[THC] 2.1 Essence Drain Shadow

Last Updated: 01/28/2016

Hello Exiles,

This is my first written guide for POE so please be patient as I polish it out.

Due to popular demand I am writing this guide now so people have something to reference if they were interested in my ED setup.

- My setup is designed for mapping high damage mod maps as a solo player without support.
- It is specifically designed to climb to level 100 in hardcore.
- Yes, it's Atziri Normal viable without any re-spec.
- Yes, it's Atziri Uber viable with re-spec, possibly without if you are skilled/geared enough.
- There are literally no map mods combination that this build can not run.
- The only three map mods I will not run are Temp Chains, No Regen and Bloodmagic only because they are very slow and inefficient to run. (but I will make exceptions for 140+ quantity /w 25+ packsize maps)

Video Clips

Clips that are stream highlights may have poor audio due to copyright music

Full Guide - Coming Soon™

Day 1 Footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1h5hykj5go
Day 2 Footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vVT0CQ9mY-Q
Day 3 Footage - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w4YxMRmG_Y

Leveling Guide Highlight - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aw0tw66rqVQ

250m xp/hr @ dried lakes - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4Vk35Cvfp0
Gearing Guide for Mapping - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CcTMejBz2E0
Why Pierce + Fatal Toxins is GOOD - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EIEc4W3orN4

T15 Map /w Triple Damage Defenses Testing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxTVmWp5ruY

Bounties

Normal - Help Oak
Cruel - Kill All
Merciless - Kill All

Skill Trees

Fresh League 30 Points (Before Re-Spec) - poeurl.com/voR
Fresh League 70 Points (Before Re-Spec) - poeurl.com/voV
Fresh League 89 Points (Before Re-Spec) - poeurl.com/voT
Fresh League 89 Points (After 14 Point Re-Spec) - poeurl.com/voU

Re-Roll 29 Points (Before Re-Spec) - poeurl.com/voW
Re-Roll 60 Points (Before Re-Spec) - poeurl.com/voX
Re-Roll 80 Points (Before Re-Spec) - poeurl.com/voY
Re-Roll 80 Points (After 10 Point Re-Spec) - poeurl.com/voZ

Skill Tree @ LVL 80 (102 Points Dried Lakes Setup) - poeurl.com/vo1
Skill Tree @ LVL 95 (117 Points Final Leveling Setup) - poeurl.com/vo2

Final Tree @ LVL 100 (122 Points Setup) - poeurl.com/vo3

Stat requirements for skills

159 Strength (+15 required from gear/jewels)
114 Intelligence (+34 required from gear/jewels)

Stat requirements for KEY ITEMS

159 Intelligence - Rathpith's Globe (+76 required from gear/jewels)

Flask Setup

1. Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching
2. Seething Divine Life Flask of Heat
3. Rumi's Concoction
4. Bubbling Eternal Mana Flask of Warding
5. Taste of Hate (Perpetual Quicksilver Flask of Grounding for Shocked Ground or until Taste)

Links/Gear Setup

AR/EV Helm or AR Helm

Cast When Damage Taken (lvl21/20Q)
Chaos Golem (lvl21)
Tempest Shield (lvl 21/20Q)
Immortal Call (lvl21)

Prefix AR/EV%
Prefix +EV
Prefix Maximum Life

Suffix Resist
Suffix Resist
Suffix Intelligence

ES Gloves (Pure EV is ideal but expensive chrome cost)

Contagion (lvl20/20Q)
Faster Casting (lvl21/20Q)
Flame Dash (lvl1/20Q)
Increased AOE (lvl21)

Prefix EV%
Prefix +EV
Prefix Maximum Life

Suffix Resist
Suffix Resist
Suffix Attack Speed%

Atziri's Step Slink Boots

Vaal Haste (lvl20)
Vaal Haste (lvl20)
Increased Duration (lvl21/20Q)
Faster Casting (lvl21/20Q)

Tabula +1 Skill Gems (+1 Lightning Coil, Carcass Jack would be truly end-game)

1. Essence Drain (lvl21/20Q)
2. Controlled Destruction (lvl21/20Q)
3. Void Manipulation (lvl21/20Q)
4. Rapid Decay (lvl21/20Q)
5. Poison (lvl21/20Q)
6. Empower (lvl4)

(Can use slower projectiles if no empower)

Sai Dagger

Whirling Blades (lvl20/20Q)
Faster Attacks (lvl21/20Q)
Fortify (lvl21/20Q)

Prefix Spell Damage
Prefix Spell Damage+Mana
Prefix Damage Over Time (Leo lvl3 Craft)

Suffix Attack Speed%
Suffix Intelligence
Suffix Resist

Rathpith Globe

Blasphemy (lvl 21/20Q)
Temporal Chains (lvl21/20Q)
Increased AOE (lvl21)

