Stress-Free PoE w/ BONE ZOMBIES! Relax & SSF League Start-End w/ “Any” Items & 1-Button | 3.16
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Well, folks! Thanks for an awesome league! You were all so helpful and kind to each other and me. You make this community a great place and I'm thankful you chose to spend some of your time here :). I've implemented some of your feedback into the new build! More damage and more defence! Hazaa!
You can find 3.17's build here: https://www.pathofexile.com/forum/view-thread/3229386. I'm really excited about the improvements! I played around with them for most of the previous league, and GGG didn't change anything that impacted it! So all these changes are tried, tested, and true. Thanks again for being so great this league! You're all awesome. Good luck with 3.17! I can't wait!
Sooooo...that happened...
Welp! I've had a personal emergency. My house has been beaten up pretty severely by the weather and I won't be able to prioritize my hobby (guide replies) for quite a while. My responses, when I'm able to do them, will likely be infrequent and short. I'll do what I can to be helpful, but just keep in mind my replies will be pretty delayed. Obviously, you all understand, which I'm grateful for, but I apologize anyway as I know how frustrating it can be to have your gameplay "on pause" because of an answer you need but can't find.
Just in case you're worrying, my family and I are in great health. It's just the material stuff that'll take months to repair. So everything is just tickety-boo. :-) (that's means "everything is great") Thank you all for always being so kind and compassionate to everyone in these threads. It really makes these places a safe place to throw ideas and questions around. It also plants seeds of kindness, patience, etc. in people's hearts that they carry to other parts of their life. Anyway, nothing to see here ;). Just setting expectations for you. Have some great sessions for me! WELCOME TO MY BONE ZOMBIES GUIDE :)!
I Have a Path of Exile podcast (Forever Exiled) that You Should Probably Love
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!  This Zombie guide is my oldest (and most seasoned) of all my guides and has withstood the test of every meta change since 3.0. This is a pure physical build where zombies do the only damage. There's plenty of other support minions but the Zombies are the focus. Even though we'll be playing as a Necromancer, we'll be in close-quarter combat with our zombies right beside us, tanking and smashing all the content we come across. All of our minions will survive all content (except for physical reflect) so all you need to do is take care of yourself. This is a well-balanced build for both offence and defence. We ourselves aren't a pure tank, nor a glass cannon; we're a great balance between the two. The only thing we have to do is make sure we're safe while Bone Armour, Bone Offering, Stunning, Taunting, and many other wonderfully automatic mechanics and minion keep us safe. You'll clear the Atlas with a yawn and smile. It's easy 1-button fun! All of my guides revolve around a relaxing playstyle: easy buttons, easy movement, easy thinking...so no button spamming, required button combos, or crazy gear/mods. I just like to sit back and RELAX when I play PoE...while also clearing the content :). I LOVE the old-school dungeon crawlers where you had to be successful with whatever items dropped. So I design my builds to be successful with the same mentality. SSF to the core. No item is required. Every replacement is an improvement. Pure RNG fun :).
Don't Be Dumb...
Now don't go being a Cotton Headed Ninny Muggins and think that because this build doesn't require any specific items 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?
- BONE ZOMBIES 3.16 Example Video. - My personal character's gear. (I follow my own guides. I only post what I play. So if something's different, it's just cause I'm trying something out. This is a different account than my PC account. I typically play on console.) - PoEPlanner's link. (Follow it for automatic updates (if I make any changes).) - I don't use Path of Building, but everyone else seems to. You can download PoB here and use this Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/AXfckw4T. For those with similar limitations to mine, I can play this build on both PC and Console. (Thanks Tagz for always being willing to figure out the Wiki with me.) A Couple Quick Notes:
Why My Builds Are the Way They Are
All of my builds revolve around my medical situation and my love of old-school dungeon crawling (which in PoE Land we call Solo Self Found). So if you're curious about why I design my builds the way I do (the limitations I revolve around), I explain it all in my One Stop Shop. (I have multiple guides. So some information is easier to explain in one location rather than many.)
