Guide to Using Shiversting (Bastard Sword) in Path of Exile 2
The Shiversting (Bastard Sword) is a unique weapon in Path of Exile 2 designed for melee builds that deal cold damage and benefit from mana leech. It's a great weapon for players who want to freeze, chill, or otherwise dominate enemies with elemental effects while maintaining mana sustainability for skill usage.
This guide will give you everything you need to know about how to effectively use Shiversting, from its core mechanics to the best builds, skills, and strategies.
1. Overview of Shiversting
Weapon Features
Adds Cold Damage:
• Shiversting provides flat cold damage to attacks, making it ideal for scaling elemental damage builds.
• Cold damage chills enemies (slowing them) and can freeze them (immobilizing them) when critical strike thresholds are met.
Mana Leech:
• A percentage of the cold damage dealt is leeched back as mana, providing excellent sustainability for mana-intensive builds or spammable skills.
Two-Handed Weapon:
• As a Bastard Sword, it has moderate attack speed and high base damage, making it a strong option for builds that rely on two-handed weapons.
Ideal Playstyle
Shiversting is best suited for elemental melee builds that focus on cold damage. Its mana leech ensures that you can keep using skills without worrying about running out of mana, while its added cold damage makes it excellent for slowing or freezing enemies.
2. Recommended Skills for Shiversting
Shiversting works best with melee-based skills that either convert physical damage into elemental damage or directly scale with cold damage. Below are some of the best skill options:
A. Frost Blades
Why Frost Blades?
• This is one of the best skills for Shiversting as it converts a portion of physical damage into cold damage and sends out projectiles that hit additional enemies.
• The added cold damage from Shiversting significantly boosts both the melee attack and the projectiles' damage.
Support Gems:
• Lesser Multiple Projectiles: Increases the number of Frost Blades projectiles.
• Added Cold Damage: Further increases cold damage output.
• Hypothermia: Boosts damage against chilled enemies and improves freezing potential.
B. Ice Crash
Why Ice Crash?
• A powerful AoE melee skill that deals cold damage in a large area.
• The flat cold damage from Shiversting adds a lot of power to Ice Crash, making it a great option for clearing groups of enemies.
Support Gems:
• Elemental Damage with Attacks: Increases the cold damage dealt by Ice Crash.
• Cold Penetration: Lowers enemy resistance to cold damage.
• Pulverise: Increases the area of effect and damage for Ice Crash.
C.Glacial Hammer
Why Glacial Hammer?
This skill converts 100% of physical damage into cold damage. It also has a built-in mechanic that enhances freezing, allowing you to freeze enemies with ease.
Support Gems:
• Multistrike: Repeats Glacial Hammer attacks for more damage.
• Melee Splash: Adds AoE damage to Glacial Hammer for clearing groups.
• Hypothermia: Increases damage against chilled enemies and enhances freezing potential.
D. Elemental Hit
Why Elemental Hit?
This skill deals damage of a random element, but you can focus it on cold damage with the proper setup. Shiversting's flat cold damage synergizes well with Elemental Hit's scaling.
Support Gems:
• Elemental Damage with Attacks: Maximizes cold damage output.
• Cold to Fire: Converts a portion of cold damage into fire for dual-element scaling.
• Added Cold Damage: Enhances the cold damage component of Elemental Hit.
3. Passive Skill Tree and Ascendancies
To maximize Shiversting's potential, focus on nodes that enhance cold damage, elemental damage, and mana leech. Here's what to prioritize:
A. Passive Skill Tree
Cold Damage Nodes:
Aim for clusters that increase cold damage, freeze duration, and ailment effectiveness.
Elemental Damage Nodes:
Elemental damage nodes provide a broad boost to your damage output.
Mana Leech Nodes:
Invest in mana leech or mana sustain nodes to complement Shiversting's leech mechanic.
Attack Speed and Crit Nodes:
Boosting attack speed and critical strike chance enhances your ability to chill and freeze enemies more effectively.
B. Recommended Ascendancy Classes
Raider (Ranger):
• Focuses on elemental damage, attack speed, and movement speed.
• Synergizes well with Frost Blades and Elemental Hit.
• Key Notables:
• Way of the Poacher: Grants Frenzy Charges for more attack speed.
• Avatar of the Veil: Enhances elemental damage and provides ailment immunity.
Elementalist (Witch):
• Enhances elemental effects like chill and freeze.
• Key Notables:
• Shaper of Winter: Increases the effectiveness of chill and freeze effects.
• Heart of Destruction: Boosts AoE and elemental damage.
Champion (Duelist):
• Provides more survivability and melee damage scaling.
• Key Notables:
• Fortitude: Grants Fortify for damage reduction.
• Inspirational: Boosts damage and increases aura effectiveness.
4. Gear and Support
A. Gear
Helmet/Chest/Boots:
Look for gear with elemental damage bonuses & Path Of Exile 2 currency, increased cold damage, or attack speed.
Rings and Amulets:
Focus on items with added cold damage to attacks or elemental damage scaling.
Flasks:
• Use flasks that increase elemental damage or mitigate elemental ailments.
• A Diamond Flask can boost critical strike chance, improving freeze potential.
B. Support Auras
Hatred:
Grants a huge boost to cold damage by adding extra damage based on physical damage.
Herald of Ice:
Adds cold damage to attacks and causes frozen enemies to explode on death, dealing AoE damage.
Precision:
Improves accuracy and critical strike chance for better freezing and chilling.
5. Strategy and Playstyle
Engage with Chills and Freezes:
Use Shiversting's cold damage to chill and freeze enemies, keeping them under control while you deal high damage.
Sustain Mana:
The mana leech on Shiversting allows you to spam skills without worrying about running out of mana, so stay aggressive.
Prioritize Elemental Scaling:
Stack cold damage and elemental bonuses to maximize the weapon's potential.
Adapt to Enemy Weaknesses:
Use Cold Penetration support gems or gear to bypass enemies with high cold resistance.
6. When to Replace Shiversting
While Shiversting is excellent for early-to-mid-game progression, it may eventually be replaced by higher-tier, rare weapons with better elemental scaling or modifiers. However, it remains a strong option for leveling or transitioning into late-game elemental melee builds.
Conclusion
Shiversting (Bastard Sword) is a fantastic weapon for elemental melee builds, offering cold damage, mana leech, and versatility. By pairing it with the right skills, passives, and gear, you can dominate enemies with freezing strikes and sustained combat. Whether you're chilling foes with Frost Blades or smashing them with Ice Crash, Shiversting is a powerful tool for any cold-based adventurer in Path of Exile 2.
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