Unset Ring #1

Rallying Cry (Enduring Cry if no Talisman)

Prefix Maximum Life
Prefix Maximum Energy Shield
Prefix Evasion Rating

Suffix Intelligence
Suffix Resist
Suffix Resist

Unset Ring #2

Clarity (lvl15)

Prefix Maximum Life
Prefix Maximum Energy Shield
Prefix Evasion Rating

Suffix Intelligence
Suffix Resist
Suffix Resist

Gear /w No Links

Leather Belt

Prefix Life
Prefix Armour
Prefix Energy Shield

Suffix Flask Charges Gained 15%+
Suffix Resist
Suffix Resist

MonkeyPaw or Greatwolf Talisman

Implicit Endurance charge on kill%
Implicit Life%

Prefix Maximum Life
Prefix Spell Damage
Prefix Maximum Energy Shield

Suffix Intelligence
Suffix Resist
Suffix Resist

Jewels

Max Life% (Highest Priority)

Intelligence (If Needed)
Resist all (If Needed)

Immune to Silence on a Jewel (Corrupted Mod)

Spell Damage /w Shield (Best Damage)
Spell Damage
Chaos Damage
Damage Over Time
Damage %

Attack and Cast Speed (Okay on Jewels)

Hello, I'm interested on how this build plays out after watching the videos :D

Essence drain is not poison. Fatal toxins only boosts the damage dealt by the poison support which is 10% of EDs initial damage(300 base at level 20...which is weak). The ED degen though, is 800 base damage at level 20, which any more multipler supports will magnify. Slower projectiles + rapid decay + void + empower + controled destruction are all better than poison if you arent using a binos. Faster projectiles or iron will may also be better than poison depending on tastes, strength, and current increased damage.

So what im saying here is: poison support and fatal toxins cluster is a waste for an Essence Drain build.

@Skycore

Pro tip, might be a good idea to understand what is going on or even try playing the skill before commenting about how one of the core links and chain nodes of my tree is useless

there happens to be a video that explains it quite well that an expert such as yourself should have no problems understanding.

just my two cents.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

@Skycore

Pro tip,

Pro tip,
If you are unable to realize that 10% of 300 is less(even when multiplied by 300%) than 30% of 800 you might not want to publicly do math.. nor try and convince others of the truth of your calculations.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

might be a good idea to understand what is going on

There is definitely some lack of understanding going on in this thread, perhaps im wrong. But i find it far more likely that it is you. Regardless, i do care about the truth of subject and not so much about who is saying it. If you think my calculations are wrong, by all means please contribute by explaining exactly why.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

or even try playing the skill before commenting

I have played an essence drain character for several hundred hours. Perhaps instead of asserting what i have or havent done you should focus on the topic at hand.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

about how one of the core links and chain nodes of my tree is useless

Do you get damage out of poison and the fatal toxins clusters; yes. I never claimed otherwise

Would you get more damage out of slower projectiles rather than poison; yes. Would you save 3+ passive nodes by not getting fatal toxins; yes.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

there happens to be a video that explains it quite well that an expert such as yourself should have no problems understanding.

I watched one of your videos and found it condescending, poor quality, and lacking in content. I will not suffer watching another until you give me reason to believe they are improved.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

just my two cents.

There is opinion and then there are facts. You seem to be confused as to both the mechanics of poison and the mathematical results of it. Neither of which are opinions.

i love forum warriors

playing the game with math instead of actual game-play

(Removed by Support)

i've already clearly explained why poison is in my links and why fatal toxins is in my tree

have a nice day

(edit: feel free to quote each sentence again and try to look smart)

I'm watching you play this build on your stream and it looks very interesting and enjoyable (and completely functional). I don't see your HPs moving at all, which I'm sure is comforting in Hardcore. "Nice build!" ;)

Hey MannerCookie, nice Build. I only recently started playing it and I already love it.
Awesome Clearspeed and easy to Level with it.

Just a quick note on the Skilltree's:
I think there is a little mistake next to the Shadow Starting-Area. Shouldn't the pathing between "Coordination" and "Fangs of the Viper" be via "Entropy" and not "Will of Blades"?

Thanks alot for this and keep up the good work!

"

MannerCookie wrote:

i love forum warriors

What does that even mean?

"

MannerCookie wrote:

playing the game with math instead of actual game-play

Math is the language which intelligent people use to define, compare, and predict their environment. Your anti-intellectualism not only hurts yourself but your audience.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

(Removed by Support)

You mean people whom point out improvements you could make? ROFL.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

i've already clearly explained why poison is in my links and why fatal toxins is in my tree

No. No you havent. Your post contains not even a single line remotely mentioning it.

"

MannerCookie wrote:

feel free to quote each sentence again and try to look smart)

Im not even trying, bro. So umm, thanks.

OAK - kill - kill ?