Overview
This Lich build turns Essence Drain into a chaos damage-over-time engine that the creator has taken through tier 15–16 maps, every pinnacle boss and the Arbiter of Divinity. Contagion spreads the Essence Drain debuff across whole packs for mapping, while bosses get a deliberate setup rotation that stacks curses, ailments and wither before the main damage lands.
The Lich ascendancy carries most of the scaling. Eldritch Empowerment pays an energy shield cost on every cast in exchange for a large more-damage multiplier, Soulless Form converts life into mana sustain so long fights never run dry, Eternal Life keeps life untouchable while energy shield holds, and Crystalline Phylactery doubles the effect of one non-unique jewel. Together they give a chaos caster that is both tanky on an ES base and heavily multiplied.
The standout trick is linking the Hoxy’s Fulmination lineage support to Despair. Despair drops a cursed ground zone that strips chaos resistance; seven seconds later Fulmination’s Annihilation sub-skill erupts in six pulses, its physical damage fully converted to chaos. With Despair pushed to a very high gem level through corruption and +level gear, that burst lands on a target whose chaos resistance has already been shredded.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Proven on T16 maps, all pinnacle bosses and the Arbiter of Divinity
- Contagion + Essence Drain gives screen-wide spread for mapping
- Very strong single-target burst once Despair + Fulmination is set up
- Eternal Life and a large ES pool make the build feel safe for a caster
- Works on moderate investment and keeps scaling with high-end gear
Cons
- Boss damage depends on a six-step debuff rotation, not one button
- Wants several lineage supports, specific runes/idols and a high-level Despair to reach the showcased ceiling
- Spirit budget is tight (Blasphemy, Withering Presence, Convalescence, Ravenous Swarm)
- Not pitched as a league starter — the showcase is a finished endgame character
Key Skills
- Essence Drain — main chaos DoT, linked with Drain Ailments for bosses (swap to Chain for mapping)
- Contagion — spreads Essence Drain across packs; Intense Agony boosts damage on full-life enemies
- Despair + Hoxy’s Fulmination — cursed ground that shreds chaos res and triggers the delayed Annihilation burst
- Dark Effigy — applies poison, shock (via Esh’s Radiance) and wither for Drain Ailments to consume
- Blasphemy (Temporal Chains), Living Bomb, Ravenous Swarm, Sigil of Power — slow, wither stacking, maim/blind/culling and a damage zone for boss fights
Boss rotation: Despair under the boss → Sigil of Power → Dark Effigy → Essence Drain → Living Bomb to max wither → keep Essence Drain up and reposition until Annihilation fires.
Gear & Anointments
Gear prioritises item-budget efficiency on an energy shield base. The wand and focus want skill gem levels, spell damage and chaos damage; body armour, gloves, amulet and rings look for energy shield, spirit, resistances and +gem levels. Socketables mix offence (spell level and withered/curse magnitude runes, a Snake Idol, a chaos-resistance curse soul core) with Greater Iron Runes for defence.
- Darkness Enthroned — belt that amplifies a socketed withered-magnitude rune
- Megalomaniac — look for two or more curse/duration notables
- Prism of Belief — +levels to Essence Drain
- From Nothing — used to reach the Whispers of Doom keystone
- Charms for freeze, slow and stun immunity (unique or magic with increased duration / reduced charges used)
Endgame Notes
The build is aimed squarely at T16 and pinnacle content. Despair’s curse magnitude is pushed very high so pinnacle chaos resistance is effectively removed, and Temporal Chains via Blasphemy slows boss animations to buy safety windows. The creator plans a follow-up min-max and crafting video for the wand, amulet and focus.
Credits & Source
Build credited to Ichigo Gaming. See the source video for the full build’s gameplay footage + voice commentary: PoE2 0.5 | Lahkesis Queen of Chaos Essence Drain ENDGAME Showcase Build.