Hardcore Frost Witch Guide (Last Updated May 8th)

I took your last posted build and tried to complete it, immediately close enough are the +30 dex and str nodes (2 of each), mainly for the pre-req of support gems. There is also a lot of shield nodes that give more ES from it, more block recovery, and more resistance when using a shield, freeing a lot of needed resistance on gear (you get +30% all elemental resist when using a shield). I also took 40% more mana regen on the bottom right, perhaps making Clarity unnecessary.

I haven't taken them on the build, but I know there are more points than 111. Especially if you take all skill points (always kill all bandits). So I'd take the 3 Chill Duration nodes in the Templar area, followed by Arcane Potency. It's just one node for +30% crit chance and +30% crit multi, for spells.

Since i just died on my level 54 ranger im sick of the uber low dps approach to the game. Im really intressted in this build however im very unsure wheter to go this build or if i should pick the templar way of doing the same:

http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/97518/page/4

My question is if you could list the main differences to them as im new to the game but an experienced gamer over all. Im really curious to understand more and i would love if someone could reply.

Also sorry about the english, it isn't my native language

Dennis

Thanks, this will be helpful.

Confession. I died last week (at no fault of the build though). I was in a 3-man group: ranger, marauder and myself. We were clearing a room with several skeletons and a rare inside. The ranger was outside the room firing into it. The marauder and myself were inside. Things were going smoothly until my skeletons expired. Suddenly everything turned to the marauder. He came close to dying, but made it outside the room... leaving me alone with the skeletons. Then, all at once, this happened:



When you see that, there's probably no hope for survival. I died almost instantly. But there are some lessons to be learned here: Don't let your skeletons expire, fire into rooms from the outside whenever possible, be especially wary of puncture mobs, and if you get punctured, use Lightning Warp to get around.

However, I quickly leveled another character which has now far surpassed the dead one. So I went ahead and started appending the merciless section to the guide.

How about this?



I took the other string of 8% evasion and energy nodes near Shadow, at the cost of not taking the second set below Witch, with points above 111, you could take them still. But the ones besides Shadow have an extra 10% ele resist, 10% energy shield recovery and 10% energy shield. As an aside you also get an extra Power Charge.

I still take the most out of shield nodes, especially good block chance, resist on shield and energy shield from shield.

+120% energy shield from shield, +30% all elemental resist from shield, +28% block chance if you get Block Mastery in the shadow area with points above 111 (you're just missing 2) and 12% block chance applied to spells (so 6% chance to resist spells altogether if you have 50% block).

I kept the Body and Soul nodes with the minimum to reach them, the ones near Templar beginning area besides the 1.0% HP regen. Still getting Zealot's Oath, as per the suggestion build you posted.

I took your build and I played with it a bit, 53, just entered merciless.

These are my modifications:

I have read your guide twice now just to be sure i didn't miss it, but i cant seem to find out what spell you want to merge with cold pen

btw sweet ass guide, gave me and some of my friends great laughs reading it :)

Really great guide, it helped me a lot for my first char on Path of Exile.

I have one question: how did you manage to get 1700 ES at level 46? I'm 47 right now and only have 1250 with discipline. I could probably find gear with better ES since, for example, my helm or spirit shield are not that great but I don't really know how I could reach 1700ish.

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Junie wrote:

I took your build and I played with it a bit, 53, just entered merciless.

These are my modifications:

Spoiler

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAW8C4wL-B2MHpQx9DkgQexB_ES8RUBGWFecXVBzcHRQd2R6UHwIigSsKLJwspiy_NAo2xTdmN4M74TyOQsNDVENjRZ1HBkmyTUFPv1ZKVytXyVj1Wmtd8mKVZp5tGXFNc7N1ini6eqp-WX_GghCESIhri3qMNo48j0aP-pMnlQSZmprPmuCdxJ6hn3uiLqKjpuunCKcrrD-vm7JwtMW297cxuJO71rx5vjrBAMHFwfPC7MNtxp7UBdVP2CTa3dsa2-fcV95334TfsOL344Tmgeq662Pr7uwY8Gv1S_rS

You took lots of +8% max mana nodes, but didn't take the +12% mana node right in the start area. There's also a +20% mana regeneration right there.

"

ukepower wrote:

OP or ANYONE know how this compares to Dominion's HC Dual Totem/CI witch??

Would like to know this as well.