Yet another summoner build (2 curses, 2-3 auras) Leveling guide

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You can start use summoner gems from first town, when you get raise zombie gem. But you should not disable fireball before your zombies get regen nodes. Or use any other skill for leveling.

Level 36-37 build (43 passive point). Build around Dominus on normal.

Focused on number of zombies\skeletons and it's hp. Main goal for solo play - minion instability and hex master. You not actually need points in hp\shield on normal difficult. Just change gear prefer with +hp when you have survivability problems and use hp\resists rings. Minion instability from skeletons become main dps on bosses if you can't stay on one place and cast. Hex master allows you cast curse once and then concentrate on dps, minions. I take +40 hp from Oak, because not use Chaos inoculation this time. Kill him for passive point if you plan to use CI.

59 points build. Around level 48-50. Start act 3, cruel.

We get double curse, then get Grave expectations minion cluster on the left, and then all other minion. You not need double spectres until you get flame sentinels from solaris. Just up any looks like useful. :)

This is base for any pure summoner build. Of course you can not get 2 curses, if not want, but they really helps with bosses.

And don't forget respec minion instability when you zombies stop die.

After this this point you should choose what you want to use, life+es or Chaos inoculation and no life nodes at all. Use auras or not.

First, why I take flask effect and not move through energy shield nodes near witch start, because shield cooldown recovery looks waste of points and flask effect boost any flasks great. I run really fast with my quicksilver and this save my char lot of times. In very late game i plan to take all es points here except this two shield recovery.

Second I take 2 +30 dex point, 2 +30 str point and 2 circle with +hp and +20 str. This give me opportunity to use any color gem. I have 114 str point in base and need very little from gear to get 151 point for level 20 gem if i need. And level 15 gems works fine for tests. For example I can swap haste aura for vitality and do chaos damage map. It good for my minions too. Same I up my Haste aura and can use animate weapon without restrictions. Have same 114 base dex points due taking aura cluster.

Third I take 12+16% chaos resistance because it cost only 4 passive nodes and improve my survivability a little. Can take 17 more chaos resistance if I use 3 more passive point, but I feel comfortable enough without it. Play with 2.1k hp and -11% chaos resist. Just need to watch where you step.

I take almost all aura passives in range. 60% auras costs 26% for me without any uniques. I can comfortable use 2 of them with 760 mana pool, and 3 of them if use flasks all time. I not take leadership aura passive because think hp little better than minions coverage, but can respec one point every time for it.

I take Shaper passive near Scion start because it help a lot do chaos damage maps.

I take elemental adaptation, but plan to respec it when get new level and take Inner force cluster for more movement speed. It works, but I shouldn't care about my +2% of resistances if my army die. And not need this 2% if my army still alive.

I respec Minion instability, because my minions usually not drop hp to 33% and it not works, when it drop, they do little damage actually and die faster.

I not take necromantic aegis, but think about it. Main problem my own survivability without shield. I try it when get better gear.

Second way get more hp\shield nodes from passive tree. Always work.

About mana\mana regen nodes. Not needed, I not consume so much mana for casts.

This should be +2 level minion gem, +hp, then good if here be resistances and +energy shield. Zombies here first - your meat shield. Not your main dps. So I use minion life and minion resistances. Maybe I swap multistrike for empower when get one. It boost minions better than multistrike. I don't like to recast zombies, because they cost 165 mana for me now and eat my mana pool very well. My zombies have about 7.5k hp on gem level 19.


This unique very useful. I buy it for 60 alterations, normal price about 8-10 chaos orb. I put my skeletons here and not use any support gems for them. They have 3.5k hp and only 42 mana to cast. I can spam it without mana problems. They take damage, deal damage stay on front and cover all other minions and players.


Here live my spectres, my main dps. Someday they get new 6L home. :) This unique cost around 1 chaos. I not use any life\resistance support gems on it. Pure damage. Minion damage, faster casting for more dps and remote mine for MORE dps. In 6L increased aoe damage and concentrated effect looks good. For spectres I use undying evangelists from sceptre of god. That little guys with shields.


Here lies random curses and gems for leveling. Nothing interesting.


Not get 4 link on this gloves because plan to buy new one. Here lies auras and reduced mana. For 4 link I add vitality or purity of elements.


This unique cost 1 chaos or less. Helps a lot with elemental resistances for me. Use cast on damage taken here with endurance charge. Helps a little. Immortal call an decoy totem good here too. Desecrate use for spawn corpses and not necessary to level up at all. I do it because I can. I move this gem to other item when get better gear.


Here flesh offering and vaal summon skeletons with increased duration support gem. I change vaal gem to bone offering in future.

Ideal gem placement looks like spectres in 6L chest. Auras in 4L gloves, Vaal skeleton, flesh offering, bone offering, increased duration in 4L boots. Cast on damage taken, enduring cry, immortal call in rapier. Desecrate, temporal chains, enfeeble in shield.

Other stuff:

This amulet good for minions and costs about 1 chaos. But you can find 2 good corrupted variants on market. First +1 additional curse. You can cast vulnerability if find slot for it. :) Second +16-20 minion damage. Cost exalted and more. But boost your damage.


I buy or find something better in future.


I use this belt because I can use quicksilver flask 3 times with it without killing anybody. And flask have 7.2 second increased move speed from each use. Can put something more +hp, +resists if needed.


This flask give me about 89% increased move speed and can do more. Because I not take inner force and roll not perfect. Really helps in many situations. I can open all chests except frozen without any damage. I not have socket and key for lightning warp.


Nothing interesting.

Before i do anything i jump in sceptre of god on merciless and try to find 3 evangelist. Before put mine i consume all other corpses with raise zombie and A key.

In normal gameplay try to have 12 skeletons, and summon more if need to kill something in that corner or they just gone. Second i spawn some corpses with desecrate and immidietly consume it with flesh offering. If i have some problems, first i curse this problem with temporal chains and enfeeble, second use bone offering if my zombies start die. third - use my flask and run away on 100+% move speed. It helps to teleport zombies and spectres without convocation. And skeletons not teleports with other minions, they cover me.

I use all 7 keys for skills. We can't use 8. Because if you cast something when you need to run - you die. I move only on left key. Spawn zombie\bone offering of middle, spawn skeleton on right. Spawn spectres, then swap to desecrate Q key. Put auras, then swap to vaal summon skeletons on W key. Use flesh offering on E key. Use R and T for enfeeble and temporal chains. I don't know how i can use convocation or something like raging spirit, animate weapon.