Path of Exile 2 Minion Build Guide

Time: 2025-01-18 by mmojugg Game: Path of Exile 2 Guide Tags: poe2 witch build

Path of Exile 2 is known for its depth, with builds ranging from the complex to the simple. Today, we'll dive into a unique minion build that harnesses the power of the Pathfinder class, focusing on the Skeletal Cleric and the intriguing Grim Feast mechanic. This build isn't just about surviving; it's about thriving, with a set-and-forget playstyle that's perfect for those who want to enjoy the game's content without the constant button-mashing.

The Build Overview

Class: PathfinderLevel: 92Core Mechanic: Grim Feast - Minions that die or enemies that are slain drop Grim Feasts, which significantly boost our Energy Shield.

Energy shield: 7,000

Mind: 306 (although we admit it could be higher)

Defensive layers: 21% armour, 50% evasion, 46% block chance

Skill Setup

Decompose: The backbone of our build, linked with

Corpse Preservation for a 25% chance that corpses will not be destroyed, ensuring more Grim Feasts.

Deadly Poison for increased poison damage.

Extraction for extra chaos damage; a tried and tested mechanic that scales well with our build.

Comorbidity for additional poison effects, effectively doubled by Ascendancy.

Support skills:

Contagion for area clearing when things get crowded.

Sacrifice for extra grim feasts.

Skeleton Clerics with Flesh Shield and Arcane Speed for survivability and self-healing.

Revive Skeleton with Ingenuity to reduce cooldowns and promote faster resurrection of our minions.

Utility:

Wither setup for boss fights, using Eye of Winter to quickly stack Wither.

Gear Breakdown

Helmet: Plus two to minion skills, corrupted for Spirit.

Body armour: Generic for energy shield and resistances.

Gloves: Unique for extra poison effects, but can be swapped for more toughness.

Boots: Crucial to the build, providing corpse wade for our decomposition strategy.

Shield: Focuses on energy shield, block chance, and resistances.

Rings and Amulet: Mainly for chaos damage, resistances, and Spirit where possible.

Build path and passive tree

The passive tree is tailored to maximise the effectiveness of minions, energy shield and poison damage:

Pathfinder Ascendancy: Chosen to double poison stacks, which synergises perfectly with our cloud-based poison strategy.

Key Nodes:

Magnitude for poison damage.

Energy Shield and Health Nodes for survivability.

Poison duration, though less critical due to constant cloud reapplication.

Jewels: Focus on increasing the amount and duration of poison, with the Prism of Belite Diamond standing out for Skeletal Cleric levels.

Gameplay and Tips

Mapping: This build excels at mapping with minimal player input. The minions take care of themselves, creating and spreading clouds of poison while the player concentrates on positioning.

Boss Battles: Here we might switch gears a bit or use our Wither setup to quickly stack debuffs.

Minion Management: A little-known trick is that minions won't cast their abilities when you order them around, which can be useful for controlling when they use their abilities or resurrecting them.

Post-patch observations

After the latest patch, the build feels even more robust, with minions respawning instantly if they get too far away from you, potentially making this setup even more passive and effective. However, without a Path of Building (PoB) to min-max, we're flying blind, relying on experience and feel.

Considerations for improvement

Gear upgrades: Better Spirit on gear or higher life rolls on minion equipment could significantly improve performance.

Jewel optimisation: Replacing less optimal jewels with those that offer higher magnitude increases or unique effects could be beneficial.

Skill Gem Levels: Although not critical at higher levels, pushing Decay to level 19 or higher could offer marginal benefits.

Thanks for Reading

This build may not be the flashiest or highest damage dealer in Path of Exile 2, but it does offer a unique playstyle that allows you to enjoy the game's rich content with minimal effort, emphasising strategy over speed. Whether you're a returning player like myself who's played other games like Torchlight Infinite, or a new player, this build could be your ticket to a relaxed yet effective gaming experience.