Uploaded April 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago
Path of Exile 2 Witch Lich Leveling Build Guide
Essence Drain - Zenith - Chain/Swift Affliction - Considered Casting
Contagion - Magnified Effect - Unleash - Hinder/Derange
You can use Frost Bomb before you get level 31.
Frost Bomb (remove after Dark Effigy) - Spell Cascade - Controlled Destruction
Despair - Decaying Hex - Heightened Curse
Dark Effigy (Single Target) - Overabundance - Envenom - Controlled Destruction
Shield Charge (optional) - Ingenuity
You need to apply Essence Drain, Contagion and Despair with Decaying Hex on the single target when using Dark Effigy.
*Spirit Gems*
Withering Presence - Persistence
Convalesence
*Passive Tree*
imgur.com/a/pApw0DI
Pathing is first Potent Incantation - Lingering Horror - Dark Entries - Preservation - Void - Heavy Buffer
*Beginner Advice for Caster Gear Progression*
Look for +Levels to Spell Skills Gem at the Vendor. %increased Damage is important too but I would prioritise additional Levels to Gems over that. You can get +Levels to Spell Skills on Shields (Focus), Wands, Staffs and Amulets.
*Beginner Advice for Resistances*
For Act 1 you want Cold Resistance. In Act 2 you want Lightning Resistance for the final Act 2 Boss. If you do the "Elemental Offering" (Act 2, Buried Shrines) you can choose a Topaz/Ruby/Sapphire Ring. Vendors can also sell Resistance Rings. If you do not have enough Resistance Rings I would consider gambling for one at the Vendor (Risu at Act 2, Alva at Act 3) if you have sufficient Gold. The Act 3 Boss will cause all 3 Elemental Damage types. You can socket Glacial/Desert/Storm to get 12% Cold/Fire/Lightning Resistance.
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00:00 - Intro
57:40 - Act 1 Boss
1:41:02 - Trial Boss
2:15:32 - Act 2 Boss
3:35:10 - Act 3 Boss
---
Path of Exile 2 Witch Lich Leveling Build Guide
Essence Drain - Zenith - Chain/Swift Affliction - Considered Casting
Contagion - Magnified Effect - Unleash - Hinder/Derange
You can use Frost Bomb before you get level 31.
Frost Bomb (remove after Dark Effigy) - Spell Cascade - Controlled Destruction
Despair - Decaying Hex - Heightened Curse
Dark Effigy (Single Target) - Overabundance - Envenom - Controlled Destruction
Shield Charge (optional) - Ingenuity
You need to apply Essence Drain, Contagion and Despair with Decaying Hex on the single target when using Dark Effigy.
*Spirit Gems*
Withering Presence - Persistence
Convalesence
*Passive Tree*
imgur.com/a/pApw0DI
Pathing is first Potent Incantation - Lingering Horror - Dark Entries - Preservation - Void - Heavy Buffer
*Beginner Advice for Caster Gear Progression*
Look for +Levels to Spell Skills Gem at the Vendor. %increased Damage is important too but I would prioritise additional Levels to Gems over that. You can get +Levels to Spell Skills on Shields (Focus), Wands, Staffs and Amulets.
*Beginner Advice for Resistances*
For Act 1 you want Cold Resistance. In Act 2 you want Lightning Resistance for the final Act 2 Boss. If you do the "Elemental Offering" (Act 2, Buried Shrines) you can choose a Topaz/Ruby/Sapphire Ring. Vendors can also sell Resistance Rings. If you do not have enough Resistance Rings I would consider gambling for one at the Vendor (Risu at Act 2, Alva at Act 3) if you have sufficient Gold. The Act 3 Boss will cause all 3 Elemental Damage types. You can socket Glacial/Desert/Storm to get 12% Cold/Fire/Lightning Resistance.
