Crowd ControlEndgamerangedseason 3

Ice Shards Sorcerer Endgame Build Guide for Diablo 4 (Season 3)

Freeze, shatter, and conquer the world of Sanctuary!

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Lexyu

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Ice ShardsFlame ShieldFrost NovaDeep FreezeIce ArmorTeleport


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Shotgun Sorcerer with Ice Shards

The Ice ShardsIce Shards Sorcerer build releases a barrage of projectiles to shotgun enemies. It is designed to inflict substantial damage in both single target and Area of Effect (AoE) situations. The build revolves around the Enchantment effect to auto-cast Ice Shards at Frozen enemies. When used in combination with Aspect of Piercing ColdAspect of Piercing Cold, enemies can be hit with multiple piercing Ice Shards at once.

The build can also be transformed into a speed farming powerhouse. With TeleportTeleport Enchantment and Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite, the Sorcerer can zoom through dungeons for quick experience and loot. Check the Telestomp Variant Section for all the details. Alternatively, our Blizzard Sorcerer build guide clears a bit slower than Ice Shards, but is capable of higher DPS once ramped up.

This is a strong endgame build for Sorcerer, but it is not a viable starting build. Level a new character with a build in the Sorcerer Leveling Guide. We recommend having all offensive Aspects and Sacred/Ancestral Rare Items with Cooldown Reduction and Mana Cost Reduction before making the switch. Check the Gear Section below for more details.

Video Guide

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths
  • High burst damage
  • Fast dungeon clearing
  • Multiple Defensive Skills and crowd controls for survivability
Weaknesses
  • Damage reliant on crowd controlled enemies or staggered bosses
  • Requires proper mana and cooldown management
  • Lacks survivability when Defensive Skills or crowd controls are inactive

To see how this build compares to the other builds on our site, you can check out our build tier lists.

Build Requirements

Required Aspects

Ice ShardsIce Shards drains Mana quickly when spammed and requires specific gear to perform well without a Basic Attack. We recommend starting with our Chain Lightning Leveling Guide to begin a new Sorcerer character, then transitioning to the Chain Lightning Endgame Guide at Level 50. Collect the required items listed below before attempting to switch to this Ice Shard Sorcerer build.

  • A Focus with Mana Cost Reduction and Lucky Hit Chance to Restore Primary Resource
  • An Amulet with Mana Cost Reduction and Cooldown Reduction
  • A Helm with Maximum Mana and Cooldown Reduction
  • Boots with Mana Cost Reduction
  • Gloves with Lucky Hit Chance to Restore Primary Resource
  • Aspect of Piercing ColdAspect of Piercing Cold

While these items are minimum requirements, being prepared with all the aspects and the priority affix gear listed in this build will make the switch easier.

Season of the Construct

Season 3 Patch Updates

The following list details the changes in the Season 3 Update (Patch 1.3.0) that may pertain to Ice Shards Sorcerers. Check the Changelog for all the other guide updates.

  • Fixed an issue where the ProtectionProtection passive did not take into account any bonuses to Barrier generation.
  • Melted Heart of SeligMelted Heart of Selig
    • All Stats increased to 2x normal value.
    • Core Skill Damage changed to Movement Speed.
    • Damage While Healthy increased to 3x normal value.
    • Unique Power Changed
      • Previous: Gain 30 Maximum Resource. In addition, when you take damage, drain 3 resources for every 1% of life you would have lost instead.
      • New: Gain 60 maximum Resource. 75% of incoming damage drains 2 Resource for every 1% of Life you would have lost instead.

Best Seneschal Construct Companion Powers

The Season 3 theme introduces a Seneschal Construct Companion that can deal damage or provide support to complement your character. Equip the Seneschal with two Governing Stones to activate their abilities, and then link them to three Tuning Stones each to augment the abilities. There are 12 different Governing Stones and 27 different Tuning Stones that can be found in Vaults scattered across Sanctuary. Fuse together duplicate stones to level them up, increasing the potency of Governing Stones or adding augments to Tuning Stones.

Listed below is the best Seneschal Construct Companion setup for Ice Shards Sorcerers. The first 2 Governing Stone setups are equipped for the construct to support the player. The 3rd setup is equipped for the construct to deal high damage on its own. Although only 3 Tuning Stones can be linked to each Governing Stone, alternative options are provided and sorted in order of importance.

