3.29 Glacial Cascade Elementalist League Start Build Guide

NOTE: All of the rare gear in this build is just an example. You do NOT need to get gear exactly like mine, These are example stats of what you want. Most armour gear will want some combination of life, resistances, str/int, and armour/ES From the lab after Act 3 onward, you can search for Frostblink of Wintry Blast and Glacial Cascade of the Fissure. Try to snag them early if you get a good gem from the lab, or if you get some early currency, and level them in your offhand. We don't use fissure until we have significantly more AOE I get asked this a lot. Vaal cold snap is for generating frenzy charges as you need them The patch notes say that lower tiers of + to all and + to cold spell skills are much more common and can roll on staves at earlier levels. If this turns out to not be true, we'll just use a wand and shield in the late campagin/early maps instead of the staff. Act 1: - If you really wanna sweat, mule a ranger for momentum support and more chance for 3 links and movespeed boots. Don't worry about this if you're new or don't wanna blast as fast as possible. - Buy frostbolt after hillock and use either that or freezing pulse. Both are good for leveling. My preferred 3l is frostbolt + volley + arcane surge - The ledge has a ton of goats in the side area. Rush that to catch up on levels if needed - Lab trial in the lower prison - Grab the flask strongbox in the upper prison Links at the end of act 1: frost bolt/freezing pulse + volley + arcane surge shield charge + faster attacks + momentum holy flame totem frostblink frost bomb flame wall is also decent for added damage on frostbolt, holy flame totem, and freezing pulse If you have extra links, I'd prioritize frostblink + arcane surge + added cold Gems to purchase: shield charge holy flame totem frost bomb frostbolt (if you're using it) faster attacks efficacy if you plan on using cold snap Look for: Jade amulet sapphire ring (can vendor a blue gem + an iron ring for one) movespeed boots Just before merveil you can swap frostbolt/freezing pulse out for creeping frost, if you want. Creeping frost is also great for early campaign and uses the same links. Or you can use it in tandem with them, since it leaves a cold DoT for better single target damage. Act 2: - I start using cold snap after the chamber of sins. I usually use the free corrupt altar on cold snap, since vaal cold snap is really strong early - Buy Increased Critical Damage and Power Charge on Critical and start leveling them in offhand - lab trials in crypt level 1 and chamber of sins level 2 - my cold snap links are usually controlled destruction + efficacy Gems to obtain/purchase and start leveling: Herald of Ice Herald of Ash Herald of Purity Cold Snap Power charge on crit increased crit damage controlled destruction 5 alts needed, which you get from selling identified magic/rare items. You can vendor transmutes for wisdom scrolls Highly recommend identifying and vendoring all the rare items you see, since you'll need 8 alts to buy chance orbs for buying golems in act 4 if you don't drop any chance orbs. You'll need 3 chance orbs, which means 24 alterations in act 4, + the 5 needed in this act. Or a combination of chances, alterations, jewelers, and fusings for the golems. Act 3: - After piety, you can swap to glacial cascade + arcane surge + increased crit damage + power charge on crit. (you'll swap crit damage out for spell echo in act 4. Also, around level 30 is when you'll be doing this swap and you should have the charge nodes at the top of the passive tree) - I usually keep using whatever damage skill I was using before and level glacial cascade in an offhand until I do the lab and reach act 4, since positioning with glacial cascade without golem buffs is annoying. - lab trials in crematorium and catacombs and imperial gardens. - no need for library unless you swap to staff early and want leap slam Gems to buy and start leveling: Elemental Weakness Frostbite hatred discipline act 4: - Get your golems. You'll need 3x chance orbs for them. You should be able to have all 4 golems out, so long as you chose the right ascendancy and have the golem passives allocated - Get arcanist brand set up after malachai. frostbite + frost bomb + ele weakness when you have whispers of doom on passive tree - Swap to glacial cascade. Links should be arcane surge + spell echo + power charge on crit. You can swap spell echo out if you don't like the playstyle early, since it's a bit annoying without lots of cast speed sockets in act 4: 4b glacial cascade + spell echo (when you get it. Use crit damage until then) + power charge on crit + arcane surge 4b arcanist brand + frostbite + ele weakness + frostbomb 3b bonechill + cold snap + frostblink (you can 3-4l frostblink if you want and use it to clear trash and have open sockets) 1g herald of ice 1r herald of purity 1g hatred 1r1g2b for golems. Don't have to be linked 2g1r shield charge + momentum + faster attacks You can gamble for items that have more sockets. Highly recommend. They'll carry you until act 10 when you need to prep for maps. gems to obtain/purchase: ice golem stone golem lightning golem flame golem arcanist brand spell echo bonechill currency needed for gems x2 alchemy x3 chance act 5: just zoom around here is when your shield charge + heralds should be able to clear most trash packs. Frostblink will also clear most trash packs. So you really only need glacial cascade for bosses, rares, and blue packs, if you deign to kill rares. I usually just kill blue packs. Also be looking for attributes on rings/ammy/belt if you can. Gonna need a good amount of all 3. I usually look for a strength essence and a heavy belt for the campaign, which gives enough strength until later in maps. Act 6: around now you should have enough mana reservation efficiency to throw on herald of ash if you want to help with clear Act 8: I start getting my resistances ready for Kitava 2: Electric Boogaloo and the -60% all res. There will now be crafting benches in town too, to make crafting res a bit faster Things to look out for if you drop some early currency: - Early vaal cold snap - glacial cascade of the fissure (level in offhand) - frostblink of wintry blast (not likely. always in high demand) - bitterdream.. Though these are pretty expensive early - Taryn's shiver Early Maps: slap an essence of loathing onto either a chest piece or helmet for some RMR so you can put on determination or zealotry. If you don't, you can use arctic armour or flesh and stone instead for more tankiness. Socket colors needed (colors aren't applicable any more, but the links are): 5b - glacial cascade + arcane surge + power charge on crit + increased crit damage + spell echo 4b - arcanist brand + frost bomb + ele weakness + frostbite 2r1b1g - golems (doesn't need to be linked. These can also be thrown in any open sockets) 2r2g - heralds + hatred (same as golems above) 3b - cold snap + bonechill + frostblink 1g1r - shield charge or leap slam. Can do 2b with spell echo + FB of wintry blast once you get it. 1r1b - molten shell + automation Late Maps: Level a bunch of gems in off hands to corrupt to try and get 21, vaal, etc. If you aren't doing any for yourself, level 21 aura gems always sell well.