SRS Baron
Witch/Necromancer
Starter build

OUTDATED  BUILD, PLEASE CHECK THIS GUIDE FOR UPDATED ONE

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Estimated budget: low to medium

Summon Raging Spirit (SRS) based builds are extremely easy and fun to play. Summon Ragin Spirits has a very low gear requirement and allows players to reach mid-tier mapping on around 1 Exalted Orb budget. We want to present our version of the build with several alternative item choices and little tweaks to buff up both your damage and survivability.

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1. Gameplay

Playing an SRS Necromancer is all about casting (well, spamming might be a better word) the Summon Raging Spirits Spell and avoiding enemy attacks. SRS is a minion-type spell, that summons extremely fast flaming skulls that act like homing missiles - chasing down your enemies all around the screen. Raging Spirits last only for 5 seconds, so you do have to recast it frequently, as well as, take Passives that increase Skill Effect Duration. For the defenses, this build utilizes high Life Pool, and Meat Shield Zombies, which will prioritize enemies that are targetting you. Also, the new Plaguebringer Passive reduces nearby enemies damage by 10% if there is a Corpse nearby

0:06 Tier 16 Pit of the Chimera 0:29 Tier 16 Maze of the Minotaur 0:57 Tier 16 Forge of the Phoenix 1:37 Tier 17 Uber Elder This video was recorded on a level 90 Necromancer using a Crafted Rare Staff and the Baron Helmet in Patch 3.8

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

SRS builds are extremely easy to level up. Summon Raging Spirits Spell is accessible very early into the game, and will not require any gear to carry you on till Act 10.  If you are starting a new League, and certain leveling items are unavailable (or very expensive) during the first days, you can easily get a +1 to the level of socketed Fire Gems wand using the following vendor recipe:

1. Magic wand (for example Goat's Horn with increased spell damage) - this can't be of normal or rare quality
2. Ruby ring of any rarity
3. Orb of Alteration

Rest of the items can be easily self-found. You should aim for rares and blues with high Life and resistance bonuses. Below the Gem setups, we have also listed several useful uniques for the build. 

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Raise Zombie setup
	Raise Zombie - slow but very tanky Minions that help you stay alive while casting SRS
	Minion Life Support - one of the best defensive Support Gems for your zombies
	Fortify Support - another decent defensive Support Gem which also increases your Zombie's DPS
	Minion Speed Support - quite useful for the Zombies, which makes them intercept enemies faster

Summon Raging Spirit setup
	Summon Raging Spirit - your main DPS spell, that you will be using starting at level 4. Socket it into the +1 to Fire Gems wand, and if you manage to get Reverberation wand, socket it there
	Minion Damage Support - well-round offensive Support Gem for your Minions
	Melee Physical Damage Support - Raging Spirits use Melee Attacks, this is a significant DPS boost for them
	Melee Splash Support - grants extra AoE damage

Auras
	Clarity - grants increased Mana Regeneration which might be extremely useful on lower levels
	Hatred - a great DPS boost to all your minions. This is also the end-game Aura we suggest using, so leveling it up as soon as possible is a recommended (it becomes available at level 24)

Bandits:
You should kill all the Bandits for two additional Passive Skill Points

Leveling Skill Trees:

34 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Lord of the Dead 2) Enduring Bond 3) Quick Recovery 4) Aligned Spirits 5) Potency of Will

69 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Gravepact 2) Devotion 3) Righteous Army

Recommended leveling items:

Sidhebreath - a very cheap Amulet that helps a lot with Mana Management. It also provides fantastic DPS bonuses. Can be used until you reach end-game, so it's worth investing in
(20-30)% increased Mana Regeneration Rate +25% to Cold Resistance 0.2% of Physical Attack Damage Leeched as Mana Minions have (10-15)% increased maximum Life Minions have (10-15)% increased Movement Speed (15-10)% reduced Mana Cost of Minion Skills Minions deal (10-15)% increased Damage

Reverberation Rod - Supports Socketed Spells with Spell Echo. It is pretty much the best leveling Wand for any SRS build. In case you can't afford one, or it's not available during first days of the League, try to get Spell Echo at level 31 and put it in another four-linked item, or the +1 Wand
(15-19)% increased Spell Damage +1 to Level of Socketed Gems Socketed Gems are Supported by level 1 Spell Echo +(10-30) to Intelligence

Midnight Bargain - another decent leveling wand. It provides a lot of bonuses. However, it reserves 30% of your Life. Use only if you have no problems with staying alive
(22-26)% increased Spell Damage +(10-20) to Intelligence Minions have (10-20)% increased Movement Speed Minions deal (10-30)% increased Damage +1 to maximum number of Zombies +1 to maximum number of Skeletons +1 to maximum number of Spectres Reserves 30% of Life Cannot be used with Chaos Inoculation

