Stress-Free PoE :-) | BONE ZOMBIES: No Required Items, 1-Button Play, SSF League Start-End | 3.15

6L: Zombies - Meat Shield - Brutality - Melee Physical - Ruthless - Stun (Support)
3L, 1S: Spectres - Minion Life - Maim, Pride
4L: Void Sphere 1 - Hextouch - Vulnerability - Culling Strike
4L: CwDT 7 - Desecrate 1 - Bone Offering 12 - Withering Step 1
2L, 1S: Golem - Feeding Frenzy, Skitterbots
3L: Arrogance - Vitality - Clarity

(L=links, S=sockets-unlinked)

This setup has way more survivability and pretty equal damage. With the Zombies stunning and only one CwDT link, mana is way more predictable and completely under control. The build itself becomes extremely predictable and very safe to play. I've played lots with it the last while and am really happy with it.

(You could go for even more damage with Fortify and Multistrike instead of Ruthless and Stun.)

Here's 3.15's passive tree. (You'll get a nice clear picture if you click on it.)

https://www.foreverexiled.com/

If you're looking for a Podcast that's 99% Path of Exile, my buddy Tagz and I have exactly that! A podcast that is 99% about Path of Exile! We put out an episode once a week and talk about all things Path of Exile 99% of the time. We aren't concerned about the community's opinion regarding the game. We talk about what we like/don't like, and laugh the whole way through!

Tagz started playing Path of Exile during Beta (April 2012) and I started playing Path of Exile in 2014. We've been gaming together since the NES days. We have VERY different preferences and playstyles when it comes to playing Path of Exile so we never run out of things to make fun of each other about...I mean...discuss.

If you check out the podcast, let us know what you think. We're growing like crazy and we couldn't be more thankful to our listeners. Thank you so much to all that listen!

Welcome! PoE is a really in-depth game. Its million different mechanics work together is so many countless combinations that there really are endless ways to play this game. If you love theory crafting (coming up with different combos of skills and seeing if it'll work out), there is no other game that compares to this one.

For new people trying to learn Path of Exile, it's my opinion that the most efficient way to learn the game is by doing things for yourself; trying things out in-game, reading nodes/mods/skills, and making choices for yourself. I understand that some people look to guides for help progressing in the game, while others are simply looking for a neat idea to try out. It is the intent of all my guides to give people a relaxing way to play PoE (no matter their experience with the game) while also helping new people understand what's going on.

So, when it comes to my guides, it is my goal to help new players learn the game, but learn it in a way that you'll really grasp what's happening on your own. I give direction in my guides, but not many "step by step" directions. Nor do I tell you to do things in a certain order. I give lots of detail but it's to help explain and simplify the mechanics and concepts within the build and have you understand what's going on. My guides aren't intended to be the PoE wiki (but I provide many links to it, so don't worry).

My guides are massive because they completely revolve around helping new players understand what's going on. Just be prepared to discover the game and make some choices for yourself :).

I hope the guides help you have a relaxing PoE experience and also help you learn and love the game as well.

Happy slaying!

(I'll reference my One Stop Shop a few times in my guides. It has some Tips for New Players in there that you may find useful.)

PoE restricts which gems are available to each class until Act 3. Until then you can get some gems for free from quest rewards, purchase some from specific NPCs in each town, or find them as loot.

There are two NPC's that sell all purchasable gems: the first one is Siosa in the Library in Act 3 (the Library is connected to The Imperial Gardens) and the second is Lilly Roth in Act 6 (you have to do their quests first).

*If I have a level next to a gem, stop levelling that gem at that level. For example: "Cast when Damage Taken (Level 1)". Don’t level Cast when Damage Taken past gem level 1. Otherwise, fully level all gems.


5/6 Link - Main Skill (Socket in your chest)
Raise Zombie
- Brutality Support
- Meat Shield Support
- Melee Physical Damage Support
- Fortify Support
- Maim Support

4 Link - Spectres (Socket in your Helmet)
Raise Spectre
- Lifetap Support
- Minion Life Support
- Culling Strike Support (Level 8)
4 Link - Movement, Bonus Defence, and Curse! (Socket in Gloves or Boots)
Shield Charge (Level 1)
- Fortify Support
- Hextouch Support
Vulnerability
3-Link & 1 Socket - Offering and Aura (Socket in Gloves or Boots)
Cast When Damage Taken (Level 1)
Desecrate (Level 7)
Bone Offering (Level 8)
Pride

