[2.1 Video Guide] Hybrid ES/Life Tanky Zombie/Specter Summoner - The Puppet Master [HC/SC viable]

Updated and viable for 2.1!

2.1 Video Guide: Path of Exile 2.1 Zombie/Specter Summoner Build Guide - The Puppet Master [HC/SC viable]

This video will explain the details and help you get a better understanding of how this character works as well as showing in-game footage of how the build performs.

For this build you can use either Revenants (recommended) or Evangelists as your specters together with your zombies. Revenants has much better clear speed and Evangelists are a bit safer to use. This guide will show you how to use either one of these. The video unfortunately only showcases Evangelist gameplay.

If you have any questions about the build, come to my twitch stream and I will do my best to answer them:

Lifting's Twitch Live Stream Channel

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What's up my fellow Wraeclast exiles!?
This is the official build thread for my "Zombie/Spectre Summoner – The Puppet Master”. In this thread I will cover the requirements of the build. To get a more detailed explanation on how the build works and needs to be setup, check out the link to my video-guide above.




First of all, what is this build and who is it suited for?

1. Fans of summoner builds who seeks an effective, very tanky (safe) and and relatively cheap character to traverse the continent of Wraeclast with.

2. Players who seek a powerful build that can reach endgame (Dominus and 78+ maps)

3. People who would like a build that is both viable for the templar, witch and scion.

4. A build that is both viable for hardcore as well as softcore.

5. People who prefer a build that has a video-guide linked to it.


Build introduction:

For defences the build relies on having a huge effective life pool. This is obtained by stacking both energy shield and life. This is a very tanky hybrid build.
Besides that you have your zombies and specters that both tanks and damages nearby monsters very effectively. Evangelists, if you decide to use these, will also provide both you and your other minions with a temporary proximity shield every now and then. Anything within this shield won't take damage from outside sources of damage.

The build relies on the usage of 4 auras. Hatred/Wrath, Haste, Purity of Elements and Discipline. Both offensive auras are linked with generosity to increase the effect thus making our minions deal even more damage. If using Evangelists you should use Hatred and for Revenants Anger is the right choice. Both our zombies and spectres deals aoe damage and are thus very capable of killing large packs of monsters relatively fast.

Lastly this character also utilizes a dual curse on hit setup. The curses I suggest is vulnerability and Elemental Weakness.
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Skill-gems and setups:

Zombies:
Raise Zombie, Multistrike, Fortify and Minion Damage. This skill-gem setup needs to be in a 2+ to socketed minion skill-gems helmet.

For early game leveling you should use the Matua Tupuna shield with the following setup: Raise Zombie, Minion Damage and Melee Splash.

NB: Before you getting a 5-linked specter setup or a Montre'guls Grasp I suggest using Melee Splash instead of Fortify to help with the clear speed for the zombies.

Evangelist Specters: (The safer approach)
Raise Specter, Spell-Echo, Increased Area of Effect, Minion Damage Added Fire (5-link) and Increased Duration (6-link).

Revenant Specters: (For Best clear speed. Recommended)
Raise Specter, Spell Echo, Chain, LMP, Minion Damage(5-link), Slower Projectiles (6-link)

Curse setup for Evangelist Specters:
Ball Lightning, Curse-On-Hit, Vulnerability, Elemental Weakness

Curses setup for Revenant Specters:
Firestorm/Ice Nova, Curse-On-Hit, Conductivity, Elemental Weakness

Offensive Auras, if using Evangelists:
Hatred, Haste, Generosity

Offensive Auras, if using Revenants:
Wrath, Haste, Generosity

Defensive Auras:
Arctic Armour, Discipline & Enlighten (leveled).

Utility:
Flesh Offering, Vaal Haste, Convocation & Increased Duration

Desecrate and Purity Of Elements each goes in their own Unset Ring.

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Passive Skill-tree:

If the skill-trees for some reason wont open, then refer to the video for inspiration on how to progress throughout the skill-tree.