Praxis - a great leveling spell-casters Ring. Will help you maintain your Mana throughout the earlier levels

+(20-25) to maximum Mana +(30-60) to maximum Mana (3-6) Mana Regenerated per second -(8-4) to Mana Cost of Skills 8% of Damage taken gained as Mana over 4 seconds when Hit

Astramentis - it's one of the best leveling Amulets, as long as you can afford it. It provides unmatched attribute boost and is also one of the best amulet-slot options for builds with The Baron equipped
+(10-16) to all Attributes +(80-100) to all Attributes -4 Physical Damage taken from Attacks

Tabula Rasa - it is always a good leveling option if you can afford it. SRS might cost a lot of Mana in a six-link setup. However, you should be fine to build a powerful Zombie setup in the Tabula Rasa (with possibly some additional DPS Support Gems as well)
Item has no level requirement and Energy Shield (Hidden) Item has 6 White Sockets and is fully linked (Hidden)

4. Final Skill tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

115 Points Skill Tree
115 Points Path of Building(PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Mindless Aggression
2. Unnatural Strength
3. Mistress of Sacrifice
4. Plaguebringer

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of the Brine King You cannot be Stunned if you've been Stunned or Blocked a Stunning Hit in the past 2 seconds

Minor God: Soul of Gruthkul 1% additional Physical Damage Reduction for each Hit you've taken Recently up to a maximum of 5%

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] SRS setup (socketed in the Staff with + to Gem levels)
	Summon Raging Spirit - your core DPS. You need to recast it frequently since Raging Spirits have a limited duration
	Minion Damage Support - well-round offensive Support Gem for all Minions
	Melee Physical Damage Support - another excellent Support Gem for SRS
	Unleash Support - stores extra Charges and when you cast Raging Spirits, more Spirits are created for each Charge
	Melee Splash Support - gives your Raging Spirits AoE which greatly enhances your clear speed
	Empower Support - can increase your Summon Raging Spirits by up to 7 levels if you can invest in level 4 Empower and the +2 Craft

[UTILITY] Flesh Offering/Desecrate/Curse
	Flesh Offering - gives your Minions (and also yourself with reduced effect) a very high bonus to Movement, Attack, and Cast Speed when you consume a Corpse
	Desecrate - creates piles of Corpses which you can use to Raise Zombies, cast Flesh Offering or just benefit from Plaguebringer
	Punishment - the best Curse for this build which increases your Minions Physical Damage and Attack Speed
	Faster Casting Support - increases the Cast Speed of all Supported Spells. It's very useful since all three need to be cast manually

[DEFENSE] Raise Zombie setup (in Body Armour)
	Raise Zombie - they play an exactly same role as during leveling phase. We just add Meat Shield Support to make them more defensive and stay close to you
	Minion Life Support
	Fortify Support
	Maim Support - this Gem will make your Zombies apply a debuff on monsters, that will increase Physical Damage they receive, hence increasing damage dealt by your Raging Spirits. Maim also slows down affected enemies
	Meat Shield Support - makes your Zombies defensive and reduces their damage taken
	Deathmark Support - increases your Zombies Damage, and allows you to Deathmark enemies which will override your Zombies defensive behavior and have them Attack the market target. This is preferably used against tougher Bosses

[UTILITY] Auras
	Hatred - the best offensive aura for this Summon Raging Spirits build
	Dread Banner - gives your Minions a chance to Impale on Hit, which is a slight DPS buff, but also reduces nearby enemies' Accuracy Rating
	Generosity Support - this Support Gem improves the effect of linked Auras and makes them only affect your Minions

[MOBILITY] Leap Slam
	Leap Slam - the recommended Movement Skill for this build. Since you also benefit from Increases to Minions Attack Speed, it's quite fast

[UTILITY] Carrion Golem
	Summon Carrion Golem - the best Golem for Minion builds which gives them extra flat Physical Damage
	Cast when Damage Taken - will automatically resummon your Golem when you take enough damage
	Steelskin - great Guard Skill which absorbs a lot of incoming damage when triggered by CwDT GEm

5. Gear Setup

Let's get down to the most interesting part of our guide. Before we start, you might want to visit our PoE Currency Marketplace and restock your PoE Orbs. Also, all the suggested items have the minimum requirements listed underneath.

We guarantee that our list will:

1. Cap your resistances 
2. Give you enough DPS and Life to start mapping successfully
3. Save you at least a couple of hours!

