Coming Back after perandus

Hello!
I would like to ask for some help in build-choosing for upcoming legacy league.
I am looking for an easy build to allow me to do (sooner or later) all content quite safely. There are things I've never managed to accomplish, e.g. ubers and some maps.

I'd like to finish all/most of the content at least once, to just live through the experience. !
Also, able to farm most/all mods and not worry too much (even if a lil slower clear speeds) and not having to spend like 50 exiles. Build of up to ~5ex is probably easily achieveable :)

Preferably a build, that is not UBER heavy on CPU/GPU/stuff, I am playing on a laptop and used to have some issues with some builds (during perandus I've ran stormcall with curses that favored safety, but still loaded a punch with 6L pledge and used to freeze my screen from time to time, before some spell optimisation changes back in the day).

I feel lost among all the changed/added content since perandus (even then, before perandus I had 2 league break as well and felt lost too), so something not too hard would be awesome!

Currently I've seen these builds as a-bit-fitting :
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1730745
https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/1788997
but any suggestions and help would be REALLY welcomed a lot :)
With ascendancy classes its quite vital to choose a proper "starter", as I won't be making more than 1 character in a league. I simply am a weekend-player, studing and having a lot to do, thus I've forgone this game for a while a few times, but I just keep coming back due to how awesome it is :)
I simply need help from people, who got a little more time and devotion to this game, as well as a FAR bigger understanding of mechanics than I do, to give me a hand with a REALLY important choice of what to play in Legacy Challenge League
Thank you for ALL your help,
It's really appreciated a LOT!

P.S.
Something to consider, I remember a post on these forums few years ago about IIQ/IIR vs unique finds vs clear speeds and some suggestion that a BIT of IIR/IIQ makes runs MUCH more $$$$$ than just 100million DPS and rapid clearing resulting in no uniqs/maps etc, so some build, that still is all-viable, but has some IIQ/IIR in exchange for slower clears is REALLY welcomed too :)
Simply :
EASY/average difficulty to play and maintain
not too expensive (<5ex-viable-to-play)
All-content-viable (or most), to just experience the game,
Kinda-being-able to farm stuff (IIQ/IIR welcomed, but not necessary)

I think it is a good idea to do it in two steps. First level a char on the first day of the league that is able to do all the acts without a problem, that doesn't need any special gear at all and is able to use some mf-items. I would use a flametotem char for that. If you are fast at leveling you can do many early dried lake runs (and even use the chaos recipe) in the first 2 or 3 days and collect a good chunk of currency. After that you could then level your "endgame"-char (aw totem build for example) that needs a few special items because now you are able to affort them.

"

666lol666 wrote:

I think it is a good idea to do it in two steps. First level a char on the first day of the league that is able to do all the acts without a problem, that doesn't need any special gear at all and is able to use some mf-items. I would use a flametotem char for that. If you are fast at leveling you can do many early dried lake runs (and even use the chaos recipe) in the first 2 or 3 days and collect a good chunk of currency. After that you could then level your "endgame"-char (aw totem build for example) that needs a few special items because now you are able to affort them.

DUe to my playstyle, I level up slowly, so It's easier for me to earn regrets(chaos) and rework character, than make a new one :(
So I need to choose proper class at the start :)
Thanks for the suggestion though. Could you elaborate on types of "endgame" builds?

"

EdvinPL wrote:

Could you elaborate on types of "endgame" builds?

For me an endgame build is a build that can do most of the content in game without much trouble. Let's say the char should be:
able to run almost all maps (with almost all map mods) up to t16
able to run the uber lab
able to kill at least 2 guardians
able to deal with shaper or uber atziri (or both of course ^^)
Those chars usually require a few special items (for example facebreakers) therefore they would never be my first choice for a league starter build. But if you like to take it slow just choose a class that is able to do both. For example Marauder. You are still able to go for flametotem while leveling and can respec to ancestral warchief later. In my opinion it would be still better to level a flametotem templar first and then level a second char but if you are slow at leveling but good at earning regrets you could simply start as a marauder (in my example).

