TL;DR| Pob link here: https://pobb.in/3kLDy-RzQBzg ---|--- Quick Explanation | A level 24 creeping frost skill gem is used to simulate the expected damage of a level 20 FB skill gem (based on comparisons with Searing Bond.) On Shako, I've added a 410% more damage over time modifier to simulate the level 30 version of the skill (based on searing bond's scaling.) There is a non Shako version under the Default tab, which is just a down-grade in practically every regard. Both use Supreme Ostentation, because league reasons.

Build is fully built, but not optimized. There is almost certainly better itemization/pathing available, and choices that will need to be re-considered with the tattoos.

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##0. Intro

I want to make sure the exact mechanics of this is clear, so I'm explaining this from the ground up. Starting with the basics of link skills and how they work.

We're using Dancing dervish. If you know why, you probably know enough to just jump to part 6.

Otherwise, read on!

##1. The basics of link skills:

There are several types of link skills, all of which confer a benefit to the target player of the link skill. Each player can only have one link skill on them, but each player can link to any number of allies.

They're powerful buffs, but there is just one fatal flaw: if either target or user of the link skill dies, so does everyone connected.

They are designed for cooperative play where the linking player has a lot of one stat that they are now sharing.

Link skills have a sustained mana cost of base-line 32.87 at max level. They last 9.9 seconds.

If the target of a link skill moves too far away or breaks line of sight for more than 4 seconds, the link ends prematurely.

##2. Link skills and minions

Link skills provide potent defensive/offensive buffs, but in order to use them solo, you need a minion defense mastery skill that allows you to link to damageable minions. That means no linking to Herald of Agony, Skitterbots, essence minions, ect.

But most minions are rather frail, and now if they die, so will you. Most minion builds have a lot of minions, so the benefit is minimal because of the mana sustain required to maintain several links at once. In the end, it's a bad idea to use link skills on minions in the vast majority of situations, because you are pulled between making the minions survivable, making the link skills worth using, sustaining mana costs, and getting the minions damage.

##3. The new support gem

The new support gem, Frigid Bond, opens up link skills in an entirely different way. With frigid bond, enemies between you and the linked target will take damage over time, and be chilled. Scaling frigid bond damage removes a lot of the draw-backs of link-minion builds.

We care less about the mana cost, because we only need to link 2-3 minions for coverage.

We don't care about minion damage, because we're scaling the cold Dot.

We don't care about the effect of the bond itself, because the minions don't need them.

The only thing we are now having to majorly contend with, is minion durability.

##5. Not caring about minion Durability

Dancing Dervish is a unique sword that spawns 2 dancing dervishes after you get inflict 15 melee hits. Once you do that, you begin rampaging, and any kills made will continue the chain.

These minions are fast, hyper aggressive, and bounce both between and through enemies with Cyclone. Most importantly, despite being damageable, they are almost immortal.

Not only are they by-far the best choice in terms of hitting enemies with Frigid bond, we also can divert all of our minion defense passives straight into damage.

But it uses both of our hands. No damage boost from our main-hand, no shield, nothing. However, they are worth because we don't have to invest into minion defense, or deal with clunkier AI.

##6. What you're here for: is FB worth it?

The exact details of the gem are unknown. Be we do know a lot thanks to the level 1 version is viewable on the TotA league splash page.

We know three things about the support gem based on the level 1 version.

The basics: We know that it will chill enemies it is effecting. The chill will almost certainly be a base-line 10%, scalable with chill effect and effect of non-damaging ailments. But we do reliably have that 10% reduced damage from hits thanks to Frigid Wake, and Glacial Cage's damage increasing debuff from chill.

We know that it the effect lingers for a base 2 seconds. This is actually significantly more important than the chill effect. A genuine game changer. No-matter how briefly we touch an enemy with the beam. No-matter how fast we are zooming, if 2 seconds of 100% uptime is enough to kill, then it will. That's a massive feature to have on passive damage.

So, it's mechanically very strong. Imagine an RF that lingered. Searing bond that moves with and ahead of you. A longer duration, passive scorching ray we don't need to stand still or hold to build-up for.

But what's the damage going to look like at level 20? We won't know the exact numbers for a while, but the level 1 skill gem tells us a lot. Enough to approximate the level 20 version.

The gem has a base level requirement of 38. It deals 355.9 base damage per-second. There is one, very similar skill that has very similar numbers: Searing bond. A level 8 searing bond has a level 38 requirement and deals 338.7 base fire damage.

These numbers are so close, that it feels like a fairly reasonable prediction to say that the level 20 numbers will be nearly the same. So, we'll say that they are, which makes the base dps ~3899.

So, now that we know how it works and have a vague idea as to how much damage we can expect, now we can finally ask the big question:

####Is it at least as good as RF?

3899 Puts us in line with some notable alternatives. Of which, Righteous Fire is the most consequential, and mechanically similar. Assuming a 5000~ life-es pool (close to average according to PoE ninja), RF comes out ahead with 4197 base damage.

The base damage is close, but before talking about investment, there is some nuance.

