Flaming Skeleton Archers
Necromancer build

Updated for Patch 3.12

The Best Crafty Guides by Odealo

Estimated budget: medium

Patch 3.12 introduced new Alternative Quality versions of various Skill and Support Gems which open up new interesting build options like the following Skeleton Archer Summoner. Our recommended setup makes them fire fiery projectiles which have amplified damage when passing through Flame Wall (yet another newly added Spell Gem). Overall, this build is nothing exceptionally powerful, but if you get the Gem early on, leveling is very easy, and in the end-game, it offers very good clear speed, solid defenses, and sufficient single-target damage to take down most of the Bosses in the game. This build has its own unique theme which makes it very fun and enjoyable to play. 

You can also check our other Path of Exile builds in this article: Best PoE Builds by Odealo

1. Gameplay

This is a typical Summoner type of build that relies on your Minions to deal all the damage and kill enemies. Our recommended setup should let you summon 9 Zombies and 10 Skeleton Archers, which combined should offer several Million DPS. Zombies are quite tanky, but they will provide very important buffs including Feeding Frenzy and increasing your Archer's Fire Damage via Combustion debuff. Most of the damage your Minions are going to inflict will be of the Fire Element. By using Flame Wall, you can further increase the damage of projectiles fired by Skeleton Archers. You can also use Sniper's Mark against Bosses for some extra DPS or Flammability Curse - with extra Curse from Body Armour, could potentially let you cast both. Overall, this build offers very good clear speed with tons of Projectiles firing around the screen.

For the defenses, this build offers a high Life Pool (between 5,000-6,000) and very high Block Chance - approximately 70%/50% without Glancing Blows which combined with Blood Offerring's Life Recovery on Block, makes you quite tanky even against end-game Bosses in high-level Heists.

0:08 Tier 15 Castle Ruins 0:47 Tier 15 Marshes 1:27 Tier 16 Lair of the Hydra 1:52 Tier 16 Maze of the Minotaur 2:16 Tier 16 Sunken Temple This video was recorded on a level 93 Necromancer on the Heist League using rather an budget equipment. We had 10 Skeleton Archers at approximately 200k DPS each, and additional 9 Zombies at around 90k DPS each

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

Leveling as a Summoner is smooth and easy. You can pick any type of Minions for that purpose, and preferably Skeleton Archers if you can afford the Alternative Quality Gem itself called Phantasmal Summon Skeletons. We have leveled up our own character with Zombies and Skeleton Archers in 6-link Ashred which makes it several Chaos Orbs for an extremely powerful 7-linked set up at the very start of your adventure. 

Suggested leveling Gem setups:

Raise Zombie
	Raise Zombie - you will get this Gem right after you finish the first Quest and enter Lioneye's Watch. Zombies are used to tank monsters right from the start and deal a moderate amount of damage
	Minion Life Support - core Support Gem for Zombie Minions
	Minion Damage Support - grants more Minion Damage to your Raging Spirits

Summon Skeleton setup
	Phantasmal Summon Skeletons Support - the core Spell used in this build. It will summon several Skeleton Archers with each cast which will deal massive projectile damage and offer insane clear speed
	Minion Damage Support
	Added Fire Damage Support - adds a ton of Fire Damage based on your Skeleton's Physical DPS. It can be granted by Ashrend Unique Body Armour
	Greater Multiple Projectiles Support - increases the number of Projectiles greatly increasing your clear speed

Utility Gems
	Anger - the best Aura for this build which adds a ton of extra damage for your Minions
	Flame Wall - adds additional Fire Damage to projectiles that fly through it. It's not a substantial bonus but makes this build feel more complete and fun to play
	Convocation - recalls all your Minions to your current location allowing you to progress faster through areas and making it easier to position your Archers behind the Flame Wall

Bandits:

We recommend killing all the Bandits for two additional Passive Points

Leveling Skill Trees:

33 Points Skill Tree
Priorities: 1) Lord of the Dead 2) Enduring Bond 3) Heart and Soul 4) Death Attunement

63 Points Passive Tree
Priorities: 1) Spiritual Command 2) Redemption 3) Righteous Army 4) Gravepact 5) Constitution

Recommended leveling items:

Sidhebreath - the single best leveling Item for this Summoner build. It grants very high Minion Damage and Movement Speed bonuses and helps you greatly with Mana Management on lower levels
(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 - if you are having problems with your Mana when spamming Skeletons this basically solves it entirely. It can be also used on low-level Maps before you get a more reliable way to reduce the Mana Cost of your Skills
+(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

Ashrend - the best Body Armour for this build. I have personally got a 6-linked one 1 week within the Heist League for 6 Chaos and had an overly powerful 7-linked setup in it
Socketed Gems are Supported by Level 10 Added Fire Damage (80-100)% increased Evasion Rating +(30-50) to maximum Life +(40-50)% to Fire Resistance Cannot be Ignited (10-15)% increased Physical Damage with Ranged Weapons -(7-5) Physical Damage taken from Attack Hits

