Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Gathering Winds, Far Shot, Endless Munitions, and Wind Ward. A Watcher's Eye jewel is recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, high added cold damage while affected by Hatred, 60% increased cold damage while affected by Hatred, and damage penetrates 15% cold resistance while affected by Hatred. The Light of Meaning jewel should be used in the blue circle in the image above for 6% increased cold damage for each passive in its radius which is a major damage increase. A Stormshroud jewel makes Shock avoidance apply to all elemental ailments and is great for 100% elemental ailment immunity with the recommended boots. The Mana Mastery is also important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. The Ghost Dance node is a strong defensive node that recovers energy shield when you're hit by enemies. This is a life build so make sure and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes for survival. Note: The skill tree and build ratings have been updated for season (3.28).

​

Defensive Layers

Gale Force increases the effect of Tailwind which is granted by the Gathering Winds ascendancy and the Wind Ward ascendancy makes you take 4% less damage per stack of Gale Force. The recommended Hyrri's Ire body armour is also strong defensively because it has 30% spell suppression and very high evasion. Ice Shot Deadeyes also have the strong defensive advantage of using a ranged attack that can Freeze and Chill enemies which improves their survival.

​

Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Vaal Ice Shot

Inspiration Support

Awakened Elemental Damage with Attacks Support

Awakened Added Cold Damage Support

Awakened Cold Penetration Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

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

​

Armour (6-link)

Frenzy

Manaforged Arrows Support

Power Charge On Critical Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Culling Strike Support

​

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

Clarity

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Blind Support

​

Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Flame Dash

​

Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Hatred is the best offensive aura because it gives high physical damage as extra cold damage. Clarity is also important to maintain mana and gives high mana regeneration. Hatred can be used once you have the 12% increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery, 16% increased mana reservation efficiency from the Charisma anointment, and a level 4 Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

​

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. Frenzy is linked to Manaforged Arrows Support for utility. Frenzy generates a Frenzy charge on hit, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and generates Power charges with Power Charge on Critical Support.

3. Summon Ice Golem gives increased accuracy and critical strike chance, cold exposure when linked to Elemental Army Support which lowers enemies cold resistances, and it provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

​

Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare High Critical Strike Bow

Look for the highest physical damage bow you can find with optional strong modifiers like high increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, increased attack speed, and optionally bow fires 1-2 additional arrows. You can also use Tempering Orbs on rare weapons for a low chance at getting an increased physical modifiers enchantment but be aware that doing this can sometimes reforges the sockets on the weapon. You can also look for a bow with a strong Crucible tree in Standard which can potentially majorly increase the damage of your bow.

Loath Thunder (best in slot)

This rare mirrored bow is the best bow available in the Standard league currently and has more than 1200 maximum damage. Expect it to cost more than a mirror to purchase. This bow skyrockets the damage potential of Vaal Ice Shot Deadeyes.

​

How Do You Craft A Great Starter Ice Shot Bow?

To craft a strong starter bow you can purchase an ilvl 85+ bow with an increased critical strike chance implicit and an increased critical strike multiplier fracture (a permanent modifier that appears golden). You can then roll Deafening Essences of Contempt until you get a very high combined increased damage/accuracy modifier with an open prefix. You should then roll up to another 129% increased physical damage which costs an Exalted Orb for a very strong starter Vaal Ice Shot bow.

​

Quiver

Rare Spike-Point Arrow Quiver

A rare Spike-Point Arrow Quivers is the best base because it has a 30% increased critical strike chance implicit. It can have increased critical strike chance, increased critical strike multiplier, high life, bow attacks fire an additional arrow, increased elemental damage with attack skills, increased attack speed, and physical damage as an elemental damage.

Voidfletcher

The budget quiver gives Void Shot with every arrow fired, up to 40-100 cold damage, 30% projectile speed, 120 energy shield, 40 mana per enemy killed, and 30% increased cold resistance. Void Shot is solid for single target damage and can shotgun.

 

Armour

​Hyrri's Ire (legacy is better)

Gives 30% spell suppression, up to 50 dexterity, 25% increased Chill duration on enemies, and 145-200 added cold damage with bow attacks. The Legacy Hyrri's Ire armour is better if you're playing in Standard and has much higher added cold damage.

Kaom's Heart

The budget defensive option gives 500 life which greatly improves your survivability and 40% increased fire damage. You can also look for a high increased damage corruption because it's a fairly inexpensive item.

 

Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high life, resistances, increased accuracy, and +2 to level of socketed AoE gems. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to add increased mana reservation efficiency and physical damage taken recouped as life.

Heatshiver (budget)

The budget option gives up to 30% fire resistance, 30% cold resistance, 60% increased mana regeneration rate, 1% cold damage as extra fire damage per 1% Chill effect on the enemy, and 30% cold damage as extra fire damage against Frozen enemies.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

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

Abyss Jewel

Look high life, energy shield, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier.

