Spectre Summoner
Necromancer
Starter build

Updated for Patch 3.9

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Estimated budget: low

Patch 3.8 heavily focused the Summoner/Necromancer build archetype which made it one of the most popular builds in the entire game, with most of the Summoners playing Raise Spectres. Raise Spectre is a Minion Spell that allows you to resurrect slain enemies to fight for you and Support Gem with Gems that benefit their abilities. It offers massive DPS and at the same time, it's budget-friendly and has no specific item requirements. With the recent changes, Spectre's logic has been greatly improved which makes increases your clear speed, and the damage is simply absurd with bigger investments in Minion equipment.

You may also check Best PoE Builds by Odealo if you are looking for other Path of Exile builds

1. Gameplay

Spectre Summoner is somewhat similar to other summoner builds. Your main role is to Support your Minions with Auras, position yourself to avoid enemy Attacks to stay alive. Spectres will obliterate anything on your Map within seconds, while Zombies will tank a lot of incoming damage for you. For maximum performance, we suggest using Slave Drivers as your Spectres, which have insane Lightning AoE Damage. You can Summon them in Act's 5 Control Blocks, and since Patch 3.8, you no longer need to worry about the Corpse's level to do that. 

Full gameplay video: 0:07 Tier 14 Defiled Cathedral 0:22 Tier 15 Siege 0:48 Tier 16 Forge of the Phoenix 1:13 Tier 17 Shaper This is a video recorded on Standard Mode (Patch 3.9) with 4 Slave Drivers summoned and a level 90 Necromancer

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

The leveling phase with Spectre Summoner is very easy. You will be using Raise Zombies as Meat Shields and Summon Raging Spirits as your main DPS skill. There are no special item requirements for this phase, however, a +1 to socketed Gems wand is advised. You should socket your SRS setup in it. In general, a 3-4 linked Raging Spirit setup should carry you all the way to 28 when you can start using Spectres for an amazing DPS boost. Just try to summon any Spell Caster monster to aid you, and then when you reach Act 5, replace it with Slave Drivers.

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Raise Zombie
	Raise Zombie - extremely useful during leveling. Not only they tank a lot of incoming damage, but also deal a moderate amount of damage themselves
	Minion Life Support - one of the best support Gem for the zombie setup
	Minion Damage - increases your Zombie's Damage which is very useful during the leveling phase
	Fortify Support - increases your Zombie's DPS and grants them the Fortify buff which reduces their damage taken

Fire Trap
	Fire Trap - use it for some extra AoE Damage on the first level - before you can use Summon Raging Spirit

Summon Raging Spirit setup
	Summon Raging Spirit - your main DPS spell until you reach Act 8. Raging Spirits act like homing missiles and have to be recast frequently as they last only for a couple of seconds
	Melee Splash Support - a mandatory Gem for fast leveling, otherwise your SRS will be unable to cope with big packs, and leveling will be too slow without any other AoE spell
	Minion Damage Support - great DPS buff, as simple as that
	Unleash Support - stores charges which will cause more Raging Spirits to be created with each cast

Summon Raging Spirit setup
	Raise Spectre - primary Minion Spell used in this build. Inititally summon any Spell Caster Spectres, which should be replaced above level 40 with Slave Drivers
	Minion Damage Support - great DPS buff, as simple as that
	Controlled Destruction Support - greatly increases Spell Damage at the cost of reduced Crit. Chance
	Feeding Frenzy Support - makes your Spectres Aggressive and increases their Damage greatly

Bandits:

We recommend killing all the Bandits for two additional Passive Points

Leveling Skill Trees:

34 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Lord of the Dead 2) Enduring Bond 3) Quick Recovery 4) Death Attunement 5) Ravenous Horde

58 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Righteous Army 2) Redemption 3) Discipline and Training 4) Spiritual Command

Recommended leveling items:

Sidhebreath - one of the best leveling Amulets for any Summoner character. You can use it until you swap to Spectres, or even keep it for a little longer for the bonuses it grants to all your Minions
(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

Praxis - one of the best leveling Rings when you are playing Summon Raging Spirits on lower levels. It helps you Manage your Mana like no other Ring
+(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

Reverberation Rod - one of the best wands for the 3L Summon Raging Spirit setup. It will support the skill Gem with Spell Echo which greatly increases your DPS output, and on top of that it increases all socketed Gem levels by 1
(15-19)% increased Spell Damage +1 to Level of Socketed Gems Socketed Gems are Supported by level 1 Spell Echo +(10-30) to Intelligence

