Quote (Ducko @ Jun 24 2025 06:33am)

This is a single pass run, so no farming any spots twice. Gotta work with what drops or what I can realistically achieve.

Quote (izParagonzi @ Jun 28 2025 05:49pm)

I am cracking up laughing and enjoying your run, it makes me feel nostalgic when I created my guide for a Strafe/Holy Freeze bowazon late in 1.09 / 1.10 and you are just repeating it like 23 years later.

Using a Cross bow like Burizza will make you feel slow and clumsy after using normal bows... dang, even Hellrack with mass elemental damage is great, however slower than a Slug in comparison.

If you are going to use Freezing Arrow as a support for Strafe, you will find out that Both of these will be your main Attacks, ensure you check out the synergies to Freezing Arrow... you don't (DO NOT) want to increase "time length" synergy, only Cold damage. try to find Razortail Belt and minimum 9 skill points to Pierce for 102% (100% Pierce)

Witchwild Bow is the optimum low end bow you want to use other than Windforce, you need KB... so Cleglaws Glove is great, easy to find low level, you can add KB in a socket for Witchwild bow (auto 2 sockets), find out your IAS BP for Strafe... 89% (90%) is the best, you don't need more. Oh, Guillames helm SUCKS on your bowazon, also the Mahim' Oaks Amulet (the one with +10 everything, is actually a great find, Atmas would be better)

I stated on page one that Valk is your best choice... glad you have come to realize this, and with your Merc... just max the Valk, not the synergies like Decoy... use the Decoy for distraction behind them (Valk/Merc) or on top of the boss... it helps.

Cold damage charms adds "Slow or Freeze" length (stacked) to NON Immunes or 0 Chill Effect (dolls, souls, gloams etc) monster types. This also applies when using Strafe... so forget about fire or lightning damage... one source of Poison damage can come in handy to stop monster or boss to regen, just like Open Wounds is also great.

Hope this helps, also have fun... oh... Nightmare diff Cows... if you find any small charms from them, these are the charms you WANT TO REROLL using Pgems for 3/20/20s. (EDIT:) they have a better chance to re-roll because of the ilvl/mlvl and alvl that ignores higher affixes and suffixes.

Quote (Ducko @ 28 Jun 2025 22:43)

Thank you for your thoughts.

Yea crossbow is noticeably slower. I'm not sure how slow buriza will be, but I'm inclined to still use it over harmony if it ever drops. More for coolness than the min maxing.

WWS primary problem will be that I'll be unable to upgrade it. I think that'd affect my damage a lot. It's still a good choice for Amp. Lower proc chance, but it affects a wider area and for longer.

Inget that guillaume isn't the best on a zon, since CB is halved for ranged attacks. But it's not like I have better alternatives at the moment. It's rotated with my 3 Ptopaz helm at the moment. Any suggestions?

About cold damage charms, I also did more research and realised that. That's why I'm prioritising stacking more sources of it.

Right now the playstyle is shoot freezing arrows against mobs while shooting random strafe in between to proc Amp. Then I'll switch to edge and spam strafe + repeat. Usually merc and valk can survive, but if the mobs are too much then I need to do some freezing.

Quote (izParagonzi @ 23 Mar 2009 08:28)

-=~@~=- Section Three -=~@~=-

Common Inventory Small Charms:
All Prefix/Suffix mods for charms link: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/magic/
.. For more life... Small Charm of Vita = 16-20 Life
.. For more res... Shimmering Small Charm = +3-5% to all resistences
....Combined... Shimmering Small Charm of Vita = +3-5% to all resistences / 16-20 Life (Perfect ones are called 5/20's or 20/5's)
.. For single res: Sapphire (cold) | Ruby (fire) | Amber (light) | Emerald (poison) Small Charm = 10-11% resistence
....Can be combined with: of Vita = 10-11 single res / 16-20 life.
.. For more Magic Find... Small Charm of Good Luck = 6-7% Magic Find
.. For more Physical Damage... Fine Small Charm = 1-3 damage / 10-20 attack rating
....Combined... Fine Small Charm of Good Luck = 1-3 damage / 10-20 attack rating / 6-7% magic find
.. Another combination... Fine Small Charm of Vita = 1-3 damage / 10-20 attack rating / 16-20 Life (Perfect ones are called 3/20/20's)
.. Another combination ... Fine Small Charm of Dexterity or Strength = 1-3 damage / 10-20 attack rating / 1-2 Dexterity or 1-2 Strength
..Skillers are a good option also... use the link to see what other mods you would like to use for your build

Name Branding: Other Inventory Setups:
I have decided to "Name Brand" Inventory Setups for the Frostmaiden, maybe they can be used with other builds.

