Path of Exile: Lightning Spectres build guide (3.26)

Minion builds are one of the safest routes you can take in Path of Exile. They are good for dealing damage, as well as clearing an entire map, all while keeping you out of harm's way. While BAMA Necromancer is a great choice, there is another build that uses Lightning Spectres. It’s been almost a month since Path of Exile: Secrets of the Atlas launched, so let's to try something new.

This guide will take you through the entire build, including levelling, guild setup, and gear you’ll need.

Lightning Spectres levelling guide for Path of Exile

Absolution will carry you though the campaign (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Like many builds in Path of Exile, minions don’t work right out of the box. You can use them, but they won’t deal enough damage. That's why we recommend the traditional method. Rolling Magma and Flame Wall is boring, but it’s the fastest way to level up in the early game.

Upon reaching Level 12, you can start using Absolution. It’s a hybrid Skill Gem that allows you to cast a spell and deal damage. Any non-unique enemy killed with this spell will spawn a Sentinel of Absolution, who will also use the same skill to attack enemies.

To increase your damage, use support skills like Controlled Destruction and Minion Damage Support. This way, you can increase the damage you and your minions deal early in the game. Try to get a four-link armour piece once you start getting Level 25 gear.

Path of Exile Lightning Spectres build setup

Minion army shines in PoE Secrets of the Atlas Expansion (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

If you’re wondering how long you need to play Absolution, there’s no definite answer. The skill is good enough to carry you through the entire campaign, but if you don’t like it, switching to Raise Spectres will not be complicated.

However, we recommend using these skills until you reach the endgame. When you do decide to switch to Spectres, there are a few things to remember. The Mercenaries are a great way to increase your damage.

Since the build is based around lightning damage, use Doryani’s Prototype on your Mercenary. This unique armour piece will allow you to decrease the Lightning Resistance of all nearby enemies by stacking negative resistance on your Mercenary.

Add another aura to your Mercenary (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

This method will cost you a few Divine Orbs, but it’s better if you want more survivability. To lower the resistance, you can add other uniques in the mix, like Malachai's Artifice and a bad roll of Ventor's Gamble. These will keep everything under budget and save currency for spending on expensive Support Gems.

Here’s the basic skill setup for Lightning Spectres:

Raise Spectre: Minion Damage - Spell Echo - Pierce
Raise Spectre: Feeding Frenzy - Culling Strike - Overcharge
Molten Shell: Automation - Lifetap
Desecrate
Bone Offering
Any movement skill (Shield Charge, Frost Blink, etc.)

Note that the skill setup uses multiple Raise Spectres. That's because one is for two special monsters:

Perfect Spirit of Fortune: Grants the aura, ‘Lightning Damage of nearby allies is Lucky’, when raised as Spectre.
Perfect Guardian Turtle: Grants the aura, ‘Determination’, when raised as Spectre.

Alternatively, you can use a Mercenary that already has Determination and equip Perquil's Toe Gold Amulet on them, along with other unique items. This will eliminate the requirement for special minions, which can be substituted for other minions.

Gear setup for Lightning Spectres Necromancer

Make sure to have Spectres on Affix (Image via Grinding Gear Games)

Since most of the damage will be dealt by your minions, you’ll be able to improve defences. The only exception will be your armour piece equipped with Raise Spectre. That piece of gear can make use of Shaper or Elder-influenced modifiers.

Here are the armour stats you should be on the lookout for:

Gear	Affixes
Helmet	Use the Dark Monarch or armour +1 Level of All Minion Skills
Body Armor	Life - Mana - Resistances - Damage Reduction
Amulet	Use Replica Dragonfang's Flight
Belt	Use Darkness Entroned
Gloves (Equip Raise Specter on these)	Socketed Gems are Supported by Faster Projectile/Faster Casting - Increased Cast Speed - Increased Projectile Speed
Rings	Life - Increased Lightning Damage - Resistances - Cast Speed
Boots	Movement Speed - Life

Using The Dark Monarch will double the number of minions you can raise and provide a large amount of Chaos Resistance. However, you’ll need an affix that doubles the number of Spectres, which can cost a lot.

Check out more on Path of Exile:

About the author

Mayank Singh Rathour is an MMO writer at Sportskeeda. He graduated from college with a degree in Business Administration and has over two years of experience as an esports journalist.

Mayank was introduced to gaming at an early age and played Contra, Double Dragon, Castlevania, etc., on his Nintendo DS. When he was a little older, Counter-Strike — a title that majorly helped develop his passion for gaming — became his favorite pastime. Though he's played a bunch of games since then, his love of CS has remained strong. Shroud, a former Counter-Strike: Global Offensive pro, is an inspiration to him. He's also a fan of series' esports scene, following teams like Vitality, NAVI, and The Mongols closely.

When Mayank has some free time, he plays basketball and helps people build PCs.

Know More

Edited by Abu Amjad Khan