Essence drain for leveling?

I want to use ED contagion as my starter build in legacy but I'm not sure if its viable for leveling without any bought gear? I've tested it up to level 18 and it feels a lot slower than firestorm? Are there specific gems that are super important? I feel like I need to setup 3 abilities to get essentially the same effect as a firestorm so it feels pretty lackluster at least for early levels.

ED is one of the best if not the best SSF build.

I think that should be a good answer to the question.

As for gems: essence drain+ pierce+void manipulation +slower proj+rapid decay then either poison or controlled destruction is the best 6link setup.

Gems were listed in a priority order, so pierce and void manip is the 2 most important link to it.

You will need a contaigon linked with inc area.

Then a spell totem linked with wither + probably faster casting.

Leveling should be pretty easy and the main difference is, firestorm is laggy, essence drain is not.

Once you get ED on a 4 link and Contagion on a 3 link it starts to pick up a lot. Wither on a totem is also important for single target/boss fights.

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Docbp87 wrote:

Once you get ED on a 4 link and Contagion on a 3 link it starts to pick up a lot. Wither on a totem is also important for single target/boss fights.

Should i just use firestorm until i have the right gear to get those gems? It looks like increased area isnt even available til level 38 anyway.

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ShakeAC wrote:

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Docbp87 wrote:

Once you get ED on a 4 link and Contagion on a 3 link it starts to pick up a lot. Wither on a totem is also important for single target/boss fights.

Should i just use firestorm until i have the right gear to get those gems? It looks like increased area isnt even available til level 38 anyway.

Not necessary. ED-Void Manip-Pierce-Controlled Destruction (then Rapid Decay/Empower/Slower Proj as you see fit) and Contagion-Faster Casting-Increased Duration (and AOE as a 4th link). Duration is nice on Contagion because of how the chaining/re-casting works. Contagion is good enough on a 2 link early on, since it really is just to spread the ED. The damage it does isn't worth much.

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krenderke wrote:

ED is one of the best if not the best SSF build.

I think that should be a good answer to the question.

As for gems: essence drain+ pierce+void manipulation +slower proj+rapid decay then either poison or controlled destruction is the best 6link setup.

Gems were listed in a priority order, so pierce and void manip is the 2 most important link to it.

You will need a contaigon linked with inc area.

Then a spell totem linked with wither + probably faster casting.

Leveling should be pretty easy and the main difference is, firestorm is laggy, essence drain is not.

Do you have a link to the build you would recommend using for a new SSF character/new league character?

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ShakeAC wrote:

Do you have a link to the build you would recommend using for a new SSF character/new league character?

I alway play my own builds, so no link, but last time I played a witch (plan was occultist with eldritch battery and MoM, easy sustain, also makes up for the shitty life pool and can reserve all the mana) ED on one of the HC ssf events (BoobsMcTits on my profile), unfortunately this was when the race bugged and they had to restart it and I didn't want to start again, because it was already like 3 AM.


Depends on which league you play in, and whether you want to do or skip uber lab.

For SSF you need to factor which gems you have acces to on your starter and whether you are willing to make gem mules just to get that one gem.

As it is, both Occultist and Trickster are really good for ED, also they have access to almost every gem for it, except there are some differences.


But witch is the lazy option if we only look at the skillgems.
Witch can get spelltotem, shadow can't.

Mostly for theese 2 day long ssf events you maybe want to do normal and cruel lab, in some cases merc, but you should not bother with uber at all.

So 4 to 6 points used on the ascendany tree is also a factor.

For a EB MoM build they are still pretty similar, but witch comes out as the lazy option again.

You grab Wicked ward and Vile bastion, so you can sustain the ES over your mana pretty easily even if you are constantly being hit.

The tree I had on the witch at level 49.
http://poeurl.com/3ZG

Example passive tree for level 89-90, depends whether you kill all the bandits in merciless or take a frenzy or endurance charge. (normal diff should be HP, cruel kill all)

http://poeurl.com/3ZC

Run enfeeble+temp chains + arctic armor on mana. (95% reservation)
You can use vulnerability instead of enfeeble, but it is really only your choice.
Or in case you struggle with resistances, you can drop the +1 curse node on the tree and pick up some resistance nodes from the templar area and run a purity of elements, or just use the flask that gives you allresist.


You should have a decent enough regeneration (3.8% + what you get from ED) and the ES over your mana should pretty much never run out because of the ascendancy node.

Try to have like enough ES, that equals at least 30% of your maximum life, and then that's it.

Ah and btw, one thing about occultis.
Don't ever take Profane Bloom, it stops contaigon's spread effect.


In case you just want to play a not SSF essence drainer, then you have the option to play CI, even on first char, but you need to be experienced with the game to pull that off.
The build I described should work decently as well, if you just normally play, carcass jack should be best in slot, however a shitty chaos crafted 6link chest can be a cheap way of getting a 6link and of course a shitty alched or transmuted 5link chest can get you pretty far in the game as long as it has life and resist on it.
Weapon of choice either a consuming dark for free poison or an essence of delirium crafted dagger (preferably ambusher because of the base attspeed).