Frozen Flame

Tier S ⭐

Freeze × Burn = Frozen Flame

Effect

8-12 DoT with 25% damage amplification

Damage Multiplier

1.8x

How to Unlock

Level Freeze ball to Level 3
Level Burn ball to Level 3
Collect a rainbow orb (XP level-up reward)
Select "Evolution" option from the menu
Choose Freeze + Burn combination

Strategy & Tips

Synergy evolution. The damage amplification makes all other damage sources more effective. Excellent support evolution.

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S-Tier Meta Evolution

Frozen Flame is considered one of the strongest evolutions in the game. Prioritize this in your builds when possible.

Why Frozen Flame is Top-Tier

🟢 **VERIFIED MECHANICS:** Frozen Flame applies frostburn stacks that deal 8-12 damage per second per stack (max 4 stacks, 20 second duration) while making afflicted enemies receive 25% more damage from ALL other sources (SOURCE: Steam Community Guide ID 3587888441, confirmed by DazePuzzle). The 25% damage amplification is a multiplicative force multiplier—if your other balls deal 1,000 DPS total, Frozen Flame increases that to 1,250 DPS (+250 bonus damage) while adding its own 32-48 DPS (4 stacks × 8-12 damage). This makes Frozen Flame scale exponentially with build strength: the more damage sources you have, the more valuable the 25% amplification becomes. ⚠️ **TIER RATING NOTE:** Local data rates Frozen Flame as S-Tier due to its multiplicative damage amplification, while DazePuzzle implies mid-tier placement. The S-Tier justification: in optimized builds with 2,000+ DPS from other balls, the 25% amplification adds 500+ bonus DPS (more than most standalone damage evolutions provide). The 20-second frostburn duration ensures consistent uptime, making this a permanent 25% damage boost in practice. Both perspectives are valid—Frozen Flame shines in high-damage builds but may underperform in low-DPS scenarios.

Strategic Tips & Synergies

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**Prioritize High-Damage Targets:** 🟢 HIGH IMPACT - The 25% damage amplification (verified) provides maximum value against high-HP enemies where the 20-second frostburn duration allows full utilization. Against a 3,000 HP boss, if your other balls deal 2,000 total damage, Frozen Flame adds 500 amplified damage + 320-480 frostburn DoT = 820-980 bonus damage total. Always apply 4 stacks to bosses first.

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**Stack Before Burst Damage:** 🟢 HIGH IMPACT - Apply 4 frostburn stacks (max, verified) BEFORE using high-damage evolutions (Nuclear Bomb, Black Hole, Holy Laser). The 25% amplification (verified) increases burst damage significantly: a 500-damage Nuclear Bomb becomes 625 damage on frostburnt enemies (+125 bonus). Optimal sequencing: Frozen Flame → 4 stacks → burst evolutions.

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**Leverage 20-Second Duration:** 🟢 MEDIUM-HIGH IMPACT - Each frostburn stack lasts 20 seconds (verified), creating extremely long damage windows compared to most DoT evolutions (Virus: 6s, Magma burn: 3s). This extended duration means you can apply stacks early in a boss fight and maintain 25% amplification for the entire encounter without reapplication, improving action economy.

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**Build Damage-Heavy Compositions:** 🟡 MEDIUM-HIGH IMPACT - Frozen Flame's 25% amplification (verified) scales with total damage output. A build with 3 S-tier damage evolutions (Holy Laser, Sandstorm, Mosquito King) gains more from Frozen Flame than a build with 1 damage evolution. Prioritize high-DPS balls to maximize amplification returns (logical inference, not verified for specific Ball x Pit builds).

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**Maintain 4-Stack Uptime:** 🟢 MEDIUM IMPACT - Maximum 4 frostburn stacks (verified) provide full 25% amplification benefit. Dropping to 2-3 stacks doesn't reduce amplification (25% is per enemy, not per stack), but reduces DoT damage from 32-48 DPS (4 stacks) to 16-36 DPS (2-3 stacks). Prioritize consistent 4-stack application for maximum combined value.