---
00:00 - Intro
57:40 - Act 1 Boss
1:41:02 - Trial Boss
2:15:32 - Act 2 Boss
3:35:10 - Act 3 Boss
---
![Lvl 1 to Tier 15 | Spark Sorceress Leveling [Patch 0.1]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/q8Y23f6vUvE/mqdefault.jpg "Lvl 1 to Tier 15 | Spark Sorceress Leveling [Patch 0.1]
Run done in Patch 0.1
This build was severely nerfed in 0.2.
*Support Gems*
With Archmage: Spark - Controlled Destruction - Considered Casting - Inspiration - Acceleration
Orb of Storms - Lightning Exposure - Strip Away - Conduction
Flame Wall - Spell Cascade - Persistence - Fire Mastery
Conductivity - Heightened Curse
Mana Tempest - Premeditation
Archmage - Lightning Mastery
*Early Campaign Gem Setup*
Spark - Unleash/Arcane Tempo - Controlled Destruction - Considered Casting (Tier 2)
Once you have Considered Casting I would use Arcane Tempo instead of Unleash.
If you struggle with Mana use Inspiration as a 3rd Support.
Orb of Storms (optional) - Execute - Rising Tempest
Flame Wall - Spell Cascade - Persistence
Conductivity - Heightened Curse
Mana Tempest - Premeditation
*Waystone Tier Progression*
Boss nodes are crucial for getting to Tier 15 Waystones quickly and building up a map base to sustain red waystones. Before I have a T6-T8 Waystone I path towards bossing nodes with lower tier Waystones as these are easy to sustain without Boss Nodes. Once you want to progress to higher tier waystones you start using your higher ones on Boss Nodes. Chances are that if you have killed a couple bosses one of them will drop a boss precursor emblem which allows you to add more boss nodes with a tower.
*Beginner Advice about Gear Progression*
Look for +Levels to Lightning Spell Gems or Spell Skills Gem at the Vendor in Campaign. +Levels to Gems will provide flat damage. %increased Damage is important too but I would prioritise additional Levels to Gems over that. You can also get +Levels to Spell Skills on Shields (Focus), Wands, Staffs and Amulet in the Normal Campaign.
Additional Gem Levels will increase the base Mana Cost significantly. You might have to use Inspiration as a Support Gem. Make sure to upgrade your Mana Flask regularly so that isnt necessary. Also, check the vendor for Movement Speed Suffix on Boots.
If you are fine with taking progression more slowly I would look for a increased %block chance shield in Act 1. That will give you about 35% Block Chance and help tremendously with defence.
After adding Archmage if you have enough Energy Shield on your bases I would consider pivoting to Eldritch Battery & Mind over Matter. Otherwise, damage will be an issue if you insist on progressing fast. With Eldritch Battery you respec out of all %increased Energy Shield nodes unless you have Ghostwrithe or Everlasting Gaze. High Maximum Mana, Mana Regeneration Rate, Intelligence and Energy Shield are stats you want to prioritise on top of additional Levels to Spell Skills. %Increased Damage is not as important anymore as you get enough from the Tree.
Contant Gale and Force of Gale for Ascendancy Points.
*Campaign Resistances*
For Act 1 you want Cold Resistance. In Act 2 you want Lightning Resistance for the final Act 2 Boss. If you do the Elemental Offering (Act 2, Buried Shrines) you can choose a Topaz/Ruby/Sapphire Ring. Vendors can also sell Resistance Rings. If you do not have enough Resistance Rings I would consider gambling for one at the Vendor (Risu at Act 2, Alva at Act 3) if you have sufficient Gold. The Act 3 Boss will cause all 3 Elemental Damage types, but I would prioritise getting high Lightning Resistance. You can socket Glacial/Desert/Storm to get 12% Cold/Fire/Lightning Resistance.
