This guide focuses on building an ice bowazon using the Phoenix Grand Matron Bow. There are two main setups that are recommended, the Phoenix Bow, or the Ice Bow, but there are also other options available for those who prefer different Diablo 2 Resurrected Items and skills. The playstyle is relatively simple:
1. Stay safe: You’re a glass cannon who can’t withstand more than a couple of attacks. Being caught in a mob is guaranteed death. Stay back and clear before you move ahead.
2. Use your immobilization first: Freeze the monsters first, then quickly strafe them down. This is your advantage over the traditional bowazon, enabling safer farming, and the ability to consider full glass tank builds.
3. Your Valkyrie is your tank, use her wisely and consider leveling her given you don’t require investment in many damage synergies. Your mercenary will add additional support.
The Build
Key aspects of this build include having 100% pierce (with 1 hard point into the Pierce skill), high attack rating, strong dual leech, and good IAS, particularly when we account for our Faith Mercenary.
Glass Cannon Build Stats
This is a Glass Cannon Build that focuses solely on Dexterity for all attribute points. Any points put into Vitality should not exceed 50. You shouldn’t be getting hit, but can consider adjusting this to avoid getting one-shot by stronger monsters (think empowered Stygian Doll)
| Attribute | Investment |
| Strength | Enough for gear (this should be 0 with Enigma) |
| Dexterity | All remaining |
| Vitality | None |
| Energy | None |
The Skill Tree
| Skill | |
| Freezing Arrow | 20 (Your primary Damage skill) |
| Cold Arrow | 20 (Your only Damage synergy) |
| Strafe | 10+ (A powerful spell that will quickly proc on hit abilities once you’ve frozen monsters in place) |
| Valkerie | 1+ (This is your main tank and decoy considering you are using an A1 merc who will stand back) |
| Penetrate | 10+ (This is a useful passive to boost your mob clearance speed) |
| Critical Strike | 1+ |
| Pierce | 1 (as required to reach 100%) |
| All Other Passive Skills | 1+ (Given your low skill investment requirement for your primary damaging spell, you have some autonomy to invest in the passive tree as you see fit, defensive options are a strong choice given you’re a glass cannon). |
Optimal Items (Phoenix Build)
| Slot | Item | Notes |
| Weapon | Pheonix +3GMB | 350-400ed, Redemption Aura, 14% mana leech |
| Helm | Giant Skull | 2x 15% ias jewels (enhanced damage or other mods) Knock, 30 strength & 30% IAS |
| Gloves | Lavagout | 2% Chance to cast Level 10 Enchant, fire damage, fire resist & 20%IAS |
| Belt | Razortail | 15Dex, 10 to Max damage & a flat 33% increase to Pierce chance |
| Boots | Cow Kings | 30% FRW, added fire damage, 20dex, 25% mf |
| Armor | Enigma | +2All Skills, 45%FRW, Teleport, 5% more life, and Strength to hold items |
| Ring 1 | Ravenfrost | Up to 20 Dex, Attack rating and "Cannot Be Frozen" |
| Ring 2 | Bul Kathos Ring | +1 All Skills, more life and 5% Life Steal |
| Amulet | Seraphs Hymn | +2 All Skills, +AR & % Damage versus Demons & Undead |
| Switch | Call to Arms | Up to 6 to Battle command and Battle Orders |
| Shield1 | Lidless Wall | +1 All skills and has low strength requirement |
| Shield2 | Spirit Monarch | +2 All skills and has 156 strength requirement, only consider if using Enigma |
| Inventory | Anni / Torch / Cold Sunder / Gheeds (optional) | Small charms that should be considered: |
Here are some Alternative Item Suggestions, they come with strengths and weaknesses which I will outline.
| Item | Pro's | Con's |
| Weapon | Ice Grand Matron Bow: Enhances Cold Damage, lvl22 Frost Nova on striking, 20%IAS. | Lacks mana leech and Redemption Aura but provides significant Cold Damage. |
| Armor | Chains of Honor: Nice Resistances and 20 strength. Strong Defensive option. | Missing FRW and huge boost to your strength (which enabled you to equip gear at low to no strength investment), taking away your dex and thus damage. |
| Helm | Shako: Solid defensive option. Nightwings: Viable with Ice GMB. M'Avina's Diadem: Cheap option with a lot of IAS | Shako: Missing IAS M’Avina’s: Missing Strength |
| Amulets | Maras: +2 Skills, Resistances and +5 All Attributes. Highlords: +1 Skill, 20% IAS, 35% light resistances. Cat's Eye: 30% faster run walk, 20% IAS and Dexterity. Metalgrid (Amulet): Resistances, +400 attack rating and Iron Golem charges. | These options lack the huge boost to AR and boost to demon/undead which dominate important areas like the Chaos Sanctuary, or Worldstone Keep. |
| Gloves | Laying of hands: 20% IAS, 350% enhanced damage to demons and Fire Resistances. Draculs Grasp: 20% IAS, Life Tap, Life Steal, Strength. | Great options but lacking the enchant that Lava Gout offers. |
| Boots | Gore Riders: Preferred choice of many. Shadow-dancers: 30%frw and 25dex. | Slower FRW and high strength requirement with Shadow-dancers. |
Mercenary
It is recommended to use a Rogue mercenary with Cold Arrow and a Faith bow with preferably, a high level Fanatacism aura, as well as an Ethereal Fortitude armor for resistances and damage. For the helmet, use a Ral'd Ethereal Andy's Visage.
To fully enjoy the game, the Ice Bowazon build demands a considerable amount of time and effort from the player. However, you can directly Buy D2R Items from RPGStash for the best build
Article From: Ice Bowazon D2R Build Guide