Sorceress Frostbolt Cold Snap Leveling Build

Build Introduction

The Frostbolt Cold Snap Sorceress excels at leveling with destructive cold spells. Frostbolt launches multiple projectiles that pierce through all enemies, and then Cold Snap explodes them to deal massive damage. The ranged playstyle is extremely safe due to the constant Chill and Freeze applied to enemies. This build is viable in solo self-found mode and extremely effective as a league starter.

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Strengths and Weaknesses

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Video Guide

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Ascendancy

Select your first Ascendancy after completing the Trial of the Sekhemas in Act 2. The trial is not difficult, so complete it within the level range of 20-30. During the early access of Path of Exile 2, you have the option between Stormweaver and Chronomancer. This choice is permanent and should be made with your endgame build in mind!

Stormweaver

The Stormweaver is the most popular class due to the damage increases within its Ascendancy nodes. The Arcane Surge nodes are beneficial to any build, making the Stormweaver a flexible choice for the endgame. Allocate Ascendancy points to obtain Constant Gale and then Force of Will.

Chronomancer

The Chronomancer is not usually recommended due to the lack of any damage increases. The benefits are instead based on survivability. Allocate Ascendancy points to obtain Temporal Rift and then Time Freeze.

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Progression Basics

Path of Exile II’s campaign is not meant to be taken lightly. The best way to get gear while leveling is by checking the vendors every time you visit a town after leveling up. The gear you can get from vendors scales with your level, making it a great option for finding upgrades, especially weapons. 

Check for the following items from vendors:

1. Staves with a focus on Levels to Cold / All Skills and Cold / Spell Damage. A Wand and Focus combination can provide more stats, but obtaining 2 optimal items is more difficult while leveling.
2. Any gear with Maximum Life, Resistances, or Energy Shield.

Crafting currency can be used on decent gear, but keep in mind that you might be able to trade currency for better items. Consider searching the trade site to buy upgrades with your Exalted Orbs, especially for weapons.

Do not forget to pick up loot and vendor it for gold. Gamble the gold at vendors for a chance at receiving gear upgrades, focusing on your most outdated items.

Kill enemies in groups to gain experience efficiently. Skipping too many enemies can cause you to be under-leveled, putting you at a disadvantage later on.

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Act I

Start your new character by picking up Spark from the chest in the first zone, and then craft Frost Bomb with your first Level 1 Uncut Skill Gem in town. Frost Bomb deals massive damage for a Level 1 Skill, at the cost of a cooldown. Support Frost Bomb with Controlled Destruction and Magnified Effect to clear Act 1. Lure groups of enemies into the explosion to kill them in one hit.

Frostbolt (Level 3) and Cold Snap (Level 5) should be obtained by the end of Act 1. Do not socket Scattershot into Frostbolt until you have Cold Snap, as it reduces single-target damage output for projectiles. Only a single projectile can deal damage to an individual target per cast of Frostbolt.

Mana Remnants can be activated once you obtain 30 total Spirit from defeating The King in the Mists (Freythorn, Act 1).

By the end of Act 1, achieve the starter Gem Setup listed below:

Skill Gems	Support Gem 1	Support Gem 2
Frost Bomb	Controlled Destruction	Magnified Effect
Frostbolt	Scattershot	Arcane Tempo
Cold Snap	Unleash	Concentrated Effect
Mana Remnants	–	–

Frost Bomb is the main source of damage output during Act 1. Once you obtain Frostbolt and Cold Snap, utilize the following starter Skill Rotation to optimize damage output:

1. Against bosses and tough elites, cast Frost Bomb on them to apply Cold Exposure for maximum damage output.
2. Cast Frostbolt to launch 3 projectiles.
3. Aim Cold Snap on Frostbolt projectiles or Frozen enemies to explode them.

Passive Tree during Act 1:

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Act 2

Continue through Act 2 to craft Hypothermia (Level 7 Uncut Skill Gem) and Frost Wall (Level 9 Uncut Skill Gem). Lesser Jeweller’s Orb starts dropping from Level 25 monsters to unlock the third socket on Frostbolt and Cold Snap. These 2 Skills are used together as the main source of damage instead of Frost Bomb, so reallocate its Support Gems.

Search monster drops and vendors for a Chiming Staff (Level 25) to equip in your second weapon set for access to Sigil of Power. The affixes on the Chiming Staff do not matter, as it is only briefly swapped to cast Sigil of Power.

The added/moved Support Gems are numbered in order of crafting priority.

Skill Gems	Support Gem 1	Support Gem 2	Support Gem 3
Frost Bomb	–	–	–
Frostbolt	Scattershot	Magnified Effect	1. Controlled Destruction
Cold Snap	Unleash	Concentrated Effect	2. Arcane Tempo
Hypothermia	3. Heightened Curse	4. Persistence	–
Frost Wall	5. Fortress	6. Second Wind	–
Sigil of Power	–	–	–
Mana Remnants	–	–	–

Hypothermia and Frost Wall are added to the Skill Rotation when maximum damage is needed against bosses. Pre-cast Frost Wall before a boss fight if the boss takes time to spawn. Time Hypothermia to erupt as a boss becomes attackable.

Follow the main questline to gain access to the Trial of the Sekhemas. Complete the trial to ascend the class of your character.

Passive Tree during Act 2:

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Act 3

Level 2 Uncut Support Gems start to drop from monsters in Act 3. Add Spell Echo, Considered Casting, Strip Away, Rising Tempest, and Ritualistic Curse to the Skill Gem setup.

The Level 2 Support Gems are numbered in order of crafting priority.

