PoE 3.21 SSFSC (3:58) Fresh League,Leveling Necromancer Animate Weapons.

https://imgur.com/a/DeoaSkP (Very Professional Picture of Tree Progression.) Warning: This build is Socket Heavy and was made for Campaign/Early map progression, anything that is beyond that is left for your discovery. I am neither the best player, neither it's best option for Animate Weapon, it's more of how i would do so if i had a task to complete Campaign, have done all 3 Labyrinths and be prepared for early mapping on Animate Weapon on Fresh account/League Start under 4h. Enjoy! Before reading B- Blue Socket R- Red Socket G-Green Socket, also uses of those imply that those are linked: Name is "Nessa" means interact with NPC after completing quest (mostly run forward or kill stuff). / means or. ( ) is Extra context, Optional Option or Cost of Gem. You can sell Blacksmith's Whetstone, Orb of Transmutation, Orb of Alteration to a vendor for 4 Wisdoms. You can sell Unidentified Magic/Rare for Transmutation Shard. (20 Shards will transform into 1 Orb of Transmutation) You can sell Identified Magic/Rare for Alteration Shards. (20 Shards will transform into 1 Orb of Alteration) If Identified Rare has 6 Affixes (3 Prefixes and 3 Suffixes) when sold it will give you 1 Orb of Augmentation. Always sell not Needed Unique items Identified. If you don't have Hideout you can Unlock 1st from doing it in Hideout in Dread Ticket (marked with Blue icon) Act 2 that zone can be accessed from Northern Forest, or in The Sewers (Act 3). On Weapons look for: (Goes by priority) +1 to Level of all Physical Spell Skill Gems. +1 to Level of all Minion Skill Gems (Very Rare). ( from weapons with 60+ item Level) +1 to Level of all Spell Skill Gems (Very Very Rare). ( from weapons with 55+ item Level) Minions deal increased Damage. (Higher Better) Minions have increased Attack and Cast Speed. (Higher Better) On Shields: On Bone Spirit, Ivory Spirit or Fossilized Spirit. (Pure Energy Shield Bases) +1 to Level of all Minion Skill Gems. (Very Rare) ( from weapons with 60+ item Level) +1 to Level of all Physical Spell Skill Gems. (Very Rare) Minions deal increased Damage. (Higher Better) Minions have increased maximum Life. (Higher Better) Minions have to all Elemental Resistances. (Higher Better) Lightning/Cold/Fire/Chaos Resistance. to maximum Life. On other Shields: +1 to Level of all Physical Spell Skill Gems. (Very Rare) (Pure Energy Shield Bases) Lightning/Cold/Fire/Chaos Resistance. to maximum Life. Gloves/Boots/Body Armour: Needed Links. (and anything else that goes with it) to maximum Life, Lightning/Cold/Fire/Chaos Resistance. Helmet: +1 to Level of all Minion Skill Gems. (Very Rare) (only if links are also good, but it will make Campaign easier) to maximum Life, Lightning/Cold/Fire/Chaos Resistance. Rings: Attributes,to maximum Life, Lightning/Cold/Fire/Chaos Resistance. If Bone Ring: Minions have increased Movement Speed. Minions deal increased Damage. Minions have increased Attack and Cast Speed. Minions have increased maximum Life. Attributes,to maximum Life, Lightning/Cold/Fire/Chaos Resistance. Amulet,Belt: Attributes,to maximum Life, Lightning/Cold/Fire/Chaos Resistance. Note: Player is biggest Priority not Minions, you can't progress if you're dead. Playing Minions in PoE is having balance in gear between Minions and Player, heavy investment in one or another will result in other being weaker. Also Higher Movement Speed, better AI. (the lower this stat will go, the worse your experience will be with any melee minion) Most Minions have 40 Fire/40 Cold/40 Lightning/0 Chaos Resistance and are not affected by penalties as player do (Act 5 and 10). Act 1: Required Budget: 4 Wisdom,3 Transmute Optional: Make Mule character(i prefer Ranger) for higher chance of obtaining needed links (RGB) and extra wisdom scrolls. 1.) Take Freezing Pulse from Tarkleigh (Freezing Pulse + Arcane Surge). 2.) Check items for 3B 2B1R 2B1G RGB items (can be also BR GB BB)/ for weapons only wands. (RGB item is essential) 3.) Take Summon Phantasms from Nessa. 4.) Buy Holy Flame Totem (1 Wisdom) from Nessa. 5.) Take Flame Wall from Tarkleigh. 6.) Link Holy Flame Totem + Summon Phantasms, Frostblink + Arcane Surge (+ Flame Wall). After getting to Lower Prison 7.) Take Minion Damage from Nessa. 8.) Buy Animate Weapon and Ethereal Knives (2 Wisdom) from Nessa. (Animate Weapon + Minion Damage + Melee Splash) 9.) Buy Melee Splash (1 Transmute) from Nessa. After Brutus. 10.) Buy Vitality (1 Transmute) from Nessa. 11.) Buy Raise Zombie (1 Wisdom) from Nessa. (Holy Flame Totem + Summon Phantasms + Raise Zombie) (Zombies will die sometimes). 12.) Take Flame Dash from Tarkleigh, place it instead of Frost Blink. After getting to Caverns 13.) Take Flesh Offering from Nessa. 