Ice King Werewolf & Hellhound Mystic (FoA launch-window build)

The Berserker's transformation skill. While transformed you get a dedicated basic attack plus two werewolf abilities: Feral Claws (a multi-target swipe) and Rip and Tear (a charge attack). The Japanese wiki states explicitly that 'Werewolf form has its own basic attack and cannot trigger weapon pool skills,' so this build skips WPS investments entirely. The Voracity modifier adds on-attack sustain and Recklessness adds defensive ability reduction. This is the intended host for the Dryad devotion's Dryad's Blessing proc (proc-assignability for new FoA skills is not yet confirmed — see devotionRoute step 14 for the fallback). Level as a Werewolf from the very start — both the theorycraft guide and the play journal recommend it.

The Occultist pet summon. With the Ice King's Adornments set, one cast summons two hounds and up to four can be active at once (with an explicit -30% total damage penalty on the pets for balance, per the guide author). With the full set equipped, the Ember Claw and Infernal Breath modifiers are fully converted to cold (Hellfire's flat damage itself stays fire/chaos, but since the hounds' damage gets converted this is irrelevant for them, per a technical explanation posted in the thread). Bind the Bysmiel's Bonds devotion's Bysmiel's Command proc here. Important: do NOT drip points in here while leveling — respec into the pet side at endgame once the set is assembled, following forum advice that half-committed hybrids level poorly.

The Occultist's area debuff. The base Curse of Frailty reduces physical/bleeding/vitality resistances and movement speed; the Vulnerability modifier adds elemental/aether resistance reduction. For this cold-focused build, Vulnerability's elemental portion is the main point. Bind the Murmur devotion's Rumor proc here to blanket packs with cold/acid resistance reduction.

The Berserker's area debuff shout, reducing enemy pierce/cold/chaos/bleeding resistances — the build's core resistance-reduction tool, boosting both the cold-converted hounds and your own werewolf melee. Maxing it was recommended in the theorycraft thread feedback and accepted by the author. This is the intended host for the Revenant devotion's Raise the Dead proc (proc-hosting for new FoA skills is not yet confirmed — see devotionRoute step 14 for the contingency).

The Berserker shout Rallying Cry. The journal author calls it 'everything you want in a leveling build' and says to focus it ASAP — healing plus offensive ability and movement speed in one skill. The theorycraft author likewise moved points out of Blood of Dreeg into this.

The Berserker's permanent buff line. Amatok's Pact shores up defensive ability and armor; the Bloodfrenzy modifier adds attack speed and Icebound adds resistances. Maxing this line was recommended in the theorycraft thread. Attack speed is this build's lifeline — it drives both werewolf on-attack sustain and devotion proc frequency — so push toward cap together with gear.

The Occultist's permanent buff. The theorycraft author keeps it because 'attack speed is rough on this build and SW provides it,' plus flat chaos damage (converted to cold) and defensive ability. No devotion proc is assigned here — Giant's Blood goes on Blood of Dreeg instead.

The Occultist heal/support skill. The theorycraft author dropped it to a one-pointer, moving its points into Rallying Cry — but it stays worth one point as an emergency heal button and temporary buff. Bind the Behemoth devotion's Giant's Blood proc here.

The Berserker exclusive skill (only one exclusive can be active). Heart of Asterkarn's partial physical-to-cold conversion plus cold and offensive ability bonuses match this cold-focused build. In the thread the author also weighed the Occultist exclusive Possession but passed on it because it 'doesn't give any OA, which is needed badly.'

A Berserker passive. The theorycraft author judges one point for the first breakpoint to be enough — it doesn't help the pets, and at this build's speed range you can't fully profit from the max-speed portion. A candidate for spare points later.

• ▸While leveling, commit fully to werewolf melee — no gear or skill points into the pet side (respec into it once the set is assembled). The play journal runs SSF on Veteran.
• ▸A two-hander is fine for now. The journal author runs a 2H weapon with the Kraken devotion at level 30, swapping in whatever strong weapon drops.
• ▸Many new Monster Infrequents carry damage conversions for Werewolf — try them as they drop (mentioned by the theorycraft guide; specific MI names are not yet pinned down this soon after launch).
• ▸In v1.3, MIs always drop at your level band; even if you can't equip a specific MI yet, totem farming quickly supplies replacements, per the journal.
• ▸A play-tested route to level 30: run Forgotten Gods content up to the Vanguard of the Three and side with Solael (per the journal). Socket a Cold Heart on a ring against Freeze before attempting totem fights.
• ▸Purple-name heroes on Veteran are clearly tougher in v1.3. Do not fight Zaria at the Darkvale entrance before level 30; watch out for Bolivar too.

