Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Pursuit of Faith, Conviction of Power, Arcane Blessing, and Ritual of Awakening. The Ancestral Bond node is important for an extra totem at the cost of dealing no damage without traps, totems, or mines. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, 15% increased cast speed while affected by Zealotry, critical strikes penetrate 10% elemental resistances while affected by Zealotry, and optionally 15% spell suppression while affected by Grace. Two legacy First Snow jewels make a huge difference in Standard because they give four extra projectiles but in league play you can use a Rain of Splinters jewel for two extra projectiles instead. The Light of Meaning jewel is important in the middle blue circle in the image above for increased cold damage for each passive in its radius and a Self-Flagellation jewel is important to increase your damage by 20% for every curse on you because this is a self curse build. A Stormshroud jewel is also important to make Shock avoidance apply to all elemental ailments because it gives 100% elemental ailment immunity with the recommended boots. One of the Resistance Masteries should also be taken to make curses no longer lower your resistances. The Mana Mastery is important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. Make sure and take all of the nearby increased totem damage nodes and plenty of the nearby life percent nodes for survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

You will have a minimum of four Endurance and Power charges at all times with the Conviction of Power ascendancy which improves your offenses and defenses with this build. You will also regenerate 1% life per second for each summoned totem with the Ritual of Awakening ascendancy and you will have totems that can take the damage for you. This build also has the strong defensive benefit of fighting with a ranged attacking totem while using a one handed weapon and a shield.

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Gems

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Weapon (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

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Shield (3-link)

Cold Snap (keep at a low level)

Cast When Damage Taken Support (keep at level 1 to make Cold Snap cast more frequently)

Arcane Surge Support (keep at a low level)

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Armour (7-link)

Freezing Pulse

Multiple Totems Support

Awakened Cold Penetration Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Spell Totem Support (granted by Soul Mantle)

Note: Awakened gems can be replaced with the normal support gems for seasonal play.

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Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Zealotry

Enlighten Support

Flame Dash

 

Gloves (4-link)

Icicle Mine of Fanning

Charged Mine Support

High-Impact Mine Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

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Boots (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Culling Strike Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and provides very high evasion. Zealotry is the recommended offensive aura for this build because it gives increased spell critical strike chance, increased spell damage, and it creates consecrated ground. The Zealotry aura can be used once you have the 12% increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled up 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. Icicle Mines give increased critical strike chance, a chance to generate a Frenzy charge with Charged Mine Support, and a chance to deal double damage with High-Impact Mine Support. Icicle Mines of Fanning is recommended because the Ancestral Bond node gives an extra totem at the cost of dealing no damage without totems, traps, or mines.

3. Cold Snap linked to Cast When Damage Taken Support will passively generate Frenzy charges for more damage and it triggers Arcane Surge Support for increased cast speed and increased mana regeneration.

4. Summon Ice Golem increases your critical strike chance, applies cold exposure with Elemental Army Support, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Wand

Look for a wand with +1 to level of all cold spell skill gems, increased spell damage, increased critical strike chance for spells, increased cast speed, added cold damage to spells, and increased cold damage. You should also add 1% elemental damage per 2% quality at the Horticrafting Station which should be added to your hideout.

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Shield

Rare Shield

Look for high life, +1 to level of cold spell skill gems, increased spell damage, and increased critical strike chance for spells. You can also look for a +1 to Maximum Number of Summoned Totems shield but it's rare to find one with strong modifiers.

Lioneye's Remorse (budget)

An extreme budget starter option that has 210 life and very high armor especially if you can use the legacy version in Standard. You can also find one with a corruption like 5% increased block or 4% increased life for extremely cheap.

 

Armour

Soul Mantle (legacy is better)

Gives socketed gems are supported by level 20 Spell Totem, up to 25% increased spell damage, energy shield, 30% increased totem life, and inflicts a random curse on you when your totems expire. Legacy Soul Mantle is even better because it comes with an extra totem. The Self-Flagellation jewel should be used with this body armour for 20% increased damage per curse on you. The Resistance Mastery on the tree should then be taken to keep curses from lowering your resistances.

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Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, resistances, attributes, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems if you can afford it. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add increased cast speed and increased spell damage.

 

Gloves

Rare Increased Damage Against Chilled Enemies Gloves

Look for high life, strength or dexterity, resistances, increased damage against chilled enemies, spell suppression, and add increased damage during any flask effect at the crafting bench. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add cold exposure on hit and chance to Unnerve enemies on hit. 

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, strength, dexterity, a resistance, increased damage against chilled enemies, and an abyssal socket. You can use a Redeemer's Exalted Orb on an uninfluenced Stygian Vise with an open prefix for a chance at rolling increased cold damage or increased damage against chilled enemies. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, added cold damage to spells, and added lightning damage to spells.

 

Boots

Rare Ailment Immunity Boots

The Shock avoidance on these boots give 100% elemental ailment immunity once you have a Stormshroud jewel socketed in your tree. Look for high life, chance to avoid being Shocked, a resistance, and movement speed. Tailwind and Onslaught on kill from boots aren't recommended because they don't trigger with totems. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid being Shocked and elemental ailment avoidance if you need more avoidance to reach 100% immunity.

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Amulet

Rare Amulet

Can have +1 to level of all cold skill gems, high life, attributes, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier. You should also use Unstable Catalysts on the amulet to increase its critical strike modifiers.

The Pandemonius

The budget option has up to 30 dexterity, 30% increased cold damage, 40% cold resistance, blinds chilled enemies on hit, reduces enemies action speed by 30% when hit for one second, and makes damage penetrates 20% cold resistance against chilled enemies. You can also use Turbulent Catalysts on the amulet to increase its cold damage and cold resistance penetration.

 

Rings

Frostbite Ring

Look for Frostbite curse on hit, life, resistances, increased cast speed, and increased cold damage. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses.

Rare Increased Cast Speed Ring

Look for high life, strength or dexterity, increased cast speed, increased cold damage, and resistances.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Wise

This tattoo can replace a 30 intelligence node on the tree to give +1 to Level of All Intelligence Skill Gems.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gain 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, consecrated ground has triple radius, 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.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased block chance, and 6% increased spell block. The legacy version is better and gives higher block chances. You should also 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. 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 Heart of Ice for 30% increased cold damage and 6% cold resistance penetration at Cassia using a Crimson Oil, Opalescent Oil, and Golden Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Freezing Pulse Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: Damage Penetrates 10% of Enemy Elemental Resistances if You Haven't Killed Recently

Belt: Hits Against Enemies Unnerve By You Have 50% Increased Spell 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 kill all three bandits instead for 1 passive skill point.

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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 early in the game which 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 level one offensive chest armour that has 6 linked white sockets. Any combination of skill and support gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an early 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

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

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These strong starter gloves can be used as early as level one for 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 boots require level nine and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Karui Ward

This level five amulet 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 for mana regeneration 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 for 40% increased movement speed and it can also have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught for increased attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27. It can also have increased movement speed as a secondary modifier. You should also use Instilling Orbs on this 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 a Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 and gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, up to 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and increases enemies' damage taken by 10% when they're on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on this flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

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Leveling Gems

Freezing Pulse should be used at level one. You should switch to Freezing Pulse totems from Spell Totem Support once you reach level 8. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and it 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 can 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. This build also benefits from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana costs of skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flask. Many of the items in the section above last until the midgame where better items will become available.

 

That's all for this PoE guide! You can view more Path of Exile guides in the menu at the top of this page. Best of luck!​