Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order for this build is Swift Killer, Heartstopper, Polymath, and One Step Ahead. You should take all of the nearby increased damage over time, chaos damage over time multiplier, and increased chaos damage nodes for higher damage. The Charge Mastery with Overcharged is important because it gives a chance to generate an Endurance, Frenzy, or Power charge on kill. The Reservation Mastery is also important for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. A Stormshroud jewel makes Shock avoidance apply to all elemental ailments and is recommended for 100% elemental ailment avoidance with the recommended boots. You should also use a medium cluster jewel near the top of the tree with small passives grant 12% increased chaos damage over time, the Vile Reinvigoration notable, and either the Student of Decay or the Brush with Death notable. This is a life build so make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival. Note: The Skill tree image above is updated for the new season (3.25).

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Defensive Layers

The Heartstopper ascendancy alternates between 40% less damage taken and 40% less damage over time taken alternating back and forth. With the One Step Ahead ascendancy your action speed will be 108% and the action speed of enemies will be 92%. The Polymath ascendancy also gives 3% increased damage, 1% life replenishment on kill, and 1% energy shield replenishment on kill for every mastery node taken. Essence Drain is a defensive playstyle that allows you to cast and move with the large speed increase from Withing Step while your chaos damage over time deals damage. This build also has the strong defensive advantage of being a spell build that can use a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Grace

Summon Skitterbots

Enlighten Support

 

Shield (3-link)

Wither

Spell Totem Support

Multiple Totem Support

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Armour (6-link)

Essence Drain (Essence Drain of Wickedness can be used on single target fights)

Efficacy Support

Empower Support

Awakened Controlled Destruction Support

Awakened Void Manipulation Support

Awakened Swift Affliction Support

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Helmet (4-link)

Summon Flame Golem

Minion Life Support

Culling Strike Support

Elemental Army Support

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Gloves (4-link)

Contagion

Awakened Increased Area of Effect Support

Intensify Support

Arcane Surge Support

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Boots (4-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

More Duration Support

Clarity

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Profane Proxy Ring (1-link)

Despair

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Clarity is needed for its mana regeneration which keeps you from running out of mana. Summon Skitterbots is used with the Profane Proxy ring to apply Shock and the Despair curse which lowers the chaos resistances of enemies. Summon Skitterbots can be used once you have the increased reservation efficiency from the Mana Mastery and a leveled Enlighten Support to reduce the mana reservation cost of your skills.

 

Gem Notes​​​​

1. Steelskin is the best guard skill for this build because Immortal Call requires you to use potions more often and Molten Shell requires very high armour to be effective.

2. Essence Drain of Wickedness degenerates life and energy shield making it difficult to use energy shield. At high damage levels Essence Drain of Transference isn't usable on multiple targets or the damage to your life will be too high. You can however use Essence Drain of Wickedness on single target fights and only receive the life degen from a single enemy if you have items with life regeneration.

3. The Profane Proxy unique ring is used to make Summon Skitterbots apply the Despair curse which lowers the chaos resistances of enemies which is important because Essence Drain can only apply curses to single targets.

4. You should cast Contagion to prime enemies for Essence Drain and then cast Essence Drain to attack the enemies. On tough enemies and stationary fights you should also drop Wither totems for 6% increased chaos damage stacking up to 15 times.

5. Summon Flame Golem gives a 20% damage increase, 2% life recovery on Culling Strike, kills enemies at 10% life with Culling Strike Support, and provides an extra target for enemies to attack.

6. Essence Drain is the best Shadow caster build but if you think you would prefer to play a bow based chaos damage Shadow build the Toxic Rain Trickster Guide can be found here Toxic Rain Trickster.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Wand

Look for +1 to level of all chaos spell skill gems, +1 to level of all spell skill gems, increased spell damage, chaos damage over time multiplier, and increased chaos damage. You should add 1% increased area of effect per 4% quality at the Horticrafting station which can be added to your hideout with the edit option. 

 

Shield

Rare Spell Shield

Look for high life, high energy shield, +1 to all chaos spell skill gems, increased spell damage, block chance, and resistances.

Lioneye's Remorse

A budget option that has 210 life and high armor especially if you get the legacy version which is inexpensive in Standard.

 

Armour

Belly of the Beast

Gain 40% increased life, 15% increased elemental resistances, and 50% increased life flask recovery rate. Using Belly of the Beast allows you to take less life nodes and path to the damage over time multiplier nodes with Acrimony. You can also upgrade to a Belly of the Beast with +1 to level of socketed gems corruption for a little more currency.

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Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for high resistances, life, strength, energy shield, and optionally physical damage taken as an elemental damage. You can also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased area of effect and increased spell damage.

