[3.2] Eshani's Necromancer Build - Specter/Skeleton - Beginner Friendly

Defense
A good defense is what will make you able to run map and end-game bosses without dying. Pets do not apply DPS when you're dead so you can't rely on that anymore.
For this build, I wanted to go for what I like (you guys see a pattern here ?). Energy Shield + Life. Basically you'll want items that give you a lot of Energy Shield, while aiming for skill node to enhance both stats.

And of course, to have all of you're elemental resist capped.
Starting of the league, I'm currently around 5.900 EHP which will be greatly improve by gear evolution. Huge HP/ES pool will make you able to survive as you don't have any other defensing mechanic other than manually dodging spells & learning bosses patterns !

Offense
Here is the fun parts as we've two summoner gem skill for our attacks.
Spectre is the core of the build. You'll aim to have 4-5 specter simultaneously on a five or six links item. Differents specter can be use, report yourself to the Gem-Link area for more information. Spectres are reliable, powerful and very good at map clearing.

Adding to our beloved dead friends, more dead friends ! Skeleton mages will be the second backbone of the build, offering you some activity during fights (you'll actually have to launch something in battle instead of just looking at your spectre). Dead reckoning is mandatory here as we want to replace all of our warriors by mages since warriors are moving very slowly and need to be reraise for each monster. You'll use 10 skeletons which will speed up you map clear and add more projectiles to the field.

Damage digit are very hard to get when you're using summoner build ; the game is unable to calculate it and PoE Build give you some insight about it even if numbers are not exact. But if you guys fear about DPS, listen to this: Bestiary league and capturing is a lot of fun when you only have a few seconds to react and capture creatures before your unstoppable death horde kill them.

You'll want to focus on minions node, especially the +1 spectre. Then, focus on every node that give you Life / Energy Shield / Jewel socket. If you need to take some +30 Attributes for you gear, do not hesitate. Either you'll refund them later or it's mandatory if you want to equip the gear.

1 - Invoker. Increase damage, increase life. It's quite a "meh" ascendancy but a mandatory node for very interesting choice. Still it got everything you want to enhance your minions.

2 - Soul Weaver. Here we start to talk. Spectre is one of the core gem of the build, you'll want them as tanky and powerful as possible. You'll feel that +100% damage the moment you step out of the lab.

3 - Commander of Darkness. You will finish Merciless Lab the moment you start your maps. Your build and main core gems will be mostly set. And you are using auras for quite a while now. +20% Elemental Resistance will be a good opportunity to help you capping your res and ... more damage for your whole dead party. (And your living party too if you are playing with friends)

4 - Here is the tricky choice. I would go for Puppet Master as you are casting Skeleton on a daily basis which enable the 30% Minions Damage. Plus, the Killed effect will be here and very usefull. Problem is you do not care about movement speed and durations. You will cast your skeletons long before they disappear, even in boss fight.
Second choice would be to go for Bone Sculptor, in order to boost our Skeleton mages. Sweet damage increase but it does not work for our spectres (While Puppet Master does). We do not care about the +2 additional skeleton as you still need to cast it 2 times to have the full party. And we do not like the +2 to maximum number skeleton as we only have 10 mages, not 12.
For that fourth choice I will have to make more test and I will keep updated. For now, just go with whatever you feel good.

You'll use Freezing Pulse as your main spell. Raise Zombie can be use as a meat shield and secondary spell. Support Phantasm on Kill is a nice additation to Freezing Pulse for the earlier level. Take Summon Skeleton as soon as you have it, and support it with Minion Damage & Minion Speed. Take clarity when you can but don't use Haste yet as you still need a lot of mana. Switch Freezing Pulse for Firestorm as soon as you can.
Acte IV, take Raise Spectre, Flame Golem and you can start following the Gem Link guide after that. Use Haste only when you've enough Spectre & Skeleton Mages. Slowly add the support gem when you get better gear

Before Raise Spectre, use Spell Power items. Switch to a full summoner gear when you've at least 2 – 3 Spectre, then drop Firestorm & Spellpower.

