[3.20] Ice Dancing Queen - Icestorm/Cyclone/CI - Viable For Everything

Uber pinnacle bosses (with the Trickster and Occultist versions):

[3.19] Uber Shaper
[3.19] Uber Uber Elder
[3.18] Uber Cortex
[3.19] Uber Exarch
[3.19] Uber Eater
[3.20] Uber Maven
[3.20] Uber Sirus

Some older videos:

[3.18] Uber Invitations
[3.16] Simulacrum Wave 30
[3.16] SSF Endless Delve
[3.15] Uber Lab at lv 72
[3.12] 100% Delirium T19
[3.10] Aul at 1k Depth
[3.8] Leveling
[3.8] Uber Elder

This build is based on The Whispering Ice unique staff. Icestorm damage scales from Int, therefore Int is the main stat.

The build is immune to stun, shock, ignite, freeze, chill, corrupted blood (optional), and all forms of chaos damage. It also heavily mitigates curses.

Key mechanics: Int stacking, cold damage with a lot of resist penetration, AoE freeze, Chaos Inoculation, Block, ES leech, ES regen, 2-3 curses, Elemental Overload, Arcane Surge.

The answer REALLY depends on your personal play style and league goals.

Leveling with Icestorm is super easy. But it's not the fastest way to move forward, there are MUCH faster builds. It uses cheap leveling uniques. But they don't become widely available until a few hours after the league start.

If you want to race through the Acts and into the maps as soon as the servers unlock then this is not something this build can do. But if you are in no hurry, or starting late, then sure enough, this build is a cheap and easy way to cakewalk through the storyline and start mapping. It doesn't require any expensive gear or 6L items even for the endgame content.

Use the Community version of PoB.

3.19 Leveling trees

3.19 Budget Cluster version (lv 92)

3.19 High End Full Build

Note that there is a disconnected node at the Templar start. Take it when you do the Uber Lab (Path of the Templar).

Kill them all

Ascendant: Occultist, Inquisitor, Path of the Templar - in that order

Major: Solaris (fully upgraded)
Minor: Yugul (upgraded)

As soon as you obtain a Large Cluster jewel of the Cold type with no more than 10 nodes and two Split Personality jewels with Int+anything. You don't need the perfect jewels to clear any maps and start killing endgame bosses. The cheapest versions will do. Roll the cluster jewel to get Cold To The Core, and you are good to go. Work on better jewels later.

Ascendant is super easy to level and gear up, and it takes care of all problems you may encounter. If you have never played a Whispering Ice build before, start with the Ascendant.

There is also an Occultist version. It's a bit "more advanced". Its main feature is AoE explosions resulting in an awesome clear speed. It also does a bit more damage than the Ascendant. However, it's harder on mana, does not regen ES, and is not immune to stun and curses. All those issues can be dealt with, but you have to have some experience with the build and understand how it works. This version got hit by nerfs in 3.20 and may not be viable anymore.

A Trickster version was added in 3.19 and proved to be the strongest by far, almost unkillable. I highly recommend playing this version until it gets nerfed.

!!! This is an Int stacking build. It scales from Int in multiple ways. Other than the build-enabling weapon and very special boots, every single piece of gear must provide a high amount of Int. Do not neglect Int on your items.

The Staff

Recommended uniques

Helmet, chest, gloves

Belt

Rings

Amulet

Enchantment

Anointment

You will need several Brute Force Solution and Fertile Mind jewels to convert Str and Dex nodes to Int, with their own Int on top of that.

The same node can be converted by multiple overlapping jewels. In this build some small Str and Dex nodes are double-converted for 20 Int each.

These jewels are cheap and can be used to get useful corruptions:
- immunity to Corrupting Blood: great for mapping, must have for Sirus
- 1% cold or elemental penetration
- 2% mana reservation efficiency: if you are running out of mana


Rare jewels with good mods can be used in the other sockets that don't have Str/Dex nodes nearby. Resist/damage jewels can also be used if you are struggling to max the resists.

The following mods are good on rare jewels:
+12-16 to Intelligence
+8-10 to mixed attributes (Int/Str, Int/Dex or All Attr)
+8-10% all resists
14-16% Increased Spell damage while wielding a staff
14-16% Increased Cold damage
10-12% Increased Spell damage
10-12% Increased Area damage


Pure Talent gives you 25 All Attr for playing a Scion and 5% resist penetration for taking one of the Templar starting nodes (via Path of the Templar).


Watcher's Eye has 2-3 random mods that add extra effects to various auras. The mods useful to this build are:

+(20-30) Energy Shield gained for each Enemy Hit while affected by Discipline - a powerful supplement to the capped ES leech, especially for clearing maps with nasty mods. It works wonders against packs of dangerous enemies that could do more damage than 30% of your ES per second (the leech cap).

