[3.22 Ready] ❄️ Glacial Hammer Slayer ❄️ | Freeze & Shatter Everything | Start>Endgame

!!!!3.22 UPDATE:!!!!
Spoiler
No changes because no patch notes, lol.


!!!!3.21 UPDATE:!!!!
Spoiler
Aura reservation mastery removed, replaced with small cluster jewel for mana reservation. Small mastery change otherwise nothing else other than that.


POB (3.22):
https://pastebin.com/L5Qkfvvi

Video Guide:
https://youtu.be/1ge_XIZi2jo

Showcase playlist:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLn4lVg3-kDCv9wxSdrNWU_6z4EjeQO43r


Greetings Exiles, I've been playing this game since quite some time on and off leagues, and the playstyle that I love the most is freezing enemies using crits and seeing that Herald of Ice explosion. I used to play Ice Shot alot, but GGG has been on a nerfing spree since past few league and now I had to look for other alternatives, which leads me to Glacial Hammer.

I leaguestarted the build in 3.20 Sanctum league has completed most of the endgame content except uber bosses, as seen in the playlist posted above. I even reached the top ranked Glacial Hammer Slayer in Poeninja by week 1 snapshot:
https://poe.ninja/challenge/builds?time-machine=week-1&skill=Glacial-Hammer


Not ticked in POB- :
-Actual shock effect from Yoke (currently set to 30%)
-No. of nearby enemies (from Overwhelm)
-Scorch from Dawnbreaker

!!!To change Endgame to Budget Configuration:!!!
Change tree in 'Tree' tab
Change active skill & aura in 'Skills' tab
Change item set in 'Items' tab


Pros & Cons:
Pros
+ Excellent clearing speed (Herald of Ice, Melee Splash)
+ Decent DPS for endgame.
+ Decently tanky
+ Cheap to start & gear (niche uniques)

Cons
- Melee strike skill in modern POE
- Slow-moderate movement speed
- Unique dependent


Offensive layers:
1. Glacial Hammer + Heatshiver + Yoke of Suffering (BOSSING & CLEARING)
Glacial hammer provides 100% conversion of Phys to Cold, Heatshiver provides additional damage gain as Fire from Cold, Yoke provide shock & extra damage per ailment (You inflict all chill, freeze, ignite & shock, sometimes scorch)
!!!Always aim for flat added phys / cold damage to balance out cold & fire damage for Trinity!!!

2. Glacial Hammer culling + Herald of Ice + Melee Splash & Strike from tree (CLEARING)
Glacial Hammer shatters non-unique enemies at <1/3 life if frozen. Combined with Herald of Ice & +strike target and melee splash provides decent clear capability even if melee.

3. Cold Ailment Effect (BOSSING & CLEARING)
Offensively slows down / freeze enemy for better opportunity of sustained DPS.


Defensive layers:
1. Armor + >75% res + Block + Stun Immunity + Fortify
%Armor from tree
Flat armor from gear, Determination, Molten Shell, flasks.

>75% res from Tree (Soul of Steel & Prismatic Skin)

Block from Dawnbreaker

Stun Immunity from Unwavering Stance keystone.

Fortification from Fortify mastery / Corrupted mace

2. Overleech + Regen + Life recoup
Overleech from Ascendancy, regen from tree & Holy Relic, Recoup from jewel

3. Cold Ailment Effect
Defensively slows enemy action speed / even freeze most mobs and non-endgame bosses

4. Ailment immunity (Freeze & Ignite)
From Cyclopean Coil


Mastery, Ascendancy, Bandits & Pantheon
Important Mastery :
1. Accuracy mastery (Precision aura reservation)
2. Armor mastery (Determination aura reservation)
3. Fortify mastery (Melee hits fortify) <<<<< Can skip if using corrupted Frostbreath
4. Attack mastery (+1 Strike target)
5. Critical mastery (effect of ailments)
6. Resistance mastery (Corrupted Blood immunity)

Ascendancy :

1. Impact (Accuracy, damage, strike range)
2. Brutal Fervour (Overleech)
3. Overwhelm (Crit scaling for DPS)
4. Bane of Legends (DPS)

Bandits :
Eramir (2 passive points)

Pantheon :
Soul of Arakaali (Reduced DOT & Increased life recovery from leech & regen)
Soul of Ryslatha / Yugul / Garukhan (life flasks, or Yugul for reduced curse effectiveness during cursed maps, reduced shock effect)


Gem setup:
Main Skill (Glacial Hammer):
Glacial Hammer + Multistrike + Elemetal Dmg. w. Attacks + Added Cold + Trinity + Elemental Penetration / Inc. Crit Damage
Main skill, added cold will greatly benefit for Heatshiver. Trinity used since cold & fire damage almost balanced (Hence why its important not to use %fire / flat added fire)

Enduring Cry, Assasin's Mark
Enduring Cry, Assasin's Mark + Mark On Hit
Enduring Cry on LMB bound for autocasting, Assasin's Mark for tanky rares / uniques

Leap Slam, Vaal Ancestral warchief
Leap slam + Faster Attacks, Vaal Ancestral Warchief
Standard leap slam, ancestral totem for tanky rares & uniques

CWDT
CWDT + Molten Shell + Blood Rage + Purifying Flame(Divergent) / Frost Bomb
Guard skill + Blood Rage + Consecrated ground generation / Cold Exposure.
!!!Can change Blood Rage to Anomalous Flame Surge during endgame for Scorch effect.!!!

Aura
Precision + Herald of Ice + Hatred + Determination (endgame) / Defiance Banner (Budget)
Aura skills. Use Defiance Banner until can properly slot in Determination.

