[3.0] Lifting's Skele Mage, Zombie, Wicker Man & Vanguard SUMMONER - All Content "Viable"

If you have questions please, visit me at my Twitch Live Stream:

www.twitch.tv/Lifting_

For more Path of Exile guides, builds etc, please visit my YouTube:

www.youtube.com/LiftingNerdBro

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Disclaimer

1. Gameplay and video guide here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_orepJueqjA

More Modded Guardian & Shaper Gameplay:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXSpPMuRzJE


2. I do not reply to private messages, if you have any questions please post them in this thread or visit me at twitch (link above).

3. Summoners are some of the most complex types of builds to set up. If you are a brand-new player I do NOT recommend trying this until you have some basic understanding of the game or have a friend to ask for advice.

4. You can find the Path of Building Pastebin link below. To import it into PoB, click “Import/Export Build” and then “Import from Pastebin”.

5. Thanks to Ghazzy (the master of summoners) for enlightning me about the skeleton mage summon cap.

Pastebin link: https://pastebin.com/bGSwqGqb
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Strengths and Weaknesses of the build

Strengths:

- Can do all content (easily too, as long as you understand the fights) including Beachhead, Uber Izaro, Guardians, Shaper.

- Besides the 2x Dead Reckoning jewels the build is fairly budget friendly.

- Easy to level.

- Your minions work as effective meat shields, absorbing a lot of incoming damage.

- Decent clear speed in even the highest tier maps.

- This build gets 44% to all elemental resistances, from just the skill-tree and ascendancy alone.
This makes the gearing process much easier and cheaper.

- You can play this build regardless of whether you play in the hardcore or softcore league.

Weaknesses:

- Requires 2 Dead Reckoning Jewels. Price: 5-40c each (depending on league and time)

- The spectre system can be confusing to understand and very frustrating to play with. If you disconnect, your spectres disappear and you will have to re-summon them. This process isn’t for everyone – for good reason.

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Gem Setup

Skeleton setup: (weapon)

- Summon Skeleton, Lesser Multiple Projectiles, Pierce, Spell Echo, Minion Damage (5-link) & Empower level 3-4 (6-link).

Note: As an alternative to Empower you can instead use Elemental Focus (most damage no status ailments) or Controlled Destruction too. However, it can be hard to get the right color sockets for this.

Spectre setup: (chest)

- Raise Spectre, Elemental Focus, Minion Damage, Minion and Totem Elemental Resistance & Burning Damage (5-link) & Efficacy (6-link).

Note: if you get a good Unset ring for Convocation you can add in Efficacy as 6th link for your spectres.

Zombie & Anger: (2+ minion level, helmet)

- Raise Zombie, Minion Life, Anger & Generosity.

Note: Zombies are primarily just meat shields (Flesh Binder synergy), hence the no damage links.

Curse & Discipline

- Ball Lightning, Curse on Hit, Elemental Weakness & Discipline.

Note: The lightning damage from Ball Lightning procs Elemental Equilibrium, making the monsters take additional damage from any cold or fire source, but making them more resistant to lightning damage.

Utility 1: (Unset ring)

- Convocation

Note: If you cannot find a good unset ring I recommend simply adding convocation to your chest armour instead of Efficacy. This requires the armor to have a 5-link setup for the spectres but 6 total sockets to add in Convocation. This is what I did. The spectre damage will still be more than enough for any content.

Utility 2:

- Flesh Offering, Vaal Discipline, Vaal Haste & Increased Duration.

Note: When you need to desecrate corpses for spectres or for specific fights (Shaper, beachhead etc.) when you still want to be able to benefit from Flesh Offering you need to swap in desecrate instead of Vaal Haste.

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Spectres & How Yo Get Them

This build uses 1 Wicker Man and 3 Tukohama’s Vanguard spectres.

The Wicker Man deals fire damage around it, similar to how Righteous Fire work (although not technically) and when in melee range it attacks using Molten Strike. The Wicker Mans "RF" effect does not overlap if you have multiple of these spectres and for that reason, we only use 1.

