[3.9] FreezeFinder - Pathfinder Cold Blade Vortex, boss killer, all content
 Introduction Hello, at first I want to thank Sanjakimo for creating this great build. He let me to develop his idea and bring this guide back to life. FreezeFinder in a nutshell The build is targeted at people who want to do all end game content deathless including every single combination of map mods without paying tons of Exalts for gear. It's meant to kill any boss safely in any conditions and still have a decent clear speed at the same time. It's not meant to facetank everything but still can tank really big hits like Shaper slam/beam. It may be difficult to play for some people as it needs fine flasks/skills management. It is great league starter as it just needs unique gloves for less than 1 Chaos. End game trees + progression Level 100 Level 94 91 passives 72 passives 59 passives 30 passives Bandits Kill them all for 2 passive skill points.
Ascendancy - Pathfinder
 1. Nature's Boon 2. Master Alchemist 3. Veteran Bowyer 4. Nature's Adrenaline I wouldn't bother about other ascendancies unless you want to create your own version of this build. You may want to experiment with Raider, Elementalist, Occultist, Inquisitor or Ascendant, but be aware that you will lose ability to spam flasks and by the way lower your defenses greatly. Occultist seems to be the best alternative with 20-30% more DPS and up to 26% damage reduction (Malediction + Frigid Wake + Enfeeble as second curse) just from acendancy, but lacks ailments immunity and will quickly run out of flasks during boss fights. Path of Building https://pastebin.com/YpCey7zP Included: - end game tree and gear - budget gear - leveling trees with ascendancy progression
Videos
Pros/Cons
+ great boss killer, deathless Uber Elder, Uber Atziri + can do all end game content + good league starter + not expensive to gear up + power scales very well with spent currency + consistent buffs + very tanky + HC viable + almost permanently up flasks + freezes A LOT +/- I don't know what about deep delving/syndicate cause I just don't do it - lacks some DPS early - requires some skill to play efficiently - sometimes have some trouble with blight due to low AoE - needs good flasks management to keep them up all the time - only decent clear speed - Blade Vortex - need to keep it spinning all the time for damage
Defence
This build has many layers of defence: 1. 6000+ life and can reach up to 7000-7500 1. ~14k evasion + blind = 70%+ evade chance 2. 14% dodge and 51% spell dodge (48% and 75% with Vaal Grace for ~16 sec) 3. 61% block and 16% spell block (with Rumi's including 55% increased flask effect) 4. Freezes almost all mobs and many bosses 5. ~7-8k armour = ~38% physical damage reduction 6. 78% all resistances 7. Arctic Armour = 13% less fire/physical damage taken 8. The Wise Oak = 15% less fire/lightning damage taken (including 55% increased flask effect) 9. Taste of Hate = 30% less cold damage taken and 30% of physical damage taken as cold damage (including 55% increased flask effect) 10. 6% reduced elemental damage taken and immunity to elemental ailments from Pathfinder 11. Curse immunity 12. Fortify = 20% less damage taken 13. 3 sec Immortal Call 14. Very high regen from life flask
Offence
This build reaches up to 1kk DPS with worst possible map mods. For Shaper/Elder it's 1,5-1,8kk. 
Gear
My gear
Situational items:
Gloves
The only item you really need to start playing this build, they convert physical to cold. Don't need to be corrupted but % life is a nice bonus.
Shield
+3% to max res is the thing we want, also provides decent armour and life. Don't need to be corrupted but again % life is a nice bonus. Alternatives: It just gives 300 more life over corrupted Ahn's, but I prefer +3% max res. A lot of conditional block, pretty good combo with Rumi's Concoction.
Weapon
A lot of elemental damage, some cast speed, decent attack speed and provides life leech during boss fights. Elemental Proliferation is a nice bonus and helps with freezing mobs on maps.
Body armour
Allows to run Arctic Armour for free and provides a lot of evasion in combo with Taste of Hate and The Wise Oak, decent life. Don't need to be corrupted but +2 to AoE gems provides huge DPS boost.
Boots
Very high evasion, high movement speed, decent life and 16% spell dodge - everything we need. Enchant it with life leech on mercilles lab like these.
