[2.0]Rathik's NEWBIE FRIENDLY FUN&CHEAP FARMER, DPS Summoner. High AOE DMG, SURVIVAL."The Matriarch"

Level 68 so far and farming Fellshrine/Ledge all day long to level up this damn Zombies.

Works good so far! Thumbs up!



Btw.: How much playtime to get zombies to level 20? Anyone knows?

There are some things I didn't like about this build when testing so I changed out some things. I used the recommended setup of Arc + Culling + IIR Gem + IIQ Gem but it was not reliable in getting the cull in solo play or in a party. The problem with Arc is that it is just too slow to cast to get reliable kills by culling so you have to remove IIR in favor of Faster Casting and lose out on Rarity or get cast speed itemization on gear along with IIQ/IIR which kind of kills the build for MF'ing. Yes, the free chain from Arc is nice but reliability on culling a kill is not so good because of just how slow Arc is.

I had immensely much better results from Flame Totem and Power Siphon. You need at least a 5L for Power Siphon to work and a decent Wanderer wand for some damage otherwise Power Siphon does abysmal damage but has much better culling than Arc or Flame totem. I tried linking Power Siphon + LMP + Chain + IIR Gem + IIQ Gem and had better results than Arc plus Power Siphon already has culling built in and the bonus graphical effect lets you know you 100% culled the enemy. The only problem is you would need a decent Wanderer wand to do any damage with Power Siphon otherwise you'd only use it to spray for a culling strike. The other option is to use a Flame Totem with a Heartbreaker to cull linking Flame Totem + LMP/GMP + Faster Casting + IIR Gem + IIQ Gem. Heartbreaker is not that expensive running only around 1-2 EX which is easily affordable by most players now. But if you play in a party or fight tougher enemies you will have to continuously monitor the totems HP and recast when needed to ensure you get the culling. I still found Flame Totem to be more reliable at culling than Arc + Culling gem as it is also why a majority of MF'ers out there use dual Flame Totem setup. In group play Power Siphon setup is still superior to Flame Totem, I couldn't get my Flame Totem culling strikes in because we had a Templar Wanderer in our group culling everything with GMP + Chain.

I didn't like the spectre setup linking Spectre + LMP + Chain + Life Leech combo so I changed it. Like this guide said that many summoners rely on certain spectres in certain areas to be a successful summoner but this spectre setup is flawed by linking LMP + Chain. You can't 100% reliably always get proper ranged spectres to use LMP + Chain making this setup near useless when there are only melee or AoE spectre summons available. I'd suggest if you're doing maps or need to pick up spectres you should pickup Undying Evangelist as they will shield you from outside damage. Undying Evangelist can be easily picked up in Merciless Upper Sceptre of God right next to the way point. Linking Spectre + Minion Damage + Minion Life + Life Leech is much more flexible in working with any spectre than the setup of LMP + Chain as it will be useless on non-ranged spectres in maps. Another idea is to try to get a helmet with +2 minions + IIR + IIQ + Resists or whatever stats you want. This will make your Spectre/Zombies/Skeletons much stronger when the gem hits level 20. I grabbed 3 Undying Evangelist from Cemetery 67 maps and they lasted nearly forever doing an MF session. Hopefully people know that a Spectre's scaling is based on where you summoned them. So if you go to a higher maps with higher level Undying Evangelists and then farm on a lower maps you're Evangelists would be nearly unstoppable.

Another thing I didn't like is how squishy the zombies are so I linked them doing Raise Zombie + Minion Life. I would recommend doing Raise Zombie + Minion Life + whatever else support gems you want. From the mechanics and from what I understand linking IIR and IIQ gems with Raise Zombies does not count your IIR and IIQ from gear. So basically if your zombies cull with IIR and IIQ 20/20 gems you'd basically get 67 IIR and 43 IIQ when the zombies kill anything. But isn't the point of wearing MF gear is to maximize your success of getting the culling strike to get GG loot? Otherwise what'd be the point of MF'ing if your zombies have poor IIR/IIQ? The other problem I ran into were the zombies are too squishy and die quickly to boss XYZ on maps leaving me with zero meat shields to protect me. The current zombie setup with IIR/IIQ in my opinion is a waste. Why bother to get minion instability if your zombies die so fast? A 20/20 Minion Life gem would provide 64% more life to zombies making them tankier and when they do die they do more damage with minion instability. I've been playing the summoner for a pretty long time too. When your zombie summons die and there are no bodies to summon with Raise Zombies there is nothing you can do except summon your Skeleton Totem and pray your Spectres don't die.

