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PoE 2 Build

[0.4] Chaos ED + Contagion LICH Build - Full Guide - League Starter to Endgame

Witch

Lich

Verified

Starter

Speed Leveling

End Game

0.4 TLotD

By Ronarray

Updated on Dec 18, 2025

Dec 18, 2025

Build Overview

This is a Build Guide for Essence Drain + Contagion Chaos LICH - from Leveling league starter to Endgame.

This build guide covers all the progression from league starter leveling setup to a proper endgame build. Click build variants down below to see how to progress.

You can also use this guide to level up any caster Build or Ascendancy.

Step by Step League Starter video for 0.4 - youtu.be/770sdCZWZxI

Endgame Gameplay + Endgame Mechanics Explanation - youtu.be/r6ouLO-Y0sk

If you have questions, ask me on Twitch and I will help - twitch.tv/ronarray

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In 0.4 there are not a lot of changes to the main combo. Chaos ED + Contagion build is still the best way to level most of the Caster builds and can be incredibly versatile and easy to use.

It especially shines together with Witch Class and Lich Ascendancy, but you can use this guide for any caster based build for the smooth campaign experience.

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Essence Drain and Contagion are some of the most beginner-friendly builds that also provide very satisfying pack clear due to the DoT spreading provided by Contagion.

The single target is not very fast but very comfortable: you do the starting rotation with Sigil of Power, Despair, then put down your Dark Effigy totems and DoT the boss with Essence Drain and Contagion.

The best part is you can run around while the bosses are losing health and the uptime of your damage is very high.

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You can also transition to 100% Crit Chance BONE Lich that has more immediate damage. You can find here: mobalytics.gg/poe-2/builds/ronarray-bone-lich

Strengths and Weaknesses

Ed + Con is Great while Leveling
Great Clear
Very Tanky
Easy to scale

Relies on Totems for Single Target
Need to use a few skills in a row

Build Variants

Endgame

Early Waystones

Act 1-3

Act 4-6

This section if focused on the endgame. Use Build variants to the right to see early leveling progression.

Equipment

Endgame

Early Waystones

Act 1-3

Act 4-6

Set 1

Set 2

Equipment Priority

+11

▸ Wand and Focus

+ Levels of Chaos/Spell Skills
Spell Damage + Chaos Damage is 2nd
On the Focus try to get high Energy Shield.
Cast Speed gives QoL.

Use Chiming Staff with +4-6 Levels of Spells as a weapon swap

▸ Body and Helmet

We are using Atziri's Disdain, try to get a corrupted version with higher % of the damage that bypasses energy shield for better survivability.
Body armor is the main source of energy shield, so get it as high as possible, +Spirit helps fit all the Auras.

▸ Boots

Here you just need to get Movement Speed and if possible some Life and Resistances.

▸ Gloves

Doedre's Tenure for damage OR defensive rare with ES + Resistances.

▸ Jewelry

Amulet can provide +Levels of Spell/Chaos → Cast Speed / Spell Damage → Energy Shield.
For rings aim to get Chaos damage, cast speed and defensive stats (res + HP).
Snakepit can also be great to provide the chain for clear.

▸ Jewels

Search for Spell Damage / Chaos damage + Energy shield.

Skill Gems

Endgame

Early Waystones

Act 1-3

Act 4-6

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 20

Dex 35

Int 80

Expand all

Contagion

Essence Drain

Convalescence

Dark Effigy

Blasphemy

Despair

Withering Presence

Sigil of Power

Gem Priority

+26

▸ Rotation

Contagion→ Essence Drain → Despair if you need it → Dark Effigy

Dark Effigy helps a lot with single target damage too so make sure you are using it often enough.

KEEP 2 TOTEMS UP ON BOSSES (Overabundance provides second totem)

Use Sigil of Power from Chiming Staff in your second weapon set together with longer curses for single target damage improvement.

▸ Bossing

Two Dark Effigy totems should ALWAYS be active
For Essence Drain swap Chain II to Deliberation
Always have Despair with the Cursed Ground + Sigil of Power active, these provide a lot of damage.

The rotation is usually Sigil of Power → x2 Dark Effigy → Despair → ED + Contagion → Repeat when things expire

▸ How to solve Mana Issues:

Use a mana flask with Removes 15% of Mana from Life. You will have very good Mana regen with it.

OR Use a very low level Contagion so it's Mana cost will be negligible. It will heavily help with Mana sustain when clearing but will slightly lower your damage.

▸ Survivability

We can use Convalescence to regenerate ES and receive some more damage from it as well. Second Wind helps greatly with cd on it.

Passive Tree

Endgame

Early Waystones

Act 1-3

Act 4-6

main:

123

set 1:

set 2:

Use 2 sets to CURSE Manually. Whispers of Doom Node is Mandatory to use 2 Curses at the same time.

Curse setup is explained in this video - https://youtu.be/r6ouLO-Y0sk

▸ Damage

At the start we are just focusing on basic damage nodes, such as Entropy, Potent Incantation, Spiral into Mania and Spiral into Insanity.

After that, take all chaos related nodes in the first weapon set, prioritizing Dark Entries. Wither Away is your second goal to maximize the effect Wither debuff from Withering Presence.

▸Survivability

Getting our ES recharge delay down to 1 second and recharge rate up to a 1000 or higher helps a lot.

So aim for Essence Infusion + Quick Response. If it is still not enough look into Dependable Ward or even Refocus

▸Possible Setup change to improve the curses:

If you are feeling like slowing down enemies with your Temporal Chains even more, swapping a few points from Damage or survivability nodes to Zone of Control and Master of Hexes can be a decent idea.

Just make sure that those passives are allocated in both weapon sets.

▸ Ascendency Order:

1. Soulless Form - should give MORE mana regeneration than you have without it.

2. Eternal Life to improve the tankiness and utilize Atziri's Disdain and Heavy Buffer better.

3. Eldritch Empowerment - for a natural damage boost.

4. Crystalline Phylactery should be used when you get a good Jewel with lots of ES and Spell dmg. If you don't have it, feel free to swap to Rupture the Soul to have a significantly improved map clear.