Ice Build?

Rocksin

Rocksin

Diabloii.Net Member
Ice Build?

Im about to build a amazon with a Ice bow in mat and I have a few questions.

First of all, I dont understand, why almost every guide Ive read, suggests maxing cold arrow and freezing arrow, while ice arrow is not mentioned at all.

Freezing arrow, which I will be using as my main skill, gets bonuses from ice arrow and cold arrow, so I dont understand why these skills should not be maxed.
What Im aiming for is:
20 Ice arrow
20 Cold arrow
20 Freezing arrow
- Is there something im missing in this build?
Im not going to use Fortitude Armor, because the main damage in this build will be elemental. Instead, I plan on using a 4 soc armor with 4 perfect cold facets. This build will mainly be based on the (-)% enemy cold resistance and the (+)% to cold damage.
- Do could facets work with Freezing arrow?
 
NASE

NASE

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Ice Build?

ice arrow only gives you extra freezing length. 20 points will give you 2 seconds extra freezing time. I have a small charm with a cold pre- and suffix that gives me 2 second extra freezing time. 20 points to give you 2 second of freezing time isn't worth it when one small charm can do the same.

cold facets works with freezing arrow. Though remember this, ice already gives you some -res and + cold skill damage. Just like facets do. Now -res isn't that usefull as it is for lightning amazons. You can't break cold immunities, so the monsters that will get your -res will be at 50% cold res max. compare to a lightning char that faces broken lightning immunes with 90% lighting res. Count in the fact that Nightwing's Veil gives +cold damage aswell, and thus making some extra cold damage from facets less usefull.
So you see why coh is often recomanded. That doesn't mean that a cold facet armour will be less usefull, though it will cost much more, and probably make your res very bad. While coh can really give you res a nice boost.

So if you really want all out damage, a cold facet armour is probably the best idea, though is isn't needed to get good damage and you can find good sources of -res and +cold skill damage in other places.


P.S. I wouldn't use fort. That doesn't grant anything. If you consider a runeword armour. Have a look at coh - chains of honer - or enigma - good for mf and usefull tele, though coh gives you more survivability.
 
MrOzio

MrOzio

Banned
Re: Ice Build?

Personally rather than going the route of a Fort or a 20/20 ice facet armor I'd go for insane speed... you'll need it if you plan on doing any pvp for a Frost Maiden.

Grab yourself some nice jewels with +15% IAS and (preferably) 30-40% ED. I've gathered many legit rare jewels that have +15% IAS, 3X%ED, as well as +2X res.

The base armor? Go with some type of light armor with the jewelers and whale mods. It'll give you upwards of 80 life (which you will need).

Also be sure to max your Magic Arrow. People don't give this skill the credit it deserves. It's easily the best method to crack those immunes you'll run into as your pure physical dmg wont be that high.

Strafe hasn't served much of a purpose to me, honestly. I popped 5 points into it and gathered the rest from +skills (remember, +3 on a torch and +1 from an anni).

Helm? Go with a Nightwings, there shouldn't be any other choice here. Pop in a 5/5 cold die as well.

Gloves? You'll want some good mana leech, so either get some nifty +skill rares with leech/res or stick with Dracs. Or even Laying of Hands would be nice for you.

Rings? My zon never has a problem hitting as she is a glass cannon (pumped up dex with minimal vitality) so I'd just stick with w/e you're lacking for one of the rings and for the other a BK or SoJ (preferably the SoJ... you'll be going thru a LOT of mana)

Ammy? Debateable... I'd either go with a Highlords, Mara's, or even a Cat's Eye would suit you just fine.

Boots? w/e you feel like. Just stay away from Gores, cb and the like doesn't effect your elemental dmg anyways. War Travs maybe?

I think that's all that I can think of besides the bow... Which should be an Ice made into a MB.


(Merc1 optional but....)
Faith made into a Ward Bow. (this will help your killing speed a LOT)
Fort Armor
Andy's Helm

(Merc2 optional but....) <------ best choice w/ a might aura
Infinity made into an Eth Giant Thresher
Fort Armor
Andy's Helm
 
MrOzio

MrOzio

Banned
Re: Ice Build?

NASE said:
You might want to give a screenshot of one of those golden rare jewels?
Click to expand...
With pleasure. I'll PM you a shot when I get home. (I'm at work right now) And please note that the +2X res isnt res ALL it's res to ONE specific element incase you were confused.

---------edit------------
I know linking to other sites is "forbidden" but it's just my little flikr page with a single picture.
(woopsie, it's a -15% req, oh well - you get the idea)

Enjoy, the other jewels you see in the picture are just as good if not better.


