[2.5] Essence Drain Build Options (HC Uber Atziri/Shaper Viable)

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N4Z wrote:

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pKleck wrote:

So at what level can you consistently have the mana to keep 2 curses up at the same time? I'm 41 and can only manage Clarity and Temporal Chains. I've tried going the no Clarity route and double up curses but I can't maintain it.

Do I have to wait until Heretic's Veil? I'd rather not pump mana regen %...

Edit: Another question- why is spell totem needed? Can't you just cast Wither as-is from afar? Perhaps I'm ignorant about how the totem works- does it autocast once you drop it?

41 is still way too low to use any thing.Honestly, I only respect to 2 curses ~ 60+.

Helpful, thanks!

Hi, I'm currently at lvl 73 and I have low ES (4.4k with discipline)and I see many profiles with items than 100% or more ES. How can I roll that? With any specific essence or the glorious RNG?
Thanks in advance.

If anyone can check my passive tree (Nigma_ED) :D

Life based ED trickster build @LV81 right now with 4.5k Life and 1.1K ES. I have effectively completed PT's primary passive skill tree and am trying to decide on where to go next. I first did the Skittering Runes area for the curse eff+. Now I am considering doing the Chaos Dmg+ nodes into the Atrophy passive. I've watched PT's video on the life based passive tree, but did not see any commentary on the Atrophy area:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJDxpf5zW9c&index=5&list=PLukM8wjNdMM1tPaZx_p2LOUOlmMfPLJqc

Is there any reason why this section is not recommended for this build? I am having zero survivability issues with LC + Enfeeble curse, but could certainly use more damage. The Atrophy area seems the best for that purpose.

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LunarWhaler wrote:

Playing the build through now, really enjoying it, level 66 (almost 67) - just have a few questions.

- Why do we take so many Area Damage nodes? Seems like the only Area Damage skill we have is Contagion, and that doesn't do much damage compared to ED.

- I got a Consuming Dark, but the poison doesn't feel like it's really doing much. I notice we didn't get much DoT damage in our tree (I'm using the normal levelling build) - is this perhaps why? Or is there something I'm missing?

You take the Area nodes, they just happen to come with damage.

Consuming should be more noticable at higher gear levels and on single target with multi hits. If you aren't noticing a large change currently it is purely the low damage you have for now.

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pKleck wrote:

So at what level can you consistently have the mana to keep 2 curses up at the same time? I'm 41 and can only manage Clarity and Temporal Chains. I've tried going the no Clarity route and double up curses but I can't maintain it.

Do I have to wait until Heretic's Veil? I'd rather not pump mana regen %...

Edit: Another question- why is spell totem needed? Can't you just cast Wither as-is from afar? Perhaps I'm ignorant about how the totem works- does it autocast once you drop it?

I had no issues with mana while leveling two curses but you don't need two while leveling, consider elreon gear, mana regen on slots or whatever. You do not need spell totem, it is simply so you can drop it and then cast essence drain.

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pKleck wrote:

So at what level can you consistently have the mana to keep 2 curses up at the same time? I'm 41 and can only manage Clarity and Temporal Chains. I've tried going the no Clarity route and double up curses but I can't maintain it.

Do I have to wait until Heretic's Veil? I'd rather not pump mana regen %...

Edit: Another question- why is spell totem needed? Can't you just cast Wither as-is from afar? Perhaps I'm ignorant about how the totem works- does it autocast once you drop it?

I'm currently level 92 with this build and can say you don't need clarity at all, in fact I didn't use it until I got shavs and went LL, just cause there's room with your life to get the "free" regen. You just keep a mana flask and honestly you shouldn't be running out of mana on anything other than bosses (Spamming with consuming dark for poison stacks). Your passive mana regen should keep you topped off between packs on a four or five link.

Spell totem is not needed. but it's qol on high hp enemies so you can poison stack with consuming while the totem withers them, it also let's you dodge shit because you aren't channeling.