 

Belt

Stygian Vise

Look for high life, life percent, strength, increased chaos damage, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

Abyss Jewel

Look for an abyss jewel with life, energy shield, added chaos damage, and increased damage over time while holding a shield.

 

Gloves

Rare Apothecary's Gloves

Apothecary's Gloves have an 18% increased damage over time implicit. Look for high life, strength, increased damage over time, chaos damage over time multiplier, spell suppression, and optionally a resistance.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, chance to avoid being Shocked, resistances, Onslaught on kill, and movement speed. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid being Shocked and optionally a chance to avoid elemental ailments if you need more Shock avoidance which gives 100% elemental ailment avoidance with a Stormshroud jewel socketed in your tree. With high tier Eldritch Embers you won't need the added chance to avoid elemental ailments modifier and can use increased life regeneration. You can craft these boots by getting a tier one chaos resistance fracture (golden modifier that appears above the line that cant be changed) and roll Deafening Essences of Torment for Shock avoidance until you get high life and resistances. Next you can craft Onslaught on kill and increased movement speed at the crafting bench for a great pair of boots.

 

Amulet

Rare Chaos Skill Amulet

Look for high attributes, high life, +1 to level of all chaos skill gems, increased spell damage, and resistances. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

 

Rings

Profane Proxy

Makes Summon Skitterbots apply Despair instead of Chill, increases the level of a socketed curse gem by three, has up to 30% cold resistance, and has up to 30% lightning resistance. You should also use Prismatic Catalysts to increase its resistances.

Rare Ring

Iolite Rings can have an increased chaos damage implicit. Look for high life, energy shield, damage over time multiplier, increased chaos damage, and resistances. You should also use Noxious Catalysts on the ring to increase its chaos damage.

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Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Wise

This tattoo can replace a 30 intelligence node on the tree to give +1 to level of all intelligence skill gems.

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Utility Flasks

Bottled Faith

Has up to 40% increased damage, 150% increases critical strike chance, and 10% increased damage to enemies on consecrated ground. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when you hit a rare or unique enemy.

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, 12% increased attack block, and 6% increased spell block. The legacy version is better and gives much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Jade Flask

Gives 1500 evasion. Look to roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Heart of Darkness to give 27% increased chaos damage and 7% chaos resistance penetration at Cassia using an Azure Oil, Azure Oil, and Opalescent Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: 40% Increased Essence Drain Damage

Gloves: Commandment of Blades

Feet: 8% Chance to Suppress Spell Damage

Belt: Enemies Withered By You Have -9% to All Resistances

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Bandits

The best bandit to help in Act 2 is Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances which allows you to focus more on damage from your equipment. If you don't need the resistances you can kill all three bandits instead for 1 passive skill point.

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Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power and gives 6% reduced physical damage taken when only one enemy is present, a 20% chance to take 50% less area damage, 8% reduced elemental damage taken if you haven't been hit recently, take no extra damage from critical strikes if you've been hit with a critical strike recently, and a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments from critical strikes. Soul of Ryslatha is the best minor power and gives 60% increased life recovery from flasks at low life, life flask charges every 3 seconds if you haven't used a life flask recently, and enemies you hit have 50% reduced life regeneration.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

Lifesprigs

You can use two level one Lifesprigs that each give 40% increased spell damage, +1 to level of socketed spell gems, increased cast speed, life, mana, and life regeneration.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a strong level one offensive chest armour that has 6 white linked sockets. Any color skill and support gems can be linked together inside of it which allows you to deal much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also get a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

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Helmet

Goldrim

A great level one resistance helmet with up to 40% to all elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

Level one gloves that give up to 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy Charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

These boots require level 9 and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Karui Ward

A level five amulet that gives up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 100 accuracy, and 30% increased projectile damage.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets at level one that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience.

 

Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask can be used at level four for 40% increased movement speed and can have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which increases your attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27. It can also have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Bottled Faith (use a Sulphur Flask for 40% increased damage if you can't afford Bottled Faith)

This endgame flask requires level 27 and gives 40% increased damage, creates consecrated ground, increases enemies damage taken by 10% on consecrated ground, and gives 150% increased critical strike chance against enemies on consecrated ground.

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Leveling Gems

Freezing Pulse is the best starter spell and can be used at level one. Essence Drain and Contagion are your endgame skills and should be switched to at level 12. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. Make sure and pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

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Upgrades

The Carnage Heart amulet can be equipped as early as level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also benefit from upgrading to two Praxis rings at level 22 to reduce the mana cost of all skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items listed above last all the way until the midgame where better items will become available.

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And that's all for the Essence Drain Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

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