The PoE Glacial Hammer is a formidable melee strike skill that focuses on converting physical damage to cold damage, allowing players to freeze enemies while dealing massive amounts of damage. In this Build, we will explore the unique strengths of the Glacial Hammer build and provide tips on how to maximize its potential. Whether you're a seasoned player or new to the game, this build offers an exciting and powerful playstyle worth exploring.

• PoB Link
• Understanding the Glacial Hammer
• Amplifying the Freeze Effect
• Increasing Damage Taken
• Choosing the Right Gear
• Aura and Frenzy Charges
• Defensive Measures

↖ PoB Link

https://pobb.in/_rSkLBictuik

↖ Understanding the Glacial Hammer

Compared to other popular builds like Lightning Strike or Molten Strike, the Glacial Hammer may appear slightly weaker at first glance. However, it boasts a unique combination of features that make it a top-tier attack damage melee skill. With its base attack speed and the ability to convert 100% physical damage to cold damage, the Glacial Hammer offers excellent damage potential and freeze effects.

↖ Amplifying the Freeze Effect

To enhance the Glacial Hammer's freeze effect, it's crucial to leverage support gems like Ruthless and Multistrike. These gems increase the chance to freeze enemies and enable stronger shock effects, especially when combined with the Cause Suffering skill. Additionally, investing in passive skill trees that offer increased non-damage elemental effects will further amplify the skill's shock potential, making it even more effective against formidable foes, including Uber bosses.

↖ Increasing Damage Taken

One important aspect of the Glacial Hammer build is the ability to stack increased damage taken on enemies. Many players overlook this layer of damage, but it can significantly boost your overall DPS. This effect can be obtained through skills like Shock and Cause Suffering, as well as by inflicting chill or freeze effects through critical strikes. Additionally, utilizing skills like Elemental Weakness, Combustion Support, and the Trinity Self-Cast can help decrease enemy resistances, thereby increasing the damage they take.

↖ Choosing the Right Gear

To maximize damage output, it's crucial to equip suitable weapons and accessories. The ideal weapon for the Glacial Hammer build is a staff or scepter with high physical damage, attack speed, and critical strike chance. Crucible of Flame is a recommended skill to apply to your shield, as it provides a significant boost to cold damage. Combining Mark of the Elder and a Redeemer-influenced ring can also provide valuable bonuses to damage and other essential stats.

↖ Aura and Frenzy Charges

To further enhance your damage potential, utilizing auras like Hatred, which amplifies cold damage, is crucial for a physical-to-cold conversion build. Additionally, obtaining The Watcher's Eye with increased damage modifiers can further boost your damage output. Frenzy charges play a vital role in this build, as they provide increased attack speed and more damage. By utilizing ascendancy and passive skill trees, you can stack up to 168% increased damage, 80% increased attack speed, and 32% more damage with a full frenzy charge.

↖ Defensive Measures

While the Glacial Hammer build focuses primarily on offense, it's also essential to consider defensive measures. With up to 90% physical damage reduction when stacking frenzy charges and the Iron Reflexes keystone, this build provides a significant amount of mitigation. The chance to avoid being stunned and the ability to freeze enemies frequently ensure that you can handle tough encounters. However, it's important to account for the 11% chaos resistance reduction and consider utilizing Pantheons like Arakaali and Shakari for added protection.

Conclusion:

The Glacial Hammer build offers a thrilling playstyle combining devastating damage and freezing effects. By converting physical damage to cold and leveraging various damage amplification techniques, you can unleash incredible power on your enemies. While maintaining a strong focus on offense, the build also provides a solid amount of defense, making it a well-rounded choice for players who enjoy freezing foes and the shadow class.