Ice Battle Mage (Cold Sorc)

Austin wrote:Hey what's the reasoning behind the choice of creepy shrines for crafting merc gear?

strength, starting to feel like it might be better to do a mixture of Abandoned Shrines for Dexterity to boost the mercenaries damage bonuses and Creepy Shrines for Strength and Crushing Blow Then Intimidating for Deadly Strike and Enhanced Damage %. So Ideally a mixture of them all will be great for the mercenary.

livewirejsp wrote:
Dru wrote:
livewirejsp wrote:What kind of stuff are you putting on Honorific gloves and belts?

I've taken your advice from earlier. Got my res maxed in nightmare. About to beat nightmare. just beat the ancients. Finding some tier 4 items for the Honorific items.

You can go to Gheed and buy a Tier 4 item and use a oil of renewal on it then use mark of infusion on it to turn it into a T4 Honorific Item.

Are you making res boots? spell damage?

- for early game? you want resist / sf / cold spell damage % / fhr %

The coven choice is less about nova charge vs hive, and more about warp armor vs vengeful power, with vengeful power winning anytime you lack phys resist on your gear. That said, I also think that nova charge + warp armor is better than just vengeful power, simply for all the extra dex it gives you for minimal loss of energy. Though vengeful power is more point efficient, only needing 10 points for optimal benefit, vs warp armor needing 24 and nova charge needing 6.

Raven familiar, is probably just because the guide switches from chemistry to specialization at that point, and the skill points need to come from somewhere. 11 points for +3 all skills is a bit questionable imo anyway.

hi,

quick question regarding sacred crafted boots:

i dont really get it- can any1 post a really good example? i assume we eerie craft + sacred bless them-> what stats can roll on boots for cold sorc, in order that sacred crafted boots are better than honorific with +60 sf, +20% cold dmg (=5*+8lvls=+40lvls and space for even more stats)

ThrasherGX wrote:The coven choice is less about nova charge vs hive, and more about warp armor vs vengeful power, with vengeful power winning anytime you lack phys resist on your gear. That said, I also think that nova charge + warp armor is better than just vengeful power, simply for all the extra dex it gives you for minimal loss of energy. Though vengeful power is more point efficient, only needing 10 points for optimal benefit, vs warp armor needing 24 and nova charge needing 6.

Raven familiar, is probably just because the guide switches from chemistry to specialization at that point, and the skill points need to come from somewhere. 11 points for +3 all skills is a bit questionable imo anyway.

- Yo, thank you for that brief clarification; I really do appreciate it. As for the 11 points for +3 all skills. If you think about it, picking up Specialization in End Game gives you +1 max skill level per 2 base points. So thats 5 max skill points for End Game for your main skills. When you go back and look at Mid game , having the +11 points in Familiars gives you +3 to all skills right? so that means you are only really losing + 2 skill points off your main skills when you don't have Specialization yet. Moving on to End Game and picking up Specialization is the upgrade for the +2 points you didn't get in Mid Game.

loreth2021 wrote:hi,

quick question regarding sacred crafted boots:

i dont really get it- can any1 post a really good example? i assume we eerie craft + sacred bless them-> what stats can roll on boots for cold sorc, in order that sacred crafted boots are better than honorific with +60 sf, +20% cold dmg (=5*+8lvls=+40lvls and space for even more stats)

for crafting some boots i have some an example of 1 boot that I made that I will post.

Dru wrote:
loreth2021 wrote:hi,

quick question regarding sacred crafted boots:

i dont really get it- can any1 post a really good example? i assume we eerie craft + sacred bless them-> what stats can roll on boots for cold sorc, in order that sacred crafted boots are better than honorific with +60 sf, +20% cold dmg (=5*+8lvls=+40lvls and space for even more stats)

for crafting some boots i have some an example of 1 boot that I made that I will post.

hi, thanks for the quick update!

im kinda new so just for understanding: right now im 122 with zann's set and +128% spell dmg, 319/1000 spell focus and 78% ele pierce.

i want to transition to mid game spec (with nova charge instead of vengeful power) and start with using jewels instead of pul/ptopaz for sockets.

so why those sacred crafted boots with 1% to celerity, ~10% cold dmg, -~10%cold pierce are better than honorific with e.g. +60 spell focus, +20% cold dmg? is spell focus only needed for end game?

for gloves i understand, was able to craft those with +2 sorc skills as sacred:

loreth2021 wrote:
Dru wrote:
loreth2021 wrote:hi,

quick question regarding sacred crafted boots:

i dont really get it- can any1 post a really good example? i assume we eerie craft + sacred bless them-> what stats can roll on boots for cold sorc, in order that sacred crafted boots are better than honorific with +60 sf, +20% cold dmg (=5*+8lvls=+40lvls and space for even more stats)

for crafting some boots i have some an example of 1 boot that I made that I will post.

