Lethal Necro Ice Critters Build Guide | Last Epoch: Unleashing the Frost

 

Unleashing the Frost: The Lethal Necro Ice Critters Build for Season 3

If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to command a frost-infused army of minions in Last Epoch, you’re in for a treat. Welcome to the Lethal Necro Ice Critters build for Season 3, where chilling cold damage meets absurd critical hits. This isn’t just another necromancer build—it’s a journey into a world where your minions don’t just hit hard; they strike with the force of a blizzard, every single time.

But wait—Season 3 has shaken things up, and while this build was already dominant in Season 2, we’ve got some fresh tweaks, new mechanics, and cold-blooded changes that will elevate this army to an entirely new level of destruction. Will the build still pack the same punch? Well, you're about to find out.

Building the Frosty Army: Minions with Cold Damage and Crits

Let’s get one thing straight: You’re here for the cold. And that’s exactly what this build delivers. We’ve got cold damage minions who don’t just attack; they always crit (or close to it). But the most exciting part? These crits hit like an avalanche. Why? Thanks to an insane 143% cold penetration, your minions will chew through resistance like butter. We’re talking about monsters that don’t just deal damage, they shatter the battlefield.

But how does this happen? Well, it’s all thanks to a mix of unique items, synergistic mechanics, and one key factor that makes this build so satisfying to play. Get ready for an arsenal of tools that transform your minions into frosty juggernauts, all while keeping them cool and collected—pun intended.

Season 3 Changes: Reworked Egoism Node and More

One of the first things you’ll notice in Season 3 is the reworked Egoism node in Dreadshade. Gone are the days of guaranteed crits for your minions. Instead, this new node grants 10% base crit chance and a 20% crit multiplier. While this sounds like a nerf at first, the good news is that Season 3 also gives us more ways to stack crit chance from other sources, including the Necromancer passive tree. So, even though your minions won’t always crit, they’re still critting a lot.

On top of that, minion power scaling has been massively increased. In short, your minions are now stronger by default, so they’re going to pack a punch even without the crits, making it feel like they’re still critting non-stop.

Core Minions: The Archmage and Golem

At the heart of this build are two key minions: the Archmage and the Golem. Both of these critters undergo a transformation through unique item synergies that convert their damage to cold. The Archmage gets its cold damage boost through the Pyromancer Snow in the mage tree, while the Golem has its damage turned into cold through the Death Chill Golem node in its tree.

But here’s the kicker: just having cold damage doesn’t cut it. The real magic happens when we add the Apogee of Frozen Light, a unique sword that gives us three additional skill levels for both our Archmage and Golem. This not only increases their cold damage but also chills attackers on hit and ramps up damage against chilled enemies. It’s the perfect piece to make our build go from decent to devastating.

Synergy with Infernal Shade and Chaos Bots

Now, let’s talk about the Infernal Shade skill. This ability is vital to giving our minions the edge. We specialize in the Manic Py node to ramp up the movement, attack, and cast speed of our minions—up to a whopping 72% increase. They get this speed boost in just seconds, allowing them to dish out damage faster than you can blink.

But wait—there’s more! We also use Chaos Bolts, but not for hitting enemies. No, no, no. We’re targeting our own minions. Why? Simple. Every time we hit them with Chaos Bolts, we apply the Revolution buff, which gives them 30% increased attack speed and 1 added spell damage per 20 max mana. So, by hitting your minions, you’re giving them a major DPS boost while also converting Ignite into Frostbite and Damnation into cold damage debuffs. The result? A cold-based rampage that’s hard to match.

The Lich's Scorn Catalyst: A Game-Changer

Now, let’s talk about the Lich’s Scorn Catalyst, which is arguably the keystone of this entire build. Dropped by Formosus, the Undying Boss, this item is a must-have. It converts Dreadshade’s necrotic damage buffs to cold, which synergizes perfectly with our cold-based minions. But that’s not all. It also gives your minions a chance to apply Frostbite on hit, increases freeze rate for a more reliable chill, and grants 1% cold penetration per intelligence. The more intelligence you stack, the harder your minions hit. So, stack it high and watch them obliterate enemies with cold fury.

