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

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Sorry if i missed this somewhere but if we decide to use Mon'tregul's Grasp what are the 2 other recommended links besides raise zombie? also any specific gems to put in the shield or just whatever we feel like?

It is buried in here somewhere: The recommendation was to use raise zombie in the body with skeletons to make 2 X 5 links, or to use the helm with zombies, Minion Damage, brutality and melee damage. This would mean the spectres, minion life and blood magic go in the weapon.

desecrate, faster casting, flesh offering in any spare slots I think... Though I'm a fan of bone offering myself.

This will almost certainly change once people find good uses for the new banners.....So yeah, whatever you feel like.

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Also if we have 50% less zombies do you recommend dropping flesh binder and going for another option?

Again, buried in here somewhere are comments that the move speed and damage from puppet master is worth dropping flesh binder, but it would depend on how active you are. If you are not casting minion spells regularly, I'd stick with flesh binder no matter what.

Since we are not stacking block, I haven't heard anyone using Mistress of sacrifice and spamming bone offering, but that would be a nice buff to defences too.

is this build SSF viable? or ist baron etc necessary?

Any news or changes to the build in 3.5 worth noting? Loved playing this as a starter last season :)

I have a strong desire to play something different at league start, but so far I can't bring myself to commit to anything else.

80% chance I start with this one, I won't be min maxing again though. I'm probably aiming for 5l chest/5l weapon, and farming currency to switch later.

They synergy of damage and tankyness + cheap to gear works too well with this build.

Will be interesting to see if someone can incorporate brands or banners with this build. I won't be playing around with them though, I'll just try to play and let someone else spend the time toying around ;)

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is this build SSF viable? or ist baron etc necessary?

For SSF, definitely aim for the shield + mon'treguls version. That means you only have to find a baron and a good body armour. At times people have posted their SSF progress and gear in this thread, those posts should help give you an idea where people ended up.

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I have a strong desire to play something different at league start, but so far I can't bring myself to commit to anything else.

80% chance I start with this one, I won't be min maxing again though. I'm probably aiming for 5l chest/5l weapon, and farming currency to switch later.

They synergy of damage and tankyness + cheap to gear works too well with this build.

Will be interesting to see if someone can incorporate brands or banners with this build. I won't be playing around with them though, I'll just try to play and let someone else spend the time toying around ;)

I totally get it. Last few leagues I've tested dozens (literally) of builds and playstyles, and most of them sucked early or sucked late. Brands and banners are similarly unexciting to play around with (on paper).

For 3.5 I'm pretty excited about going SSF using this abyssal build: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2253282

After you tested it with skelly mages, I tried it with elemental melee skeletons and it works much better. I think it will be super cheap, and with the new Zana abyss mods, should be super easy to min/max as a SSF.

If not going SSF, this was by far the easiest and most brainless trip to level 80 I ever had: Stack minion speed on zombies and SRS: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/2219721

(The thing about SRS is, while enemies are weak, the time you spend standing still and casting them actually increases your clear speed, but once enemies are strong, standing still is too dangerous, and slows down your clearspeed compared with builds that run straight at or through the enemy)

I never spent any currency getting SRS to late game (they fall off too hard to bother), but I used this character to switch to other build like you're planning to do, and it did this job very well.

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Any news or changes to the build in 3.5 worth noting? Loved playing this as a starter last season :)

Not much in the patch notes or new item balances / gems.

The key thing to watch will be the nerfs to phase run. I loved that skill at 80% invisibility, but 50% might be a backbreaking reduction.

The banners will add an option for either mana reservation, or just to plant down when you reach a boss. Dread banner giving fortify and minions chance to impale is worth watching.

Its time! Took today off of work to play from launch on lol, its the little things in life.

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grimlock9999 wrote:

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The key thing to watch will be the nerfs to phase run. I loved that skill at 80% invisibility, but 50% might be a backbreaking reduction.

I'm not noticing any difference really, level 81 now and smashing content filling out the atlas and delving. Play this build as a starter every league and it's so smooth. Thanks for the amazing guide Grim :)

Here's the starter gear for reference, needs some tweaks and some more cash put in