hi, thanks for the quick update!

im kinda new so just for understanding: right now im 122 with zann's set and +128% spell dmg, 319/1000 spell focus and 78% ele pierce.

i want to transition to mid game spec (with nova charge instead of vengeful power) and start with using jewels instead of pul/ptopaz for sockets.

so why those sacred crafted boots with 1% to celerity, ~10% cold dmg, -~10%cold pierce are better than honorific with e.g. +60 spell focus, +20% cold dmg? is spell focus only needed for end game?

for gloves i understand, was able to craft those with +2 sorc skills as sacred:

yo those gloves are nice!

thats exactly what you wanna aim for right now. also you wanna get out of honorifics for mid game ASAP , you need and want the pierce most definitely. Spell Focus increases your spell damage %. Essentially how it works is , the more Spell Focus you have, the less energy you need to reach high increased spell damage %. However, Spell Focus has a capacity of only 100% increased spell damage % . you cant go past 1000 Spell Focus because there is a Cap to prevent builds from being overpowered.

Dru wrote:
ThrasherGX wrote:The coven choice is less about nova charge vs hive, and more about warp armor vs vengeful power, with vengeful power winning anytime you lack phys resist on your gear. That said, I also think that nova charge + warp armor is better than just vengeful power, simply for all the extra dex it gives you for minimal loss of energy. Though vengeful power is more point efficient, only needing 10 points for optimal benefit, vs warp armor needing 24 and nova charge needing 6.

Raven familiar, is probably just because the guide switches from chemistry to specialization at that point, and the skill points need to come from somewhere. 11 points for +3 all skills is a bit questionable imo anyway.

- Yo, thank you for that brief clarification; I really do appreciate it. As for the 11 points for +3 all skills. If you think about it, picking up Specialization in End Game gives you +1 max skill level per 2 base points. So thats 5 max skill points for End Game for your main skills. When you go back and look at Mid game , having the +11 points in Familiars gives you +3 to all skills right? so that means you are only really losing + 2 skill points off your main skills when you don't have Specialization yet. Moving on to End Game and picking up Specialization is the upgrade for the +2 points you didn't get in Mid Game.

loreth2021 wrote:hi,

quick question regarding sacred crafted boots:

i dont really get it- can any1 post a really good example? i assume we eerie craft + sacred bless them-> what stats can roll on boots for cold sorc, in order that sacred crafted boots are better than honorific with +60 sf, +20% cold dmg (=5*+8lvls=+40lvls and space for even more stats)

for crafting some boots i have some an example of 1 boot that I made that I will post.

Oh snap, sorry, I was actually responding to Pashu earlier in the thread, not trying to correct you. I appreciate you taking the time to respond though, and that is a pretty good point about specialization vs the +3 all skills.

I really just didn't realize how long it had been since I refreshed the page haha.

Dru wrote:
Taem wrote:IDK if you have tried this build with Moonstrike instead of Frigid Nova, but Jesus Christ is it a fantastic combo at low-level!!! FN sucks nuts comparatively and makes for an absolutly grueling grind-fest! 20-pnts into Moon for max +life% and duration, instead of 25 for FN.

And your guide is incorrect about Glacial Torrent being single target! That is my main killing skill I used for mobs as it is multi-target and multi-hitting! It is king so far for low-level!

You are also missing out on a free 20% damage reduction from Melee Devotion for 1-point, as it has been confirmed to work with cold based spells (it locks out skills you cannot use, and I can use all my cold based skills with it just fine), however it does not display on the LCS, but has been confirmed to work.

- Yea maybe for early game Melee Devotion would be better, but i mean like i said before you kinda wanna set yourself up for end game content. You are gonna want the ice elementals to reach your max resists quicker and easier. as for glacial torrent "not" being a single target skill you might want to read the skill again. You can definitely use it to speed clear, but it is mainly a boss killing skill.

Glacial Torrent:
"New level 20 active skill, requires a scepter or an orb
Unleashes a freezing cascade in melee range, dealing heavy single target damage
Total damage multiplier increases by 1% per Base Level"

Hey Dru, thanks for the response. Unfortunately, and I hope you are not the type with a fragile ego because I mean you absolutly no disrespect and love your guide, but you are wrong about Glacial Torrent. I have been using it constantly since the beginning till now, clvl 103, to kill mobs. Believe me, I am NOT single-striking. It *IS* a multi-target and multi-hit skill far far far more powerful than FN. You could put those point from FN into... anything else. The added life from Moonstrike and the -enemy cold resist come to mind. Just for shits and giggles, I respec'd to Frigid and it sucks so bad, IDK why anyone would waste their time with that skill TBH. It's only good for the first 20 levels or so.

