Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Gathering Winds, Far Shot, Endless Munitions, and Wind Ward. The Leech Mastery with the Clever Thief node is important for 1% life leech and 1% mana leech and works for both physical damage and elemental damage. A Watcher's Eye jewel is highly recommended for increased life, increased energy shield, increased mana, high added cold damage while affected by Hatred, and 60% increased cold damage while affected by Hatred. The Mana Mastery should be taken for 12% increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. A Stormshroud jewel makes Shock avoidance apply to all elemental ailments and is recommended for 100% elemental ailment avoidance with the recommended boots. The Ghost Dance node is an optional strong defensive node that recovers energy shield when you are hit and can be used if you have enough energy shield on your equipment. This is a life build so make sure and take a healthy number of the nearby life nodes for survival. Note: The skill tree above has been updated for the new season (3.25).​

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Defensive Layers

Gale Force increases the effect of Tailwind and is granted by the Gathering Winds ascendancy and the Wind Ward ascendancy gives 4% less damage taken per stack of Gale Force. The recommended Hyrri's Ire body armour is strong defensively and has 30% spell suppression and very high evasion. The Kaom's Heart body armour is another option for early on that has 500 life and can come with an increased damage corruption. Ice Shot also has the strong advantage of being a ranged attacking build that can Freeze and Chill enemies which is very helpful defensively.

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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

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Armour (6-link)

Frenzy

Manaforged Arrows Support

Power Charge On Critical Support

Increased Critical Strikes Support

Increased Critical Damage Support

Culling Strike Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Hatred

War Banner

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Summon Ice Golem

Minion Life Support

Elemental Army Support

Blind Support

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Flame Dash

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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 Ice Shot because it gives increased cold damage and physical damage as extra cold damage. War Banner is also selected to increase your accuracy and increase your physical damage against nearby enemies. Hatred can be used once you have the 12% increased mana reservation efficiency from the Mana 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 Shot does lower multi-target damage than Lightning Arrow even though it has a higher tooltip damage. Ice Shot's strength comes from its Vaal Ice Shot skill which is much more powerful than the Vaal Lightning Arrow skill.

3. 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.

4. Summon Ice Golem gives increased accuracy and critical strike chance, cold exposure with Elemental Army Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

5. If you would prefer a better Ranger build to start off with that doesn't require a huge currency investment for a high physical damage bow you can also view the Elemental Hit Raider Guide here (removed due to changes to Elemental Hit in 3.25).

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare High Critical Strike Bow

Look for the highest physical damage bow you can find with optional strong modifiers like 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 is expensive and sometimes reforges the sockets on the weapon. In standard you can also look for a bow with a strong Crucible tree which can potentially greatly 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 with more than 1200 maximum damage. Expect it to cost more than a mirror to purchase. This bow skyrockets the damage potential of Ice Shot Deadeye.

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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 modifier 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 129% increased physical damage at the crafting bench which costs an Exalted Orb for a very strong starter Ice Shot bow.

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Quiver

Rare Spike-Point Arrow Quiver

A rare Spike-Point Arrow Quivers is the best option 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 attacks skills, and increased attack speed.

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 great 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 are playing in Standard and has much higher added cold damage.

Kaom's Heart

The defensive option that gives 500 life which greatly improves your survivability and 40% increased fire damage. You can also eventually look for a high increased damage corruption once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Heatshiver (legacy is better)

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. You should also eventually go for a +2 to level of socketed aura or AoE gems corruption once you have enough currency.

 

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 increased elemental damage with attack skills.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with high life, energy shield, increased critical strike chance, and added cold damage with bows.

 

Gloves

Rare Increased Damage With Hits Against Chilled Enemies Gloves

Look for increased damage with hits against Chilled enemies, 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 the gloves to roll cold exposure on hit 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'll already have it from your ascendancies. You should also 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 avoidance with the elemental ailment Life Mastery and a Stormshroud jewel socketed in your tree. You can craft these boots by getting a tier one chaos resistance fracture (golden modifier that appears above the line that cant be changed) and roll Deafening Essences of Torment for Shock avoidance until you get high life and resistances. Next you can craft chance to gain Onslaught on kill and increased movement speed at the crafting bench for a great pair of boots.

 

Amulet

​Rare Amulet

Look for increases to all attributes, high life, physical damage as extra cold damage, increased elemental damage with attack skills, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier. You should also use Unstable Catalysts on the amulet to increase its critical strike modifiers.

Carnage Heart

The 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 use Intrinsic Catalysts on the amulet to increase its attribute bonus or Prismatic Catalysts to increase its resistance bonus.

 

Rings

Rare Frostbite Ring

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

Rare Elemental Damage Ring

Look for high life, resistances, increased elemental damage with attack skills, added cold/fire/lightning damage, increased critical strike chance, and increased critical strike multiplier.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Gives up to 40% increased damage, consecrated ground, 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground, and 10% increased damage taken 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), 20% less cold damage taken, 50% cold resistances, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% less chance to be Chilled. The legacy version has higher damage and better damage reduction. You should 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 until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with True Strike for 45% increased critical strike chance and 15% increased critical strike multiplier at Cassia using a Teal Oil, Crimson Oil, and Black Oil.

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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

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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 also kill all three bandits 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

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, 80% increased elemental damage with attacks, and skills chain +2 times.

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Quiver

Craghead

A level four quiver that gives up to 7-14 added physical damage and 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. 

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a level one chest armour with six white linked sockets which allows you to link any skill and support gems together for 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 with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These great 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.

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Boots

Wondertrap

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

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Amulet

The Kurai 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 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.

Taste of Hate (legacy option)

This flask only 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, 30% reduced chance to be Frozen, and 30% less chance to be Chilled. You can optionally use this flask instead of a Quicksilver Flask for leveling. The older legacy versions are much better and have 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 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, consecrated ground, 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.

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Leveling Gems

Galvanic Arrow is the best elemental 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 to Lesser Multiple Projectile Support once you reach level 12. You should 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 should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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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. The Carnage Heart amulet requires level 20 and is the budget amulet with up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also greatly benefit from upgrading 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. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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

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