Victario's Flight - grants very high Movement Speed bonus both to you and your Minions
+15 to Dexterity +15 to Intelligence (100-150)% increased Evasion Rating 5% increased Movement Speed (5-10)% of Damage taken gained as Mana over 4 seconds when Hit 10% increased Movement Speed 10% increased Movement Speed for you and nearby Allies

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

115 Points Final Skill Tree - doesn't include Passives from Cluster Jewels - refer to PoB for such details
115 Points Path of Building(PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

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

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] Phantasmal Summon Skeletons
	Phantasmal Summon Skeletons - allows you to summon Skeletal Archers that are the primary source of DPS in this build
	Minion Damage Support - increases your Minions DPS greatly
	Greater Multiple Projectiles Support - increases the number of your Archer's projectiles, increasing your clear speed greatly
	Added Fire Damage Support -  core Support Gem for this setup which adds extra Fire Damage based on the base Physical Damage. You should also consider getting Divergent Gem which offers additional Physical to Fire conversion
	Damage on Full Life Support - this build utilizes Blessed Rebirth and multiple Renewal Passives which makes your Skeletons stay on Maximum Life most of the time making it one of the best Support Gems for this setup
	Elemental Focus Support - greatly increases Elemental Damage and makes your Skeleton Archers unable to inflict ailments. This helps them not to override the Combustion debuff your Zombies are supposed to inflict

[UTILITY] Raise Zombie (Socketed in Elder Helmet)
	Raise Zombie - Zombies are very tanky but at the same time they deal solid Melee Damage and increase your overall DPS via Feeding Frenzy debuff and Combustion
	Combustion Support - increases Fire Damage dealt by your Zombies, and makes them debuff enemies they Ignite, reducing their Fire Resistance
	Feeding Frenzy Support - makes your Zombies aggressive but also grants you the Feeding Frenzy buff which increases the Speed of all your Minions
	Minion Damage Support
Gems from Helmet:
	Minion Life Support - increases your Zombie's Life
	Immolate Support - adds a lot of extra flat Fire Damage against Ignited enemies (and most will be)

[UTILITY] Dash
	Dash - recommended Movement Spell which increases your mobility
	Second Wind Support - adds extra Dash Charge and increases its cooldown recovery speed

[UTILITY] Convocation
	Convocation - recalls all your Minions to your current location and grants them increased Life Regeneration. It lets your progress faster and helps position your Archers behind the Flame Wall

[UTILITY] Flame Wall
	Flame Wall - projectiles which fly through the Wall will have extra Fire Damage added, which slightly increases the DPS of your Skeleton Archers

[UTILITY] Sniper's Mark
	Sniper's Mark - Sniper's Mark increases Projectile Damage dealt to marked enemies, making it the recommended Curse for this build. You can also use Flammability instead which can target more enemies

[UTILITY] Offering, Desecrate, Wave of Conviction (in Wand which triggers socketed Spells)
	Bone Offering - increases your and your Minions' chance to Block Attacks and Spells. Will also grant strong Life Recovery whenever you block
	Desecrate - creates a pile of Corpses which are consumed for your Offering and to summon Zombies. It also basically guarantees you benefit from the Plaguebringer bonuses
	Wave of Conviction - applies Fire Exposure to enemies. In order to guarantee it, it's recommended to get some Added Fire Damage to Spells on your Wand

[UTILITY] Anger
	Anger - the best Aura for this build which adds a ton of extra flat Fire Damage to your Minions' Attacks
	Generosity Support - increases the effect of your Anger Aura but makes it apply only to your Minions

[UTILTY] Carrion Golem
	Summon Carrion Golem - grants your Minions added flat Physical Damage making it the best Golem for this Summoner character
	Empower Support - increases the level of your Carrion Golem and the flat damage it adds to your other Minions

[UTILITY] Auras
	Flesh and Stone - an amazing defensive Aura which reduces your chance of getting Hit and the damage you take from enemies further away when you use it in the Sand Stance
	Clarity - you should use a low-level Clarity (between 1-5) to increases your Mana Regeneration Rate

5. Gear Setup

Below you will find the recommended gear for this Zombie/Skeleton Archer Summoner Necromancer build. This build is based mainly on standard Rares with Life and Resistances so you can adjust the items to your current budget, however, Victario's Charity, Elder Helmet is highly recommended, and you need to calculate the quite high Phantasmal Summon Skeleton Gem cost. 

