[3.16] Wintertide Brand Occultist/Trickster | 8-9M Dot dps| Fast Clear | Detailed explanation

Can you maybe update your pob? I have a Hard decision if i want to invest in Block, With glancing blow, or Not. The Old tree with thread of hope doesnt work anYmore.

Could you expand some more on the skill tree options for non-thread of hope? I was able to get my shavronne's and starting to get my LL setup, but I don't have the currency yet for the jewels so I am trying to figure out how to best put my skill allocations until that point.

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Mediv88 wrote:

Can you maybe update your pob? I have a Hard decision if i want to invest in Block, With glancing blow, or Not. The Old tree with thread of hope doesnt work anYmore.

We dont do glancing blows anymore, full blocks are good because it resets wicked ward

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Psykic1990 wrote:

Could you expand some more on the skill tree options for non-thread of hope? I was able to get my shavronne's and starting to get my LL setup, but I don't have the currency yet for the jewels so I am trying to figure out how to best put my skill allocations until that point.

Have added a tree without thread of hope, pretty much the same, but without the far reaching nodes that we need to take too much filler for

Even with all the explanations and everything this is by far the worst build- skill-mechanics and so on that ever existed in this game period!

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Evtanasia wrote:

Even with all the explanations and everything this is by far the worst build- skill-mechanics and so on that ever existed in this game period!

It is straight up better than classic vortex/cold snap build, even if you use exact same gear and not use cluster for brands, zero adjustments.
You deal more single target damage and you don't need to constantly go back to melee range to apply vortex to boss. Not to mention losing dps vs bosses that move away, brands just stick to them.

Nevertheless it is still fairly squishy build, with low physical damage reduction and low/conditional block.
I feel like to do well in this patch vs hard multiple boss arenas, we need sustain that doesn't rely on flasks.

I really like the wintertide damage and clear, but this build feels suuuuuuper squishy. With low chaos res, low phys reduction, little ignite avoid, low block, and only a couple flasks to use to remove stuff how do you survive maps with a lot going on?

Also why is EE taken but frostbomb and vortex being used? or is EE a mistake in the PoB?

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Dromidas wrote:

I really like the wintertide damage and clear, but this build feels suuuuuuper squishy. With low chaos res, low phys reduction, little ignite avoid, low block, and only a couple flasks to use to remove stuff how do you survive maps with a lot going on?

Also why is EE taken but frostbomb and vortex being used? or is EE a mistake in the PoB?

If you think this is squishy try classic vortex, which people claim is tanky. And it is literally exact same thing but melee.. You can invest in block if you want, es on block shield, glancing blows, it is just slightly modified version of same cold dot build, trees are very similar.

As for other question, things that proc cold EE hit once and rarely, while your other non-cold activators like orb of storms, hit multiple times. So you proc EE with cold spell just for brief split second and then it gets hit again by other element and gets correct -res applied. It is especially reliable vs bosses, vs trash you deal enough damage to never care if EE is active, if wrong ee is active or if all curses are up, your damage is 30x over whats needed to clear trash mobs in t16.

One thing I noticed while experimenting with this build. Profane proxy works really well here to spread 1 curse. Main advantage here is the range. Skitterbot apply curse quickly and far away even offscreen, which enables chaos explosions for brands. No other source gives you that quality of life, blasphemy is way too low range, and hextouch with basically melee orb of storms as well. Highly recommend trying skitterbots as curse spreading device.

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aerial wrote:

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Dromidas wrote:

I really like the wintertide damage and clear, but this build feels suuuuuuper squishy. With low chaos res, low phys reduction, little ignite avoid, low block, and only a couple flasks to use to remove stuff how do you survive maps with a lot going on?

Also why is EE taken but frostbomb and vortex being used? or is EE a mistake in the PoB?

If you think this is squishy try classic vortex, which people claim is tanky. And it is literally exact same thing but melee.. You can invest in block if you want, es on block shield, glancing blows, it is just slightly modified version of same cold dot build, trees are very similar.

As for other question, things that proc cold EE hit once and rarely, while your other non-cold activators like orb of storms, hit multiple times. So you proc EE with cold spell just for brief split second and then it gets hit again by other element and gets correct -res applied. It is especially reliable vs bosses, vs trash you deal enough damage to never care if EE is active, if wrong ee is active or if all curses are up, your damage is 30x over whats needed to clear trash mobs in t16.

One thing I noticed while experimenting with this build. Profane proxy works really well here to spread 1 curse. Main advantage here is the range. Skitterbot apply curse quickly and far away even offscreen, which enables chaos explosions for brands. No other source gives you that quality of life, blasphemy is way too low range, and hextouch with basically melee orb of storms as well. Highly recommend trying skitterbots as curse spreading device.

I wouldnt say theres much diff with this vs the typical vortex builds, except we are ranged, i agree here. Honestly curses for clear arent really required and orb of storm does the job

EE isnt an issue because orb of storm always overrides EE to be weak against cold

Hey everyone,

This build has really been amazing. It feels so smooth and bossing has been beyond respectable. Just have a few questions about where to go from here. I changed up the build a bit because I felt like I was dying a ton while trying to level. I swapped over to skitterbots, vaal disc, and remove the enlighten and vaal RF. I added in brand recall so can cast OOS onto the mobs rather than wintertide for more explosions. The brand recall does seem like a potentially wasted socket, but vaal RF was killing me almost everytime in early maps.

My damage feels ok and tankiness feels pretty good, but I am just looking for any way to really improve my damage while salvaging most of my tankiness.

Other than that, I don't think there are many places for improvement due to all the uniques. I have a few exalts to throw at the build, but any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Specifically, I am having a hard time improving my weapon. I know replace speed for cast speed will obviously be better, but even when I try to look on the trade website I can't find one that shows it does significantly more damage (unless it is like + cold +spell gem lvl and around 40 ex).



POB: https://pastebin.com/Y0V5e8jA

Again, this is one of my favorite builds and I can't believe it isn't more of a meta build.

To the guy above, I've read that we mostly scale Spell Damage, DoT Multi, and Gem level so look to those three, I'm looking for a good wand/sceptre as well since mine sucked.

Just wanted to say thanks for the build. Ran through t16 and awakener a8 easily, played almost as smooth as my other characters that funded this one for the sole reason of tankiness as I can't kill Maven with that other one.

I changed it up a lot though with my boomer brains, like instead of using curse on hit gloves, I used a trigger wand instead (selfcast frost bomb, trigger cast curse + OOS), allowing me more freedom on rings and other things to achieve higher ES (currently sitting at 7.9kES with discipline up).

I also put in Clarity instead of Haste for the mana sustain that we desired, needless to say mapping is a much better experience when I don't have to constantly mana flask.

For cluster jewels, I'm considering changing remarkable to 1 and add in either Grand Design or another Brand Loyalty instead. I'd also like to mention wintertide brand helm enchants being extremely cheap, and since I don't have a good calculation in my head about brand stages, I chose more chill effect to help me survive maps (again, I'm boomer and can't react fast enough) but I also think the 40% wintertide brand damage is a good one.

I also wondered, since our clear are so good, should we take Vile Bastion for more survivability instead of Profane Bloom since bosses situation is something I'm worrying as I can't dodge mechanics much.

Here are my current gears (spent around 10ex in total).