The Tukohama’s Vanguard spectre use a regular melee attack but more importantly also places Scorching Ray totems. These totems deal a ton of damage against bosses. Just like the Scorching Ray ability these totems also reduce the fire resistance of their target by up to 24%, making any other incoming fire damage from skeletons and the wicker man deal more damage too.

To get these you need to do the following:

1. Go to the Coast in Act 6. Use Desecrate until you get 1 Tukohama’s Vanguard corpse and then use “Raise Spectre”.

2. Go to the Canals in Act 10. Use Desecrate until you get 1 Wicker Man and raise it as your spectre.

3. Now go into an appropriate level map (see the list of viable maps below) and use Desecrate to find 1 new Wicker Man and 3 new Tukohama’s Vanguard corpses and raise those as your new spectres. Make sure to override the ones you have from the lower level zones (Coast and Canals).

Note 1: To highlight and select the corpses on the ground hold down “A” (by default) on your keyboard, while aiming at the body.

Note 2: Before you enter maps you should of course not just get 1 of each spectre, but as many as you can. The 1 of each rule only holds true if you need to use Desecrate to get higher level versions in maps.

Note 3: It is important that for whatever map you decide to try and raise your spectres from that it does not have the "area is inhabited by animals/humans (or any kind)". If the map has that affix it will prevent you from raising the Wicker Man and Vanguard's.

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Important spectre info

Unless you spawn one of each spectre type (Wicker and Vanguard) before going into the map, you won’t be able to use desecrate to spawn the appropriate higher level corpses.

The level and power of the spectre are dependent on the level of the zone you spawn them in. However, spectres will always be downscaled to the level of the zone, that means there is no point in trying to get a level 83 (tier 16 map) spectre if you only intend to farm low-level maps, but for high-level content make sure to get level appropriate spectres.

Desecrate will depending on the level of the gem spawn corpses of a certain level. If you are in a level 75 zone and want level 75 minions you will need your Desecrate gem to be level 18+. I suggest that as soon as you reach level 68, that you buy a cheap level 19 Desecrate gem from poe.trade. A level 19 and/or 20 spawn the highest level corpses you can get (level 100).

Read more about desecrate here: https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Desecrate

Maps where both the Wicker Man & Tukohama’s Vanguard corpse can be "desecrated":

- Tier 4: Dungeon.
- Tier 7: Cells.
- Tier 9: Temple.
- Tier 11: Chateau.
- Tier 12: Residence, Crematorium & Necropolis.
- Tier 13: Scriptorium.
- Tier 14: Maze & Palace.
- Tier 15: Overgrown Ruins.
- Tier 16: Forge of the Phoenix & Lair of the Hydra.

Note: there are other low tier maps that work too but for simplicities sake, I have left them out.

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Skill-trees & Ascendancy classes

Ascendancy Class: The Necromancer

Ascendancy Points: Commander of Darkness --> Flesh Binder --> Soul Weaver --> Spirit Eater.

Note: Make sure that when you try to fix resistances for your build that you have Discipline activated as it together with Commander of Darkness will give you 20% to all elemental resistances, making it much easier to reach 75%.

Leveling skill-tree, 40 points:


Leveling skill-tree, 68 points:


Leveling skill-tree, 92 points:


Finished skill-tree, 116 points & Level 93:


Note: If you at any point need more Dexterity or Strength, simply pick up the 30+ notables in the skill-tree and spec out of them later when you are able to cover these requirements via gear.

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Pantheon Powers

Major Power:

Soul of Lunaris, physical mitigation, movement speed, but most importantly to be able to run the "chain" map mod, without too much risk.
Make sure to unlock the "Lycius, Midnight's Howl", by killing the tier 13 Lair map boss while having activated the map together with a Divine Vessel.

Minor Power:

Soul of Abberath, reduced fire damage taken while moving, but primarily due to the "unaffected by burning ground". This is very neat against the harbinger packs and the fire effect they leave on the ground. It also allows your energy shield to be left uninterrupted so that you can regen properly.
To get the upgrade and 10% movement speed on burning ground and 50% less ignite duration you have to complete the "Lord of the Ashen Arrow" by adding yet another divine flask into the map machine together with an Ashen Wood map and then kill the boss.

