question regarding flame golem

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1453R wrote:

Only way to get a guaranteed 'Firm Knowledge' answer is to post the question in the Mechanics thread. Elsewise the best you get is people familiar with how the game usually works doing their best.

The Essence of Horror helmet mod reads "Socketed Gems deal 30% more Elemental Damage"

The Minions article reads "Minion damage is affected by Minion Damage passive skills, some unique items, support gems linked to the minion skill gem, auras and Necromantic Aegis."

Essence of Horror's helmet modifier is not a Minion Damage passive skill, a unique item (most of which specifically state 'Minions Gain' or 'Minions Have', or otherwise specifically and explicitly reference minions), a support gem linked to the minion skill, an aura, or a shield effect granted to minions by Necromantic Aegis.

While the wiki can be, and has in the past been, incorrect, it's usually a pretty decent source of information. In this case my gut is telling me that Essence of Horror is increasing the elemental damage of the Summon Flame Golem and Raise Spectre spells; since those spells deal no damage, Horror's effect is worthless, and since the actual golem or spectre entity created by the skill is not "a socketed gem", Horror doesn't affect them, similarly to how socketing a minion in a weapon with flat damage in it does not add that flat damage to the minion skill.

I could very well be mistaken, but a strict reading of the effects of Horror and the rules regarding minions suggests to me that a better idea would be to use a Shaped/Elder helm with integrated supports. You can get Elder helms that support socketed gems with both Minion Life and Minion Damage; my brother used this trick to get two 6L and one 5L minion skills on his club-and-shield summoner (6L Vis Mortis for Spectres, pseudo-6L Elder helm for Zombies, 5L Hungry Loop for Flame Golems).

As for Flame Golem's skills? Flame Golem is by far the most popular attacking golem because all of its skills scale more or less the same way. Fire and Spell damage are universal; its flame wave and magma ball are AoE, its Incinerate Lite and Magma Ball are projectile. Scale minion damage, fire/elemental damage, and spell damage. Conc. Effect would improve magma ball and flame wave, but not Incinerate Lite. Minion Damage, Controlled Destruction, Elemental Focus, and Spell Echo would all amplify all three abilities.

Added Fire Damage, the support gem, does nothing for Flame golems because Flame golems deal zero base physical damage - their damage starts as fire damage and never had a physical component for AFD to add fire damage from. Flat fire damage such as from Immolate will work however, as will flat fire damage for minions from Ghastly Eye Abyss jewels, and would again benefit all of the golem's abilities to whatever extent its inherent damage effectiveness for its skills would allow.

Is that a workable start for you?

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zagibu wrote:

The reason why the helmet enchant doesn't work is pretty logical, since the Summon Fire Golem skill doesn't do damage, it just summons a minion.