Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Avidity, Gathering Winds, Wind Ward, and Focal Point. The Clever Thief node should be taken for 1% life leech and 1% mana leech and works for both physical damage and elemental damage. A Watcher's Eye jewel is also important for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, added cold damage while affected by Hatred, increased cold damage while affected by Hatred, and optionally spell suppression while affected by Grace. The Reservation Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. This is a melee build 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 Wind Ward ascendancy reduces your damage taken based on how much Gale Force you have which is granted by the Gathering Winds ascendancy. You should use Fortify Support to decrease your damage taken from hits by 20% which is important for survival because this is a melee build. Assassin's Mark should be used for increased critical strike chance and increased critical strike multiplier and it also replenishes 600 life when a marked enemy is killed. This build also has the strong defensive advantage of using a one hand weapon and shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

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Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap

Cast When Damage Taken Support

Bonechill Support

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Armour (6-link)

Flicker Strike

Ice Bite Support

Awakened Multistrike Support

Awakened Melee Splash Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Fortify Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Herald of Ice

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Dash

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Boots (4-link)

Enduring Cry

Urgent Orders Support

Mark On Hit

Assassin's Mark

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Hatred is the best offensive aura for this build and is used to greatly increase your cold damage. Aspect of the Cat is free with the Farrul's Fur body armour and occasionally gives 100% increased critical strike chance, 10% increased attack speed, 100% Stealth which lowers enemies detection range, and a 15% chance to evade all attacks. Herald of Ice is also used for added cold damage and AoE cold explosions. Hatred can be used once you have 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. 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.

3. Cold Snap generates Frenzy charges when enemies die in its chilling area of effect and increases your cold damage when its linked to Bonechill Support.

4. Summon Flame Golem gives 20% increased damage, 2% life recovery on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an additional target for enemies to attack.

5. If you think you would prefer to play a top tier ranged Ranger build that doesn't require fighting in melee range you can also check out the Tornado Shot Deadeye Guide here Tornado Shot Deadeye Guide.

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Equipment

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Weapon

Paradoxica

Look for a Paradoxica with attacks with this weapon penetrate 16% elemental resistances, attacks deal double damage, and increased attack speed while a rare or unique enemy is nearby.

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Shield

Rare Shield

Look for very high life, resistances, increased attack speed, and increased block chance. For a very high price you can also look for a +1 to maximum Frenzy charges synthesised base and craft the above modifiers.

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Armour

Farrul's Fur

This armour gives 100 life, free Aspect of the Cat, gain up to your maximum Frenzy and Power charges on Cat's Stealth, and gives Phasing while you have Cat's Stealth.

 

Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, strength, resistances, nearby enemies have -9 to their cold resistances, and add +1 to level of socketed AoE gems/increased area of effect at the crafting bench. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add physical damage taken as an elemental damage and physical damage taken recouped as life.

Forbidden Shako

If you get a high enough level built in Ice Bite Support on this helmet it can be best in slot with a strong second support gem. It gives an increase to all attributes with up to level 35 Ice Bite Support built in and up to a level 10 random second support gem.

 

Gloves

Rare Damage Against Chilled Enemies Gloves

Look for life, attack speed, attributes, increased damage against chilled enemies, and resistances. You should also roll non-vaal strike skills target one additional nearby enemy and cold exposure on hit with Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, strength, resistances, energy shield, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and an abyssal socket. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for high life, accuracy, added cold damage with sword attacks, and added lightning damage with sword attacks.

 

Boots

Look for high life, resistances, Onslaught on kill, movement speed, optionally Aspect of the Cat, and use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add chance to avoid elemental ailments and increased action speed.

 

Amulet

The Pandemonius

Gives up to 30% increased cold damage, 30 dexterity, 40% cold resistance, chills enemies for 1 second when hit reducing their action speed by 30%, blinds chilled enemies on hit, and penetrates 20% cold resistances against chilled enemies. You should use 20 Turbulent Catalysts to increase its cold damage and cold resistance penetration.

 

Rings

Rare Frostbite Ring

Look for Frostbite on hit, high life, attributes, added cold damage, resistances, and optionally add reduced mana cost at the crafting bench. You should use Fertile Catalysts on both your rings to improve their life bonuses.

Rare Cold Damage Per Frenzy Charge Ring

Look for high life, cold damage per frenzy charge, added cold damage, attributes, resistances, and optionally reduced mana costs. If you can't get the Aspect of the Cat modifier on your boots you can have the Aspect of the Cat modifier on your ring.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

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

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased chance to 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

Gain 100% increased critical strike chance. Look to 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 Whispers of Doom for an additional curse at Cassia using three Golden Oils.

 

Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 9% Increased Flicker Strike Damage per Frenzy Charge

Gloves: Commandment of Fury

Feet: 16% Increased Attack Speed if you've Killed Recently

Belt: 300 to Armour While Fortified

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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

Silverbranch

Silverbranch is a great level one bow with +1 to socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, accuracy, and mana on kill.

Roth's Reach

Gives high physical damage, 80% increased elemental damage with attacks, skills chain +2 times, and requires level eighteen.

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Quiver

Craghead

A level four quiver that gives up to 7-14 added physical damage and 25% reduced projectile speed.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great level one chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets. Any color skill gems and support gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also look for 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 strong level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These gloves can be used at level one and give up to 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

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

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Amulet

Tear of Purity

Gives level 10 Purity of Elements, up to 20 to all attributes, 40 to life, 30 intelligence, and 10 to all 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 level one Perandus Signets which 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 and gives 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. This flask can also have increased attack speed or movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which gives increased attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and can have increased attack speed or 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

Galvanic Arrow is the best bow skill to use at level one because it has multiple projectiles without a support gem. You should switch to Ice Shot and Volley Support once you reach level 4 and switch Volley Support for Lesser Multiple Projectile Support at level 12. 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. 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

The Carnage Heart amulet is a great amulet that can be equipped at level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% of physical damage leeched as life, and 40% increased damage while leeching. Death's Harp is an excellent bow upgrade and can be equipped as early as level 32. You can later upgrade to the Death's Opus bow at level 44 for high critical strike modifiers and two additional arrows. At level 51 you should switch to Terminus Est which generates Frenzy charges because it allows you to use Flicker Strike. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of all skills by up to 16. Many of the above items last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for the Cold Flicker Strike Guide! For more about PoE you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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