  1. Flash of Adrenaline: Administers a quick flash of adrenaline into the player, granting bonus damage for a duration.
    • Genesis: Increase the effectiveness of the supported Skill.
    • Tactical Support: Decrease the cooldown of the supported Skill.
    • Duration Support: Supported Skills have their durations increased.
    • Fortify Support: When the Seneschal Construct uses the supported Skill, you gain Fortify. Skills with slower attack speeds or skills with cooldowns will increase the amount of Fortify granted.
  2. Impale: Perform a line attack to all enemies in front of the Seneschal Construct dealing damage. — This attack setup is used for a supportive construct, buffing the player to deal more damage.
    • Evernight: The supported Skill grants you +4 to all Skills when used.
    • Resource Support: Player gains an amount of Primary Resource when the supporting Skill first deals damage.
    • Efficiency Support: When the supporting skill deals damage, you gain Critical Strike Chance to the same targets hit.
    • Safeguard Support: When used, the supported Skill grants Damage Reduction to you.
  3. Firefly: Deploy a small construct that lands on the target and explodes 3 times, dealing damage. — Replace the Impale setup to enable more damage output from the construct.
    • Multishot Support: Supported Projectile skills launch additional projectiles.
    • Piercing Support: The supported Projectile Skill will pierce multiple enemies.
    • Seeking Support: The supported Projectile Skill will auto-seek enemies for a limited duration.

Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar

Skill Bar Setup for Ice Shards Sorcerer (order does not matter)
Ice Shards Ice Shards Frost Nova Frost Nova Teleport Teleport Ice Armor Ice Armor Flame Shield Flame Shield Deep Freeze Deep Freeze

The following tables show the full allocation of Skill Points for the Ice Shards Sorcerer build. The first table has the most important 51 points to start the build. The second table has the remaining 7 points that are allocated once you obtain all Skill Points from Renown.

Priority SkillsCluster
Fire BoltFire Bolt Level 2 (not on Skill Bar, only for Enchantment Slot)Basic SkillBasic Skill
Ice ShardsIce Shards Level 5, Enhanced Ice ShardsEnhanced Ice Shards, Greater Ice ShardsGreater Ice Shards
(Switch to Destructive Ice ShardsDestructive Ice Shards once you have more than 100% Vulnerable Damage)
DevastationDevastation Level 1, Elemental DominanceElemental Dominance Level 3
Core SkillCore Skill
TeleportTeleport Level 1, Enhanced TeleportEnhanced Teleport, Shimmering TeleportShimmering Teleport
Frost NovaFrost Nova Level 1, Enhanced Frost NovaEnhanced Frost Nova, Mystical Frost NovaMystical Frost Nova
Ice ArmorIce Armor Level 1, Enhanced Ice ArmorEnhanced Ice Armor, Shimmering Ice ArmorShimmering Ice Armor
Flame ShieldFlame Shield Level 1, Enhanced Flame ShieldEnhanced Flame Shield, Mystical Flame ShieldMystical Flame Shield
Glass CannonGlass Cannon Level 3
Elemental AttunementElemental Attunement Level 1
Defensive SkillDefensive Skill
Align the ElementsAlign the Elements Level 1, Mana ShieldMana Shield Level 3, ProtectionProtection Level 2Conjuration SkillConjuration Skill
Deep FreezeDeep Freeze, Prime Deep FreezePrime Deep Freeze, Supreme Deep FreezeSupreme Deep Freeze
PermafrostPermafrost Level 3, HoarfrostHoarfrost Level 3, Icy TouchIcy Touch Level 3, Frigid BreezeFrigid Breeze Level 3
Ultimate SkillUltimate Skill
AvalancheAvalancheKey PassivesKey Passives

Remaining Renown PointsCluster
Inner FlamesInner Flames Level 1, Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze Level 3Mastery SkillMastery Skill
Precision MagicPrecision Magic Level 3Conjuration SkillConjuration Skill

Alternative Skills

Deep FreezeDeep Freeze is useful as a panic button in emergencies or as another source of Freeze when Frost NovaFrost Nova is on Cooldown. The Cooldown Reduction on Supreme Deep FreezeSupreme Deep Freeze also synergizes well with the 4 Defensive Skills.

The default Skill Tree is our best setup for general farming activities. Alternatively, Deep Freeze can be replaced with the following Skills.

  • Glinting Frost BoltGlinting Frost Bolt can be used to generate Mana if you run into resource problems. Proper Mana Cost Reduction and Maximum Mana should be enough resource management, so Frost BoltFrost Bolt should only be used as a temporary solution.
  • InfernoInferno has a vortex pull that can be helpful for grouping enemies, especially if you are lacking Raiment of the Infinite.
  • BlizzardBlizzard can be used to eventually Freeze enemies after a 5 second duration. This becomes an unnecessary cast if you have enough damage to kill enemies quickly.
  • MeteorMeteor can apply Immobilize with Wizard's MeteorWizard’s Meteor to gain more damage from Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze. The vortex pull from Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite makes it easier to land Meteor on an entire pack of enemies. While this setup is capable of dealing higher DPS, it is not needed unless you are pushing Nightmare Tiers well above your own level. For general farming purposes, Meteor is an unnecessary extra step in the rotation.

Enchantment Slots

Non-Ultimate Skills can be equipped in two available Enchantment Slots. However, a skill must have at least one skill point allocated to it in order to be used in the Enchantment Slot. Skill points that have been granted through gear work as well.