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WulfgangNSH wrote:

Life based ED trickster build @LV81 right now with 4.5k Life and 1.1K ES. I have effectively completed PT's primary passive skill tree and am trying to decide on where to go next. I first did the Skittering Runes area for the curse eff+. Now I am considering doing the Chaos Dmg+ nodes into the Atrophy passive. I've watched PT's video on the life based passive tree, but did not see any commentary on the Atrophy area:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJDxpf5zW9c&index=5&list=PLukM8wjNdMM1tPaZx_p2LOUOlmMfPLJqc

Is there any reason why this section is not recommended for this build? I am having zero survivability issues with LC + Enfeeble curse, but could certainly use more damage. The Atrophy area seems the best for that purpose.

Simply put if you want more deeps get more deeps, and if you want to be tankier get hp/curse eff. I took pretty much all the chaos and dot nodes on the tree while leveling in early maps because I was ESC and wasn't even close to dying so i just went full clear speed to farm up currency and exp. I only specced out of the atrophy wheel when I went LL so I could get dumb levels of ES and just face tank shit in T12s

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BokkoTheBunny wrote:

I'm currently level 92 with this build and can say you don't need clarity at all, in fact I didn't use it until I got shavs and went LL, just cause there's room with your life to get the "free" regen. You just keep a mana flask and honestly you shouldn't be running out of mana on anything other than bosses (Spamming with consuming dark for poison stacks). Your passive mana regen should keep you topped off between packs on a four or five link.

Spell totem is not needed. but it's qol on high hp enemies so you can poison stack with consuming while the totem withers them, it also let's you dodge shit because you aren't channeling.

Thank you for helping out answering questions when I do not have time to check through the comments

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BokkoTheBunny wrote:

Simply put if you want more deeps get more deeps, and if you want to be tankier get hp/curse eff. I took pretty much all the chaos and dot nodes on the tree while leveling in early maps because I was ESC and wasn't even close to dying so i just went full clear speed to farm up currency and exp. I only specced out of the atrophy wheel when I went LL so I could get dumb levels of ES and just face tank shit in T12s

Thanks for the response. And I agree on Clarity; haven't needed it since Merc Dried Lake probably.

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ProjectPT wrote:

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BokkoTheBunny wrote:

I'm currently level 92 with this build and can say you don't need clarity at all, in fact I didn't use it until I got shavs and went LL, just cause there's room with your life to get the "free" regen. You just keep a mana flask and honestly you shouldn't be running out of mana on anything other than bosses (Spamming with consuming dark for poison stacks). Your passive mana regen should keep you topped off between packs on a four or five link.

Spell totem is not needed. but it's qol on high hp enemies so you can poison stack with consuming while the totem withers them, it also let's you dodge shit because you aren't channeling.

Thank you for helping out answering questions when I do not have time to check through the comments

It's no problem. I've been having tons of fun with essence drain, and I enjoy sharing info and helping people. This skill is damn good, and I'm pushing it to see where I can go with it.

One thing I havnt spotted yet is an 8 point Ascendency list.

Please provide. I have 4 atm but would like insight on the last 2 points

Thanks.

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VzwsoN wrote:

One thing I havnt spotted yet is an 8 point Ascendency list.

Please provide. I have 4 atm but would like insight on the last 2 points

Thanks.

I'm not on HC so keep that in mind.

This is for trickster and I can't really say for OCC or others cause I haven't played them myself.

Leveling I started with Patient reaper, because we are lower level the "more" from frenzies don't have as much to scale. In cruel I went with swift killer for more deeps, and then around 70 I did merc lab and took ghost dance. After completing all the trials around 88 and gem level 19 I had uber lab open so I respeced swift killer before hand and took shade form. Ran uber and took swift killer again. The other ascendancies just don't have that much of value to the build so I wouldn't recommend them. We don't scale with cast speed really and don't have huge mana problems either.

This was just me and I didn't run uber lab until I already had a shav's lined up and waiting. If you're CI or LL lab traps can be a pain in the ass so I'd recommend doing uber lab before switching from hybrid.

Keep in mind while I'm SC I only died once and it was in T12 Vault (WAYYYYY After uber lab and such) to the boss because I didn't understand it so I assume the way I did it would work in HC as well.