Note: it doesn't matter if it is a white, blue or yellow map in order to get the upgrades. You simply have to kill the boss with a divine vessel added alongside the map. Afterwards, you can pick up the "filled" vessel in the map machine and turn it in to Sin.

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Bandits

There are 2 viable choices.

1. Kill them all for 2 skill points.
2. Help Alira for 15% to all elemental resistances and 5 mps.

There is no right or wrong choice here. Both are good. Personally, I killed them all for the skill-points

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Leveling Tips

1. Level by using Summon Raging Spirits (SRS) until you can get yourself 2x Dead Reckoning jewels socketed into the tree and can summon at least 7 Skeleton Mages, in a 4-link (5-link if possible). From here on you can start to rely on just the skeletons and drop your SRS setup (or use both if you prefer).

Note 1: SRS links: Summon Raging Spirits, Melee Splash, Minion Damage

Note 2: Consider using the cheap “To Dust” Jewel to spawn skeletons faster until you get Spell Echo.

2. Once you have picked up the first 1,5% minion life regen node near the templar you should start using your Zombies, until then they die too easily between battles.

3. Get your Queen’s Escape sword at level 38 and get it 5-linked as soon as possible.

4. Don’t bother wasting your time summoning spectres until you get to Act 6 and can pick up your first Tukohama’s Vanguard. Early on your spectres won’t feel that impactful but that changes drastically as you continually progress.

5. After reaching level 55, try getting yourself a rare, high ES, 2+ to level of socketed minion gems helmet for your zombie setup.

6. Swap to Chaos Inoculation at level 69. You will want to have a minimum of 5000 ES (with Discipline active) after doing so. Minimum ES requirements for specific gear (while still being able to cap your resistances after killing Kitava in Act 10):

a. Helmet: 230 ES
b. Chest: 400 ES
c. Gloves: 120 ES
d. Ring: 40 ES
e. Amulet: 30 ES + 14%+ ES roll

These are just the minimum recommendations. For high-level content, you will want to get higher rolls. If you want, check my characters gear further down to get an impression of what I am talking about.

7. Once you get to tier 4+ maps start to look into spawning higher level spectres.

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Leveling a CI character

Leveling a CI (Chaos Inoculation) character can be a little harder than your typical life-based character simply due to the power of life flasks in the beginning and the accessibility of gear. It is however very doable - and it is what I did, in hardcore even. That said, you won’t be picking up CI until level 69, but until then a large part of your effective health pool (EHP) will be from energy shield. To do this safely:

- Early on get both LIFE and ENERGY SHIELD on your gear pieces (after changing to CI you won’t need life rolls anymore, only energy shield). You have a lot of energy shield nodes in the skill-tree unless you feed them some energy shield on your gear you won’t be able to take advantage of that (no scaling).

- Make good use of mitigation flasks such as the basalt and granite flask.
- Remember to use Discipline and Vaal discipline
- Before you swap to CI have 1-2 appropriate level life flasks, preferably with the “seething” or “bubbling” prefix for instant life on use.

Note: If you prefer you can additionally pick up many of the nearby life nodes in the skill-tree and spec out of them later, these include: Heart and Soul, Cruel Preparation, Discipline and Training, Purity of Flesh & Devotion. By picking up those you will have to respec 11 points. This is no big deal since these are easily covered by the various quest rewards that grant respec points in the game.

Cheap & Recommended Levelling Uniques

- Wanderlust
- Thousand Ribbons
- Crown of Thorns/Goldrim
- 1x Lifesprig (Place you SRS setup in one of these)
- Matua Tupuna (Place your Zombie setup here)
- Ascent from Flesh
- From Dust (swap this for a rare jewel later)

Note: at the start of the league you will obviously not have these items available from the beginning, and that is okay. These are just "extra".