A Quick Note Players new to Path of Exile
Welcome! PoE is a really in-depth game. Its million different mechanics work together in 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.) The Build:
Gem Links
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 - Stun Support - Ruthless Support
Main Skill Explained
Zombies are our main skill. They are the type of minion that once raised, follow you around. Zombies don't have a duration but stay raised until they die. We've included lots of survivability for them in the tree and they'll survive 99% of the content you come across.
Because of Brutality, our minions only do physical damage and nothing else. So if you add any type of element or chaos damage to your minions, it'll be pointless and do 0 damage (though sometimes those mods come incidentally). All of the supports are self-explanatory. They buff melee physical damage which is the type of damage our zombies do; they Attack Melee style. There are stronger options than Stun and Meat Shield. They are there for the defence (with offensive upside). Stun is a pretty interesting mechanic. Our build deals a lot less damage than it could in order to stun but the survivability of stunning enemies is, in my opinion, invaluable. Stun Support basically lowers the amount of damage an enemy needs to take to get stunned, and Ruthless Support increases the duration of the stun (on a Ruthless hit). Though Ruthless only deals damage on the third hit, because we have multiple minions, that third hit will happen quite frequently. 3 Link, 1 Socket - Spectres (& an "Aura") (Socket in your Helmet) Raise Spectre - Maim Support - Minion Life Support Pride or Summon Skitterbots
Spectres (& an Aura) Explained
(We socket this in our helmet because eventually there are mods that increase the level of socketed minion gems. Those mods are mostly specific to helmets.) (It doesn't matter if you have Pride linked here. But Skitterbots should be separated. Skitterbots are technically minions. So the mana multiplier of any minion support gem will increase the amount of mana Skitterbots reserves. Pick one of the two skills to place here.)
Spectres are a beast of a subject. They can be as offensive/defensive/supportive as you like. Hundreds of enemies in the game can be summoned to help in the way that you wish. I like to use them as supports which is why I have the support gems listed. Minion Life kinda makes sense doesn't it ;). I just want them to live and be supportive. Maim isn't actually for the Spectres (though you can take advantage of that if you want). When an enemy is maimed by our spectres, they take increased physical damage. So that increases our Zombie damage :). Now, whether you choose to have these minions support you or your allies is up to you. Feel free to min/max this to your heart's content of course. Feel free to discuss within the community via this thread what support combos people come up with! There's isn't enough space in this guide to fully explain Spectres. The options are infinite. So I'll only be answering questions about Spectres regarding the suggestions that I make. But please please please feel free to discuss the infinite options at your disposal with everyone else. Spectres don't have a duration (like zombies) and are amazing. There are so many options to consider. Too many. So I use this site here for help. It shows monster damage types, life pools, where to find them...it's great. If you care to find your own Spectres, remember to look for physical damage minions. Remember, you can mix and match, you don't have to have all of your spectres as the same type. For Spectres, these are the three options I like to suggest (out of the hundreds): - If you want your minions to be like all the other minions (and not feel left out) and just deal lots of sweet damage themselves, try Kitava Heralds. They are those awesome-looking big winged demons you start seeing in the Cathedral Rooftops and Feeding Trough (in acts 5 and 10 respectively). They deal lots of physical damage. - For those that want to keep themselves and keep their allies a little more safe, try the Undying Evangelists. They provide temporary Proximity Shields around themselves that protect themselves and allies within the shield of any projectiles. They can be found in the Sceptre of God and Upper Sceptre of God in Act 3 and The Grand Promenade in Act 8. - If you want to buff your allies, the big monkey things found in the Riverways in both Acts 2 and 6. They're called Stygian Silverbacks. They have a Mass Frenzy skill that gives THEIR nearby allies frenzy charges! One of my favourite thing about Spectres is that we don't have to raise them every time we login :). Just like zombies. Now, feel free to replace these gems based on your choices. IF THE PROSPECT OF SPECTRES MAKES YOU BONKERS don't worry. It doesn't have to be min/maxed. You can be very care-free with this and still have the build function perfectly. Pick one of the three suggested Spectres and then ignore it. Easy peasy. 4 Link - Bonus Survivability (Socket in Gloves or Boots) Void Sphere (Level 1) - Hextouch Support - Vulnerability - Culling Strike Support (Level 1)
Bonus Survivability Explained
(Void Sphere and Culling Strike are at level one because we don't gain a benefit from higher levels (for this build). So they aren't worth increasing our mana cost for no reason.)
