Vortex/Cold Snap
Low Life
Cold Damage Over Time Occultist build

Updated for Patch 3.17

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Great Damage and Area of Cold DoT combined with an enormous amount of Energy Shield thanks to Occultist Ascendancy makes this build perfect for killing all the Bosses in the game, including Shaper and Uber Elder. Regeneration and a massive pool of Energy Shield make this build one of the tankiest in the game as well. It is not recommended to use Chaos Inoculation despite this build being ES-based. Chaos Inoculation turns your Maximum Health to 1 while granting you complete immunity to Chaos Damage. Instead, it is a better idea to use Prism Guardian and enjoy a few more Auras while wearing Shavronne's Wrappings to be protected from Chaos Damage. This greatly increases this build's DPS while maintaining around the same defenses. If you are looking for a way to easily level up this character and build up wealth, that's basically based on similar Gems and Items, you can check our Creeping Frost/Vortex Occultist Starter build.

With the recent changes to defensive mechanics, this build also offers a very high Armour Rating, which combined with Divine Shield, will offer even better Energy Shield regeneration. You could even aim to use Grace Aura instead of Hatred, and possibly benefit from the Ghost Shroud Passive as well, but the following Guide will prioritize the variant with higher DPS output. 

You can also check our other Path of Exile builds: Odealo's Crafty Guides - Full List

1. Gameplay

Our main skill for both clearing maps and bosses is Vortex. It is an instant cast skill, which means that we can cast it while running, without interrupting movement. The second most important skill is Cold Snap/Vaal Cold Snap, which is great to use against rare monsters and Bosses for more damage and for Maps clearing because it provides us with Frenzy Charges, which increases both Cast and Movement Speed. It will also apply Bonechill, which increases all our Cold Damage over Time and Chill Effect.

This video was recorded on a level 93 Occultist on Standard. While the DPS was top notch we had to use several Rares without Energy Shield - even though we had less than 7k, you could easily push it close to 10k in the following setup for even more defenses on your character (assuming you need those). This video was recorded pre 3.17 and should be updated shortly. Keep in mind that the playstyle hasn't changed much since

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

For leveling, you are going to use Freezing Pulse, before you can switch Vortex at level 28. During leveling, it's recommended to use Life Gear, before you switch to full Energy Shield because it's easier to regenerate with Life Flasks. If you have enough gear with Energy Shield to make your play comfortable, you can do the switch at any time.

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Freezing Pulse setup
	Freezing Pulse - one of the first available spells in PoE
	Added Cold Damage Support - adds a lot of Cold Damage
	Faster Casting Support - boosts the Cast Speed of Freezing Pulse. At higher levels, it should be replaced with Spell Echo
	Elemental Focus Support - grants very high Elemental Damage multiplier but makes Freezing Pulse "unable" to inflict Chill (which will be done by your other Cold Spells)

Vortex setup
	Vortex - this will be your main skill throughout the game. Use it from level 28
	Controlled Destruction Support - grants a lot of Spell Damage at the cost of Critical Strike Chance
	Elemental Focus Support - a great boost to Elemental Damage
	Efficacy Support - will boost your Cold Damage, Damage over Time and Vortex duration

Utility Gems
	Flame Dash - your main Movement Skill
	Frost Bomb - applies a very potent Cold Exposure to enemies affected. It also deals quite decent damage on its' own, so if able, you can Support it with Gems like Elemental Focus, Controlled Destruction, or Added Cold Damage
	Frostbite - perfect Curse for our build, reducing Cursed enemies' Resistance to Cold Damage
	Hatred - grants very high bonus Cold Damage to all your Skills, making it one of the best Auras for this build

Bandits:

We recommend killing all Bandits for two additional Passive Points

Leveling Skill Trees:

33 Points Skill Tree
Allocate Passives granting Cold Damage and Maximum Life

61 Points Skill Tree
If you are leveling up "solo", you should aim to boost the Critical Strike Chance and Multiplier via Passives or you will simply lack damage. You should still use Spells like Vortex/Frost Bomb for extra DoT damage against Bosses, while you keep casting your Freezing Pulse (or other leveling Cold Spell you have chosen for this part of the game)

Recommended leveling items:

Goldrim - one of the best leveling helmets in Path of Exile, will fix your Elemental Resistances during leveling

+(30-50) to Evasion Rating 10% increased Rarity of Items found +(30-40)% to all Elemental Resistances Reflects 4 Physical Damage to Melee Attackers Level Requirement reduced by 100 (Hidden)

Doedre's Tenure - powerful leveling gloves, providing a lot of Energy Shield and Spell Damage. The Cast Speed will reduce the DPS of your Freezing Pulse, but will not affect Vortex for example (depending on which one you prioritize you can use those or not)

(50-60)% increased Spell Damage +20 to Intelligence 15% reduced Cast Speed +32 to maximum Energy Shield

Le Heup of All - these Rings provide everything - Attributes, Damage, and Resistances. Perfect choice for the entire leveling process

(10-30)% increased Damage +(10-30) to all Attributes (10-30)% increased Rarity of Items found +(10-30)% to all Elemental Resistances

Lifesprig - great leveling Wand, which provides both Spell Damage and Cast Speed. It's recommended to socket your Spells in them as the increased Level of Socketed Gems is a huge damage boost. It's recommended to dual-wield them

(8-12)% increased Spell Damage +1 to Level of Socketed Spell Gems (20-28)% increased Spell Damage (5-8)% increased Cast Speed +(15-20) to maximum Life +(15-20) to maximum Mana Regenerate (6-8) Life over 1 second when you Cast a Spell

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

86 Points Final Skill Tree (does not include Cluster Jewels nor Thread of Hope)
118 Points Path of Building(PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Void Beacon
2. Frigid Wake
3. Profane Bloom
4. Malediction

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of Lunaris 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%; 1% increased Movement Speed for each nearby Enemy, up to 8%

Minor God: Soul of Abberath 60% less Duration of Ignite on You

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Vortex
	Vortex - your primary skill for both clear speed and boss fights. It's an instant cast Spell that can be used while moving or casting other Spells
	Controlled Destruction Support - grants a lot of Spell Damage at the cost of Critical Strike Chance
	Elemental Focus Support - a great boost to Elemental Damage
	Empower Support - Vortex's damage grows immensely when its Gem Level is being increased
	Swift Affliction Support - increases Damage over Time
	Hypothermia Support - grants high bonus Damage against Chilled enemies

[DPS] Vaal Cold Snap (socketed in Rime Gaze)
	Vaal Cold Snap - another Cold DoT Spell which offers an insane Damage boost against Bosses. It also allows you to generate Frenzy Charges when killing enemies in its radius
	Efficacy Support - more Damage over Time
	Bonechill Support - increases Effect of Chill and Cold Damage over Time
	Hypothermia Support - even more Cold Damage over Time, and increased Chill Effect

[UTILITY] Blasphemous Curses setup
	Frostbite - the best Curse for this build which significantly increases your DPS. In this build, we recommend using it as an Aura around you via using Blasphemy Support
	Elemental Weakness - your second best Curse, as Occultist you'll be able to inflict an additional one and it will be also used as an Aura
	Blasphemy Support - use to convert your Curses into Auras - your other Auras will be socketed in the Prism Guardian and will Reserve Life
	Enlighten Support - Less mana Reservation. Your other Mana Reserving Aura is Clarity and Discipline, both socketed in a different setup.

[UTILITY] Flame Dash setup
	Flame Dash - Movement ability with the most sustainable and reliable cooldown recovery pattern
	Second Wind Support  - increases Flame Dash's cooldown recovery speed and adds an extra Charge to it
	Arcane Surge Support  - after casting Flame Dash it will grant Arcane Surge buff, which increases Spell Damage. Keep the Gem at level 6

[UTILITY] Frost Bomb setup
	Frost Bomb - applies Cold Exposure to targets, reducing their Cold Resistance and effectively, increasing your DPS. Use a level 1 Gem here for a lower Mana cost
	Cast when Damage Taken Support - this Gem will automatically trigger Frost Bomb for you. use a level 1 Gem here for more frequent casts.

