Path of Exile 2 Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter Build Guide
In Path of Exile 2, the Witchhunter Mercenary class offers a perfect blend of cold-based damage and evasive tactics, making it ideal for the Permafrost Bolts build. This build revolves around launching piercing ice shards that freeze and shatter enemies, all while emphasizing high mobility and defensive resilience. Whether you're clearing packs of enemies or facing off against powerful bosses, the Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter will keep you nimble, deadly, and capable of handling a wide range of content. With its potent crowd control and high single-target damage, this build excels in both mapping and bossing, making it a strong choice for players seeking a well-rounded character. Before you dive in, make sure to farm some POE 2 Currency to maximize your build's potential through equipment and other essential upgrades.
The Core Mechanics of Permafrost Bolts
At the heart of the Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter build is the Permafrost Bolts skill gem. This skill fires a piercing bolt of ice that deals cold damage to enemies it hits and has the added benefit of freezing targets on impact. The power of the Permafrost Bolts lies in their ability to clear out large swathes of enemies while applying the freezing effect, which disables enemies temporarily and allows for easier management of dangerous groups. This ability also synergizes well with the Witchhunter's high evasion and movement speed, enabling the player to stay out of harm's way while attacking from a safe distance.
The main goal of the Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter is to leverage cold damage and freeze mechanics to maximize both survivability and damage output. Since ice shards pierce enemies, you'll often hit multiple targets in a single shot, which makes this build incredibly efficient at clearing packs. When coupled with freeze/shatter mechanics, you can rapidly dismantle large groups of enemies before they ever get close enough to threaten you. Additionally, the Witchhunter's skills are well-suited for fast-paced, evasive playstyles, making it one of the most enjoyable builds for those who like to stay on the move.
Passive Skill Tree Focus
The passive skill tree for a Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter should focus on several key areas:
Cold Damage: Prioritize nodes that increase cold damage, as these will directly boost the effectiveness of your Permafrost Bolts. Look for nodes that enhance both the base cold damage as well as modifiers for cold damage over time.
Projectile Damage: Since Permafrost Bolts is a projectile-based skill, you'll want to focus on increasing projectile damage to ensure that your piercing bolts hit hard. Boosting projectile damage will enhance your clear speed and your single-target damage potential.
Critical Strike Chance and Multiplier: Witchhunter builds generally benefit from critical strikes, so scaling both critical strike chance and multiplier will significantly increase the burst potential of your build. A high critical strike rate also increases the freeze chance, making it easier to lock down enemies.
Evasion and Dodge: Since you'll be staying at range, evasion and dodge are essential to avoid damage. Look for passives that increase your evasion rating, and consider getting some dodge chances from the tree to boost your survivability.
Mana and Energy Shield: As with any ranged build, you'll need a solid mana pool to sustain your abilities. It's also a good idea to pick up some energy shield nodes to add another layer of defense to your character. Energy Shield recovery and regeneration are particularly useful when you're relying on evasive tactics to avoid damage.
Skill Gem Setup
To make the most out of your Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter, you'll need to choose the right support gems to enhance your abilities. Here's a recommended skill gem setup:
Permafrost Bolts (Main Skill): This is your primary damaging skill and should be socketed with supports that increase its damage and effectiveness. Key support gems include:
Cold Penetration: Boosts the effectiveness of cold damage against enemies with high cold resistance.
Hypothermia: Increases cold damage against chilled or frozen enemies, further amplifying your burst potential when you freeze foes with your bolts.
Pierce: Essential for ensuring that your ice shards continue to hit multiple targets as they pierce through enemies.
Elemental Focus: Increases elemental damage (cold specifically in this case) at the cost of removing any elemental debuffs, making it a great choice for raw damage.
Cast When Damage Taken Setup: This setup is crucial for ensuring your survivability. It automatically casts defensive buffs and skills when you're hit with damage. A typical setup could include:
Cast When Damage Taken
Steelskin or Immortal Call: Both of these skills grant damage mitigation and increased survivability, ensuring that you can endure incoming attacks while focusing on dodging and evasion.
Flammability or Frost Bomb: While these may not be directly related to your main skill, they can add additional layers of damage output or debuff enemies, improving your overall effectiveness.
Movement Skills: High mobility is key for the Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter, and you'll need a movement skill to help with positioning and dodging. Some good choices include:
Dash or Flame Dash: These allow you to quickly reposition yourself in the heat of battle.
Blink Arrow: Provides both mobility and an extra layer of evasion if used properly, helping you get out of tight situations.
Itemization and Gear
Your gear should focus on maximizing cold damage, critical strike chance, and survivability. Here's a breakdown of what to look for:
Weapons: A bow or wand is the optimal choice for this build. A bow provides additional projectile damage, while a wand can give you more control over cold damage scaling. Look for weapons that increase your cold damage, critical strike chance, and add additional elemental damage.
Armor: Since you'll rely on evasion and movement, prioritize gear that enhances evasion and energy shield. Items with life are also crucial for added survivability. Crafting or purchasing gear with high resistance stats is a good idea to prepare for endgame content.
Jewelry: Rings and amulets should focus on cold damage, critical strike chance, and elemental resistances. Look for items that provide bonuses to cold damage, critical multiplier, or even flat damage added to spells. A well-crafted amulet with +1 to level of cold gems can significantly increase your damage output.
Flasks: Flasks can make or break your survivability and damage potential. Some recommended flasks include:
Silver Flask for increased evasion and movement speed.
Diamond Flask for critical strike chance.
Quicksilver Flask for additional movement speed.
Playstyle and Strategy
The Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter is designed for fast-paced, mobile gameplay. You'll want to use your movement skills frequently to stay ahead of enemies while peppering them with piercing ice shards. In dense packs, Permafrost Bolts will freeze enemies as they're hit, allowing you to break through large swaths of enemies quickly. However, when facing bosses, focus on maintaining distance, using your defensive skills to stay alive while you continually fire off Permafrost Bolts.
Keep in mind that positioning is key-be aware of enemy movement and use your mobility to stay out of danger while chipping away at the enemy's health from a safe distance. With the proper skill gem setup and gear, you'll become a slippery and powerful force on the battlefield.
Final Thoughts
The Permafrost Bolts Witchhunter build is an excellent choice for those who love fast, evasive gameplay combined with high cold damage. Its ability to freeze and shatter enemies makes it an extremely powerful option for clearing packs and taking down bosses. Whether you're progressing through the story or gearing up for endgame content, this build offers versatility and high rewards for skilled players. To truly optimize your character, don't forget to buy POE 2 Orbs to upgrade your gear and acquire powerful items that can push your build to its peak potential.