Though Void Sphere has a long cooldown, the build's design isn't that you constantly cast it. Just cast it when you need the help. Void Sphere sucks in non-unique enemies for some great crowd control (and getting everyone together for a big Zombie Slam party) but it also constantly pulses which is the part of the skill that's Hits. Those constant Hits apply our curse and will kill the enemy with Culling Strike (when applicable). 4-Link - Offering and Phasing (Socket in Gloves or Boots) Cast When Damage Taken (Level 7) - Desecrate (Level 1) - Bone Offering (Level 12) - Withering Step (Level 1)
Offering and Phasing Explained
(Both level 1 skills are at level 1 because we get everything we need from the first level of the gem. Nothing about those perks improves with gem level so we may as well save the mana costs. CwDT is a level 7 because we don't want it casting too often, yet we want it casting enough ;). So the CwDT threshold is once we've taken 1000 total damage. Bone Offering is as high as it can level without exceeding the CwDT trigger range.)
CwDT automatically casts linked spells. Linked spells can't be self-casted. (For this set of links it's optimal to have CwDT on one of the end links and Desecrate right after it. This will ensure that Desecrate casts before the offering skill. BUT it's not important at all. There are almost always corpses around. I don't reroll socket colours to get this.) Desecrate guarantees Corpses for our Offering Skill. Bone Offering consumes corpses to provide Block chance to our minions! And thanks to the Mistress of Sacrifice ascendancy node, this block chance impacts us as well (but at a reduced value). We'll be taking a Keystone on the tree that doubles our block chance but increases the damage we take from blocks. Normally when a block happens, we take 0 damage. With this build, because of the Glancing Blows node we'll take on the tree, we'll have a good amount of block chance, but we'll be taking 65% of the damage a blocked hit would have given. It sounds like a big negative deal, but it's not. Think of it this way, it's like a Fortify Support that gives 35% damage reduction for ALL types of hits (instead of Fortify's 20%) and it applies to you AND your minions. Sweet. BONE ZOMBIES! Withering Step step is only there for the Phasing (from the Elusive buff). Phasing is huge for survivability for me. 2-Link, 1 Socket - Golem, Bonus Offence, & Aura (Socket in your Weapon) Summon Carrion Golem - Feeding Frenzy Support Pride or Summon Skitterbots
Golem, Bonus Offence, & Aura Explained
(It doesn't matter if you have Pride linked here. But Skitterbots should be separated. Skitterbots are technically minions. So the mana multiplier of any minion support gem will increase the amount of mana Skitterbots reserves. Pick one of the two skills to place here.)
You can honestly use whichever golem you like. Whichever golem you choose, it'll be a great support. We always want our golem out because it applies some nice survivability bonus to us for free...along with buffing our minions' offence. It gives ALL OUR MINIONS the Feeding Frenzy buff which gives them increases to damage, movement speed, and attack speed. It also makes the linked minion Aggressive. (Aggressive just means they don't stay as close to you and are more eager to kill stuff.) 3-Link - Optional Auras (Socket in your Shield) Arrogance Support Vitality Clarity
Optional Auras Explained
So, Arrogance is a lifesaver that has a heavy cost...life :). It makes the linked auras reserve life instead of mana at twice the normal cost. So both Vitality and Clarity will reserve around 1000- flat life. That's a lot. So that's why it's optional. You can choose to use one aura, both, none, switch between them...play around with it and see what you like.
Both Vitality and Clarity reserve a flat amount of mana/life, not a percentage. 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 :).) 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.
Passive Tree
- PoEPlanner's link. (Follow it for automatic updates (if I make any changes).)
