[Shadow] PoE 3.8 Essence Drain Trickster Fast Build (PC, PS4, Xbox)

This ED/Contagion Build does NOT run Eldritch Battery. We don't spam spells, so we can reserve almost all of our mana without issue, leaving our ES to fully protect our life pool. Alternatively, we can use Essence Worm + MoM for a more defensive version. By not going EB, we also can proc Arcane Surge much easier.

Quick Jump

Pros & Cons

Skill Tree

Ascendancy

Patient Reaper -> Ghost Dance -> Escape Artist -> Prolonged Pain.

Pantheon

Major Pantheon

• Lunaris is an amazing "set it and forget it" choice here. Physical damage reduction, movement speed, and some extra dodge/avoidance are all spectacular. Avoiding chained projectiles also makes your golem less dangerous to you.
• Solaris can get special consideration for specific boss fights. Specifically, if the boss you're fighting is solo and doesn't spawn a lot of adds.

Minor Pantheon

• Yugul for end game bosses. A lot of Elder/Shaper damage is cold.
• Garukhan for mapping. More evading and move speed.
• Gruthkul can be useful as you build your character up and is more defensive.

Bandit: Kill All

Passive Tree & PoB

Optionally you can go for a second curse if you want to add Temp Chains to the build via Solstice Vigil. Survivalist is also a nice defensive node that's only 2 points extra if you need help with resistances. Deep Thoughts is great for additional mana. Note that this tree is not the MoM version and assumes you aren't using Essence Worm. If you do go the Essence Worm route, just spec MoM. Deep Thoughts also becomes more mandatory.

Path of Building Link: https://pastebin.com/fWymqC3E

Gems Setup

6-link

Essence Drain - Efficacy - Controlled Destruction - Void Manipulation - Swift Affliction - Empower

Before you have a high level empower, Energy Leech, Arcane Surge, or Decay can suffice as the 6th link.

4-link Contagion

Contagion - Intensify - Increased Area of Effect - Arcane Surge

Arcane Surge can be replaced with Faster Casting if you have another way to proc it.

4-link Blight

Blight - Infused Channelling - Efficacy - Controlled Destruction

You will need to use the Spreading Rot jewel with this setup in order to enable the Withered debuff. Insert Faster Casting or Void Manipulation as a 5th link if you have Allelopathy gloves.

Miscellaneous but mandatory

Flesh and Stone, Malevolence, Flame Dash, Vaal Grace, Despair

Put these wherever you can fit them in the build. Despair can be linked to Bane, CWDT, or manually thrown depending on your style. You can drop it from the gem slots if you have Witchfire Brew flask.

Flesh and Stone is an amazing defensive utility. Leave it in Sand stance 100% of the time for a permanent blind aura and 10-11% less damage taken from far enemies. This is basically like a free Born in the Shadows Sabo Ascendancy and is amazing.

You can put Malevolence in an Essence Worm ring and spec into MoM if you want an even more defensive setup. Flesh and Stone will go from 25% to 35% mana reservation as a result, but you'll still have 65% of your mana unreserved for a big boost in eHP.

Miscellaneous and optional

Phase Run, Clarity if you have a nice Watcher's Eye mod, Arctic Armor if using Perfect Form, SteelSkin or Immortal Call, Lightning Golem

Blasphemy - Temp Chains or Despair if using Solstice Vigil/Impresence amulets, respectively.

Gear Setup

End-Game Weapon

Ultimately you will want to use a bow for the bonus gem levels. We don't have access to the crazy Synthesis bows, but these will still do. The tree in this guide gives us 183 Dexterity, so we can afford to go for a 6-link Maraketh Bow for the additional movement speed. If you don't want to get any more dex on gear, you can use a Short Bow:

• +1 to level of Socketed Gems
• Multimod
• +2 to level of Socketed Support Gems
• Non-Ailment Chaos Damage over Time Multiplier
• Increased Cast Speed/Arcane surge on kill
• Increased Chaos Damage

Due to the Porcupine div card, 6-linked short bows are fairly common. Early in a league, finding a 6-link bow is actually much cheaper than getting a 6-link popular armor like Carcass Jack or Perfect Form. If you're poor, don't blow your currency trying to 6-link your armor. Grab a 6-link short bow, alt-spam for +1 gem levels and just craft non-ailment chaos multi. That alone without the multimod will still beat out having your ED in a garbage 5-link chest. Plus you can wear your Carcass Jack/Perfect Form before it's 6-linked and still benefit from the stats.

