Passively coalesces icy missiles from the air over time. Using the skill fires a missile, firing an additional missle for each that has been accumulated.
Converts 80% of Physical Damage to Cold Damage
50% more Freeze Buildup
Impact radius is 1.2 metres
Accumulates up to 12 additional missiles
Accumulates a missile every 0.6 seconds
Skills can be managed in the Skills Panel.
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Freezing Salvo is a unique Skill Gem in Path of Exile 2, designed to transform a Bow-based attack into a cold-infused AoE Projectile skill. It leverages the power of Cold Damage and Freeze Buildup to deliver a barrage of icy missiles that progressively accumulate, dealing devastating damage and increasing the chances of freezing enemies. This skill is perfect for Ranger builds that focus on Cold Damage and Projectile skills.
Key Details of Freezing Salvo
Gem Type: Skill Gem
Skill Type: Attack, AoE, Projectile, Cold
Tier: 5 (Ranger)
Level Requirement: 11
Mana Cost: 50 Mana
Attack Damage: 80%
Requires: Level 41, Bow
Effect: Fires a missile, and for each accumulated icy missile, it fires an additional one. This skill uses Cold Damage, with enhanced Freeze Buildup.
How Freezing Salvo Works
Freezing Salvo is an AoE Projectile skill that converts Physical Damage into Cold Damage and builds up additional projectiles over time. Here’s how it functions:
1. Accumulative Missiles:
When you cast Freezing Salvo, it launches one missile, but the real power of this skill lies in the accumulation of additional missiles over time. Each missile takes 0.6 seconds to accumulate, and up to 12 missiles can be stored at once.
As the missiles accumulate, each cast will fire multiple projectiles, depending on how many have been stored. This results in a barrage of Cold projectiles being fired at once, dealing increased AoE Cold Damage and maximizing Freeze Buildup.
2. Cold Damage Conversion:
Freezing Salvo converts 80% of Physical Damage to Cold Damage, making it a Cold-based attack. This allows it to work in synergy with other Cold Damage modifiers and Freeze scaling mechanics, making it highly effective for Freeze and Cold damage-over-time builds.
With the increased Cold Damage, each missile not only deals more damage but also applies Freeze Buildup, allowing you to freeze enemies more effectively.
3. Increased Freeze Buildup:
Freezing Salvo provides 50% more Freeze Buildup. This means that your projectiles will apply Freeze to enemies much faster, triggering the Freeze effect more frequently and allowing you to shatter enemies with ease.
The faster you build Freeze on enemies, the quicker your AoE Cold Damage will incapacitate them, leaving them vulnerable to further attacks or completely disabling them with Freeze.
4. Impact Radius:
Each missile that hits an enemy explodes with a 1.2-meter radius, dealing Cold Damage to enemies within range. The AoE explosion provides a strong advantage when dealing with groups of enemies, as multiple targets can be hit simultaneously.
5. Scalable Missile Accumulation:
The ability to accumulate up to 12 missiles adds a unique layer of strategy to Freezing Salvo. The longer you wait between casts, the more missiles you accumulate, which results in a larger barrage. However, missiles accumulate every 0.6 seconds, so timing your shots is key to maximizing the effectiveness of this skill.
For maximum damage, you should try to reach the full 12 missiles, as each one fired provides more opportunities to Freeze and deal Cold Damage to enemies.
Synergies with Other Skills and Builds
Freezing Salvo can work exceptionally well in various build types, particularly those that focus on Cold Damage, Freeze, and Projectile attacks. Here are some synergies to consider:
1. Cold Damage and Freeze Builds:
Since Freezing Salvo converts Physical Damage to Cold Damage and has 50% more Freeze Buildup, it works beautifully in Cold Damage builds that are focused on Freezing enemies. Combining Cold Damage scaling passives, Cold Damage support gems, and other Freeze-boosting effects will make Freezing Salvo even more potent.
Pairing it with Frostbite or Hypothermia Support Gems will further enhance your ability to Freeze enemies, making it a perfect addition to Freeze-oriented builds.
2. Projectile Scaling:
This skill is based on projectiles, so any build that focuses on increasing Projectile Damage or Projectile Speed will benefit greatly. Consider using Projectile Damage Support, Greater Volley Support, or Pierce Support to increase the number of targets hit and the overall damage of each projectile.
In combination with Elemental Focus or Cold Penetration Support Gems, Freezing Salvo can deliver devastating damage over a wide area, especially when combined with scaling effects like AoE Radius or Increased Damage.
3. Bow Builds:
Freezing Salvo is a natural fit for Bow builds, especially those focused on Cold Damage or Elemental Damage. Many Bow-related passive skill nodes and items will increase your Cold Damage output, as well as your Projectile Damage and Freeze effects.
Pairing it with items that boost Attack Speed and Mana Regeneration will allow you to fire off missiles more frequently, thereby increasing the number of Cold projectiles and Freeze Buildup for faster enemy incapacitation.
4. AoE Builds:
Freezing Salvo deals AoE Cold Damage when the missiles hit. This makes it an excellent choice for AoE-based builds. Increasing the radius of the missile impacts and the area of effect will allow you to hit more enemies and increase your overall damage spread.
Increased Area of Effect support or passives can help you cover more ground, making Freezing Salvo even deadlier when facing large packs of enemies.
Pros and Cons of Freezing Salvo
Pros:
Massive AoE Damage: The skill fires a large number of Cold projectiles, allowing you to hit multiple enemies in a wide area. The accumulation mechanic ensures that the more you wait, the more projectiles you can unleash, creating a powerful barrage.
Freeze Buildup: The 50% more Freeze Buildup bonus makes it easier to Freeze enemies, and the Cold Damage ensures that you can efficiently disable foes with Freeze effects.
Projectile Synergies: The skill is based on projectiles, so it benefits from any scaling of Projectile Damage, Projectile Speed, and AoE radius.
Cold Damage Conversion: Converting 80% of Physical Damage to Cold makes it useful for Cold Damage scaling builds, allowing you to focus on Freeze effects and Cold Damage amplifiers.
Cons:
Mana Cost: The 50 Mana cost per cast is substantial, so you will need to manage your mana regeneration carefully, especially if you are firing off multiple projectiles per cast.
Requires Time to Accumulate Missiles: While the missile accumulation is powerful, it also means you need to wait for a brief period (0.6 seconds) between casts to accumulate projectiles. This can be a downside in situations requiring instant damage.
Physical-to-Cold Conversion: If your build is optimized for Physical Damage, the conversion of 80% of Physical Damage to Cold may not scale as efficiently unless you have built around Cold Damage specifically.
Tips for Using Freezing Salvo
Maximize Missile Accumulation: Try to wait for the full 12 missile accumulation to unleash the largest barrage, dealing massive damage to enemies. However, don’t wait too long if you need to deal with smaller packs of enemies.
Enhance Freeze Buildup: Pair this skill with Freeze-enhancing modifiers or Cold Damage increases to make the 50% more Freeze Buildup even more potent. This will allow you to Freeze enemies much faster and trigger additional Cold AoE damage.
Projectile Scaling: Invest in Projectile Damage, Projectile Speed, and Area of Effect to further increase the effectiveness of the missiles and the Cold Damage coverage.
Conclusion
Freezing Salvo is an excellent Cold projectile skill for Ranger builds that focuses on AoE damage and Freeze effects. By accumulating missiles over time and converting a significant amount of Physical Damage to Cold, it provides both high Cold Damage and Freeze Buildup, making it ideal for builds that focus on disabling enemies with Freeze and Cold Damage.