{3.10} Speaker for the Dead | The Mass Minion Summoner | League Starter, Leveling Guide 💀

I like your plan of reducing the zone info section a bit; as a new player some of that info doesn't seem that useful (like the monster/boss damage numbers and abilities). The more important stuff like quests, side zones and gems gets a bit lost.

Also an SSF version of the leveling plan might be cool, for those that can't buy anything.

I did another SSF test run to library and first lab again last night.

The option to start a templar and kill Hellrake to net an extra quicksilver potion and purchase gems and restart was about 10 mins. Well worth the time as it smooths out witch minion leveling.

Once I started leveling with witch it felt very capable and strong all the way through with blues and the odd rare the entire time.

A Red/Red/Green 3 link is all that is require to easily get you going, as even just the raw DPS from smite and holy relic is enough. The zombies and skeles are extra damage. Holy relic makes the whole thing click as you rarely have to resummon zombies anymore.

Skill tree changes slightly for SSF



We hit Library at around level 29-30 and go back to final build once we can buy all gems and can equip at level 31. Can easily do first Lab at 31 at this time.

I use Smite-Charged Dash-Fortify-Lesser Poison instead of Static strike and Shield Charge, but both work well. Finishing first lab can be done easily within 3 hours in game time.

Also here is another alternate Passive tree focused on a 1000 more life rather then evade (which I prefer if using a belly of the beast over something like Loreweave) You may require a "Careful Planning" Jewel by EE since it is dex starved. Could grab RT but it is not really needed, or you can grab Alchemist or push more towards mara start for more life.

Hi Hercanic, sorry for posting another question while you are ofc very busy but did you have a min to check the Herald nerf ? Is it huge or negligible ?

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Yloss wrote:

Hi Hercanic, sorry for posting another question while you are ofc very busy but did you have a min to check the Herald nerf ? Is it huge or negligible ?

previously answered

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@ killwhiteyy:

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killwhiteyy wrote:
anything changing for this after patch notes? crawler got nerfed a good bit

No effect on this build. The change to the Agony Crawler just prevents it from scaling things like Decay support, Added Elemental Damage, Abyssal Cry explosions, or Occultist's Profane Bloom explosions.

Only thing this patch may help us with is the possibility of running a Banner, which may help our minions significantly.

Quick Question, cause I can't figure this out:

Why Bloodgrip?

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kager wrote:

I did another SSF test run to library and first lab again last night.

Thanks! This helped break it down a tonne. I find the leveling process so tedious. Once I'm closer to full build it all just makes so much more sense.

I'm amazed how detailed this guide is. It convinced me to play summoner in betrayal. Cheers.

Ran this up to act 4 yesterday in six hours because I'm slow and leveling isn't automatic for me yet, but it feels super strong. Thinking this will be my starter tomorrow, thanks for this incredible build!

Never written anything in PoE forums before, after I saw and read this guide, it just made me want to log in here and post.

Thank you so much for this guide. The most detailed guide I ever seen in my entire life, such dedication, keep up the good work. Always loved necromancer spec in every game, happy to see such helpful guide to start new league with!

STATUS UPDATE
Whew, finally finished the first Gem Vendor section. Let me know what you think!

To Do:

• 1. Explain each gem and the Act 1 Gem Vendor section will be complete. Yay!
  
• 2. Give the same treatment to the other Gem Vendor sections of each Act.
  
• 3. Explain each unique item in the new Gear sections.
  
• 4. Work on a new Zone Info format. I'm thinking of pairing it down to just explaining the highlights of the Waypoint maps.
  
• 5. Make my own Passive Skill Point chart that does not have an error in it.

I think I'll focus on Act 1 until all its sections are complete. Once I've nailed down my layout for Act 1, it'll just be a matter of repeating it in the other Acts.

Thanks for all the comments! Right now, if a thread goes without a post for only four hours it's off the first page. I'll try to respond to a couple questions each status update, and anything else will be after I've finished the leveling section:

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@ DieKao:

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DieKao wrote:

Quick Question, cause I can't figure this out:

Why Bloodgrip?

Thanks, you've reminded me that I need to expand on the amulet section.

Your amulet is a flexible slot. I chose Bloodgrip because:

• 1. Super cheap 1c Unique with solid Life.
  
  
• 2. Common enough drop to easily buy up and mass-Vaal for a corrupt implicit like +1 curse. (Double corruptions here we come!)
  
  
  
  
• 3. Doubles life recovery from flasks. This is not to be underestimated.
  
  
  
  1872 life and 979 instant life times 220% becomes 4118 and 2153 life (a possible 6271 instant life). I can instantly recover to full life from almost dead with a mere drum across these two flasks.
  
  
• 3. Makes you practically immune to most bleeds. Perfect against Labyrinth traps. You only take the base 10% damage per second from a monster (70% from players), instead of 210% while moving. It doesn't protect against Corrupting Blood, but you can get immunity to that on a jewel corruption.
  
  
• 4. Life regen is great for summoners. It's a bit less important on this build, though, because of all its Life on Hit. Still great for mitigating things like burning ground, desecrated ground, caustic cloud, poison, ignite, bleed, and other sources of damage over time.

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@ kager:

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kager wrote:

Only thing this patch may help us with is the possibility of running a Banner, which may help our minions significantly.

Someone on YouTube asked about Banners, too. Here was my response:

A Banner reserves 10% mana. Agony Crawler reserves 25% * 1.25 for Empower * 1.15 for Maim = 36% + 50% for Hatred = 86% reserved. Dread Banner would put us at 96% reservation, leaving 4% to cast from.

I have 100 mana at 7% remaining mana (due to also having Added Fire on my Crawler). So we would have ~57 mana and 51 regen to cast Skeletons at a cost of 35 mana. We would probably get three casts before hiccuping on mana depletion. It would be a little awkward, but manageable.

The problem could be avoided with some reduced reservation, such as an Elder helm affix, Lab helm enchantment, a Hatred version of Aul's Uprising, or spending a couple passive points on reduced reservation nodes. It's a shame Eldritch Battery is too out of the way.

Dread Banner is essentially 13% increased physical damage taken. If at max quality and max stacks when placed, it becomes 19%. Generosity would boost it to 23.7%, but it's no good because then you can't trigger impale yourself and thus no stages earned. It only benefits attackers (so Phantasms and Holy Relic are sad), but can build up stages against bosses unlike War Banner.

Skeleton DPS is 61% physical. So Dread Banner is worth 7.9% more Skeleton damage, or 11.6% when placed at 50 stages. That's 218k / 320k DPS.

The Agony Crawler is 31% physical. So roughly half the effect. Added Fire was 20% of its damage, so we actually take a ~100k DPS loss here.

Zombies are 49% physical. Same issue with Added Fire, a ~40k DPS loss.

If you don't have the option for Added Fire, then this point is moot. But if you do, then the DPS trade-off only nets a small gain that you have to replace a gem for and deal with mana issues.

I wanted it to work, but these numbers aren't favorable. We'll have to see how accurate my mathematical hip-shot is when PoB is updated with the new skills.