Slot Ice ShardsIce Shards in the first Enchantment Slot for automatic casts at Frozen enemies. TeleportTeleport Enchantment is equipped instead in the Telestomp build variant.

Slot Fire BoltFire Bolt in the second Enchantment Slot. This applies Burning to enemies for Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze and Burning effect bonuses from Paragon. Do not equip Fire Bolt on the Skill Bar.

Paragon

The Paragon progression system unlocks after reaching Level 50, and offers a considerable boost to character power. Within the Paragon Board, there are many different bonuses, ranging from minor stat enhancements on Magic Nodes to more significant gains with Rare Glyphs and Legendary Nodes.

Important Notes:

  • Additional Bonus requirements on Rare Glyphs may not be obtainable until they gain increased radius range at Level 15.
  • Attach Legendary Boards in the correct order. Bonus requirements of Rare Nodes increase with their placement order.
  • Make sure you rotate Legendary Boards into the correct orientation.

The list below contains the most beneficial Rare Glyphs and Legendary Nodes for the Ice Shards Sorcerer build, sorted in the order obtained in the final Level 100 Paragon Tree. The images that follow provide a visual of each Paragon Board setup.

NameEffect
DestructionDestruction• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal + [19.2%] increased Critical Strike Damage.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
Critical Strikes increase all damage the enemy takes from you by x2% for 10 seconds, up to x12%.
Elemental SummonerElemental SummonerYour Conjuration Skills have 10% reduced Cooldown or Mana cost. They also deal bonus Damage equal to x5% of the total amount of your Bonus Damage with Cold, Fire, and Lightning. (Legendary Node not used)
FlamefeederFlamefeeder• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal + [9.6%] increased damage to Burning targets.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
You deal x10% increased direct damage to Burning enemies.
Burning InstinctBurning InstinctYour Burning damage deals bonus damage equal to x10% of the total amount of your Critical Strike Damage bonus, plus x1% for every 25 Intelligence you have.
(Legendary Node not used)
ReinforcedReinforced• Grants + [120%] bonus to all Rare nodes within range.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Willpower purchased in radius range):
You gain 15% Damage Reduction while you have an active Barrier.
Frigid FateFrigid FateYou deal bonus damage to Vulnerable enemies equal to x10% of the total amount of your Bonus Damage with Cold, up to a maximum of x30%.
ExploitExploit• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal + [7.7%] increased damage to Vulnerable targets.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
Dealing damage to a Vulnerable enemy increases your damage by x1% for 6 seconds, up to x10%.
Enchantment MasterEnchantment MasterYou deal bonus damage to Vulnerable enemies equal to x10% of the total amount of your Bonus Damage with Cold, up to a maximum of x30%. (Legendary Node not used)
ControlControl• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal + [14.4%] increased damage to Crowd Controlled targets.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
You deal x10% increased damage to Slowed or Chilled enemies or, instead, x20% increased damage to Stunned or Frozen enemies.
IcefallIcefallYour Frost skills deal x15% bonus Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable enemies. This bonus is doubled against Frozen enemies who are Vulnerable.

1. Starting Board (Destruction)

2. Elemental Summoner (Flamefeeder)

3. Burning Instinct (Reinforced)

4. Frigid Fate (Exploit)

5. Enchantment Master (Control)

6. Icefall

Paragon Board images courtesy of d4builds.gg. Click this link for the Paragon planner.

Mechanics and Playstyle

The Ice Shards Sorcerer requires careful management of resource and multiple cooldowns. Ice ShardsIce Shards deliver powerful single target damage and can pierce through multiple enemies with Aspect of Piercing ColdAspect of Piercing Cold.

Casting Frost NovaFrost Nova to freeze an entire pack of enemies automatically casts Ice ShardsIce Shards at them with the Enhancement effect. This barrage of piercing projectiles shotguns tougher enemies, hitting them multiple times at once! Mystical Frost NovaMystical Frost Nova applies Vulnerable in case you are not using Destructive Ice ShardsDestructive Ice Shards.

Greater Ice ShardsGreater Ice Shards provides the 25% increased damage to Frozen enemies when you have Barrier, even against bosses that are immune to Freeze. Multiple sources of Barrier are used, including Ice ArmorIce Armor, ProtectionProtection and Prime Deep FreezePrime Deep Freeze. Rotate your cooldowns to keep Barrier active as often as possible.

AvalancheAvalanche is the preferred Key PassivesKey Passives since this build needs more single target damage for tough elites and bosses. Alternatively, ShatterShatter can be used to clear groups of enemies faster.

Use Deep FreezeDeep Freeze as a last resort Freeze.

Damage Rotation

Use the following rotation to optimize damage.

