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PoE 2 Build

[0.4] Varashta Levelling

Starter
0.4 TLotD
presentationDisciple of Varashta
presentationSorceress
Updated on May 6, 2026
May 6, 2026

Build Overview

This is a build guide for progressing through campaign. See the endgame version here (TBD).

This is one of the best leveling builds for Disciple of Varashta. I've completed campaign in 3:35 with this build.

You'll play Essence Drain + Ember Fusillade until you get Disciple of Varashta in Act 2.

Strengths and Weaknesses

  • Great Trash Clear
  • Great Single Target
  • Have To Play Around Cooldowns

Build Variants

This is the setup before Essence Drain. It can be a struggle until level 6, but it's smooth sailing from there.

Equipment

item
1
item
3
item
1
item
4
item
5
item
2
item
item
Equipment Priority
+5

Regex: "minion skills|spell skills|movement"

Weapon/Focus: +# Skills > Damage gain as > % Inc Damage > Cast Speed > Crit.

Boots: Movement Speed > Resists / Life / Armour

Rings: Resists / Life

Gloves/Helmet/Body Armour: Resists / Life / Armour

Amulet: +# Skills > Life / Resists

Belt: Rawhide Belt with Resists / Life / Armour

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IMPORTANT

+1 to Level of all Minion Skills is extremely important when you ascend. Minion builds scale extremely hard with gem levels, so +1 gives a massive damage boost.

How to Get It:

Make sure to check vendors for +1 on your Sceptre and Helmet.

If you ascend and are still missing one, the most-sure way to get it is:

  1. Create a new character
  2. Progress to level 5 (takes ~5-10 minutes)
  3. Gamble items from the vendor (Finn)
  4. Look for +1 to Level of all Minion Skills on a Sceptre or Helmet

Low-level characters get cheaper and better odds when gambling.

Skill Gems

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 0

Dex 0

Int 10

Expand all
1

Firebolt

Firebolt
supportunleashplayer
2

Spark

Spark
supportunleashplayer
3

Contagion

Contagion
4

Frost Bomb

Frost Bomb
Gem Priority
+2

If you find a strong staff/wand, you can use Lightning Bolt, Chaos Bolt, or Freezing Shards instead of Firebolt / Spark for single target.

If there's no weapon with +# levels, you'll want to purchase a Withered Wand in the vendor after The Rust King for Chaos Bolt (chaos bolt's level is important).

Level 1 Skill Gems:

  1. Renly: Frost Bomb
  2. Clearfell: Contagion

Tier 1 Support Gems:

  1. The Grelwood, Areagne: Unleash for Spark (or Firebolt for bosses)
  2. Tomb of the Consort, Haunted Treasure: Zenith I for Essence Drain
  3. Hunting Grounds, Dryadic Ritual: Chain I for Essence Drain
  4. Ogham Village, The Executioner: Overabundance I for Orb of Storms (At level 14)
  5. The Manor Ramparts, The Gallows: Controlled Destruction for Ember Fusillade

Passive Tree

main:
123
123
set 1:
20
20
set 2:
20
20

How it Plays

Level 1 to 5:

Cast Contagion on mobs and kill them with Spark to spread it. For bosses, start with Frost Bomb, and attack with Firebolt (or Spark if you can get them into a corner).


Level 6 to 13:

With Unleash on Contagion, cast Contagion and then kill the contagioned mob with Essence Drain.

For bosses, your rotation is:

  1. Essence Drain
  2. Chaos Bolt (or the skill of the weapon you're using), until Essence Drain runs out (2-3 casts)


Level 14+:

Your boss rotation becompes a little complicated, but it's worth it:

  1. Frost Bomb
  2. Orb of Storms (This will give your Ember Fusillade infusions)
  3. Ember Fusillade 7 times
  4. Frost Bomb
  5. Repeat from Step 2 (ignoring Frost Bomb if it's on cooldown).


Varashta Swap (Level ~19):

For clear, one shot packs with Kelari's Deception and Kelari's Brutality if Deception is on cooldown.

For bosses, your rotation goes like this:

  1. Pounce for Mark for Death and the Pounce Mark buff which gives 3% more damage per minion
  2. Thunderstorm for Living Lightning minions for extra damage on the mark buff
  3. Kelari's Brutality x2
  4. Kelari's Deception x3
  5. Repeat from Step 1

How it Works

Ascendancy:

Go for Kelari's Deception as Disciple of Varashta.

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