Heya Folks!

I've had some people asking about the summoner archetyped builds I've talked about on here, so I decided to start with a basic guide for the "Steel Wolves".

The biggest question I kept getting was "How viable is it as a league starter?" Answer: actually pretty solid. Its durability is solid enough to get through white and yellow maps with minimal investment (we're talking sub 1 div / using Drops off the floor outside of 3 uniques.)

Early Game PoB: https://pobb.in/vtiI1oKXGNnD

Early Game (1.4m Shaper DPS)

Itemization

This build literally has 3 relevant pieces of gear: High Base Crit Law of the Wild, Lycosidae, and a high roll Ungil's Harmony. If you're familiar with these items, you'll know you can get most of these, even early league, for under 5-10c.
- Law of the Wild: The Claw, even perfect rolled, rarely goes above 10c at any stage of the league.
- Lycosidae is actually the priciest item on this list; but still rarely over 10c over the past number of leagues.
- Ungil's Harmony, Perfect ones, I bought for 1c last league from day 1. They're just largely seen as a garbage unique.
- Quickening Covenant: Typically available in some form or another for reasonable costs. Can just farm your own through Vaal Orbing every Viridian Gem you find. Or buy it if you're lazier for around 10-20c.
- Cluster: You need an 8 point Minion cluster gem. The example one here is literally a white, 8 point cluster jewel. Basically any cluster jewel you find will be better.
- Important Non-Unique: You obviously need global crit. You can get this through any jewel slots you pick up, cause you don't need that much. Searching Eyes, Standard Jewels, etc are viable.
-Bone Ring: Res, Life, Minion Damage Or Minion Speed Or Minion Attack Speed. Most any roll is fine. Minion speed/Attack speed are both great, and viable alternatives/additions if your itemization allows.

Past this, itemization is literally just "Cap Res, Get Life". You want as much of your armor to be Armor/ES based, this reduces the stat requirements to largely be a non-issue, but also feeds into the Eldritch Battery setup. You need this as you're doing almost 12 attacks per second, and, adding on the triggers, its a pain in the ass to maintain in any other way. Thankfully, we path right beside EB to make this simple as hell.

This build also automates offerings, and your defensive Layer (Either Steelskin or Molten Shell) Pick one, Both have different strengths.

Important Note*:* The Example Itemization is literally garbage you can pick up off the floor. The only stats that matter for initial "get it off the ground" is Res, Life, and Dex reqs.

Upgrade Path:

DPS: The single biggest Damage upgrade you can make for this build is to grab The Squire. Going from a 4 link to a 7 link is just an enormous improvement. However, this leads to skill gem changes Ill get to shortly.

Survivability: The easiest and biggest survivability upgrades would be a Good Brass Dome, and Awakened Cast While Channeling. The ACWC gives stun immunity, which is enormous for this build as I largely prefer static defenses (Max Res, Armor, Physical Damage Reductions, etc).

If you need survivability, you can focus on those upgrades: Progenesis, Life Nodes, Defensive Watcher's Eye, Taste of Hate, Good Megalomaniacs are amazing for this build for density of power per point.

Other: There's a hundred different upgrades you can get, depending on market values and availability; as well as personal needs! If you want more damage, you can grab more awakened gems, better rings, Better Clusters. Better Jewels. I didn't simulate them all, but the "Late Game PoB" will have many examples, both the equipped and others!

As you lose your crutches of Ungils Harmony / Lycosidae, you're going to need to transition to Precision. Hyrri's can give you a level 30 one, while fixing your dex almost single handedly. This gives a bit more slot flexibility, but means you lose a different aura / invest into more Mana Res Efficiency.

Skill Gems

This section requires a specific callout because there's a tonne of variability as you play. Aggressive on the wolves is a big QOL/Clear speed increase, as is melee splash. On a 4 link setup (3 Claw Sockets+Innate skill), you can't run both! I have found melee splash is the more important of the two in a low link setup. However, Switch it out for Melee Physical Damage when you are bossing or doing more challenging Single Target Content. With this, you run Feeding Frenzy on your golems, and resummon them as needed.