Victario's Charity - this shield is one of the end-game items for this build, but you can get it as soon as you reach level 50. It will help you finish the campaign in no time. It grants your Minions Frenzy Charges for amazing DPS bonuses
3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) +8% to all Elemental Resistances +(50-70) to maximum Life +(20-30)% to Lightning Resistance +11% to Chaos Resistance 20% increased Area of Effect of Aura Skills 10% chance to grant a Power Charge to nearby Allies on Kill 5% chance to grant a Frenzy Charge to nearby Allies on Hit

4. Final Skill tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

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

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Mindless Aggression
2. Unnatural Strength
3. Plaguebringer
4. Bone Barrier

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] Raise Spectre
	Raise Spectre - your main DPS spell. Use it on Slave Drivers Corpse in Act's 5 Control Blocks. They will do insane Lightning AoE Damage, and they appear to be the most well-rounded Spectres for Patch 3.9 and the Metamorph League. You should aim to have your Raise Spectre Gem on a total level of 25 so that you get an additional Spectre. You can get it via Fossil Crafted affix on Boots, +1 To Spell Gems on Wand, and in the worst-case scenario - Empower Gem
	Spell Echo Support - Spell Echo makes Slave Drivers' Spells to repeat an additional time with each Cast
	Minion Damage Support - great DPS buff to your Spectres
	Controlled Destruction Support - increases Slave Driver's Spell Damage
	Elemental Focus Support - grants insane DPS bonus to your Spectres, though makes them unable to Shock your enemies
	Lightning Penetration Support - makes Spectres Spell ignore some of the monsters' Resistance to Lightning - and that's the main damage type of Slave Drivers

[AURA] Wrath and Zealotry
	Wrath - grants more Lightning Spell Damage to your Minions
	Zealotry - grants more Spell Damage to your Minions
	Generosity Support - makes your Auras apply only to your Allies, but with greatly increased effectiveness
	Enlighten Support - reduces Mana Reserved by Supported Auras

[UTILITY] Offering, Desecrate, and Golem Spells
	Flesh Offering - you consume Corpses for potent Attack Speed and Cast Speed bonuses for your Minions
	Desecrate - allows you to create Corpses which help you Summon the Spectres you want, and allow you to use Raise Zombie and Flesh Offering in Boss fights without any ads
	Summon Stone Golem - the recommended Golem for this build which grants you increased Life Regeneration

[UTILITY] Meat Shield Zombies
	Raise Zombie - defensive Minions which will tank a lot of damage and intercept enemies before they reach you
	Minion Life Support
	Fortify Support
	Meat Shield Support - makes your Zombies defensive, and reduces their damage taken

[CURSE] Elemental Weakness
	Storm Brand - used to apply the Supported Curse and proc Elemental Equilibrium to increases your Spectre's Damage output. For that reason, we use Avatar of Fire, so that it deals only Fire Damage. You can use level 1 of this Gem to reduce Mana Cost
	Curse on Hit Support - will cause your Storm Brand to apply the socketed Curse
	Elemental Weakness - reduces Elemental Resistances of affected enemies

[DEFENSE] Bone Armour
	Bone Armour - new Guard Skill which is granted by Necromancer's Ascendancy Passive. It absorbs up to 2200 incoming Damage when you trigger it

[UTILITY] Convocation
	Convocation - summons all your Minions to your location and grants them increased Life Regen. It's very useful when you want to progress faster through Maps

[MOBILITY] Flame Dash
	Flame Dash - one of the few Mobility Skills which we can use with Wands
	Faster Casting Support
	Arcane Surge Support - increases your Mana Regeneration Rate and Cast Speed when active. You should keep this Gem at level 7

5. Gear Setup

The Spectre Summoner build is not only extremely powerful but also budget-friendly. As usual, we are providing all the recommended stats for each of the items listed.

Also, remember that you can always visit our Path of Exile marketplace and restock any type of PoE Currency required to complete your build.

