S-TIER | BUILD WITCH ABYSSAL LICH PROJECTILE SPEED TWISTER (@787prada) | SEASON 5

Build Overview

This Abyssal Lich build elevates the Witch to one of the fastest and most devastating characters in Path of Exile 2. The concept is simple yet brilliantly executed: Skeletal Snipers are never actually summoned — the Umbral Well ascendancy node converts them into souls, granting 15% increased Projectile Speed per sniper. With 10 snipers and the Projectile Acceleration III support gem (×1.4 multiplier), you easily reach 210% increased Projectile Speed, which simultaneously translates into additional damage thanks to the gem’s own bonus.

The main skill is Twister: tornadoes that shoot out in front of you, sweeping entire packs in fractions of a second. The damage rotation relies on stacking Frenzy Charges (via Armour Break and the Resonance keystone which converts Endurance Charges into Frenzy), then using Barrage to repeat Twister up to seven times in a row. The Olroth’s Conviction support even lets you trigger this combo three times in a chain. On bosses, the build switches to pure crit, with Sniper’s Mark and Power Charges to reach a ×1.25 crit multiplier.

The movement loop is equally unique: in weapon set 1, Whirling Slash chains at an insane speed thanks to Skeletal Reavers (each granting 6% skill speed) and the Dance with Death node (×1.25 multiplier to all skill speed), making it an extremely mobile and offensive character. Defense relies on Energy Shield (ES), with a swap to Chaos Inoculation around 5–7k ES for optimal endgame survival.

Strengths / Weaknesses

Gem Setup by Step

This build offers 1 progression step from leveling to the final build. Select a step to see the corresponding gem setup.

Default

Default

11 skills • 42 gems

Jet de lanceSpear Throw

Pureté du feuPurity of Fire

Héraut du tonnerreHerald of Thunder

Tir de barrageBarrage

Rituel profaneProfane Ritual

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

Taillade tourbillonnanteWhirling Slash

TrombeTwister

Tireurs d'élite squelettiquesSkeletal Sniper

Marque du tireur d'éliteSniper's Mark

Ravageurs squelettiquesSkeletal Reaver

Recommended Equipment

• Spear (Main Weapon): look for a spear with high physical damage (Fizz) — essential for Armour Break. The Ordained spear is the best budget choice (physical damage + crit built in). When crafting, aim for increased Fizz, crit chance ≥ 12%, and attack speed. Do not use a purely elemental damage spear (Ellie) — Armour Break would not work.
• Off-hand (Set 2 — Sceptre): prioritize a sceptre with maximum Spirit. Sacred Flame is the BIS (unique sceptre granting additional damage). On a budget, a rare sceptre with Purity of (an element) frees up « free » supports that don’t consume your Spirit.
• Off-hand (Set 1 — Spear): a soaring spear with maximum attack speed, with no other damage concern — it is purely for movement via Whirling Slash.
• Rings: The Taming (prismatic unique, BIS) lets Twister benefit from all three ground effects simultaneously (+100% elemental damage gain). While waiting for The Taming, use a rare ring with flat damage. On the other ring: flat damage + resistances.
• Gloves: flat damage (prefixes), ideally with Fizz and lightning for armour break and shock.
• Boots: rares with Energy Shield + Runic Ward. In early game / progression, Wake of Destruction (unique, 1 exalt) easily lays shocked ground while you wait for good rares.
• Charm: The Fall of the Axe is a unique breach charm equipped in this build — excellent for onslaught and armour break.
• Flasks: Laviangas Spirits is the unique mana flask used in this build — its charges recharge efficiently and it contributes to resource management in combat.
• Helmet: Energy Shield is the priority. Controlled Metamorphosis (unique jewel) can be socketed here to obtain critical notable passives for free.
• Body Armour: essential to have maximum Spirit — it is the main source of Projectile Speed via Skeletal Snipers.
• Amulet: maximum Spirit as well. Heart of the Diamond Well is a very strong unique jewel (bonus gains on all your skills). As a progression goal, Rite of Passage (unique, Wolf variant) is excellent for armour break and skill speed.
• Belt: Mageblood (absolute BIS — 3× Legacy of Silver for ×30% skill speed each, amplified by the 41% buff). Head Hunter is also excellent but conditional. On a budget, a rare belt with resistances and ES.
• Jewels: Controlled Metamorphosis first. Otherwise, aim for ES + crit + crit. Magnitude of Ailments with a Diluted Liquid Iron to guarantee max ES as a prefix.
• Rakiata’s Flow (support gem): this support is linked to Twister — it inverts resistances. Combined with Sacred Flame which drops resistance to 0%, damage explodes. Recommended first « super baller » purchase.