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**Pair with Slowing Effects:** 🟡 MEDIUM IMPACT - The 20-second frostburn duration (verified) gains additional value when enemies are slowed or frozen, extending their time in damage zones. Pairing Frozen Flame with Blizzard, Freeze-based evolutions, or slowing passives ensures frostburnt enemies remain in combat longer, maximizing both DoT ticks and amplified damage application (synergy logical, not verified).

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**Apply Early in Boss Fights:** 🟢 MEDIUM IMPACT - Frostburn's 20-second duration (verified) means applying stacks at boss fight start provides 25% amplification for nearly the entire encounter. In a 25-30 second boss fight, early application ensures 20+ seconds of amplified damage vs late application (10-15 seconds). Early stacking maximizes total amplified damage output.

Best Character Pairings

These characters create exceptional synergies with Frozen Flame:

The Pitling (A-Tier Pairing): 🟡 The Pitling's balanced stats make it effective for consistent frostburn application (4 stacks require sustained hits). Characters with high attack speed or multiple projectiles can apply frostburn stacks faster, reaching 4-stack maximum quickly to enable 25% amplification uptime. (Note: Character attack speed not verified from game-specific sources - based on general roguelike principles).

Iron Fool (A-Tier Pairing): 🟡 If Iron Fool provides defensive bonuses, this allows closer positioning to enemies for consistent frostburn reapplication during the 20-second duration windows. Frozen Flame requires sustained combat to maximize amplification value, making tanky characters effective carriers. (Note: Character defensive stats not verified - logical inference from verified 20s duration mechanic).

Lantern Knight (B-Tier Pairing): 🟡 Damage-focused characters (if Lantern Knight fits this category) benefit more from Frozen Flame's 25% amplification than defensive characters. The amplification scales with character base damage, so high-DPS characters see larger absolute damage gains (+25% of 200 base = +50 vs +25% of 100 base = +25). (Note: Character damage stats not verified - theoretical pairing based on verified amplification mechanic).

Common Mistakes to Avoid

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Creating Frozen Flame Too Early: 🟡 Fusing Freeze + Burn before establishing 2-3 high-damage balls wastes the 25% amplification potential. With only 200 DPS from other sources, Frozen Flame adds only 50 amplified damage—far below its potential in optimized builds. Optimal timing: create Frozen Flame after reaching 500+ DPS from other balls (general strategy, specific DPS thresholds not verified).

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Undervaluing Damage Amplification: 🟢 Treating Frozen Flame as a pure DoT evolution (32-48 DPS from 4 stacks, verified) ignores its primary strength: 25% amplification (verified). In a build dealing 1,500 DPS from other sources, the amplification adds 375 bonus DPS, making total contribution 407-423 DPS (375 amplified + 32-48 DoT). Always calculate total value, not just frostburn damage.

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Ignoring Stack Management: 🟢 Failing to maintain 4 frostburn stacks (max, verified) reduces DoT damage by 25-50% (2 stacks = 16-24 DPS vs 4 stacks = 32-48 DPS). While the 25% amplification doesn't depend on stack count (applies per frostburnt enemy regardless of stacks), maximizing stacks optimizes combined damage output. Focus fire until 4 stacks achieved.

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Solo Carry Expectations: 🟡 Frozen Flame is a force multiplier evolution, not a standalone carry. Its 32-48 DPS (4 stacks, verified) is lower than most pure damage S-tier evolutions (Holy Laser: 24-36 per hit, Sandstorm: 10-20 DPS storm aura). Frozen Flame's S-Tier rating comes from making ALL other damage 25% stronger—it requires a damage-heavy team composition to reach full potential.

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Wasting Stacks on Low-HP Enemies: 🟡 Applying 4 frostburn stacks (20-second duration, verified) to enemies with <100 HP that die in 2-3 seconds wastes potential. The 20-second duration is designed for high-HP targets (bosses, elites) that survive long enough to deliver full DoT value and maximize the time other balls benefit from 25% amplification. Prioritize stack application on enemies with 500+ HP.