Sublight Status Effects Guide: Ignite, Cold, Freeze, and Stacking
Current Sublight status-effect rules from patch 0.18: Ignite stacking, Cold stacks, freeze threshold, bonus frozen-target damage, and elemental build implications.
Patch 0.18 changed status effects into real stacking build paths. Ignite can stack applications, while Cold stacks to 20; reaching 20 freezes the target and makes it take bonus damage while frozen. That means status duration, application rate, and weapon-family synergy can now be core build decisions instead of incidental effects.
Cold and freeze
The current official rule is simple: Cold can stack to 20 applications. At that threshold, the target freezes and takes bonus damage while frozen. Fast application matters because a slow elemental weapon may never reach the threshold before a normal enemy dies.
Ignite
Ignite now stacks applications and 0.18 added passive buffs that further augment it. Compare application rate with the time enemies remain in range; a status bonus helps only when the weapon can keep applying it.
When to commit
Status builds are strongest when multiple picks reinforce application rate or payoff. A single Cold source on an otherwise unrelated build may be utility; several compatible sources can turn freeze into a damage window.
Keep the selected weapon variant and its status plan aligned
0.20.0 expands weapon research and adds variants based on research choices; 0.20.02 adds research for Mines and Scatter guns. Inspect the selected variant’s category and effect before investing in Cold or Ignite support. A new research option does not automatically mean the weapon applies a status effect.
Compare application rate and status payoff alongside the damage the run already has. A duplicate weapon’s mid-run merge can raise its damage, but that alone does not establish a faster status-application rate or change the 0.18 freeze threshold.
Patch details: official 0.20.0 research and merge changes.
Patch details: official 0.20.02 research additions.