[3.6 Video Guide] Winter Orb CI Occultist

This thread goes through all the details of the build, for gameplay & TLDR guide version check out: Winter Orb Build Guide Video

Beginner friendly Elementalist Life version: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2270586

Winter Orb VS Pale Court: https://youtu.be/k0BHVED67sQ
Winter Orb VS Shaper: https://youtu.be/I_53Dld6hF4


If you have any questions you can always come to my twitch stream to get them answered or just to enjoy the stream: Ghazzy's Livestreaming Channel

Path of Building Link for the guide: https://pastebin.com/WSLbg8jE
Simply go to "Import/Export Build" > Click the "Import from Pastebin" paste the link in there, and then click "Import"

For a LOW BUDGET mass cursing support variant of this build as well as being much better for Hardcore check this PoB out https://pastebin.com/PXZJKiWw

NOTE:
The DMG calculations in PoB seems to be extremely off and only count for the average hit dmg of 1 projectile, despite the fact that the explosions from each projectile is able to shotgun.

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Is this build for you?

1. If you are looking for a Winter Orb build that has good enough single target damage for the end-game!

2. A build capable of competing in the clear speed meta.

3. Boss kill potential despite being designed as a clear speed build.

4. A build with an insanely high effective health pool!

5. If you prefer a build guide that has a video linked to it.

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How the build functions:

Before you decide to play this build, please do note that this is not a beginner friendly build like most other guides I create, this is a Chaos Inoculation based build which is a defensive variant you can play in Path of Exile that is in my opinion something a new player should stay far away from in the start of their endevours in Wraeclast. If you wish to play the beginner friendly version of this, check this Life based Elementalist version out: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2270586

You level up the build generally by not using Winter Orb itself, you can read the leveling tips further down in this guide.

Winter Orb is a channeling ability that builds up stages up to 10 (12 with helmet enchant from uber lab), that then decays over a duration. The higher the stack is the more frequent your orb you've created over your head will shoot projectiles that then explodes on the ground in an AoE based damage area. This AoE damage shotguns, which means that each projectile can hit the same target, this is why we use support gems like Greater Multiple Projectiles as well as Concentrated Effect. This makes the build function very similarly to a Blade Vortex build where you charge up the ability, then you move through the map whilst your ability kills everything to then only stop briefly to recharge a few stages of your ability.

A lot of people have complained about the lack of single target Winter Orb has, so I've designed this build to sort that issue this way:

Herald of Ice is linked to simply be the ability that clear packs of enemies for you, whilst Winter Orb is linked & focused on actual single target damage. This is being supported by things like the Ascendancy node Void Beacon as well as Frost Bomb, for the sake of reducing the enemies cold resistance. I've had no issues killing Shaper with this build in rather decent gear.

The core design of this build is to simply freeze & shatter everything it comes close to, it is by design focused on being a super meta clear speed build, though it seems as the single target damage makes it suitable for most if not all end-game bosses.

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Build Enabling Items:

This build doesn't have any specific item that truly enables it to be played. However, the core design of this specific version being the Occultist crit CI one is using 2x Void Batteries which is also the main factor that brings this build from a potential low budget to a high budget state.
However, the build can easily be done with Incursion weapons, you simply search for "Cold Damage" and have that be at least 80%+ then you can chose from base items granting Elemental Penetration or even more spell damage resulting in well over 100% increased damage + some flat spell dmg additions to the build which is VERY cheap and effective.
Example search: https://i.imgur.com/D32uhU6.png

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Defence & Utility

This build packs a very high effective health pool in the form of Energy Shield, even in just decent gear it reaches well over 8000 energy shield and in high end-game gear you can reach 9-10k if not higher!

The utility toolkit comes in the form of the following:
Phase Run, this is used to make us faster as we are speeding through map clearing.
Vaal Righteous Fire, this is used as an extra damage boost for bosses or tougher enemies such as the Immortal Syndicate members!
Malachai's Artifice, this is used to be able to utilize Elemental Equilibrium with the use of either a Lightning Golem or Flame Golem, this allows us to also get a ton of resistances for that specific color!
And lastly, we have a large quantity of options in regards to utility flasks, one of them being the Atziri's Promise which helps out with both damage as well as extra leech!

Rampage:
We are recieving this buff via; Bisco's Leash however, this item has finally reached the popularity it deserves and is therefor a rather expensive item. Any other rare belt that grants you energy shield such as a Chain or Crystal belt or even a good rolled Stygian Vise allowing for another Jewel would be ideal lower budget options that also grants you better defence.

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Pantheon Choices:

Pantheon List

Major God:

- Soul of Lunaris
Basically just helps with avoiding some projectile damage as well as chaining projectiles from our golem to us.