2-Link & 1 Socket - Golem, Bonus Offence, and Aura (Socket in your Weapon)
Summon Chaos Golem
- Feeding Frenzy Support
Flesh and Stone
3-Link - Optional Auras (Socket in your Shield)
Arrogance Support
Vitality
Clarity
A Free Amazing Defensive Skill!
- Bone Armour - This is our other optional active skill :). This skill comes for free from the Bone Barrier Ascendancy node. It doesn't use up a socket on your gear, but it does need to be allocated to a button. It is amazing. It gives damage reduction to you and your minions AND it also makes you and your minions immune (and removes) bleed! It is amazing. It is an Instant Skill which means you can press this skill's button in the middle of any animation and it'll cast no matter. It won't interrupt what you were doing too! Gosh, it's perfect! (On PC, it can be allocated to the movement button (left-click for most) with no consequence to ensure it's always getting used :).)

When I use Shield Charge, I honestly don't even use the "active button" part of the skill. I never think to hit the button. But if I did, I'd be even more rad. This is strong enough simply with the passive physical damage mitigation.

If you read my "secret", you'll know that I don't use shield charge and this is my only button.

Also, here's a quote from Rory at GGG regarding the Bone Armour skill: "Its tags are Spell, Duration, Guard, Minion. It's not a gem though, so won't be increased by global modifiers to minion skill gem levels. It will count as casting a spell of those types for any stats that care about that jazz. It has the same stats as a level 20 Steelskin, with the added benefit of also applying to all of your minions." So this DOES count as "using a minion skill recently" along with the other tags mentioned.

This is my setup if you're interested. I play the same as the guide unless I'm testing something out.

USE ANYTHING YOU WANT! - I like having a shield and one-handed weapon instead of two one-handed weapons. It's just a preference; no right or wrong there.

If you’re new to PoE, check out my One Stop Shop. It gives lots of help and tips on gear, mods, currency, levelling, and endgame mapping. Some good to know stuff that you'd hate not knowing.

- Weapon - Anything you like.
- Shield - Anything you like (consider Shield Charge).
- Head - Anything you like.
- Chest - Anything you like.
- Hands - Anything you like.
- Feet - Anything you like.
- Amulet - Anything you like.
- Ring - Anything you like.
- Ring - Anything you like.
- Belt - Anything you like.
- Jewel - Anything you like.
- Flasks - Anything you like. I simply use 3 health flasks (all modified to remove bleeding) and 2 Quartz Flasks that removes Chill/Freeze.

Remember, you have two weapon sets that you can swap between. I like to have two Convoking Wands in one set and a Convoking Wand and Shield in the other so I can swap between having more damage or more defence. (Just remember that auras in swapped weapon sets will need to be turned back on.)

***Now don't go being a Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins and think that because this build doesn't require anything specific that you can go and melt end game content with crap gear. Crap gear will clear crap content while amazing gear will clear amazing content. My build/guide style just allows you more freedom to get there...m'kay?


Weapon Mods:
- Anything Minion
- Any other minor thing that helps (resists, attributes...). This isn't important. It's just a bonus.

Your goal on the rest of your gear is:
- Increases to Maximum life
- Increases to Resists
- Increases to Movement Speed (Typically on Boots)
- Anything Minion
- Ensuring you have high enough attributes for your skills.

***Remember that the only mods that help minion damage SPECIFICALLY SAY "minion" or "ally". Any other improvements to damage only affect you (and you don't do damage).***

Oh my goodness! A link! You should click on it. Definitely. WOW! Look at all those pretty green FOLLOW buttons. You should press them all ;).

https://www.pathofexile.com/account/view-profile/Wrecker_of_Days/item-filters

I LOVE FILTERS! So, I make my own filters! THEY ARE AMAZING ;). For me, making filters is just as fun as playing Path of Exile. If you're looking to cut down on the amount of garbage on your screen but don't actually want to miss anything, my filters are right up your alley. They only filter equippable items. Everything else will show. I've made two types of filters:

1 - A filter that only shows gear relevant to my guides.
2 - A filter for everyone that's relevant for all builds.

Each filter is available on all platforms.

The descriptions/details of each filter are within the fitlers themselves. Just click on the filter and you'll see the explanations there. But don't worry, I've explained it in normal English, not in "filter-talk".

The filters are progressive, which means that they will become more strict as you progress; the further you progress in the game, the less the filter will show.

The filters are designed for SSF play and, once you're out of the campaign, will show only rare items (with some obvious exceptions).

Here's the gist of how the filters work:
- When an item's better version becomes available, the worse item becomes hidden. For example, a Small Life flask will only show until a Medium Life flask is available.
- But the same goes for ALL items. I've based replacements on base types and implicit ratings. So when a Tiger Hook becomes available, it'll hide the Grappler. When the Sorcerer Boots are capable of dropping, the Arcanist Slippers will be hidden.
- Once we get into T14, then, T15, then, T16, I restrict things further and further based on item level vs. area level. By that point, we should be nicely set up for gear and are starting to get pretty picky in what we want.

