Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2) is a game known for its complexity and deep customization, offering a variety of playstyles and builds. One such powerful and intriguing build is the Permafrost Bolt Witchhunter, a POE 2 Currency character that combines devastating cold damage, high burst potential, and crowd control. This build is particularly strong for players who enjoy scaling their damage and creating large, frozen zones in combat, while maintaining excellent survivability.

The Witchhunter class is the foundation of this build, focusing on spellcasting, elemental damage, and utilizing cold-based skills. By leveraging Permafrost Bolt, a unique cold spell, this build can dominate both single-target bosses and large packs of enemies in PoE 2's vast world. With the right gear, passives, and proper planning, the Permafrost Bolt Witchhunter is a force to be reckoned with.

Key Features of the Build

Permafrost Bolt Skill: At the core of this build is the Permafrost Bolt, a cold spell that sends out projectiles that deal significant damage to enemies and create zones of freezing cold upon impact. This freezing effect significantly slows enemies, providing crowd control while dealing massive cold damage. The scaling of Permafrost Bolt's damage comes from increasing cold damage, spell damage, and critical strike chance.

Elemental Focus: As this build revolves around cold damage, it's important to stack elemental damage modifiers as well as cold-specific bonuses. You'll want to focus on increasing your cold damage, critical strike chance, and spell damage through the passive tree, gear, and ascendancy nodes. Additionally, ensuring that you have a solid Elemental Focus setup for extra elemental penetration is crucial to take down bosses and tougher enemies.

Critical Strikes & Freeze Chance: Critical strikes are a cornerstone of the Witchhunter’s damage output. This build can easily reach high critical strike chances, especially when paired with Cold Damage and Critical Multiplier modifiers. Moreover, the chance to freeze enemies is another big selling point. With the right gear and support gems, the freezing chance can go up significantly, making this build perfect for controlling large groups of enemies and shutting down powerful bosses.

Survivability: Witchhunter's high evasion and energy shield nodes make it a resilient character. As the Permafrost Bolt Witchhunter relies on range, it's best to maintain a safe distance from enemies. Investing in Life and Energy Shield Leech and defensive gear such as Flasks of Freeze Immunity or Flasks for Elemental Resistances is important for staying alive during tough encounters.

Passive Tree & Ascendancy Choices

Witch Class Passive Tree: Focus on cold damage, critical strike, spell damage, and mana regeneration nodes. Prioritize nodes that enhance your elemental damage, energy shield, and spellcasting speed.

Ascendancy - Occultist: The Occultist ascendancy is the most suitable for this build, granting a bonus to cold damage, increased freeze chance, and curse effectiveness. Specific notable nodes include Forbidden Power (for increased energy shield and spell damage) and Forbidden Flesh (for additional cold damage bonuses).

Gear and Jewels

For gear, focus on items that enhance cold damage, spell damage, and critical strike chance. Ideal weapons would be Wands or Scepters, while Rings and Amulets should prioritize +cold damage, crit chance, and resistances. Energy Shield-based gear and Evasion will help you survive tougher encounters. Jewels with increased cold damage, freeze chance, and crit multiplier will make a significant impact.

Conclusion

The Permafrost Bolt Witchhunter build is an exceptional choice for Path of Exile 2 players who enjoy cold-based, high-damage spells with a buy POE 2 Divine Orbs focus on crowd control. This build shines in both solo play and group content, offering explosive damage, excellent freeze potential, and solid survivability. With the right gear, passive tree, and strategic use of Permafrost Bolt, you’ll dominate PoE 2’s challenges in style!