The basic inventory items will be your torch, anni and cube, this will leave you with thirty three (33) single slots.
You can opt to include Gheeds for more mf, or one (1) or two (2) Skillers, this is upto your final setup and what you want to acheive.
You may even want to use Sharp Large Charm of Dexterity/Strength

Iron Frost/Icemaiden Inventory:... Suitable with Might/Pride Setup
33x Fine Small Charms of Winter are what you want to get best results.
Iron N Light Frost/Icemaiden Inventory:... Suitable with Might/Pride or Might/Infinity Setup
12x Fine Small Charms of Winter: Keeping a minimum freeze length of three (3) seconds in Hell Difficulty
21x Fine Small Charms of Storms: Added Ligtning Damage... Useful for the Infinity Merc (dependent on gaming area)
Ice Queen Inventory:... Suitable with Might/Infinity or Rogue/Faith Setup
33x Hybernal or Boreal Small Charms of Winter: Pure cold damage, hence her being the Queen and not a Maiden
Fire N Ice Maiden Inventory:... Suitable with Might/Infinity or Rogue/Faith Setup
12 to 16 Hybernal or Boreal Small Charm of Winter: High quantity of added cold damage and freeze length in Hell difficulty
17 to 21 Flaming or Smoking Small Charm of Incineration: Added Fire damage for those pesky Cold Immunes
Elementalist Frostmaiden Inventory:... Suitable with Might/Infinity or Rogue/Faith Setup
11x Hybernal or Boreal Small Charm of Winter
11x Flaming or Smoking Small Charm of Incineration
11x Shocking or Arcing Small Charm of Storms

Windforce Other Item Comparison Table:... Changing Trav's to Gores... Add 10 strength
This table only show some of the other items you can use, there are alot more not even mentioned. I will at a later date add in another table with some other setups.
IAS breakpoints based on either merc setups: Faith wielding Rogue and Might Aura Merc wielding Pride polearm

IAS Bps:
56 = 10fpa = 2.5 aps | 46 = 5/3/3/3/8 = 6.75 aps
89 = 9fpa = 2.77 aps | 80 = 5/3/3/3/7 fpa = 6.94 aps
147 = 8fpa = 3.12 | 120 = 4/3/3/3/7 fpa = 9.25 aps



ICE Runeword Comparison Table:... Changing Trav's to Gores... Add 10 strength
The following table is using the runeword ICE in a Grand Matron Bow, the items are setup for reaching certain IAS breakpoints only.
It is just a general information table for those that want to see it setout... yes you can opt for different items, like using ICE Matriachal Bow.
By using an MB you will be able to reach IAS breakpoints easier and use other items like Nightwings with a 5/5 cold facet inserted.



___________________________________________________

Some Examples of an IceQueen Setup
These setups are using as much cold damaging items as possible. They will all be using an A1 Rogue weilding a Faith Bow. The calculations are not including the physical damage of the bow... use the damage calculator if you want to check physical damage.

Ice GMB
...Nightwings ... insert a 5/5 cold facet
...Duress
...Ravenfrost
...Atmas
...Rare Ring: Dual Stat/Mana Leech
...Cleglaws
...Razortail
...Gore Riders

FRW: 30%
CSD+% to Cold Skill Damage: 38-50%
ECR: -25% to enemies cold resistences
CB: 30%
OW: 43%
Slow Target: 25%
KB: Yes
IAS: 20% (GMB)
...: With Faith Merc you reach 10fpa... 5/3/3/3/7 Strafe
Pierce: +33 (Razortail)
AMP: Yes

Cold Damage Total From Equipment:
76-216 cold dmg | 6.12 sec normal (1.53 sec Hell) Not Including Holy Freeze
Level 18 Holy Freeze: 15.3 y/radius | Slowed by 53% | 31-32 cold dmg (Aura) | 155-160 cold dmg to attack
213-220 @ 38% CSD
232-240 @ 50% CSD
Level 20 Holy Freeze: 16.6 y/radius | Slowed by 54% | 37-38 cold dmg (Aura) | 185-190 cold dmg to attack <-- Ice RW + Nightwings +2 All skill
255-262 @ 38% CSD
277-285 @ 50% CSD

Cold Damage Total From Equipment Including Holy Freeze:
289-436 Level 18 @ 38% CSD
308-456 Level 18 @ 50% CSD

331-478 Level 20 @ 38% CSD
353-501 Level 20 @ 50% CSD

IceQueen Inventory:
33x Hibernal Small Charm of Winter | 66 sec normal (16.5 sec Hell)
396-495 min TO 726-957 max cold damage <-- Total Inventory Cold damage