The filters still show all other currency, fragments, maps, div. cards...everything. (Though I do stop showing things like portals and scraps after T14.)

I personally think the filters are at a really good balance of not showing too much, while also giving you decent opportunities for upgrades based on where you are in the game.


Please let me know if you have any feedback or see any errors you may find within the filters...otherwise, I hope they enhance your PoE experience!

If my filters interest you, once you've clicked on the provided link, click "Follow" next to the filter(s) that you want. It'll automatically load to your filter list in-game when you login AND it automatically updates upon each login as well!

Here's 3.15's passive tree. (You'll get a nice clear picture if you click on it.)



- 3.15's PasteBin - https://pastebin.com/dv06PZz8 - This Pastebin will only work in the Community Fork version of PoB. (Copy the link, open Path of Building, click on “New”, then click “Import/Export Build”, click “Import from Pastebin…”, paste the link.)
- 3.15's Passive Tree on PoE's website (only works once 3.15 is launched).

The passive tree is easy to understand:
You'll start as a Witch that ascends into a Necromancer. It's a minion-heavy ascendancy (obviously).

Levelling Path:
**Just follow the tree and take the nodes as they come. You'll find it quite naturally balanced. The tree will take you to level 91; it'll be easy to achieve. Pick anything you like after that. (If I was to level this character again, I'd literally just "hug the right" and pick the nodes as they come. Seriously. The tree is balanced with all aspects of the build as long as you don't skip nodes along the way.) Feel free to pick your own path. I'm intentionally vague so you can learn as you go. You honestly can't screw up unless you save all your life nodes for last.

Tree Focuses:
- Minions - I've selected the nodes that increase minion limits and really focused on minion life, leech, and regen. I want the Zombies to live while they taunt. Obviously, I put in as much minion damage as possible as well.
- Health. You need it to live. :)
- Mitigation comes in a few ways for us. Half of it comes from gems, the other half from Keystones. We'll be getting our huge block chance from Glancing Blow and stun prevention from Unwavering Stance.

Don't forget about attributes. You'll pass some nodes on the tree that give +30 to Strength or Dexterity. If you don't have items to cover what you're short in, feel free to select some of these as you pass them. You'll get respec points that will let you remove them later once you have better gear.

Now, feel free to modify this in anyway. This is just my preference for easy Solo Self Found.

Take your time to look at each passive node as they come along. Some of the nodes are pretty dramatic.

Some quests earn you respec points in case you regret any decisions you made on the tree. You can also use Orbs of Regret for the same thing.

You'll get most of the attributes that you require to use your gems from the tree. You'll need a little bit of Strength and Dexterity.

You'll Be Short:
Strength: 0
Dexterity: 24
Intelligence: 0

Needing 24 Dex. is really easy to get. An Amulet can easily accommodate your needs. Though we don't need any extra Str., it'll typically come late in the tree (if you "hug the right" like me). So don't pass by Str. mods apathetically.

From the Tree You'll Get:
Strength: 174
Dexterity: 44
Intelligence: 292

Your Gems Need:
Strength: 155
Dexterity: 68
Intelligence: 155

This build is really easy to play. Sooooo easy.

Quick Version: Move around and our zombies kill everything. That's it! Honestly! Everything else is automatic!

Slightly Detailed Version: This build's offence is 100% minions. We do no damage ourselves. Our defence is from Bone Armour (from our ascendancy), Fortify, block chance from Bone Offering (and Glancing Blows), support spells, and Spectres (and Enfeeble if you so choose).

Offence: Our zombies can do all content and once raised; everything else is support. Our zombies (because of the auras we're using and Brutality Support) deal pure physical damage. Adding any other type of damage to minions in any way is lost on this build. It won't be beneficial. Our Auras force us to be relatively close to our enemies. Pride makes enemies take more damage the longer they are within the Pride aura (which is large), while Flesh and Stone has a pretty small AoE.

Defence: Bone Armour is a skill that comes from our ascendancy that is really awesome. It requires a button press for half of the skill, but as mentioned, I always forget about it and simply take advantage of the passive physical damage mitigation it provides. It's extremely strong and should be active as often as you think about it. It's considered an Instant Skill which means it has no cast time. This also means it can be cast in the middle of another animation without interruption. The button can also just be held down. Bone Offering gives us some pretty good block chance for almost zero investment and is automatically cast when we take very little damage. Coupled with Glancing Blows on the tree, this gives us 35% damage mitigation against ALL HITS (while Bone Offering is active). Also, if you stuck with the guide, almost every time you use Shield Charge, you'll have Fortify. That's nice.

