Winter Orb is a channelling skill gem. Channel to conjure an orb above you, which pelts nearby enemies with projectiles that impact the ground and explode. Channelling for longer builds up stages on the skill. When you stop channelling, the stages decay over a duration.

 

Quick Jump

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • + Awesome clearspeed
  • + Really budget / SSF friendly
  • + Smooth gameplay
  • + OK DPS
  • + No complicated mechanics

Cons

  • - Not many defensive layers, gotta move to avoid damage
  • - Gotta cast WO every 7s
  • - Inpulsa is EXPENSIVE but not mandatory

 

Skill Tree 

Ascendancy

Pendulum of Destruction -> Mastermind of Discord -> Paragon of Calamity -> Shaper of Desolation

Pantheons

The Pantheon List

  • Major: Soul of the Brine King
  • Minor: Soul of Gruthkul

Passive Tree

 

Gems Setup

Main setup: Winter's Orb + Efficacy + GMP + Ice Bite + Controlled Destruction (5L) + Conc Effect (6L)

you can switch efficacy for add cold damage if you don't mind casting WO more often. 

Orb of Storms + Curse on Hit + Frostbite + Increase Area of Effect

Whirling Blade + Faster Attacks + Fortify

Herald of Ice + Innervate + Ice Bite + Increased Crit strikes

Herald of Thunder + Curse on Hit + Assassin's Mark

CWDT + Immortal Call + Increased Duration

Arctic Armour or Vaal Haste

 

Gear

What to look for on rare gear?

  • Life
  • Resistances
  • Crit chance / multiplier
  • Flat cold / Lightning damage

Suggestions of unique gear

Helmets: Starkonja, Rat's Nest, Lightpoacher

Armour: Inpulsa, Loreweave, Carcass Jack, QotF

Weapons: Divinarius

Boots: Atziri's Step, Sin Trek

Rings: Berek's Grip, Snakebite, Essence Worm

Flasks

  • Blood of the Karui
  • Taste of Hate (luxury)
  • Atziri's Promise
  • Diamond Flask with Freeze immunity
  • Quartz Flask with Bleeding immunity

Example Overview

Divinarius * 2 

30% increased Global Critical Strike Chance
68% increased Spell Damage
82% increased Critical Strike Chance for Spells
+10 Life gained on Kill
+5 Mana gained on Kill
10% increased Area of Effect

Carcass Jack

140% increased Evasion and Energy Shield
+66 to maximum Life
+11% to all Elemental Resistances
20% increased Area of Effect
48% increased Area Damage
Extra gore

Inpulsa's Broken Heart

+62 to maximum Life
31% increased Damage if you have Shocked an Enemy Recently
39% increased Effect of Shock
Shocked Enemies you Kill Explode, dealing 5% of
their Maximum Life as Lightning Damage which cannot Shock
Unaffected by Shock

Leather Belt

+26 to maximum Life
+77 to maximum Life
+20% to Fire Resistance
+34% to Cold Resistance
+35% to Lightning Resistance
12% increased Flask Mana Recovery rate

Shagreen Boots

Adds 1 to 120 Lightning Damage if you haven't Killed Recently
15% increased Evasion Rating
+84 to maximum Life
+39% to Fire Resistance
+40% to Cold Resistance
+33% to Lightning Resistance
8% increased Stun and Block Recovery
60% increased Evasion Rating

Starkonja's Head

20% increased Vortex Duration
50% reduced Damage when on Low Life
+64 to Dexterity
10% increased Attack Speed
25% increased Global Critical Strike Chance
106% increased Evasion Rating
+87 to maximum Life
150% increased Global Evasion Rating when on Low Life

Jade Amulet

+27 to Dexterity
15% increased Spell Damage
+22 to all Attributes
+67 to maximum Life
+68 to maximum Mana
+15% to all Elemental Resistances
+2 Life gained for each Enemy hit by your Attacks

Diamond Ring

25% increased Global Critical Strike Chance
+50 to maximum Life
9.7 Life Regenerated per second
+14% to all Elemental Resistances
+14% to Cold Resistance
0.4% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Mana

Move the mouse on the bold poe equipment to see needed mod

Berek's Grip

Flask:  Blood of the Karui, Taste of Hate, Atziri's Promise, Perpetual Diamond Flask of Heat, Quartz Flask

 

 

Leveling

The PoB has multiple trees for the leveling. Look at it.

Lvl 1 - Take Magma Orb or Freezing Pulse

Add Arcane surge when possible

Lvl 12 - Take Arc

Add Lightning damage, elemental focus, controlled destruction when possible. Level Winter's Orb on the side from lvl 28.

Lvl 40 - Switch to Winter's Orb + Herald of Ice.

Lvl 55 - Add Herald of Thunder when you pick your Second Ascendancy.