Utility
Summon Holy Relic(Anomalous) + Culling Strike + Meat Shield + Minion Life (Anomalous)
Life regen from relic, culling strike for bosses, minion life & meatshield for minion sustain
!!!!DO NOT SUMMON IN THE MIDDLE OF MOB PACKS (LONG SUMMONING ANIMATION)!!!


My Gear + Explanation:



1H-Mace:
High phys mace>Frostbreath Ornate Mace>Corrupted Frostbreath
Cheap, extremely decent unique that can be corrupted for Fortify on hit later.

Shield:
Rares > Dawnbreaker
High armor, occasional Scorch (synergize with Yoke), phys cold & lightning mitigation.

Helmet:
Rares > Heatshiver > Corrupted Heatshiver for mana reservation
Res & gains fire damage based on cold ailment effect. Very high DPS gain. Change Defiance Banner to Determination on Available to Slot in.
-Free enchantment to your liking-
!!!!Make sure to balance cold & fire damage so that dps range overlaps alot for Trinity.!!!!

Body Armour:
5L rare > 6L Rare > 6L Double Inf. mod astral plate
Deterministically available DPS mods via crafting
Easy 6L via Celestial Justicar
Get separate chest with +attack crit & effect of aura, awakener orb together

Gloves:

Rares > Southbound / Kaom Spirit > Rares with Sear Ex. & Eater implicit
Southbound for levelling and Kaom Spirit for rage generation early mapping (can skip if prefer having life regen)
Best implicits : +1 strike & cold exposure

Boots:
Rares > Ralakesh Impatience
Full end., frenzy & power charges when stationary (during attack)
-Best enchantment: Added cold damage if hit recently-

Belt:
Belt of The Deceiver > Cyclopean Coil
Ailment Immunity. Make sure dex is higher than int.

Rings:
Shavronnes Revelation / Praxis (for mana) + Rare > Rare Shaper + Mark of the Elder
Res & DPS from Mark of the Elder

Amulet:
Yoke of Suffering
Massive res & damage
!!!Anoint Clever Thief if no cluster jewel for mana leech.!!!

Jewels:
- Large cluster with Fuel the fight (Mana leech)
- Small cluster jewel w. Spiteful Presence (Hatred % efficiency) or Megalomaniac with another beneficial node
- Impossible Escape at Ancestral Bond (Massive DPS wheel for elemental mace)
- Watchers Eye with Flask charge on Crit w. Precision + Hatred / Determination mod (Flask upkeep)
- Jewel with %life, crit multi & recoup life.

Flasks:
1.Bleed life flask
2.Granite Flask (curse effect)
3.Silver Flask (armor)
4.Diamond Flask (attack speed)
5.-Flexible- (Quicksilver flask / Bottled Faith for endgame)^x7070FF
My Youtube channel guide:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOAAZyUPDtInV9UDiH4BBw
Last edited by mantol456 on Aug 31, 2023, 4:23:51 AM
Last bumped on Sep 24, 2023, 2:39:41 AM
-Reserved for future post-
My Youtube channel guide:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOAAZyUPDtInV9UDiH4BBw
-Reserved for future post-
My Youtube channel guide:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOAAZyUPDtInV9UDiH4BBw
as a glacial hammer enjoyer, thanks for the build sharing

This tree and most of the gear can be used for all the marauder/duelist ascendancy as well, with very minor tweaking.
The only thing i would change there is a medium blast-freeze/chilling presence cluster. This is a game changer Qol
"
Krël wrote:
as a glacial hammer enjoyer, thanks for the build sharing

This tree and most of the gear can be used for all the marauder/duelist ascendancy as well, with very minor tweaking.
The only thing i would change there is a medium blast-freeze/chilling presence cluster. This is a game changer Qol


YOu're welcome. You can change the ascendancy, so long as you're aware of the tradeoff.

Didn't really think I needed those cluster nodes, the build doesn't feel like it needed the chill & freeze infliction outside of simply hitting mobs, but you do you. The delay between leap slam as it stun new packs of mobs and hitting them is usually enough.
My Youtube channel guide:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOAAZyUPDtInV9UDiH4BBw
I need this. I really do. With 25 divines could this kill guardians well? With a single divine I can do it with Venom Gyre but I got MEGA bored of it.
"
mantol456 wrote:

Didn't really think I needed those cluster nodes, the build doesn't feel like it needed the chill & freeze infliction outside of simply hitting mobs, but you do you. The delay between leap slam as it stun new packs of mobs and hitting them is usually enough.


chilling presence make any monster already chilled when i hit them. without it, you need to hit them once first to chill them and then another time for frostbreath to take effect.
Obviously at 15M dps it doesnt make much difference but at a slowly lower gear its the difference between clearing in one hit or two.
I take blast freeze for a defence layer. Its not really needed when there is a crit herald of ice proc but its very satisfying. with a good enough crit and the added cold it can freeze the screen with a leap slam
Last edited by Krël on Dec 22, 2022, 12:28:16 AM
I managed to buy most of the uniques/rares for this build for roughly 10 div. Love the build so far, what pantheons would you recommend running?
Cool, thanks. Any chance for leveling trees/skills?
"
RyeTheGuy wrote:
I managed to buy most of the uniques/rares for this build for roughly 10 div. Love the build so far, what pantheons would you recommend running?


Covered it in the guide above, just ctrl+f 'pantheon'

"
Cool, thanks. Any chance for leveling trees/skills?


Have a budget version that you can change into in POB, basically just shoot for tribal fury then you can start using Glacial Hammer.
My Youtube channel guide:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuOAAZyUPDtInV9UDiH4BBw

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