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PoE 2 Build

[0.5] Witch Plants Levelling

Witch

Starter

0.5 RotA

By GuyThatDies

Updated on May 29, 2026

May 29, 2026

Build Overview

This is a build guide for progressing through campaign and running early maps.

This is one of the best leveling builds for Infernalist, Blood Mage, and Lich. I've completed campaign in under 4 hours deathless with this build.

You'll play Essence Drain until you get Wildsurge Incantation in Act 2.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Great Trash Clear
Great Single Target

Squishy (Demon Form)

Build Variants

Level 1-5

Level 6-13

Level 14-20

Level 21-58

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

Equipment

Level 1-5

Level 6-13

Level 14-20

Level 21-58

Set 1

Set 2

Equipment Priority

Regex: "(cal|aos|all) spell skills|movement"

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

Focus: Same as weapon.

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

Skill Gems

Level 1-5

Level 6-13

Level 14-20

Level 21-58

Support Gem Requirements:

Str 0

Dex 0

Int 10

Chaos Bolt

Unearth

Contagion

Entangle

Gem Priority

If you have a staff, you can use Lightning Bolt, Firebolt, or Freezing Shards instead of Chaos Bolt.

Level 1 Skill Gems:

Renly: Contagion
Clearfell: Entangle

Tier 1 Support Gems:

The Grelwood, Areagne: Unleash for Entangle (or Chaos Bolt for bosses)
Tomb of the Consort, Haunted Treasure: Zenith I for Essence Drain
Hunting Grounds, Dryadic Ritual: Chain I for Essence Drain
Ogham Village, The Executioner: Rapid Casting I for Bonestorm (At level 14)
The Manor Ramparts, The Gallows: Corrosion for Ravenous Swarm

Passive Tree

Level 1-5

Level 6-13

Level 14-20

Level 21-58

main:

123

set 1:

set 2:

Quest Rewards

Check which quests you’ve completed on your character

Clearfell — Beira of the Rotten Pack

+10% to Cold Resistance

Hunting Grounds — The Crowbell

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Freythorn — The King in the Mists

+30 to Spirit

Ogham Farmlands — Una's Hut

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Ogham Manor — Candlemass, the Living Rite

+20 to maximum Life

Keth — Kabala, Constrictor Queen

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Valley of the Titans — Medallion

30% increased Charm Charges gained

+1 Charm Slot

Deshar — Final Letter

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

The Spires of Deshar — Sisters of Garukhan

+10% to Lightning Resistance

Jungle Ruins — Mighty Silverfist

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

The Venom Crypts — Venom Draught

25% increased Stun Threshold

Jiquani's Machinarium — Blackjaw, the Remnant

+10% to Fire Resistance

The Azak Bog — Ignagduk, the Bog Witch

+30 to Spirit

The Molten Vault — The Molten Vault

Reforging Bench

Aggorat — Blood Sacrifice

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Journey's End — Captain Hartlin

Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Skill Gem(Lv 13)

Delirium Drop

Eye of Hinekora — Navali's Rest

5% increased Maximum Mana

Halls of the Dead — Yama The White

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

Halls of the Dead — Tawhoa's Test

+5% to Lightning Resistance

Abandoned Prison — Goddess of Justice

30% increased Life Recovery from Flasks

Halls of the Dead — Tasalio's Test

+5% to Cold Resistance

Halls of the Dead — Ngamahu's Test

+5% to Fire Resistance

Wolvenhold — Oswin, the Dread Warden

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

The Khari Crossing — Akthi and Anundr

Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

The Khari Crossing — Molten Shrine

5% increased Maximum Life

Qimah — Tabana's Pillar

+5% to all Elemental Resistances

Kriar Village — Lythara, the Wayward Spear

+40 to Spirit

Howling Caves — The Abominable Yeti

Grants Two Weapon Set Passive Skill Points

How it Plays

Level 1 to 5:

Cast Contagion on mobs and kill them with Entangle to spread it. For bosses, start with Entangle, attack with Chaos Bolt and recast Entangle when the vine duration expires.

Level 6 to 13:

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

For bosses, your rotation is:

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

Level 14+:

Your boss rotation simplifies to simply casting Bonestorm. For bosses with small hitboxes (e.g. Viper), release at ~10 stacks. For larger enemies, go to 20.

Plants Swap (~level 20):

On bosses, cast Thunderstorm every so often to shock the boss. Your main damage is still Bonestorm.

For clear, cast Entangle and then Thunderstorm. This should clear most packs.

How it Works

Ascendancy:

Go for Demon Form as an Infernalist. If you're playing Blood Mage or Lich in the endgame, I recommend starting out with Demon Form and then respeccing.