Any Death knight or Vampire builds out there?

Hi all,

Returning player here to PoE2 (been away due to poor health). I’m wondering if there are types of Death Knight builds out there? I like flavour and fun over meta. Does PoE2 have uniques that allow for flavoursome builds like a vampire builds too? Like a melee class with bleeds and high leech mechanics.

I’m wanting the Death Knight to feel a lot like you’d expect a Nurgle Knight (Warhammer universe) to feel. Slow tanky class with bleeds and poisons to erode the enemy. The tanky side would be made mostly from armour (I know it’s not great, but it’s fitting for the theme).

I’m wanting the vampire to be Fast and tanky due to bleeds and leech abilities. The tanky side would need to be more evasion based I think in order reflect the agility of the Vampire, ideally using swords but we don’t have them yet. 😢 maybe we can duel wield 1h spears?…

I’m a player that hates 1 button meta builds as I feel it’s a dull playstyle that burns me out and leaves me wanting another game. So if it can destroy the screen in 1 shot, the build isn’t for me. I came to PoE2 in the hope that it felt a lot more skilful to play, a bit like a cross between No Rest for the Wicked and PoE1. I loved the game upon release but found the further into the game you got, the more like PoE1 it felt, screens full of mobs and very little skill needed and it started to feel old again. I’m hoping this 0.2 patch fixes that and phase 4 feels more impactful, skilful and less like an afk game! Hears to hoping! 🤗

Anyway. Any advice for a new player for either a DK or vampire build would be greatly appreciated.

🤗

Hello again,
Not managed to get time in game yet, any news from any zoomers out there about possible build items, passive routes to make these builds?
Saw a lot of people have seen my post but no comments. Would love to see some fun builds being made and not just the same YouTube videos 10x about the same meta stuff.

Hope you’re all enjoy the new patch and hope to join you soon. 🤗

The only blood-vampirey things in the game are bleed, bloodmage, and the new herald of blood (which is very cool, big bleed explosions). So you could build something around that. Rake (the new bleed spear ability) doesn't hit super hard, so it's being combo'd by strength stacking with Stomping ground, which does most of the actual damage.

But if you are looking for a big sword or axe bleed build, it just isn't in the game (yet).

Aye, looking into doing that now. I’ve gone with Huntress as I have seen that most of the bleed/leech nodes are SE and S of her position. One billed skill gets a 100% buff on damage if you get a crit, so I thought an accuracy crit build with her would work. It may not be the optimal class, we will see but it’s a starting point. :)
I have to say that I’m largely disappointed that we don’t have all the weapons yet, as in Last Epoch, I have a vampire archer with a 2h sword which was fun! Very fast paced movement and interesting build, just not optimal but why you need to get to extreme high levels is beyond me, I’d rather have a more fun playstyle that it reaching past the endgame. Smiles>miles. :)

The only ascendancy close to a vampire theme is witch -> Blood Mage.

Unfortunately, there aren't any bleed related spells like there is in PoE 1.

So it'll be a long slow slog to the attack damage area on the south side of the tree.

However, as long as you're not worried about attack speed, there are physical damage and critical damage nodes nodes near witch start that can work with attacks.