Top 3 Cold Builds for PoE 2 - Best for New Leagues

Time: 2025-03-21 by mmojugg Game: Path of Exile 2 Guide

Hey, exiles! Ready to bring the chill to Path of Exile 2? If you love freezing foes solid and watching them shatter, these top three cold builds are your ticket to icy domination. Inspired by some frosty brilliance (like that YouTube gem—worth a peek), we're covering a Monk, a Ranger, and a Witch build that'll turn maps into winter wonderlands. Whether you're dashing, shooting, or summoning, these setups deliver killer clear speed and boss-crushing power. Let's dive into the cold!

1. Ice Strike Monk: Dash, Freeze, Explode

Imagine dashing into a pack, slamming Ice Strike, and triggering a chain of icy explosions that wipe the screen. This Monk build pairs Ice Strike with Herald of Ice and a unique ring for a no-fuss, high-impact playstyle. It's simple: click, dash, boom—monsters gone.

Pros: Easy to play with 9/10 clear speed—Herald of Ice chains blow up everything. Boss damage is a crisp 10/10, freezing Tier 15 baddies while you rack up DPS. Survivability's solid at 9/10 with armor, 70% evasion, and a chunky energy shield.

Cons: You'll spend a few seconds running between packs since you kill so fast the map feels empty. Budget's reasonable: 60 Exalted for low tiers, 5 Divine for high tiers. You'll farm plenty early on.

Gear Up: Snag a Frostferno ring (shatters chilled enemies as if frozen) and socket Herald of Ice with the right support gems. Check poe.trade for deals!

Why Play It?: It's a low-effort, high-reward build—perfect for chilling out while chaining explosions across Wraeclast.

2. Ice Shot Ranger: Snipe and Shatter

This Ranger build turns Ice Shot into a frozen shotgun, blasting projectiles that splinter into packs and shred them with cold damage. With Tailwind and Herald of Ice, you're a speedy sniper tearing through maps like it's nothing.

Pros: Clear speed's a flawless 10/10—explode packs with one shot and zip around with Tailwind. Boss damage hits 9/10—two or three seconds to down Tier 15 bosses. Survivability's 9/10 with 90% evasion and long-range safety. Great for currency farming!

Cons: It's evasion-heavy—zero armor or energy shield means a stray physical hit stings. Budget's friendly: 50 Exalted for low tiers, 4 Divine for high tiers. You'll earn it back fast.

Gear Up: Grab a Frostferno ring for shattering, pair with Herald of Ice, and stack some dexterity for speed. Easy to source on the market.

Why Play It?: If you want a fast, safe, and brain-off farming machine, this build's your icy dream. Just aim and loot!

3. Frost Minions Witch: Summon the Cold Legion

Minion builds got a glow-up in PoE 2, and this Witch setup proves it. Frost Minions swarm the map, freezing enemies solid while dishing out massive damage. It's mid-budget but punches way above its weight—think T14 Simulacrum clears with ease.

Pros: Clear speed's 9/10—minions teleport and slam packs with chaining cold damage. Boss damage is a stellar 10/10—20 minions pumping tens of thousands DPS melt anything. Survivability's 10/10 with energy shield, a damage-soaking minion, and an undead army as your shield.

Cons: It's pricey—15 Divine Orbs minimum to hit minion level 35. Three uniques are mandatory, so early affordability's a stretch.

Gear Up: You'll need Triad Grip gloves (+3 minion levels), Moontouched Victor's armor (life, ES, and spirit), and Boneshatter boots (more minions via reduced spirit cost). Hunt these on poe.trade!

Why Play It?: It's a powerhouse that blends comfort and carnage—sit back, freeze bosses, and profit big.

Patch 0.2.0 Watch: Cold's Future

Patch 0.2.0's looming, and cold builds might feel the chill. If GGG nerfs power ceilings, Ice Strike's explosions or Frost Minions' scaling could take a hit. Ice Shot's evasion focus might dodge the hammer, though. Keep those patch notes handy—flexibility's your friend in PoE 2!

Tips to Freeze the Competition

Move Smart: Use Dash (Monk), Tailwind (Ranger), or minion teleports (Witch) to keep the pace up.

Trade Wise: Early league prices spike—scout poe.trade for uniques and currency deals.

Tune It: Grab PoB links from guides (like that YouTube vid's description) and tweak for your style.

Embrace the Cold

These cold builds bring the freeze and the fury to Path of Exile 2. Whether you're dashing into packs, sniping from afar, or commanding a frosty army, you're set to dominate. Patch 0.2.0 might shake the meta, but for now, these are your go-tos for chilling out Wraeclast's toughest foes. Pick your flavor and let it snow!