[1.3] The Storm Weaver - Ice Nova + Heralds Chain Shatter Build

Main Skills: Ice Nova, Herald of Ice, Herald of Thunder, Discharge

Classes: Shadow (recommended), Witch, Templar

Damage: Cold, Lightning, Crit, AoE

Defenses: freeze, CWDT + Immortal Call, Arctic Armor, increased Max Resists, spell block

Hardcore viable: not tested, would probably need a few adjustments

The build relies on the active effects of your heralds to quickly clear whole screens by making Herald of Ice chain react. This is done by using Ice Nova with Elemental Proliferation and high chance to freeze from the tree on top of your crit chance. Once one of the mobs dies it just chain reacts to the whole screen and everything shatters.

To augment the damage we use curse on hit with both heralds to apply Assassin's Mark which grants us Power Charges which results in higher damage and crit chance. We can also use them to blow up the whole screen with Discharge.

Lightning Warp allows us to quickly move in and out of combat, since we generally want to be in the middle of a pack. The shock is a bonus, but just Ice Nova seems to shock fine for Herald of Thunder's proc.

I am currently playing a level 83 Witch with a slightly different tree since she had a free respec, Shadow is ideal though because spell damage does not affect the Heralds active effects.

The build has gone through quite a few changes, like using the 5l for the Heralds instead of Ice Nova to allow for leech and swapping to Saffel's since reflect was scary. The build was also not using a CWDT link which made Devourers really scary, now they are really easy even if they hit me once.

Bandits: Oak, Kill all, Alira

Shadow - Link

Witch - Link

Templar - Link

Experimental non-crit Shadow - Link

Weapon: Ice Nova + Cold Penetration + Concentrated Effect (+ Elemental Proliferation)

Shield: Lightning Warp + Reduced Duration + Faster Casting

Chest: Herald of Ice + Herald of Thunder + Life Leech + Curse on Hit + Assassin's Mark
Note: Don't have a 6l Carcass Jack right now, not sure what to put in there since it would probably reserve too much mana (elemental weakness and grabbing the +1 curse node maybe)

Helmet: CWDT + Enduring Cry + Increased Duration + Immortal Call

Gloves: Reduced Mana + Empower + Clarity + Arctic Armor
Note: Keep AA on a sustainable level based on your mana regen.

Boots: Discharge + Lightning Pen + Increased AoE + Concentrated Effect
Note: You could use Trap + Cold Snap + Cold Penetration + Conc Effect for strongboxes instead.

Weapon: Doryani's Catalyst gives the highest potential damage boost, leech, cast speed and crit chance

Shield: Saffel's Frame helps against reflect.

Chest: Carcass Jack increases AoE, adds damage, life, resists.

Helmet: You want life and resists.

Gloves: Either use Maligaro's for more damage or a rare item for life and resists.

Boots: You want life, resists and preferably movement speed.
Note: You could use Windscream for the extra curse if you have a 6l.

Belt: You want life, resists and armor if possible. You could also use a cold Doryani's Belt.

Amulet: You want life, stats, crit multi, crit chance. Cold or spell damage is nice too.

Rings: You want life, stats, resists. Mana regen or flat mana/es and cold damage are nice too.

Flasks: You want atleast one life flask and your standard utility flasks wit anti status ailments, bleeds and curses. Atleast one cold and lightning flask helps greatly against reflect.

You can use Flameblast + Searing Bond with a Searing Touch for leveling without problems, the build gets lots of nodes benefitting them. I'll make low level trees if enough people are interested.

Dark Forest - iAS Devourers