Path of Exile 3.6 Cold Snap Most Popular Build Guide

Cold Snap is a spell that deals cold damage to enemies in an area and has a chance to grant Frenzy charges. In Path of Exile 3.6 Synthesis, Cold Snap Mana Cost at gem level 1 is now 11 (was 8). Mana Cost at gem level 20 is now 28 (was 20). Now deals 32 to 47 Cold damage at gem level 1 (from 24 to 35) and 666 to 999 Cold damage at gem level 20 (from 668 to 1002). Now deals 26.3 base Cold damage per second at gem level 1 (from 19.6) and 1193.2 bases Cold damage per second at gem level 20 (down from 1196.4). Vaal Cold Snap Can now affect up to 40 targets per cast (from 20)

[PoE 3.6 Occultsit] a low life league starter Cold Snap Build

If you ask me, that's no longer a starter build. Still affordable, but early respect is no longer casual+ friendly. If you attempt this build at the start of a league, be prepared to spend a good chunk of time playing a life + MoM spellcaster. Don't worry, though, because that's a good build too.

Pros & Cons:
+ Gigantic AOE for the amount of investment. Just look at the size of that DoT field in the pic below. Without the Increased AoE gem and without my AoE scepter, it's the same size as the gold circle from an Elreon "feed the relic" mission. Three properly spaced Cold Snaps pretty much fill the screen.
+ Occultist shenanigans make her feel invincible at times
+ Cheap, easy leveling build
+ Very safe. Absolutely HC viable
+ Deathless Shaper / Guardians / Uber Atziri kills
+ Customizable as hell with a very high gear ceiling
+ The only core item needed to make the low+ life build work is Shavronne's Wrappings
+ Cold Snap DoT ignores Proximity Shield, making it strong vs Uber Lab sentinels and other shielded monsters.
+ You could probably find a way to make the build even better.
- Mediocre map clear speed
- Acceptable but unimpressive boss kill speed
- Very difficult to get chaos resistance
- Very slow cast speed
- Unreliable corpse destruction (25% chance to explode a cursed monster on death)
- Zero leech
- Awkward in party play (loses survivability because Occultists need kills to gain ES regen)
- The low-life variant takes huge damage from Uber Lab traps

Gems Setup:
Cold Snap - Efficacy - Elemental Focus - Controlled Destruction - Hypothermia - Empower
Use level 3 Empower until you can afford level 4. 21/20 Cold Snap should be your top priority, with level 4 Empower just behind it. Vaal Cold Snap is great for cosplaying as a Hurricane Druid until you hit that 21/20 Cold Snap.

An alternative option, these gems maximize damage at the cost of AoE and utility:
Cold Snap - Efficacy - Elemental Focus - Controlled Destruction - Concentrated Effect - Empower
On average, this will result in ~120k higher DPS.

Vortex - Elemental Focus - Controlled Destruction - Efficacy
Orb of Storms - Arcane Surge - Curse on Hit - Frostbite (freely swap with Elemental Weakness or Enfeeble)
Cast When Damage Taken - Ball Lightning - Greater Multiple Projectiles
Blasphemy - Enfeeble (freely swap with Temporal Chains)
Discipline - Blood Magic
Frost Bomb
Phase Run
Flame Dash

Video:
T16 Elder City Square

T15 Shaped Siege

PoB Link:https://pastebin.com/AmeSvdz3
Skill Tree:http://poeurl.com/b6Yp
Example Link:https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2233097

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[PoE 3.6 Trickster]Harmageddon's Icingdeath Cold Snap/Vortex build Build

This build is very similar to all the other cold DoT Occultists but mine focuses on Cold Snap for clear, and Vortex only for safety and single target. A very safe and easy to play build because it is permanently immune to all chaos damage, stuns, and chill/freeze.
Damage and clear speed are very solid, a great all around build. Can literally do anything in the game. This was my starter build this league and I am going for my first ever level 100 on it.

Pros & Cons:
+ Fast Paced
+ Great Damage
+ Fun to play
+ Almost any cold skill with damage over time works
+ Tons of chill/freezing/shattering
+ Great Boss DPS
- A little squishy until you get to level 80
- Weird playstyle to adjust to
- Can be a little expensive to get end game (Taryn's Shiver + Carcass Jack 5/6Links

Gems Setup:
Wep 1: Shield Charge + Faster Attacks + Fortify
Wep 2: Ice Bomb + Vaal Righteous Fire + Increased Duration
Helm: Grace + Frostbite + Blasphemy + Flame Golem
Body: Vaal Cold Snap (Also serves as regular cold snap) + Elemental Focus + Concentrated Effect + Controlled Destruction + Efficacy + Swift Affliction
Gloves (HAS TO BE GLOVES) Vortex + Elemental Focus + Efficacy + Concentrated Effect
Boots: CWDT + Immortal Call + Increased Duration + Flame Dash

Video:

PoB Link:https://pastebin.com/zsE0GYSF
Skill Tree:www.poeurl.com/cbRO
Example Link:https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2260049

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[PoE 3.6 Inquisitor] Cold Snap Supporter Build

When I was playing in public parties I sadly realized that Path of Exile in the current state doesn't really offer content for a cooperative multiplayer game where my supporter would be needed for two reasons:
1) End game boss fights are easier and less confusing when playing solo
2) Mapping is more about running than fighting. Everything is dying instantly so no one needs to deal more damage or CC enemies.

