[3.26] ❄️⚡CantripN's Hadoken! - Lightning Conduit Permafreeze⚡❄️

Shaper of Storms Mechanics:
1) Your Hits always Shock = Simple enough. All hits, Crit or not, Always Shock. Normally this would mean just Lightning damage, and with the helmet just Fire, but...

2) All Damage can Shock = Hey look! You can now Shock with all damage types. You dealt 5 Physical Damage? Shock. 12 Chaos? Shock. 42 Cold? Shock. The only damage type that won't be Shocking is Lightning, but as long as you have even 4 flat damage of any other type, which you do from any amount of flat non-lightning damage from a jewel/syndicate mod, all your hits Shock.

3) Shocks from your Hits always increase Damage taken by at least 25% = You'd think this only makes it so the minimum is 25%. Not so. It sets the BASE SHOCK at 25%. If you have +100% Shock? That's now 50%.

Ok, so if Shock is relatively simple, you just need to hit and it happens, and you get to 65% with low effort, Freeze is more complicated...

Wiki: FREEZE

I'll try to keep it simple:
1 - Using The Three Dragons, all your damage CAN Freeze.
2 - You still need Chance to Freeze, or Critical Hits (we're going with crits) since those have 100% to Freeze.
3 - Even if you did "Freeze", the game checks whether the damage you did was enough to actually Freeze the target. This I call a "Freeze Cap".
4 - The number the game looks at to figure this out is (Actual Hit Damage) x (100 + Increased Freeze Duration) / 100. This is why Freeze Duration is a useful stat, it's a multiplication on your damage for Freeze purposes.
5 - You need BIG HITS + FREEZE DURATION (if your damage is too low)

Relevant Wiki:
Base freeze duration is 0.06 seconds for every 1% of the target's maximum life (before party scaling) dealt by cold damage, up to a maximum of 50% (3 seconds). Freezes with a duration smaller than 0.3 seconds are discarded, effectively requiring a hit of 5% enemy life.

If you go into the Calcs tab in Path of Building, and hover over Freeze Duration, it very nicely presents what's your Freeze Cap for an Average Critical Hit (keep in mind this is Average, and Lightning Damage varies wildly, so you can Freeze targets with much more, just less reliably).


You want to aim for 20+ Mil if you want to Freeze literally anything, but less is fine.

Reminder - End-game Bosses are NOT Immune to Freeze. They Cannot be Fully Slowed. That makes them 30% Slower when they would otherwise become Frozen (they do count as Frozen for things like interactions with Notables). This is still a big deal if you can reach that, and you can.
The Freeze Cap for end-game bosses is actually based on 1/2 of their Life, in case you care.
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Final note - The Wiki is mistaken on one point. Frozen does NOT mean Chilled. It's usually the case when doing it with Cold Damage, but in the case of The Three Dragons you NEVER Chill with your hits. Do NOT use Hypothermia unless you have Shaper of Winter!

Arc: Too weak currently unless your gear is very good already, in which case you know how to adapt this to Arc. If you don't, don't use Arc.

Crackling Lance: Cool idea, bad skill design and feels bad to map with imo. Has the DPS, you want to use Apex Mode to keep Intensify Stacks up for bosses (replace with a rare jewel for mapping), and you wanna use Intensify + Spell Echo as Links. You also grab a Caster Mastery for +1 max Intensify. The crit mastery for +50% Effect of Ailments on Crit also applies to Shock here, so you need even less investment to get to 65% Shock.

Shock Nova: Pretty similar to Crackling Lance, might have some potential with the new Runegraft that replaces a Mastery with the ability to target the Nova anywhere. Worth testing out (and I will, if I get it to drop).

Cold Snap of Power: Requires Awakened Spell Cascade to work, and will look something like THIS. Haven't tested it, but it looks like it has the damage. Will Freeze worse, but frees up the helmet slot, so that's nice. You might need a LOT more AoE to overlap comfortably, meaning more points on that / clusters.

Acts 1-3: Pick a spell and go to town. Spark/Stormblast Mine/Lightning Tendrils + Orb of Storms, into Arc Mines, is what I personally like.

Your first Golems are Lighting/Stone/Fire/Ice. Ice gets replaced with Stone of Safeguarding once you get one.

Lab 1: Either get Shaper of Storms, and immediately start using Lightning Conduit + Orb of Storms, or take Liege of the Primordial to get Uber Golems and keep leveling with any spell you like. I plan to try out Glacial Cascade, maybe Divine Ire at this point.

Lab 2: Shaper of Storms, swap to LC + OoS properly. You're probably non-crit at this point, and using Elemental Overload, not using The Three Dragons.