- I don't use Path of Building, but everyone else seems to. You can download PoB here and use this Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/AXfckw4T. Here's 3.16's passive tree. (You'll get a nice clear picture if you click on it.)  Mastery List Selections: Take them in whatever order you wish, though these are in the order I take them in. Minion Defence Mastery: - Minions Leech 1% of Damage as Life - Minions have +8% to all maximum Elemental Resistances Minion Offence Mastery: - Minions Attacks Overwhelm 20% Physical Damage Reduction - 20% increased effect of Offerings - Minions have a 100% increased Critical Strike Chance
Ascendancy
As you go through the game you'll come across Trials of Ascendancy. Starting in Act 3 you'll see their value. Once you have completed all 6 of the first set of trails, you'll get to attempt your first Labyrinth (lab). Good luck! Upon completion Choose Necromancy. You get two ascendancy points per lab. There are four labs for a total of 8 points. (Redoing the same lab difficulty will not reward you with more ascendancy points if you've already completed it.)
You can spend your points in any order you like. My preference is as follows: - 1st Two Points - Mistress of Sacrifice. Part of our core defence that's coupled with the Glancing Blows Keystone on the three. Having our Bone Offering impact us is the only reason I chose Bone Offering. This essentially makes all of our blocks like a super-strong Fortify. - 2nd Two Points - Mindless Aggression. Increases Minion Damage, Movement Speed, and Attack/Cast Speed. - 3rd Two Points - Bone Barrier. This is a busy node. It gives us physical damage reduction, increased life recovery rate per minion up, and it gives our minions more life. Most importantly, it also gives us a free skill, Bone Armour (explained in the "gem" section). Free is nice. It can be manually cast after you assign it a button. This is one of our Active skills. - 4th Two Points - Unnatural Strength. This increases the level of ALL of our minion skill gems by 2; even their maximum level (which is VERY powerful). Minion gems get stronger and stronger the higher their level. This is our strongest offensive node. **Unnatural Strength doesn't change the level requirement required to equip/trigger the gem. So it won't impact CwDT. When looking at the gem in-game, CwDT will use the gem level that is written in White Text, while the actual gem level is in Blue Text. 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.
Gear
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 or a staff or something. 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. - 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. 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?
My Dream Mods
Here's an example of some of the mods and gear I'd eventually aim for. Since this is Path of Exile, there are obviously a million different combos of mods that would work for any build. So don't think that this is the best or only combo of mods to aim for. This is just my preference for "non-fancy" gear as an example of what I'd aim for Endgame. So these aren't influenced, Delve specific, Essence mods, or anything. Just easy crafting or normal rolls. So obviously you can maximize this even more. Also, these are unrealistic goals as all these mods are tier 1 rolls. (The # at the beginning of each mod is the item level that T1 mod starts rolling at. The # at the beginning of each item is the map level that base-type starts dropping at.) Anyway, here you go:
(72) Convoking Wand(s) (Only drops in the region Valdo's Rest): Implicit: - Can roll Minion Modifiers Prefix: - (84) - Minions deal (75–79)% increased Damage - (80) - Minions deal (35–39)% increased Damage/+(42–45) to maximum Mana - (60) - +1 to Level of all Minion Skill Gems Suffix: - (83) - Minions have (23–25)% increased Attack Speed/Minions have (23–25)% increased Cast Speed - (82) - Minions have (37–40)% increased maximum Life - (40) - Minions have (26–30)% increased Movement Speed (64) Ezomyte Tower Shield: Implicit: - +(30-40) to maximum Life Prefix: - (73) - +(100–109) to maximum Life - (80) - +2 to Level of Socketed Support Gems - (62) - +(43–95) to Armour/+(29–33) to maximum Life Suffix: - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (81) - +(31–35)% to Chaos Resistance - (81) - Regenerate (1–1.1)% of Life per second (73) Bone Helmet (Only drops in the region Lira Arthain): Implicit: - Minions deal (15-20)% increased Damage Prefix: - (64) - +(90–99) to maximum Life - (86) - +3 to Level of Socketed Minion Gems - (60) - +1 to maximum number of Raised Zombies/+1 to maximum number of Skeletons Suffix: - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (81) - +(31–35)% to Chaos Resistance - (68) - Minions have (16–20)% increased maximum Life Chest: Prefix: - (86) - +(120–129) to maximum Life - (60) - (5–8)% increased maximum Life/(5–8)% increased maximum Mana Suffix: - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (81) - +(31–35)% to Chaos Resistance Gloves: Prefix: - (54) - +(80–89) to maximum Life - (40) - Minions deal (10–20)% increased Damage - (81) - +(36–40) to maximum Life/Regenerate 4 Mana per second Suffix: - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (81) - +(31–35)% to