second which are all very beneficial.

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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 Abberath is the best minor power to help maintain energy shield and gives 60% less Ignite duration on you, makes you unaffected by burning ground, and gives 10% increased movement speed on burning ground.

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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 get 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 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

Karui Ward

A level five amulet that gives up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 100 accuracy, and 30% increased projectile damage.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets 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.

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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 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.

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, creates 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

Freezing Pulse is the best spell to use at level one. 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 can be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade to two Ashcallers wands 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 on kills. The Carnage Heart amulet can be equipped at level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also benefit from using 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 leveling section last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for the Cold Blade Vortex Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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