Regarding your two build considerations:
Flameblast totems Inquisitor is a safe pick - it can clear all content, cares very little about map mods and viperesque's guide is well-written and covers pretty much all you need to know. Just make sure you do enjoy the totem playstyle if you're committing to one character only for the duration of the league, and that you're able to grab enough cast speed.

I would advise against CwC Firestorm, since you mentioned performance issues with more intensive spellcasting builds. Channelling almost 3 Firestorms (with increased duration) a second is not going to be kind on your GPU. As noted by the build author, the setup is a formidable boss killer, but overall mapping speed might feel sluggish at times due to the nature of CwC. It is probably too specialized of a build to be what you're looking for.

Now, for my biased personal recommendation: Essence Drain. ED is a natural all-purpose skill when paired with Contagion, and can clear all content reliably as well. It starts off a bit slow, but you can still level with it as early as level 12, which saves you the trouble of respeccing. It offers good end-game scalability even on a budget while also remaining flexible. This is ideal if you play solo and most of the time can't be bothered with trading. As a bonus, you can link an Item Rarity support to your Contagion for extra IIR without sacrificing any damage.

With a budget of under 5 ex, I'd probably stick to a life-based (or pseudo-hybrid) version. Class choice is again flexible, I'd personally go with a Scion or a Necromancer.
The Scion is the all-rounder, able to travel easily to the Marauder and Duelist areas and build very defensively and later jump to the Shadow area through her Ascendancy. A Necromancer is the more aggressive option, and what I'm leaning towards as a league starter in Legacy.

Commander of Darkness and Spirit Eater provide plenty of cast speed which is useful to make the Contagion+ED combination feel smooth (ideally the sequence should take no longer than a second), while Mistress of Sacrifice and a Bone Offering self-buff grants a strong additional defensive layer. With Bone Offering, Tempest Shield and an average Rumi's concoction, you can reach 75% block and almost 600 life recovered instantly on block, which is excellent for league mechanics that swarm you with a lot of enemies, such as Beyond, Perandus, and Breach. The more you get hit, the more you block and the more you heal.

Here's a suggested tree for level 80. This is for the perspective of hardcore, with over 200% increased life and 4 jewel slots to customize as you see fit. We don't have the 2.6 patch notes just yet, but in this case the pathing should likely remain relatively unchanged. For mana reservation, you can use Clarity, Arctic Armour and either a Purity of your choice, or Blasphemy Enfeeble/Temporal Chains.

Gear wise, you don't need much, save up for a cheap 5L/6L armour, a corrupted one works fine. For your weapon, you want either a Consuming Dark or a Delirium crafted Sai for the massive single target dps increase. Pick up any shield of your choice, as long as the block chance and defensive bonuses are good. The rest of the gear slots can be filled with self-found rares you gradually upgrade, nothing too restrictive.

Anyway, I've rambled for far too long, the ED playstyle is not for everyone and what's most important is finding a build you enjoy, hopefully that gave you some ideas at the very least.

"

Rockstopper wrote:

Regarding your two build considerations:
Flameblast totems Inquisitor is a safe pick - it can clear all content, cares very little about map mods and viperesque's guide is well-written and covers pretty much all you need to know. Just make sure you do enjoy the totem playstyle if you're committing to one character only for the duration of the league, and that you're able to grab enough cast speed.

I would advise against CwC Firestorm, since you mentioned performance issues with more intensive spellcasting builds. Channelling almost 3 Firestorms (with increased duration) a second is not going to be kind on your GPU. As noted by the build author, the setup is a formidable boss killer, but overall mapping speed might feel sluggish at times due to the nature of CwC. It is probably too specialized of a build to be what you're looking for.

Now, for my biased personal recommendation: Essence Drain. ED is a natural all-purpose skill when paired with Contagion, and can clear all content reliably as well. It starts off a bit slow, but you can still level with it as early as level 12, which saves you the trouble of respeccing. It offers good end-game scalability even on a budget while also remaining flexible. This is ideal if you play solo and most of the time can't be bothered with trading. As a bonus, you can link an Item Rarity support to your Contagion for extra IIR without sacrificing any damage.