Chaos Resistance (70) Fugitive Boots (Only drops is the region Lira Arthain): Prefix: - (54) - +(80–89) to maximum Life - (81) - (18–20)% increased Movement Speed/Cannot be Chilled - (46) - +(11–15) to maximum Energy Shield/+(24–28) to maximum Life Suffix: - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (81) - +(31–35)% to Chaos Resistance (74) Marble Amulet (Only drops in the region Haewark Hamlet): Implicit: - Regenerate (1.2-1.6)% of Life per second Prefix: - (54) - +(80–89) to maximum Life - (81) - +(36–40) to maximum Life/Regenerate 4 Mana per second - Something cool :) Suffix: - (85) - +(33–35) to all Attributes - (82) - +(51–55) to Dexterity - (60) - Minions have (18–22)% increased Movement Speed (80) Vermillion Rings (Only drops in the region Glennach Cairns regions): Implicit: - (5-7)% increased maximum Life Prefix: - (44) - +(70–79) to maximum Life - (81) - +(36–40) to maximum Life/Regenerate 4 Mana per second - Something Cool :) Suffix: - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (81) - +(31–35)% to Chaos Resistance - (60) - Minions have (18–22)% increased Movement Speed (1) Stygian Vise (Belt): Implicit: - Has 1 Abyssal Socket Prefix: - (64) - +(90–99) to maximum Life - (81) - +(36–40) to maximum Life/Regenerate 4 Mana per second - Something Cool :) Suffix: - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (84) - +(46–48)% to Fire/Cold/Lightning Resistance - (81) - +(31–35)% to Chaos Resistance Flasks: - I'll get back to you after playing around with 3.16 for a bit. Weapon Mods: - Anything Minion (Increasing the gem level of your minions will be the strongest mod you can find. (Zombies are increased by both Minion and Physical gem increases.)) - 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 (Increasing the gem level of your minions will be the strongest mod you can find. (Zombies are increased by both Minion and Physical gem increases.)) - 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).***
My Filters
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!
Pantheon
Choose any you like. Use them to fill holes in the build, something that helps the build fit your style of play, make your favourite part of the build stronger...whatever you want. I personally bounce around with them all the time.
Bandits
With the Bandits in Act 2, I kill them all for the extra 2 skill points. You, of course, do what you like.
Attributes
You'll get most of the attributes that you require to use your gems from the tree. You'll need a little bit of Dexterity that we don't get from the tree.
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: 252 Your Gems Need: Strength: 155 Dexterity: 68 Intelligence: 155
Uniques/Jewels/Anointments...
Uniques, Jewels, Anointments, and the many other tidbits that can modify a vanilla build, are amazing. I LOVE what they bring to a build. I use them in my builds all the time. But I don't include them in my guides because I want my guides to rely on as little as possible to function properly and efficiently. But don't be scared to add your own twists into the build! Add any of the above to your build and see how it goes! Weigh the pros and cons of your choices and have a great time testing things IN-GAME. It's what games like PoE are all about.
Now, as I'm sure you know, in PoE even a small change to a build can have massive ramifications. So, in terms of the guide, feel free to make any changes you like, chat about it tons in the forum, but I'll only be answering questions regarding the guide, not theory-crafting options. https://www.ForeverExiled.com/: Forever Exiled, A Path of Exile Podcast Last edited by Wrecker_of_Days#7691 on Jan 28, 2022, 6:13:38 PM Last bumped on Feb 9, 2022, 9:19:56 PM
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Extra Info:
Gameplay (How the Build Functions When It's All Setup)
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), block chance (Bone Offering and Glancing Blows), Phasing (Withering Step), support skills (like Void Sphere and Vitality), Spectres (if you so choose), stunning enemies, and having our zombies taunt. With this build, you walk around while your zombies stun and kill everything. Just be safe. If you feel like panicking, hit Void Sphere and phase away. It's really easy. Offence: Our zombies can do all content and once raised; everything else is support. Our zombies, because of 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. Pride makes enemies take more damage the longer they are within the Pride aura (which is large), while Skitterbots run around and shock and chill everything. You don't have to worry about their proximity. Pride fills almost the whole screen (of a normal monitor/screen size). 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 it's assigned to 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, Void Sphere is a lifesaver when used occasionally. It'll suck all non-unique enemies to its centre while also checking for Culling Strike chances and making enemies take more damage (via the curse it applies). You'll get used to the cooldown. It's a fun occasional skill and the only other "click" we have outside of Bone Armour. 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.
