Choosing the "best" Ascendancy for Affliction content in Path of Exile depends heavily on your preferred playstyle, build goals, and desired focus within the mechanic. However, I can outline some strong contenders and their potential benefits:
Strong Ascendancies for Affliction:
Necromancer:
Soul Splitting + Dark Effigy: A powerful defensive tool, taking a portion of your damage. Synergizes well with Affliction’s focus on curses and vulnerability.
Offering Bonuses: Enhance Summoned Offerings for support and utility in boss fights.
Poison Proliferation: Spreads poison effects for consistent damage against multiple Affliction enemies.
Occultist:
Power Charge Generation: Enables powerful skills like Vortex or Cold Snap for damage against Affliction bosses.
Malediction: Curses enemies with extra effect, maximizing vulnerability and damage in Affliction encounters.
Profane Bloom: Exploding corpses for area damage and clearing adds in certain Affliction areas.
Saboteur:
Traps + Mines: High burst damage potential against tough Affliction bosses.
Elemental Ailments: Freeze or Ignite for crowd control and additional damage modifiers.
Explosive Traps: Strong for clearing Affliction mob packs and adds.
Gladiator:
Block Chance + Counterattacks: High survivability against Affliction’s heavy-hitting bosses.
Rage: Sustained damage boost for consistent DPS against bosses and mobs.
Vaal Ground Slam: Powerful AOE skill for clearing larger groups of Affliction enemies.
Additional Considerations:
Wildwood Ascendancies: The league-specific Ascendancies offer unique mechanics like Charm Sockets and Blood Hunt, though their effectiveness in Affliction needs further exploration.
Build Synergies: Choose an Ascendancy that complements your chosen skill and damage type for optimal effectiveness.
Individual Boss Focus: Certain Ascendancies might be better suited for specific Affliction Bosses depending on their mechanics and resistances.
Remember: There’s no absolute "best" Ascendancy. Experiment, analyze your build and goals, and choose the option that provides the most advantages for your desired Affliction experience.