Article by Kami
Build Overview
The Chaos ED + Contagion Lich build by ronarray is one of the best starter caster builds of Path of Exile 2 Season 0.4. This build has barely been touched in months and remains incredibly powerful. The Essence Drain + Contagion combo is easy to master: cast Contagion on a pack, then Essence Drain kills the monsters and spreads Malady to all enemies hit.
What I love about this build is its versatility. You can play it as a Witch of course, but also as a Druid or even a Sorcerer if you prefer. The gameplay stays identical from level 1 all the way to very late endgame. The Lich Ascendancy brings mana regeneration via Soulless Form and exceptional tankiness with Eternal Life.
The build’s scaling relies mainly on chaos damage over time. Unlike hit-based builds, you’re not looking for instant DPS but the cumulative effect of the DoT over time. Swift Affliction I is the first support to grab since it massively boosts single target.
Build Strengths
- Best starter caster : Unchanged for months, still just as effective in 0.4
- Ultra simple gameplay : Contagion → Essence Drain, the combo works from Act 1 all the way to endgame
- Highly scalable : Chaos DoT scales well with gear and the skill tree
- Solid defenses : The Lich Ascendancy with Eternal Life makes the build very tanky
- Versatile : Works for Witch, Druid, or Sorcerer with the same setup
Build Weaknesses
- Mana management : If you use Zenith I as a support, you need to keep your mana above 90%
- Slower single target : The DoT takes a few seconds to kick in on tanky bosses
Gem Setup by Stage
This build offers 4 progression stages from leveling to the final build. Select a stage to see the corresponding gem setup.
Endgame
8 skills • 36 gems
Early Waystones
6 skills • 24 gems
Act 1-3
7 skills • 19 gems
Act 4-6
6 skills • 21 gems
Recommended Equipment
- Wand : Top priority is +1 level to chaos spell skills. It’s better than 50% increased spell damage. Then look for spell damage as a bonus.
- Focus : Chaos damage or cast speed. Toward the end of the campaign, look for +1 to spell skills.
- Rings : Cast speed is the top priority for smooth gameplay.
- Boots : Movement speed only. Nothing else matters.
- Armour : Energy Shield + survivability. The Lich naturally scales with ES.
For single target in endgame, use Dark Effigy with Overabundance I and a full set of damage supports. You can also use a second weapon set with Sigil of Power to buffer your damage against bosses.
Gameplay Tips
- Basic combo : Cast Contagion on a pack first, then Essence Drain. The monsters die and spread Contagion to all nearby enemies.
- First supports : Swift Affliction I for Essence Drain (single target) and Magnified Area I for Contagion (clear). These two are top priority.
- Unleash on Contagion : Add Unleash so you only have to cast Contagion once per pack. Huge quality of life improvement.
- Avoid Pure Chaos : The +11% extra chaos damage does not work with DoT. Invest in survivability instead.
- Skill tree : Minion nodes → Road Destruction → Entropy → Potent Incantation → Lingering Horror → Dark Entries.
Lich Ascendancy Order
The order in which you take your Ascendancy points is crucial for comfortable leveling. Here is the progression recommended by ronarray:
- 1. Soulless Form : This is the first choice, always. With only 2 Ascendancy points, you solve all your mana regeneration problems. Absolutely incredible for gameplay comfort.
- 2. Eternal Life : The second pick adds a massive layer of tankiness. Meanwhile, invest in damage via the skill tree.
- 3. Eldritch Empowerment : Spells deal 30% more damage when you sacrifice Energy Shield (5% max ES per cast). Alternative: Rupture of Soul if you play with Blasphemy + curses.
- 4. Crystalline Facility : Take this later when you have good jewels to socket.
Single Target with Dark Effigy
For bosses, the Essence Drain + Contagion combo shows its limits. That’s where Dark Effigy comes into play. This skill places an effigy on the ground that amplifies the damage taken by the enemy.
In endgame, use Dark Effigy with Overabundance I and a full damage-oriented support setup (Controlled Destruction, Poison I, Rapid Casting I). On a second weapon set, you can also place Sigil of Power for an additional boost before engaging a boss.
Support Gem Progression
The support gem progression is simple but important. Here is the priority order:
- Swift Affliction I : First support to grab for Essence Drain. The « less duration » is offset by the « more non-elemental damage over time ».
- Magnified Area I : For Contagion, massively increases AoE and clear quality of life.
- Unleash : On Contagion, lets you cast the spell only once per pack.
- Chain I : If you want to improve the clear of Essence Drain.
- Zenith I : 30% more damage when above 90% mana. Optional as it requires managing your mana.
- Considered Casting : Available at level 2 of support gems, good for single target.
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2 Commentaires
Très bon build, par contre celui de deadrabb1t qui est sensiblement le même, offre une meilleur survivabilité (Suis mort une fois par ma faute durant les actes 1 à 4), coût plus que correct, speed leveling et Endgame qui dépop tout, on prend vraiment plaisir à nettoyer les maps.
Source : https://mobalytics.gg/poe-2/builds/chaos-dot-lich-starter-deadrabbit
Il serait peut être intéressant de l’ajouter à la liste des builds à mon humble avis.
@KorosXx Salut, effectivement en plus il à posté une mise à jour hier !! Je regarde pour l’intégrer dans les builds ! merci pour ton message ! 😀