[0.10.1] HC Necro-Witch Guide | How to survive and progress as a pure summoner.

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is fireball good to use?

im using it as a dps filler between summoning my skele's and zombies.... currently 24 tho.

what level/part of the game would b suggested to stop using it?

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darla wrote:

Same/similar build but easier leveling route

Frist 47 points = get your minion armies

For the early 47 point game, it's the easiest part to stay alive.
So I would use the shortest route to get all the minion armies ready in early game.
Since normal act 2, all I need to do is to stay behind and summon; maybe some fire storms under super safe situation; so I barely get hit or targeted.

Picking up life passive is good, but not for the beginning, because we have less life with low level gears, so life passive won't be significantly helpful.
When you only hv around 300 hp with low level gears in Normal, an 8% life passive only gives 24 hp, which won't help much.

Instead, in early game survivability, I will use all hp/mana/resistance gears.
Because 1) all my main dmg is from minions 2) fire storm won't scale good with spell power.


60 refund back to 55+ points = Adding hp and finish circle then refunds first 5-6 points.

Since we already have minion army tanking/killing, and also stack hp gears, it's pretty safe to improve the route by making a circle then refund the very first 5-6 points. (you should have 6+ free refund points by now)

Now it's the best time to add HP passive because the 8% life passive starts getting significant after we stack HP gears.

After refund, it's 55 points Back to the topic build
I only refund 5 points and keep 10% spell dmg passive.

From now on, we are pretty much back to the topic's build route. You can keep adding hp passive or going for curses depends on your style.

In short, getting a minion army killing/tanking will have most fun in early games, because your minion is strongest tanking/killing in Normal/ you barely get hit or targeted/ super safe.

Con: It is a bit bored... Since the very beginning, you are safe staying behind and let your minions do all the work for ya.

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SpencerRelly wrote:

I understand your logic, but not getting hp nodes for 40+ levels is borderline suicidal for hardcore. If you're relying on mediocre (at this stage very mediocre) summons as your only line of defense you are leaving a whole lot to chance. Get hit by a random extra damage goat or rhoa and it's game over. I think it's much safer to go a standard freeze pulse build stacking hp up until merciless. Freeze pulse is very strong early game, especially with LMP. I would not recommend this for hardcore. If you're in default, knock yourself out.

Edit: And you're forgetting about chaos damage. That's something you can't just get behind your summons to avoid. Act 3 sewers is going to be hell with 0 life nodes. Somethink to think about.

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Well, it's total diff level style.

Give the fact that your main dmg is to cast aggressive spells in your 40+ points level route, then you might use spell dmg/ mana regen/ elemental dmg/ cast speed/ other offensive stats from your gears. As a result, in your 40+ points HC leveling path, you will have less HP from gears, cast more aggressive spell in fact to fact fight, and pull more threat of boss/range mobs.

What's your chance to avoid a single hit in a boss fight?


In my level path, I did spend some free refund points, but I can only focus HP/resistance gears, ignoring spell dmg/other stats.
I don't think my build have much less hp:P even without life passive in early game.
Every piece of gears gives around 50+ max life in normal act 3, Chao dmg is a cake if you have good enough hp gears.


Also, in most fight, I barely get hit/targeted, and in some fights I even barely see the bosses, even though my HP can take a few hits from the boss.

Of course, if you worry hp that much even staying behind, we can always pick up some significant life passive along the early minion path.(Divine toughness and Fitness is along the path)


The key points is that using minion army leveling is actually safer than using FP only, because you can avoid the direct fight, avoid pull threat/being targeted, heavily gear up defensively, and have 20+ tanks.

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Just a question, is Leadership not necessary to extend the effect of your auras to all your minions?

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CribLizer wrote:

My mind is blown.
Your build and the way you think is almost 1:1 to mine.

My build

Spoiler

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAB2MI9Ax9EH8QlxFQFLAWbxmFGmwc3CQ8JKonCyepKPoqmDGINuk5UjowOuE74UGHRARGcUjnSVFNuU5tVcZXK1gHWm1akWKsaqxr220Zc1N5A3q4fIN9GH5Zf8aCHoLHhWCIQIt6j0aQM5MnlSCboZ2uoW2io6ZXpqynCKcrp1yofarErJiuk7QMtz64k7w3vJ-_l8BUwfPGnsauyT3MvM36z2XQ0NP71BnWndkL2t3bC-L342rjn-aB52Pr7uyK8XbyHvJF99f6gPsJ_gr-SQ==

My gear

Spoiler

Some differences:
I'm using tripleres weapon (but if I understood right you are also looking for one)
I'm using molten shell instead of enduring cry as defensive ability
I'm using the summoner neck
I'm using only 2 curses and they are both defensive: enfeeble and temporal chains

I'm lv84 myself and I did my first lv77 map yesterday with little to no problems.
You didn't mention if you are playing solo or in group so I guess you are playing solo.
I have been doing most of my maps in group but could I solo them? Absolutely.
After my zombies reached lv18 (lv20 with my +2 minion helmet) and after I started using vitality aura, they just don't die, ever.

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SpencerRelly wrote:

As to your first part, the only piece of gear I used leveling up that had damage stats was my wand. I didn't even use a spirit shield past 34. Apart from my wand, health and resistances were the only priority on every single piece.

Just out of curiosity how far into the content have you made it? Are you playing hardcore? Have you tried this leveling path? I looked up your name @ poestatistics and it didn't return anything, so I am a little curious. If the way you are playing is working for you, that's great. I personally do not think it would be feasible in hardcore, but hey maybe I'm wrong. What if you desync? What if you get shock stacked? With such a low health pool you're leaving a lot to chance. That's all I'm saying. You say you don't think the health passives do much, but I would disagree.