Maximizing Cold Penetration with Intelligence

Speaking of intelligence, this stat is crucial for the build. Every point of intelligence gives 4% increased minion skill damage, 1% cold penetration, and 1 mana for more spell power. We’re looking to stack intelligence as much as possible, aiming for a massive 143 intelligence (and beyond, if you can manage it).

With intelligence boosting our cold penetration, we melt through enemy resistances. Combine that with minion crit multiplier, increased minion damage, and the minion cold penetration from the Undeath passive node, and you’ve got a build that feels almost unfair.

The Amulet: Buffing Minions with Crit Power

Let’s not forget about the Amulet, which drops from the Woven Firstborn Boss in Cemeteries. This amulet provides a random minion buff every 10 seconds, rotating between your Archmage and Golem. The key here is the crit multiplier—with this item, one of your minions gets a 200% boost to their stats. Combine this with your already ridiculous crit chance, and you’ve got a minion that’s absolutely unstoppable. Throw in some poison resistance, and your minions can handle Everlasting Poison from Dreadshade without skipping a beat.

Boots: Considerations for Movement and Frenzy

As for boots, the Eterra Path Boots are great for movement speed and minion utility, but they may clash with the Amulet’s minion buff. Why? Because the vines the boots summon are considered minions, and they could steal the buffs meant for your Archmage and Golem. So, I recommend Advent of the Erased Boots, which provide additional haste and frenzy effects, further increasing your minions' attack speed and cast speed. Plus, the Frenzy buff gives them an additional 20% attack speed, which stacks perfectly with the rest of your buffs.

Survivability: Maximizing Ward and Health

Survivability is another crucial part of this build. While your minions do the damage, you’ve got to stay alive to enjoy the chaos. That’s where ward and health come into play. With the right gear, including items like the Strands of Souls belt, you can ensure your ward generation is consistent. Meanwhile, stacking intelligence and ward per second on your armor and relics keeps you tanky, so you can focus on dodging enemy attacks while your minions do the heavy lifting.

The Golem also plays a key role here. Thanks to its high threat generation, it draws the majority of enemy aggro, allowing you to stay at a safe distance. Keep moving, stay behind your minions, and let them take the hits. With 63% movement speed, you’re more than equipped to stay mobile while dishing out the damage.

Leveling and Progression: How to Build Up

Leveling up this build is straightforward. Start by specializing in Summon Skeleton at level 4 and focus on DPS nodes. At level 10, bring in your Bone Golem. From there, invest in the Necromancer passive tree to unlock Dreadshade and Chaos Bolts at levels 35 and 50. Follow the skill progression as per the build planner, and by the time you hit mid-game, your minions will be ready to devastate.

FAQ: Lethal Necro Ice Critters Build Guide | Last Epoch

1. What is the Lethal Necro Ice Critters Build?

This build focuses on using cold damage minions with high critical hit chances to overwhelm enemies. It's all about maximizing damage through crits and cold penetration.

2. How does the Egoism node change the build in Season 3?

In Season 3, Egoism’s rework gives 10% base crit chance and a 20% crit multiplier. While crits aren't guaranteed, you can stack crit chance elsewhere to maintain high uptime on critical hits.

3. Which minions are crucial for this build?

The Archmage and Golem are essential. Both are built for cold damage, with the Golem benefiting from cold penetration and the Archmage from critical multipliers.

4. What’s the importance of Intelligence in this build?

Intelligence boosts minion damage, cold penetration, and gives more mana, which amplifies your damage output. It’s crucial to stack as much as possible.

5. What items should I focus on?

Key items include Lich's Scorn Catalyst for cold penetration, Apogee of Frozen Light for minion boosts, and Eterra Path Boots for additional movement.

6. How do I increase survivability?

Survivability is enhanced through ward generation, health stacking, and using the Golem as a tank. Focus on gear that boosts your ward and provides movement speed for dodging damage.

7. How do I level this build?

Start by focusing on Summon Skeleton and Bone Golem early on. Then, invest in Necromancer passives and Dreadshade. Follow the build progression for the most efficient leveling.

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