This is my first build guide for Path of Exile 2 version 0.2. Throughout my early playthrough, I've experimented with two characters that share synergy—the Huntress and the Lich. If you're someone who's had a rough time with the campaign or struggling with map clearing, this Lich build will absolutely obliterate your enemies with ease. In this guide, I will walk you through the setup, skills, rotations, gear, passive tree, and Path Of Exile 2 Currency, and share some tips that will elevate your gameplay in Path Of Exile 2.
Build Overview:
The essence of this build is centered around the power of Contagion, Essence Drain, and Unearth combined with Chaos Damage over Time. This build excels at clearing maps with its ability to spread poison effects and has strong survivability. While single-target DPS may not be the best early on, the versatility and mobility of the build make up for it. You'll be able to clear packs effortlessly, and even when dodging and repositioning, your enemies will slowly but surely be wiped out.
Skills Breakdown:
1. Contagion (Poison spreader):
Right from the start, you'll be able to use Contagion—one of the cornerstone skills in this build. Though it doesn't deal overwhelming damage on its own, it poisons enemies and has the critical ability to spread. The moment any of the poisoned enemies die, the effect spreads to others, essentially clearing out an entire zone in mere seconds.
When fighting mobs, aim to trigger Contagion in the center of enemy clusters, and allow it to spread. This allows you to run ahead, drawing monsters toward you as they follow the poisoned ones into new packs. The result is a chain reaction that clears an entire area, even with a few casts.
2. Essence Drain (Primary Damage Dealer):
Essence Drain is the skill that amplifies the damage output of this build. Once activated, it launches a projectile that applies damage over time to enemies. It's important to note that Essence Drain itself doesn't immediately deal much damage; instead, it works best when paired with the Contagion mechanic.
To maximize the damage, always open with Contagion first, allowing the enemies to be poisoned. Then, follow up with Essence Drain, which will trigger additional poison damage, ensuring that enemies are killed. By using Unleash, you can send multiple projectiles in a single cast, making it easier to hit enemies even if you're slightly off-target.
3. Unearth (Resurrecting Minions):
An often-overlooked part of this build is Unearth, which allows you to resurrect enemies as temporary minions. This skill is primarily used for the following reasons:
• Early Game: Resurrecting enemies that were poisoned with Contagion creates a small army of minions that can tank damage for you, ensuring you're not overwhelmed by enemies.
• Endgame: While minions don't necessarily deal massive damage, they serve as valuable meat shields. Their presence allows you to focus on dodging and kiting while your enemies die from poison damage over time.
Early Game Tips:
At the beginning of the game, you'll get Contagion and Essence Drain early on. Essence Drain may take a few levels to unlock, but once you have it, it will become your primary damage dealer.
During the early stages, it's critical to focus on clearing packs efficiently. Use Contagion to poison large groups of enemies, and when you apply Essence Drain, ensure you hit a monster that's already poisoned. This allows the spread of poison, clearing the map in no time.
Important Note: The early game might be a little difficult, especially with limited DPS. But as you progress, your damage scaling will improve, and the mechanics will start to shine.
Skill Rotations for Map Clearing:
1. Trash mobs:
o Open with Contagion to poison as many enemies as possible.
o Follow up with Essence Drain to trigger poison effects across the map.
o Utilize Unearth to resurrect fallen enemies for additional minions or meat shields.
The key to efficient map clearing is ensuring that poison spreads effectively. Always drag enemies to other groups to maximize the chain reaction.
2. Bosses:
o Start by applying Despair on the boss to lower their Chaos resistance.
o Use Essence Drain on the boss to apply poison damage.
o Summon your Dark Effigy totem, which will continue to apply Chaos damage over time on the boss. Make sure to position it away from the boss to prevent it from being destroyed too easily.
o Remember to cast Contagion around the boss as well, to continue spreading poison and maximizing damage over time.
Early Game Tip: For tough bosses, consider using Frostbomb to apply burst damage. A quick Frostbomb before the rest of your abilities can finish them off.
Ascendancy and Passive Tree:
Ascendancy:
Your first ascendancy point should be focused on Unholy Might, which gives a significant damage increase by boosting Chaos damage when you're not low on mana. Be sure to grab this early on to increase your damage output.
Later, when you ascend again, take Soulless Form. This will allow you to effectively maintain infinite mana, as you'll receive a health regeneration bonus that keeps your mana topped off.
Passive Tree:
Start by focusing on Chaos Damage and Spell Damage nodes. These will increase your damage output early in the game and allow you to scale better as you progress.
• Energy Shield Nodes: Invest in an Energy Shield as your primary defense. The more Energy Shield you stack, the more survivable you'll be in the later stages of the game. This is essential, as it ensures you stay alive while dealing damage.
• Mana Regeneration Nodes: Be sure to pick up a few mana regen nodes early on. Unholy Might comes with a penalty that drains your mana per second, so building mana regeneration will ensure you don't run into resource issues.
• Chaos Skills Nodes: Picking up nodes that increase the effectiveness of Chaos skills is essential for this build. These nodes will provide the damage scaling you need to deal with tougher bosses and enemies.
Once you unlock Soulless Form, you'll have infinite mana, allowing you to focus on raw damage without worrying about running out of mana.
Gear and Itemization:
For the gear, the focus is on increasing spell damage, chaos damage, energy shield, and cast speed. These are your primary stats, as they will directly enhance your ability to deal damage while surviving tougher encounters.
Wand/Off-Hand:
• Look for a wand with +1 to Chaos Skill Levels and increased spell damage and cast speed. A wand with +2 to Chaos Skills can be a game-changer.
• In the off-hand, look for a Chaos Damage modifier or spell damage. This will boost your overall damage.
Amulet:
• Focus on an amulet that provides +spell damage, +spell skill levels, and cast speed. These are your top priorities when selecting an amulet.
Armor:
• Energy Shield Bases: Prioritize items that increase your energy shield, as this will be your main defense. The more energy shield you have, the better you'll be able to withstand damage.
• Life and Resistances: Equip gear that provides life and elemental resistances to ensure survivability in tougher content.
Boots and Belt:
• Movement Speed Boots: Movement speed is crucial for dodging and positioning. Equip boots with the highest movement speed possible.
• Belt: Focus on belts with life, mana, chaos resistance, and resistance.
Final Thoughts and Conclusion:
This Chaos Lich/Essence Drain build is highly effective for map clearing and can hold its own in tougher encounters. While it might not have the fastest single-target DPS early on, the damage-over-time mechanics and ability to resurrect minions with Unearth give it a strong advantage. With the right gear and passive tree choices, you'll be able to scale into late-game content and face down even the toughest bosses in Path of Exile 2.
The key to mastering this build is efficient poison spread, positioning, and timing. With the combination of Contagion and Essence Drain, you'll clear entire zones in a matter of moments, while Unearth provides much-needed utility and protection.
Good luck, Exiles, and may your Chaos damage reign supreme in the Dawn of the Hunt!