Keep in mind, when we get hit is how we cast our Offering skill. Getting hit isn't required in this build, but when we do get hit, our defence really picks up.

Obviously your Spectres play a big role, but I have no idea what you chose to do with those.

How Minions Work:
Minion damage only increases with items, gems, or passive tree nodes that specifically increase "minion damage". If a node on the tree or mod on an item doesn't specify "minion", it won't be useful at all. So something that says, "Increases your damage by 30%" won't improve your minions' damage. In this build your character will do almost no damage, only your minions will.

Minions ARE considered Allies. So auras, nodes, or items that improve allies will benefit our minions. (Not every skill that reserves mana is an aura.)

Minions are NOT considered Party Members and will not gain any benefit from Party Member benefits.

Our minions "Attack" enemies, they don't "cast" Spells. So anything that improves minion/ally Attack Speed will help our build, but not Cast Speed (that's for spells).

Lastly, minions are their own entities. Once you bring them into the world, they attack who they want. Some minions are summoned, others are raised. Summoned minions (like the Skeletons) don't follow you but will keep attacking and chasing enemies within their attack radius. These minions have a duration. Other minions are raised, such as Zombies. They do not have a duration and will stay raised until dead. These types of minions will follow us wherever we go. They will also follow the lead of summoned minions as well.

Lastly lastly, minions don't care about you. So if you're taking damage, they aren't going to run back and help you. You have to help yourself.

Let me know if you have any questions.

In my opinion, there are two types of "levellers" in PoE:

1. The first, is a player that knows the game well enough that, no matter the guide/build, they have no need for direction.
2. The second is a player that wants to be able to level like the person I just mentioned.

Though newer PoE players may find PoE daunting, I feel the most efficient way to learn PoE is to make decisions for yourself. I think you'll be surprised how quickly you catch on to each mechanic you start playing with. So this section won't be about holding your hand and giving you a step-by-step process. It'll guide and encourage you to choose between the pros and cons your character will constantly face...while levelling and selecting gear. I know, I know, you hate me. But maybe you'll thank me later? Maybe?

(Remember, I have some tips for new players in my One Stop Shop that'll help in the overall PoE experience that any levelling process will benefit from. Below are tips for levelling this character, not general levelling tips.) Which Quests to Do?
- I suggest doing every quest in the game. It doesn't take too much longer and you'll get some nice bonus gear to help the SSF process. For those that just want to rush to the Endgame, here's a link to all the quests that give Passive Points as a reward. You don't want to miss those.

Bandits
- With the Bandits in Act 2, I kill them all for the extra 2 skill points. You, of course, do what you like.

The Lord's Labyrinth
- Here's a list of all the lab trials for the first three labyrinths (the trials for the fourth lab are found randomly in endgame maps).

How to Level the Build
What Skill(s) Should I Use
- Our main skill, Raise Zombies, is available right away. They don't really have the survivability to be efficient right away so I like to use Summon Raging Spirits (SRS) or Summon Skeleton. You'll want to keep a mana flask for SRS. Feel free to use SRS until any point in the game, just be sure that you're levelling the build's gems too.

Once your zombies hit around gem level 11 they start to be able to hold their own. I've found that Zombies-Minion Damage-Summon Phantasm is a great 3 link to level with.

This build is really easy to level as all the major gems you need are available naturally and early on to the Witch.

Passive Tree
- You can honestly go in any direction you like. The main points to the tree are: life nodes for you, minion nodes, and a couple of Keystones. No matter the direction you choose, if you pick all nodes as they come across without skipping any, you'll have a very balanced character as you level. There really isn't a wrong way to go. There isn't anything wrong with getting any major nodes early or later on.
- If you have to be told what to do in order to progress ;), progress on your tree like I progress my maps; "hug the right wall". There's no reason for it though. I just like turning right :).
- Another thing to consider is that some major nodes won't become relevant right away. It'll take time for the build to come together. So there isn't a reason to rush to a node until your gear and gems are all set up nicely.

Gear
- Gear is so easy here. Minions only benefit from terms that specifically say Minion or Ally; and most of those mods don't drop while you're levelling. So you're really only looking for gear for yourself that has better life and resists than what you currently have equipped. It's really that simple. High-five for minions!

At the end of the game, the levels (maps) you try and clear will have random modifiers (mods) allocated to them. There are A LOT of mods that can go on a map.

This build should only avoid maps that roll Physical Reflect.