Minor God:

- Soul of Tukohama
Basically when we are channeling Winter Orb we are very stationary vs bosses this allows us to build up some mitigation during those seconds.

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Skill-gems & Setups:

Winter Orb:

- Winter Orb, Greater Multiple Projectiles, Concentrated Effect, Increased Duration, Infused Channeling, Controlled Destruction

Note:
You could skip Increased Duration and use Cold Penetration if you feel like the duration is fine with the skill-tree.
Also quick note on the Controlled Destruction, this is a common missunderstanding that this support gem would make you deal 0 crits, this is not true, it only decreases the chance by 100% whereas we have tons of increased critical strike chance modifiers elsewhere making up for this loss. We use to get the "more" spell damage modifier which is a multiplicative one.

Auras:

- Herald of Ice, Ice Bite, Curse on Hit, Assassin's Mark

Note:
If you get yourself a Curse on Hit ring you can then remove the CoH setup and add: Bonechill & Onslaught instead.

- Vaal Discipline

Mobility:

- Flame Dash, Arcane Surge [LvL 8], Faster Casting, Enhance

Note:
The Enhance is very optional but does decrease the cooldown of the Dash.

Utility:

- Frost Bomb, Bonechill, Unbound Ailments

- Flame Golem OR Lightning Golem

Note:
This is to be used in the Malachai's Artifice!

- Phase Run, Vaal Righteous Fire, Increased Duration

Note:
We don't use the normal version of Righteous Fire, it is only there as an extra dmg boost for harder enemies or bosses.

3 OPEN SLOTS

With this gem setup you should have an entire 3L open for what ever you prefer, I like to use a CWDT setup which looks like this:

- CWDT, Immortal Call, Vortex

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Skill-tree & Ascendancy Nodes:

Ascendancy Nodes:

Since we are playing with life nodes in the start, we want to pick up Forbidden Power first which grants us free power charge generation as well as extra damage per power charge. This allows you to spec into the "spell dmg per power charge" node just north of the witch starter area once you've done the normal lab.
After this we start preparing for the CI approach which means we pick up Wicked Ward and then Vile Bastion. This is something I strongly recommend picking up before switching to CI.

The last node is a matter of personal taste, I personally don't think this build needs the help in clearing by using the Profane Bloom node, but to help the single target approach we get Void Beacon instead!


Leveling skill-tree, 41 points

Leveling skill-tree, 91 points

Note:
At this point you have all the life nodes you should need prior to the switch to CI, so all nodes from here needs to be in line with the finished skill-tree which means you need to prepare for the respec step to CI as well as picking up ES nodes.
Regarding when to switch from non-crit Elemental Overload version into the actual crit variant will depend on when you are able to purchase void batteries, I decided to include some extra damage nodes to keep up the damage till you get them.
When you get them you need to respec the extra damage nodes as well as EO to then grab the remaining power charges.

When to switch to CI:

The answer to this question is very tricky as it all depends on how experienced you are as a player and when you feel comfortable at XXXX amount of energy shield, I feel rather comfortable in early stage mapping to have around 5,000 Energy Shield but this also includes having Ghost Reaver so that I can leech to it. So before taking this step you need to make sure you have the gear for it, a good way to make the change is to have rare items sorted on every slot and make sure your chest piece is linked & ready to go before you do the switch and simply use Tabula Rasa in a life variant till you reach that point.
Obviously you'll need to respec all the life nodes which are then targeted at the remaining Energy Shield nodes. I can strongly recommend getting an Energy From Within before this step as well as it makes pretty big difference in terms of effective HP.


Finished skill-tree

Notes:
Once the skill-tree is finished you should focus 100% on adding more jewels to it! If you lack points to get a Jewel get more ES till you have the points you need for a jewel, then respec those and get the jewel.

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Leveling Tips:

What skills to use:

You start of by using Freezing Pulse which should be linked with Arcane Surge and either Added Cold or Added Lightning.
Once lvl 12, you should pick up Arc, now this gives you 2 different options:
1) Self-cast, this means you want to pick up Elemental Overload and have the links look like this:

- Arc, Arcane Surge, Added Cold, Added Lightning

This can later in act 2 get the additions of Faster Casting, Controlled Destructions which would replace 1 of the added supports and Arcane Surge.

The other approach looks like this which I personally prefer:

- Arc, Trap, Multiple Traps, then either Added Cold or Added Lightning

At this point you can still spec Elemental Overload but will then require you to use something like Orb of Storms to proc as the traps won't proc it for you. This should carry you all the way to the point where you can switch to Winter Orb!

LvLing Auras:

In Act 2, you'll be able to get Herald of Ice & Herald of Thunder. This won't change till you hit act 3 in which case you can switch your Herald of Ice for Wrath.