(8-12)% of Physical damage from Hits takes as Fire/Cold/Lightning damage while affected by Purity of Elements - additional phys damage mitigation.

Gain (6-9)% of Maximum Mana as Extra Maximum Energy Shield while affected by Clarity - a lot of extra ES.

If you can find a jewel with more than one of these mods, it's awesome. However, such a jewel can cost more than the rest of the gear combined, and it's not really necessary for anything.

Note: Watcher's Eye is optional! It's not required for the build to function, just nice to have.


Cluster jewels take the build to a whole new level. They add a huge amount of Int and damage. But they are expensive and not available early in a new league.

The main part of the cluster version of the build is the Large cluster jewel with two Split Personality jewels at the very end of a long and winding tree. The longer the tree path from the start to them, the more Int and ES they provide.

The large cluster needs to be of the Cold type, with the Cold To The Core notable. Ideally, it should have 8 nodes and another useful notable such as Blanketed Snow.

To see the exact placement of the notables, you need to copy the jewel from the game (Ctrl-C) or the trade website (the Copy button), paste it into PoB (Items -> Create Custom -> Ctrl-V -> Add to Build), and put it into any empty socket at the edge of the tree.

2 Split Personality jewels with Int+ES should be placed into the farthest cluster. If you can't afford Int+ES, use Int+Armour as a cheap alternative.

Megalomaniac jewels can have any 3 random cluster notables. The most valuable ones are worth getting even when there is nothing else good on the jewel. They can also be found on Medium or Small clusters.
- Cold to the Core: more damage
- Blanketed Snow: more damage
- Genius: more Int
- Master of Fear: more damage
- Wish for Death: culling strike


Forbidden Flame/Flesh jewels let you add another Ascendancy node. It's an expensive high end option not required for the build to function, just very nice. For this build, these Scion Ascendancies are worth using:
- Raider
- Berserker
- Trickster

Arcane Surge Support, ideally 21/20, x2
Ball Lightning lv 1
Bonechill Support 20/20, ideally Divergent
Cast When Damage Taken Support lv 1
Cast When Damage Taken Support with REQUIRED lv matching Immortal Call, ideally Anomalous 20q
Cast While Channelling Support lv 15-16
Clarity, ideally lv 21
Cold Penetration 20/20, ideally Awakened
Concentrated Effect Support, ideally 20/20
Cyclone any level
Discipline lv 20
Elemental Focus Support 20/20, ideally Awakened
Elemental Proliferation Support lv 20, ideally Divergent 20/20
Elemental Weakness 20/20
Enfeeble 20/20, ideally 21/20
Frost Bomb lv 1
Frostbite lv 20, ideally Divergent 20/20
Frostblink lv 20
Hextouch Support 20/20
Hypothermia Support lv 20, ideally Anomalous 20/20
Immortal Call lv up to your Str, ideally Anomalous 20q
Increased Duration Support lv up to your Str, 20q
Inspiration Support 20/20, x2
Intensify Support 20/20
Purity of Elements lv 20, ideally Anomalous 20/20
Vortex lv 1

Optional:
Frost Shield, ideally lv 21
Culling Strike lv 1
Phantasmal Wave of Conviction 20/20

Don't bother obtaining expensive 21/20 (or Awakened lv 6) gems for the staff. It already gives them +1 level, and there is no difference between lv 21 and 22, with the exception of Arcane Surge.

Weapon

Chest

Gloves, boots, helmet

1. Discipline
2. Clarity
3. Purity of Elements
4. Aspect of the Spider (optional)

All flasks are optional, this build does not depend on flasks for anything.

Heres what I currenty use:

If you get your resists right, The Wise Oak provides a solid damage bonus (and a bit of defense). Atziri's Promise is good for damage too.

Rumi's is great for block and phys mitigation - important defenses.

Making all these flasks trigger on rares and bosses lets you clear maps without ever worrying about flasks.

Cyclone and Frostblink through the map, freeze everything. Drop Vortex on packs and rares to make them take more damage via Bonechill.

For the boss, switch to the single target staff and melt it. Use Frostblink to move without interrupting your casting and losing Intensify stacks. Use Vortex when near the boss for extra damage and culling. Use Frost Shield for extra mitigation.

This build can run any maps with almost any possible mod combinations. Most of them can be ignored, except a few that require special attention:

No Regen

Mana flasks that don't end on full mana. And/or rings crafted with the mod that recoups some damage as mana. Generally this is too annoying and you should try to avoid it.

No Leech

If you don't have a Watcher's Eye jewel with +ES gain on hit, then don't face tank anything, kill everything from range. Watcher's Eye trivializes the clearing, then you just need to be careful while tanking endgame bosses.

