PoE Sanity

Ice Shot Levelling: Freeze Bosses, One-Shot (Almost) Everything

By GuyThatDiesWatch videoDuration: PT10M18S

Summary

  • A satisfying Ranger and Huntress leveling build that freezes bosses and uses charged Snipes for massive single-target damage.
  • Utilizes Herald of Ice for high-speed map clearing through chain explosions.
  • Transitions from Lightning Arrow/Lightning Rod to Ice Shot/Snipe at level 31.
  • Scales damage through shock magnitude and specific weapon-swap passive tree optimizations.

Act 1: The Lightning Foundation

Begin with Lightning Arrow (LA) and transition into a Lightning Rod (LR) setup for early bossing.

  1. Pick up Lightning Arrow on the beach.
  2. After killing the Miller, obtain Lightning Rod from Rainly and Frost Bomb from the Clearfell gem.
  3. Take Elemental Armament from Ariadne and link it to Lightning Arrow.
  4. In the Ruined Veil, use the Level 2 skill gem from the league mechanic to upgrade Lightning Rod.
  5. At level 5, acquire a Short Bow from Refined Arms or a vendor. Use only Transmutations or Augmentations at this stage.
  6. Swap Elemental Armament between Lightning Arrow (clear) and Lightning Rod (bosses) until you obtain a second copy of the support gem.
  7. After the Rotten Druid, acquire Rapid Attacks for Lightning Arrow.
  8. Prioritize gem leveling: Lightning Rod > Lightning Arrow > Escape Shot.
  9. Acquire Concentrated Area in the Tomb of the Consort for single-target damage.
  10. Link Herald of Thunder with Concentrated Area after completing Freeborn.

Boss Setup (e.g., Genor):

  • Pre-stack Lightning Rods.
  • Drop Frost Bomb as the boss spawns.
  • Fire Lightning Arrow into the rods to trigger them (triggers 4 rods unsupported).

Act 2: Gearing and Preparation

This phase focuses on upgrading the bow and gathering the necessary components for the level 31 swap.

  • Gem Upgrades: Obtain Chain 2 from the Raider Camp. Swapping this into LA allows it to trigger 8 rods instead of 4. Upgrade Elemental Armaments to Tier 2.
  • Weapon Crafting (Level 16): Find a Magic Recurve Bow with high flat damage or +1 to projectile skills. Use a Regal or Essence, then Exalted to 6 mods. Add quality and runes.
  • The Swap Checklist: Gather these items before reaching level 31:
    • Lesser Jewel Sorb: Guaranteed from the Airy Shrines league mechanic.
    • Skill Gems: Two Level 7 or 8 gems for Freezing Mark and Freezing Salvo.
    • Spirit Gem: Herald of Ice (obtained from Bone Quarry or Lost City sarcophagus).
    • Support Gem: Window of Opportunity for Snipe.

Act 3: The Ice Shot Swap

At level 31, transition fully into the cold-based setup.

Ice Shot Setup (Clear):

  • Ice Shot (Level 9 gem)
  • Supports: Elemental Armament, Rapid Attacks, Ice Spit 2 (via Lesser Jewel Sorb), Tier 3 Support.

Snipe Setup (Single Target):

  • Snipe (Level 9 gem)
  • Supports: Elemental Armament, Concentrated Area, Window of Opportunity (or Elemental Focus for easier timing).

Utility and Marks:

  • Freezing Salvo: Linked with Concentrated Area and optionally Freeze.
  • Freezing Mark: Linked with Eternal Mark.
  • Passive Interaction: Use Freezing Mark to trigger Marked for Sickness for 10% more damage.

[!IMPORTANT] Put Freezing Mark on Weapon Set 2. All other active skills remain on Weapon Set 1. Spirit gems apply to both sets.

How to Play and Snipe Timing

  • Clear: Apply Freezing Mark to a single target and kill it with Ice Shot to gain a 30% damage buff (lasts ~20s). Herald of Ice will handle pack explosions.
  • Bossing: Apply Freezing Mark, freeze the boss using Freezing Salvo/Ice Shot, use Barrage, and finish with Snipe.
  • Snipe Execution: Channel Snipe until the character glows and a circle appears, then release for maximum damage.
  • Level 36: Incorporate Combat Frenzy to add repeats to Barrage.

Late Campaign Gearing

  • Level 33: Craft a Composite Bow focusing on high physical or flat damage. Avoid Lesser Essences as their values are low.
  • Level 45: Craft an Artillery Bow. High increased physical damage is the priority.
  • Final Power Spike: Add Elemental Focus to Snipe (using a Greater Jewel Sorb). Once a Tier 5 Support is available, use Charged Mark in the Freezing Mark setup. This creates shocked ground that, when scaled with the passive tree, provides 53% more damage.

The Passive Tree

Initial points prioritize attributes to meet gem requirements: Strength -> Dexterity -> Intelligence.

  1. Core Notables: Primal Sundering, Harness the Elements, Catalysis, Maiming Strike, and Binding Frost.
  2. Ice Shot Swap Adjustments:
    • Weapon Set 1: Standard damage nodes.
    • Weapon Set 2: Take Marked for Sickness and Unsight.
  3. Shock Scaling: To maximize Charged Mark, take nodes for Increased Magnitude of Shock and Increased Magnitude of Ailment. This converts the shocked ground into a 53% damage multiplier.

Key References