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Threshold “guidelines”

Tier 1-6 maps:

- Level 69 and 5000+ Energy Shield & Chaos Inoculation
- 75% to all elemental resistances
- 4-linked Skeletons and Spectres

Tier 7-10 maps:

- 6800+ Energy Shield
- 75% to all elemental resistances
- 6 Ascendancy points
- 5-linked Skeletons

Tier 11-15 maps:

- 7500+ Energy Shield
- 75% to all elemental resistances
- 8 Ascendancy points
- 5-linked Spectres
- Ruby Flask (volatiles)

Guardians & Shaper:

- 8500+ Energy Shield
- 75% to all elemental resistances
- Level 83/Tier 16 Spectres
- Level 20 Skill-gems (especially Skeleton, Zombie & Discipline)
- Preferably 6-linked skeletons

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Gear & Rare Item Affixes

Look for these stats on your rare gear (in priority):

Important:

1. Energy Shield.
2. Elemental Resistances.

Not very important:

3. Strength & Dexterity (only if you need it to progress gem levelling).

My Current Gear:


Note: please ignore the currently socketed gems in the gear, refer to the "Gem Setups" section for accurate information.

Jewels:

Important:
- Minion Damage
- Energy Shield

Not very important:

- Minion Life
- Resistances (only if you have trouble capping at 75%)
- Strength/Dexterity (only if you need to progress gem levels)

Flasks:

- 1x Ample Ruby Flask of Staunching (volatile protection & bleed removal)
- 1x Chemist’s Granite Flask of Iron Skin (physical mitigation)
- 1x Chemist’s Basalt Flask of Heat (physical mitigation & freeze removal)
- 1x Ample Quartz Flask of Warding (removes aggro and curses on use and adds 10% dodge & spell dodge)
- 1x Experimenter’s Quicksilver Flask of Adrenaline (movement speed bonus)

Note: Have at least 1-2 life flasks before swapping to Chaos Inoculation.

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Unique items

Priority buy order: 2x Dead Reckoning --> Valyrium (if CI) --> Bones of Ullr --> Queen’s Escape.

Jewel: 2x Dead Reckoning



Ring: Valyrium



Boots: Bones of Ullr



Weapon: Queen’s Escape



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Don't forget to check out the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_orepJueqjA

#DoYouEvenNerd
Lifting

Reserved!

Oh and in case you notice anything missing, please let me know.

Best
Lifting

Does it matter if I put the Skeleton setup in a 6L chest instead?
Been leveling mine after I saw your video the other day, doing pretty well so far

Oh! The guy who convinced me to play this game!

Thank you for your "service" with the community, Lifting! Amazing build and guide!

Best regards!

Mate, thanks so much for this build. I started it already after your last video and its been a blast so far (lvl 65).

I got a 5-linked Queens Sword and trying to get the right colours. I'm using the bench with 'at least two blue Socket' to get it to the wright colours. Is there a better way?

Keep up the great nerding....

"

Schlachtviehh wrote:

Mate, thanks so much for this build. I started it already after your last video and its been a blast so far (lvl 65).

I got a 5-linked Queens Sword and trying to get the right colours. I'm using the bench with 'at least two blue Socket' to get it to the wright colours. Is there a better way?

Keep up the great nerding....

You are welcome man, glad it is working so far :)

1 blue or 2 blue is the way to go yea.

"

RenanLamante wrote:

Oh! The guy who convinced me to play this game!

Thank you for your "service" with the community, Lifting! Amazing build and guide!

Best regards!

You are most welcome! It is messages like this that makes it fun. Thanks!

"

kyle25 wrote:

Does it matter if I put the Skeleton setup in a 6L chest instead?
Been leveling mine after I saw your video the other day, doing pretty well so far

It doesn't matter no, however since the spectre setup primarily consists of blue gems it is easier to socket those into an ES (int) based armor.

The sword has dex (and strength) which makes it easier to get the green sockets.

But yea, besides colors it makes no difference :)

lvl 85 already since the first video, done t15 maps already without issues, thanks!

"

Hakurd wrote:

lvl 85 already since the first video, done t15 maps already without issues, thanks!

Yea it's super smooth, right? Good job, and you are welcome! :)