We would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to visit our PoE Marketplace where you can buy and sell Path of Exile Currency with the use of real cash. Links to the Marketplace can be found on top of the page

Our recommended items will:

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

(Helmet) Elder Helmet - the best Helmet for this build which can give you a second 6-link setup for your Zombies, greatly increasing their overall performance in this build

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life Socketed Gems are Supported by level # Minion Life Socketed Gems are Supported by level # Immolate Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances +# to Level of Socketed Minion Gems

Helmet enchantments: Skeletons deal 40% increased Damage Flame Wall grants 31 to 47 Added Fire Damage to Projectiles

(Body Armour) Rare Body Armour - the best and most well-rounded option. You are looking to get the highest possible Life here and on extra Skelly

Min. requirements: 100 maximum Life +1 to maximum number of Skeletons Optional affixes: Elemental Resistances Maximum Life%

(Weapon) Convoking Wand - the best possible option for a Minion build as it can offer the best Minion modifiers

Min. requirements: +1 to Level of All Minion Skill Gems Minions deal 50% increased damage Trigger Socketed Spell when you use a Skill Optional affixes: Added Fire Damage to Spells Minions have increased Attack Speed

(Shield) Victario's Charity - one of the best Shields for this build. It grants decent defensive stats and generates Frenzy Charges for your Minions, greatly increasing their DPS. At the same time, it's very cheap

+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

(Boots) Rare Boots - just aim for some Movement Speed bonus (at least 25%) and the highest defensive stats you can afford

Min. requirements: 70 maximum Life 25% increased Movement Speed 70% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Chaos Resistance Attributes

Boot enchantment: Regenerate 2% of Life and Mana per second if you were Hit Recently 18% reduced Mana Cost of Skills if you've been Hit Recently

(Belt) Rare Belt - preferably Stygian Vise for the extra Abyssal Socket

Min. requirements: 90 maximum Life 90% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Attributes Maximum Life% Chaos Resistance

(Belt) Darkness Enthroned - if you can afford expensive Abyss Jewels this is potentially the BiS Belt. Also, Skeletons have higher added damage effectiveness, so two powerful Abyss Jewels can boost them significantly

Has 1 Abyssal Socket Has 1 Abyssal Socket 75% increased Effect of Socketed Jewels

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - just Life, Attributes, and possibly Minion Damage will do here. Obviously, you can also try getting extra Mana/Mana Regen or Resistances

Min. requirements: 60 maximum Life Minions deal 30% Increased Damage Optional affixes: Attributes Elemental Resistances Mana/Mana Regeneration Rate

Recommended Anointments: Ravenous Horde

(Rings) Rare Rings - with high Life and Elemental Resistances

Min. requirements: 65 maximum Life 40 Dexterity 85% Total Elemental Resistances Optional affixes: Non-channeling Skills have -# to Total Mana Cost Attributes Minions have increased Movement Speed

(Gloves) Replica Grip of the Council - the BiS Gloves which add a ton of extra Fire Damage to your Minions

+30 to Strength +(30–50) to maximum Life +(20–40)% to Fire Resistance Minions have 10% reduced maximum Life Minions have +40% to Fire Resistance Minions gain 20% of Physical Damage as Extra Fire Damage

(Gloves) Rare Gloves - mainly for defensive stats

Min. requirements: 80 maximum Life 40 Strength 80% Total Elemental Resistances

(Jewel) Large Cluster Jewels - our suggested build uses two Large Cluster Jewels - obviously with the Minion Damage bonus. You definitely want to get Raze and Pillage and Renewal on both - since your Minions will be mostly on Full Life, the chance to deal double damage is extremely powerful

Recommended Passives: 1 Added Passive Skill is Call to the Slaughter 1 Added Passive Skill is Raze and Pillage 1 Added Passive Skill is Renewal

(Jewel) Medium Cluster Jewels - you can use between 2-4 Medium Cluster Jewels. Again, you want Renewal on all of them, and at least one Blessed Rebirth, so that your Skeletons are always on Full Life for 4 seconds after being summoned

Recommended Passives: 1 Added Passive Skill is Feasting Fiends 1 Added Passive Skill is Renewal 1 Added Passive Skill is Blessed Rebirth

(Jewel) Small Cluster Jewels - if you need extra Life, Small Cluster Jewels with the Fettle Passive are the way to go

Recommended Passives: 1 Added Passive Skill is Fettle

(Jewel) Fortress Covenant - grants very high bonus damage to your Minions and increases their Block Chance which helps them to stay on full Life thanks to Bone Offering's bonus. At the same time, if you socket this Gem in a Cluster Socket, the negative part will be ignored

Minions deal (35-45)% increased Damage Minions have +(10-12)% Chance to Block Attack Damage Minions have +(10-12)% Chance to Block Spell Damage Notable Passive Skills in Radius are Transformed to instead grant: Minions take 20% increased Damage

(Jewel) Anatomical Knowledge - adds a ton of extra Life if socketed to the left of Witch's starting point (just below Quick Recovery)

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

(Jewel) Rare Abyss Jewels - since Skeletons gain 50% more added Damage, It's recommended to get as much added Physical and Fire Damage to Minion Attacks here. You can easily use between 4-6 Abyss Jewels in this build

Recommended affixes: maximum Life Minions deal additional Physical/Fire Damage Optional affixes: increased Minion Damage if you have used a Minion Skill recently

(Flask) Rumi's Concoction - grants bonus Armour Rating and Block/Spell Block chance, giving you extra defenses

+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 Silver of Heat (Freeze and Chill immunity) Experimenter's Quartz Flask of Warding (Curse 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.