With a budget of under 5 ex, I'd probably stick to a life-based (or pseudo-hybrid) version. Class choice is again flexible, I'd personally go with a Scion or a Necromancer.
The Scion is the all-rounder, able to travel easily to the Marauder and Duelist areas and build very defensively and later jump to the Shadow area through her Ascendancy. A Necromancer is the more aggressive option, and what I'm leaning towards as a league starter in Legacy.

Commander of Darkness and Spirit Eater provide plenty of cast speed which is useful to make the Contagion+ED combination feel smooth (ideally the sequence should take no longer than a second), while Mistress of Sacrifice and a Bone Offering self-buff grants a strong additional defensive layer. With Bone Offering, Tempest Shield and an average Rumi's concoction, you can reach 75% block and almost 600 life recovered instantly on block, which is excellent for league mechanics that swarm you with a lot of enemies, such as Beyond, Perandus, and Breach. The more you get hit, the more you block and the more you heal.

Here's a suggested tree for level 80. This is for the perspective of hardcore, with over 200% increased life and 4 jewel slots to customize as you see fit. We don't have the 2.6 patch notes just yet, but in this case the pathing should likely remain relatively unchanged. For mana reservation, you can use Clarity, Arctic Armour and either a Purity of your choice, or Blasphemy Enfeeble/Temporal Chains.

Gear wise, you don't need much, save up for a cheap 5L/6L armour, a corrupted one works fine. For your weapon, you want either a Consuming Dark or a Delirium crafted Sai for the massive single target dps increase. Pick up any shield of your choice, as long as the block chance and defensive bonuses are good. The rest of the gear slots can be filled with self-found rares you gradually upgrade, nothing too restrictive.

Anyway, I've rambled for far too long, the ED playstyle is not for everyone and what's most important is finding a build you enjoy, hopefully that gave you some ideas at the very least.

Would you mind linking me some ED/wither build/topic done by someone, thats endgame viable?
Thank you for your reply!
Also, I've ran orb of storms + 3 curses on previous league and it seemed REALLY strong with power&endu charges from sin mark and warlords (with their benefits of dmg+lifesteal) + enfeeble.
Would such setups work with ED/wither/contagion?
Is reflect/some mods an issue?

Thank you again!

Also, are SUMMONERS viable?

I can't seem to find a guide that resembles what I'm suggesting since most guides will optimize for CI or low-life, but that implies a budget that should quickly exceed 5 ex; a life-based version is just so much cheaper to gear up in comparison. djnat's Ascendant or Nedieth's Trickster are both guides I would recommend checking out if you're interested in the basics of Essence Drain and its end-game potential.

It should be noted that most ED builds will rely on two Blasphemy curses as their main form of defense. I choose to rely on block and Arctic Armour which are consistent and allow you to run hexproof (monsters cannot be cursed), hexwarded (less effect of curses on monsters) or unstoppable (monsters cannot be slowed down below base speed) maps with minimal, if any, drop in survivability. I don't think there's only one right answer however, it comes down to personal preference, I'm comfortable not relying too much on curses.

Reflect is a non-issue since you deal chaos damage only, which cannot be reflected. I would avoid map mods such as no regen or Temporal Chains (although switching from Bone Offering to Flesh Offering for those would be an option) since they slow down your clear speed too much.

Defense-wise, you're quite resilient with the combination of a moderately high life pool, Arctic Armour, 60-75% block, Bone Offering, and either Enfeeble or Temporal Chains. You can add endurance charges with Enduring Cry. Mistress of Sacrifice gives 30% increased skill duration which improves the effectiveness of your Cast when Damage Taken - Immortal Call setup. And of course, you have Essence Drain's built-in sustain against packs. You don't really need anything on top, much of the defense is passive, which keeps the playstyle simple and straightforward.

For a league starter build, I would probably go Ascendant.

