Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Liege of the Primordial, Elemancer, Bastion of Elements, and Shaper of Storms. You should use The Anima Stone, Primordial Might, Primordial Eminence, and Primordial Harmony jewels for more golem damage and an extra golem. The Reservation Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. The Elementalist ascendancy has less minion defenses when compared to the Necromancer ascendancy so you should take the nearby minion offense nodes and some of the minion defense nodes to help your minions survive the tougher boss fights. Also make sure and take as many of the nearby life percent nodes as you can for survival.

 

Defensive Layers

The Bastion of Elements ascendancy gives level 20 Primal Aegis which is a very strong elemental shield. Your Carrion Golems will also be immune to elemental damage and have increased buff effect with the Elemancer ascendancy. This build has an army of melee minions to take the damage for you along with the defensive advantage of using a shield.

​

Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Raise Spectre​

Feeding Frenzy Support

Minion Life Support

​

Shield (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Precision

 

Armour (6-link)

Summon Carrion Golem

Awakened Minion Damage Support

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Awakened Multistrike Support

Minion Speed Support

Chance To Poison Support

 

Helmet (4-link)

Hatred

Summon Skitterbots

Dread Banner

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Vaal Summon Skeletons

Summon Lightning Golem of Hordes

Awakened Minion Damage Support

Minion Speed Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Raise Zombie Of Slamming

Minion Life Support

Summon Phantasm Support

Empower Support

​

Ring (1 Socket)

Vulnerability

​

Reservation Skills

A defensive aura isn't recommended on a high life and energy shield minion build. Use the offensive Hatred aura to cause all of your physical minions to deal physical damage as extra cold damage. The recommended Aul's Uprising amulet also gives free level 15 Envy which gives minions added chaos damage. Summon Skitterbots should also be used to apply both Shock and Vulnerability with the Profane Proxy unique ring. Dread Banner gives your minions increased Impale chance, increased Impale effect, and lowers the accuracy of nearby enemies. Precision is also selected to increase the accuracy and critical strike chance of your minions. Precision can be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery and a level 4 Enlighten Support to lower the mana reservation cost of your skills.

​

Gem Notes​

1. Steelskin is the recommended guard skill for this build because Immortal Call requires you to use potions more often and Molten Shell requires very high armor to be effective.

2. Summon Lightning Golem of Hordes increases the maximum number of golems you can have out. Lightning Golems will also provide lightning damage auras that give added lightning damage for your minions' attacks and spells.

3. Raise Zombie of Slamming does more damage than Raise Zombie and should be used once you have enough minion defenses to keep your zombies alive. It's also recommended that you link your Raise Zombie of Slamming to a Minion Life Support and a level 4 Empower Support to increase their damage and improve their survivability.

4. If you would like to try an alternate summoner build that has about the same capability as the Golem Elementalist you can also check out the Vaal Skeleton Mage Summoner Guide here Vaal Skeleton Mage Summoner Guide.

​

Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Convoking Wand

Look for a rare Convoking Wand with +1 to level of all minion skill gems, optionally +1 to level of all spell skill gems, increased minion damage, increased minion attack speed/cast speed, and optionally a chance for minions to deal double damage.

​

Shield

Rare Minion Shield

Look for life, energy shield, +1 to minion skill gems, increased minion damage, increased minion life, and resistances.

 

Armour

The Queen's Hunger

The Queen's Hunger can have more than 500 energy shield, 10% increased life, two veiled modifiers, offering skills also apply to your character, and triggers a level 20 offering skill every 5 seconds. You can also go for a +2 to level of socketed minion gems or +1 to level of socketed gems corruption for much higher damage once you have enough currency.

 

Helmet

Rare Bone Helmet

Look for +2 to all minion skill gems, high life, +1 to maximum number of Zombies/+1 to maximum number of Skeletons, and resistances. You should also go for a Bone Helmet for a 20% increased minion damage implicit. Legacy Bone Helmets in standard are even better and can have up to a 40% increased minion damage implicit.

​

Belt

Darkness Enthroned

This belt has two abyssal sockets and up to 100% increased effect of socketed abyss jewels. You should socket two abyss jewels in it with minions have added physical damage, minions have a 15% chance to poison, and one or two other minion modifiers.

Stygian Vise

This option can be used for high life, life percent, strength, resistances, and an abyssal socket. You can also use 20 Fertile Catalysts on the belt to increase its life bonus.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for gloves with increased minion damage, life, resistances, and if you can afford it +2 to level of socketed minion gems. You should also add increased minion damage and chance to suppress spell damage using Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors.

Note: You can look for gloves with a +2 to level of socketed minion gems fracture (permanent golden modifier) and use Deafening Essences of Fear for increased minion damage until you get a tier one life roll with the right modifiers.

​

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for +2 to level of socketed minion gems, high life, optionally dexterity, spell suppression, a resistance, and movement speed. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid elemental ailments and increased buff effect granted by your Carrion Golems. You can purchase a +2 to level of socketed minion gems fracture to craft these boots.

