Frost magic unleashed through elegant glintstone sorceries and punishing icy armaments gives you access to some of the most lethal spells and skills in Elden Ring. By following this comprehensive guide, you‘ll master devastating frost damage, crowd control and raw catch potential to eradicate foes in both PVP and PVE.
Internalizing Frostbite and Chill Mechanics
True mastery begins with intuitively understanding every nuance of the frost and chill status effects:
Frostbite drains a portion of health over time and slows stamina regen after proccing. However, it also grants the enemy temporary frost immunity for 60 seconds until the gauge resets. You cannot simply spam frost to victory.
Chill slows movement speed and stamina recovery while dealing minor damage over time. Unlike frostbite, it does NOT grant immunity when triggered and can be continually reapplied. You want to maintain chill on targets as much as possible to cripple them.
Balancing rapid frost build up to trigger frostbite along with consistent chill stacking from spells and aura effects allows you to overwhelm opponents with unrelenting ice-based offense.
- Chill sets up targets for devastating frost weapon criticals
- Frostbite deals massive damage while providing needed immunity windows
Internalize these mechanics through practice to master frost juggle timing. Now let‘s explore how to unleash the full arctic wrath…
Optimal Frost Weapons for Every Build
Your frosty armament forms the core of any frost build. These are the best frost-infused weapons for Intelligence casters and Strength warriors alike:
Best Frost Weapons for Mages
- Clayman‘s Harpoon – Fantastic spear with innate frost
- Frozen Needle – Finesse rapier perfect for mages
- Épée – Elegant frost thrusting sword with range
- Ice Spear – Excellent intelligence-scaling colossal spear
Clayman‘s Harpoon is the premier frost option for mages with its S-tier moveset, range and scaling. Off-hand the Frozen Needle to stack additional frostbite via its Frost Assassin skill. I love the Épée for similar thrusting punishment.
For colossal weapons, the Ice Spear‘s frostbite matches its huge intelligence-influenced damage. Devastating strength/int hybrid potential.
Peak Strength Frost Armaments
- Zweihander – Iconic colossal sword with frost stomp skill
- Banished Knight‘s Greatsword – Strong frost greatsword strikes
- Lucerne – Frost-infused hammer for bonks
- Flamberge – Classic frosty two-hander with solid bleed
Topping my heavy frost list is the Zweihander with its Stamp skill knocking foes prone for massive critical damage. The Banished Knight and Lucerne offer excellent staggered movesets to mix up timing.
And the Flamberge combines frostbite with minor bleed for added status chaos!
Now let‘s explore how to maximize their pain-dealing potential…
Optimizing Stats for Frost Domination
Frost (and all magic) damage scales heavily with Intelligence. I recommend these spreads:
Spellsword
- Vigor: 45-60
- Mind: 30-45
- Endurance: 20-30
- Strength/Dexterity: Minimum to wield weapons
- Intelligence: 60-80
Full Caster
- Vigor: 35-40
- Mind: 50-60
- Endurance: 15-25
- Strength/Dexterity: Ignore
- Intelligence: 80
- Faith: Minimum for support incantations
When dual-wielding frost weapons, aim for at least 50-60 Intelligence to strongly boost frostbite build up. I‘d only push Intelligence to 80 if primarily casting damaging sorceries. Mind fuels your frost spell barrage so pump it high accordingly!
Let‘s talk talismans to further enhance icy suffering…
Devastating Frost Talisman Sets
To push your frosty powers to their peak, these are the best talisman combinations:
Spellsword Frost
- Graven-Mass
- Radagon Icon
- Ritual Sword Talisman
- Magic Scorpion Charm
Graven-Mass and Magic Scorpion Charm together enhance all sorcery by a whopping 35% to exponentially boost your icy spellwork punishment. Radagon quickens casting speed for repositioning while Ritual Sword ramps damage at low FP.
Strength Frost
- Shard of Alexander
- Claw Talisman
- Ritual Sword Talisman
- Magic Scorpion Charm
Shard of Alexander pumps skill damage by a chunky 15% to empower frosty weapon arts like Hoarfrost Stomp. Claw further enhances jump attacks. Ritual Sword and Magic Scorpion maintain damage as your FP dwindles.