[UTILITY] Auras Use this setup in your Prism Guardian's sockets so that you can be on Low Life
	Malevolence - increases your Damage over Time and Skill Effect Duration. It's the core Aura for most DoT builds that also opens up powerful Aura modifiers on Watcher's Eye
	Determination - a very important part of this build that boosts your Armour Rating - one of your core defensive layers
	Hatred - Aura that increases your Cold Damage. Just another powerful Aura that directly boosts your Cold DPS

[UTILITY] Auras

	Discipline - this Aura increases your Maximum Energy Shield and opens up new Watcher's Eye options
	Clarity - increases your Mana Regeneration Rate. If you don't have enough Mana to activate it, you might need to bring a Mana Flask on your adventure

5. Gear Setup

This Vortex build is not an expensive build and can be played on a moderate budget, however, end-game Cold DoT Multiplier gear can get pretty pricy. Below you will find all the recommended gear for the Low-Life setup. In terms of Attributes seek Strength if you're using Determination, and Dexterity since Swift Alliction requires a fair amount of it. If you would like to have the end-game items also added here please let us know in the comments below.

The recommended items from our list will:

1. Help you cap your Elemental Resistances 
2. Give you enough DPS and Life to start mapping successfully

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - this is one of the best choices, it grants both Resistances and a lot of Energy Shield

Min. requirements: 300 Energy Shield 35% to Fire Resistance 35% to Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: Nearby Enemies have -9% to Cold Resistance

(Helmet) Rime Gaze - the best option when it comes to raw DPS, it offers an additional link for your Cold Snap

Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 20 Concentrated Effect 30% increased Cold Damage (180-200)% increased Energy Shield 50% reduced Energy Shield Recharge Rate +(40-60) to maximum Mana +(16-22)% to Cold Damage over Time Multiplier

(Helmet) Crown of the Inward Eye - another good Helmet you can pick, this one increases your Defenses and Damage, it's comparable to Rime Gaze

333% increased Armour and Energy Shield (9-21)% increased maximum Life, Mana and Global Energy Shield Transfiguration of Soul Transfiguration of Body Transfiguration of Mind

Helmet enchantments: Vortex has increased Cooldown Recovery Speed

(Weapon) Rare Sceptre or Wand - with the right affixes this is definitely the best weapon for this build

Min. requirements: 50% Increased Spell/Cold Damage 20% Cold (or generic) Damage over Time Multiplier Optional affixes: Cast Speed +1 to level of all Cold Spell Skill Gems +1 to level of all Skill Gems

(Shield) Prism Guardian - Use this shield so that you can easily reserve Life instead of Mana on Skills of your choice. It allows you to be Low Life and use more Auras so it'd be hard to find any better Shield.

+12% to all Elemental Resistances +2 to Level of Socketed Aura Gems Socketed Gems Cost and Reserve Life instead of Mana Socketed Gems have 25% reduced Reservation +(20-30) to Dexterity +25% to all Elemental Resistances

(Body Armour) Shavronne's Wrappings - Use this Body Armour to protect yourself from Choas Damage that would otherwise instantly kill you, a mandatory item

(3-10)% increased Spell Damage (100-150)% increased Energy Shield 10% faster start of Energy Shield Recharge +(30-40)% to Lightning Resistance Reflects 1 to 250 Lightning Damage to Melee Attackers Chaos Damage does not bypass Energy Shield

(Amulet) Presence of Chayula - turns a portion of your Maximum Life (which you don't need anyway) into ES, grants more Chaas Resistance - a type of defense that is really important and grants you Stun immunity

+(10-16) to all Attributes 30% increased Rarity of Items found +60% to Chaos Resistance Cannot be Stunned 20% of Maximum Life Converted to Energy Shield

(Ring) Mark of the Shaper - Volatile Anomaly will automatically trigger on kill and will deal Cold Damage Over Time, it also increases your damage by a lot so it's definitely an item worth getting

(15-25)% increased Elemental Damage 20% chance to Trigger Level 20 Summon Volatile Anomaly on Kill Adds (13-18) to (50-56) Lightning Damage to Spells (6-10)% increased maximum Energy Shield (6-10)% increased maximum Life (60-80)% increased Spell Damage if your other Ring is an Elder Item Cannot be Stunned by Spells if your other Ring is a Shaper Item

(Ring) Rare Ring - Your Ring has to be Elder-influenced, not because of specific mods you can get but because it will activate the Spell Damage bonus from your other ring - Mark of the Shaper. Aim to get some Energy Shield and cap your Resistances. Getting some Attributes here may also be useful

Min. requirements: 40 Maximum Energy Shield 100% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Attributes Increased Energy Shield

(Boots) Rare Energy Shield Boots - get a pair with the highest maximum Energy Shield and Movement Speed bonuses you can afford. Consider having Aspect of the Spider here, it really helps with Bosses.