If you've chosen to spec Swift Killer, that will change the last mod you put on the bow. The increased chaos damage suffix is only 13-16%, so you're better off going for the "5-6% increased damage per frenzy charge" instead. You'll likely have 4 frenzy charges up always (even bosses since you charge Blight first).

For your quiver

• Life/resists as needed

There are some fun quiver mods that you can go for here too. Chance to gain Onslaught on kill, increased movement speed, chance to gain frenzy charge on kill, increased area of effect are all available on Shaper/Elder quivers and give you some flexibility with other gearing options.

One-hand plus shield

Before you can craft yourself a nice bow, go with a one-handed wand and shield combo. For wands, your mod priorities are:

• Non-Ailment Chaos Damage over Time Multiplier
• Increased Cast Speed (or the hybrid cast speed/arcane surge on kill)
• Increased Spell Damage
• Increased Chaos Damage
• Increased Damage over Time

For the shield, Zeel's Amplifier is a great choice. It gives nice defenses, but the big mod here is the increased AoE. Amazing for Legion content.

Staff

If you are dirt dirt dirt poor (you just hit level 60 on first character), Cane of Unravelling will get you started. Any currency spent beyond 4-linking it will be a waste, but 40-55% non-ailment chaos multi is still great for a staff that you can buy for 1 alch.

Useful Uniques for other slots

Body Armor choices are:

• Perfect Form. Amazing chest for all content. Great defensive synergy with the build. If you want to set it and forget it, use this one.
• Carcass Jack. Up to 50% more AoE at the cost of survivability. Use this if you plan to just map 24/7 and farm monoliths.

Gloves – Allelopathy

Boots – Atziri's Step

Amulet – Impresence (chaos version), Solstice Vigil, Aul's Uprising

Ring – Essence Worm

None of these uniques are requirements. All can be replaced with rares that just have life/resistances if needed. Amulets and Gloves can roll the “Non-ailment Chaos Damage over Time Multiplier” mod, so a multimod version of those should be your end-game goal.

On Impresence vs. Solstice Vigil, I like the former. Despair is mandatory, so using Temp Chains requires the second curse nodes. Free curse auras are such a luxurious feeling and provide a nice quality of life. Seems others feel the same way too since Impresence is something like 5-10 times the price.

Aul's picks a random aura and has it reserve no mana. If you happen to find an Aul's with Malevolence reserves no mana, it's a MASSIVE boost. It's basically Essence Worm but without the penalty and a bunch of other good stats. You can certainly take MoM and/or add some other auras like Grace or Discipline. Be prepared to pay an enormous amount, so this is only for the super rich.

Everything Else

Rings are a great place to fill out life/resists/ES/mana since we don't have any build-enabling uniques or mods that we need here. Same goes for belts. Stygian Vises got nerfed indirectly through abyssal jewel nerfs, but they're still a good source of Onslaught on kill. A single heavy belt can also get you all the strength you need to max level Steelskin or Immortal Call.

Your end-game helmet should be a rare ES or EV/ES base fossil crafted to have “nearby enemies have -9% to chaos resistance” along with good life/ES/resists.

Flasks/Jewels/Enchants

Jewels

• Watcher's Eye with Non-Ailment Chaos Damage over Time Multiplier
• For the rest, fill in your holes with life/resists/damage/spell damage/damage over time/chaos damage
• Get an Onslaught on kill abyssal jewel if you don't have another way to get Onslaught
• Spreading Rot is mandatory if you use Blight instead of Wither

Flasks

• Life flask with bleed immunity. “Catalyzed” Eternal flasks are really nice with Tricksters, and I actually prefer them over Seething life flasks.
• Quicksilver flask of Adrenaline
• Witchfire Brew if you don't have Despair anywhere else

For the rest, it's personal preference. Jade Flask of Reflexes synergizes great, especially with Queen of the Forest. Silver Flask for Onslaught. Quartz Flask for phasing and dodge. Sulpher Flask for offense.

Enchants

Helms don't have any game-breaking enchants, but there are several that provide a modest boost.

• 40% ED damage
• 30% increased Despair curse effect (can be situationally better than ED damage, and cheaper)
• 12% increased Contagion AoE

Boots have a few choices:

• Attack and Cast Speed if you've killed recently
• Regenerate 2% of life and mana if you've been hit recently
• Chance to dodge attack or spell hits
• 10% increased movement speed if you haven't been hit recently