Now let‘s talk armor priorities…
Optimizing Frost Battle Armor
You‘ll need solid magic boosting armor to push your build to its maximum:
Helm: Snow Witch Hat (boosts frost sorceries by 15%)
Chest: Armor of the Champion (all magic damage +5%)
Hands: Sorcerer Manchettes (boost frostbite build up)
Legs: Snow Witch Skirt (biggest frost sorcery buff at 15%)
This combination focuses solely on amplifying icy spellwork and status application (outside Bull Goat for poise tanking). The Snow Witch pieces together enhance all cold sorceries a sizable 30% alongside ample poise.
Sorcerer Manchettes edges out Ranni‘s for hands slot by enhancing frostbite over basic stats. Together these armors make every frost cast bite harder so I never deviate.
Now let‘s explore ideal pairings of frosty death…
Spell Synergies for Absolute Zero
Incantations that accentuate your core frost spells:
- Chilling Mist + Borealis Mist – Stack double frost AoEs
- Freezing Grease + Hoarfrost Stomp – Empower the frost stomp even further
- Chilling Mist + Adula‘s Moonblade – Moonblade benefits from enemy chill effect
Chained Chilling Mists into Borealis complement each other wonderfully, ripping through groups with massive chill >>> frost build up. Freezing Grease adds a huge flat frost damage buff to the already painful Hoarfrost Stomp.
And sorceries like the icy Adula‘s Moonblade get a secret damage amplification against chilled targets, so pre-cast Chilling Mist first to maximize the moon‘s power!
Now let‘s discuss high level strategy…
Mastering Frost Battle Tactics
True mastery means seamlessly chaining frost spells, weapon skills and status timing against every foe:
- Engage with Chilling Mist to apply mass group chill
- Swap to frost weapon to quickly stack frostbite
- Buffer window to reset frostbite gauge with ranged attacks
- Refresh chill then punish during immunity window
- Rinse and repeat juggle
Opening with Chilling Mist applies devastating chill to amplify incoming frost weapon strikes and spells. Quickly lash out with icy armament combos before frostbite triggers.
Create distance safely with glintstone sorceries like Glintstone Arc to refresh gauge. Recast Chilling Mist the moment frost immunity expires to re-amplify your barrage as you blitz back into frosted weapon range.
Flawless frost juggle timing requires practice but will have enemies perpetually locked down, unable to act before thawing from your deep freezes.
Now let‘s address frost‘s greatest threats…
Countering the Frost Counters
While frost deals wicked damage, some challengers require special tactics:
-
Bloodhound Step – Negates all AoE control
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Counters: Freezing Pots, Magic Glintblade
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Vyke‘s Warspear – Insane ranged punish windows
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Counters: Terrain, Carian Retaliation
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Swarm of Flies – Cheesy death blight
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Counters: Law of Regression, blood/poison resets
Versus Bloodhound dash spammers, Freezing Pots lock them in place temporarily. Set up Magic Glintblades for ranged damage during their dodges. Play hyper evasively.
Against Vyke poke spam, use level terrain and architecture to block projectiles. Carian Retaliation allows you to pull spears out of the air and hurl them back!
Swarm of Flies exploiters require Law of Regression to erase death blight. Carry blood/poison heals like Bloodhound Step or Poison Moth Flight to cure yourself after procs.
While challenging at times, none perfectly counter an expert frost mage who properly mixes up spells, spacing, chill stacking and weapon play. Now go unleash frosty hell!
Master Frost, Master Elden Ring
Across hundreds of hours perfecting my glacial onslaughts, I‘m fully convinced frost magic unveils PVE easy mode and allows you to outpace even the sweatiest PVP pros through shear aggressive frost juggling.
I hope this guide has illuminated the intricacies of excelling with frostbite from best weapons and spells to advanced synergies and battle tactics. Now master the chill, topple Radagon and Malenia alike under unrelenting icy waves, and claim the title of Elden Frost Lord!
May your Chilling Mists blizzard across blood-soaked snow filled streets and your Frozen Armaments end all who stand before you. Go now in grace…and give ‘em frostbite!