Path Of Exile Resource #12 - Alpha's Howl Unique Item Review

Alpha's Howl in Path Of Exile is a unique sinner tricorne that when equipped grants the player up to 100 percent increased evasion rating, up to 30 percent cold resistance, 25 percent chance to avoid being chilled, a cannot be frozen modifier, and 8 percent reduced mana reserved. The item also has a +2 to socketed aura gems modifier, meaning that any auras you cast while the aura gems are in the unique will be two levels higher. 3d art for the Alpha's Howl unique was added in February of 2015. This unique has not changed since it's original introduction into the game in April of 2013.

Item Usefulness Information - This unique is best for range based characters and spell based characters who utilize many auras and curses in their builds, due to the 8 percent reduced mana reserved modifier that the helmet grants. This modifier if enhanced by passive modifiers on the skill tree will allow the player to fit in more auras and curses as they please. The up to 100 percent increased evasion rating granted is better for range characters or characters that utilize iron reflexes in their build. The up to 30 percent cold resistance granted is beneficial towards all character classes. The 25 percent chance to avoid being chilled modifier is mostly negligible, however in some cases it can be helpful such as when opening a strongbox with the frigid modifier, which means that the strongbox will cast ice nova, or in maps rolled with the chilled ground modifier. The cannot be frozen modifier is very useful in many situations and will save you a flask slot or flask modifier, this modifier makes you immune to the arctic modifier on strongboxes and monsters that can freeze you with high amounts of critical strike chance and cold damage. The +2 to socketed aura gems modifier is useful for builds that utilize many auras and curses in their builds, as auras and curses do increase in effectiveness the higher their level is. Curses linked to the blasphemy support gem do count as an aura and therefore are affected by the +2 to socketed aura gems modifier granted by the unique. This unique is best used in conjunction with passive skill points and ascendancy points found on certain ascendancy classes that reduce mana reservation, as well as uniques that reduce mana reservation, such as Conqueror's Efficiency, and an enlighten gem, which has the function of applying a mana multiplier less than 100 percent. This is multiplicative with the effects of reduced mana reservation modifiers, making the reduced mana reservation modifiers more effective the higher the level of the enlighten gem. You cannot use this unique in the early stages of the game, since it's level requirement is level 64. In the late stages of the game, this unique is best when utilizing many auras and curses, saves you a flask or flask modifier with the cannot be frozen modifier, grants a moderate amount of cold resistance, which is useful towards any character build, and grants a moderate amount of evasion rating, which is useful for most range characters.

Informative Links -
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Alpha%27s_Howl - additional information regarding the Alpha's Howl unique
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Aura - additional information regarding the Aura mechanic
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Enlighten_Support - additional information regarding the Enlighten support gem
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Conqueror%27s_Efficiency - additional information regarding the Conqueror's Efficiency unique
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Iron_Reflexes - additional information regarding the Iron Reflexes keystone passive skill
http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Strongbox - additional information regarding the Strongbox mechanic