Some other map mods might be inconvenient, but they won't be impossible to run. For example, I HATE maps that lower my recovery rate of anything. You don't have to avoid it for this build, but I try to anyway.

You'll learn your personal preferences the more you play. If you hate dying, pay attention to map mods. Some maps may look innocent, but the mods combined together may be a killer combo. Some mods are fine for mapping but are deadly because of the boss in the map. You'll learn over time if you're not apathetic. Also, just a heads up, if you don't like re-rolling maps, you may need to modify your playstyle slightly, no matter the build, based on the mods rolled on a map.

- Here's 3.15's BONE ZOMBIES "Bare-Bones" Mechanics Example Video.
- My BONE ZOMBIES playlist showing my most recent sessions with the build.
- My broadcast channel. Twitch keeps the last 14 days worth of broadcasts. I don't always play awake, but I'd rather play than not :).

Filters:
- I make my own filters AND YOU ARE REQUIRED TO LOVE THEM! Just kidding...but they are awesome. They will make looting a MUCH more relaxing experience. They only filter gear. So if you don't want to miss out on ANY currency these are perfect for you. One filter is guide specific (it only displays gear relevant to all my guides) and the other is a global filter for any build. The filters are progressive. So you don't have to worry about switching filters when you want gear to get more strict. It does it for you! Details for each tier of each filter are within the filters themselves. Both the "Guide Specific" and the "Everyone" filters are available on all platforms. If you click "Follow" next to the filter that you want, it'll automatically load to your filter list in-game when you login! And it automatically updates upon each login as well!

Social:
- Forever Exiled - A Path of Exile Podcast is a PoE podcast hosted by both Tagz and myself. We talk about everything Path of Exile...and only PoE. If you're looking for a podcast run by casual gamers but lovers of PoE, feel free to check it out!
- My Twitter. I only use my twitter account to give updates on PoE stuff like my guides and filters. I don't use Twitter for anything personal. So if you want updates about when guides are done or filter corrections have been updated, feel free to follow.

Software:
- PoEMate - My primary build planning tool. It's mobile. (If the link doesn't work in your area, just search PoEMate in your mobile store. Hopefully, it's available in your region. Every league it's updated faster than any other tool I use.)
- FORK Path of Building - Another planner I use.

Build Links:
- 3.15's PasteBin - https://pastebin.com/dv06PZz8 - This Pastebin will only work in the Community Fork version of PoB. (Copy the link, open Path of Building, click on “New”, then click “Import/Export Build”, click “Import from Pastebin…”, paste the link.)
- 3.15's Passive Tree on PoE's website (only works once 3.15 is launched)..

3.14 - Stress-Free PoE! BONE ZOMBIES: No Required Items! 1-Button Play! SSF League Start-End! 3.14

3.13 - Stress-Free PoE! BONE ZOMBIES: No Required Items! 1-Button Play! SSF League Start-End! 3.13

3.12 - Stress-Free PoE! BONE ZOMBIES: No Required Items! 1-Button Play! SSF League Start-End! 3.12

3.11 - 3.11 - Stress-Free PoE! SLOW-MO ZOMBIES: No Required Items! 1-Button Play! SSF League Start-End!

3.10 - 3.10|Stress-Free PoE| SLOW-MO ZOMBIES |Use Any Items You Want|1 Button Gameplay|Easily Customizable

3.9 - 3.9| Stress-Free PoE - SLOW-MO ZOMBIES |SSF the Atlas w/ 1 Button & Any Gear|Dungeon Crawl PoE!

3.8 - 3.8| Stress Free PoE - SLOW-MO ZOMBIES |Clear the Atlas with YOUR Items at YOUR Pace (SSF & Co-op)

3.7 - 3.7| Stress Free PoE - SLOW-MO ZOMBIES |Clear the Atlas with YOUR Items at YOUR Pace (SSF & Co-op)

3.6 - Stress Free PoE| SLOW MO ZOMBIES |ANY Items Work|Easy/Relaxing Play|Easily Clears the Atlas [3.6]

3.5 - Slow Mo Zombies! (No Uniques Needed|Relaxed Playstyle|Easy to Gear|Anyone Can Play|All Content)[3.5]

3.4 - Super Slow Mo! (All content! No uniques required! Perfect for new, SSF, & challenged gamers.) (3.4)

3.3 - Super Slow Mo! (No uniques required! Made for new, physically challenged, & SSF gamers.)(3.3)

3.2 - 3.2 - Wrecker of Days - Super Slow Motion - Explained and Designed to Take New Players to the End

3.1 - 3.1 - SRS - Super Slow Mo - Cheap (5C) (Perfect for new players, poor players, and endgame players).