Helmet
Try to get one with highest possible life, -cold res to enemies and some resistances. If it's too expensive just find one without -cold res. Don't need any enchants but you can get Blade Vortex damage or duration.
Belt
Try to get Stygian Vise with highest possible life and some resistances. Flask effect duration helps a bit with managing flasks at bosses but you can get elemental damage/cold damage instead. You can craft here increased flask effect or increased damage. Socket it with abyss jewel with life and physical/cold damage to spells.
Amulet
Provides great DPS (20% cold penetration vs chilled enemies) and survivability (blind chilled enemies on hit) boost. Anoint it with Heart of the Warrior or Juggernaut/Prodigal Perfection if too expensive. Alternatives: Any rare amulet with some life and "Gain x% of Physical Damage as Extra Cold Damage" mod, try to get one with some cold res for easier upgrade to Pandemonius. Anoint it with Juggernaut/Prodigal Perfection.
Rings
Vermillion Rings are best just because of life. Try to get them with highest possible life, some resistances and cold damage. Alternatively you can use Opal Rings for more damage or any other rings with life/res if too expensive. If you want to run reflect maps you need to get additional pair of rings: Sibyl's Lament always must be on left ring slot to provide reflected elemental damage reduction. Second one should have some life/res and 10%+ reduced reflected elemental damage taken.
Jewels
HUGE damage boost, try to get one with cold penetration and % increased cold damage/# added cold damage. If too expensive try with one of these mods (cold penetration is best). If still too expensive just get any rare abyss jewel with life and physical/cold damage to spells. Provides Frenzy Charges generation and some dodge chance. Put it near resists at Scion starting tree. If too expensive get any rare abyss jewel with life and physical/cold damage to spells. Just pick one as a reward during leveling, provides us some additional flask effect. All the rest of jewels should be similar to these:
Flasks
Get the same as this one. Provides great life regeneration and bleed immunity. Huge DPS boost and increases survivability by reducing cold and physical damage taken. If too expensive use Atziri's Promise. Get the same as this one. Provides curse immunity and movement speed. If you have your resistances balanced get this flask for additional fire/lightning damage reduction and DPS boost. A lot of block chance and some armour increases our survivability. If too expensive just use any Granite Flask. For no regen maps use this instead of Rumi's Concoction: For Uber Elder use this set: It gives more DPS and movement speed.
Gems
Group 1:
With 5-link I'd run without Intensify I guess. Swap intensify for Concentrated Effect on difficult bosses. Arcane Surge need to be level 18 to activate often enough and provide good DPS. Level 21 Blade Vortex is a nice DPS boost. You can use Awakened Controlled Destruction for 5% more DPS. Group 2: Hatred greatly increases our DPS. You can use Herald of Purity if you have Enlighten level 4 for additional ~40k DPS or Flesh and Stone in Sand Stance for even more defense. Group 3: Herald of Ice helps with clear speed, provides DPS boost and applies Frostbite on enemies. These gems MUST BE socketed in Doryani's Catalyst, Elemental Proliferation increases freezing area. Group 4: I prefer to use both of these movement skills. Shield Charge is great for clearing map, because it provides good speed and AoE for triggering Fortify when we're going to monter pack. Leap Slam is better for single enemies, because it's easier to target them and also I hate to go around when using Shield Charge only. Group 5: Gems need to have exact level like these to proc as often as possible. Immortal Call increases our survivability for ~3 sec. Vaal Cold Snap provides Frenzy Charge generation during boss fights. Group 6: With Arctic Armour we take take less physical/fire damage and it chills mobs increasing our damage. Frost Bomb should be used at bosses for additional damage increase. Vaal Grace provides additional 34% dodge and spell dodge for ~16 sec, very helpful at difficult situations/bosses.
Pantheon
 If you're not running reflect maps you can use Soul of Shakari or Ralakesh instead of Yugul
Why my DPS is low?