  1. (Optional) Use TeleportTeleport to close the gap and position yourself next to any elites.
  2. Cast Frost NovaFrost Nova to Freeze the entire pack of enemies.
  3. Activate Flame ShieldFlame Shield for 25% Mana Cost Reduction.
  4. Spam Ice ShardsIce Shards at the toughest enemy.
  5. Activate Ice ArmorIce Armor for 25% Mana Regen.
  6. (Optional) Cast Deep FreezeDeep Freeze during difficult fights to become Immune and reset Cooldowns.
  7. Repeat the rotation, making sure to allow Mana to fill completely before using Frost NovaFrost Nova.

Gear Choice and Stats

While farming with your Ice ShardsIce Shards Sorceress, make sure to pick up all Rare Item drops that may be upgrades. Additionally, save Legendary Items that have useful aspects in your stash to be used later, or for extracting and imprinting onto well rolled Rare Items.

Starting Gear Requirements

Collect the required gear before you make the switch to Ice Shards Sorcerer. Wait until you have at least Sacred Items from World Tier 3 with all the possible Cooldown Reduction and Mana Cost Reduction mods.

A Wand and Focus are preferred over a Staff for the extra Cooldown Reduction rolls. A Focus has a Cooldown Reduction implicit, as well as a possible affix mod. Get at least 25% Cooldown Reduction before starting the build. There are 2 Cooldown Reduction rolls on a Focus, in addition to a roll on Helm and Amulet.

Mana Cost Reduction is also an important stat to spam more Ice ShardsIce Shards. It can be found on a Focus, Amulet, and Boots. Get at least 25% Mana Cost Reduction before starting the build. In addition, Maximum Mana on Rings and Helm allows for more casts above 100 Mana for Elementalist's AspectElementalist’s Aspect. Lucky Hit Chance to Restore Primary Resource on Focus and Gloves is another way to generate Mana along with Frigid BreezeFrigid Breeze.

Higher Item Level gear provides higher stat values. Replace outdated gear often, and upgrade new gear at the Blacksmith to increase Item Levels further.

Stat Priority List

Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear for Ice Shards Sorcerers. Each line of affixes are listed in order of importance. Affixes on the same line are considered to be equally important, but their benefits may vary depending on how much is stacked or other character stats. Bolded stats are the most important and sometimes vital for the build to function properly.

The priority order of Resistances is Lightning > Poison > Fire > Cold > Shadow. Maximum Resistance is 70% by default for each element and can be increased to 85% by various sources.

Gear SlotImportant Affixes
Wand+ Intelligence, All Stats
+ Damage to Close Enemies, Core Skill Damage, Vulnerable Damage
+ Critical Strike Damage
+ Damage to Burning Enemies, Damage to Stunned Enemies
Focus+ Cooldown Reduction, Mana Cost Reduction, Lucky Hit Chance to Restore Primary Resource, Critical Strike Chance
+ Resource Generation, Damage Reduction from Burning Enemies
+ Lucky Hit Chance, LHC while You Have a Barrier, Crowd Control Duration, Intelligence
Helm+ Cooldown Reduction, Maximum Mana, Armor, Resistances
+ Barrier Generation, Maximum Life
+ Lucky Hit Chance while you Have a Barrier, Intelligence, Crowd Control Duration
Chest+ Armor, Damage Reduction, DR from Close Enemies, DR from Burning Enemies
+ DR from Distant Enemies, Resistances, Maximum Life, Barrier Generation
Gloves+ Ranks of Ice Shards, Attack Speed, Critical Strike Chance, Lucky Hit Chance to Restore Primary Resource
+ Lucky Hit Chance, Intelligence
+ Critical Strike Chance Against Injured Enemies
+ Damage to Injured Enemies
Pants+ Damage Reduction, DR from Close Enemies, DR from Distant Enemies, DR from Burning Enemies
+ Maximum Life, Armor, Resistances
+ Intelligence, Dodge Chance, DC Against Close Enemies
Boots+ Mana Cost Reduction, Movement Speed
+ Ranks of Frost Nova, Ranks of Teleport, Resistances
+ Intelligence, Dodge Chance and DC Against Distant Enemies
+ Damage Reduction while Injured
Amulet+ Cooldown Reduction, Mana Cost Reduction, Ranks of the Devouring Blaze Passive
+ Ranks of All Defensive Skills
+ Ranks of Glass Cannon, Elemental Dominance, Hoarfrost, Permafrost or Icy Touch Passive
+ Movement Speed
+ Armor, Damage Reduction, DR from Burning Enemies, DR from Distant Enemies, DR from Close Enemies
+ Lucky Hit Chance while You Have a Barrier
+ % Intelligence
+ Critical Strike Chance Against Injured Enemies
+ Crowd Control Duration
+ Frost Skill Damage
Rings+ Critical Strike Chance, Maximum Life, Resource Generation, Maximum Mana, Barrier Generation
+ Lucky Hit Chance, Vulnerable Damage, Damage to Close Enemies

Legendary Aspects and Codex of Power

Listed below are all the best-in-slot Aspects found on Legendary Items that are important for the Ice Shards Sorcerer build. Aspects from the Codex of Power can be used if you cannot find the proper Legendary drops, but they have weaker effects. Extract Aspects from lower level Legendary Items and imprint them onto better Rare Items with preferred stats.

