Important Tree Nodes

The best ascendancy order is Commander of Darkness, Mindless Aggression, Bone Barrier, and Mistress of Sacrifice. The Unending Hunger jewel should be used in the blue circle above to give your spectres a 50% chance to gain Soul Eater on kill which can majorly increase their attack speed and cast speed. You should take some of the Minion Defense Masteries to help keep your spectres alive for the most difficult fights in the game. They should have no problem surviving with Minion Defense Masteries and optionally the Convocation skill which is a skill that heals your minions. The Reservation Mastery is important for increased mana reservation efficiency which allows you to use the recommended reservation skills. Make sure and take all of the nearby minion damage nodes except the minion critical strike chance cluster and take plenty of the nearby life percent nodes 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 Commander of Darkness ascendancy gives 3% increased attack and cast speed for each aura skill, 30% increased damage, and makes raising your and your allies' elemental resistances much easier by giving 30% increased elemental resistances. With the Bone Barrier ascendancy you will also have 10% physical damage reduction, 1% of damage dealt by your minions leeched to you as life, and your minions will have 40% of maximum life as extra maximum energy shield. The Mistress of Sacrifice ascendancy is also used to make your Offering skills apply to you with 50% reduced effect. This build has an army of minions that can take the damage for you with the strong defensive benefit of using a one handed weapon with a shield.

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Gems

 

Weapon (3-link)

Conductivity

Empower Support

Flame Dash

 

Shield (3-link)

Steelskin

Empower Support

Desecrate

 

Armour (6-link)

Raise Spectre

Awakened Minion Damage Support

Awakened Spell Echo Support

Feeding Frenzy

Pierce Support

Returning Projectiles Support

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

 

Helmet (4-abyssal sockets)

4x Ghastly Eye Abyss Jewels

 

Gloves (4-link)

Bone Offering

Convocation

Empower Support

More Duration Support

 

Boots (4-link)

Grace

Wrath

Defiance Banner

Enlighten Support

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Reservation Skills

Grace is the best defensive aura for this build and gives very high evasion. Wrath is the best offensive aura for Wretched Defiler spectres because it adds high lightning damage to their spells. Wrath 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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Gems Notes​

1. Steelskin is the best 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. The Wretched Defiler is a new caster Spectre that was added to the game in 3.24 that's great for clearing damage. You can find the Wretched Defiler Spectres from another player or you can raise them in the fairly new tier 17 maps.

3. This build only uses Spectres as minions because the new Wraithlord helmet allows you to summon four more Spectres at the cost of only being able to use Spectres as your minions.

4. Convocation recalls your minions to your current location which is important for this minion build and it gives your Spectre minions a huge amount of life regeneration which helps keep them alive in tough fights.

5. Desecrate creates corpses that can be used to resummon your saved Spectres which makes it easier to resummon them.

6. Bone Offering gives your spectres a high increased chance to block attacks and spells which greatly improves their survival. Bone Offering also serves to increase your block chances with the Mistress of Sacrifice ascendancy.

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Equipment

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Weapon

Rare Wand

Look for +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 and cast speed, and optionally add minions have a chance to deal double damage at the crafting bench.

 

Shield

Rare Minion Shield

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

 

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 should also eventually look for a The Covenant with a +2 to level of socketed minion gems corruption once you can afford it.

 

Helmet

Wraithlord

Look for the new Wraithlord helmet which has four abyssal sockets, +1 to maximum number of spectres per Ghastly Eye jewel socketed in it, +2 to level of all minion skill gems, and you cannot have non-spectre minions.

 

Belt

Darkness Enthroned

Has two abyssal sockets and gives socketed abyssal jewels up to 100% increased effect. Two abyssal sockets allow you to socket Darkness Enthroned with two Ghastly Eye jewels with high life and increased minion damage with twice the effect.

Ghastly Eye Abyss Jewels

Look for life, energy shield, increased minion attack/cast speed, and minions have added lightning damage. One of your Ghastly Eye jewels should also have up to a 50% chance to avoid Ignite which can give you Ignite immunity.

 

Gloves

Rare Gloves

Look for increased minion damage, life, dexterity, resistances, and if you can afford it +2 to level of socketed minion gems. You should also use Eldritch Embers and Eldritch Ichors to roll increased minion damage and chance to suppress spell damage. You can also craft these gloves from gloves with a +2 to level of socketed minion gems fracture (a premanent golden modifier) by using Deafening Essences of Fear which guarantees increased minion damage until you get nice modifiers.

 

Boots

Rare Boots

Look for high life, +1 to level of all Raise Spectre gems, optionally strength or dexterity, resistances, and movement speed.

 

Amulet

Aul's Uprising

Aul's Uprising gives high life, attributes, increased global defenses, and a reservation free level 15 Envy aura which gives added chaos damage to your minions. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on the amulet to increase its life bonus.

Rare Amulet (budget)

The budget option can have increased minion damage, high life, energy shield, increased attributes, and resistances.

 

Rings

Rare Minion Damage Rings

Look for rings with high life, strength or dexterity, increased minion damage, optionally increased minion attack and cast speed, and resistances. You should also use Fertile Catalysts on both of your rings to increase their life bonuses.

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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, increases your block chance by 12%, and gives 6% spell block. The legacy version is better and gives 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 higher evasion. You should also use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever it has full charges.

Quartz Flask 

Gives Phasing and 10% spell suppression. You should roll Bleeding and Corrupted Blood immunity during effect and use Instilling Orbs on the flask until you automatically use the flask whenever you're Bleeding.

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Anointment

You should anoint your amulet with Death Attunement at Cassia for +1 to maximum number of Skeletons, +1 to maximum number of Spectres, and +1 to maximum number of Zombies using a Clear Oil, Silver Oil, and Crimson Oil.

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Enchants (Standard Only)

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

Feet: Regenerate 2% of Life per Second

Note: The Commandment of the Grave enchantment doesn't work on this build because you can only have Spectre minions.

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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

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

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Armour

Tabula Rasa

Tabula Rasa is a great offensive level one chest armour that has six white linked sockets which allows you to link any color skill and support 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

This great level one resistance helmet gives up to 40% to all 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 a Power, Endurance, or Frenzy charge on kill.

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Boots

Wondertrap

These boots only 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 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% more 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

This flask gives Onslaught which gives increased attack speed, cast speed, and movement speed as early as level 27 and it can have increased movement speed as a second modifier. You should also 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 have 1500 armour and 60% increased armour as a second modifier. The legacy version is better and can have higher armour. You should also use Instilling Orbs 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 it can be used as early as level 10 for increased critical strike chance and accuracy. Vitality is the best defensive aura for leveling by far and it can also be used as early as level 10. Raise Spectre is your endgame skill and should be added in at level 28. Make sure and 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 to The Dying Breath staff at level 13 for 18% increased damage to nearby allies and minions, 18% increased effect of auras, 18% increased cast speed, 18% increased maximum mana, and 18% increased effect of your curses. 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 upgrade to two Praxis rings at level 22 to lower the mana cost of your skills by 16 which allows you to use utility flasks in the place of mana flasks. If your Zombies have trouble surviving you can also use the Aukuna's Will gloves at level 31 to give your Raise Zombies 100% increased life and it has the added bonus of making your Zombies summonable without corpses. Many of the items in the leveling section above last all the way to the midgame where better items will become available.

 

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!​