If you do so, make sure you get yourself a weapon or shield to have in your off-slot that is not active, to lvl up your Herald of Ice in. This is also a good opertunity to get 1 or more Winter Orb gems to lvl in your off-slot as well so you don't forget to add those. This is done to avoid having an under lvld gem when it's time to transition.

General Tips

This setup should have no problems carrying you all the way till you want to transition, so when is the best time to transition to Winter Orb?
You simply stop at Blood Aqueduct in Act 9, to farm 9 Humility Divination Cards this will then be handed in to Tasuni in Act 9 town for a Tabula Rasa. At which point you should have no problems playing with Winter Orb, I do strongly recommend making sure you have the Malachai's Artifice with a Flame or Lightning Golem as well as Frost Bomb setup sorted, all of these links are visible in the skill-gem setup in this guide.


Bandits:

- Save Alira for extra resistances but mainly for the increased Crit Multiplier!

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Gearing & Stat Priorities

What base items to use:

Since this build is designed to be a CI energy shield version, you must make sure that every piece you get have as much energy shield on them as possible which makes them all have intelligence as the required attribute which also makes the coloring of the items lean more towards blue sockets, which in general is not an issue for this build to handle.
If you wish to calculate off-colors this is an excellent site to utilize for such endevours:
https://siveran.github.io/calc.html


Defensive Stats:

1. ES
2. Resistances
3. Intelligence

Offensive Stats:

1. Crit Multiplier
2. Cold Damage
2. Spell Damage
3. Crit Chance


Jewels:

1. Flat Energy Shield
1. Crit Multiplier
2. % Increased Energy Shield
2. Cold Damage
2. Spell Damage/Spell Damage whilst dual wielding


Flasks:

1x Atziri's Promise
1x Dying Sun or if this is too expensive you can balance your resistance to make use of The Wise Oak
1x w/e prefix Diamond Flask of Staunching
1x w/e prefix Granite Flask of Warding
1x w/e prefix Quicksilver flask of Heat

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Recommended Unique Items:


Recommended LvLing Uniques:


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Outro:

This thread goes through all the details of the build, for gameplay & TLDR guide version check out: Winter Orb Build Guide Video

Before you start posting questions I would recommend checking the video. I am as always available in my stream!

Hope you guys will enjoy the build! Below you can access my other build guides:

Build Guides


//Ghazzy

* Reserved

NOTICE:

I've reached a point where I have too many build guides to keep up with responding personally on each comment as I've always done on my threads in the past. I will obviously continue doing this but on the youtube videos instead. I hope you guys will understand, sadly I'm not a fulltime streamer and for me to keep build guides like this posted this was an inevitable result!

Loving the video and guide!! In the video you mention buying 6 winter orb gems and level them up in your offhand, why 6 of the same gem? Dont you only use one?

"

Spiffyj wrote:

Loving the video and guide!! In the video you mention buying 6 winter orb gems and level them up in your offhand, why 6 of the same gem? Dont you only use one?

This is for when they reach lvl 20, you are able to corrupt them using a Vaal Orb, which can turn them in to lvl 21! Lvling up extra on the side gives you more chances for this!

BUILD IS NOW COMPLETED!

I'M WORKING ON THE BEGINNER FRIENDLY ELEMENTALIST VERSION ON STREAM RIGHT NOW! WHICH WILL BE LINKED IN THIS BUILD GUIDE WHEN COMPLETED AS WELL!


(If you see any misstakes or issues, let me know asap please!)

Hey there, I have played a winter orb elementalist and Red elder and endgame is painfully slow as in bossing dps. Any endgame videos to see the boss dps? In your build guide there was only mapping footage :)

"

Ghazzy wrote:

"

Spiffyj wrote:

Loving the video and guide!! In the video you mention buying 6 winter orb gems and level them up in your offhand, why 6 of the same gem? Dont you only use one?

This is for when they reach lvl 20, you are able to corrupt them using a Vaal Orb, which can turn them in to lvl 21! Lvling up extra on the side gives you more chances for this!

Thanks so much! I didnt expect such a quick reply!! You KICK ASS!!! Cant wait to try out this build!

"

daiur wrote:

Hey there, I have played a winter orb elementalist and Red elder and endgame is painfully slow as in bossing dps. Any endgame videos to see the boss dps? In your build guide there was only mapping footage :)

Next time I run Elder, Shaper or try out Uber Elder I'll highlight and add to the build!

"

Ghazzy wrote:

"

daiur wrote:

Hey there, I have played a winter orb elementalist and Red elder and endgame is painfully slow as in bossing dps. Any endgame videos to see the boss dps? In your build guide there was only mapping footage :)

Next time I run Elder, Shaper or try out Uber Elder I'll highlight and add to the build!

So you've done them on this build and had no urge to throw the keyboard at something? :)

Shaper was piss easy with this build actually! Same with Catarina