Values depend on your actual DPS/gear and may be lower or higher than I provided here. Just check here if you have missed something while gearing up. *Values calculated as Shaper DPS. 1. Helmet with -9% cold resistance to nearby enemies: +50-90K DPS 2. The Pandemonius: +100-150K DPS over rare amulet with 15% Extra Cold Damage 3. The Perfect Form corrupted with +2 level to AoE gems: +200-300K DPS 4. Rings with % Cold Damage and crafted % Damage: +50-100K DPS each 5. Crafted 6%+ Increased Flask Effect on belt: +30K DPS 6. 20% Taste of Hate: +300-500K DPS if you don't have any 7. 15% The Wise Oak: +150-250K DPS if you don't have any 8. Good abyssal jewels: +50-80K DPS each 9. 15% Cold Penetration Watcher's Eye: +100-150K DPS, +100K more with second Hatred mod 10. Frost Bomb: +200-250K DPS 11. With The Green Nightmare, usually you will have 3 frenzy charges: +150-200K DPS 12. Max quality/level on gems! After you should be able to reach over 1,5kk Shaper DPS. I think that's all for now, if I remind something I'll make an update. Last edited by O2lsie on Jan 12, 2020, 10:41:05 AM Last bumped on Mar 26, 2020, 7:47:17 PM
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Leveling
To be updated... Leveling trees: Level 100 Level 94 91 passives 72 passives 59 passives 30 passives 1. Get Blade Vortex from Nessa as a reward for reaching Merveil's Caverns. You can start using it now or wait for level 24. 2. Buy these uniques when it's possible: 3. Put Blade Vortex + Controlled Destruction + Added Cold Damage in Reverbation Rod. 4. Switch Added Cold Damage for Inspiration when possible. 5. Finish the game using items you find, craft resistances on bench if needed. 6. You can use Tabula until you 6 link your The Perfect Form if you want more DPS at the expense of survivability. Last edited by O2lsie on Dec 22, 2019, 2:53:10 PM
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Tested this build in standard a while back after seeing your profile on poe.ninja. I just used whatever was lying around in my stash so I didn't get too powerful but still managed to do deathless shaper. I thought it wasn't going to be tanky enough for when I play this on HC but the freeze + dodge gives heaps of surviveability. Great build.
I am now comparing this build with Chieftain BV using a +gem bow and signal fire for fire conversion. It seems like the Chieftain build will deal more damage and is slightly tankier but way more expensive. How would you level up this build until the end of tabula farming? | |
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Personally I never use Tabula cause damage feels enough for me. Usually for league start I use BV when it's avaible (link with Added Fire and Onslaught), buy Hrimsorrow + Reverbation Rod (when I reach level 24 put BV here for +1 level of socketed gems, Controlled Destruction and Ice Bite/Inspiration/Added Fire) and it's enough until ~50-60 level. Next I buy any 5-link (craft life/res), Cerberus Limb and Daresso's Courage (or any other 30%+ block shield with life/res), all the rest is life/res I find during leveling. This is enough to start running maps and gradually upgrade gear. In the meantime I buy Perfect Form or Snowblind Grace + Blessing of Tul, depends on what is cheaper and try to 6-link it when I have some fusings.
Last edited by O2lsie on Dec 7, 2019, 4:59:15 AM
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Many thanks for build Sir, only one question.
Why frostbite is not working in POB? Last edited by 7a7 on May 27, 2021, 3:49:36 AM
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Because in configuration tab "Enemy is Hexproof" is checked.
I just like to see damage in the worst conditions, what happens pretty often I'm running all map mods that Alchemy Orb + Vaal Orb brings. For casual Shaper/Elder when you uncheck "Enemy is Hexproof", disable Elemental Equilibrium and disable additional "Enemy Elemental Resistance", damage is about 80-90% higher. | |
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Anything change with the 3.9 update? Based on the patch notes? Personally will either start as this or gear for it later on I like a nice solid freezing build. Based on some of the changes in the notes this build will perform better no?
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Tried this build in standard with random gear. Is there an easy way to get the colours on the chest? (3blue 1red 2 green)?
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" We lose 5% damage from Inspiration support and that's all. Freezing ability should stay at the same level, maybe it will be a little bit easier to freeze some bosses. " The cheapest way is to use "At least one green socket" mod on crafting bench. Usually it takes ~150 Chromatic Orbs to hit desired colours for me. | |
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Going to try this build as my starter/endgame build this league :) kinda excited that i finally found a bv build thats not a complete glass cannon, thank you for this guide :)
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