Aspect of Piercing ColdAspect of Piercing Cold is a core part of the Ice Shards Sorcerer build, as it enables Ice ShardsIce Shards to shotgun enemies with multiple projectiles. You can find this Aspect in the Dead Man’s Dredge dungeon, located in the Fractured Peaks.

Frostblitz AspectFrostblitz Aspect seems like it has a bad tradeoff of increasing the Cooldown on Frost NovaFrost Nova, but it has an unexpected interaction (possible bug) with Enhanced Frost NovaEnhanced Frost Nova. The Cooldown effect double dips when you have 2 maximum charges, reducing Cooldown by 2 seconds for every kill, up to 8 seconds total. This interaction makes Frostblitz AspectFrostblitz Aspect worth using when it normally would not be used.

Aspect of Frozen MemoriesAspect of Frozen Memories is decent for reducing mana consumption, but it doesn’t increase overall DPS as much as other Offensive Aspects with separate damage multipliers. The total damage increase of Aspect of Frozen MemoriesAspect of Frozen Memories is around 10%. Use Aspect of RetributionAspect of Retribution instead once you have Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite (see Telestomp Variant Section).

Aspect of Binding EmbersAspect of Binding Embers provides Immobilize to activate more damage from Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze. In addition, the unhindered movement helps if you get stuck on monsters with the Telestomp Variant.

Prodigy's AspectProdigy’s Aspect can be used on a Ring instead of Conceited AspectConceited Aspect if you are struggling with Mana sustain. You lose out on a 25% separate damage multiplier with this setup, so it is more ideal to get the necessary Mana Cost Reduction and Maximum Mana instead.

Accelerating AspectAccelerating Aspect provides Attack Speed for more DPS, but the increase becomes diminished with other sources of stacking Attack Speed from Gear, Paragon, and Elixir. Mana is also drained faster with Attack Speed. Use Offensive Aspects with separate damage multipliers instead, such as Conceited AspectConceited Aspect and Storm Swell AspectStorm Swell Aspect.

Gear SlotAspect NameLegendary Aspect Power
Amulet (+50% bonus effect)Elementalist's AspectElementalist’s AspectCore or Mastery Skills cast at or above 100 Mana gain a [20.0 – 40.0%] increased Critical Strike Chance.
Ring Slot #1 (replaced by Tal Rasha's Iridescent LoopTal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop)Edgemaster's AspectEdgemaster’s AspectSkills deal up to [10 – 20%] increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource.
Wand, Focus, Gloves or Ring Slot #2Aspect of Piercing ColdAspect of Piercing ColdIce ShardsIce Shards pierce 3-4 times, dealing 25% less damage per subsequent enemy hit.
Wand, Focus, Gloves or Ring Slot #2Storm Swell AspectStorm Swell AspectYou deal x [21 – 30%] increased damage to Vulnerable enemies while you have a Barrier.
Wand, Focus, Gloves or Ring Slot #2Aspect of Frozen MemoriesAspect of Frozen MemoriesThe Avalanche Key Passive now applies to 1 additional cast.
Wand, Focus, Gloves or Ring Slot #2Conceited AspectConceited AspectDeal [15 – 25%] increased damage while you have a Barrier active.
Chest (gets replaced by Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite)Aspect of FortuneAspect of FortuneYour Lucky Hit Chance is increased by [10 – 20%] while you have a Barrier active.
HelmAspect of DisobedienceAspect of DisobedienceYou gain [0.6 – 1.1%] increased Armor for 4 seconds when you deal any form of damage, stacking up to [36 – 66%].
Pants (optional replacement with Tibault's WillTibault’s Will)Frostblitz AspectFrostblitz AspectFrost Nova gains an additional Charge but the Cooldown per Charge is increased by [40 – 30%].
BootsAspect of Binding EmbersAspect of Binding EmbersFlame Shield lets you move unhindered through enemies. Enemies you move through while Flame Shield is active are Immobilized for [2.0 – 3.0] seconds.

Unique Items

Listed below are the recommended and optional Unique Items for this build.

  • Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite (Highly Recommended): This Unique Chest Armor synergizes well with this build to group and Stun enemies. Check the Telestomp Variant section for more details.
  • Tal Rasha's Iridescent LoopTal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop (Highly Recommended): This Malignant Unique Ring can provide a 45% multiplier with 3 elemental damage stacks for a maximum DPS setup.
  • Harlequin CrestHarlequin Crest (Recommended Uber Unique): This powerful Uber Unique provides the best of offensive and defense, if you are lucky enough for it to drop from Uber Duriel. Remove Frostblitz AspectFrostblitz Aspect and keep Aspect of DisobedienceAspect of Disobedience on Legendary Pants.
  • Melted Heart of SeligMelted Heart of Selig (Recommended Build Variant): This Uber Unique is used in the Immortal Build Variant to survive difficult content.
  • Tibault's WillTibault’s Will (Optional): The unique effect provides a huge separate damage multiplier if rolled at 40% and can be worth using. Alternate activations of the damage buff with TeleportTeleport and Flame ShieldFlame Shield. Equip Tibault’s Will with caution, as it only has 1 Damage Reduction affix out of the possible 4 available on Legendary Pants.

Not Recommended Unique items

Listed below are the Unique Items not recommended for this build and the reasons they are not worthwhile.

  • The OculusThe Oculus – The random Teleport location is a major downside. The unique affix, Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown, can be obtained as an implicit affix on Legendary Boots instead. The Telestomp Variant is a better setup that already allows for permanent stun-locking and non-random Teleport locations. In addition, a Legendary Weapon provides much more DPS with damage affixes and an Offensive Aspect.
  • Fists of FateFists of Fate – A perfect 300% value on the unique effect increases overall damage by 50%. Unfortunately, you still lose total DPS compared to well-rolled Legendary Gloves with +4 Ranks to Ice ShardsIce Shards, Attack Speed, Critical Strike Chance and an Offensive Aspect.
  • FrostburnFrostburn – Not recommended for the same reason as Fists of FateFists of Fate, except the DPS loss is even greater.
  • Iceheart BraisIceheart Brais – The occasional Frost Nova on enemy death should not be needed, and it does not help while moving from pack to pack. Legendary Pants provide more important Damage Reduction affixes and a Defensive Aspect.

Weapon Swapping Technique

Quickly changing equipment for a specific task is called Gear Swapping. Ice Shards Sorcerers are dependent on applying Crowd Controls to deal most of their damage, and Staggered bosses count as being affected by all Crowd Control effects. Therefore, staggering bosses quickly makes them much easier to defeat. Follow the strategy below for faster boss kills:

  1. Before starting a boss fight, swap to a Staff with Smiting AspectSmiting Aspect for more Stagger with Increased Crowd Control Duration. The previously equipped Wand and Focus should have Aspect of Piercing ColdAspect of Piercing Cold and Elementalist's AspectElementalist’s Aspect for this weapon swapping strategy. Increased Crowd Control Duration can also be found on a Helm.
  2. Use Frost NovaFrost Nova, TeleportTeleport with Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite, Flame ShieldFlame Shield with Aspect of Binding EmbersAspect of Binding Embers and Deep FreezeDeep Freeze to apply Stagger to the boss. If you have multiple charges of Frost Nova or Teleport, space their casts out for the duration of the Crowd Control to avoid a penalty to Stagger amount.
  3. Once the boss is Staggered or close to being Staggered, swap to a Staff with Aspect of ControlAspect of Control. An Amulet with Elementalist's AspectElementalist’s Aspect can also be swapped in for more DPS. Finish off the boss with all Crowd Control bonuses activated.

Watch the video on Weapon Swapping for gameplay and more details.

Gems

Listed below are the best Gems to socket into gear for each slot type.

  • Weapon: Royal EmeraldRoyal Emerald for Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies.
  • Armor: Royal RubyRoyal Ruby for Maximum Life or Royal TopazRoyal Topaz to prevent deaths from chain Crowd Controls.
  • Jewelry: Royal SkullRoyal Skull for Armor or Individual Resistance Gems for Resistances that are not already capped at 70%. The priority order of Resistances is Lightning > Poison > Fire > Cold > Shadow.

Elixirs and Health Potions

Visit the Alchemist in any main town to craft helpful Elixirs that increase stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Make sure to forage plants and pick up the necessary crafting materials during your adventures; they randomly spawn around the world.

Listed below are the best Elixirs to consume, ranked by importance. Elixirs that are not available at the Alchemist can only be found as drops. Open Splitting Steel and Mystery Chests in Helltides to farm non-craftable Elixirs.

  1. Iron Skin ElixirIron Skin Elixir (non-craftable): Essential to cap Armor against high level enemies, especially in Tier 100 Nightmare Dungeons. Alternatively, Heady Iron Barb ElixirHeady Iron Barb Elixir can be crafted at the Alchemist.
  2. Elixir of ResourcefulnessElixir of Resourcefulness (non-craftable): Maximum Mana provides more buffer for casts above 100 Mana for Elementalist's AspectElementalist’s Aspect and Life protection with Melted Heart of SeligMelted Heart of Selig.
  3. Elixir of FortitudeElixir of Fortitude (non-craftable): Maximum Life increases Barrier amount and reduces Mana drain from Melted Heart of SeligMelted Heart of Selig.
  4. Elixir of Combatant FortuneElixir of Combatant Fortune (non-craftable): Lucky Hit Chance provides more Mana gains from Frigid BreezeFrigid Breeze.
  5. Heady Assault ElixirHeady Assault Elixir (craftable): Attack Speed allows for faster spamming of Ice ShardsIce Shards.
  6. Elixir of CrueltyElixir of Cruelty (non-craftable): Provides the highest source of Critical Strike Chance from an Elixir, if not already capped at 100%. Alternatively, Heady Precision ElixirHeady Precision Elixir can be crafted at the Alchemist.

