Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Commander of Darkness, Mindless Aggression, Unnatural Strength, and Bone Barrier. The Reservation Mastery is important for increased mana reservation efficiency so that you can use the recommended reservation skills. Some of the reduced mana cost nodes are also very important for the high mana cost of the build. Try and take all of the nearby minion offensive nodes except the minion critical strike chance cluster and take a healthy amount of the nearby life percent nodes for survival. Note: The skill tree and build ratings have been updated for the new season (3.28).

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Defensive Layers

The Commander of Darkness ascendancy gives 30% increased elemental resistances to you and your allies, 30% increased damage, and 3% increased attack and cast speed for each aura skill affecting you. The Bone Barrier ascendancy gives 10% physical damage reduction, 1% of damage dealt by minions leeched to you, and minions have 40% of maximum life added as extra maximum energy shield. This build has minions to take the damage for you with the added benefit of using a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (6-link)

Summon Carrion Golem

Summon Lightning Golem of Hordes

Awakened Minion Damage Support

Awakened Added Chaos Damage Support

Chance To Poison Support (replace with Minion Speed Support once you have a 100% poison chance from abyss jewels)

Culling Strike Support

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

 

Armour (7-link)

Mirror Arrow of Bombarding Clones

Blink Arrow of Prismatic Clones

Chance To Poison Support (use Awakened Void Manipulation once you have a 100% poison chance from abyss jewels)

Awakened Minion Damage Support

Awakened Vicious Projectiles Support

Awakened Unbound Ailment Support

Added Chaos Damage (from the recommended The Covenant body armour)

 

Helmet (4-link)

Grace

Haste

Summon Skitterbots

Enlighten Support

 

Gloves (4-link)

Raise Zombie

Summon Phantasm Support

Flesh Offering

Empower Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Raise Spectre

Feeding Frenzy

Steelskin

Empower Support

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Ring (1 Socket)

Despair

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives high evasion. Vaal Haste is the best offensive aura for this minion build because it gives high increased attack speed and movement speed. Summon Skitterbots should be used to apply Shock and Despair with the Profane Proxy unique ring. Level 15 Envy has a free reservation with the recommended Aul's Uprising amulet for added chaos damage. Haste should be used once you have the increased mana reservation efficiency from the Reservation Mastery, the Charisma anointment, 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. Poison is the best way to scale your damage with a large army of minions and poison damage makes Mirror Arrow of Bombarding Clones and Blink Arrow of Prismatic Clones deal very high damage on single target fights.

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

4. You should use an Arena Master Spectre which is found in Drox influenced maps to increase all of your minions' damage.

5. Summon Lightning Golem of Hordes increases the number of golems you can summon by two and each Lightning Golem provides a temporary aura that gives added lightning damage for your minions' attacks and spells.​

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Equipment

 

Weapon

Darkscorn

Gives 25% of physical damage converted to chaos damage, 25% of physical damage taken from hits taken as chaos damage, and a 20% chance for poisons inflicted with this weapon to deal 300% more damage.

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Quiver

Rare Quiver

Look for high life, attack speed, increased damage with bow skills, increased damage over time multiplier with attack skills, and increased chaos damage over time multiplier with attack skills which can be added with a Hunter's Exalted Orb.

 

Armour

The Covenant

Gives socketed gems are supported by level 29 Added Chaos Damage, 30 intelligence, 10% increased life, and skills gain a base life cost equal to 100% of base mana cost. The life cost isn't noticeable once you have a large enough life pool. You can also eventually look for a The Covenant with a +2 to socketed minion gems corruption once you can afford it.

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Helmet

Rare Helmet

Look for +2 to level of all minion skill gems, high life, and resistances. These modifiers can go on a Bone Helmet for a 20% increased minion damage implicit (the modifier above the line on an item) or an energy shield helmet. Legacy Bone Helmets in Standard are an even better option because they 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 Ghastly Eye abyss jewels in it with minions have a 15% chance to poison enemies which gives a 60% chance for minions to poison enemies. You should get another 40% with Ghastly Eye abyss jewels in the skill tree or Chance To Poison Support as a budget option.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for gloves with increased minion damage, life, resistances, and +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 a +2 to level of socketed minion gems fracture (permanent golden modifier) and use Deafening Essences of Fear for up to a 30% increased minion damage modifier until you get a tier one life roll with other nice modifiers.

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Boots

Rare Boots

Look for +2 to level of socketed minion gems, high life, dexterity, resistances, increased movement speed, and optionally spell suppression. You should use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll a chance to avoid elemental ailments and a chance to avoid being Ignited which helps maintain energy shield.

Note: You can optionally purchase a +2 to level of socketed minion gems fracture and roll Deafening Essences of Envy to guarantee chaos resistance on the boots until you get an excellent pair of boots.

 

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 the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Rare Amulet

This budget amulet option can be used for high attributes, high life, increased minion damage, energy shield, and resistances.

 

Rings

Profane Proxy

This ring makes Summon Skitterbots apply the socketed curse which will be Despair, has up to 30% increased cold and lightning resistances, and gives +3 to the level of the socketed curse gem. You should use Prismatic Catalysts on the ring to increase its resistances.

Rare Ring

Look for high life, dexterity, increased minion damage, 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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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 even 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're Bleeding.

 

Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Charisma for 16% increased mana reservation efficiency and 6% increased effect of non-curse auras at Cassia using an Opalescent Oil, Golden 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 because it 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

Lifesprigs

You can use two level one Lifesprigs which each give 40% increased spell damage, +1 to level of socketed spell gems, increased cast speed, life, mana, and life regeneration.

Silverbranch

This bow can be used when you switch to Mirror Arrow of Bombarding Clones and Blink Arrow of Prismatic Clones. It has high damage for its level, +1 to level of socketed bow gems, increased attack speed, accuracy, and mana on kill.

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

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

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Helmet

Goldrim

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

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Gloves

Lochtonial Caress

These great 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 can be used at level nine and give high strength, dexterity, intelligence, and movement speed for their level.

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Amulet

Sidhebreath

This level one amulet makes minions deal 35-65 added cold damage, converts 50% of minions' physical damage to cold damage, gives 15% increased minion life, and makes 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 can be used at level four for 40% increased movement speed and can 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.

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 (legacy is better)

Gives 1500 armour and can have 60% increased armour as a second modifier. The legacy version is better and can have much 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 an early level with Raise Zombie. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and can be used as early as level 10. You can switch to Mirror Arrow of Bombarding Clones and Blink Arrow of Prismatic Clones at level 10. 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 at early levels.

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Upgrades

You can upgrade your bow to Roth's Reach once you are level 18. The Carnage Heart amulet can be equipped as early as level 20 for up to 56 to all attributes and 20% increased elemental resistances. You can also upgrade to two Praxis rings to reduce the mana cost of your skills by up to 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way 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!​