My Favorite League Starter: Vortex Occultist (Ultimatum League-Start Walk-through Guide)

? Act 1: -Grab Stormblast Mine and link it with Arcane Surge + Added Lightning Damage + Added Cold Damage. You can opt for Arc later, but I prefer Stormblast Mine. -Optional: Frost Bomb + Onslaught with Freezing Pulse is also a good way to level (you will have to start with a Scion and get it into Lioneye's Watch to put Onslaught in your stash) - If you choose to use Freezing Pulse link it to added cold damage + added lightning damage.... later on use controlled destruction + elemental focus from act 2 -Grab Orb of Storms and use it in parallel to Stormblast Mine. Link it with another set of Arcane Surge + Added Lightning Damage + Added Cold Damage (priority). Frost Bomb could also be used in conjunction. (make sure you are inside of the orb of storms when you are detonating the stormblast mines) -Buy Power Siphon to be used later on with the Spellslinger setup. (or wait for Frenzy from the Library quest in Act 3) note: Frenzy attacks faster but it does not have Culling Strike and multiple projectiles -Buy Lesser Multiple Projectiles to be used in the Frostbolt setup later on. Don't use it now (put it in alternate weapons or open gem slots to level as you progress). -Buy Vitality and use it as soon as possible(available after killing Brutus from Nessa). Buy a white/blue Amber Amulet if you need more Str. The amount of regen this provides early on is amazing. -Grab Creeping Frost but don't use it (put it in alternate weapons or open gem slots to level as you progress). This is very important to do, or else your Creeping Frost will be way under-leveled by the time you can use it. -Grab Flame dash and link it to Arcane Surge for more damage when you swap out Arcane Surge for better gems in your damage setups. Keep this Arcane Surge at level 2 or lower. -Buy Efficacy but don't use it (put it in an alternate weapon or open gem slot to level as you progress). This will be used in the Vortex later on. -Grab Arc and use it if you prefer it over Stormblast Mine (I personally think the mine is much better for speeding through acts until you get Spellslinger). Regardless, level it up as you go -Do not get rid of orb of storms since this synergizes so well with Stormblast Mine ? Act 2: -Continue using Stormblast Mine or Arc. (or Freezing Pulse) -Grab 2x Controlled Destruction + 2x Elemental Focus when available and link one of each into Stormblast Mine/Arc and Orb of Storms (swap out Added Lightning Damage and Added Cold Damage). The other Controlled Destruction/Elemental Focus will be used in the Creeping Frost Spellslinger setup later. ? Act 3: -Grab TWO Spellslingers as soon as you can. If you don't already have Vortex yet, temporarily link: Spellslinger + Arc + Added Lightning Damage + Controlled Destruction for the first setup. For the second setup, link Spellslinger + Wave of Conviction + Controlled Destruction (ideally Added Lightning to apply Lightning Exposure) + Elemental Focus. Drop Vitality until you have enough mana reservation to use it (keep it in an alternate weapon or open gem slot to level still). You'll only have enough mana to use two 4L Spellslinger setups, do not try to link more than this. Spellslinger will trigger both spell setups with one attack. These two setups will be used until you have Vortex. -Use the Spell Siphon you got earlier to trigger your Spellslingers (this does not need to be linked). -------(or get Frenzy from the Library if you prefer Frenzy) -After you complete "Sever the Right Hand", you'll have the option to grab a Vortex, grab it. Now the magic begins. -Link Vortex + Controlled Destruction + Elemental Focus + Efficacy. DO NOT link Vortex with Spellslinger. Put Vortex on your left mouse button, so that it triggers automatically when you move. You can also put it on another button to manually trigger it. -Now it's time to swap around the Spellslinger setups. For the first setup, link: Spellslinger + Frostbolt + Lesser Multiple Projectiles. For the second setup, link: Spellslinger + Creeping Frost + Controlled Destruction + Elemental Focus. -Add Vitality back in if you have the mana. -Buy Frostbite, but don't use it (put it in alternate weapons or open gem slots to level as you progress). -Buy Discipline, but don't use it since you probably don't have the mana (put it in alternate weapons or open gem slots to level as you progress). ? Act 4: -Grab a Hextouch support and link Power Siphon + Hextouch Support + Frostbite. -Buy Bonechill Support when possible, swap out the Elemental Focus in Creeping Frost with Bonechill Support. ? Act 5: -MAKE SURE YOU GRAB FROZEN TRAIL. THIS IS MANDATORY. Put your Frozen trail gem in the jewel socket by Glancing Blows. One you have this jewel, remove the Lesser Multiple Projectiles from the Frostbolt setup. ? Act 6: -Complete Lily's quest so you can buy any skill gem you want. Buy Inspiration and Swift Affliction. Add in Inspiration and Swift Affliction if you have a Tabula (doubtful you'll be able to afford the mana cost though). -Buy Hypothermia from Lily and swap out Controlled Destruction with Hypothermia in the Creeping Frost. This is to reduce the mana reservation cost. ? Act 7: -Around this time, you should have enough mana to reserve Vitality again. Swap it back in. ? Act 8: -The chaos degen in Doedre's Sewers is abysmal. If you haven't by now, put in Vitality. I'm serious... make sure you do, or you'll have a bad time. If you're real zesty, grab Chaos Inoculation (not recommended, at all). -Add in Discipline when possible- swap out Vitality if you need to (but only after you pass Doedre's Sewers). ? Act 9: -Nothing of note here. Continue. ? Act 10: -Smack Kitava in the face with your balls. - Malevolence is optional (must replace discipline and Vitality) - Discipline will now easily fit in with Vitality after taking Sovereignty If you would like to stay coldslinger and not switch to Self-Cast I would recommend following Clydehart's guide (link is in the Youtube description)