PoE Vaal Ice Shot Build 3.25 – Path of Exile: Settlers of Kalguur

The Vaal Ice Shot skill in Path of Exile offers a powerful bow attack that combines high cold damage with area-of-effect capabilities and the ability to summon Mirage Sharpshooters. This guide provides a comprehensive look at how to build around Vaal Ice Shot effectively in the 3.25 patch.

Key Features of Ice Shot and Vaal Ice Shot

Ice Shot (Level 20):

• Attack, Projectile, AoE, Cold, Bow: Ice Shot fires an arrow that converts some physical damage to cold on its target and converts all physical damage to cold in a cone behind that target.
• Mana Cost: 10 mana.
• Attack Damage: 200.1% of base.
• Effectiveness of Added Damage: 200%.
• Weapon Requirements: Requires Level 70, 155 Dexterity, and a Bow.
• Damage Conversion: 60% of physical damage is converted to cold damage.
• Area of Effect: Base radius is 2.4 metres.
• Chill Mechanics: Chills enemies as though dealing 195% more damage.
• Increased AoE Angle: 80% increased area of effect angle.

Vaal Ice Shot:

• Souls Per Use: 40, can store up to 1 use.
• Soul Gain Prevention: 8 seconds.
• Attack Damage: 100.1% of base.
• Duration Mechanics: Summons a squad of Mirage Sharpshooters for a base duration of 6.00 seconds.
• Damage Conversion: 60% of physical damage is converted to cold damage.
• Area of Effect: 80% increased area of effect angle.
• Mirage Sharpshooters: Summons up to 6 Mirage Sharpshooters which use Ice Shot, firing at your target when you use Ice Shot.
• Corrupted: Cannot be modified but offers significant power.

Building Around Vaal Ice Shot

1. Weapon Choice:

• Bows: Choose high-damage bows with added cold damage, increased attack speed, and critical strike chance to maximize your damage output.

2. Passive Skill Tree:

• Focus on nodes that enhance bow damage, cold damage, attack speed, and critical strike chance. Specific clusters to prioritize include those near the Ranger and Duelist start areas.
• Consider pathing to nodes that increase elemental damage, chill effect, and area of effect to enhance both single-target and AoE damage.

3. Support Gems:

• Elemental Damage with Attacks Support: Boosts elemental damage from attacks.
• Cold Penetration Support: Reduces enemy resistance to cold damage.
• Increased Critical Strikes Support: Boosts critical strike chance.
• Hypothermia Support: Increases damage against chilled enemies and enhances the chill effect.
• Greater Multiple Projectiles Support: Increases the number of projectiles fired, spreading your damage over a larger area.
• Inspiration Support: Reduces mana cost and increases elemental damage and critical strike chance.

4. Armor and Accessories:

• Look for gear that boosts your dexterity, cold damage, attack speed, and critical strike chance.
• Prioritize items with high life, resistances, and evasion for increased survivability.
• Consider gear with bonuses to area of effect and chill duration to maximize the effectiveness of your attacks.

5. Flask Setup:

• Life Flasks: For quick healing during intense battles.
• Utility Flasks: Such as Diamond Flask for increased critical strike chance or Jade Flask for increased evasion.
• Mana Flasks: To manage the mana cost of your skills.
• Quicksilver Flask: To enhance movement speed, improving mobility and positioning during fights.

Combat Strategy

1. Engaging Enemies:

• Use Ice Shot to engage single targets and small groups, leveraging its high cold damage and area of effect to deal significant damage and chill enemies, slowing them down.

2. Utilizing Vaal Ice Shot:

• Activate Vaal Ice Shot during tougher encounters or when facing large groups of enemies. The summoned Mirage Sharpshooters provide additional damage and crowd control, making it a powerful tool for both single-target and AoE damage.
• The buffs from Vaal Ice Shot significantly enhance your damage output and crowd control, making it ideal for clearing large packs of enemies or dealing with boss fights.

3. Managing Buffs and Debuffs:

• Take advantage of the increased cold damage and chill mechanics to maintain a high level of damage output. The Mirage Sharpshooters provide excellent coverage and ensure that enemies are hit multiple times.

Example Builds

1. Ranger Deadeye Ice Shot Build:

• Focus on high attack speed, critical strike chance, and projectile damage for sustained damage and crowd control.
• Utilize Ice Shot and Vaal Ice Shot to deal massive cold damage and chill enemies.
• Invest in elemental damage and critical strike nodes to maximize the effectiveness of your attacks.

2. Duelist Slayer Ice Shot Build:

• Prioritize life leech, critical strike chance, and attack speed for sustained damage and survivability.
• Use Ice Shot and Vaal Ice Shot to clear large packs of enemies quickly.
• Enhance cold damage and area of effect with appropriate support gems and passive skill nodes.

Conclusion

The Vaal Ice Shot build for Path of Exile 3.25 offers a robust and versatile playstyle for bow enthusiasts who enjoy high cold damage and crowd control. By focusing on maximizing damage, area of effect, and chill mechanics, players can effectively dominate both single-target and group encounters. Proper gear selection, passive skill tree planning, and strategic use of Ice Shot and Vaal Ice Shot will ensure that you unleash the full potential of this powerful skill. Equip your bow, prepare your flasks, and freeze the battlefield with the devastating power of Vaal Ice Shot.