Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Liege of the Primordial, Bastion of Elements, Shaper of Storms, and Shaper of Winter. You should use The Anima Stone (the legacy version is better), Primordial Might, Primordial Eminence, and Primordial Harmony jewels for increased golem damage. The Reservation Mastery should also be taken for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. The Elementalist ascendancy has less minion defenses when compared to the Necromancer ascendancy so you should also take multiple of the minion defense nodes to help your minions survive. Try and take all of the nearby minion damage nodes and plenty of the nearby life percent nodes on the tree for survival. Note: The build ratings and skill tree have been updated for the new season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The Bastion of Elements ascendancy gives level 20 Primal Aegis which is a very strong elemental absorb shield. With the Shaper of Winter ascendancy enemies are chilled and the damage of enemies is reduced by half of your chill effect. This build also has an army of melee minions to take the damage for you with the defensive advantage of using a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Raise Spectre​

Feeding Frenzy Support

Minion Life Support

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Shield (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Flesh Offering

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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

Note: Awakened gems can be replaced with the normal support gems for seasonal play.

 

Helmet (4-link)

Hatred

Summon Skitterbots

Flesh and Stone

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Vaal Summon Skeletons

Summon Lightning Golem of Hordes

Awakened Minion Damage Support

Culling Strike Support (can be switched to Desecrate if you need to summon saved spectres)

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Boots (4-link)

Raise Zombie

Awakened Melee Physical Damage Support

Summon Phantasm Support

Empower Support

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Ring (1 Socket)

Despair

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Reservation Skills

A defensive aura isn't recommended on this high life and high energy shield minion build. You should use the offensive Hatred aura to cause your physical minions to deal physical damage as extra cold damage. Summon Skitterbots can apply Shock & Despair with the Profane Proxy unique ring. The recommended Aul's Uprising amulet also gives free level 15 Envy which gives minions high added chaos damage. Flesh and Stone can be used to increase nearby enemies damage taken in Blood Stance or it can make you take reduced damage in Sand Stance. Flesh and Stone 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.

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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 armour 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 to the attacks and spells of your minions.

3. Flesh Offering should be cast on corpses to increase your minions' attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed.

4. Desecrate can be switched to to spawn corpses of enemies in the area that you have killed and corpses of your most recent spectres. For your Desecrate spectres you should look for an Arena Master which can be found in Drox maps and Redemption Knights which can be found in Veritania maps. The Arena Master gives increased damage, attack speed, and movement speed to your minions and Redemption Knights have high damage and a large life pool.

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Rare Convoking Wand

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

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Shield

Rare Minion Shield

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

 

Armour

The Covenant

This is the higher damage option that gives level 29 Added Chaos Damage Support, 10% life, up to 30 intelligence, and skills gain a life cost equal to base mana cost. You should also look for a +2 to level of socketed minion gems or +1 to level of socketed gems corruption for much higher damage once you can afford it.

The Queen's Hunger

This armour is a defensive option that can have more than 500 energy shield, 10% increased life, two veiled modifiers, offering skills also apply to your character which improves your defenses, and it triggers a level 20 Offering skill every 5 seconds. 

 

Helmet

Rare Minion Helmet

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

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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 two more strong minion modifiers.

Stygian Vise

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

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

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

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 to add increased minion damage until you get a tier one life roll on the gloves with nice modifiers.

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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 also purchase a +2 to level of socketed minion gems fracture to craft them.

 

Amulet

Aul's Uprising

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

Rare Amulet

The budget amulet 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 also use Prismatic Catalysts on the ring to increase its resistances.

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 Fertile Catalysts on the ring to increase its life bonus.

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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.

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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 60% increased evasion as a second modifier. Legacy Jade Flasks can have even more 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're Bleeding.

 

Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with the Golem Commander anointment for +1 to number of golems and 40% increased effect of buffs granted by your golems at Cassia using an Azure Oil, Silver Oil, and Golden Oil.

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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

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Bandits

The best bandit to help in Act 2 is Alira because she gives 15% to all elemental resistances which allows you to focus more on damage from your equipment. If you don't need the resistances you can also kill all three bandits for 1 passive skill point.

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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.

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Leveling Gear

 

Weapon

The Blood Thorn

A great level one staff with a 30% chance to block that casts the Vulnerability curse when you block damage.

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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 which gives 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.

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Helmet

Goldrim

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

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These excellent 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.

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Boots

Wondertrap

These boots require level nine and give up to 30 strength, 30 dexterity, 30 intelligence, and 25% movement speed.

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Amulet

Sidhebreath

This level one amulet gives 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.

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Rings

Perandus Signets

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

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Flasks

Quicksilver Flask

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

Silver 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 (legacy is better)

This flask can give 1500 armour and 60% increased armour as a second modifier. The legacy version can have higher armour. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

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Leveling Gems

Summon Raging Spirit can be used at level 4 with Raise Zombie. Precision is the best offensive low level aura and can be used once you reach level 10 for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. Summon Carrion Golem should 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 can be used as your travel skill early on in the game.

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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 they make Zombies summonable without corpses. Many of the items in the leveling section above last until the midgame where better items will become available.

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That's all for this PoE guide! You can view more Path of Exile guides in the menu at the top of this page. Best of luck!