Post-Squire however, you gain flexibility! In this setup, I begin to flex things around:
- Feeding Frenzy becomes a main part of the 7link setup for mapping/clearing. Switch to Predator for Bosses, and switch the Feeding Frenzy to your Golems, replacing Convocation. As Melee Physical Damage is now part of your core rotation, swap it for Multistrike during Single Target situations.
- Run Golems + Convocation in your helmet, switch convocation for Feeding Frenzy for the buff during bossing.

Defenses

I've had a few different people play this, and run it different ways. Full Spell Suppression, Full Block, 90% Max Res setup. All of them are viable options if you can figure out the itemization. The linked build is simply the one I took to 90-something, and cleared all content I'm skilled enough for.

Defensive Layers:

- Molten Shell
- Armor Stacking
- Max Res
- Physical Damage Reduction
- Flasks
- Big Necro Leech (If you survive a hit, you should full heal almost instantly).
- Sand Stance for Flesh and Stone.

Unique Interactions

This is a nearly 1-Button build! Hold left click, Hold Right click, and you're good. Cyclone on the left, Convocation on the right. Curse if needed (Recommend a Curse on hit ring, glove corruption, etc). Hungry Loop with Melee Splash, Inc AoE, and AG is a very smooth way to accomplish this. Or just a Vulnerability on hit implicit on your gloves.

The survivability of the wolves is irrelevant. Once you're going, you're gunna be summoning them at a prodigious rate, which full heals/resets the timers of existing wolves without changing their positions. Even running Awk.Minion Damage, I never found their survivability mattered.

Late game PoB: https://pobb.in/phk7HhrwvQSd

Late Game (25.3m Uber DPS, 83m Shaper DPS)

Itemization

This build changes dramatically at this stage.

- Law of The Wild, you're wanting to look at corruptions on the claw. Getting one with Increased Crit Chance is huge as that affects its local crit chance. This caps at 18% increased Critical Strike Chance to give you a base Crit of 8.76% at max rolls.
- Squire: You can look for the "Damage Taken as" corruptions for the best defensive layers. Max Life, Reduced Crit Taken, Level 23 Determination, are all good options.
- Rare Helmet: You're primarily looking for "Damage Taken As" helmets. The "King" helmet here would be a fractured "Damage Taken as" helmet, which you give the influence mod for "Damage Taken as" modifier. +2 Minion Skills Gems is nice, but its mostly just survivability for you/your minions. It does nothing for your damage. (Look into Eldritch Crafting to make this cheaper and easier!)
- Armor: Lots of options here, I personally prefer a Rare, non-influenced armor for the eldritch implicits. Given this, I typically go for a +1 Spectre Armor, Life, Physical Damage Reduction. Make sure to not fill your suffixes! The Aspect of the Spider is a big chunk of damage, and a reasonable survivability layer with the slowing mechanism. (Look into Eldritch Crafting to make this cheaper and easier!) Get Aura Effect + Pride Effect for implicits for DPS, Max Ele Res for Survivability.
- Gloves: Rare. Mana Gain on Hit Synthesized implicit lets you ditch Eldritch Battery. +2 AoE gloves are not as possible anymore with the veiled Orb changes, but if you can manage it, they're fantastic for placing your auras. Past that, Accuracy and Life. Along with a relevant suffix of your choice.
- Belt: Mageblood is the ultimate goal. And the build can do a wide enough array of options to make that pretty viable. I farmed two last league as an example. One personally found, the other bought. I did this without any MF strats outside of just "LOTS OF WISPS!". If not, theres other, new options! The new Tides of Time belt from Uber Shaper looks like a target farmable alternative to Mageblood, or to tide (heh) you over until then. Alternative: Rare belts. Lots of valid options here as well.
- Rings: Minion Attack Speed, Minion Damage, Life, Other. Either 1 or 2. Can do 1 if you want or need a hungry loop setup.
- Amulet: Bunch of Options: Auls for Free Pride. Gives life, Stats, Free Pride, and % Armor increases. Hyrri's Truth for the level 30 Precision (free socket effectively), Reservation Reduction for Precision, and a tonne of dex (Catalysting for Attributes on this can fulfill all Dex requirements for your build on its own). Rare Amulets are also options on here. I won't go over all the options, but there's alot. The uniques are mostly just the easiest example pieces. Annoint for Spiritual Command.
- Boots: I'd recommend +2 Raise Spectre Boots and Movement, with "Immunity to Freezing". Getting Stunned or Frozen is dangerous at the higher end of content you're likely doing with this setup.
- Clusters: More or less what's on the PoB. 35% Effect, 3% Minion attack Speeds, bonus effects. If you can get Vicious Bite, they're almost always a massive boost! You must have at least 1 Feasting Fiend, and I recommend Dread Marches for being just fantastic.