Leveling skill-tree, 34 points:


Leveling skill-tree, 55 points:


Leveling skill-tree, 83 points:


Finished build, Witch 115 points:


Templar variant of the build:


Scion variant of the build:

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Bandit Quest Rewards:

- Normal : Kill them all for 1+ skill-point
- Cruel : Kill them all for 1+ skill-point
- Merciless: Kill them all for 1+ skill-point

Gearing and stat priorities:

When you are elemental resistance capped, this is the stats you should aim for

Number 1 being the most important and number 4 the least important

1. Life
2. Energy Shield
3. Chaos Resistance (very important, as chaos damage bypasses energy shield)
4. Strength/Dexterity

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Awesome, uniques that greatly benefits this build:








Only the Bones of Ullr are mandatory/required for the build. However in order to effectively use all the auras you will need the Prism Guardian shield as well. Mon'treguls is optional, but can greatly increase the power of the build if you are willing to invest the currency

Lastly you can potentially buy yourself a corrupted Sidhebreath with the 1+ to additional curses. If you get that you should of course spec out of Whispers of Doom and use the skill-point elsewhere.
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The above information serves as a rough guideline to get you started with the build. I recommend watching my video-guide, especially if you are new to the game, in the video I will explain some of the skills and how they work and how you should spend your skill points while leveling.

2.1 Video Guide: Path of Exile 2.1 Zombie/Specter Summoner Build Guide - The Puppet Master [HC/SC viable]

Feel free to ask me any questions regarding the build, but please do me the favor of watching the video first. It should explain a lot of the common questions you might have :)

Anyway, have a great day guys!

GG

Kind Regards
Lifting

Won't wrath be better offensive aura for revenant spectres ?

Also it'll be hard to get resists maxed without purity of elements or couple individual resist purities auras.

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Taddis5 wrote:

Won't wrath be better offensive aura for revenant spectres ?

Also it'll be hard to get resists maxed without purity of elements or couple individual resist purities auras.

I think you may have missed a part of the guide. The build utilizes Purity of Elements, as otherwise as you say it will be hard to get resists capped :)

Wrath is great for revenants, I had for some reason forgot that it worked with attacks as well, which means it also benefits the zombies.

You should use wrath instead of Anger if using Revenants.

Edited :)

Lifting, loved the 1.3 build. Will run this first. Questions though.

1) can you speak on the build in total compared to the previous one. Stronger or weaker?

2) what kind of jewels should we summoners be looking for?

3) is this a good starting build?

Keep it up exile. You're doing Malachai's work.

~rip~

Sry didn't see you use PoL as well.

Ephermal edge is another good cheap unique option for more ES. Also Flame sentinels are very good spectre option, especially with anger aura giving dmg boost to spells now.

I think generosity on Haste aura is not needed, I tested with or without it on live and didn't notice any difference on clear speed, but its nice to have increased ms and cast speed on myself.

Changed a few typos in the guide.

If you see more please let me know =)

"

Ripcurrent wrote:

Lifting, loved the 1.3 build. Will run this first. Questions though.

1) can you speak on the build in total compared to the previous one. Stronger or weaker?

2) what kind of jewels should we summoners be looking for?

3) is this a good starting build?

Keep it up exile. You're doing Malachai's work.

~rip~

Glad to hear it man :)

1. This build is significantly stronger. It is much tankier and feels much "smoother" as it isn't as socket starved, so you dont have to weapon swap to desecrate for instance. The damage is higher and clear speed better.

2. Jewels that add minion life or minion damage can be very effective. Also jewels that adds elemental resitances can potentially be good.

3. I don't think it is a good "beginners" build as summoners can be very complex to understand and get going. I do however think it is an excellent "new league" build. It doesn't require too much current and scales really well with just levels.

A fair warning here guys. Malachai and corrupted Piety may be a huge pain in the ass for summoner builds.

Added "Slower Projectiles" as viable option for a 6-linked Revenant.

"

Taddis5 wrote:

Sry didn't see you use PoL as well.

Ephermal edge is another good cheap unique option for more ES. Also Flame sentinels are very good spectre option, especially with anger aura giving dmg boost to spells now.

I think generosity on Haste aura is not needed, I tested with or without it on live and didn't notice any difference on clear speed, but its nice to have increased ms and cast speed on myself.

Flame Sentinels is definitely a viable option as well. I just always felt they were a bit too squishy for me :)

Honestly the small amount of movement speed we gain is nothing compared to the proportionally larger increase the minions gain with generosity. I understand what you are saying, but in this case I have to disagree! :)