It is a Support Gem.
Support
Cold
Cost Multiplier: 120%
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Int
Supports any skill that Hits enemies, making it more effective at Freezing Chilled enemies.
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.
The Hypothermia Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 is designed to enhance the freezing potential of your cold-based skills, allowing them to build Freeze more efficiently against Chilled enemies. This gem is especially effective for builds focused on cold damage and control, where Freezing enemies is a key aspect of gameplay. By increasing Freeze buildup, Hypothermia helps you lock down enemies, making them easier to manage in combat.
The Hypothermia Support Gem improves your skill’s effectiveness against Chilled enemies, particularly in building Freeze. Freeze is an important crowd control effect in Path of Exile 2, as it temporarily incapacitates enemies, allowing you to deal damage without retaliation. Here’s how Hypothermia boosts your ability to Freeze:
Increased Freeze Buildup:
The key feature of Hypothermia is the +25% more Freeze buildup against Chilled enemies. Freeze buildup refers to the accumulation of cold damage that eventually causes the enemy to become Frozen. By making it easier to Freeze Chilled enemies, this gem is particularly potent when combined with skills that already have a Chill effect, allowing you to escalate the Freeze status faster.
Supports Cold Skills:
Hypothermia specifically boosts cold-based skills. This makes it an ideal gem for characters using cold spells, frost-based attacks, or any skill that inflicts Chill as part of its damage. It synergizes well with abilities like Frostbolt, Ice Nova, or Frostblight, which can consistently Chill enemies, thus making it easier to Freeze them.
Skill Synergies:
When used with skills that already apply Chill to enemies, such as Frostbolt or Ice Shot, the Freeze buildup becomes much more efficient. The 25% more Freeze buildup makes it easier to Freeze enemies faster, especially in situations where Chilled enemies are common. For example, you can apply Chill to a group of enemies with a Cold AoE skill, and Hypothermia will increase your chances of freezing multiple enemies at once, turning them into easy targets for follow-up attacks.
Strategic Control:
Freezing enemies is an excellent form of crowd control, and Hypothermia takes this control even further. Whether you’re fighting large packs of enemies or facing bosses, this gem helps you lock down opponents more quickly, preventing them from attacking or moving for a period. The faster you can Freeze enemies, the more you can dominate the battlefield.
The Hypothermia Support Gem is best used with cold-based builds that Chill enemies and rely on Freeze as a form of crowd control. Here are a few examples of builds and skills that work well with this gem:
Cold Damage Spells:
Cold-based spellcasters or frost-based builds can greatly benefit from Hypothermia. Skills like Frostbolt, Ice Nova, Frost Bomb, and Glacial Cascade all have inherent Chill effects, making them perfect candidates for this support gem. These skills will apply Chill to enemies, and Hypothermia will help you freeze them more quickly, allowing you to control the flow of battle more effectively.
Chill-AoE Builds:
Builds that focus on applying Chill to a large area will see significant improvements with Hypothermia. For instance, Cold AoE skills like Vortex and Ice Shot apply Chill over a large area, which makes it easier to build up Freeze quickly on multiple targets. Hypothermia increases the effectiveness of this Freeze buildup, ensuring that Chilled enemies in the affected area are more likely to be Frozen, giving you control over groups of enemies.
Frost-Elemental Builds:
Elemental builds that focus on cold damage often use a combination of Chill and Freeze effects to deal with crowds. Hypothermia enhances the Freeze potential of these builds, turning them into effective crowd controllers. Whether you’re using Frostwall, Frostblight, or Arctic Breath, Hypothermia increases the likelihood of Freezing enemies in your path, enhancing both offense and defense.
Minion Builds:
Minion builds that rely on cold damage minions (e.g., Cold Spectres or Frost Callers) can also benefit from Hypothermia. These minions can apply Chill to enemies, and the gem will increase the Freeze buildup for them, ensuring that your minions have an easier time freezing enemies for you.
Here are some of the main benefits of using the Hypothermia Support Gem:
Increased Freeze Buildup:
The +25% more Freeze buildup makes it much easier to Freeze enemies who are already Chilled. This means you can lock down enemies faster, preventing them from attacking or escaping.
Effective for Cold Damage Builds:
Since Hypothermia is a Cold support gem, it works exceptionally well with builds that focus on cold damage or cold-based skills. This makes it a great choice for Frost-based spellcasters, frost minions, or cold dot builds.
Crowd Control:
Freeze is one of the most powerful forms of crowd control in the game, and Hypothermia amplifies this control by making it easier to Freeze enemies more quickly, helping you manage large packs or tough bosses with ease.
Versatile Use:
Hypothermia supports a wide range of Cold skills, making it useful for many types of builds. Whether you’re running spellcasters, minion builds, or cold-dot setups, Hypothermia will increase your ability to control enemies.
While Hypothermia is an excellent gem, it does have some considerations:
Only Works Against Chilled Enemies:
Hypothermia only applies to Chilled enemies, so if your build doesn’t apply Chill, you won’t benefit from this gem’s effects. You must ensure that your skill or build has a way to Chill enemies for Hypothermia to be effective.
Not Suitable for Non-Cold Builds:
Hypothermia is focused on Cold skills, meaning it’s not viable for fire, lightning, or physical builds. If you are using a non-cold damage setup, this gem is not compatible.
Freeze Requires Some Setup:
While Freeze can be powerful, it does require you to properly Chill and build up to the Freeze effect. Hypothermia speeds up this process, but you still need to apply Chill effectively in your build.
The Hypothermia Support Gem is a fantastic tool for cold damage builds that rely on Freeze as a means of controlling enemies. By increasing Freeze buildup against Chilled enemies, it allows players to Freeze more quickly, making it a valuable gem for crowd control and boss fights. If you’re running a cold damage or frost-based build, Hypothermia is an excellent choice for improving your ability to lock down enemies and take full advantage of the Freeze mechanic.
For those who enjoy controlling the battlefield with chilling effects, Hypothermia makes the task easier, turning Chill into a powerful weapon of crowd control. When used correctly, it can turn the tide of battle in your favor, ensuring that enemies are unable to react to your attacks.