With PoE 3.13 Witch Occultist Vortex Cold Build, you can quickly levleing in a new league and transition to Vortex cheaply. This 3.13 Vortex build can start with a very low budget with possible upgrades with more currency.

 

Skill Tree

Ascendancy: Void Beacon → Frigid Wake → Vile Bastion → Malediction

Pantheon: Lunaris or Solaris, Gruthkul

Bandit: Kill All

Passive Tree & PoB

Path of Building Link: 

Level 88 CI version: 950k shaper dps 

https://pastebin.com/6GvwMBft

93 LL version (More Damage): 3.7m shaper dps (moderately expensive)
https://pastebin.com/aPwM9kZL

Occultist: Level 93 LL version (Tankier version): 2.7m shaper dps (moderately expensive)
https://pastebin.com/faB8nX5z

Level 96 CI version: 3m shaper dps (extremely expensive)
https://pastebin.com/ZQsKSUh2


 

Gems Setup

Body Armour

Shavronne's Wrappings:Vortex - Efficacy - Inspiration - Elemental Focus - Controlled Destruction - Swift Affliction

This is the priority of gems, inspiration is necessary to minimize Vortex's mana cost (which is pretty hefty). 

Helmet

Rime Gaze: Creeping Frost - Bonechill - Hypothermia - Spellslinger

At league start, just use a rare or regular Rime. Once the league is a few days/weeks in, grab a corrupted +2 cold, projectile, aoe, or duration.

Wand

36% increased Spell Damage
-------------------------------------------
92% increased Spell Damage
20% increased Cold Damage
+1 to Level of all Cold Spell Skill Gems
Can have up to 3 Crafted Modifiers
Trigger a Socketed Spell when you Use a Skill
+19% to Cold Damage over Time Multiplier

Storm Brand, Frost Bomb, and Orb of Storms.

It is required to have them in this order, with the wand "Trigger a socketed spell when you use a skill." This is solely for the EE proc and Frost Bomb debuff. Prioritize +1 to all cold spells, as this will scale globally with all of your damage spells. Ensure it has "Trigger a socketed spell when you use a skill" or an open suffix to craft it on. % Spell damage, % cold damage, % area damage, or % cold damage over time multiplier is icing on the cake but not required for endgame.

Shield

Prism Guardian: Malevolence + Zealotry + Hatred.

Ring

+14% to Cold and Lightning Resistances
------------------------------------------------
Adds 7 to 15 Cold Damage to Attacks
+40 to maximum Energy Shield
58% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
+44% to Fire Resistance
Curse Enemies with Frostbite on Hit, with 32% increased Effect

One ring must have Frostbite on hit curse for Profane Bloom to work. Prioritize resistances -> flat ES/% ES -> attributes -> % faster start of ES recharge.

Gloves

+53 to Intelligence
+16% to Cold Damage over Time Multiplier
129% increased Energy Shield
+40% to Fire Resistance
17% increased Stun and Block Recovery
+34 to maximum Energy Shield

Spellslinger + Frostbolt + Culling Strike, Vitality. Prioritize ES -> +% cold damage multiplier -> resistances.

Boots

Rainbowstride

First 2L: Flame Dash + Arcane Surge (level 5), Frenzy (Frenzy can be linked in or not, doesn't matter). Also, use the boots to put Discipline in, but don't link it to Arcane Surge, or the reservation cost will go up. Prioritize ES -> movement speed -> resistances. Rainbowstrides are a great option, but not best in slot for LL like they are for the league starter CI since you aren't grabbing Glancing Blows.

Amulet

+24 to Dexterity and Intelligence
-------------------------------------------
+20 to all Attributes
+24 to Strength
33% increased Mana Regeneration Rate
+1 to Level of all Cold Skill Gems
20% increased maximum Energy Shield

You can throw in a rare amulet or Presence of Chayula, depending if you want to cap off chaos resistance. For a rare, prioritize +1 to level of all cold skill gems/+1 to level of all intelligence skill gems -> % increased ES -> resistances -> attributes. If you're looking for the most damage and an empty wallet, you can opt for +1 to cold gems, +1 to int gems, or +% cold damage over time multiplier. Anoint "Tranquility" if you've got the cash, but "Command of Steel", "Sanctity", or "Flash Freeze" are good alternatives

Belt

There is no competing with Bated Breath. The cost is 1 alch, and it gives a ton of ES and survivability with 50% increased ES recharge rate.

Flask

  • Quicksilver
  • Rumi's Concoction
  • Cinderswallow Urn
  • Sulphur flask
  • Utility flask. This can be Quartz/Basalt/Jade/Granite/Resistances

Jewel

Large Cluster

1 Added Passive Skill is Deep Chill
1 Added Passive Skill is Widespread Destruction

Medium

1 Added Passive Skill is Self-Control
1 Added Passive Skill is Stalwart Commander

Frozen Trail, Intuitive Leap, Energy From Within

A large cluster with % cold damage, the lowest # of passives, and at least 2 notables should be your target. Preferable notables are % cold damage over time multiplier, Prismatic Heart, or Disorienting Display. The LL variation requires one medium jewel to have Self-Control on it- this is to reduce the Discipline reservation cost. The other medium can be % damage over time multiplier with Vile Reinvigoration and Brush with Death (or whatever you have is fine). It also requires at least 2% total reduced mana reserved corrupted modifier from jewels (just get 2 corrupted Frozen Trails) to get enough reservation.

 

Leveling

Tree progression: In general: prioritize %spell damage nodes to progress through the acts quicker. You can grab the life nodes that branch off the normal tree to avoid dying until you have higher ES gear, but I don't think its worth the respec. Grab CI at the end of act 7 / beginning of act 8 to avoid wiping the sewer floors with your face.