GA/Multi/Strafe cold damage
685-784 min TO 1162-1393 max cold damage (lvl18Holy Freeze 38% CSD applied only to skill cold damage)
704-803 min TO 1182-1413 max cold damage (lvl18Holy Freeze 50% CSD applied only to skill cold damage)

727-826 min TO 1204-1435 max cold damage (lvl20Holy Freeze 38% CSD applied only to skill cold damage)
749-848 min TO 1227-1458 max cold damage (lvl20Holy Freeze 50% CSD applied only to skill cold damage)

Freezing Arrow slvl20 + Synergy (Cold Arrow 20 hard points 240%):
1054-1088: No CSD

1171-1209: 38% CSD (Ice)
1209-1248: 50% CSD (Ice)

Freezing Arrow + Synergy + CSD + Inventory + Equipment
1856-1955 min TO 2371-2602 max cold damage (38% CSD/LvL18 Holy Freeze)
1913-2012 min TO 2430-2661 max cold damage (50% CSD/LvL 18 Holy Freeze)

1898-1997 min TO 2413-2644 max cold damage (38% CSD/LvL 20 Holy Freeze)
1958-2057 min TO 2475-2706 max cold damage (50% CSD/LvL 20 Holy Freeze)_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Hellrack... Socket with Shael/Shael= 60% IAS
...Laying of Hands ... Reaches final ias bp: 11fpa / Strafe 6/3/3/3/8
...Atmas
...Giant Skull ... Socket with 2x 5/5 Cold Facets
...Razortail
...Duress
...Ravenfrost
...Rare Ring: Dual Stat or Strength/Dual Leech ... Dual Leech a must
...Gore Riders

CSD+% to Cold Skill Damage: 10%
ECR: -10% to enemies cold resistences
CB: 40% Crushing Blow
OW: 43% Open Wounds
Slow Target: 0%
KB: Yes
IAS: 80% (Hell Rack shaeled x2 and LoH)
Pierce: +33 (Razortail) ... Pierce Skill level needs to reach level9 (after gear) for 100%
AMP: Yes

Cold Damage Total From Equipment:
163-578 | 6.24 sec normal (1.56 sec Hell)
The -% to ECR from the RBFs still applies, of course, as long as the monsters are not CI (Immune to Cold)

IceQueen Inventory:
33x Hibernal Small Charm of Winter | 66 sec normal (16.5 sec Hell)
396-495 min TO 726-957 max cold damage <-- Total Inventory Cold damage

GA/Multi/Strafe elemental damage
559-658 min TO 1304-1535 max cold damage added (CSD does not apply)
63-324 fire damage
63-324 light damage

Non Immunes or Magic/Poison Immunes only: 685-784 TO 1952-2183
Cold Immune: 126-648
Cold + Fire or Light Immune: 63-324

Freezing Arrow slvl20 + Synergy (Cold Arrow 20 hard points 240%):
1054-1088: No CSD
1159-1196: 10% CSD (2x Facets)

Freezing Arrow + Synergy + CSD + Inventory + Equipment
1718-1818 min TO 2500-2731max cold damage (10% CSD)
__________________________________________________________________


Buriza-Do Kyanon
...Nightwings
...Duress
...Ravenfrost
...Atmas
...Rare Ring
...Cleglaws
...Arachs
...Gore Riders
...2x Facets

CSD +% to CSD (Cold Skill Damage): 18-25%
ECR: -10% to enemies cold resistences
CB: 30%
OW: 43%
Slow Target: 35%
KB: Yes
IAS: 80% (Buriza)
...: Final Bp 11fpa 6/3/3/3/8 Strafe
Pierce: 100 (Buriza)
AMP: Yes

Cold Damage Total From Equipment:
132-450 | 14.24 sec normal (3.56 sec Hell)
The -% to ECR from the RBFs still applies, of course, as long as the monsters are not CI (Immune to Cold)

IceQueen Inventory:
33x Hibernal Small Charm of Winter | 66 sec normal (16.5 sec Hell)
396-495 min TO 726-957 max cold damage <-- Total Inventory Cold damage

GA/Multi/Strafe cold damage
518-627 min TO 1176-1407 max cold damage added (CSD does not apply)

Freezing Arrow slvl20 + Synergy (Cold Arrow 20 hard points 240%):
1054-1088: No CSD
1243-1283: 18% CSD
1317-1360: 25% CSD

Freezing Arrow + Synergy + CSD + Inventory + Equipment
1761-1870 min TO 2459-2690 max cold damage (18% CSD)
1835-1944 min TO 2536-2767 max cold damage (25% CSD)
______________________________________________________________