The Glacial Bolt Witchhunter is a versatile mapping powerhouse that excels in clearing content and freezing enemies, providing both offensive and defensive advantages. With the ability to create Ice Crystal walls, which explode into devastating AoE damage, this build thrives in high-density maps while maintaining great utility against bosses. Combining Glacial Bolt, Fragmentation Rounds, and Shock Burst Rounds, this build balances exceptional clear speed with reliable single-target damage.
Skills Used
1. Glacial Bolt
• Creates Ice Crystal walls that freeze enemies and block projectiles.
• Primary skill for mapping, triggering explosive AoE damage when paired with Fragmentation Rounds.
2. Fragmentation Rounds
• Causes Ice Crystal walls to explode and deals massive AoE damage.
• Explodes frozen enemies, amplifying damage output for map clearing.
3. Shockburst Rounds
• Effective single-target skill for bosses.
• Requires the enemy to be shocked for maximum damage, synergizing with Plasma Blast and Flame Wall.
4. Plasma Blast
• High-damage charged shot that applies a strong shock to enemies.
• Enables Shock Burst Rounds to deal full damage.
5. Flame Wall
• Provides consistent Ignite to maintain shock from Stormfire Support.
• Offers additional damage over time.
6. Conductivity Curse
• Reduces lightning resistance of enemies, boosting damage from shock-based skills.
7. Emergency Reload
• Instantly refills crossbow ammo and boosts damage for emergency situations. Properly investing Poe 2 Currency can help you acquire the necessary skill gems and supports to maximize the potential of this ability.
Passive Tree and Ascendancy
Witchhunter Ascendancy
Key Nodes:
• Witchbane: Reduces enemy cooldown recovery rate, making fights safer.
• No Mercy: Increases damage against enemies with reduced concentration.
• Sorcery Ward: Grants an elemental damage shield based on armor and evasion.
• Improved Sorcery Ward: Enhances the elemental damage shield.
Passive Tree Highlights
• Projectile Damage: Boosts all crossbow skills.
• Armor and Evasion Nodes: Improves survivability and synergizes with Sorcery Ward.
• Two-Handed Weapon Nodes: Enhances crossbow effectiveness.
• Accuracy: Ensures a 100% hit chance within close range.
• Attack Speed and Skill Speed: Reduces reloading time for smoother gameplay.
Gear Recommendations
Weapons
• Primary Crossbow: High physical damage and fast reload time (avoid slow-reloading crossbows like Diad Crossbow).
• Secondary Crossbow: Focus on non-crit lightning damage for Shock Burst Rounds.
Armor
1. Chest:
• High armor and evasion for survivability.
• Optional: Cloak of Flame to convert physical damage to fire and utilize Sorcery Ward.
2. Gloves: Flat armor for bonus evasion (via passive tree).
3. Boots: High evasion and movement speed.
Accessories
Focus on stats such as:
• Life
• Resistances (prioritize Chaos Resistance)
• Attributes (to meet skill requirements).
Flasks
• Life Flask: Instant recovery for emergencies.
• Mana Flask: Gain charges per second for sustained boss fights.
Runes and Charms
1. Runes:
• Physical damage on weapons.
• Armor/Evasion or resistances on gear.
2. Charms:
• Freeze resistance for smoother mapping.
• Chaos resistance to mitigate rare mob damage.
Mapping and Bossing Tips
Mapping
• Focus on high-density content like Breach or Ritual for maximum clear speed.
• Avoid maps with modifiers like "Increased Ailment Threshold" or high generic monster damage.
Bossing
1. Strategy:
• Apply Flame Wall to ignite the boss and enable permanent shock.
• Use Plasma Blast to shock and follow with Shock Burst Rounds for maximum damage.
• Refresh Flame Wall and apply Conductivity as needed.
2. Use Emergency Reload to maintain ammo and boost damage during long fights.
Playstyle Summary
1. For mapping, alternate between Glacial Bolt and Fragmentation Rounds to clear efficiently.
2. Against bosses, swap to your secondary crossbow and leverage the shock-ignite synergy with Plasma Blast, Flame Wall, and Shock Burst Rounds.
3. Stay mobile to avoid incoming damage while maintaining uptime on damage skills.
This Glacial Bolt Witchhunter build combines the best AoE clearing and single-target damage, making it a versatile option for early and late-game content. With the right gear, passive tree, and skill combinations, this build ensures both survivability and massive damage potential. Good luck in Wraeclast!
