Lightning+Summoner witch build help and advice

Any help and advice would be much appreciated :)

I started followeing a few guides and kinda got lost with my skill tree :)
I can't even find some of the guides I was looking at..

I'm only lvl 24, but I'm afraid I messed up the beginning of my tree :(
Right now I'm going for minion instability.. But would also like to pick up a few hp nodes.. Or should I go CI?

edit 1:
I'm lvl 36 now.. And think my build is struggling a bit in Act 3..
Still don't know if I should go for CI.. Taking minion hp for now..

Here's my skill tree:
Summoner/Lightning witch

Here are my items:


edit 2:
added some minion HP

CI is harder to gear for, since they nerfed CI you need a lot more good es gear to compensate.

Your build looks completely fine atm. nothing wrong.

Thanks, the thing I thought was wrong were those mana nodes at the beginning of witch tree to the right..

Also I have one more question, should I take the extra mana that bandit quest gives me or should I go for a skill point? (or maybe resistance?)

Also should I invest in spectres? And should I use a chromatic orb for my head gear (the unique one)? I need blue sockets :)
I don't know should I go more into lightning dmg or focus more on summoning.. I would like a hybrid, but don't know what skill tree paths to take

I have created that kind of character and i went succesfully to Merciless (now i am progressing in it).

As a guide, these are the things wich made the difference to me:

- You should be doing some damage, until cruel probably you'll be doing the most of it. As a lightning caster with minions you may consider getting some shock nodes (they are near the Minion Instability, and they'll increase damage output, giving a penalty to shocked enemies)

- Vulnerability is a good curse, or Enfeeble if you feel you/minions are taking too much damage

- Take the faster cast nodes, and the generic spell damage, up to the Area bonus. Take also the Undead node near the start. Until you are on higher levels try to take only +hp nodes for your zombies (better when they explode too). When possible give them also a + minions hp gem.
Give the + minion damage to skeletons

- At the beginning use Freezing Pulse as main attack, so you'll help your zombies. As a secondary attack use Spark (it is good when you are not openspace and costs little mana). Attach fork.

- When you get spell totem you can use it with your skeletons BUT it is good also with sparks+fork at the beginning. Until then use decoy totem to explore areas and distract monsters while your minions beat them

- As soon as you have it you can use Arc (it works very well with chain)

- Use auras to get your mana regeneration efficient (so you'll need less potions) but don't level it up too fast or your pool will become too small. I use also a defensive aura (+ energy shield or + elemental resistances)

- I found amusing the use of fire trap... throw them at ranged mobs or in the crowd when your minions are working and they'll "kaboom".
Quite satisfying.

- Spectres can be useful (expecially ranged) only on advanced levels but keep a gem with you and level it up.





Edit: i modified the skill tree, if i remember well i did similarly to this:

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMAAuMHYwelHwIqmCycNsVJslcra9tzU30YghCPRpuhpwjQ0Ngk2QvfsPqASOdnvVWuRKuPplJTPV8tH0yzBAe4kxHbM3aSOM9lVcbub52uGmzkIrUEXcZG193zYG2dgIM4FE2iAPAf

Ps- shoked things die really really fast usually, also linking added lightning damage+spark+fork/chain+eventual spell totem clears entire areas before you can locate your enemies

Wow, thanks for a very detailed answer, this will help me a lot.
Right now I am using Arc with lightning dmg support gem, and using minion life and minion dmg on zombies.. Can't wait to try spell totem, but don't have it yet and also it requires a higher level..

I have Vulnerability and Enfeeble I think, but currently I'm using clarity and sometimes Wrath but then my mana gets too low..
I don't use cold spells cause they shatter corpses.. so I only use Arc now..

Did you kill all bandits to get skill point or did you maybe get the mana thing? I don't know what is better.. I need mana :)
Thanks again for help!! :)

Running a Summoner-Lightning witch myself. (Well, slightly lightning oriented, but ı make use of cold snap and ice nova and firestorm also.)
Here is my build. Doing pretty good. Much fun too :)

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMABToFQgdjDY0RLRHbE54c3B8CIvQqmCycLR8tRzgbO-E9X0GWRKtI51BCUlNVrlcrXfJmT2e9axdr22wLbRlwUnDVc1N2EXyDfjN-r4FJghCEr4dljDaOvo9Gj6aRz5I4m6GcLZ6hpJGnCKcrrrOvm7I4uJPAVMG0xczN-tDQ2QvfsOL35Ozr7vqA

don't get the mana bandit reward the only reward worth getting for a summoner is the 40hp one from oak.

updated skill tree, got minion instability :) next took the near lightning node.. then started to take some ES nodes near beginning of tree.. donno if I should have done that now..

I decided CI is the way to go with the new patch ES buff..
What do you think?

I took 1 hp node, but I guess I can change that latter.

Should I try to get CI as fast as I can or should I take more minion life or ES?
Is it smart to get Arcane focus and Deep wisdom first?
What is more important?


I also traded for Spell Totem to try it out with skellies and maybe Arc..

Conductivity Curse + Wrath Aura = Minion massacre!

This will also boost your own damage considerably and help keep Shock stacked on enemies. Take Static Blows passive (near MI) [Edit: I see you did, good job!]. I use Arc linked with Faster Casting, Lightning Penetration and Elemental Proliferation = awesome. Replace Faster Casting with Mana Leech if you have mana issues. Haste aura is great too if you can run it.

Avoid Crit nodes. Take all Minion nodes. After that it's just HP, ES and possibly some Mana Nodes.

I finished Merciless with 9 deaths total with Lightning Summoner and that was with -60% Chaos Resist. Didn't bother with CI. I also took double Curses so I can run something else with Conductivity (Temporal Chains or Enfeeble = good). Very good build imo.

My Build:

http://www.pathofexile.com/passive-skill-tree/AAAAAgMBAuMHYwelCPQQlxSwGYUaOBpsHwIkqij6KU8qmCycNsU26TlSOjA62EQERnFI50myTblN2E5tVcZXK1gHWpFnvWqsa9tzU3YReLp5A30Yfq-CEILHhWCIQIt6jHaPRpAzkFWTJ5Ugm6Gdrp48n3umrKcIpyunhKh9qsSsmLQMuJO8N7-XwFTBtMk9zLzPZdDQ0_vYJNkL37DjauQi5Ozr7uw47Irub_Ie99f6gA==

I will next finish off my venture into the Templar area as far as Discipline and Training, then probably Inner Force followed by moving towards Unnatural Calm via the Life cluster near there. Leadership is also a possibility.