Spell|skill|speed|Lightning
https://www.twitch.tv/tuadh
0:00 - Intro
04:45:50 - Act 3 Doryani
08:55:15 - Cruel Doryani & Mapping Start
11:33:26 - T15 Waystone & Boss
11:37:15 - Gear and Tree Overview")
![[Stream] Freshstart HCSSF TR Pathfinder](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qfQV97baCnU/mqdefault.jpg "[Stream] Freshstart HCSSF TR Pathfinder
https://www.pathofexile.com/account/view-profile/Tuadh-4147
https://pobb.in/ET1q8dMi68BI
Need to farm those in Maps:
https://www.poewiki.net/wiki/The_Porcupine
https://www.poewiki.net/wiki/The_Coming_Storm
Update: Seems like they nerfed the droprate of these div cards in low tier maps (I didnt find a Coming Storm in around 30 Leyline/Wharf Maps even though it used to be a pretty common card)")
![Lvl 1 to Tier 15 | Warrior Leveling Run [Patch 0.1]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tKT75VBV3BA/mqdefault.jpg "Lvl 1 to Tier 15 | Warrior Leveling Run [Patch 0.1]
Patch 0.1
*Gems*
Boneshatter - Impact Shockwave - Magnified Effect - Fire Infusion
Leap Slam - Martial Tempo - Overpower - Rage
Perfect Strike - Window of Opportunity - Fire Exposure - Primal Armaments/Concentrated Effect
For Bosses who dash around a lot you want to swap in Martial Tempo for Perfect Strike
Hammer of the Gods - Fist of War - Eternal Flame - Searing Flame
Shield Charge - Ingenuity - Stomping Ground
Infernal Cry - Premeditation - Raging Cry
Flammability (Level 7) - Heightened Curse - Persistence
Mace Strike - Concentrated Effect - Martial Tempo (take from Rolling Slam for Bosses)
After you get Perfect Strike you dont use Mace Strike anymore.
Rolling Slam - Martial Tempo - Overpower
After you get Leap Slam you dont use Rolling Slam anymore.
Herald of Ash - Cannibalism - Herbalism
Time of Need - Fast Forward - Vitality
You may need Overwhelming Presence . Time of Need is not important so you can swap it out in favour of Overwhelming Presence.
To animation cancel Rolling Slam you can either click away right after pressing Rolling Slam (during first roll) or pressing Boneshatter afterwards. This is done to cancel the second half of the Rolling Slam which is very slow.
To get an optimally timed Perfect Strike I look for the two glowing circles around the mace head to appear and then release. Infernal Cry helps a lot with single target damage especially once you have the node that allows you to empower an additional attack.
Keep a Level 7 Skill Gem so you can engrave a low level Flammability later. Also, keep a Level 7 Leap Slam and when you need to upgrade take out the Level 7 Leap Slam Gem and engrave a new Leap Slam. You may have to adjust the damage of your Leap Slam this way so you dont Heavy stun monster packs with this skill. You can also take out Overpower.
To play this build you need to have a basic understanding of stun since Boneshatter revolves around it. Wiki article: https://www.poe2wiki.net/wiki/Stun
Giants Blood is pretty important so that you can use both a two-handed mace and a shield. Without a shield you will struggle to survive in maps. I advice getting a over 40% block chance shield so you can get close to or exactly 75% block chance. Mine had a 63% increased Block Chance prefix which set the block chance of my shield to 43%. With it and some nodes on the passive tree I had 73% Block Chance. Giants Blood will triple the Strength Requirement so you cant use high-level base weapons with it. I only used an Advanced Leaden Greathammer (135 Str x 3). You can also get the reduced attribute requirements passive points if you are struggling to fulfil the strength requirements.
Its important that you pick up all Advanced Leaden Greathammer no matter what rarity. You can reforge these maces with the reforge bench which is unlocked through the Molten Vault quest. You are looking for added physical damage and increased physical damage. Mine had a low increased physical damage roll but a good flat phys roll which is more important since you can use Iron Runes and Blacksmith Whetstones.
I would also get the blood magic keystone when Infernal Cry starts to consume over 50% of your mana per use. I would allocate Avatar of Fire at 52 once you get Hammer of the Gods.
*Passive Tree*
https://imgur.com/a/47FiTze
https://www.twitch.tv/tuadh
00:00 - Intro
7:08:17 - Cruel Doryani & Mapping Begins
10:55:15 - Tier 15 Waystone & Boss
11:05:00 - Tier 15 Boss & Gear Overview")