14.) Buy Infernal Legion (1 Transmute) for future. Note: If you have Iron Ring you can sell it with Frostblink to get Sapphire Ring, that will make Merveil (Act boss) way easier for you. Act 1 before Boss Links: Animate Weapon + Minion Damage + Melee Splash Holy Flame Totem + Summon Phantasms + Raise Zombie Flame Dash + (Arcane Surge) Flesh Offering Flame Wall Ethernal Knives Vitality Act 2. (Kill all bandits) Required Budget: 1+3 Transmute,1 Alteration After Chambers of Sins 2. 15.) Buy Skitterbots (1 Alteration) from Yenna. (Skitterbots + Infernal Legion) 15.1.) Buy Jade Amulet (1 Transmute) from Yenna. (if didn't find one beforehand and need Dexterity). 16.) Take Desecrate from Greust. After Weaver. 17.) Take Minion Speed from Silk. (Raise Zombie + Minion Speed + Summon Phantasms). After getting lvl 20 and going to town for Apex Quest. 18.) Buy 2 Calling Wands in Act 2 (2 Transmutes). (If didn't drop, or looking for better sockets/links on them.) use any Essence or Alchemy if you'll have one on that points. Take out Holy Flame Totem, Flame Wall, Arcane Surge. (if you need free space for other sockets). Note: If you have struggle with Vaal Ruins Zone consider getting Ruby Ring or Two Stoned ring with Fire resistance+Cold/Lightning Resistance, For Act 2 Boss you'll mostly need Lightning Resistance. Act 2 before Boss Links: Animate Weapon + Minion Damage + Melee Splash Raise Zombie + Minion Speed + Summon Phantasms Flame Dash + (Arcane Surge) Flesh Offering Ethernal Knives Desecrate (lvl 1) Vitality (Holy Flame Totem) Act 3. Required Budget: 1 Alteration,1 Chance From this Point look for 3B1R, 4B, RGB + 1(R/B) (Meele Physical Damage (lvl 18) or Minion Speed (lvl 18) for Animate Weapon both cost 1 Alteration). After Crematorium. 19.) Take Convocation from Maramoa. ( at 24 put in on Left mouse click for instant use while holding LMK). After Gravicious/Piety. 20.) Take Raise Specter from Maramoa. (if lvl 28 go to Act 2 town> Old fields, use Desecrate to get Carnage Chieftain Corpse (Big Red Monkey) and raise it with Raise Specter, it's need to be done only 1 time as Desecrate will remember Raised Corpses, so if lost can be used anywhere and will spawn Carnage Chieftain corpse in 1-3 uses of Desecrate). 20.1.) You can buy Blade Fall (1 Chance or change it with Ethereal Knives in Act 6). Note: Be careful at Dominus his Ads can wipe all your minion (first pack/ Cyclone and Fireball Unique Monster) so kite those while retreating behind crates, or you'll give yourself hard time. Act 3 before Boss Links: Animate Weapon + Minion Damage + Melee Splash Raise Zombie + Minion Speed + Summon Phantasms Flame Dash Raise Spectre Flesh Offering Ethernal Knives/Blade Fall Desecrate (lvl 1) Vitality Act 4. Required Budget: None Kill monster look for links, balance your resistance. Pickup Rare Minion Wands/Shields. After obtaining and using quest item "Deshret's Banner" on on Deshret's Seal (unlocking Mines 1 zone) or killing Malachai (Final act 4 boss). 21.) Take Summon Carrion Golem from Oyun. Act 4 before Boss Links: Animate Weapon + Minion Damage + Melee Splash Raise Zombie + Minion Speed + Summon Phantasms Flame Dash Raise Spectre (Summon Carrion Golem) Flesh Offering Ethernal Knives/Blade Fall Desecrate (lvl 1) Vitality Act 5. Get Resistances set up and Currency for Act 6. Act 6. Required Budget: 1 Wisdom,1 Transmute,1 Alteration,1 Chance,(1 Alchemy) After Twilight Strand quest completion. Buy from Lilly (Act 6 or in your Hideout): Shield Charge (1 Transmute) Determination (1 Alteration) War Banner (1 Wisdom) Haste (1 Alteration) Feeding Frenzy (1 Chance) Blade Fall (1 Chance) (if didn't buy in Act 3) Maim (1 Transmute) If have free sockets. (not mandatory) Take Out Skitterbots, Infernal Legion, Vitality. Links: 3+1B Raise Zombie + Summon Phantasms + Minion Speed + (Feeding Frenzy) (optional) 2B1R Summon Carrion Golem + Maim + Feeding Frenzy (depends do you have it on zombie or not if yes than it's not needed) RGB+(R/B) Meele Splash + Animate Weapon + Minion Damage + (Brutality/Melee Physical Damage/Minion Speed) (depending on sockets) Non Links: Shield Charge Determination War Banner Haste Blade Fall Convocation Flesh Offering Desecrate Blast! Note: Don't forget to take "Minion Deal 25-34% Increased Damage" for Wand (4 Augments) Craft in Act 8 (The Lunaris Temple 2) Boss room. Note: You can change Flesh Offering for Bone Offering after campaign for blocks and your minion survivability in early maps. You can buy Vulnerability curse after you hit maps. Avoid this Monster modifiers: Curse (can't make them immune to it, some curse combinations will make your minions no damage and they will die pretty fast), Inflict Corrupted Blood (can't make your minions immune to it), Lightning Totem Minions (AoE Damage is worst) Avoid this Map Modifiers: Reflect Physical Damage, + 2 Projectile, Multiple Phys as Element, Phys as Chaos, Chilling Ground (if minions ain't ailment immune). Note: PoB Don't see Phantasms, so Full Dps is missing 3,082 x 9 = 27,738 dmg to Full DPS, basically 205,121 Full DPS dmg in "Best case scenario", would say 177,383 is very realistic. =)