3.8 New Queens Escape + Baron - super fast physical skeletons + zombies

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I'm still a bit confused on spectres. I got the monkeys who give you frenzy charges, but once I went to a new map to summon more because some died, it kept summoning the wrong spectres and so I lost all my monkeys. Is there a better way to do this or do I have to keep going back to the riverlands?

If they die, and you cast desecrate in the instance (map) they died in, then you will get a corpse of the spectre that died eventually. Sometimes it takes many desecrates to get this.

If they die, and you leave the map you are in, or start a new map. Then yes, you have to go back to the riverlands to get a low level corpse, then cast desecrate in a high level map until you get a high level corpse.

Once you raise spectres in a high enough level map, they become very hard to kill and often outlast your golem, so they die very very rarely later on.

With this 3.0.2 modification, do we still have to go in a high lvl map to "upgrade" the specter lvl ?

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Spectres no longer have their level reduced to the level of the area they are in. Instead, the level of a Spectre is now based on the lowest of either the level of the monster they were raised from, or the maximum level allowed by the skill gem used. This is now indicated on the skill gem.

They don't lvl to the max possible allowed lvl with the skill gem ?

Another question for the Animated Guardian, i've lost mine (25k life) in the merciless lab (with the big vertical axe), do they still die from here when they're max lvl ?

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With this 3.0.2 modification, do we still have to go in a high lvl map to "upgrade" the specter lvl ?

Yes.

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They don't lvl to the max possible allowed lvl with the skill gem ?

There are three things that can restrict the level of a spectre:
- a low level instance/map (hence a low level corpse)
- a low level raise spectre gem
- A low level desecrate if you are desecrating the corpse

Since most of the time it's easy to get high enough level gems, then it is mostly the level of the corpse that is restricting people, and that's why it get's mentioned the most.

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Another question for the Animated Guardian, i've lost mine (25k life) in the merciless lab (with the big vertical axe), do they still die from here when they're max lvl ?

You got really unlucky there. Using the AG items in the guide, the only thing that killed my guardian was a heavily modded acid lakes boss. You could wait until the AG gem is level 20 before trying again. Though 25K health should be enough to survive merciless lab.

Perhaps the items you added to your animate guardian were poor. Try using this chest piece: https://pathofexile.gamepedia.com/Zahndethus%27_Cassock
and use a decent high block chance shield (eg sentari's answer) + singularity (this combo trades the damage buff of dying breath for the defences of a blind and consecrated ground)
This should ensure the thing never dies to degen effects like bleed.

hey grimlock, thanks again for your detailed answer!

Do you have any updates on your character? Any updates to the final tree? I don't really have any issues capping resists so I'd like to see your tree that has good resists, queen's escape, belly, meginord's, and alberon's warpath.

I saw that you and Catharsis took different routes to get health in your skill trees.

Catharsis: poeurl.com/bQax

Grimlock: www.poeurl.com/bWQX

Can you tell me the difference of the skill trees and why you did it a bit differently? I know that his build does not use zombies and you did not take sentinel because you get your resists from gear. does that mean you have more life than his build from the skill tree alone? Thank you!

Thanks for the specter explaination !
For the guardian, i'm using your guide's item (lvl 16 guardian/minion life gem when he dies), guess it was just a leveling bad luck !

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hey grimlock, thanks again for your detailed answer!

Do you have any updates on your character? Any updates to the final tree? I don't really have any issues capping resists so I'd like to see your tree that has good resists, queen's escape, belly, meginord's, and alberon's warpath.

I saw that you and Catharsis took different routes to get health in your skill trees.

Catharsis: poeurl.com/bQax

Grimlock: www.poeurl.com/bWQX

Can you tell me the difference of the skill trees and why you did it a bit differently? I know that his build does not use zombies and you did not take sentinel because you get your resists from gear. does that mean you have more life than his build from the skill tree alone? Thank you!

You gotta get path of building. You can build his tree, import this tree, and you'll see exactly how much things change when you take different nodes, ascendencies or items. I used it just now to find:

Comparison: at level 93
Catharsis: 228% increased life at level 93, more dexterity, better flasks, more chaos resist, 2 more minion survival nodes
Grimlock: 203% increased life, more strength, more flat life from strength for minions and yourself, 2 more jewel slots, more life regen, +1 max fire resist, more armour multiplier

Grimlock build synergises well with the baron, and does get more flat life from the tree alone, and most likely more life overall assuming similar items.
Catharsis build synergises with Immortalis umbilicus, faster flask usage, dex starved build, and a build that wants to go past elemental equilibrium

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Thanks for the specter explaination !
For the guardian, i'm using your guide's item (lvl 16 guardian/minion life gem when he dies), guess it was just a leveling bad luck !

Probably best to wait until Animate guardian gem is 19 or 20 then.

I just made my first ever 5 link! It doesn't matter if I 5L the belly or the weapon right? My Skeleton warriors are in my 6L tabula and my zombies are in my 5L Queen's escape.

So far I am using 6L tabula and not a Belly. I could get a 5L belly right now though. Is the 5L Belly worth getting even over a 6L tabula rasa? If it is, I will not use my tabula and save up for a belly 5link. I have enough cash at the moment. But if I can do all content with my tabula, then I will. I just doubt that a tabula is safe enough, even with its 6L.

Please critique my gear so far!

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I just made my first ever 5 link! It doesn't matter if I 5L the belly or the weapon right? My Skeleton warriors are in my 6L tabula and my zombies are in my 5L Queen's escape.

So far I am using 6L tabula and not a Belly. I could get a 5L belly right now though. Is the 5L Belly worth getting even over a 6L tabula rasa? If it is, I will not use my tabula and save up for a belly 5link. I have enough cash at the moment. But if I can do all content with my tabula, then I will. I just doubt that a tabula is safe enough, even with its 6L.

Please critique my gear so far!

Ha, Sighlight, I love your enthusiasm. Your build looks great. Definitely a 5 link defensive chest over a 6 link tab rasa. Those defenses are very important for staying alive.

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I just made my first ever 5 link! It doesn't matter if I 5L the belly or the weapon right? My Skeleton warriors are in my 6L tabula and my zombies are in my 5L Queen's escape.

So far I am using 6L tabula and not a Belly. I could get a 5L belly right now though. Is the 5L Belly worth getting even over a 6L tabula rasa? If it is, I will not use my tabula and save up for a belly 5link. I have enough cash at the moment. But if I can do all content with my tabula, then I will. I just doubt that a tabula is safe enough, even with its 6L.

Please critique my gear so far!

Ha, Sighlight, I love your enthusiasm. Your build looks great. Definitely a 5 link defensive chest over a 6 link tab rasa. Those defenses are very important for staying alive.