Path of Exile 2 Doom Lich Build Guide: Unleashing the Abyss for Maximum Power

Time: 2025-09-22

Path of Exile 2's Abyssal League has unlocked a world of chaotic possibilities, and none are as thrillingly unpredictable as the Abyssal Lich build that revolves around the explosive combo of Impending Doom and Doedre's Undoing. After spending an entire week experimenting with this build, watching packs of demons turn into chaos-fueled fireworks while sipping coffee, I couldn't help but wonder if I had accidentally summoned an eldritch horror in my living room. It’s not just about efficiency—it’s a bold statement. In PoE2, intelligence isn’t just a stat; it’s a devastating weapon. Let’s dive deep into the mechanics, from the devastating core abilities to the gear that will have you feeling like a god of destruction.

The Heart of the Build: Core Mechanics

At its core, this build thrives on the synergy between curses and explosive feedback loops. The powerful support gem Doedre’s Undoing applies a curse to your enemies, creating explosive hazard zones that detonate upon contact, causing chaos damage equal to 200% of your intelligence. Pair this with Despair as your main curse, and you’re not simply debuffing enemies—you’re spreading eruptions of devastation across the screen. When Impending Doom is thrown into the mix, it detonates curses for even more damage, especially when you scale it with cast speed to hit that ideal 98-99% activation rate, sidestepping pesky bugs in the process.

The Abyssal Lich ascendancy ties everything together. It empowers your skeletal minions, turning them into stat-boosting phantoms through Umbral Souls, while also boosting your energy shield (ES) through nodes like Skeletal Frost Mages. The build operates in a “low-life” manner, relying on Eternal Life to keep your HP locked in a defensive state, while Soulless Form funnels damage into your energy shield for that masochistic thrill. It's like playing Russian roulette with your health, but somehow you always come out unscathed.

Here’s a quick look at the essential skills and their optimal supports:

This setup turns mapping into an explosive dance of pops and booms—satisfying, albeit overwhelming at first.

Gearing Up: From Budget to Endgame

When gearing for the Abyssal Lich build, it's all about making smart choices in intelligence, cast speed, and spirit for reservation efficiency. Starting out, you don’t need high-end gear—something like a basic scepter with spirit sockets will get you to around 220 spirit early on. As you progress through Act 3, prioritize resistances to ensure survival. Once you’ve reached the maps, consider investing in Windscreen boots for curse-free activation and added movement speed—although they’re pricey, they’re definitely worth the investment.

For the true endgame glow-up, go for Threaded Light foci that grant massive spell damage scaling off your spirit (up to 900% at 600+ spirit). Tennibus rings are also a solid pick to cap resistances without sacrificing cast speed. Gear with 60+ spirit on the chest piece will be your bottleneck as you push for serious defenses, often costing you two divines on hardcore servers. If you want to speed up your gear progression, check out mmomax for reliable PoE2 currency deals that can shave hours off your farming time.

Here’s a quick look at gear priorities:

Pro Tip: Always test your setup in your hideout to avoid friendly fire from your own explosions.

Passive Tree and Ascendancy: Crafting Your Path to Ruin

The passive tree for this build is reminiscent of the old ED/Contagion builds but with a lich-themed twist. Focus heavily on intelligence nodes, such as Ingenuity for raw damage and Calibration for cast speed bursts. Early on, grab Against Darkness for increased spirit, and don’t overlook Efficient Casting to maintain mana sustainability. Choose travel nodes that double as intelligence farms to keep your path compact and efficient.

For the ascendancy, rush to unlock Umbral Souls for minion-to-stat conversion, followed by Rupture the Flesh to increase your explosions' damage through physical scaling if chaos damage starts to fall off. Unwilling Offering is a wildcard for buffing your character, but its usefulness varies, so experiment with it. Full tree planners like Maxroll's Lich Setup are great tools for maximizing your damage and survivability, with setups reaching up to 42k ES and 66% reservation efficiency.

Leveling is straightforward: use ED/Contagion until around level 65, then switch to Doedre’s Undoing once you hit 100 int. For the early stages, focus on building up your mana reserves in Act 3. The playstyle itself is simple: spam Despair, watch the world explode in a symphony of chaos, and use Sigil of Power for boss nukes. It’s easy mapping with just enough depth to keep things interesting for veteran players.

Pros and Cons: The Final Verdict

No build is without its flaws, but the Impending Doom Lich is close to perfect for curse enthusiasts. Here’s a quick rundown:

In conclusion, the Impending Doom Lich build isn’t for the faint of heart, but if you’re looking for a way to chain curses and watch entire packs of enemies turn into fiery explosions, this build is your ticket to glory. If you’re ready to dive into the Abyss, it’s your unholy grail. And if you’re looking to speed up your gear farming, head over to mmomax for the best PoE2 currency deals to get you there faster. Just remember, once you experience the explosive high, regular mapping will feel like a dull routine.