FB is a support gem for an active skill that contributes nothing. So, we're already down one support gem. But RF struggles on support gems, not having a base duration tag in particular. It has to use expensive helmets and/or some awkward, inefficient support gems.

Now, this is where things dip into the unknown: Links skills do not do damage, and cannot inflict elemental ailments. Most support gems don't work right out of the gate. But FB does deal elemental damage, it has a cold tag to prove it.

If we compare it to a support gem like Summon Phantasm, other gems such as Hypothermia and controlled destruction should be usable, even if the original skill can't be supported by those normally.

So, assuming that any support gem that works for Searing Bond is going to work with Frigid Bond, we're sitting fairly comfortably on the support front.

Now, investment: RF has a leg-up in itemization. Sure it needs more regen and maximum fire resistance, but those builds get to use both hands. Not having an off-hand shield or a staff is going to greatly limit our scaling.

FB has the added benefit of utilizing Spell damage scaling. We do not need to go nearly as far in our passive tree for damage. In fact, we might even be able to do some Indigon shenanigans, as maintaining 2 fully linked bonds is going to cost over 300 mana per second without any increases to mana cost. We could even go low-life for an additional 30% more damage thanks to pain attunement.

I have not attempted to build around either of these yet, but they have potential.

What really starts pushing RF ahead though, is gem levels. FB struggles greatly to scale its level, because it is a support gem and does not benefit from most modifiers to gem level.

On a relatively low budget PoB, I am able to get approximately 600k DPS (non shaper/guardian.)

But because it is a support gem, FB can get a massive boost to its level if found on a Shako. Assuming FB scales as hard with levels as Searing Bond, Expect something closer to 2.8m DPS with a level 30 FB. 3.3m with 3 awakened gems.

Without Shako, it's not going to be easy compare to higher-end RF damage, especially with a flame trap secondary set-up. With a perfect shako, you could start pushing 4.6m.

##7. Mechanical advantages

Yes yes, damage is important, but if it was everything, then we'd all be playing Viper Strike or Death Wish. RF doesn't have a lot of damage when compared to a lot of other builds, yet it's the second most popular main skills in the game right now.

It's played because it has enough damage, and very nice playstyle.

Dancing dervishes are hyper aggressive, and will absolutely dive off-screen ahead of you if they find enemies. Link skills, even without the doubled range mastery, have a far enough connection and long enough grace window that even if the dervishes go so far they spawn back on you, they'll still be connected.

Picture RF as a front-facing cone that points towards enemies, and extends off-screen. It may be a bit reductionist, but with enough minion speed, that's what it will feel like.

Even if FB does less damage, the simple fact that the dot lingers means that you can expect a minimum of 2 seconds of DPS, even if they're only touched for a moment.

And, of course, having FB deal its damage at range. Homing in automatically to enemies means we can easily out range most threats.

Speaking of out-ranging enemies, FB is going to chill, which is something that RF builds aren't going to be able to do easily.

But we can take this even further.

The Dancing Dervishes are spinning around, hitting enemies very fast. On top of some fairly potent chills from FB, they can inflict Cold Exposure with Elemental Army. They can inflicting maims to further slow enemies down. We can slap on a culling strike support for a consistent 10% cull. While they're culling enemies, why not also throw on an IIR support gem for a nice 69% increased item rarity, for no cost other than the gem slot?

We still have 2 extra support gems for the minions. Why not give them Minion Speed to make them hit and move even faster? And, as if I am entering the twilight zone of PoE, chance to flee so that only rare enemies even have a chance to successfully enter our screen?

So to recap, off-screen enemies will be chilled for approximately 20% reduced action speed, maimed for 30% reduced movement speed, and unless they're rare/unique, running away from us. All while being dotted.

The only downside to all of this, is that we need to start a rampage by using cyclone on enemies, and then manually cast the link skill once every ~10 seconds. If we drop rampage due to boss phases or low monster density, we have to do it again. Worm flasks could help with this, and should be brought vs bosses, but for maps we'll have to sacrifice either our Gold flask, or our shock immunity flask.

8. The Guardian re-work

There is a chance that Guardian will be very powerful with this build. The extra access to amour is great, the cycling heal is... well, it could come in clutch. But the big question is with Radiant Crusade.

1. Are summon sentinels super beefy?

2. If yes, are they Damageable?

3. How many can we summon?

4. How aggressive can we make them?

Because while they could probably never compare to how excellent Dancing Dervishes' are in their behavior and speed, it would free up our main and off-hand.

So long as they don't require a lot of defensive passives to keep alive, it may be a good choice for a higher damage, higher defense, lower clear-speed build. A swiss-army knife, capable of handling most types of content comfortably at a slower pace.

But unless GGG does the incredibly based move of revealing their stats ahead of time, there's no-way to know if the Guardian version is going to be worth while until launch.

9. Final remarks

The dream is complete. A cold dot, melee, minion, link witch build with CI and no attributes.

But seriously, this doesn't seem that bad at all, and leveling through the acts as this is just going to be vortex occultist. The passives aren't all that different. The Non-shako version has enough damage to do some quick mapping and build up currency, so ya.

I encourage others to take my Pob and optimize it. I'll be doing more work on it in the lead up to league start.