 
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MrOzio

MrOzio

Banned
Re: Ice Build?

crawlingdeadman said:
i think he was refering to the fact that rare jewels cannot have ias.
Click to expand...
That so? Maybe I'm confused about my own jewels then. Either way I'll check more in-depth when I hop in-game after work. Just popped on real quick to gather the screen.


 
Rocksin

Rocksin

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Ice Build?

I dunno why some of you keep talking about ED. The Ice maiden Build is nothing like a dexazon or whatever. ED does not matter that much, when the main damage will be elemental. A armor with 15ias/40ed jewels, which MrOzio suggests, is popular among pvp amazons who use faith. And when it comes to ias, reaching 8. frame with a Ice bow in mat shoul not be a problem.
 
crawlingdeadman

crawlingdeadman

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Ice Build?

what're you going to do to cold immunes?

the reason some people are talking ed is because the natural backup to cold is physical. FA takes a lot (and i mean a lot) of mana and you need to leech it back somehow. it's quite easy to do so with a physical skill. also a pure dex build is also a natural fit to this zon because all or nearly all of her enemies are going to be frozen lessening the need for vitality. also the main component of an ias/ed armor is not the ed (you get more from fort) it's ias something a frost maiden needs too.
 
NASE

NASE

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Ice Build?

So you say 60 ias and 160 ed is more important then 2 skill and lots of res?

If you can afford 15/40 then you can just a good afford faith merc. And if you can't, treachery might give you more usefull things then a 60/160 armour.
 
MrOzio

MrOzio

Banned
Re: Ice Build?

Hit it on the noes. I was just listing an alt build. By maxing magic arrow and having some decent ed/ias you can conquer any of those nasty immunes you come in contact with. Also in pvp a well place magic arrow (vs) a guided/cold arrow can take the kill as magic negation is almost unheard of.

But you're right, if you can blow the funds needed to make the armor, why not just have a weak little act1 merc toating a faith around.... (besides that in a duel with another bowazon you'd be lucky if your merc survived two multi hits)
 
Rocksin

Rocksin

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Ice Build?

crawlingdeadman said:
what're you going to do to cold immunes?

the reason some people are talking ed is because the natural backup to cold is physical. FA takes a lot (and i mean a lot) of mana and you need to leech it back somehow. it's quite easy to do so with a physical skill. also a pure dex build is also a natural fit to this zon because all or nearly all of her enemies are going to be frozen lessening the need for vitality. also the main component of an ias/ed armor is not the ed (you get more from fort) it's ias something a frost maiden needs too.
Click to expand...
How about having a different kind a Bow on the switch for the cold immunes? A GMB Faith perhaps? This would solve the problem, no?


 
crawlingdeadman

crawlingdeadman

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Ice Build?

how come you take everyones suggestions and make a snide coment on them? next time you ask for ideas make a disclaimer: "I reserve the right to mock you and act like an asshat."
 
Rocksin

Rocksin

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Ice Build?

crawlingdeadman said:
how come you take everyones suggestions and make a snide coment on them? next time you ask for ideas make a disclaimer: "I reserve the right to mock you and act like an asshat."
Click to expand...
"(...) how come you take everyones suggestions and make a snide coment on them?"
My two questions started a discussion in this thread. What you see as a comment, is an argument. Obviously, I am against the idea of using +ed gear on an Ice Maiden to solve the problem.
Maybe you are just being too sensitive :flowers:
Im sorry if I hurt your feelings.


 
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BlushNine

BlushNine

Diabloii.Net Member
Re: Ice Build?

Actually all the comments are valid. Going all Dex and adding ED is a easy way to backup your Ice with physical damage to bust Cold Immunes. So is switching bows. But if you are switching bows, you may as well have the Dex and/or ED to boost the damage. This is what I have for one of my many Amazon test builds. She's fully loaded on the Ice side AND has the Dex/ED for a strong physical bow switch. Ice isn't that bad a physical bow either, true its not great but it will get the job done (killing cold immunes) if you

(1) can't afford another high end bow
(2) have something else on switch like javas or CTA or DLimb
(3) are lazy and don't want to switch

The downside of loading Faith for switch is that it comes with Fanatic and thus if you have a Faithful Rogue in tow its somewhat redundant. If you don't have a rogue and you are using a Mighty Pride then you will have gear that's not optimally suited for IAS on both. You can get better damage overall from another bow if you have a Faithful Rogue.
 
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