After this, you gradually start getting into Crit, get a Three Dragons (make sure you have some FLAT NON-LIGHTNING DAMAGE TO SPELLS on gear (Ring/Wand/Jewel, doesn't matter).

Somewhere around Act 9 you can start thinking about Spell Suppression, I personally only really bother at level 90.

Early on, before you have Eater/Exarch Implicits on your gloves for Freeze Prolif + Exposure, you may want to use Hydrosphere (skip AG, use the spare links for Arcanist Brand/Curse/Hydrosphere), and maybe a Medium Cluster for Freeze Prolif (see below).

Start thinking about what you'd want on your Animate Guardian and Mercenary once you're in maps. I'll compile a list of AG / Merc gear options as we go - generally you want to lower enemy resist (Maw of the Tyrant), increase damage taken (Algor Mortis), boost your own damage (Perquil's Toe) and the like.

Lightning Conduit relies on Orb of Storms for high Shock for high DPS - use Unbound Ailments on OoS. You can use Storm Brand to Shock bosses instead, if you prefer that, it's just 1 gem swap.

Notes for Gear and other things...
0) Reminder - you can't Shock with Lightning Damage, but you *can* shock with any and all other types of damage.
1) Inpulsa is BiS, not something you need to play the build though.
2) You need enough % Effect of Non-damaging Ailment / Shock to get to 65% Shock (65 / 25 = 260% = 100% Base + 160% Increased Effect from gear/tree). The tree has far more than that, play around with it as needed.
3) You *must* have Flat Fire/Cold/Phys/Chaos damage somewhere on your gear to be able to Shock - I recommend a ring with a veiled mod/craft, or an Abyssal Jewel (Hypnotic Eye Base).
4) If you have 3 Minimum Frenzy Charges, you get 9 Seconds of Onslaught from Rotgut without burning those charges away. Feels great, not at all a must, just a nice trick if you craft min charges on your jewelry.
5) You need Freeze Proliferation to map safely, it's available either as a Glove Implicit, or on a Medium Cluster Jewel (Ailment Effect - Blast Freeze).
6) You need Shock Proliferation to play, available as a Mastery or as a Glove Implicit as used here. Mastery is better.
7) Life Leech can be had from a Large Cluster Jewel (Lightning/Elemental - Doryani's Lesson), or as a Glove Implicit. Also exists on Delve rings or Berek's Grip.
8) "Why am I not Freezing?!" - Either your damage per hit is too low, you're using Elemental Focus, your Crit Chance is too low and unreliable, or you're in a map or encounter where Freeze isn't possible. Or you purely deal Lightning damage...
9) Spell Suppression is quite a big deal for being Not Dead. If you don't mind being Dead, skip that and free some points and gear modifiers. I wouldn't.
10) Don't forget to spec out of Elemental Overload in maps. It's great while leveling, but do make sure it's gone :D
18) Temple Mods (Flat Fire vs Burning / Increased Damage vs Chilled) can be swapped with Harvest for the Crit Chance vs Shocked mod.

Problematic Content for Lightning Conduit:
1. Hall of Grandmasters: Lots of Tempest Shield and other shock immune characters here.
2. Blight: Lightning lane monsters including Blight Boss Ephrexix are Immune to Shock.
3. Oshabi: Groveguard Vine summons cannot be shocked. Can just brute-force kill Oshabi herself but good to keep in mind.
4. Vinktar Square: Whole map is immune to shock.
(Source)

Eater/Exarch Mods


If going for Clusters (not mandatory, but good)
Large Lightning/Elemental Cluster Jewel with:
Doryani's Lesson (0.2% Life Leech, 25% Elemental Damage)
Storm Drinker (0.5% ES Leech, 8% Light Pen)
Overshock (30% Lightning Damage, 40% Shock Effect)
Inspired Oppression (10% Effect of Ailments, 60% Mana Regen, 20% Damage)
Stormrider (Generate Power Charges = free Gem Socket, 25% Lightning Damage)
+ 3rd Notable that will be in the back (need to check POB to see which combinations work for your selected 2 notables).

Use Alt/Aug/Regal to make these or use Harvest Reforge Life/Lightning, or even Fossils.
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Medium Cluster Jewel(s) (optional) - (Effect of non-damaging ailments):
Blast-Freeze = Freeze Proliferation
Astonishing Affliction = Freeze Duration, Shock/Chill Effect, Damage

Also good on Medium:
Overshock = Shock Effect, Damage
Stormrider = 10% to get Power Charge on Hit, 25% Damage (great way to get and maintain power charges)

Normal Jewels:
Life (Prefix)
Crit Multi with Lightning Skills (Prefix)
Crit Multi / with Spell (Suffix)
Resistances (Suffix)
% increased Cast Speed (Suffix)

Abyssal Jewel:
Life (Prefix)
Flat Lightning Damage to Spells while dual wielding/two-handed/holding a shield
(Prefix)
Flat Lightning Damage to Spells (Suffix)
Crit Multi (Suffix)
% increased Cast Speed / if you've crit recently (7%!) (Suffix)

Unique Jewel options:
Apex Mode (for things like The Feared / Maven / Sirus) (for Crackling Lance only)
Nadir Mode (for Crackling Lance only) - Massively good for Clearing. Nadir Mode is better than Apex Mode most of the time.
Watcher's Eye (Zealotry/Wrath/Determination/Clarity/Vitality/Precision)
Thread of Hope (Witch Location)
Glorious Vanity (Doryani, Corrupted Soul) - Messes with RF, but doable.