(Helmet) The Baron - one of the best Helmets for this build. If you chose to go with The Baron make sure to stack as much Strength as possible on your equipment

+(20-40) to Strength +2 to Level of Socketed Minion Gems Minions have 20% increased maximum Life Your Strength is added to your Minions +1 to maximum number of Zombies per 300 Strength With 1000 or more Strength, 2% of Damage dealt by your Zombies is Leeched to you as Life

(Helmet) Rare Helmet - with Bone Helmet being the best option. It can increase your Minion Damage globally and provide high defensive stats

Min. requirements: 75 maximum Life 75% Total Elemental Resistances 18% Minion Damage

Helmet enchantment: Summon Raging Spirit has 18% chance to summon an extra Minion Summon Raging Spirit has 30% increased Duration

(Body Armour) Rare Armour - offers solid defensive stats and additional Strength. You can use pretty much anything you want in this slot

Min. requirements: 40 Strength 100 maximum Life 40% Fire Resistance 40% Cold Resistance

(Weapon) Femurs of the Saints - offers most of the stats we need in the weapon slot including +2 to the level of Minion Gems Socketed. It's also very cheap

+18% Chance to Block Attack Damage while wielding a Staff +2 to Level of Socketed Minion Gems Minions deal (60-80)% increased Damage +1% Chance to Block Attack Damage per Summoned Skeleton 2% increased Attack and Cast Speed per Summoned Raging Spirit Regenerate 0.6% of Life per second for each Raised Zombie 30% increased Mana Regeneration Rate per Raised Spectre

(Weapon) Rare multi-crafted Staff - this is the best in the slot. Self-crafting one shouldn't cost more than 5 Exalted Orbs, but this still will be considered the most expensive item in this build

Min. requirements: +2 Levels to Socketed Support Gems Socketed Gems are Supported by level # Fortify 20% Cast Speed Minions deal 60% Increased Damage Minions have 25% Increased Attack Speed Minions have 25% Increased Cast Speed

(Boots) Rare Boots - again, prioritize defensive stats, Strength, and Movement Speed bonus

Min. requirements: Strength 70 maximum Life 30% Lightning Resistance 25% increased Movement Speed Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance

(Belt) Rare Belt - can provide the highest possible Strenght bonus

Min. requirements: 55 Strength 60 maximum Life 30% Fire Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance

(Belt) Darkness Enthroned - this is a cheaper option, however, proper Abyssal Jewels may cost a fortune. You will want them to have high flat Added Damage, Life, and Strength bonuses

Has 1 Abyssal Socket Has 1 Abyssal Socket 50% increased Effect of Socketed Jewels

(Amulet) Astramentis - one of the best options for the Amulet Slot. Since it's also relatively Cheap when compared to Rare Amulets with High bonus Attributes, we recommend sticking to Astramentis

+(10-16) to all Attributes +(80-100) to all Attributes -4 Physical Damage taken from Attacks

(Rings) Rare Rings - with high Strenght attribute and defensive stats. Essence Crafted once with proper stats would be the BiS, but also extremely expensive

Min. requirements: 35 Strength 60 maximum Life 75% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Cast Speed Dexterity Maximum Mana increased Minion Speed (Essence crafted)

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - preferably Strength base for extra Armour and Strenght bonus

Min. requirements: 45 Strength 60 maximum Life 60% Total Elemental Resistances

(Gloves) Command of the Pit - pretty much the best in the slot. They increase your Minions Accuracy Rating, give you additional Abyssal Socket and extra Life

Has 1 Abyssal Socket (6-10)% increased Cast Speed (4-6)% increased maximum Life With a Ghastly Eye Jewel Socketed, Minions have +1000 to Accuracy Rating With a Hypnotic Eye Jewel Socketed, gain Arcane Surge on Hit with Spells

(Jewels) Rare Jewels - you will try to get Life and at least one damage Boosting modifier

Recommended affixes: maximum Life Minions deals increased Damage Optional affixes: Cast Speed

(Jewels) Rare Abyss Jewels - these can provide the highest possible Minion DPS bonus, but they are also more expensive

Recommended affixes: maximum Life Minions deal additional Physical Damage with Attacks Optional affixes: Minions have increased Attack Speed Minions have increased Movement Speed

(Jewels) Efficient Training - each of those when socketed in the Witch's section will grant between 70 and 90 bonus Strength

+(16-24) to Strength Intelligence from Passives in Radius is Transformed to Strength

(Flask) Rumi's Concoction - a great defensive and inexpensive Utility Flask

+3000 to Armour (14-20)% Chance to Block during Flask effect (6-10)% Chance to Block Spells during Flask effect

Other suggested Flasks: Experimenter's Quicksilver Flask of Adrenaline (increased Movement Speed) Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Staunching (Bleeding immunity) Bubbling Divine Life Flask of Heat (Freeze immunity) Ample Silver Flask of Warding (Curse immunity)

Let us know if you would like to see a viable, end-game version of this build. This build can deal incredible damage while maintaining amazing clear speed and Life pool at the same time. If you can afford to invest some extra Exalted Orbs into your character, and if you like minion-based builds, it's something for you. 

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games