Cast on Critical Strike (colloquially known as CoC) builds have long been one of the iconic build archetypes in Path of Exile, offering an engaging and very unique experience that can tear through maps and decimate bosses with little effort.
Cast On Critical Strike Support reigned triumphantly as one of the most potent and entertaining build archetypes in the 3.11 Harvest league, but changes to the Thread of Hope gem have shaken up its defenses somewhat. This guide has received a considerable overhaul for Patch 3.12 Heist League and remains a heavyweight bosser despite some light nerfs, continuing to return as a potent powerhouse ready to leave a frozen wake of shattered enemies.
Build Assessment
Pros
- Incredible damage output
- Well-rounded defenses
- Melts all types of content; Bosses, Mapping, Delving, Labyrinth, etc.
- Extremely fast clear speed
- Extremely fast kill times (Uber Elder, Sirus, Aul the Crystal King, Mastermind, etc.)
- High movement speed
- Viable as both league starter and league finisher — functions a budget, but has plenty of investments to continually elevate the build
Cons
- Moderate cost required to get rolling in the end-game (Cospri’s Malice Cospri’s Malice, Chaos Innoculation)
- Cyclone requires careful forethought on some bosses as it can lock you into movement
- Can feel squishy when league starting or if you cannot afford baseline gear
gems
Below, the entire setup for gem links is available, with recommendations for optional gems included.
Chaos Innoculation
- Cast On Critical Strike Support Ice Nova 6-Link
Increased Critical Strikes Support should be used instead of Added Cold Damage Support if your Critical Strike is below 85% effective chance with full buffs and power charges in Path of Building
- Cyclone
- Cyclone is a channeling attack skill that rapidly hits all enemies in a circular area around the player. Cyclone gains stages during channeling that increase its base radius. The player can move while channeling Cyclone.
- Awakened Cast On Critical Strike Support
- In addition to better numerical stats than the base version it does offer the benefit of granting increased cooldown recovery speed to supported spells.
- Ice Nova
- Ice Nova is a spell that deals cold damage in an area around the caster. If the player has any active Frostbolt projectiles, Ice Nova will be cast around those projectiles instead.
- Awakened Added Cold Damage Support
- Awakened Added Cold Damage Support is the awakened variant of Added Cold Damage Support obtainable as a rare drop from Veritania, the Redeemer or Sirus, Awakener of Worlds.
- In addition to better numerical stats than the base version it does offer the benefit of increasing the level of supported cold skill gems by 1.
- Hypothermia Support
- Hypothermia is a support gem that grants supported skill gems more damage with hits against chilled enemies, more cold damage over time, increased chill effect, and a chance to freeze enemies that are already chilled.
- Inspiration Support
- Inspiration Support is a support gem that reduces the mana cost of linked skills. When the supported skill is used, it grants an Inspiration charge, which grants more elemental damage and critical strike chance. You lose all Inspiration Charges after you spend a certain amount of mana.
- Cospri’s Malice Ice Nova 3-Link
This link triggers automatically, with the Frostbolts providing additional spawns for Ice Nova and Vortex Life Leech Support is not required, but does add a lot of defensive smoothing that is recommended. Frozen Trail is used to create additional Frostbolts.
- Frost Bomb
- Frost Bomb is a cold spell that places an orb that releases pulses that reduce cold resistance, life regeneration, and energy shield regeneration. It will rapidly pulse before it explodes, dealing cold damage in an area.
- Frostbolt
- Frostbolt is a cold spell that fires a slow-moving projectile which pierces all targets. Frostbolt can interact with Ice Nova and Vortex, allowing those spells to be cast from Frostbolt projectiles instead.
- Ice Nova
- Auras 3-Link
These are socketed in the recommended Socketed Gems have 15% reduced Mana Reservation shield.
- Vaal Discipline (Discipline active)
- Vaal Discipline is a vaal aura that prevents Energy Shield recharge being delayed by damage for the player and their allies.
- Hatred
- Hatred is an aura that provides extra cold damage based on the physical damage of the caster and their allies and more cold damage.
- Enlighten Support (Level 3 or 4 — Level 4 allows you to run a higher level Precision elsewhere)
- Enlighten is a support gem that has no modifiers, and its sole function is having a mana multiplier less than 100%.
- Vortex 4-Link
- Vortex
- Vortex is a cold spell that explodes for cold damage in an area around the character and leaves a ground effect that chills and deals heavy cold damage over time. If the player has any active Frostbolt projectiles, Vortex will be cast on those projectiles instead.
