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Path of Exile 2: How Do Herald Of Ice And Thunder Work Together

by Julian Feb 26,2025

Mastering the Double Herald Setup in Path of Exile 2

The Double Herald strategy in Path of Exile 2 (PoE 2) combines Herald of Ice and Herald of Thunder for devastating area-of-effect (AoE) damage. This guide details how to implement this powerful technique.

How to Use Double Herald (Herald of Ice + Herald of Thunder)

This setup requires a chain reaction between the two Heralds. Here's what you need:

Herald of Ice: Socketed with the Lightning Infusion Support Gem.
Herald of Thunder: Socketed with the Cold Infusion Support Gem (Glaciation is highly recommended).
60 Spirit: Ensure your character meets this requirement.
A Cold Damage Infliction Method: This is crucial to initiate the chain.

Remember to activate both Herald skills in your skill menu.

Effective ways to initially proc Herald of Ice (starting the chain):

Monk's Ice Strike (inherent skill, highly effective).
Passive skills that boost Freeze buildup.
Weapons/gloves with flat cold damage.
Against the Darkness Time-Lost Diamond Jewel (+Cold damage percentage).

Double Herald Setup Requirements

How Double Herald Works

The synergy relies on the Heralds' unique interactions:

Herald of Ice: Triggers when an enemy is Shattered (frozen then hit). Crucially, Herald of Ice's cold damage cannot freeze, preventing self-perpetuation.
Herald of Thunder: Triggers upon killing a Shocked enemy. Similarly, it cannot inflict Shock independently.

The key is the Support Gems: Lightning Infusion converts a portion of Herald of Ice's damage to lightning (which can Shock), and Cold Infusion converts a portion of Herald of Thunder's damage to cold (which can Freeze).

Ideally, this creates a continuous loop: Herald of Ice shocks, triggering Herald of Thunder; Herald of Thunder freezes, triggering Herald of Ice, and so on. In practice, the chain often ends after one or two cycles due to enemy density. Breaches, with their high enemy counts, are where this setup truly shines.

To initiate: Freeze and shatter an enemy using a cold damage skill (like Ice Strike). This procs Herald of Ice, which then shocks, triggering Herald of Thunder, completing the initial chain link. Prioritizing Herald of Ice first is beneficial because Freeze is easier to inflict than Shock, and Herald of Thunder's lightning bolts have better range.

Herald Interactions