It is a Support Gem.
Support
Attack, Cold, Duration
Tier: 1
Requires: Level 1
Support Reqirements: +5 Int
Supports Attacks you use yourself. Freezing an enemy with supported skills infuses all of your Attacks with Cold damage for a short time.
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 Ice Bite Support Gem in Path of Exile 2 is designed to boost the Cold damage of your attacks, making them more versatile and effective when you can Freeze enemies. This gem provides a powerful synergy between Cold damage and Freezing effects, adding Cold damage to all your attacks for a short duration after you freeze an enemy. This makes it an excellent choice for Cold-based attack builds that want to enhance their damage output while simultaneously freezing enemies.
The Ice Bite Support Gem amplifies your attacks by adding Cold damage to your basic damage after you freeze an enemy. Here’s a breakdown of how it functions:
Cold Damage Infusion:
When you Freeze an enemy with a skill supported by Ice Bite, all of your attacks gain 35% of Damage as Cold Damage for 3 seconds. This effect is triggered every time you freeze an enemy, allowing for a burst of Cold damage that can boost the effectiveness of subsequent attacks.
Freezing Synergy:
The key to Ice Bite‘s effectiveness is its synergy with Freezing. This gem works best when combined with Cold-based attacks that have a reliable way to Freeze enemies. If you are using attacks that can regularly freeze enemies (such as Frost Blades, Ice Shot, or Cold Steel), this gem will allow you to infuse your regular attacks with Cold damage, making them even more deadly for a short time.
Duration of Cold Infusion:
The Cold damage infusion lasts for 3 seconds after freezing an enemy. This brief window of extra damage provides a great opportunity to follow up with additional attacks, taking advantage of the boosted Cold damage to maximize your output. The 35% Cold damage bonus is significant, and since it’s a temporary buff, you’ll want to maximize your attack frequency during this window.
The Ice Bite Support Gem is perfect for builds that focus on Cold damage, Freezing, and attack-based playstyles. Here are a few types of builds and skills that synergize well with this gem:
Cold Attack Builds:
Ice Bite is tailored for attack-based builds that utilize Cold damage skills. If you’re playing an Ice-based physical attack build, such as a Frost Blades or Ice Shot character, this gem will enhance your Cold damage output by making all your attacks more potent after freezing enemies. This makes it an ideal gem for any build focused on both dealing Cold damage and controlling the battlefield by Freezing enemies.
Freeze-Focused Builds:
If your build revolves around Freezing enemies, Ice Bite is a natural fit. Since the gem triggers the Cold damage infusion every time you freeze an enemy, it is especially effective when combined with skills that have high Freeze chance or multiple sources of Cold damage. The bonus Cold damage will stack on top of your base damage, allowing you to deal substantial Cold damage on top of Freezing enemies.
Dual Damage Builds (Physical and Cold):
Ice Bite can be particularly useful for dual-damage builds, such as those that combine physical and Cold damage. For example, if you’re using Frost Blades (which deal both physical and Cold damage), Ice Bite will add Cold damage to your attacks when you Freeze enemies, enhancing your overall damage output. Combining physical and Cold damage in this way can lead to extremely powerful attacks that deal significant damage in both forms.
Cold Attack/Spell Hybrid Builds:
If your build uses a mix of Cold spells and Cold attacks, Ice Bite can complement your playstyle by adding a Cold damage boost to your physical attacks after you freeze enemies with your spells. For example, using a spell like Frostbolt to freeze enemies and then following up with a Cold physical attack will trigger Ice Bite, infusing your attacks with additional Cold damage for 3 seconds.
Here are some of the key advantages of using the Ice Bite Support Gem:
Cold Damage Boost:
Ice Bite gives your attacks a 35% Cold damage boost for 3 seconds after you freeze an enemy, significantly increasing your damage output. This is especially useful in Cold-based builds, as it turns your normal attacks into even more powerful sources of damage.
Synergy with Freezing:
The gem works synergistically with builds that rely on Freezing enemies. It enhances the effects of your Cold-based attacks, enabling you to capitalize on freezing effects to deal even more damage in a short burst of time.
Duration of Buff:
The 3-second duration of the Cold damage infusion is long enough to allow multiple attacks to benefit from the bonus. This makes it particularly effective for high-attack speed builds that can dish out a lot of damage within a short window.
Low-Level Requirement:
Ice Bite has a low level requirement (level 1), making it accessible to players early in the game. This allows players to start benefiting from its effects as soon as they begin freezing enemies.
While Ice Bite is a fantastic gem for Cold-based attack builds, there are a few things to consider:
Reliant on Freeze:
The gem only works when you freeze an enemy, so it’s essential to have a way to reliably Freeze enemies with your attacks. If your build doesn’t focus on Freezing, or if you struggle to achieve Freeze reliably, the benefits of Ice Bite may be reduced.
Short Duration:
The Cold damage boost lasts only for 3 seconds, so you need to make sure you can deal a significant amount of damage within that time frame. If your build is slow to attack, the Cold damage infusion may expire before you can capitalize on it.
Cold-Only Focus:
Ice Bite is focused solely on Cold damage, which means it’s not ideal for builds that focus on non-Cold damage types. You’ll want to make sure that Cold-based attacks are a central part of your playstyle before choosing this gem.
The Ice Bite Support Gem is an excellent addition to Cold-based attack builds that utilize Freezing as a mechanic. By infusing your attacks with 35% of Damage as Cold Damage for 3 seconds after you freeze an enemy, it boosts your damage output significantly, making it a strong choice for builds that rely on Cold damage and crowd control through freezing.
If you’re running a Cold attack build or a Freeze-based playstyle, Ice Bite will enhance your damage and effectiveness, providing both a powerful Cold damage boost and synergy with your freezing effects. With its low-level requirement and the potential for significant damage output, Ice Bite is a must-have gem for any build focused on Cold attacks and Freezing enemies.