- Bonechill Support
- Bonechill Support is a support gem that provides damage bonuses, mostly for cold damage over time, against enemies that are standing on chilled ground created by the supported skill, or have been chilled by the supported skill.
- Awakened Curse On Hit Support
- Awakened Hextouch Support is the awakened variant of Hextouch Support obtainable in maps.
- Frostbite
- Frostbite is a spell that curses all targets in an area, making them less resistant to cold damage and giving cold damage a chance to freeze.
- Herald of Ice 4-Link
You can use any gem in the fourth link, from Summon Stone Golem to Portal. Remember that if it will be affected by the support gems and cost additional Mana to run, you might want to unlink the fourth socket.
- Herald of Ice
- Herald of Ice is Herald skill. It reserves mana to grant added cold damage to attacks and spells and causes frozen enemies you’ve shattered to deal cold damage in an area around it.
- Increased Critical Strikes Support
- Increased Critical Strikes Support is a support gem. Any skills linked to this gem will have an increased chance of scoring a critical strike.
- Awakened Increased Area of Effect Support
- Awakened Increased Area Of Effect Support is the awakened variant of Increased Area of Effect Support obtainable in maps.
- Player’s Preference
- Mobility Skill 4-Link
Feel free to substitute your preferred mobility skill as you see fit.
- Dash
- Dash is a skill which causes the user to quickly move in the target direction.
- Second Wind Support
- Second Wind Support is a support gem that allows the linked skill with a cooldown to store an additional use and gives it increased cooldown recovery speed.
- Arcane Surge Support (Level 2)
- Arcane Surge Support is a support gem that grants the Arcane Surge buff when the total mana spent reaches a threshold.
- Precision (as high a level as you can comfortably run it)
- Precision is an aura that adds accuracy and critical strike chance to the caster and nearby allies.
Life Based Version
- Cast On Critical Strike Support Ice Nova 6-Link
This is our primary link, and the first one you should aim to fully upgrade with 20% Quality and/or Level 21 gems. The sixth gem is very flexible, and should be adjusted based on the content you are doing. Having a white socket(s) from Vorici’s Syndicate rewards can be very useful in allowing you the greatest degree of flexibility.
- Cyclone
- Cast On Critical Strike Support
- Cast on Critical Strike (commonly referred to as CoC) is a support gem that causes linked spells to trigger when the player scores a critical strike with the attack skill it is linked to.
- Ice Nova
- Increased Critical Strikes Support
- Hypothermia Support
- Player’s Preference
Here are a few options for the sixth link, once you acquire it:
- Fortify Support: The best option for defense and stability. Your damage will be more than enough to deal with T15/T16 bosses, and it feels great against the Syndicate. A good option for players farming to reach Level 100.
- Increased Area of Effect Support: The best option for clear speed on some maps, particularly the more open layouts.
- Concentrated Effect Support: Highest possible damage option, at the expense of clear speed. Recommended to swap in for very tanky bosses, such as Uber Elder, Shaper/Guardians, or Aul, the Crystal King.
- Increased Critical Damage Support: A great all-purpose option for damage if you prefer not to gem swap.
- Cospri’s Malice Ice Nova 3-Link
- Frostbolt
- Ice Nova
- Life Leech Support
- Auras 4-Link
This is one of the most important links in the build, and it greatly boosts our general defenses and survivability.
- Vaal Discipline (Discipline active — only with recommended Watcher’s Eye Watcher’s Eye) OR Flesh and Stone
- Enfeeble
- Enfeeble is a spell that curses all targets in an area, lowering their damage, accuracy and critical strikes. Enfeeble does not reduce the amount or accuracy of reflected damage, because reflect is not based on defender’s stats. Enfeeble is an intelligence gem (blue) despite its green icon art and green debuff.
- Blasphemy Support
- Blasphemy is a support gem that converts supported curse gems into an aura.
- Enlighten Support (Level 3/4)
- Enlighten is a support gem that has no modifiers, and its sole function is having a mana multiplier less than 100%.
- Vortex 4-Link
This can also be reduced to a 3-Link if necessary, for example, if you worked in an extra gem such as Decoy Totem, or you were using a pair of Bubonic Trail Bubonic Trails with 2 Abyssal sockets.
- Vortex
- Bonechill Support
- Unbound Ailments Support (all round) OR Vaal Righteous Fire (maximum boss damage — do not activate Righteous Fire)
- Arcane Surge Support (Level 6)
- Additional Auras and Cast when Damage Taken Support
Precision can be leveled up or down depending on how much Mana you have unreserved and how much Accuracy you need to stay capped at 100%.
- Herald of Ice
- Precision (Level 5)
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