If I could re-do my build I think I would go with HP over CI to use Midnight Bargain to get more summons for faster clearing. All in all good guide but needs some tweaks here and there.

My current MF gear:
(Yes I am glass but "Danger is the price of wealth.")

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DoubleFuknCheese wrote:

Hey guys

This question might seem a bit noobish (becuase i am) but...

How do you level Ethernal Knives?

The leveling items does not have any dexterity?


Plz dont flame

Use amulet/rings with DEX and take DEX nodes on the skill tree.

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DigitalBeating wrote:

From the mechanics and from what I understand linking IIR and IIQ gems with Raise Zombies does not count your IIR and IIQ from gear. So basically if your zombies cull with IIR and IIQ 20/20 gems you'd basically get 67 IIR and 43 IIQ when the zombies kill anything.

Is there any truth to this? Any official word on if zombies cull it doesn't apply your IIR/IIQ? First time I've heard this claim...hope it isn't true. Your total IIR/IIQ is applied to every other spell you cast why would minions be different?

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DigitalBeating wrote:

If I could re-do my build I think I would go with HP over CI to use Midnight Bargain to get more summons for faster clearing.

I haven't tried using Arc without faster casting yet as i'm still focused on leveling...what you are saying about ARC being too slow does cause some concern but I really like the idea of using the 6L for zombies like the OP recommends so it's a tough decision. Even if what you say about IIR/IIQ & Culling on zombies is true...you could stack multistrike/melee splash/ faster attacks/minion damage & minion life in the 6L if you kept using Arc and worked on getting faster cast speed on some gear? I haven't tried using totems yet, but if you had 6L Zombies with that setup would you still feel urge to go HP over CI just to use Midnight Bargain? I ask because i'm still at the crossroads (lvl 57) on what to pick HP or CI, and i've been leaning towards CI.

**Edit**

I just went back and read the guide again, and it does cover the fact that Arc without faster casting is slow and in that case if you do not have a 6L it recommends to use Arc in the 5L with faster casting + culling/IIR/IIQ. I'm in Domination league till Feb.23rd so I don't even have access to IIQ gem until I get kicked to Standard. For now it'll just be arc/faster cast/culling/IIR in a 4L.

"

3).

5L Arc + faster casting + culling strike + IIR + IIQ
or
5L Arc + chain + culling strike + IIR + IIQ

Faster casting hits 3 monsters faster but chain hits 5 monsters slower.

Take your pick.

Pros
Instant culling 100% hit.
Can use any weapon.
Higher IIR/IIQ than setup 2.

Cons
Not that expensive, 5L are not that rare.
You can cull all rares/bosses, some magic monsters, hardly any normal monsters.
Zombies can not cull normal monsters.
You constantly need to cast arc.

How can I equip four auras?

Been using this build in the nemesis week race so far, doing Ok i guess. im about rank 130 at this time and i didnt ploay as much as many others anyway im in merciless act 3 at lvl 58 and i feel like my zombies are abit slow at clearing but i dont have multistrike etc and im only using a 4L, i just equipped aurumvorax so i could get resist and run hatred instead of purity and also im not using a dps skill other than detonate dead cus i dont have the slots and only have limited currency sinces its the 1 week. for now im just going to farm city of sarn then maybe make my way though act 3 when i get to like 60-62

Anyway heres my current gear


When should i move on to piety? and how can i clear faster?

I am confused. This is labeled a newbie friendly guide but the only leveling part of the guide is specifically labeled as Not Newbie Friendly.

Is there a newbie friendly leveling guide that keeps you on track enough so you can easily repec into the final build?

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DeathLogicX wrote:

"

DigitalBeating wrote:

From the mechanics and from what I understand linking IIR and IIQ gems with Raise Zombies does not count your IIR and IIQ from gear. So basically if your zombies cull with IIR and IIQ 20/20 gems you'd basically get 67 IIR and 43 IIQ when the zombies kill anything.

Is there any truth to this? Any official word on if zombies cull it doesn't apply your IIR/IIQ? First time I've heard this claim...hope it isn't true. Your total IIR/IIQ is applied to every other spell you cast why would minions be different?

