[2.4] Essence Drain/Contagion NECROMANCER - HC Viable, Low Budget to get started
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Hello and welcome to my build guide for making a different kind of Essence Drain build. Who says casters can't be durable?
2.4 Update
Nothing really changed. You can use Witchfire Brew instead of regular vulnerability blasphemy to fit in the enhance-buffed Temporal Chains on a smaller budget. Pierce lost a bit of damage, maybe drop it for empower instead of slower projectiles. Removed video section because I'm apparently too lazy to actually make a video -_-
Pros
- Highly durable - VERY low unique reliance - Simple to gear - Affected by very few map mods - Makes a strong support in groups - Invulnerable to titty bitches, chimerals, and other rapid-hitting mobs - Max curse effectiveness temp chains in a non-support build!
Cons
- DPS is solid but not amazing (this ain't no CoC Discharge!) - Curse Immune mobs/maps are very obnoxious - Relatively complicated to actually play (NOT a 1-button spec) - Only life/MoM actually help with true single large hits - Kinda crappy group DPS (but they'll love you for your curses!)
Passive Tree - Level 85
This tree has left out the Uber Lab's 2 ascendancy points, they don't really do much. When you eventually do the Uber Lab grab Beacon of Corruption, it's basically just some chaos res and 20% increased damage. http://poeplanner.com/AAIAAThBQUlEQXdNQWNkLXdnaENQcGtTclZhNHNuQkV0ZklQcjdwcmdoVEtuQ0J6Y010RkZuWTlHbmE2NGs0OGFSVWRUVXB1aEdtd28tc0JtR0dyMzF6YnBnc2NFczNndnJKaFNyeVNxLWVpaUFIemxFUTg2V0x0TkZtOUJoX0FmV0FkTUxWWEczVl9qYXB5LXR6NW84aFN3Zzl0bl9BMGZfZ3FDSGp3bzhrWFl2WWhDMndzNjRUV1N3Y1dtVl82UDdCaE40NF82Y0x0T2JmRFZYRUNseEpVdVNWR0h5NXd5Qng2bm14R1dkWjRPU004VlhmSzNNQ3NLRkFrUkx3TWVFMjNyWXg5QkpvZzJQYlZJbmFwMmdteU15QXhpckxUUkZyOG1sV0hpVlV1YmlraU9GU2UtVHczaWpMRT0ACEFBQUFBUUFBAAA=
Leveling Trees
Bandits
help Oak in normal, kill all in cruel/merciless
Gem Setups
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Required Uniques
You do need http://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Conqueror%27s_Efficiency, but since it's a quest reward that's not a big deal. Technically no other uniques are required, but... Is INSANELY strong in this build. This is literally the perfect item. It's got enough ES, it's got 10% increased max life, it's got spell damage, and it's got the god-mod of SPELL BLOCK. I strongly recommend getting one by around level 80, if not earlier. The Spell Block roll on this item is the important one, the higher you can get the better, even if it means settling for a crappy spell damage roll.
Recommended Uniques
Heretic's Veil gives you +2 levels to curses, which is crazy good on temp chains and helps with the AoE of both curses, but more importantly, it saves enough mana reservation to fit Enhance into the setup for even more quality on temp chains (= more slowing effect) OR It lets you drop the 4% mana reservation passive node *and* frees up a jewel socket. This should be worth ~30-40% increased damage between the jewel and the passive point. Heretic's Veil is currently very expensive in Prophecy, approximately 4 Exalts as of writing this guide. I got very lucky and found one as a drop. YOU DO NOT NEED A HERETIC'S VEIL FOR THIS BUILD, A +2 MINION GEMS, ES, LIFE RARE IS FINE. The Sorrow of the Divine can help you manage your Energy Shield in situations where you're taking continuous damage without the ability to drop combat for long enough. Since Essence Drain grants life regeneration *and* we have 4.2% life regeneration on tree *and* consecrated ground grants 4% life regeneration, this refills your ES VERY quickly. Don't forget to hit a life flask whenever you hit this flask, because it does turn off all of your life regeneration for the duration.
Stats to look for on rares
- Life - Resists - ES - That's it!
Current Gear
Playstyle
ED/Contagion packs, watch them melt, then blow up their corpses with Bone Offering to keep your crazy-strong block buff up. On bosses, cast Desecrate as needed to maintain Bone Offering.
DANGEROUS Map Mods
" " Everything else is fine. Just be smart and don't stack damage mods you aren't ready to handle.
Screenshots
These are at level 87, with level 19 skill gems, with the gear listed in "Current Gear". Defenses are with Bone Offering up (should be 100% uptime with good play aka not me :P). ------DEFENSES------  ------DAMAGE------  Last edited by JaxOmen#2587 on Sep 22, 2016, 8:49:19 PM Last bumped on Nov 3, 2016, 5:19:51 PM
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I was looking to do something similar myself, I will definitely try this build out!
Thanks |
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Have you given any thought to Stone of Lazhwar Lapis Amulet or Rainbow Stride for further block chances?
Also, looking forward to your video. |
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isnt it better to go another route for those chaos resist+hp nodes in top left of tree? it'll cost you 2 points for 20 int too, but you can grab 12% increase radius of aura skills node. Also, if you dont have heretic veil, you can grab another 4% reduced mana reserved node and add clarity(low lvl) in your setup, its basically 5% atk and cast speed +10% damage for 1sp(and thats for every1 around you). and also you can get 2 reduce reserve mana nodes there, so you can change that unique jewel for some neat rare.
PS: Dont have heretic veil, so thats what i'm planning to do. Last edited by za6i9ka#5388 on Jun 17, 2016, 6:03:46 AM
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First off, nice build! I was wondering why you'd go the Necromancer Route. With Occultist you get the extra curse plus you can get the -20% chaos resist. Also, there are no minions in the build to benefit from the bonuses in Necromancer.
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" After examining OP's choice of ascendancy points, I see that he is life-based. I personally played a life-based occultist with the one free curse from ascendancy and while the general damage is higher and the character is much tankier than that of Necromancer, Profane Bloom is required to have the 2 curse ascendancy and it is bugged because it stops contagion from spreading. So, if you want to play Occultist Essence Drain, you have to ignore Profane Bloom leading you to forgo the extra curse and go CI or Low-life while ignoring Endgame Labyrinth because Profane Bloom lowers clear speed quite a lot (Your 3 ascendancy points need to be Void Beacon, Wicked Ward, and Vile Bastion). So as of now, I personally think Necromancer is a nice ascendancy to play a life-based Essence Drain if you can't afford decent ES gear, but CI/Low-Life Occultist is better in the long run. If they ever do fix Profane Bloom, I would go Occultist because Profane Bloom is OP in higher tier maps. |
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" I thought this was fixed somewhat recently. I can't remember where I read it, I'll have to look around EDIT: Looked around and yeah it actually looks to be working as intended (profane bloom not spreading the chain). It might spread Contagion still but the ED gets stopped there. Good to note for future builds, thanks for the insight on the other ascendancy trees Last edited by Nantucket#4229 on Jun 23, 2016, 1:37:35 PM
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Does Commander of Darkness buff you while using blasphemy?
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" No, it has to be a non-curse aura. Gonna try this in 48H SSF race, looks pretty good on paper. Nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent.
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so was planing to get this build to gather currency in 2.4 as it seems cheap to set up except the heretics veil. anyone recon it would be a good ideea or not?
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