Advice with trickster leecher skill

I'm new to shadow, usually play casters, and would like to try evolving a trickster into a non-caster. I almost never read guides because I would prefer to figure things out for myself (sometimes it works!) without cookie-cutting and pasting, and I play mostly SSF, but would like one general tip:

I would like to make a NON-CI Soul Drinker who leeches both life and ES (and mana) using an attack skill (ideally a green skill with some degree of range). I realize this will not be "meta".
I have avoided such types in SSF in the past primarily because I have found that casters and summoners are simply much less gear-dependent -- you don't need a fantastic weapon.
But now I am wondering: maybe I was just using the wrong skill?
So my questions would include:
- Wouldn't a fast hitting skill (many hits per second with lower damage) suit nicely?
- Which one of those might have at least some range? Or must it be flicker strike?
- Ideally I would like to be able to survive boss fights too, not looking for super-fast clear, but also not looking for anything other than 4 voidstones. Are some skills suited better for this middle ground?
- I am not sure how to scale attack skills -- I realize most people convert to some form of element, but I wouldnt mind something simple like bleed or poison. But it wwould have to be something that doesnt need 6 links from the get-go.

Any general tips without a full guide, or at least without any specific gear requirements?

thank you very much in advance