Path of Exile 2 is packed with powerful archetypes, but few offer the raw thematic appeal and mechanical satisfaction of the Minion Army Lich. If you've ever dreamed of POE2 Currency leading an unstoppable horde of undead into battle while siphoning strength from death itself, this build is for you.
The Minion Army Lich combines robust minion synergy with the Lich ascendancy's self-sacrifice mechanics, creating a leveling and endgame experience that's surprisingly durable, flexible, and devastating. Whether you're new to POE or a min-maxer looking for a safe mapping strategy, this build delivers a solid balance of passive power and active control.
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Why Choose the Minion Army Lich?
The biggest draw of this build is how effortlessly it scales. Your minions do the fighting, absorbing aggro, while you sit back and boost them with Lich-centric abilities. This makes it a safe choice for HC (hardcore) players, new players learning POE 2 mechanics, or those who prefer more strategic than twitchy gameplay.
The Lich class thrives on death-themed mechanics, with skills that benefit from sacrificing life and harnessing the souls of the slain. This plays beautifully with a minion army—you'll empower them, feed off their kills, and manipulate your life total for buffs.
In short, you're not just a summoner. You're the master of life and death.
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Core Skills and Summons
The core strategy revolves around maintaining an active swarm of minions and enhancing their output with buffs and curses. Here are the primary tools in your necromantic arsenal:
1. Raise Minions (Skeletons, Zombies, Spectres)
These are your bread and butter. You'll start with Skeleton Warriors early in the campaign and transition into more diverse minions like Zombies for tanking and Spectres for utility and ranged support.
2. Death Aura / Sacrifice Skills
Lich-specific skills allow you to sacrifice your own life or leech from your minions, which fuels powerful effects. These might buff your minions, restore energy shield, or apply devastating debuffs to enemies.
3. Auras and Buffs
Using Auras like Hatred, Wrath, or Determination can massively boost minion damage or survivability. Stack as many as your mana pool allows, especially with reduced-reservation support.
4. Support Gems
Key support links include:
- Minion Damage
- Minion Life
- Multistrike (for melee summons)
- Feeding Frenzy
- Elemental Army (for resistances and exposure)
With the right links, even your Skeletons become death dealers capable of clearing entire screens.
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Passive Tree Strategy
The Minion Army Lich build prioritizes key clusters that enhance both your minions and your personal survivability. Focus on the following passive types:
Minion Offense
- Minion Damage
- Minion Attack/Cast Speed
- Minion Crit or Elemental Scaling (depending on your spectre choices)
Minion Defense
- Minion Life
- Minion Resistances
- +1 to Max Minions nodes
Lich Utility
- Increased Life Leech
- Energy Shield on Kill
- Minion Sacrifice Mechanics
- Aura Effect and Reservation Efficiency
The trick to balancing your passive tree is understanding when to lean into minion output and when to reinforce your own defensive layering. Early in the game, prioritize summoning strength. Later on, shift some points to energy shield or chaos resistance as endgame maps get deadlier.
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Gear Priorities
One of the advantages of playing a summoner is how budget-friendly the build can be. Your minions do the work, so your gear mainly serves to keep you alive and your minions empowered.
Key Gear Affixes:
- + to Minion Levels (especially on weapons and amulets)
- Minion Life and Damage
- +1 to All Minions
- Resistances and Life
- Energy Shield or Hybrid Life/ES for defense
- Reduced Mana Reservation on Helmets
Weapons with high minion modifiers, or even one-handed options combined with a minion-focused shield, are ideal. Don't worry too much about crit or attack speed on your own character unless you're using specific spells to supplement damage.
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Playstyle Tips
The beauty of the Minion Army Lich is how low-maintenance yet tactical the gameplay is. Here's how to get the most from your setup:
- Keep your minions summoned—don't wait until they're gone to re-cast.
- Position safely behind your frontline, using terrain to your advantage.
- Apply curses and auras constantly. These buffs/debuffs multiply your army's power.
- Use movement skills like Flame Dash or Phase Run to reposition quickly.
- Sacrifice strategically—some Lich skills boost power at the cost of life, so balance usage.
This is a highly beginner-friendly build that scales well into high-tier content and can even solo bosses if geared correctly.
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Endgame Scaling and Flexibility
By the time you hit mapping, you can choose to specialize further:
- Hybrid Spellcaster/Necro: Add spell damage to contribute to DPS alongside your minions.
- Pure Summoner: Invest everything into your army, creating an auto-clearing death wave.
- Tanky Lich Lord: Use high energy shield and leech to become nearly unkillable while commanding your undead.
You can also pivot between physical, cold, or chaos minions depending on your spectres and support links.
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Conclusion: The Perfect Balance of Control and Carnage
If you're looking for a leveling build in POE2 that's easy to pilot, flexible in the endgame, and oozes style, the Minion Army Lich might be your perfect match. Whether you enjoy tactical summoning or just like the idea of sending waves of skeletons to do your bidding, this build POE2 Trade delivers in every area—damage, survivability, and sheer fun.
