Witch Minion builds are among the most powerful options in Path of Exile 2 early access now, scaling exponentially with gem levels, Spirit, and gear upgrades. This PoE 2 Witch Minion Build Guide will take your Witch from level 1 all the way to endgame maps. From skill trees to gems and Spirit usage, this guide covers everything you need to dominate any Acts and beyond while playing minions with the Infernalist ascendancy in Path of Exile 2!

PoE 2 Witch Minion Build (Gems, Gear, Passive Tree Progression, Leveling Strategy)

This Witch Minion build revolves around summoning hordes of minions to overwhelm enemies while adding layers of explosions, fire damage, and debuffs for maximum destruction. It evolves as you progress through the game, starting with skeletal snipers, bone constructs, and zombies in the early game and scaling into arsonists, raging spirits, and brutes in the mid and endgame.

The build offers versatility and power, fulfilling the fantasy of a demon-summoning, battlefield-dominating necromancer. With proper skill gem choices, passive nodes, and gear, this build can take you from level 1 to endgame maps with ease.

The build evolves as you progress:

• Early Game: Focus on summoning skeletal snipers and supporting them with AOE skills like Unearth and Contagion.

• Midgame: Transition to powerful fire-based minions like Skeletal Arsonists, leveraging Firestorm and Bone Storm for explosive damage.

• Endgame: Utilize high-damage minions like Skeletal Brutes, with support from critical hit mechanics, Spirit management, and optimized gear with PoE 2 currency.

Let’s break it down by game phase.

Related Read:

PoE 2 Build Tier List - Top 10+ Builds in Path of Exile 2 Early Access Now

PoE 2 Best Leveling Builds for Each Class | Path of Exile 2 Starter Tier List

1. Witch Minion Early Game Build (Act 1 – Level 1–20)

The early game can be tough for squishy classes like the Witch, but with proper planning, you can dominate Act 1 and beyond.

Skills and Strategy

1. Core Skills:

   Skeletal Snipers: Your primary damage dealers. They fire gas bombs that strip enemy armor and deal poison damage.

   - Support Gem: Corrosion – Poison from your snipers also breaks enemy armor.
   

   Unearth: Summons bone constructs for added AOE damage.

   - Support Gem: Minion Instability – Minions explode on low HP for an extra damage burst.

   Contagion + Essence Drain: A powerful combo for clearing mobs. Contagion spreads Essence Drain's damage-over-time effect, wiping out enemy packs.
   

   - Support Gems: Persistence (for longer Essence Drain duration). Magnified Effect (for larger Contagion AOE).

2. Single-Target Boss Damage - Use Raise Zombie or Chaos Bolt from a wand. Zombies are tanky and help during tough encounters.

3. Rotation - Start with Contagion to spread damage. Use Unearth to summon constructs with Minion Instability for massive damage on death. Keep Skeletal Snipers firing gas bombs to weaken enemies.

Passive Skill Tree Progression

• Focus on Minion Damage, Minion Life, and Spell Damage nodes.

• Prioritize Nodes:

  - Raw Destruction (minion and spell damage).

  - Living Death (minion life and revive speed).

  - Energy Shield Nodes for early survivability.

Gear Recommendations

• Look for:

  - Weapon: Scepters with +Spirit to summon more minions.

  - Armor: Armor with Energy Shield to mitigate damage.

  - Accesssories: Rings/Amulets with Mana, Life Regen, or Intelligence.

• Vendor Tip: Upgrade scepters with Blacksmith’s Whetstones to boost their spirit bonus.

2. Witch Minion Midgame Build (Act 2–3 – Level 20–50)

As you hit Act 2, your build evolves to include stronger minions and AOE fire damage options.

Skills and Strategy

1. Core Skills:

   Skeletal Arsonists: These minions throw fire concoctions, dealing massive AOE damage.

   - Support Gems: Scattershot (for multiple firebombs per cast). Magnified Effect (for larger AOE).

   Raging Spirits: Summon auto-attacking minions that deal fire damage

   - Support Gems: Minion Instability to make them explode on death.

   Flame Wall: Buffs fire damage for all projectiles passing through it, including those from your arsonists.

   Bone Storm: A channeled ability that deals physical damage and debuffs enemies to take extra damage from your minions.

2. Rotation - Place Flame Wall to buff minion projectiles. Use Skeletal Arsonists to bomb enemies while spreading Contagion. Activate Bone Storm for extra damage and debuffs during boss fights.

3. Ascendancy:

   - Support the Hellhound with:

   - Meat Shield (for survivability).

   - Ignition Buffs (to ignite enemies more effectively).

   - Unlock the Loyal Hellhound in Act 2. This powerful minion absorbs 20% of your damage and ignites nearby enemies.

Passive Skill Tree Progression

• Add:

  - Gravedigger (minion revive speed).

  - Necrotized Flesh (minion life and chaos resistance).

• Expand into Minion AOE, Fire Damage, and Minion Critical Chance nodes.

Gear Recommendations

• Prioritize:

• Spirit Gear: Helmets, chests, or amulets with +Spirit to summon more minions.

• Scepters with crit chance and fire damage for minions.

• Key Items:

• Flame Wall Support Gear to boost fire damage.

3. Witch Minion Endgame Build (Level 50+ – Mapping and Beyond)

By the endgame, the build peaks with a combination of brutal minions, explosions, and fire damage scaling.

Skills and Strategy

1. Core Skills:

   Skeletal Brutes: High-health melee minions that deal devastating AOE and single-target damage.

   - Support Gems: Heavy Swing (increased damage). Marshall Tempo (increased attack speed).

   Skeletal Arsonists: Continue to dominate AOE damage with firebombs.

   Raging Spirits + Flame Wall: Amplify fire damage and add more explosive minions.

   Detonate Dead: Explodes corpses for massive AOE damage.

   - Support Gems: Spell Echo (double-casts) and Magnified Effect (bigger AOE).

   Skeletal Cleric: Heals your minions and supports Pain Offering.

   - Support Gems: Arcane Tempo (faster casting).

2. Rotation - Keep Flame Wall active. Summon Brutes and Arsonists for damage. Use Bone Storm and Detonate Dead for AOE and debuffs during boss fights.

Passive Skill Tree Progression

• Prioritize Minion Crit Chance, Crit Multiplier, and Spirit Efficiency nodes.

• Key Clusters:
  

  - Lord of Horrors: Boosts minion critical damage.
  

  - Vile Mending: Increases minion life regeneration.

Gear Recommendations

• Scepter - Look for +Minion Ranks, +Spirit, and Crit Damage.

• Helmet - Prioritize +Minion Skill Levels for damage scaling.

• Shield - High Energy Shield and resistances.

• Chest - Spirit Boosters to support more minions.

Tips for Endgame Mapping

1. Boss Strategies: Use Bone Storm to debuff bosses and amplify minion damage. Let Skeletal Brutes tank while Arsonists and Raging Spirits deal consistent damage.

2. Mapping: Leverage Detonate Dead and Flame Wall to clear packs quickly. Position your Hellhound near enemies to maximize ignite effects.

If you found this useful, stay tuned for updates and more refined endgame guides as the meta evolves!