Gear Progression: Use any wands with high flat damage (Physical, Cold, Lightning, or Fire). Spellslinger uses the wands base damage and adds it to the spells damage. Having a decent, flat damage wand will help while leveling. For armor, prioritize flat life/flat ES.

Act 1

  1. Grab Freezing Pulse + Arcane Surge + Added Lightning Damage + Added Cold Damage until you can get Arc. Buy another Arcane Surge, this will be used in the Vortex setup in Act 3.
  2. Buy Power Siphon to be used later on with the Spellslinger setup. Frenzy is better if you have that instead to be used in Act 3.
  3. Buy Lesser Multiple Projectiles to be used in the Frostbolt setup later on. Don't use it (put it in alternate weapons or open gem slots to level as you progress).
  4. Buy Vitality and use it immediately. The amount of regen this provides early on is amazing.
  5. Grab Creeping Frost but don't use it (put it in alternate weapons or open gem slots to level as you progress). This is very important to do, or else your Creeping Frost will be way under-leveled by the time you can use it.
  6. Grab Flame dash and link it to Arcane Surge for more damage. Keep Arcane Surge at level 4 or lower. Swap Arcane Surge in your damage setup for another gem since you'll be using it in Flame Dash instead.
  7. Once you can get Arc, use the following links in priority: Arc + Added Lightning Damage + Added Cold Damage + Elemental Focus + Controlled Destruction + Faster Casting.

Act 2

  1. Continue using Arc.
  2. Make sure to grab 2x Controlled Destruction + 2x Elemental Focus when available and link one of each into Arc if you haven't already. The other Control Destruction/Elemental Focus will be used in the Creeping Frost Spellslinger setup later.
  3. Grab Wave of Conviction but don't use it (put it in alternate weapons or gem slots to level as you progress).

Act 3

  1. Grab Spellslinger ASAP. As soon as you grab Spellslinger, everything will become a joke. If you don't already have Vortex, temporarily link: Spellslinger + Arc + Added Lightning Damage + Controlled Destruction. Buy another Spellslinger and link it with: Spellslinger + Wave of Conviction (from earlier) + Added Lightning + Elemental Focus. Drop Vitality until you have enough mana reservation to use it (keep it in an alternate weapon or open gem slot to level still). You'll only have enough mana to use two 4L Spellslinger setups, do not try to link more than this. Spellslinger will trigger both spell setups with one attack. These two setups will be used until you have Vortex.
  2. Use the Spell Siphon you got earlier to trigger your Spellslingers. If you have Frenzy, use that instead. Neither have to be linked to Spellslinger to work, link them in a singular socket.
  3. After you complete "Sever the Right Hand", you'll have the option to grab a Vortex, grab it. Now the magic begins.
  4. Link Vortex + Controlled Destruction + Elemental Focus + Arcane Surge. DO NOT link Vortex with Spellslinger. Put Vortex on your left mouse button, so that it triggers automatically when you move. You can also put it on another button to manually trigger it.
  5. Now it's time to swap around the Spellslinger setups. For the first setup, link: Spellslinger + Frostbolt + Lesser Multiple Projectiles. For the second setup, link: Spellslinger + Creeping Frost + Controlled Destruction + Elemental Focus.
  6. Add Vitality back in if you have the mana.
  7. Buy Frostbite, but don't use it (put it in alternate weapons or open gem slots to level as you progress).
  8. Buy Discipline, but don't use it since you probably don't have the mana (put it in alternate weapons or open gem slots to level as you progress).
  9. Optionally, you can complete "A Fixture of Fate" to unlock all of the skill gems and follow the gem links section of the guide, but I personally don't think it's worth the time- I'd wait until A6.

Act 4

  1. Grab Hextouch Support and buy a Greater Multiple projectiles (if you have the dex) when possible.
  2. Link Frenzy (or Power Siphon if you don't have Frenzy) + Frostbite (gotten in Act 3) + Hextouch Support + Greater Multiple Projectiles (or Lesser Multiple Projectiles if you don't have the dex).
  3. Buy Bonechill Support when possible, swap out the Arcane Surge in Creeping Frost with Bonechill Support.

Act 5

MAKE SURE YOU GRAB FROZEN TRAIL. THIS IS MANDATORY. Put your Frozen trail gem in the jewel socket by Glancing Blows. One you have this jewel, remove the Lesser Multiple Projectiles from the Frostbolt setup

Act 6

  1. Complete Lily's quest so you can buy any skill gem you want. Buy Inspiration, Efficacy, and Swift Affliction. Swap out the Arcane Surge in the Vortex setup with Inspiration. Swap out the Controlled Destruction with Efficacy. Add in Swift Affliction if you have a 6L/Tabula.
  2. Buy Hypothermia from Lily, swap out Elemental Focus with Hypothermia in the Creeping Frost setup. This is to reduce the mana reservation cost.

Act 7

Nothing of note here. Continue.

Act 8

  1. The chaos degen in Doedre's Sewers is abysmal, by this point you should definitely have enough mana to put Vitality in. Make sure you do, or you'll have a bad time. Or, if you're real zesty, grab Chaos Inoculation (not recommended, at all).
  2. MAKE SURE YOU GRAB CONQUEROR'S EFFICIENCY. Socket it in the available jewel socket near Elemental Equilibrium or the left side of the tree.
  3. Add in Discipline when possible- swap out Vitality if you need to (but only after you pass Doedre's Sewers).

Act 9

Nothing of note here. Continue.

Act 10

Smack Kitava in the face, for your first deathless Kitava kill in a long time.