Wintertide Brand Trickster Build Guide (PoE Sentinel 3.18)
Introduction
Due to the latest balancing changes, we do not recommend playing this build anymore, as it does not meet the high standards we apply to our guides in terms of fun and performance. We are leaving it up as a reference and it might be revived in a later patch.
Wintertide Brand was introduced in Patch 3.11 Harvest League. It deals cold damage, primarily through damage over time, and ramps up as the duration persists. It makes a great league starter as it does not require expensive gear in order to get off the ground, and it focuses heavily on clear speed and control using chills and freezes to keep the player safe at a distance. While it can be scaled into the late-game, it does not make an exceptional boss killer, instead focusing on quickly tearing apart packs of enemies to maximize experience per hour.
Build Assessment
Pros
+ Great clear speed
+ Multiple gear paths to scale into the late game (Low-Life and Life Based)
+ League starter
+ Heavy focus on control and lockdown to keep the player safe
+ Solid defenses across the board
Cons
– Single target damage is not exceptional and requires good gear to kill late-game bosses like Awakener
– Low-life gear is a jump in expense if you want the best possible version of the build
– Heavy button usage (could also be a positive for some players)
Path of Building
Path of Building for the Low-Life (recommended) version of this build is available here.
Included is the recommended set of mid-game gear, a full skill tree, and all the gem links needed to get the build to tick.
We use the Path of Building Community Fork for all of our builds, which is highly recommended. If you are encountering errors importing the build, please ensure you are using the Community Fork.
Passive Skill Tree
This is our recommended Level 96 Passive Skill Tree.
For more details on the Passive Tree, a Life based budget version, skill acquisition order, and more, be sure to check out the Passive Skill Tree & Gem Links page.
Passive Skill Tree & Gem Links
Gems
We go over all of the gem links this build uses in the end-game on our Gem Links page.
Ascendancy, Bandits, and Pantheon
Our Ascendancy, Bandits, and Pantheons Powers page goes into detail about all the choices you need to make in these regards.
Ascendancy, Bandits, and Pantheon Powers
Gear Summary / TL;DR
These items strike a balance between power and cost-effectiveness.
Our recommendation:
| Item Slot | Item Name |
| Head |  Rime Gaze |
| Amulet |  Presence of Chayula |
| Chest |  Shavronne's Wrappings |
| Gloves | High Energy Shield Rare ( Fingerless Silk Gloves preferred) |
| Boots | Rare  Sorcerer Boots or  Sin Trek |
| Belt | Rare  Crystal Belt |
| Ring 1 |  Mark of the Shaper |
| Ring 2 | Rare Elder Ring |
| Weapon | Rare Wand ( Opal Wand preferred) |
| Shield | High Energy Shield Rare ( Titanium Spirit Shield preferred) |
For much more detailed information on the best gear, jewels, and flasks to use, be sure to examine our detailed Gear Breakdown page.
Gear, Jewels, and FlasksLeveling
As a reminder, we have several guides to help you level up a character.
- Our step-by-step leveling walkthrough, which allows even more experienced players to save time and speed through the leveling process.
- Our guide to Unique Items for leveling, which helps you gear up your characters for the leveling process.
- Our beginner leveling guide, which answers many of the questions new players might have and will set you on the right path.