 

Gloves

Rare Chill Damage Gloves

Look for increased damage with hits against Chilled enemies, high life, added elemental damage, increased attack speed, and add increased damage during any flask effect at the crafting bench. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors on these gloves to roll cold exposure on hit which lowers enemies cold resistances and increased attack speed.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, chance to avoid being Shocked, resistances, chance to gain Onslaught on kill, and increased movement speed. You don't need Tailwind on your boots because you have it already from your ascendancies. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll physical damage as extra cold damage and a chance to avoid being Shocked which gives 100% elemental ailment immunity with a Stormshroud jewel socketed in your skill tree.

 

Amulet

​Rare Amulet

This option is recommended for increased attributes, high life, physical damage as extra cold damage, increased elemental damage with attack skills, increased critical strike chance, and/or increased critical strike multiplier. You should also use Unstable Catalysts on the amulet to increase its critical strike modifiers.

The Pandemonius

The middle tier 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 should also use Turbulent Catalysts to increase the cold damage and cold resistance penetration.

Carnage Heart (budget)

The extreme budget option gives up to 56 to all attributes, 20% to all elemental resistances, 2% life leech, 50% increased recovery from life leech, and 40% increased damage while leeching. You can optionally use Intrinsic Catalysts to increase its attribute bonus or Prismatic Catalysts to increase its resistances.

 

Rings

Rare Frostbite Ring

Look for the Frostbite curse on hit, high life, resistances, increased elemental damage with attack skills, and increased critical strike chance. You should also use Turbulent Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their elemental damage modifiers.

Rare Elemental Damage Ring

Look for high life, resistances, increased elemental damage with attack skills, added elemental damage, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier. You can use Turbulent Catalysts to increase its elemental damage modifiers.

​

Tattoos

Tattoo of the Arohongui Warrior

This tattoo replaces small 10 dexterity nodes on the skill tree with 5% increased cold damage nodes.

Note: This tattoo greatly increases the damage of Ice Shot because of the abundance of dexterity nodes in the Ranger tree.

​

Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, consecrated ground has triple radius, up to 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.

Taste of Hate (legacy is better)

Gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 30% of fire and lightning damage taken as cold damage (new modifier), 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy modifier), 50% cold resistances, and a 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. The legacy version has higher damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever 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're Bleeding.

​

Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Charisma at Cassia for 16% increased mana reservation efficiency and 6% increased effect of your non-curse auras from your skills using a Opalescent Oil, Golden Oil, and Golden Oil.

​

Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Ice Shot Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

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

Belt: 30% Increased Accuracy While You Have Onslaught

​

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 also kill all three bandits for 1 passive skill point.

​

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.

​

Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Silverbranch

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

Roth's Reach

Requires level 18 and has high physical damage, up to 80% increased elemental damage with attacks, and skills chain +2 times.

​

Quiver

Craghead

This level four quiver gives up to 7-14 added physical damage with 25% reduced projectile speed.

Hyrri's Bite

Requires level 12 and gives strength, dexterity, intelligence, attack speed, area of effect, and added cold damage to attacks. 

​

Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a level one chest armour with six white linked sockets which allows you to link any color gems together for much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also glook for a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

​

Helmet

Goldrim

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

​

Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These excellent level one gloves 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.

​

Boots

Wondertrap

Wondertrap boots can be equipped at level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

​

Amulet

The Kurai Ward

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

​

Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signet rings 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.

​

Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four for 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. It can also have increased attack speed or 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.

Taste of Hate (legacy is better)

This flask requires level 18 and gives 15% of physical damage as extra cold damage, 15% of physical damage taken as cold damage (legacy modifier), 5% to maximum cold resistance, 50% cold resistances, and a 30% reduced chance to be Frozen or Chilled. The legacy version is much better and has higher physical damage as extra cold damage and physical damage taken as cold damage. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the 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 and it can have increased attack speed or 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 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 enemies take 10% increased damage 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.

​

Leveling Gems

Galvanic Arrow is the best bow skill to use at level one because it has multiple projectiles without a support gem. 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 should switch to Ice Shot with Volley Support once you are level four and switch Volley Support to Lesser Multiple Projectile Support once you reach level 12. You can use Steelskin for a defensive guard skill once you've reached level four and have at least 16 strength. Dash also requires level four and can be used as your travel skill at early levels.

​

Upgrades

Death's Harp is a great leveling bow that can be equipped at level 32. You can upgrade to Death's Opus at level 44 for high critical strike modifiers and two additional arrows. Carnage Heart requires level 20 it's the budget amulet for the build with up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 which lowers mana costs by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana recovery flasks. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way 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!