Support
Cold
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Dex
Supports any skill that hits or chills enemies, causing cold exposure to chilled and frozen enemies.
Supported Skills apply Cold Exposure to enemies they Chill, applying -10% to Cold Resistance
Supported Skills apply Cold Exposure to enemies they Freeze, applying -10% to Cold Resistance
Place into a Skill’s Support Gem socket in the Skills menu to apply its effects to that Skill. You cannot have multiple copies of the same Support Gem socketed at the same time.
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The Biting Cold Support Gem is a Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 that enhances Cold-based skills by adding Cold Exposure to enemies you hit or chill, significantly lowering their Cold Resistance. This gem is perfect for Cold damage builds looking to amplify their Cold damage output by reducing the Cold Resistance of enemies, making them more vulnerable to the chilling effects of Cold-based attacks. It provides an excellent synergy with skills that chill or freeze enemies, and it can be a game-changer in both damage output and crowd control.
Skill Gem Details
Category: Support
Type: Cold
Required Level: 1
Support Requirements: +5 Dexterity
Effect: Grants the ability to apply Cold Exposure to enemies that are Chilled or Frozen.
Primary Effect: Supported skills apply Cold Exposure to enemies, reducing their Cold Resistance by -10%.
Skill Mechanics
Cold Exposure on Chilled Enemies:
When you Chill an enemy (i.e., reduce their movement speed through cold damage), Biting Cold will apply Cold Exposure to them. This exposure debuff reduces their Cold Resistance by -10%. This means that Cold-based attacks will deal more damage to these enemies.
Chilling an enemy is a key mechanic in many Cold builds, as it slows down enemies and provides an opportunity to deal consistent Cold damage.
Cold Exposure on Frozen Enemies:
Similarly, if you Freeze an enemy, Biting Cold will apply the same Cold Exposure debuff. When an enemy is Frozen, their Cold Resistance is also reduced by -10%, enhancing the damage from your Cold attacks even further.
Freezing enemies is often the ultimate goal of Cold builds. It locks enemies in place, making them vulnerable to follow-up Cold damage. The Cold Exposure effect increases the potency of this damage.
Synergy with Cold Damage Skills:
This gem works incredibly well with Cold damage skills that naturally Chill or Freeze enemies. Skills like Frostbolt, Ice Nova, Freezing Pulse, or Cold Snap all benefit greatly from Biting Cold. The Cold Exposure effect makes these skills even more powerful, ensuring that enemies become weakened to Cold damage.
By reducing the Cold Resistance of enemies, this gem can increase the damage of Cold-based skills by a significant margin, especially against bosses or elite enemies that have high Cold Resistance.
Strategic Uses
Maximizing Cold Damage:
The Cold Exposure applied by this gem is stackable with other Cold Resistance reduction effects (such as the Cold Penetration Support Gem). This allows you to significantly lower Cold Resistance and deal much more damage with Cold-based attacks. If you are building a Cold damage character, this gem is an excellent way to increase your overall damage output.
Enhancing Crowd Control:
In addition to boosting your damage, Biting Cold also works well for crowd control. The Chill and Freeze effects that apply Cold Exposure also slow down and lock down enemies, making them easier to manage in dense packs or during tough boss fights.
Chilled enemies are slowed, and Frozen enemies are immobilized, allowing you to keep your distance or focus your attacks without worrying about enemy mobility.
Great for Boss Fights:
For boss fights or endgame content, where enemies have high resistance and defensive stats, the Cold Exposure debuff is crucial for making sure your Cold skills hit harder. Many bosses and high-level enemies have high Cold Resistance, and Biting Cold helps bypass that, ensuring your Cold-based attacks stay effective.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Increased Cold Damage: By reducing Cold Resistance, this gem significantly boosts your Cold-based damage, making it essential for Cold damage builds.
Synergy with Cold Skills: Perfect for builds that focus on Chill or Freeze mechanics, increasing both damage and crowd control potential.
Works with Many Cold Builds: Biting Cold works with many different types of Cold-based skills like Cold Snap, Frostbolt, and Ice Nova, allowing for versatility in your build.
Excellent Boss and High-Resistance Target Strategy: Ideal for taking down bosses or enemies with high Cold Resistance, as it lowers their resistances, making your attacks much more effective.
Cons
Limited to Cold Skills: This gem only supports Cold-based skills, meaning it won’t be effective if you’re using Fire or Lightning damage in your build.
Requires Chill/Freeze: To trigger the Cold Exposure, you need to either Chill or Freeze the enemies, which can require you to invest in skills or passive tree nodes that provide those effects.
No Immediate Effect Without Chill/Freeze: The gem’s full benefit requires you to Chill or Freeze enemies first, meaning it has limited impact if you rely on skills that don’t apply Chill or Freeze.
Gameplay Tips
Combo with Cold Penetration:
For even greater Cold damage, combine Biting Cold with the Cold Penetration Support Gem. While Biting Cold reduces Cold Resistance, Cold Penetration allows your Cold skills to bypass a portion of the Cold Resistance. This combination can drastically increase your damage output, especially against high-resistance bosses or elite mobs.
Freeze and Chill Synergy:
Focus on skills that Freeze or Chill enemies consistently. Using skills like Frostbolt or Ice Nova with Biting Cold can help you apply Cold Exposure and deal substantial damage while keeping enemies controlled with Freeze or Chill.
Boost Chill and Freeze Effectiveness:
To get the most out of Biting Cold, you can boost the effectiveness of your Chill and Freeze effects by investing in nodes or items that increase Freeze chance or Chill effect. This can ensure that you reliably apply Cold Exposure during combat.
Conclusion
The Biting Cold Support Gem is a must-have for Cold damage builds in Path of Exile 2. It amplifies your Cold damage by reducing the Cold Resistance of Chilled or Frozen enemies, making it a key component for damage output in both boss fights and mob farming. Its synergy with Chill and Freeze effects makes it a great tool for crowd control as well, slowing and immobilizing enemies while dealing increased damage. If you’re focusing on a Cold damage-based character, Biting Cold is an excellent gem to boost your effectiveness and elevate your Cold damage potential.