Return to the Alchemist again when you reach Level 20, 30, 45, 60, 70, 80 and 90, to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.

Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer Build Variant

Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer is a Stun variant build created by Lexyu. It is designed to speed farm Normal or Nightmare Dungeons even faster for more experience and loot. Telestomping is the act of using TeleportTeleport offensively right on top of enemies to vortex and Stun them.

This version of the build requires the Unique Chest Armor, Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite. Target farm Raiment of the Infinite from the uber versions of Varshan and Lord Zir for the best chances of it dropping.

Evade is transformed into another Teleport with an Enchantment. Both Teleports Stun and group up enemies with Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite, allowing you to move quickly through dungeons while blowing up enemies with Ice ShardsIce Shards!

The Paragon setup remains unchanged from the original version of the build. All changes made for the Telestomp Variant are included in the sections below.

Skill Tree Points for Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer

With Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite, Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer makes changes to the Skill Tree Points for a faster speed farming setup. Non-essential enhanced nodes are removed from Ice ArmorIce Armor, Flame ShieldFlame Shield and Deep FreezeDeep Freeze to put more Skill Points into TeleportTeleport and Frost NovaFrost Nova for lower Cooldowns. If you run into Mana problems, you might need to keep Mystical Flame ShieldMystical Flame Shield and Enhanced Ice ArmorEnhanced Ice Armor.

Priority SkillsCluster
Fire BoltFire Bolt Level 2 (not on Skill Bar, only for Enchantment Slot 1)Basic SkillBasic Skill
Ice ShardsIce Shards Level 5, Enhanced Ice ShardsEnhanced Ice Shards, Greater Ice ShardsGreater Ice Shards
(Switch to Destructive Ice ShardsDestructive Ice Shards once you have more than 100% Vulnerable Damage)
DevastationDevastation Level 1, Elemental DominanceElemental Dominance Level 3
Core SkillCore Skill
TeleportTeleport Level 1, Enhanced TeleportEnhanced Teleport, Shimmering TeleportShimmering Teleport
Frost NovaFrost Nova Level 1, Enhanced Frost NovaEnhanced Frost Nova, Mystical Frost NovaMystical Frost Nova
Ice ArmorIce Armor Level 1
Flame ShieldFlame Shield Level 1
Glass CannonGlass Cannon Level 3
Elemental AttunementElemental Attunement Level 1
Defensive SkillDefensive Skill
Align the ElementsAlign the Elements Level 1, Mana ShieldMana Shield Level 3, ProtectionProtection Level 2
Precision MagicPrecision Magic Level 3
Conjuration SkillConjuration Skill
Inner FlamesInner Flames Level 1, Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze Level 3Mastery SkillMastery Skill
Deep FreezeDeep Freeze
PermafrostPermafrost Level 3, HoarfrostHoarfrost Level 3, Icy TouchIcy Touch Level 3, Frigid BreezeFrigid Breeze Level 3
Ultimate SkillUltimate Skill
AvalancheAvalancheKey PassivesKey Passives

Remaining Renown PointsCluster
TeleportTeleport +4 Levels
Frost NovaFrost Nova +2 Levels
Defensive SkillDefensive Skill

Enchantment Slots for Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer

Ice ShardsIce Shards is replaced by TeleportTeleport in the Enchantment Slots to make use of the Stun on Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite. Auto-casted Ice Shards are no longer necessary when Damage Per Second (DPS) is high enough. The extra Teleport that replaces Evade also benefits from additional Ranks to Teleport, Cooldown Reduction and Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown implicit effect on Boots.

Fire BoltFire Bolt stays in the other Enchantment Slot, due to the strong benefits of Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze and Burning Effects from Paragon. Ice ShardsIce Shards could be kept instead, but would require more changes in the Skill Tree and Paragon.

Mechanics and Playstyle for Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer

Stun provides an alternative way to Crowd Control (CC) enemies, reducing the dependency on Frost NovaFrost Nova for Freezing. Most enemies can be killed with 1 or 2 casts of Ice ShardsIce Shards after telestomping them (teleporting on top of enemies to vortex them and stun). Reserve Frost Nova for tougher elites and larger groups of enemies.

