[3.24] Creeping Frost + Cold Snap (Cold DoT) Occultist (Leaguestarter)

I've put together this POB to share with some friends on how I play Cold DoT Occultist, and since it's a bit different from what I've seen in this forum, I thought that maybe someone could want to use it. Since 3.23, this doesn't use Vortex anymore.

This isn't a min-max'd build. It is competent at doing most content, can do all pinnacle bosses, but can't do ubers and other ultra highend content.

I've put a Budget (and SSF viable) and a more SC Trade default tree, items and gems, be sure to cycle all of them accordingly.

This POB got leveling trees and gems inside.

POB 3.24: https://pobb.in/DbLDQ24KUfU-

* - cwdt is actually the new Call to Arms

Main differences I see from other builds here are:
- This is not a CI build, so you won't need to convert -> same build, straight from leveling to mapping to bossing;
- Some Cold DoT builds use Wintertide Brand, but this one uses Creeping Frost + Cold Snap instead;
- I've seen a lot of Elementalist Cold DoT, but I prefer playing with Occultist;
- This is more of a leaguestart / cheap build, not a min-max'd one;
- This build is tanky and viable to play HC with it. It's also easy to obtain items in SSF (few uniques).


Thanks for reading, gl & hf!

Am surprised there are no replies here.
This is a pretty good build.
While some of your items will require a good bit of work to get (the weps are pretty powerful, and require good crafting knowledge or lot of currency - do you have tricks/tips to get something like this relatively painlessly?), but I think this is a great build.

What drove you to go Occulist instead of an Elementalist?

Also, what changes do you see for 3.21?

Was looking at Occultist too only because of explosions which might help with the mechanic..

"

infrasonicreturns wrote:

Am surprised there are no replies here.
This is a pretty good build.
While some of your items will require a good bit of work to get (the weps are pretty powerful, and require good crafting knowledge or lot of currency - do you have tricks/tips to get something like this relatively painlessly?), but I think this is a great build.

What drove you to go Occulist instead of an Elementalist?

Also, what changes do you see for 3.21?

Thanks for the reply! Since noone replied and I wasn't league-starting this build, I didn't update to 3.21 yet.

Regarding the weapons, I tend to go with a +1 cold with cold dot multi, which is surprisingly easy to craft on a act 1 lvl4 wand base, for as long as it is needed, until I get something better.

What drove me to Occultist was both the great defensive layers from the ascendancy and enfeeble, combined with powerful ofensive layers, giving much flexibility for items.

3.21 nerfed some of our masteries, so it requires some tweaks in that regard, spevially with suppression mastery.

I'll try to updated this if I find the time.

i searched for exactly this build i start this now in 3.21 in sc ssf


thanks so much for this
keep on going

Updated POB for 3.21

ty for the build, looks nice to start BPL with!

Updated to 3.22

One of my favourite builds.
I play occultist too, but low life with shavs and prism guardian.

This is an interesting take. May try this one out, seems fun.