With the launch of Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, players are diving into new mechanics, updated campaign progression, and a range of rebalanced classes. Among them, the Witch remains a fan-favorite, often associated with minion-focused builds and devastating spell combos. However, with Update 0.2.0 bringing significant changes, especially nerfs to early-game minions, it's clear that traditional approaches need a fresh look.

This article breaks down the most effective league starter build for the Witch class, helping both new and returning players smoothly transition from Act I to early endgame maps — all while optimizing for POE 2 Currency usage and investment.

Why Choose the Witch in Path of Exile 2

The Witch excels in controlling the battlefield, using spells and minions to overwhelm enemies. But in this latest update, minions are less reliable early on. As a result, we're pivoting to a spell-based damage-over-time (DoT) setup. This build centers around Essence Drain and Contagion — skills that synergize to clear mobs efficiently while applying lingering damage to tougher targets.

By focusing on a DoT archetype, the Witch maintains strong clear speed, excellent boss pressure, and flexibility for players farming POE 2 Currency early in the league.

Core Skills and Support Gems

Let's walk through the core skills and their linked support gems that define this build:

    Contagion

        Support Gems: Persistence, Unleash

        Applies an AoE effect that spreads Essence Drain damage.

    Essence Drain

        Support Gems: Swift Affliction, Controlled Destruction, Considered Casting

        Primary DoT damage dealer for both mobs and bosses.

    Unearth

        Support Gem: Brutality

        Creates corpses and acts as a distraction with potential minion utility.

    Withering Presence (Aura)

        Support Gem: Clarity

        Helps reduce enemy resistances and boosts chaos damage output.

    Despair (Curse)

        Support Gems: Heightened Curse, Decaying Hex

        Reduces chaos resistance, amplifying the damage of Essence Drain.

    Dark Effigy

        Support Gems: Envenom, Arcane Tempo

        Adds further chaos scaling and spellcasting tempo.

Skill Rotation Tip:

For boss fights or tougher mobs, use this spell sequence:

Despair → Essence Drain → Dark Effigy → Contagion → Repeat

This synergy ensures targets are constantly afflicted and melting under chaos damage over time.

Recommended Itemization for League Starters

As a league starter, it's important to avoid expensive uniques and focus instead on rare items with powerful affixes. Here's a breakdown of what to look for across your gear:

    Wand: Increased spell damage, +level to Chaos spell skills, cast speed.

    Focus (off-hand): Chaos damage increase, +level to all spell skills.

    Helmet: Energy Shield %, maximum life, and resistance.

    Body Armor: Flat life and resistances.

    Gloves & Boots: Prioritize life and resistances. Add movement speed for boots.

    Rings: Look for resistances and cast speed.

    Belt: Life, mana, and resistances.

    Amulet: +level to all spell skills, spell damage.

All gear bases should focus on Energy Shield as the core defensive stat. This gives you better synergy with Clarity and other mana-based passives.

Managing POE 2 Currency with Smart Choices

Since this build is designed for league start, it's also meant to be budget-friendly. While some higher-tier affixes and items can eventually cost a decent amount of POE 2 Currency, early progression should prioritize efficient spending. Avoid gambling on rare crafting outcomes; instead, use POE2 orbs and currency strategically for incremental upgrades.

This playstyle is especially great for currency farming, thanks to its fast map clears and relatively low dependency on expensive gear. Players can quickly farm chaos orbs, crafting materials, and higher-tier currencies to reinvest into their build or other characters.

Best Ascendancy: Lich

Path of Exile 2 introduces exciting new Ascendancies. For this build, the standout choice is Lich — a powerful new archetype that enhances chaos damage and integrates well with both spells and endgame minions.

Key node:

Necromantic Conduit – Grants Unholy Might and converts 100% of physical damage to chaos, a huge boost for both survivability and damage output.

The Lich Ascendancy not only supports your core damage skills but also unlocks further build diversity if you want to reintroduce minions later in the game.

Passive Skill Tree Progression

To optimize your leveling experience, follow this rough path through the passive skill tree:

    Entropy – Amplifies DoT damage and spell effectiveness.

    Open Mind – Boosts maximum mana and energy shield.

    Pure Energy – Increases survivability and synergizes with your auras.

    Minor Nodes – Invest in mana regeneration and cast speed early.

    Chaos Specialization – Look for nodes that boost chaos resistance penetration and DoT multiplier.

Adjust the path depending on your gear and mana pool, but make sure to prioritize damage and sustainability as you approach Act 5 and beyond.

Final Thoughts

The Witch remains a top-tier class in Path of Exile 2: Dawn of the Hunt, and this spell-focused league starter build proves that even in the face of nerfs, there's always a way to adapt and conquer. With smart use of POE2 Currency, this setup allows for smooth leveling, efficient farming, and the flexibility to scale into more advanced builds.

Whether you're a returning veteran or brand-new to Wraeclast, this Witch build is a dependable option to carry you through the early stages — and prepare you for what lies ahead.

Let the corruption flow, and may your Essence Drain never miss.

MMOexp POE 2 Team