Elemental Reflect

Yugul mitigates 50% of reflected damage. For the other 50% use a swap ring or a cheap Watcher's Eye with an anti-reflect mod.

Less Recovery

This mod will greatly reduce your leech. Be careful around bosses that do persistent damage (e.g. Eradicator).

Reduced Chance to Block

This mod will make you take more damage. Can be dangerous in combination with other extra damage mods.

-12% to Maximum Resistances

You'll be taking a bit more elemental damage, but very few things hit hard enough to hurt this build.

Curses

You constantly drop consecrated ground (50% curse mitigation) and use Yugul (30% curse mitigation). This lets you pretty much ignore curses.

Detailed leveling guide is in the next post.

Get to lv 33-38 any way you can (for example: Icicle Mines - Minefield plus Skitterbots). Or the good old Freezing Pulse.

As soon as you are able to use the staff, switch to Icestorm. At lv 38 start cycloning. Or go with the self-cast Intensify setup for massive damage. Keep your resists maxed. Switch to CI after taking the ES leech nodes whenever you feel comfortable - around lv 52-58, definitely should be CI by lv 70.

Leveling with the Whispering Ice is a blast. You can start using it as early as lv 33 with some inconvenience, or at lv 39 where it starts really kicking ass.

However, if you don't have the staff yet and don't think you will get it early enough, then your leveling experiences may vary. This guide is specifically designed for Icestorm.

Remember to complete side quests that give +skill points.

And the useful early game upgrade recipes


You can get to lv 33-39 any way you like. I like blowing everything up with Icicle Mine.

Act 1:

Hillock: Buy Stormblast Mine from Nessa and play a miner.

Medicine chest: take Arcane Surge and level it in a free socket.

Drain the underwater passage: take Frost Bomb and Frostblink, buy Swift Assembly and support Stormblast Mine.

Play style: drop Frost Bombs as you walk past mobs. You don't need to kill them all, it's enough that some of them die. When you see a particularly juicy pack, a rare or a boss: pop Frost Bomb, throw 3-4 mines, then hold Detonate and keep throwing mines.

Prison or Brutus: take Added Lightning and support Frost Bomb with it.

Merveil Caves: buy Icicle Mine and replace Stormblast with it.

Act 2:

The Weaver: take Concentrated Effect and level it in a free socket. buy Controlled Destruction and support Icicle Mine with it. Whenever you find 4L - add Arcane Surge to Icicle Mine. If you have 3L for Frost Bomb - add CD to it.

Act 3:

Crematorium: take Purity of Elements and start using it

Gravicius: take Cyclone

Library: buy Inspiration and Discipline and level them in free sockets. Buy Clarity and start using it.

Lv 33 (optional): can start using self-cast Icestorm. Support it with Inspiration (red), Arcane Surge (blue), Intensify (blue), CE (blue). You can add more supports (Elemental Focus, Cold Penetration) if you have more sockets but it will cost a lot more mana. 3-4 supports is already fine. Don't need any links in the staff!

Act 4:

Voll: take Frost Shield

Kaom/Daresso, lv 38: buy CwC

Lv 39-70:

Recommended cheap uniques for leveling from 39 to 70:
Icetomb
Doedre's Tenure
Shavronne's Pace
Perandus Blazon

Auras: Clarity, Purity of Elements, Discipline.

Start cycloning. The staff should have at least 4 sockets, and only 1 link is needed (Cyclone - CwC).

Sockets in the staff:
1. Cyclone (green).
2. CwC (blue, linked to Cyclone).
3. Inspiration (red).
4. Arcane Surge (blue).

Optional sockets: Concentrated Effect (blue), Elemental Focus (blue), Cold Penetration (green).

Mana may be tight. If you keep running out of mana, use fewer gems in the staff. Don't waste mana by cycloning when there are no enemies around (it's very slow anyway). Mana flasks and/or Praxis ring can help too.

You may need to get some Str and Dex from gear to meet the requirements. And just go with Int, resists and life.

Once you are using Icestorm, do the Normal lab and keep rolling. Upgrade your items as you get more currency. Do Cruel lab when it unlocks too (Act 7).

Other useful skills:
CWDT - Immortal Call - Enfeeble
Vortex lv 1 + Bonechill
Frost Bomb lv 1
Frost Shield

Get ES leech nodes and go CI around lv 56-58, before Act 8.

Then just grab some ES and more damage and steamroll the rest of the campaign. You should arrive at lv 69 just in time for Kitava. Do Merciless lab before Kitava (30% resistance hit). Make sure to have Granite and Basalt flask for Izaro.

Video: Leveling with WI (old)

And if you are still not CI - now it's definitely time to switch and get some ES gear for mapping.