However, playing this character even solo was great fun and it also uses interesting synergies you guys might be interested in. The character was designed mainly for softcore, but with some compromises or adjustments, it can be played in hardcore as well.

Pros & Cons:
+ Very fun to play
+ One-shot most of the enemies with satisfying explosions, including lower tier map bosses
+ Can freeze most bosses and greatly increase damage dealt with them
+ Simple skill effects which don't confuse other players or drastically decrease their client performance
- In my case health only around 4.5K
- Occasionally unreliable when running out of frenzy charges due to nature of Cold Snap skill
- Some uniques can be quite expensive

Gems Setup:
Weapon
Vaal Cold Snap-Hypothermia-Critical Strike-Empower-Power Charge On Critical Strike-Efficacy/Controlled Destruction

Chest
Frost Bomb-Arcane Surge-Increased Duration-Increased Area Of Effect-Spell Cascade-Faster Casting

Helmet
Lightning Warp-Less Duration-Faster Casting-Swift Affliction

Gloves
Temporal Chains-Blasphemy-Herald of Ice-Enlighten

Boots
Cast When Damage Taken Lv1-Immortal Call Lv1-Increased Duration-Vaal Righteous Fire

Malachai's Artifice
Herald of Thunder

PoB Link:https://pastebin.com/Uu9L74MQ
Skill Tree:http://tinyurl.com/y4euz5oz
Example Link:https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2249827

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[PoE 3.6 Saboteur]The Notorious DOT Vortex and Cold Snap Trapper Build

Vortex and Cold Snap traps - deal massive DOT damage. Should be more consistent boss damage, since you don't have to constantly throw traps to maintain DPS. Having to run for your life in between throwing traps usually means a DPS loss, but not with DOT! You throw 1 of each trap and the damage just ticks away! When the damage dealing ground effects expire, throw your 2 traps again. Use Decoy totem to keep bosses in the DOT effects. Cheap and easy to scale. Easily under 1ex to gear!

Where does our damage come from?
- Stack Cold DOT multiplier with Spine of First Claimant, Rime Gaze, Skill nodes, Jewels with cold DOT.
- Flame Golem in Malachais Artifice ring applies -50 cold reses to anything it hits
- Orb of Storms to easy crit to get 40% more ele dmg.
- Frostbite curse on Blasphemy.
- Arcane Surgeon Flame Dash
- Frenzy Charges from Cold Snap, Master Sapper, Tinkerskin if you can afford it.

Pros & Cons:
+ Safe playstyle, good for new players.
+ DPS never stops while you move to dodge/reposition
+ No unique items required, build works perfectly fine with all rares
+ Scales really well with unique items, which are all cheap! (20c or less each)
+ Can do any map mod! No-regen is kinda rough, but doable if you manage mana flask well.
- You throw single traps, so you have to have decent aim and throw them right onto boss/mobs.
- Lots of buttons to mash for max boss dps

Ascendency: Saboteur
1st: Perfect Crime
2nd: Chain Reaction
3rd: Born in the Shadows
4th: Pyromaniac

Pantheons:
Major: Soul of the Brine King
- Capture The Forgotten Soldier in Conservatory Map
- Capture Purina, The Challenger in Atoll Map
- Capture Nassar, Lion of the Seas in Reef Map

Minor: Garukhan, Ryslatha or Shakari would all be good
Garukhan
- Capture Stalker of the Endless Dunes in Dig Map
- Evasion and movement speed are great for us

Ryslatha
Capture Gorulis, Will-Thief in Infested Valley Map
- This is a major buff to our instant life flask

Shakari
Capture Terror of the Infinite Drifts in
- Chaos damage really hurts our low life pool

Gems Setup:
- Body Armour: Vortex - Trap - Trap and my Damage - Efficacy - Controlled Destruction - Concentrated Effect (Can use Increased AoE for mapping)
- In Helm: Cold Snap - Trap - Trap and Mine Damage - Bonechill
- CWDT(lvl 2) - Immortal Call (lvl 2) - Frost Bomb (lvl 10 - Increased Duration
- Orb of Storms - Increased Critical Strikes - Increased AoE - Faster Casting
- Flame Dash - Faster Casting - Arcane Surge (lvl 7)
- Blasphemy - Frostbite - Decoy Totem
- In Ring: Flame Golem

Video:

PoB Link:https://pastebin.com/UqBFs0xh
Skill Tree:http://tinyurl.com/yy2x3byv
Example Link:https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2276162