[/quote]

The following is official reply from :
http://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/44493

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Mark_GGG wrote:

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BigBadWolf1776 wrote:

GGG says that 200% iir is what i get for killing rares with my little wand, but if minions kill anything, they get my 200% iir plus their own little gem-bound 50% iir, total of whooping 250% iir.

It's the other way around, actually. Kills by your minions count as kills by you, so have your IIQ/IIR from gear applied (this is also why you get flask charges). But if the minions have the IIQ/IIR supports on them, then their hits apply extra IIQ/IIR to the monster at the point their hit, for that hit, hence a monster killed by your minion has the 50% IIR from the support (because it was killed by a hit from the minion, which applies this), and 200% IIR from your gear (because it counts as your kill).

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BigBadWolf1776 wrote:

In reality it looks like minions get only their own 50% from the gem, and the IIR on equipped gear has no effect on any of the summoned creatures.

This is not correct, and I cannot reproduce such a disparity. The only conclusion I can reach is you've been unlucky.

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BigBadWolf1776 wrote:

PS. Necromantic Aegis passive that takes all perks from the shield and applies those perks to minions - if equipped shield contributes 20/200 iir - how will minion iir change?

This is the situation brought up in this thread - as I explained , the reason the supports on minions add to your IIQ/IIR from gear is because the supports make any damage fromt he supported skill (in this case the minions) apply extra IIQ/IIR on hit. Then because the kill is assigned to you, your IIQ/IIR is used, and that's what the extra adds to.
Because the kill is assigned to you rather than your minons, the minion's IIQ/IIR from gear is not used.
The minion system was not built to handle minions getting gear IIQ/IIR, and this is usually impossible - Necromantic Aegis being the only way to do it. We don't have a solution to this yet.

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digital0verdose wrote:

I am confused. This is labeled a newbie friendly guide but the only leveling part of the guide is specifically labeled as Not Newbie Friendly.

Is there a newbie friendly leveling guide that keeps you on track enough so you can easily repec into the final build?

This confused me too. I am lvl 41 in a2c now and leveling mostly solo and doing really fine. Just follow the "Leveling -> Life DPS build -> CI transition" part when it comes to early lvl equipment and stick to it. EK+Hatred hits now with 360dps which is OK.

Ok first thank you for this guide Rathik!

I got my DPS equip a bit too late and skipped the whole EK part since I have Sidhebreath, Boots of Ullr and Queens Decree and reached most Minion nodes already (Lvl 42), so my minions can actually do something. But I keep partying for bosses like Dominus.

I will be farming until I can equip a good armor and then switch to CI and MF. But I have some questions:

1)

Your estimation of the IIQ vs IIR is quite strange - just by the fact IIQ is more rare, that doesn't mean it's more valuable in terms of getting MF, is it?

I mean 100% increased IIQ gives me 100% more rares.
100% increased IIR gives me 100% more rares, too.
So in general, wouldn't it be more logic just to add both of the values?

So a 20% IIQ and 30% IIR item would be worse than a 10% IIQ and 50% IIR one imo.

2)

Would you recommend any other mix classes' Chest or Shield for this build? I'm asking because it's so damn hard to get enough red sockets for the zombies in a blue 5 or 6L Witch chest... I mean you need like 2-3 red, 1 green and 1-2 blue sockets.

3)

Reaper's Pursuit! I mean that axe is cool but it's equivalent to a Lvl 6 Item Rarity on your minions - so once IR hits Lvl 7, you basically lose MF if you cull stuff with the axe. As far as I read, minions get your IIR/IIQ, so I guess it would be more clever just to equip this and let your minions do the culling? In that case you could also take a Wheel of the Stormsail which gives you the bonus of equipping a one-handed weapon, too. What do you say?

4)

Culling in general. As soon as your minions get IR/IQ, they will have a higher MF chance on culling than you. So from this point on, player culling in general will be useless, will it?

Again, thanks for your comprehensive guide! :)

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digital0verdose wrote:

I am confused. This is labeled a newbie friendly guide but the only leveling part of the guide is specifically labeled as Not Newbie Friendly.

Is there a newbie friendly leveling guide that keeps you on track enough so you can easily repec into the final build?

The guide you refer to is a power leveling guide, it's meant for leveling in general, not specifically this build. Spoken generally, with any build you can go straight for Life nodes with your first 18 passives and after that you start skilling your end game setup*. Once your defensive concept is running (CI in this case with a huge ES), you can respec the 18 first nodes. Very simple actually. :P

* end game setup = the level you are aiming at, should be 70-85.