Wand/Sceptre:
+1 Spell Gems
+1 Lightning Gems
Cast Speed
Spell/Lightning Damage
Penetrate Lightning Resistance (Crusader Mod)
Crit Multi / Crit Chance for Spells
Flat Lightning Damage
Non-chaos as Chaos / Lightning as Chaos
Zealotry/Wrath Aura Effect (Crusader Mod)

Shield (Supreme Spiked Shield is best, use if you want easy early Suppression):
Life
Energy Shield
Resistances
Spell Suppression
+1 Lightning Gems
Crit Chance for Spells
Cast Speed

Body Armour:
Inpulsa's Broken Heart - Max your clear speed, gets lots of DPS while you're at it.

...if not Inpulsa:
Life (Temple Life if you can)
Life Regen
Resistances
Spell Suppression
+ Implicits (Phys taken as X / Aura Effect / etc.)
or Influenced:
10% to get Frenzy on Hit (if not using Min Frenzy)
15% of Physical Damage taken as Cold/Fire/Lightning
+% to Spell Critical Strike Chance

Helmet:
Unique Only - The Three Dragons

Helm Vaal options:
Vaal:
(25–30)% increased Effect of Shock
*0.5% of Lightning Damage Leeched as Life* <= Get this ASAP!
+1 to Maximum Power Charges
(4–6)% increased maximum Life

Gloves:
Life
Resistances
% increased Critical Strike Chance against Shocked Enemies / % increased Damage against Chilled Enemies (Temple Mods)
Life Regen
Spell Suppression

Boots:
Life
Movement Speed
Resistances
Increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments (craft/unveil)
Life Regen
Crafted (if needed) - 30% Increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments

Unique Boots options:
Atziri's Step - 26% Spell Suppression, Life, 30% Move Speed (Possibly BiS), Good Evasion
Ralakesh's Impatience - Max Frenzy/Endurance Charges, Resistances, 25% Move Speed

Belt:
Life
% Life (Hunter/Elder)
Resistances
% increased Elemental Damage
% increased Spell Damage during any Flask Effect
% increased Critical Strike Chance against Shocked Enemies
% increased Damage with Hits against Chilled Enemies
% increased Damage
Damage Penetrates 5% Elemental Resistances during any Flask Effect

Amulet:
Life
Resistances
% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier
Damage Penetrates % Elemental Resistances
Damage Penetrates % Lightning Resistance
+1 to Level of all Lightning Skill Gems
+1 to Level of all Intelligence Skill Gems
Wrath has (20–25)% reduced Mana Reservation
Zealotry has (20–25)% reduced Mana Reservation
Determination has (20–25)% reduced Mana Reservation
% increased Spell Damage
% increased Lightning Damage
% increased Cast Speed
+1 to Minimum Frenzy Charges

Unique Amulet option:
Aul's Uprising (Wrath/Zealotry/Determination) - would let you add Aspect of the Spider or save points / mana on gear

Ring:
Life
Resistances
% to Global Critical Strike Multiplier (Elder)
% increased Cast Speed
Adds # to # Lightning Damage against Shocked Enemies (Shaper/Crusader)
% increased Effect of Non-Damaging Ailments (Redeemer)
+1 to Minimum Frenzy Charges (Unveil/Craft)
Lighting Leeched as Life (Delve)
Conductivity on Hit (Delve)

Unique Ring options:
Berek's Grip - Life Leech, ES Leech, Life, Damage, Minor Res.
Mark of the Shaper (if you have an Elder Ring as well)
Call of the Void - Chill Enemies, debuff their damage.

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Unique Items that Transform the Build Entirely:
1) The Annihilating Light - Deal Triple Damage with Elemental Skills! Reduces Elemental Resistances Massively, you may need to run Purity of Elements, but it's a great end-game option. High gear cost to make it work with Suppression but doable.
2) Doryani's Prototype - Get -200% Lightning Resistance (easy with Kalandra rings) and it applies to enemies. You'll need decent Armour and other ways to survive the downside (Legion Jewel / Talismans can help).