Gameplay Tips

• Cast Twister before entering a room: never walk into a corridor surrounded by monsters before throwing your tornadoes. Fire Twister ahead, then run in the direction of the tornadoes to « chase » your projectiles — monsters are already dead when you arrive.
• Boss positioning — key rule: the boss must be outside your presence area when you use Twister. If Sacred Flame drops its resistance to 0% while you are in its presence, Rakiata’s Flow has nothing to invert and you lose the massive damage burst. Move the boss away, cast from distance.
• Frenzy rotation and Barrage: while farming maps, break monster armour with Twister to stack Frenzy Charges (converted from Endurance Charges by Resonance). When the gauge is full, trigger Barrage — it will repeat Twister 6–7 times. Olroth’s Conviction lets you repeat the combo three times in a chain for instantly cleared packs.
• On bosses, switch to crit mode: apply Sniper’s Mark on the target. By critting, you gain a Power Charge via Charge Regulation, boosting your crit chance by ×1.25. Use Profane Ritual to stack Endurance Charges and temporarily inflate your Energy Shield to ~9,500 ES.
• Manage your Whirling Slash well: 3 whirlwind stacks = dense and powerful tornadoes. With fewer stacks, your Twister deals noticeably less damage. Keep the attack Flow of the set 1 weapon high to constantly recharge stacks while moving.
• Profane Ritual and Endurance: this activates on both weapon sets. If you only have it on one set, the ES buff disappears on swap. Make sure it is active on both sides to maintain your Energy Shield pool permanently.

How to Unlock the Abyssal Lich Ascendancy

Before you can play Abyssal Lich, you must first unlock the ordinary Lich ascendancy (Witch). Once you are a Lich, progress through the Abyss questline in your maps until you obtain a Kulemak’s invitation via the Well of Souls. You then have 6 attempts to kill Kulemak before it resets.

After killing Kulemak for the first time, return to place the ring back in the chamber and repeat the fight several times. At each stage, steal the power of the lich on the far right — this is critical. Note: Abyss damage is tri-elemental, so make sure your resistances are capped throughout the process. When the arena is split in two and the boss defeated, the « Embrace Abyssal Power » option unlocks your new ascendancy and the Umbral Well node.

Projectile Speed Scaling (Umbral Well)

Umbral Well is the heart of the build. For every Skeletal Sniper you would have summoned (but the node converts into a soul), you gain 15% increased Projectile Speed. With 10 snipers, that gives 150% — which the Projectile Acceleration III gem multiplies by 1.4 to reach 210% Projectile Speed. This bonus serves a dual purpose: it speeds up your tornadoes (increasing their range and zone coverage) AND it converts into additional damage thanks to the gem’s own bonus.

In practice, the damage tooltip for Twister goes from ~78k (without Skeletal Snipers) to ~109k (with 10 snipers) — a 40% gain without changing any other piece of equipment. The more Spirit you stack to invite more snipers, the faster and more powerful your tornadoes become.

The Twister + Sacred Flame + Rakiata’s Flow Combo

The boss burst of this build is a three-step interaction. First, Sacred Flame (unique sceptre equipped in the off-hand) reduces the target’s elemental resistances to 0%. Then, Rakiata’s Flow (support gem on Twister) inverts the target’s resistances — turning that 0% into massive negative resistances. The result: your Twister damage explodes on the target with no protection.

Mandatory condition: the boss must be outside your presence area when Twister is activated. If Sacred Flame triggers while you are in the area, resistance drops to 0% — but Rakiata’s Flow can only invert positive resistances. With no resistance to invert, the combo does not work. Get into the habit of casting Twister from range, outside the boss’s presence hitbox.

Progression and Purchase Order

Budget (league start): an Ordained spear (physical damage + crit built in) for 1–2 divines, a pair of Wake of Destruction (1 exalt, lays shocked ground for Twister), a body armour and amulet with Spirit, gloves and a rare ring with flat damage. That is all you need to get the build running.

Super Baller Purchase Order (endgame): Controlled Metamorphosis → Heart of the Diamond Well → The Fall of the Axe → The Taming + new boots → Sacred Flame → 3× Legacy of Silver Mageblood (or Head Hunter) → Rite of Passage (Wolf variant). In this order, each purchase significantly improves either your damage or your survival. The Taming can also be crafted cost-effectively via the Ashen Mines Easter egg (three Barracks rings combined) to save 8–10 divines.

Switching to Chaos Inoculation

The swap to Chaos Inoculation (CI) is recommended starting from 5,000 to 7,000 ES, depending on your risk tolerance. CI makes you immune to chaos damage while reducing your life to 1 — but on this build fully defended by Energy Shield, it is a considerable net gain. It also frees up Purity of (element) supports on your sceptre, which you could use for free resistances before the swap.

Once on CI, Purity of (element) supports are no longer as useful since life regeneration sources disappear. You can then replace those supports with more offensive gems on your sceptre. Review your sceptre at the time of the swap to optimise your gem configuration accordingly.

Skill Tree