• ▸The core is the new FoA set 'Ice King's Adornments' (helm, weapon, and amulet among its pieces; per the theorycraft guide it provides multi-summon and cold conversion for Hellhound, big pet cold damage, +50% weapon damage to Feral Claws, and a 30% on-attack chance to cut Summon Hellhound's cooldown by 10 seconds). How to farm it is not yet verified this soon after launch. Japanese names for new FoA items await the Japanese wiki's update, so this article keeps them in English.
• ▸Shoulders: Mythical Mantle of Blasphemous Rituals (alt: Mythical Fiendflesh Mantle)
• ▸Gloves: Mythical Overlord's Iron Grip (alt: Mythical Bonescavenger's Deathgrips)
• ▸Belt: Mythical Shadowfiend's Cord (alt: Calcified Sash). Pants/belt/medal can also run pet-affix Monster Infrequents.
• ▸Pants: Mythical Eldritch Schemer's Legwraps (alt: Mythical Runebrand Legwraps, Bysmiel-Sect Legguards)
• ▸Boots: Mythical Jackal's Step (alt: Mythical Deathwalker's Grace, Mythical Fiendflesh Greaves, Galewind Treads)
• ▸Rings: Bysmiel Chilling Seal x2 (alt: Mythical Band of the Eternal Haunt, the Sigils of the Executioner set)
• ▸Medal: The Overseer (picked for crit% and the hounds' slow resistance; alt: Halion's Crest, Mythical Undying Oath, Mythical Mark of Unlife)
• ▸Relic: Bysmiel's Domination (the guide writes it as 'Bysmiels Domination,' but the exact item name carries the apostrophe; the author considers it near-mandatory; alt: Mogdrogen's Ardor, or the new FoA relic Amatok's Grip)
• ▸The new FoA shoulder/pants/boots items are recommended by the guide as priority options since they patch pet elemental/aether/chaos resistances.

• ▸The baseline is simple: transform and keep swinging on the front line. Feral Claws sweeps packs; Rip and Tear doubles as gap-closer and knockdown.
• ▸With up to four hellhounds raging around you — plus Bysmiel's Command and Raise the Dead summons layering on top — the build fights as a pack.
• ▸Open fights with Curse of Frailty, then Bonechilling Cry, stacking resistance shreds before you swing. Rumor (Murmur) spreads automatically off the curse.
• ▸Because the set's on-attack trigger keeps cutting Summon Hellhound's cooldown, the guide proposes an aggressive loop: detonate hounds with Blazing Death for cold burst, then immediately resummon.
• ▸Keep Rallying Cry and Blood of Dreeg cycling as heals/buffs. In emergencies, Rip and Tear out, reset, re-engage.
• ▸While leveling, play as a pure werewolf melee; start pet duty only after the set is assembled.

For the player, aim for the usual 80% across the board, prioritizing overcap plus armor and defensive ability since you fight in melee. For pets, the guide's plan is to patch elemental/aether/chaos resistances via the set and the new FoA shoulder/pants/boots. We avoid hard numeric targets this soon after launch and will update as real data comes in.

The biggest caveat: no verified endgame data yet — the theorycraft author is explicit about not being a top SR/Crucible racer, and the SR30/31 estimate is just that. As with all hybrids, stats split between player and pets, so it won't hit like a dedicated build. Four hounds come with a -30% total pet damage penalty. The endgame effectively requires the Ice King's Adornments set, so gear dependency is high. While leveling, v1.3's beefed-up Veteran purple heroes (Zaria especially) are the main death risk.

Efficient farming targets for the set are unverified this soon after launch (to be updated as they emerge). During leveling and early gearing, the journal's approach is to run monster totems alongside campaign/FoA-area progression, leveraging v1.3's 'MIs always drop at your level band' behavior. The Forgotten Gods route up to the Vanguard of the Three is a play-tested example for reaching level 30.