Skill Gems	Support Gem 1	Support Gem 2	Support Gem 3
Frost Bomb	1. Spell Echo	2. Considered Casting	3. Strip Away
Frostbolt	Scattershot	Magnified Effect	Controlled Destruction
Cold Snap	Unleash	Concentrated Effect	Arcane Tempo
Frost Wall	Fortress	Second Wind	4. Rising Tempest
Sigil of Power	Persistence	–	–
Blasphemy	Hypothermia	5. Ritualistic Curse	–

Switch Mana Remnants to Blasphemy supported by Hypothermia once you obtain 60 Spirit from defeating The King in the Mists (Freythorn, Act 1) and Ignagduk (The Azak Bog, Act 3). Hypothermia is automatically applied by Blasphemy and no longer needs to be cast.

Follow the main questline to gain access to Ultimatum in the Temple of Chaos. Complete Ultimatum to gain 2 additional Ascendancy points.

Passive Tree during Act 3:

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Progressing Beyond Act 3

Level 3 Uncut Support Gems start to drop from Level 53 monsters in Cruel Act 2. Progress towards the final Skill Gem setup as you unlock the rest of the sockets with Greater and Perfect Jeweller’s Orbs.

Replace Controlled Destruction with Ambush to support Frostbolt once you start obtaining Critical Hit Chance nodes in the passive tree.

The final changes are highlighted and numbered in order of priority.

Skill Gems	Support Gem 1	Support Gem 2	Support Gem 3	Support Gem 4	Support Gem 5
Frost Bomb	Spell Echo	Strip Away	5. Ingenuity	–	–
Frostbolt	Scattershot	Magnified Effect	1. Considered Casting	2. Ambush	3. Cold Mastery
Cold Snap	Unleash	Concentrated Effect	Arcane Tempo	4. Elemental Focus	7. Mobility
Conductivity	Heightened Curse	Ritualistic Curse	8. Cursed Ground	–	–
Frost Wall	Fortress	Second Wind	6. Rising Tempest	–	–
Sigil of Power	Persistence	–	–	–	–
Archmage	–	–	–	–	–

Replace Blasphemy with Archmage once you obtain 100 Spirit from boss rewards during the campaign. Defeat The King in the Mists (Act 1, Normal Difficulty) and Ignagduk (Act 3, Normal and Cruel Difficulty) for the base Spirit rewards.

Equip your Curse Skill back on the Skill Bar and cast it against bosses to deal more damage. Use Conductivity instead of Hypothermia once you have enough Maximum Mana for Archmage, causing your Skills to deal more Lightning damage than Cold damage.

In the Passive Tree, reallocate some of the Increased Damage nodes to start scaling Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike Damage. Increased Damage diminished in value as it is stacked, and scaling crit results in a higher damage output.

Passive Tree at the end of the campaign:

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Rotation

The Frostbolt and Cold Snap combo deal enough damage to kill most groups of enemies. Utilize the full Skill Rotation to optimize damage output against bosses:

1. Precast Frost Wall against bosses that take time to spawn.
2. Precast Sigil of Power for a damage buff.
3. Apply Conductivity, which can be precast when supported by Cursed Ground.
4. Cast Frost Bomb to apply Cold Exposure for maximum damage output. Recast Frost Bomb whenever its cooldown is refreshed, as it deals a significant amount of damage.
5. Cast Frostbolt to launch 3 projectiles.
6. Aim Cold Snap on Frostbolt projectiles or Frozen enemies to explode them.

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Gearing Progression

The Frostbolt Sorceress build equips item upgrades to enhance damage and survivability during the campaign. A Staff provides a significant increase in damage output while leveling. Equipment with Energy Shield base types are ideal to increase survivability early while leveling. The Energy Shield is eventually converted to Mana by Eldritch Battery once you feel comfortable enough with your other layers of defense.

Offensive Gear

The most important item equipped is your Staff (or Wand and Focus later on). Prioritize the following stats on your weapons, in order of importance:

1. Levels of Cold / All Spell Skills
2. Increased Cold / Spell Damage
3. Cast Speed
4. Maximum Mana

Defensive Gear

Prioritize the following stats on armor and jewelry to increase survivability, in order of importance:

1. Maximum Life
2. Maximum Mana
3. Resistances
4. Energy Shield

Socketables

Insert Runes into gear for additional stats while leveling. Prioritize Runes that provide any resistances you are lacking the most. Mind Rune (+10 to Maximum Mana) and Inspiration Rune (15% increased Mana Regeneration Rate) are also viable options.

Dismantle unwanted equipment with sockets dropped from monsters at the Salvage Bench to obtain Artificer’s Orbs. Use the crafting material to add sockets to equipped gear.

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Campaign Buffs

Quest rewards during the campaign offer a selection of buffs to your character. Choose the following buffs for the build:

• Valley of the Titans Altar
  1. 15% increased Mana Recovery from Flasks
  2. 15% increased Life Recovery from Flasks
• Venom Draught
  1. 25% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
  2. 10% Chaos Resistance

For more details, check the guide on Campaign Difficulties and Permanent Stat Bonuses.

Flasks and Charms

Throughout leveling, you will frequently find various charms and flasks. Make sure to swap them out for upgrades.

Prioritize the following Flasks and Charms:

• Health and Mana Flasks
  • Prefix: Increased Amount Recovered
  • Suffix: Increased Charges or Increased Charges Gained
• Charm: Stone Charm or Thawing Charm.

Progressing into Endgame

This guide is designed to get you into early-tier maps. To progress this build further, continue to the Frostbolt Comet Sorceress Endgame Guide.

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Changelog

March 28th, 2025: Guide created for Path of Exile II, Early Access