Jewels

There's a bunch of variability on these, but the TL;DR:

Forbidden Flesh/Flame: Any of the 4 selected ascendancy nodes for Witch + Mistress of Sacrifice, Liege of the Primordials is survivability and QOL for Golem Resummoning, Bastion of Elements is fantastic Survivability, Shaper of Storms is a huge damage increase, Shaper of Winter can be a solid defensive layer.

Timeless Jewel: I recommend an Elegant Hubris (any type), but specifically look around Minion Instability, Mind over Matter, and Agnostic for good density of options. You're looking for the following stats:

- Minions deal 80% Increased Damage.
- Minions have 80% increased Life.
- 12% increased effect of Non-Curse Auras from your Skills.
- Gain 1 Endurance Charge every second if you've been hit recently. (Saves you a cluster node)
Neat Bonus Stats:
- 80% Increased Armor
- 80% chance to avoid being shocked. With a single mod on an abyss jewel + stormshroud, this gives you elemental ailment immunity.

Impossible Escape: Wherever you find your timeless to place (Agnostic is the best, but expensive), grab an appropriate Impossible Escape to save a tonne of points, and make the timeless efficient as hell.

Watchers Eye: Determination (Armor, Block Chance, Physical Damage Reduction, Reduced Damage from Crits), Precision (Flask Charges, Attack Speed). Some are better than others, but most of those are viable.

Megalomaniac: Fix things. I like grabbing double/triple health megalomaniacs, or any minion nodes you missed (Feasting Fiends, Dread March, or Vicious Bite, or Enduring Composure.

General Info

Spectres

You're going to want Spectres for this. The #1 and #2 options are to get a Frenzy and Power Charge Monkey. They're a massive increase for you, and your minions. This is the minion build that singularly benefits the most from having these charges as its critical for every aspect of the build from QOL To Power.

Otherwise, there's Pale Seraphims, Demon Harpy's, Senior Heretech For shocks, Ancient Suffering (Act 10 Cathedral Rooftops, casts curse limit independent Temp Chains on hit with an AOE Scream), Ancient Wraith (Act 10 Cathedral Rooftops, curse limit independant Enfeeble on hit with EK). Ruins Hellion: Provides a Rallying Cry buff to increase damage, and apply a Damage Reduction buff to allies.

Curse

Vulnerability. That's it. Preferably as a "Curse on Hit" from your gloves.

---------------------

I think that's about it. If you have questions, feel free to post them. I'll do my best to answer when I'm able, but I think this should cover most of the questions that will come up I hope. This build has had a half dozen people play this last league / test it during the off-season in standard with great success. I am fully aware the "Early Game" setup looks weak. And it is by design.

Just adding a good cluster will massively increase your damage. Adding any of the unique jewels will increase your damage alot as well. Gearing can increase it alot, etc etc.

But I wanted the league starter to be "I just hit maps, what do I need?". Not, "I just hit maps, and grinded for a few hours, what do I need?". I wanted the early game to be early game, and the late game to be late game, and highlight options as I find quite a few content creators list "early game" options that cost 5-10 div as must have items.

There may be improvements and changes, if you see raw increases, or improvements, let me know! Always up to criticism, one guy can only do so much.

Lastly: apologies for the word count. I wanted to make sure it was thorough. :)

These are all the videos I recorded of the gameplay, both good and bad. Many of these were in the "middle" of design. The Searing Exarch was the "final version" seen in the "Late Game" PoB.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5.