Our recommended items will:

1. Cap your resistances 
2. Give you enough DPS/Life/Mana to start mapping successfully

(Helmet) Rare Bone Helmet - a Bone Helmet with increased Minion damage is the best in slot option but might be very expensive early in the League

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 30% Cold Resistance 30% Lightning Resistance 30% Fire Resistance increased Minion Damage Optional affixes: maximum Mana

(Body Armour) Vis Mortis - grants decent DPS bonus to your Minions, but sadly no defensive utility. After the recent nerfs it's still a solid, but not BiS, option here

(200-220)% increased Energy Shield +(20-30) to maximum Mana Minions have 20% reduced maximum Life Minions deal 15% increased Damage Minions gain (15-20)% of Elemental Damage as Extra Chaos Damage

(Body Armour) Rare Armour -  a Rare piece with high defensive stats is your best pick. You could also try corrupting a relatively cheap six-linked Armours to get the +1 Level to Socketed Gems Implicit on it, which would make your Item godly for this build

Min. requirements: 90 Maximum Life +1 to Level of Socketed Gems Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances

(Weapon) Convoking Wand - the new base Wand type which can roll Minion Modifiers

Min. requirements: 50% Minion Damage +1 to level of All Minion Gems Optional affixes: Minion Cast Speed

(Shield) Victario's Charity - the best DPS-wise Shield for this build. It grants your Minions' Frenzy Charges for massive DPS bonus

+8% to all Elemental Resistances 3% reduced Movement Speed (Hidden) +(50-70) to maximum Life +(20-30)% to Lightning Resistance +11% to Chaos Resistance 20% increased Area of Effect of Aura Skills 10% chance to grant a Power Charge to nearby Allies on Kill 5% chance to grant a Frenzy Charge to nearby Allies on Hit

(Shield) Lioneye's Remorse - grants very high defensive bonuses, making it one of the best budget-friendly Shields if you are struggling to stay alive

+(20-30) to maximum Life (200-250)% increased Armour 20% increased Stun and Block Recovery +(160-180) to maximum Life 5% reduced Movement Speed -25 Physical Damage taken from Projectile Attacks +5% Chance to Block

(Boots) Bones of Ullr - a budget-friendly option that helps you increase your maximum number of Spectres

(40-60)% increased Energy Shield +20 to maximum Life +20 to maximum Mana (5-15)% increased Movement Speed +1 to Level of all Raise Zombie Gems +1 to Level of all Raise Spectre Gems

(Boots) Rare Boots - Rare pair with +1 to level of all Raise Spectre Gems crafted Mod will be the best in the slot

Min. requirements: 55 maximum Life 25% Movement Speed 50% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: +1 to level of All Raise Spectre Gems Chaos Resistance Attributes

Boot enchantment: 10% Chance to Dodge Attack Hits if you've taken a Critical Strike Recently

(Belt) Rare Belt - with the highest possible defensive Stats

Min. requirements: 110 maximum Life 25 Strength 70% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - aim for the highest Life and Elemental Resistances. Also it's quite important to have the Ravenous Horde anointed on the Amulet

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life 40 maximum Mana 70% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Allocated Ravenous Horde Attributes

(Rings) Rare Life Rings - preferably Essence Crafted Rings with increased Minion Speed. You should have enough Life and Resistances since most of our Gear is Rare, so this may be a worthy investment

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 50% Total Elemental Resistances increased Minion Movement Speed (Essence crafted) Optional affixes: Attributes Chaos Resistance

(Gloves) Rare Gloves

Min. requirements: 75 maximum Life Minions have #% increased Damage (Crafting bench) Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances Attributes

Glove enchantment: Commandment of Frost

(Jewel)Unending Hunger - increased the radius of AoE spells cast by your Spectres. It also grants them the Soul Eater buff, which grants them increased Cast Speed (5% per stack of Soul Eater)

Minions have (6-8)% increased Area of Effect of Area Skills With at least 40 Intelligence in Radius, Raised Spectres have a 50% chance to gain Soul Eater for 30 seconds on Kill

(Jewel)Anatomical Knowledge - grant increased Life. Put it on the left from Witch's starting point. It is rather inexpensive and will be a better pick early on than Rare Life/Damage Cobalt Jewels

(6-8)% increased maximum Life Adds 1 to Maximum Life per 3 Intelligence Allocated in Radius

(Jewels) Rare Jewels - try to get cheap Cobalt Jewels with maximum Life and Minion Damage bonuses

Recommended affixes: increased maximum Life increased Minion Damage Optional affixes: increased Minion Life

(Jewels) Rare Jewels - try to get cheap Cobalt Jewels with maximum Life and Minion Damage bonuses

Recommended affixes: maximum Life Minions deal additional # Cold Damage Optional affixes: Minions have #% Chance to Hinder on Hit with Spells

(Flask) Rumi's Concoction - great utility Flask which increases your Chance to Block and your Armour Rating

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

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

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below.

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