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PoE 2 Build

[NERFED-Patch Notes Update] Hexblast Demon Form League Starter | Act 1-6 Leveling Guide

Witch

Infernalist

Starter

Creator

Trending

0.1 Early Access

By Lazy Exile

Updated on Apr 3, 2025

Apr 3, 2025

Build Overview

***Post 0.2 Patch Notes update:

"Many Skills have had their base damage and/or damage growth per level rebalanced. Most of these changes are not specifically mentioned below as the changes are too widespread."
- Half of the patch notes are unknown
- Hexblast DAMAGE nerfed might be inline with other skills (must be OP before, because they are also changing the vertical level scaling on this gem
- Hexblast DOES NOT work with Blasphemy anymore, so you have to manually cast curse, then detonate it (when the duration is at half) - clunky af
- You can apply 2/3 curses, and detonate them one by one. If so, it's less clunky and you would be playing a 2+1/2 button playstyle (GGG vision)

TLDR: I would not say Hexblast is dead, and we don't know all the balance they did. We know for sure that Hexblast is now a 2 button playsty

The Infernalist Demon Form build is an exceptional choice for a league starter in Path of Exile 2. Here's why:

Pros

Low Gear Dependency (doesn't use weapons)
Strong Spell Scaling (+ level to spell skills in Demon Form)

Cons

Resource Management (managing stacks + resources)
Learning Curve (need to learn how to play defensively)

Campaign

Even without high Demon Form stacks, the build can easily handle campaign bosses with just campaign league starter gear, getting to 40-50 stacks without much issues.

It's very important to not kill CANDLEMASS in Ogham Manor for both Normal (Act 1) and Cruel (Act 4) difficulty. You don't want to get more maximum life.

Early Game Farming

With minimal gear investment, it's effective for farming trials like the Trial of Sekhema and Trial of Chaos, making it a prime early league starter.

Full Campaign Run in 7 hours

https://youtu.be/9Ze5O-xHVWM

Disclaimer

Patch note is not out, so setup might be susceptible to changes. The league starter version does not abuse any OP mechanics, reducing the risk of being nerfed in future patches.

Note: this does not included the Cast on Ignite loop, or Barrier Invocation version, which is currently very strong and might be nerf.

Build Variants

Act 1

Act 2

Act 3

Act 4 - 6 (Cruel)

Act 1 Guide

This detailed Act 1 guide is designed to walk you through the act with the best setup available for the Witch class. Follow these sections to optimize your experience:

1. Equipment:

Regex Search: Utilize the provided regex to efficiently search for key equipment at vendors. This will help you find boots with movement speed, wands with +# level to chaos or spell skills, and gear with increased rarity.
Gear Priorities: Focus on acquiring essential items like a good wand and boots. Collect gear with sockets for later salvage, and prioritize energy shield gear with beneficial mods such as rarity and resistance.

2. Skill Gems:

Skills Order: Follow the guide's detailed instructions the optimal skills for progression.
Support Gem Priority: Understand the order of priority for support gems.
Skill Rotation: Learn the recommended skill rotation to maximize your damage output and efficiency

3. Passive Tree:

Notable Passives: Follow the guide's recommendations on which notable passive nodes to take and in what order.

By following these sections step-by-step, you will be well-equipped to tackle Act 1 with the most effective setup for your Witch. This guide is intended to provide a smooth and efficient leveling experience.

Reminder

Don't kill CANDLEMASS!

Act 1 Variant

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Equipment

Set 1

Set 2

Equipment Guide

Leveling Regex:

Use the following regex to streamline your search for key equipment:

"([21]0|15)% i.+mov|^\+.*ills$|d rari"

Movement Speed: Look for boots with increased movement speed because it's the best stat in PoE 2
+Level to Skills: Find wands with +# level to chaos or spell skills for increased damage
Rarity (Optional): Can get better drops, those drops can be identified to use or vendor for gold
Vendor Check: Each time you level up, paste this regex into the vendor search box to quickly highlight the items
- You don't have to do this everytime you level up if you have a decent weapon and boots already

Gear Priorities

Act 1 Focus

Wands: Prioritize wands with % increased spell damage and + level to chaos or spell skills. This boosts your overall damage output early on
Boots: Look for boots with increased movement speed
Energy Shield Gear: Look for pieces with added rarity and resistance if possible
Sockets for Salvage: Pick up all gear with sockets for salvage. Once you reach Ogham Village, find Renly's Smithing Tools and turn in the quest, then you can salvage those items. This allows you to farm Artificer Orbs early, which can be used to socket your gear with runes later.

TLDR

Focus on acquiring a solid wand and boots early on using the regex search. Collect gear with sockets for salvage, and prioritize energy shield gear with useful mods like rarity and resistance.

Act 1 Variant

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Skill Gems

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 5

Dex 5

Int 20

Chaos Bolt

Unearth

Flame Wall

Contagion

Skeletal Sniper

Essence Drain

Bonestorm

Raging Spirits

Skill and Support Gem Priority Guide

When progressing through the game, it's important to follow these prioritized lists for your skill and support gems. This setup is designed to minimize gem swaps while ensuring effectiveness throughout the campaign. Be sure to check your attribute requirements to ensure you can equip the necessary strength and dexterity gems, as these can vary based on your gear.

Skill Gem Priority:

Level 1 Flame Wall
- Location: Clearfell Encampment
- Source: Renly
Level 1 Contagion
- Location: Clearfell
- Source: Abandoned Stash
Level 2 Skeletal Sniper
- Location: Mud Burrow
- Source: Devourer
Level 3 Essence Drain
- Location: The Red Vale
- Source: Rust King
Level 3 Contagion
- Location: Cemetery of the Eternals
- Source: Lachlann
Level 4 Essence Drain
- Location: Hunting Grounds
- Source: Ritual
Level 4 Skeletal Sniper
- Location: Ogham Farmlands
- Source: Crop Circle
Level 4 Spirit Gem Raging Spirits
- Location: Freythorns
- Source: King in the Mist
Level 5 Bonestorm
- Location: Ogham Village
- Source: Leitis

Support Gem Priority:

Swift Affliction into Essence Drain
- Location: Mud Burrow
- Source: Devourer's quest (Renly)
Arcane Tempo into Essence Drain
- Location: Grelwood
- Source: Areagnae
Unleash into Contagion
- Location: Hunting Grounds
- Source: Treants
Magnified Effect into Skeletal Sniper
- Location: Ogham Village
- Source: Executioner
Brutality into Bonestorm
- Location: Manor Ramparts
- Source: Gallow

Early Skills Rotation:

Initial Setup
- Use Flame Wall and cast Chaos Bolt through it
- Utilize Skeletal Sniper's Gas Arrow and Flame Wall for more single target damage
- Cast Contagion to help with AoE clearing
Level 6 - Essence Drain Swap
- Transition to using Essence Drain and Contagion for AoE clearing
- Cast Essence Drain through Flame Wall for single-target damage
- Continue using the Gas Arrow and Flame Wall for single targets
- Summon Raging Spirits with Flame Wall
Level 14 - Bonestorm Swap
- Swap Arcane Tempo into Bonestorm
- Essence Drain + Contagion for AoE clearing
- Cast Bonestorm through Flame Wall for bosses
- Cast Flame Wall to summon Raging Spirits occasionally.