Levelling
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.)
Where to Get All the Gems You'll Need
There are two NPCs that sell all purchasable gems: the first one is Siosa in the Library in Act 3 (you have to do his quest first (the Library is connected to The Imperial Gardens)), the second NPC is Lilly Roth in Act 6 (Do her quest in Act 6).
Act 1 - Enemy at the Gate - Reward - Level 1 - Raise Zombie Act 1 - The Caged Brute - Reward - Level 10 - Clarity Act 1 - The Caged Brute - Purchase - Level 10 - Vitality Act 1 - The Caged Brute - Purchase - Level 10 - Withering Step Act 1 - The Siren’s Cadence - Purchase - Level 12 - Bone Offering Act 2 - Intruders in Black - Reward - Level 16 - Desecrate Act 2 - The Root of the Problem - Purchase - Level 16 Summon Skitterbots Act 2 - Sharp and Cruel - Purchase - Level 18 - Culling Strike Support Act 2 - Sharp and Cruel - Purchase - Level 18 - Melee Physical Support Act 2 - Sharp and Cruel - Purchase - Level 18 - Minion Life Support Act 3 - Lost in Love - Purchase - Level 24 - Pride Act 3 - Sever the Right Hand - Reward - Level 28 - Raise Spectre Act 3 - A Fixture of Fate - Reward - Level 31 - Meat Shield Support Act 3 - A Fixture of Fate - Purchase - Level 1 - Ruthless Support Act 3 - A Fixture of Fate - Purchase - Level 8 - Stun Support Act 3 - A Fixture of Fate - Purchase - Level 14 - Vulnerability Act 3 - A Fixture of Fate - Purchase - Level 28 - Maim Support Act 3 - A Fixture of Fate - Purchase - Level 31 - Arrogance Support Act 3 - A Fixture of Fate - Purchase - Level 31 - Feeding Frenzy Support Act 4 - Breaking the Seal - Reward - Level 34 - Summon Carrion Golem Act 4 - Breaking the Seal - Purchase - Level 34 - Void Sphere Act 4 - The Eternal Nightmare - Purchase - Level 38 - Cast when Damage Taken Act 4 - The Eternal Nightmare - Purchase - Level 38 - Hextouch Support Act 6 - Fallen from Grace - Purchase - Level 38 - Brutality Support (Let me know if you see any errors in the list.) - 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. 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!
Endgame Mods to Avoid
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 and No Mana Regen. 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.
Media (Videos/Filters/Tools/Links/Social Media)
- Here's BONE ZOMBIES 3.16 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 and Build Links: - 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.) - PoEPlanner's link. (Follow it for automatic updates (if I make any changes).) - I don't use Path of Building, but everyone else seems to. You can download PoB here and use this Pastebin: https://pastebin.com/AXfckw4T. Curiosity:
Change Log (for returning players)
Well, that was unexpected...what a 3.16 reveal!
- I added Stun to Zombies in the fashion of Stunn Support and Ruthless. - The tree had to be completely rebuilt because of the 3.16 changes. - I added Void Sphere as our "click" in place of Shield Charge because 1) I like it more, and 2) GGG changed Fortify. Void Sphere is now our applier of Culling Strike and Vulnerability. - Because Culling Strike moved, I've made our Spectres the ones who Maim now. - I modified the gem levels of utility skills so they weren't costing as much mana. - I replaced Flesh and Stone with Skitterbots so we don't have to worry about proximity as much. It's also the same damage output and has the chill perk. - We phase when our offering goes off with Withering Step. - The Bone Offering links trigger at a damage threshold of 1000 now. - Replaced the Chaos Golem with the Carrion. - I'll be updating my flask preferences in the Dream Mods section once I've played around with the new flask mods in 3.16. That's not much, hey? Love ya!