 

Amulet

Aul's Uprising

This expensive amulet gives a free level 15 Envy aura, up to 36 to all attributes, 70 life, and 20% increased global defenses. You should use 20 Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Rare Amulet

The budget option can have strong modifiers like minions deal increased damage, high attributes, high life, and resistances.

 

Rings

Profane Proxy

This ring makes Summon Skitterbots apply a socketed curse, has up to 30% increased cold and lightning resistances, and gives +3 to the level its socketed curse gem. You should use 20 Prismatic Catalysts on the ring to increase its resistance bonus.

Rare Ring

Look for a ring with modifiers like high life, energy shield, increased minion damage and/or increased minion attack and cast speed, and resistances. You should also use 20 Fertile Catalysts on the ring to increase its life bonus.

​

Tattoo (Standard Only)

Honoured Tattoo of the Wise

This tattoo can replace a 30 intelligence node on the tree to give +1 to Level of All Intelligence Skill Gems.

​

Utility Flasks

Rumi's Concoction (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour, a 12% increased chance to block attacks, and a 6% chance to block spells. The legacy version has much higher block chances. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask when it has full charges.

Jade Flask (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 evasion and can have up to 60% increased evasion as a second modifier. Legacy Jade Flasks can have higher evasion. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Quartz Flask 

Gives Phasing and a 10% chance to suppress spell damage. You should roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you are Bleeding.

 

Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Prismatic Skin for 2% increased maximum elemental resistances at Cassia using a Silver Oil, Golden Oil, and Golden Oil.

​

Enchants (Standard Only)

Helm: Steelskin Buff Can Take 45% Increased Amount Of Damage

Gloves: Commandment of the Grave

Feet: Regenerate 2% of Life Per Second If You Have Been Hit Recently

​

Bandits

The best bandit to help in Act 2 is usually Alira because she gives 15% increased elemental resistances, 20% increased critical strike multiplier, and 5 mana regeneration per second. If you have two nodes at the end of your tree that are better than 15% increased elemental resistances you should kill all of the bandits instead for two skill points.

​

Pantheon

Soul of Solaris is the best major Pantheon power and gives 6% reduced physical damage taken when only one enemy is present, a 20% chance to take 50% less area damage, 8% reduced elemental damage taken if you haven't been hit recently, take no extra damage from critical strikes if you've been hit with a critical strike recently, and a 50% chance to avoid elemental ailments from critical strikes. Soul of Abberath is the best minor power to help maintain energy shield and gives 60% less Ignite duration on you, makes you unaffected by burning ground, and gives 10% increased movement speed on burning ground.

​

Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

The Blood Thorn

A great level one staff with a 30% chance to block that curses enemies with Vulnerability when you block.

​

Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great offensive level one chest armour that has six white linked sockets. Linked white sockets allow you to link any color gems together for much higher damage at an earlier level. You can also look for a Tabula Rasa with a high increased damage corruption which also requires level one for fairly cheap from the trade site.

​

Helmet

Goldrim

A level one resistance helmet that has up to 40% increased elemental resistances and 10% increased rarity of items found.

​

Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These level one gloves give up to 15% increased attack speed, 15% increased cast speed, and a 15% chance to generate an Endurance, Power, or Frenzy charge on kill.

​

Boots

Wondertrap

Boots that can be used as early as level nine that give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

​

Amulet

Sidhebreath

A level one amulet with minions deal 35-65 cold damage, minions convert 50% physical damage to cold damage, 15% increased minion life, and minions deal no non-cold damage.

​

Rings

Perandus Signets

You can use two Perandus Signets at level one that each give up to 65% mana regeneration, 65 mana, 2% increased intelligence for each unique item equipped, and 2% increased experience.

​

Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

This flask requires level four and gives 40% increased movement speed which helps speed up the leveling process. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Silver Flask

This flask gives Onslaught which increases your attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27. It can also have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Granite Flask

This flask will help you survive by giving 1500 armour and can have high increased armour as a second modifier. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

​

Leveling Gems

Summon Raging Spirit can be used at level 4 and above with Raise Zombie. Summon Carrion Golem can be added in at level 34. Make sure to pick up a Steelskin gem once you've reached level four and have 16 strength for a defensive guard skill. Dash also requires level four and should be used as your travel skill at early levels.

​

Upgrades

The Dying Breath staff can be upgraded to at level 13 for 18% increased damage for nearby allies and minions, 18% increased effect of auras, 18% increased cast speed, and 18% increased maximum mana. You can also upgrade to the Clayshaper mace at level 41 for added physical damage for your golems and an extra golem. The Carnage Heart amulet can be switched to at level 20 and gives up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. If your zombies need more life you can also use Aukuna's Will gloves at level 31 to increase the life of your zombies by 100% and make zombies summonable without corpses. Many of the items in the leveling section above last until the midgame where better items will become available.

​

That's all for the Golem Summoner Guide! For more about Path of Exile you can view the endgame guide here Endgame Guide.

​