Also regarding the merc, now that cold is more melee based, are you certain a melee merc is the best? In general, a ranged merc for melee, a melee merc for ranged seems to be the magic ticket. I've been using a Priestess to great effect so far and she has never died.

Taem wrote:
Dru wrote:
Taem wrote:IDK if you have tried this build with Moonstrike instead of Frigid Nova, but Jesus Christ is it a fantastic combo at low-level!!! FN sucks nuts comparatively and makes for an absolutly grueling grind-fest! 20-pnts into Moon for max +life% and duration, instead of 25 for FN.

And your guide is incorrect about Glacial Torrent being single target! That is my main killing skill I used for mobs as it is multi-target and multi-hitting! It is king so far for low-level!

You are also missing out on a free 20% damage reduction from Melee Devotion for 1-point, as it has been confirmed to work with cold based spells (it locks out skills you cannot use, and I can use all my cold based skills with it just fine), however it does not display on the LCS, but has been confirmed to work.

- Yea maybe for early game Melee Devotion would be better, but i mean like i said before you kinda wanna set yourself up for end game content. You are gonna want the ice elementals to reach your max resists quicker and easier. as for glacial torrent "not" being a single target skill you might want to read the skill again. You can definitely use it to speed clear, but it is mainly a boss killing skill.

Glacial Torrent:
"New level 20 active skill, requires a scepter or an orb
Unleashes a freezing cascade in melee range, dealing heavy single target damage
Total damage multiplier increases by 1% per Base Level"

Hey Dru, thanks for the response. Unfortunately, and I hope you are not the type with a fragile ego because I mean you absolutly no disrespect and love your guide, but you are wrong about Glacial Torrent. I have been using it constantly since the beginning till now, clvl 103, to kill mobs. Believe me, I am NOT single-striking. It *IS* a multi-target and multi-hit skill far far far more powerful than FN. You could put those point from FN into... anything else. The added life from Moonstrike and the -enemy cold resist come to mind. Just for shits and giggles, I respec'd to Frigid and it sucks so bad, IDK why anyone would waste their time with that skill TBH. It's only good for the first 20 levels or so.

Also regarding the merc, now that cold is more melee based, are you certain a melee merc is the best? In general, a ranged merc for melee, a melee merc for ranged seems to be the magic ticket. I've been using a Priestess to great effect so far and she has never died.

No Taem xD <3 you didn't disrespect me at all..... Glacial Torrent can be used to clear packs yes. but its smarter to use frigid nova since it has a larger impact that reaches targets behind you . instead of spamming 1 skill running around right clicking infront of you. The build should require effort and skill. Dont get me wrong, i dislike Frigid Nova 100%. Glacial Torrent is incredibly stronger than Frigid Nova. and honestly yea its probably more efficient to run Melee Devotion and Glacial Torrent Early Game. Debating on reworking early game skill tree still. I've just been incredibly busy lately. Im still working on the energy and sf scaling graph so people have something to look at.
- as for the mercenary , you definitely want a more tankier merc for end game. the shapeshifter or act 5 barbarian is most likely the way to go. Act 1 Mercenaries werent able to survive in previous patches, maybe this season they might be able to idk. Just wondering what items to put on her to test it out a bit. Currently only level 135 so im not really endgame yet, but im definitely gonna mess around with the act 1 merc today when im leveling.

maybe this is what you are looking for as an early game skill tree, lmk what you think.

Cold Skills
⦁ Frigid Nova : 15 Points
⦁ Crystalline Barrier : 1 Point
⦁ Glacial Torrent : 25 Points
⦁ Winter Tide : 1 Point
⦁ Hoar Frost : 4 Points
⦁ Rime : 4 Points
⦁ Frostburn : 1 Point

Mastery Skills
⦁ Meditation : 3 Points
⦁ Purity : 4 Points
⦁ Melee Devotion : 1 Point

Melee Skills
⦁ Moonstrike : 12 Points
⦁ Paradigm Shift : 1 Point
⦁ Cold Blooded : 1 Point

Coven Skills
⦁ Warp Armor : 18 Points
⦁ Nova Charge : 6 Point
⦁ Vengeful Power : 10 Points
⦁ Hive : 1 Point

Arcane Skills
⦁ Immersion : 1 Point
⦁ Arcane Torrent : 1 Point
⦁ Raven Familiar : 1 Point

Reward Skills
⦁ Witchblood : 15 Points
⦁ Symbol of Esu : 5 Points