[PoE 3.29] Wintertide Brand Cold Dot Elementalist League Starter Guide | Curse of the Allflame

Summary

Key Points

• The Cold DoT Elementalist is a highly recommended 3.29 league starter build, known for its ease of play, low budget viability, strong recovery, good defense, and smooth progression to endgame. 0:22
• For the 3.29 patch, the build receives a significant single-target damage buff from the new "Pack of War" Empower spell skill gem, which outweighs the loss of the Mirage League's imbued gem. 1:50
• Detailed written guides and Path of Building (PoB) links are available and will be continuously updated with new synergies, items, and gems as the 3.29 patch evolves. 2:46
• The Elementalist ascendancy is chosen for its damage benefits and ease of campaign progression, with key points including "Liege of the Primordial" for golems, "Shaper of Storm" for shock, "Shaper of Winter" for defense, and "Mastermind of Discord" or "Heart of Destruction" for damage. 3:20
• Campaign leveling begins with Rolling Magma, Flame Wall, and Holy Flame Totem, transitioning to the core Cold DoT setup (Wintertide Brand, Creeping Frost, Cold Snap) around Act 2. 5:17
• Acquiring "Liege of the Primordial" and Golem Commander by level 38 provides four golems, making the rest of the campaign exceptionally easy due to their damage, recovery, and defensive stats. 7:40
• Transitioning to early mapping involves prioritizing gold-standard ES/Evasion for defense and acquiring cheap unique items like Rime Gaze and Replica Allelopathy for significant damage boosts. 9:20
• For red maps, the focus shifts to capping spell suppression chance and resistances, adding a second curse with Doedre's Damning, and building a robust defensive character to farm currency. 10:42
• The ultimate endgame progression involves a low-life setup utilizing items like Darkscorn and Coruscating Elixir, which triples damage and tankiness through block, enabling all endgame content. 11:22