Looking for a bit of leveling help with SRS

So I've been toying with SRS for my next league starter, it's my first necro but my experience so far has been a bit lackluster.

I'm comfortably doing 1-70 deathless on most chars these days, but I found myself just hitting the deck with the SRS more often than not.

The damage during the leveling process seems to be fairly inconsistent map to map (start of act 6 was hellish, do they have fire resist?). Now mistress of sacrafice helped immensely, but I still feel like because I have nothing tanking for me, and no leech/regen to speak of that I'm really squishy and prone to deaths.

If I rush through maps casting a few times, a lot of the times I find that mobs aren't getting finished off by the SRS. (though admitely this seems to change map to map, some have been not as bad as others)

Atm im running a brightbeak with a 5l srs, you can check my active character to have a look, (IrisAbyss, 48)

Really what I'm asking is, am I missing a core mechanic, should I be running something to supplement the leveling process, or another skill entirely? I was going to run with a scourge, but the experience thus far has been a bit hit or miss. I'm hoping to get the kinks out of it before Bestiary league and figure out where I've been going wrong with it.

Any advice would be appreciated.

Last time I leveled SRS I bought a 6L staff (a few The Dark Mage dropped for me in Chamber of Sins, the rest I bought for a couple chaos each) which when crafted with +2 to fire gems solved all of my damage issues while leveling.

Golem can also tank hits for you.

You have to just push through it. SRS doesn't truly shine until you reach end-game with a +2 5/6L Staff.

Ok, thanks folks.

I get how it's a decent league start as it has very low gear requirements, but I would have expected the leveling experience to be a bit quicker/more reliable given how people talk about it as a great league start.

I put in a stone golem at least for the utlilty. But I'm reconsidering it for the first char of the league.

I just leveled with srs and summons on ssf as a test run. You are spot on when talking about damage being lackluster. I suggest using the recipe for the +1 minion helm and at least that way you can have a 4 link srs. In addition, I used zombies and linked life and fortify with them. I also ran a purity and everything started rolling along much better. I usually do a summoner for farming and try out other builds for advancing into the hardest content. Ironically, it was my summoner that solo'd the guardians, elder and just about everything else except uber atziri and shaper. I will still use the summoner as a starter, as it is just too difficult to beat in running at a decent speed with decent rarity.

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minionax wrote:

I just leveled with srs and summons on ssf as a test run. You are spot on when talking about damage being lackluster. I suggest using the recipe for the +1 minion helm and at least that way you can have a 4 link srs. In addition, I used zombies and linked life and fortify with them. I also ran a purity and everything started rolling along much better. I usually do a summoner for farming and try out other builds for advancing into the hardest content. Ironically, it was my summoner that solo'd the guardians, elder and just about everything else except uber atziri and shaper. I will still use the summoner as a starter, as it is just too difficult to beat in running at a decent speed with decent rarity.

I'm glad at least it's not just me, sounds pretty accurate. I was just enjoying it as something different and the claw version seemed pretty fun and powerful. Just a bit lackluster going through the core game. I'll give it some more thought,

I've never played a summoner yet, so this is new territory for me. I tend to hit ED/C for my league starts, as it just ruins content and kills fast. So reliable. But was hoping for a change this league.

Do you think you'd drop the zombies later on? I hear a lot of different things about them in general, most people aren't too keen on them it seems.

Also, is Huy's claw viable, compared to a +2 staff for example? Obviously there's fairly big quality of life from running shield charge. Not sure if the wolves act as tanks, or can take a few hits as well?