PoE 2 Biting Frost – Path of Exile 2

PoE 2 Biting Frost

It is a Support Gem.

Support
Cold, Critical
Tier: 3
Cost Multiplier: 120%
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Int

Supports any skill that Hits enemies, causing them to Critically Hit Frozen enemies but consumer their Freeze. Cannot support skills that Consume Freeze.

  • Supported Skills Consume Enemy Freeze to Guarantee a Critical Hit

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 Frost Support Gem is a powerful Critical and Cold support gem in Path of Exile 2. Designed for Cold-based builds, this gem guarantees Critical Hits on Frozen enemies, but at the cost of consuming the Freeze effect. This makes it ideal for players who want to maximize their Critical Strike potential while still utilizing Freeze mechanics to control enemies.

Skill Gem Details

  • Category: Support
  • Type: Cold, Critical
  • Tier: 3
  • Cost Multiplier: 120%
  • Required Level: 1
  • Support Requirements: +5 Intelligence
  • Effect: Guarantees Critical Hits on Frozen enemies by consuming their Freeze status.

Skill Mechanics

  1. Critical Hits on Frozen Enemies:

    • The Biting Frost support gem is designed to synergize with Cold-based skills that can Freeze enemies. When you hit Frozen enemies using supported skills, the Critical Strike chance is guaranteed, meaning you will always land a Critical Hit. This is especially useful for builds focused on Critical Strikes and Cold damage, as it ensures your Cold skills always deal maximized damage when hitting Frozen targets.

  2. Consuming Freeze:

    • The key drawback of Biting Frost is that it consumes the Freeze effect when it guarantees the Critical Hit. While this allows for consistently high damage on Frozen enemies, it also removes the Freeze debuff from the enemy. This means the enemy will no longer be immobilized, and you lose the crowd control that comes with Freezing.
    • Therefore, Biting Frost is most effective in builds where Freeze is a bonus rather than a primary mechanic. If you rely heavily on Freezing enemies to control the battlefield, you may want to use this gem strategically to maximize damage output during specific moments, such as when you need high burst Critical damage.

  3. Incompatibility with Freeze-Consuming Skills:

    • Biting Frost cannot support skills that themselves consume the Freeze effect, as it would conflict with the mechanics. For example, if you are using a skill that consumes Freeze in order to deal more damage (such as Ice Crash or Freezing Pulse in certain builds), Biting Frost cannot be used with those skills.
    • It’s important to pair Biting Frost with skills that do not consume Freeze on their own, ensuring that you can utilize Freeze for crowd control while also benefiting from the guaranteed Critical Hits.

Strategic Uses

  1. Maximizing Cold Crit Damage:

    • If you’re building a Critical Strike Cold character, Biting Frost is an excellent choice for boss fights or situations where you want to guarantee high burst damage. The Critical Hit guarantee on Frozen enemies ensures your Cold skills hit with full Critical damage without having to worry about RNG (Random Number Generation) for Critical Strikes.

  2. Synergy with Cold Skills:

    • The gem works wonders with Cold-based skills that already have a chance to Freeze or Chill enemies, such as Frostbolt, Ice Nova, or Glacial Hammer. By using Biting Frost, you can amplify the effectiveness of your skills while still controlling the battlefield with Freeze effects.
    • Some builds might focus on skills that apply Freeze consistently and then switch to Biting Frost for Critical Burst damage when needed. This allows for consistent damage scaling and crowd control combined.

  3. Strategic Use of Freeze:

    • As Biting Frost consumes Freeze, it’s important to time your critical hits. This gem is especially useful in boss encounters or elite enemy fights where freezing the enemy might not be as essential to your strategy, and maximizing damage is the priority.
    • For large packs of enemies or low-health mobs, using Biting Frost may make sense to ensure that your Cold-based AoE skills will not only Freeze but also critically hit, increasing the overall damage output.

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Guaranteed Critical Hits: This gem guarantees Critical Hits when hitting Frozen enemies, significantly boosting Cold damage output.
  • Excellent for Critical Strike Builds: For players focusing on Critical Strike chance, this gem is a must-have for ensuring reliable and high damage hits.
  • Synergy with Freeze-Based Builds: Perfect for builds that focus on Freeze as a mechanic, allowing for maximum damage while still benefiting from crowd control.
  • Consistent High Damage: Biting Frost eliminates the need to rely on luck for Critical Hits, ensuring a consistent and high damage output.

Cons

  • Consumes Freeze: The Freeze effect is consumed to guarantee the Critical Hit, meaning you lose the crowd control that Freeze offers, which can be a significant drawback in mob-heavy content or high-density encounters.
  • Incompatible with Freeze-Consuming Skills: This gem cannot support skills that already consume the Freeze effect (e.g., Freezing Pulse, Ice Crash), limiting its use with certain skills.
  • Limited Freeze Control: If you’re building around Freeze mechanics, you may want to be cautious about using this gem too frequently, as it removes the Freeze and reduces your enemy control.

Gameplay Tips

  1. Pair with Freeze-Inflicting Skills:

    • Combine Biting Frost with Cold skills that reliably Freeze enemies, like Frostbolt, Glacial Hammer, or Ice Nova. This combination ensures that your skills will apply Freeze while also guaranteeing Critical Hits once the enemy is Frozen.

  2. Consider for High Damage Bursts:

    • Use Biting Frost for burst damage during key moments in a fight, such as against bosses or elite mobs. The Critical Hit guarantee can ensure you land maximum damage during high-intensity moments.

  3. Keep Freeze Control in Mind:

    • Since Biting Frost consumes Freeze, it’s best to use it in situations where Freezing enemies is not essential to your strategy. Consider when and where to trigger Critical hits while still maintaining Freeze mechanics for crowd control.

Conclusion

The Biting Frost Support Gem is an excellent addition for Cold damage builds that want to guarantee Critical Hits against Frozen enemies. It’s perfect for Critical Strike focused characters who want to maximize their Cold damage output while ensuring that Freeze mechanics are still in play. However, its Freeze consumption means that it requires strategic use to avoid losing the crowd control that Freeze provides. If you can balance damage and control, Biting Frost is a powerful gem to enhance your Cold-based playstyle.

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