You can start lifebased with pretty cheap items (Tabula and Consuming dark are really cheap to obtain, even in the first days of the league), and get a pretty straightforward mapping in the highest tiers with (nearly) zero issues. Map mods are absolutely not a problem with ED: you ignore reflect, you ignore Curses (Temp Chains slows you a lot, but it's more an annoyance than a non-doability), you ignore no leech (you are NOT leeching with ED) you are going to reroll only terrible map combinations like -max and tons of added damage on mobs, and only in certain maps where the boss can be super dangerous (yes Plaza, I am looking at you).

As Rockstopper said, the curse mechanics are excellent for defense, but there are some map mods which severely impact on curse effectiveness, i.e. hexproof and hexwarded. The first one (hexproof) is completely bypassable by wearing a Cospri's Will in the endgame (which I recommend in the lifebased version of the Scion's build linked by Rockstopper). Hexwarded cannot be bypassed, but it still allows curses to be on the target to take full advantage from Occultist's sub-ascendancy of Scion (cursed enemies have 15% reduced chaos resistance).

My build is about to be updated; it was created after Talisman and before the end of Perandus, then it was updated for Prophecy but I didn't play Essence a lot and I re-started playing with Breach. Since then, a lot of things have changed in PoE: the way curse effectiveness is reduced in boss fights (60% LESS instead of 60% REDUCED, or 80% LESS for Shaper / Guardian fights), the introduction of the decay mod crafting with essence of delirium, and some new item bases which are very good to play low life (like crystal belt and fingerless silk gloves)... plus the introduction of Shaper + Guardians and related items (especially Voidwalker, which are a Shaper-only drop and are amazing for the ED gameplay).

The "expensive" version of ED atm is going to cost about 25-30 exalteds of gear. It requires Shavronne's Wrappings (6L), Presence of Chayula, Consuming dark + a decay Sai, Voidwalker and some well-rolled rare items (crystal belt, finegerless silk gloves, hubris circlet, rings). You can still go more expensive if playing CI with a god-tier 6L Regalia, but at the moment I would advise to do it only if you have a ton of currency or if you want to go HC.

Staying lifebased is a lot cheaper. But it can feel a bit squishier when compared to an ES version. The ED gameplay is quite smooth, in the sense that you can dot mobs and then focus on avoiding all the shit they are throwing at you while you watch them die. All endgame fights (I'm referring to Shaper and Uber Atziri) are doable even with 1 HP, since all the things they are going to throw at you is completely avoidable. So having more EHP is a luxury to get your mapping more comfortable and fast. And you can achieve that in both a lifebased/hybrid or pure ES version. I have personally cleared all the content with both the lifebased and ES based versions of ED.

ED is not an OP skill. If you expect it to steamroll content like Blade Flurry, Blade Vortex or Barrage do, then you are simply going to be disappointed.

The necromancer option presented by Rockstopper sounds good too. It's a matter of personal preference, in the end. ED is pretty flexible and can be played in a ton of efficient ways.

I am waiting for the full 2.6 patch notes to update my Ascendant thread. Take a look around, then choose what you feel more comfortable with.

Since we are gathering the ED folks here, I might as well throw in my two cents as well. I feel all the mentioned ascendancies are very interesting, and they work quite differently for the same end goal. My picks would be something like this:

Occultist: The most powerful choice for both no/low investment life/ES hybrid play as well as the most powerful ascendancy available for ultra end game boss killing (Shaper farm as Low Life).

Trickster: The speedy version of a pure ES based ED character. Gets a lot of ES and attack/cast speed from ascendancy, making it both a cheap CI choice as well as a nimble version of a CI/LL ED build. Pick this if you want to clear maps fast up to t15.

Ascendant: Allows for more flexibility in terms of defense and potentially less reliant on curses. Can get very strong by abusing the many available jewel sockets.

Necromancer: I have not played Necro ED myself, but it does provide a ton of interesting utility. I instantly think of Scourge (works quite well as long as we hit with ED often enough), Cospri's and Decay/Breath of the Council offhand. Pick this if you want to experiment, be flexible as well as have a massive potential in the end game.

I hope this boiled down the choice for you a little bit, and that my fellow ED players are not too unhappy with my opinions.