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Path of Exile features many builds, but one that’s been popular since the Settlers League is Smite Slayer. The Skill Gem received a massive damage buff back in 3.25 and is among the most popular League starters. With no changes to either the Slayer Ascendancy or Smite, it is once again a top pick among everyone due to easy scaling that helps in bossing and map clearing. While it isn’t the fastest League starter for Path of Exile out there, it’s easy to set up and faster than average builds. Here’s everything you need to know about the Cold Smite Slayer build. Pros and Cons of Cold Smite Slayer in Path of Exile 3.27 Good and mobbin and bossing.Can tank hits in the endgame.Easy to set up and doesn’t need additional damage skills. Need a mule character to pick smite from Act 1.Need to position yourself for single-target damage. You can start using Smite from Act 1, but we recommend leveling up using other means, as it’s easy to get swarmed in the early game. With a lack of defense, you may struggle to level up only with Smite. How to play Cold Smite Slayer in Path of Exile 3.27 As mentioned, Smite Slayer is one of the easiest builds you’ll play in Path of Exile. All you need to do is jump into a crowd and start hitting everything. The main skill you’re using is Smite, which brings down a lightning beam on an enemy and deals damage in a small AoE. The falling beams will take down any enemy in their AoE. The trick remains the same for groups of mobs as well as bosses. While you won’t need any additional support, boosing or taking down rare monsters in the endgame can take longer than usual. Using curses like Assassin's Mark will help increase critical chance and damage with the skill, while granting you life and mana each time you kill an enemy for sustain. Another thing to note while dealing single-target damage is your character’s positioning. Since Simte doesn’t allow you to hit the same target twice for a few seconds, you’ll need to move away and cast the skill close to bosses, but not directly on them. Here’s the ideal Skill Gem setup for Cold Smite Slayer Smite: Multistrike - Fortify - Added Cold Damage - Elemental Damage with AttacksLeap Slam: Faster Attacks - Culling StrikeAssassin's Mark: Mark On HitMolten Shell: Automation - More DurationFrostblinkDetermination Molten Shell adds a layer of defense as Smite needs you to stand still while hitting enemies. With Automation, you won’t have to worry about casting the skill yourself. Frostblink is for getting out of a sticky situation, while Determination makes sure you don’t miss. Make sure you use Frostblink only when necessary, as it has a short cooldown between uses. Alternatively, use a support gem to increase dash charges. Passive Tree and Ascendancy for Cold Smite Slayer in Path of Exile 3.27 Here is what an endgame Cold Smite Slayer setup will look like in Path of Exile. Since you’ll be engaging in close combat, having a large health pool with life regeneration and leech is very beneficial for the build. Notables like Master of the Arena, Gladiator’s Perservance, and Thick Skill will help in survivability. Other than that, you’ll want to stack Elemental damage with attack speed to dispose of enemies quickly. Smite mainly deals lightning damage, but with Cold Support, it’ll be multi-element, which is why we use Elemental damage. As for Ascendancies, start with Bane of Legends and make your way to Headsman. These two grant more damage, while adding a defensive layer by preventing any reflected damage back to you. Lastly, pick up Brutal Fervor to double the life leech and Masterful Form to increase Frenzy and Endurance charges. Ideal Gear Setup for Cold Smite Slayer in Path of Exile 3.27 Here are the ideal affixes to look for in your gear. Note that you don’t need to follow exactly what’s written since crafting and loot RNG. Still, getting a few of them should be good enough to keep you alive through the early endgame. Note that stacking life and armor, along with capping resistances, is necessary for all builds. However, since you’re often close to danger, it’s even more important for a Cold Smite Slayer. You can prevent a lot of damage in Path of Exile just by capping all resistance to 75%. Additionally, having mods for life and mana leech is equally critical to the build, as Brutal Fervor grants additional damage reduction during leech. Check out our other related guides and features: Path of Exile: Explosive Arrow Champion build guide (3.27)Path of Exile Genesis Tree crafting guidePath of Exile: Through Sacred Ground quest guide