Build History
3.15 - Stress-Free PoE :-) | BONE ZOMBIES: No Required Items, 1-Button Play, SSF League Start-End | 3.15
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). Replies: Awesome! So if you have any questions about the guide or build, let me know and I'll respond the best I can. Don't feel embarrassed or shy. Ask anything you like. It's easy to miss/overlook details in the guide or on the wiki. Likely someone else wants to know the answer too :). Plus, I may have missed putting something valuable in the guide. A Few Things to Note: - I'll reply to questions and comments related to the posted guide, not to personal modifications. I have no problem at all with people changing the build up and "making it their own". I even partially design the guides to be easily accommodating in that sense. BUT in PoE, small changes are big changes. It may not seem like much, but the chain reactions of any change to a build (both in the theoretical sense and its impact on actual gameplay) are always farther reaching than we think. I don't want to miss something in my advice on changes you're making if I haven't played with it in-game myself. So I'm not trying to discourage you from trying things out or making it your own by any means. Just do so at your own risk. If it doesn't work out for you, just revert back to the guide and you'll be dancing :). - I likely won't have time to evaluate characters (sorry!). I'll do what I can but it may not be feasible sometimes. Hopefully, the gear and levelling sections along with the tips in the One Stop Shop are helpful enough so you know what to look for on your items and how to improve them. - Feel free to respond to other players' posts! The more that's out there, the more we learn. Please be kind, respectful, and theoretical (not a Know-It-All) when helping others out. I will happily respond to questions but please note that I have multiple guides and I'd like to respond to each poster equally. I’ll do my best to get back to you as quickly as possible but set your expectations that I'll respond to each guide once a week. Also, I have to remind myself all the time that everything in real life should always be more important than Path of Exile :(. So I'll try to respond when I can (cause I want to!) but only when it's appropriate to do so. Finally, The End: Here's a list of my other guides if you're interested :). OH! Don't forget, to support GGG by buying a skin for all your favourite skills you use. They last forever, you look rad, and it keeps PoE going too :). Double OH! I make a new thread every league for every guide I do. So all the comments, questions, and answers you read are all relevant for this current expansion. (At the end of a league I post links in the previous guide to guide players to the newest rendition of the build.) Tripple Oh! Please let me know if you see any errors. I'll fix them as soon as possible! K. Done. Happy gaming :). https://www.ForeverExiled.com/: Forever Exiled, A Path of Exile Podcast Last edited by Wrecker_of_Days#7691 on Oct 28, 2021, 4:45:56 PM
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mine
https://www.ForeverExiled.com/: Forever Exiled, A Path of Exile Podcast
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mine
https://www.ForeverExiled.com/: Forever Exiled, A Path of Exile Podcast
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This guide has great bones!
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Love this build. It's always my most successful character.
What do you think of swapping Tempest Shield in for the Skitterbots? Now that TS provides spellblock and shock immunity, it seems like it might be good. The only downside I can see is elemental reflect maps become an issue if we level it up. |
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I love this build. I've been watching and waiting for the update cause it's just so fluid and easy to run.
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"Ha! aeiouy87, you've won my heart with your pun ;). "Awesome PolarisNC! That's kind of you to say :). I'm glad it suits you so well! I like the changes to Tempest Shield a lot! I still like the damage boost from Skitterbots personally, but the extra Spell Block would be nice. "Thanks SurrealSadi! I'm glad I was able to get the build out nice and early for you this time around. Thanks for the kind words! I really appreciate it :). https://www.ForeverExiled.com/: Forever Exiled, A Path of Exile Podcast
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Hey Wrecker
Great build yet again :) Nothing beats the fluidity of running around just relaxing and killing things, 1 button all the way :) My goto build for every league start , and man scourge is looking awesome , cant wait to melt my way through, with coffee in hand and bone armour on movement :) |
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Hey Wrecker_of_Days, love your guides man. You have the most well written guides in the forum imo.
I have been planning to try necromancer play style and this guide is just want I need. I have few questions if you may, - How far can this build go in terms of end game build and how much currency do you recon it will? - And which currency farming method, you think will be best for this build? Bossing/Mapping/Delving? Delirium/Blight/Breach/Beyond? Again thank you for the amazing guide. |
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