Do Normal Lab near lv 40 and Cruel Lab near 60. For Merciless & Uber you can go when you feel like it.

31 Passive Points Skill Tree
Take Death Attunement Node when you've Raise Spectre. You'll aim for the first minions mode to enhance Summon Skeleton and their damage. HP & ES will help you survive.

50 Passive Points Skill Tree
More Minions node for more damage. First Jewel Socket if you've a jewel to put inside. Otherwise wait before take it.

70 Passive Points Skill Tree
We focus here on our survival. HP Node, ES Node, you should have no difficulty at all for last Kitava.

While you can go with Skeleton Warriors in the leveling phase, you'll want to drop them asap for mages. You need 2 of them for 10 skeleton mages.
Est. Price. Starting league: 2-3 chaos.


Allow you to cast 6 skeletons at the same time with Spell Echo.
Est Price. Starting league: 1 chaos


Sweet Energy shield + Damage + Spectre.
Est. price. Starting league for 5 links: 55-65 chaos. Waiting for it, you can use a Tabula Rasa or a rare item with Energy shield and good links.


Another +1 Spectre. And .. pretty much only that sadly.
Est. Price. Starting league 1 chaos for the +60% Energy Shield.


You'll need a 5-6 link for your skeleton and it even got a +1 Spectre on it. It's fairly cheap by the way.
Est. price. Starting league for 5 links: 30-50 chaos. A few alchemy for a 4 links.

You are looking for rare items that'll be able to fill the gap of everything your unique doesn't give. I strongly suggest base items containing Energy Shield.
In order of priority:

1. Elem. Resistances (if you're not cap)
1. Maximum Life
1. Maximum Energy Shield

2. Intelligence
2. Only for the Helmet: Minions Deal Increased Damage (Base: Bone Helmet)

3. Any attributes you're short of to continue leveling your gem.

4. For Jewel, you'll want some items with Minion Damage or Minion Cast Speed, along others important stats

Each GemLink are in order of priority. If you don't have 6L or 5L just drop the latest added gem. More information about Mage Spectre & Melee Spectre below

[Main Gem]
(Using Mage Spectres) Raise Spectre + Spell Echo + Added Minion Damage + Greater Multiple Projectile + Elemental Focus + Controlled Destruction
(Using Melee Spectres) Raise Spectre + MultiStrike + Added Minion Damage + Faster Attack + Melee Physical Damage + Increased AoE Effect (Concentrated Effect against boss).

[Main Gem]
Summon Skeleton+ Spell Echo + Minion Damage + Greater Multiple Projectile + Elemental Focus + Controlled Destruction.
If you do not have 2x Dead Reckoning, switch Greater Multiple Projectile for Minion Speed.

[Mobility Gem] Leap Slam + Faster Attacks + Fortify

[Defense Gem] Cast When Damage Taken (lv2) + Immortal Call (lv4) + Increase Duration + Enfeeble (lv6).
Important to not upgrade more those gems. You'll want Cast When Damage Taken to activate as must as possible. Thus, you don't need to raise the minimal damage taken before activation.

[Utility Gem] Discipline. Haste. Desecrate. Summon Flame Golem.

Here come the fun. Long before the Bestiary league was out, Raise Spectre was the pokemon spirit of PoE. You can raise ANY monster you've killed, not including bosses. Problem is, some of them are usefull, some of them are not. Report to the GemLink par on how to support those guys.
To raise the spectre you want, just move on the area, use desecrate until you find 1. Then go back to your hideout, repeat the process to have the maximum spectre. Important notice is that the Spectre Level is the same as the area you raise them. So after that, go into your highest map level, and repeat until you've all Spectre to the highest level possible. Then cherish them. Note that Spectre stay even if you disconnect.
Here is the spectre I use.

(Mage Spectre)


(Melee Spectre)

Necronomicon You can have much more informations about Raise Spectre on this very good Github Necronomicon