Grants a buff giving more poison damage and a chance to inflict poison. When you poison an enemy while you have this buff, you gain Virulence, and summon an Agony Crawler minion that uses projectile and area attacks. You will lose Virulence over time, at a rate which increases the more Virulence you have. The minion will die when you have no Virulence.

Herald of Agony is a herald skill gem. When activated it reserves mana and grants a buff that gives a chance to inflict poison on enemies, if the enemy is successfully poisoned the character gains Virulence and an Agony Crawler minion. 

 

Quick Jump

 

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • + 180%+ peak increased move speed.
  • + Super curses. Mobs barely dent you with the super enfeeble and temporal chains.
  • + 7k+ life.
  • + Easy to maintain fortify.
  • + Strong recovery via LGoH.
  • + Agony Crawer does all the work.
  • + Can handle EVERY map mod in the game
  • + Good clear speed via minion augmented profane bloom explosions. 
  • + Good league starter. The base gear is dirt cheap and no six links are required.

Cons

  • - Something not for all players

 

Gameplay

Here's the core gameplay loop

  • Hit enemies with static strike to get poison stacks going.
  • Hit quicksilver and phase run or shield charge to run through packs.
  • The agony crawler kills as you run around.
  • If the crawler falls behind, re-up your static strike and/or use convocation.
  • If you encounter a tough target like a boss, use molten strike and dodge any attacks you can’t tank until the crawler takes it down.

 

Skill Tree

Ascendancy

Profane Bloom, Malediction, Void Beacon (In that order. Don't worry about Uber Lab, it doesn't matter much).

Bandits

Kill All or help Alira for resists.

Pantheon

The Pantheon List

Crab dude and whatever minor node you like.

Passive Tree

 

 

Gems Setup

Herald of Agony + Pierce + Minion Damage + Vile Toxins + Damage on Full Life or Minion Speed

Enfeeble + Blasphemy

Static Strike + Ancestral Call + Chain + Fortify (+ Poison)

Molten Strike + Multistrike + Greater Multiple Projectiles (+ Poison) + Withering Touch + Ancestral Call (if you can get it)

Convocation

Shield Charge + Faster Attacks (+ Fortify + Poison)

NOTE: You could also fit in desecrate/spirit offering instead of fortify/poison on shield charge, but I don't think it's worth it.

NOTE: for Static and Molten Strike, if you don't use Mortem Morsu you need to add poison support through Elder pseudo 5 links.

 

Gear

Move the mouse on the bold poe equipment to see needed mod

Rare Priorities

  • Amulet: life, resists, minion movement speed.
  • Ring 1: life, resists, minion movement speed.
  • Ring 2: life, resists, Poacher’s Mark.
  • Gloves: life, resists, poison support.
  • Main hand: multistrike or ancestral call supports, poison support.
  • Shield(assuming no Mortem Morsu): Armour, life, resists.
  • Belt (assuming no darkness enthroned or Gluttony): Armour, life, resists.
  • Chest (assuming no Kaom’s, Belly, or Brass Dome): Armour, life, resists.
  • Helmet: Minion damage support, minion gem levels, life, resists.
  • Boots: Movement speed, life, resists.
  • Abyss Jewels: Minion movement speed, life, resists.

Weapon

Mortem Morsu: Mortem Morsu is very good for getting poisons, but later you should replace it with elder rares that give static and molten strike the poison support gem on pseudo five links so you can use a shield

Shield

War Buckler: Whatever rare shield gives you the life and res you need.

Helmet

Lacquered Helmet: This lets you get a 5 link for your herald of agony. Alternatively, you could use a regular rare helm and the embalmer gloves.

Armour

Kaom's Heart The Brass Dome, Belly of the Beast

Kaom's heart or Brass dome are good options for chest pieces. The former is better be elemental damage and the latter is better vs physical if you take armour nodes on the tree. You could even go belly if you want a cheaper more life chest. 

Belt

Gluttony: Gluttony is a great belt in the mid game, but you eventually want to replace it with a Poacher’s Mark elder ring. The new curse on hit unset ring can work too.

Darkness Enthroned: Darkness enthroned is good even in the end game because it can give you 30% increased minion movement speed with the right jewels.

Gloves

Asenath's Gentle Touch: Asenath's Gentle touch is very nice for its temp chains on hit. Severed in sleep should in theory be a good damage boost for the crawler since it will have a high chance to poison. The Embalmer is a good, cheap alternative to a pseudo 5 link elder helmet early on.

Jewel

Wildfire is very good for more poisons and wither stacks from molten strike. Also, a Careful Planning jewel can help a lot for dex requirements.

 

Quick Leveling Guide

Do whatever you like until level 16. Once you hit level 16, equip herald of agony with whatever supports you can manage(pierce should be high priority as it's good for clear speed) and use incinerate with lesser poison support to build stacks(trust me it works REALLY well at that level). Switch to attacks once you have your mortem morsu and resolute technique.
On your tree, you should be working towards minion damage and resolute technique with a few life nodes.
Once you can equip mortem morsu and get resolute technique, switch to a Molten Strike + Static Strike set up.
The priorities on static strike are ancestral call and chain. Ancestral call is huge quality of life for getting it running.
The priorities on molten strike are multistrike and GMP
Once you get all your minion stuff and resolute technique on the tree, fill in the life nodes, curse effect nodes, jewel sockets. Do armour nodes last.
For Ascendancies, the order is profane bloom(highest priority, it's huge for clearing), Malediction, and Void Beacon. Uber lab doesn't really matter.

 

 

Early mapping: https://pastebin.com/hUzn8gRQ

Endgame: https://pastebin.com/asAUQDB0