POE2 Essence Drain Chaos Lich Build — God-Tier Mapping & Tank Setup (Dawn of the Hunt)
Ready to melt maps in POE2 without breaking a sweat? This POE2 Essence Drain Chaos Build is back and meaner than ever. If you're into zoomy clears, big energy shield pools, and unkillable tankiness, this Essence Drain + Contagion combo is gonna be your new best friend.
This update brings you the latest on gear tweaks, mapping setup, and what to expect next as we push deep into endgame. Let’s break it all down.
What Makes This POE2 Essence Drain Chaos Build So Strong?
Crazy clear speed with Essence Drain + Contagion synergy
Insane tankiness with 11K+ Energy Shield and quick recovery
Safe and reliable even in tier 84 pinnacle boss fights
Optimized chaos resistances for survivability
DOT damage means no need to stand still and spam skills
Tank Stats Snapshot
Energy Shield: 11,000+ (can push 15K+)
Recharge Rate: ~2,000 ES/sec
Recharge Delay: 1.9 seconds
Mana Recovery: 400/sec (1,200 total pool)
Chaos Resistance: Capped and stacked via rings and gear
Gear Overview
Wand
Still rocking the old one, but planning to craft a +5 Chaos Spell Wand soon on stream—come hang out if you wanna see how to save Divines while crafting it right!
Amulet
Snagged an absolute steal for 2 Divs. No cast speed, but who cares—we’re already turbo-charged thanks to passives.
Rings
Double chaos-focused rings with:
Chaos damage
Cast speed
Max life
Resistances
High ES base
Extra resists and life
Body Armor
High ES base
Extra resists and life
Boots, Gloves, Belt
Prioritize ES, movement speed, resists
Focused chaos-related stats where possible
Skill Gems & Setup
Here’s the skill gem setup for mapping (bossing setup linked in Maxroll planner):
Main Skill – Essence Drain
Chain
Swift Affliction
Intensify
Controlled Destruction
Chaos Mastery
Contagion Setup
Unleash
Empower
Hinder
Increased AoE
Curse Setup
Despair + Blasphemy
Temporal Chains
Decaying Hex
Ritualistic Curse
Utility
Withering Presence + Blink + Spirit Offering
Soul of Yugul for chaos mitigation
Passive Tree Breakdown
Recently made some tweaks:
Dropped Rupture the Soul → picked up Crystaline Focus for smoother contagion spread
Added cast speed boosts via Byron’s node
Kept key nodes: Eldritch Empowerment, Area of Effect, Energy Shield clusters
Anointed “Royal” for extra AoE
Build still evolving—watch the stream or check the Maxroll planner for updates as I refine the final version.
What’s Next?
I’m closing in on the final version of this chaos beast. After that? Might mess around with:
Artillery Ballista Amazon?
A spicy life-based spell build?
Still brainstorming—but first, I’m gonna make this build absolutely unkillable.