Min. requirements: 150 Energy Shield 20% increased Movement Speed 29% Fire Resistance 29% Lightning Resistance 29% Cold Resistance Optional affixes: Grants Level 20 Aspect of the Spider Skill

Boots enchantment: 16% increased Attack and Cast Speed if you've Killed Recently

(Belt) Rare Crystal Belt - look for general defensive stats such as Maximum ES and Resistances of all kind

Min. requirements: 100 Maximum Energy Shield 22% Fire Resistance 22% Lightning Resistance 22% Cold Resistance Optional affixes: Increased Energy Shield from Body Armour Strength

(Belt) Bated Breath - a great and budget option until you'll be able to afford some better Belt

+(9-20) to maximum Energy Shield +(15-25) to Intelligence 10% increased Damage +(20-30) to maximum Energy Shield 20% increased maximum Energy Shield 50% increased Energy Shield Recharge Rate

(Gloves) Rare Energy Shield Gloves - as much Energy Shield as possible and additional Dexterity for attribute requirements

Min. requirements: 150 Energy Shield 40 Dexterity 29% Lightning resistance 29% Cold resistance Optional affixes: Crafted Strength Cold Damage over Time Multiplier Increased Energy Shield

(Jewels) Rare Jewels

Recommended affixes: increased Maximum Energy Shield increased Spell/Cold/DoT Damage Optional affixes: increased Cold Damage over Time Multiplier

(Jewels) Energy From Within - gives you more ES at the cost of your Life, which is a great deal, use it in the socket next to Melding and allocate this cluster

(3-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield Increases and Reductions to Life in Radius are Transformed to apply to Energy Shield

(Jewels) Watcher's Eye - With the number of Auras you have you can easily score some of the most useful Watcher's Eyes, however the best - if not necessary - mod to have is the one that increases your Damage Over Time while affected by Malevolence

(4-6)% increased maximum Energy Shield (4-6)% increased maximum Life (4-6)% increased maximum Mana <Two or Three random aura modifiers>

(Jewels) Large Cluster Jewel - Use Cold Damage base and focus on getting mentioned Notables. This build uses two Large Cluster Jewels.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Cold-Blooded Killer 1 Added Passive Skill is Deep Chill 1 Added Passive Skill is Disorienting Display 1 Added Passive Skill is Widespread Destruction 1 Added Passive Skill is Corrosive Elements 1 Added Passive Skill is Blanketed Snow 1 Added Passive Skill is Blast-Freeze

(Jewels) Medium Cluster Jewel - there are two bases on which you can look for the Notables you need - Cold Damage over Time and Aura Effect

Recommended affixes for Cold Damage over Time Jewel: 1 Added Passive Skill is Chilling Presence 1 Added Passive Skill is Vile Reinvigoration 1 Added Passive Skill is Cold-Blooded Killer 1 Added Passive Skill is Deep Chill Recommended affixes for Aura Effect Jewel: 1 Added Passive Skill is First Among Equals 1 Added Passive Skill is Replenishing Presence

(Jewels) Small Cluster Jewel - if you have free Passives and an empty socket on one of the "bigger" Cluster Jewels, it's best to pick a Small one with Enduring Composure Passive that will allow you to easily generate Endurance Charges

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Enduring Composure

(Flask) Rumi's Concoction - Increases Damage over Time for both Cold Snap and Vortex. It also grants us the second Curse which increases Damage over Time taken by enemies

+3000 to Armour +(14-20)% Chance to Block Attack Damage during Flask effect +(6-10)% Chance to Block Spell Damage during Flask effect

Suggested Flasks: Flagellant's Sulphur Flask with random ailment removal/immunity Flagellant's Silver Flask with random ailment removal/immunity Flagellant's Basalt Flask of Armadillo (or other Armour boosting suffix) Flagellant's Quicksilver Flask with Bleed removal/immunity

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.