Winter

Acquisition
Skill Quests: Skill Trainers:
 * Stone Summit Beastmasters (Traveler's Vale)
 * Firstwatch Sergio (Lion's Arch)
 * Dakk (Ember Light Camp)

Usage Notes
This skill will NOT convert earth damage caused by Dust Trap into cold damage.

This skill is very useful in the Hell's Precipice (Mission), as almost everything is weak to cold damage. When used in combination with Greater Conflagration, all physical damage is converted to cold damage as well.

Winter will neutralize Glimmering Mark, Mark of Rodgort and Thunderclap causing their conditions to never trigger. Thus make sure to coordinate with the elementalists in your team when bringing Winter. Works great if you know beforehand your opponents rely on the Mark spells. Winter will not however prevent burning.

If you are equipping armor or skill that boost defense specifically against Cold damage, having Winter extends that boosted defense to cover all enemy elemental attacks. Adding Greater Conflagration extends that boosted defense over all enemy physical attacks too. However, the reverse can also be true, if the enemy has boosted defense against cold.

This skill, used in combination with Mesmer's Mantra of Frost stance, Greater Conflagration, and a set of Fur-lined Armor, will give a ranger an effective 115AL vs. all damage that does not ignore armor and an additional damage reduction of 26...45% or approximately an additional 20-40AL. With the Mantra active the ranger will also gain energy nearly every time they are struck for damage.

Useful in combination with a Necro's Spinal Shivers hex, with almost all skills being interrupted on the target by the barrage of cold damage.