Use the Evade TeleportTeleport foremost and often, as the Cooldown is easily reduced with the Boots implicit effect, Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown by 1.2 Seconds. Make sure to upgrade the Boots 5 times to get the highest effect possible. Use the normal Teleport on the Skill Bar as a backup whenever Evade Teleport is unavailable. Get into a rhythm of telestomping a group of enemies from a distance to engage, spamming Ice ShardsIce Shards, and then moving on to the next pack to repeat.

Gear Choices for Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer

Most of the stat priorities stay the same for the Telestomp version of Ice Shards Sorcerer. The major differences are listed below.

  • Boots with the implicit effect, Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown by 1.2 Seconds, are required.
  • +4 Ranks to Teleport is preferred in addition to +4 Ranks to Frost Nova on Boots.
  • +3 Ranks to All Defensive Skills on the Amulet is more important than before.
  • Aspect of Frozen MemoriesAspect of Frozen Memories is replaced by Aspect of RetributionAspect of Retribution for more damage to Stunned enemies.
  • Use Aspect of Binding EmbersAspect of Binding Embers on Boots for unhindered movement if you get stuck on monsters after telestomping.
  • A Staff with Smiting AspectSmiting Aspect can be swapped to in order to stagger Bosses quickly.

Immortal Ice Shards Sorcerer Build Variant

The Immortal Ice Shards Sorcerer requires Melted Heart of SeligMelted Heart of Selig, an Uber Unique Amulet that has an extremely low chance to drop from Uber Duriel. The Unique effect turns Mana into a defensive resource that protects your Life, in addition to Barrier. Combined with Maximum Mana and Resource Generation, this setup makes you insanely tanky. The Immortal build variant is highly recommended to survive difficult content, such as Tier 100 Nightmare Dungeons or endgame seasonal content. If you are lucky enough to find the Melted Heart of Selig, continue with the following changes to the original version of the Ice Shards Sorcerer!

Changelog

  • February 5th, 2024: Seneschal Construct Companion Powers section updated with an optional setup for construct damage.
  • January 28th, 2024: Seneschal Construct Companion Powers section updated.
  • January 22nd, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3 (Patch 1.3.0).
    • Seneschal Construct Companion Powers section added.
    • Barrier Generation updated in the Stat Priority List due to the ProtectionProtection passive bug fix.
  • December 6th, 2023: Tears of Blood Unique Glyph added to Paragon section.
  • December 4th, 2023:
  • November 15th, 2023: Paragon Board images added.
  • November 11th, 2023: Barrier Bug mentioned and Barrier Generation affix lowered in Stat Priority List.
  • November 9th, 2023: Tal Rasha's Iridescent LoopTal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop added to Unique Item section.
  • November 1st, 2023: Resistances added to Stat Priority List and Gem sections.
  • October 27th, 2023: TacticianTactician switched to ReinforcedReinforced in the Paragon setup for more survivability.
  • October 26th, 2023:
    • Minor adjustment to Aspect priority.
    • New item, Tibault's WillTibault’s Will, added to Unique Item section.
  • October 23th, 2023:
    • Vampiric Power setup reevaluated.
    • Stat Affixes for Rings reevaluated.
  • October 17th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 2 (Patch 1.2.0).
  • September 18th, 2023: Build Requirements section added.
  • August 20th, 2023: Not Recommended Unique Items section redone. Added The OculusThe Oculus to the list.
  • August 15th, 2023: Caged Heart of Tal'RashaCaged Heart of Tal’Rasha fixed in Patch 1.1.2 to be correctly calculated as multiplicative instead of additive. Malignant Heart Tier List adjusted accordingly.
  • August 9th, 2023: Malignant Heart rankings reevaluated for Patch 1.1.1 changes.
  • July 18th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1.
  • July 14th, 2023: Stat Priority List reevaluated.
  • July 9th, 2023: Weapon Swapping section added.
  • July 3rd, 2023: Paragon optimized with ElementalistElementalist replacing ImbiberImbiber for more damage with a 15% separate multiplier.
  • June 29th, 2023: Aspect of Binding EmbersAspect of Binding Embers added as an option on Boots.
  • June 28th, 2023: New video guide added.
  • June 27th, 2023: New Paragon video covering the entire setup added.
  • June 25th, 2023: Paragon for both versions of the build optimized further. Frigid Fate moved to the
  • 2nd board position to make the bonus requirement for Rare Nodes providing Vulnerable damage easier to fulfill.
  • June 21st, 2023: Made several updates.
    • Frostblitz AspectFrostblitz Aspect added after discovering Enhanced Frost NovaEnhanced Frost Nova reduces Cooldowns twice as much while having 2 maximum stacks.
    • Mana ShieldMana Shield Level 3 included in Skill Tree for more survivability.
    • Frost NovaFrost Nova reduced by 2 Levels and ProtectionProtection reduced by 1 Level.
    • The Telestomp variant has been created and added to the bottom of the page.
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