[0.3] Zombling Legionnaire | Empowered zombies + friends | SSF friendly

[0.3] Zombling Legionnaire | Empowered zombies + friends | SSF friendly

Build Introduction

In version 0.3 new Gemling Legionnaire ascendancy node Advanced Thaumaturgy was introduced. This grants Thaumaturgical Dynamism that is the key for this build. This allows ability to generate power charges that are then used to spawn empowered zombies at will without corpses. In addition, changes that enable use of multiple support skill gems simultaneously helps minion builds tremendously and enable use of different spectre within one build.

Gameplay is quite straightforward. Zombies are mainly used for bosses and rares. While they do allow some clear, they are slow. Thus, spectres and skeletons are used to fill in gaps in the clearing, reduce downtime, and enable use of Muster support.

This guide has been created for weekly build showcase event


Videos

Vessel of Kulemak - https://youtu.be/CYkb_fv1hAw
T17 Cenotes + T18 Dark Domain - https://youtu.be/RAvpBAmN4k8

Orloth T2 - https://youtu.be/p6pVxFyt3NY
Xesth T2 - https://youtu.be/140Mr2vrk90
King in the Mists T2 - https://youtu.be/JhsA-Exojbw

Skill Tree and Ascendancy

Skill Tree
Current: https://poe.ninja/poe2/pob/df4b
(Updated tree for more ES. Wont choose Expendable Army before the unique amulet drops for further testing.)

Gemling Legionnaire

1. Crystalline Potential

2. Advanced Thaumaturgy

3. Neurological Implants

4. Gem Studded (if mana issues while casting zombies) OR Adaptive Capability (change int to str for more life)


Skills and Supports

I have not included new lineage support gems that have not yet dropped for me. Feel free to add Dialla's Desire to Frozen Mandibles or Skeletal Snipers.

Raise Zombie

1. Perpetual Charge
2. Muster
3. Rapid Attacks II
4. Minion Mastery
5. Feeding Frenzy II

Perpetual Charge helps to save power charges to maintain full stack of zombies. Other supports for damage.

Spectre - Frozen Mandibles x1 or xMAX

1. Armour Break III
2. Muster
3. Rapid Attacks II
4. Minion Mastery OR Uruk's Smelting
5. Feeding Frenzy II

This spectre is very fast hitting and has very good damage. Ideal for breaking armour for Zombies. Alternatively one can use good AoE spectre like Lightless Abomination or It That Hates. Note that with these options use Vulnerability curse or find other place for Armour Break III support. Alternate Uruk's Smelting with broken armour consumption elsewhere provides quick way to get 20% more multiplier to longer boss fights.

Skeletal Cleric x2

1. Rapid Casting II
2. Brutu's Brain
3. Last Gasp
4. (Prolonged Duration II)
5. ()

Cleric keeps minions alive and works well with the first three supports. Best place for Brutu's Brain.

Skeletal Frost Mage

1. Prolonged Duration II
2. Bidding II
3. Rapid Casting II
4. (Minion Mastery) OR Exploit Weakness
5. (Muster)

Main use it so shield other minions as new command skill reduces damage taken from hits by 40%. Alternate gem provides way to consume broken armor for Uruk's Smelting lineage gem effect.

Pain Offering

1. Danse Macarbe
2. Meat Shield II
3. Elemental Army
4. ()
5. ()

Additional damage. Can be substituted with skeleton to reduce active skills, which would provide 7% more dmg via Muster support.

Skeletal Warrior

1. Sacrificial Lamb II
2. Deathmarch
3. Culling Strike II
4. (Minion Mastery)
5. (Feeding Frenzy II)

Feeds Pain Offering skill, provides place for Culling Strike, and additional Muster support enhancement.

Skeletal Sniper x1+

1. Minion Mastery
2. Muster
3. Bidding II
4. Kurgal's Leash
5. Feeding Frenzy II / Magnified Area I

Adds area damage and active skill. Latter more of a gaming preference than necessity for the build. Can be substituted with any skeleton skill for Muster support enhancement.

Spectre - Vaal Guard x2

1. Minion Mastery
2. Muster
3. Feeding Frenzy II
4. Magnified Area I
5. ()

Adds area damage and detonator for Skeletal Sniper. Can be substituted with Skeletal Arsonist or any other spectre with detonator skill.

Skeletal Storm Mage x1

1. Rapid Casting II
2. Shock
3. Overcharge
4. Shock Conduction
5. (Muster)

Shocks enemies and adds Muster support enhancement.

Spectre - Ribrattle x1

1. Magnified Area II
2. Last Gasp
3. Rapid Casting II

Adds survivability through curses. Multiple spectres do not seem to add enhancement to Muster support, at least on paper.

Disclaimer: Add two unset rings with skeletal minions for 2x +7% Muster support enhancement.


Itemization

Below list provides recommendations. As exclusively SSF player some items have not been fully tested yet.

Sceptre
Any rare with +spirit and +minion skills will do well. Nice to haves are +presence AoE and +attack/cast speed or +minion damage.

Shield
Prims Guardian provides additional damage through additional minions while good rare adds survivability. For the latter aim for triple resists and high block chance.

Amulet
Rare Solar Amulet with +spirit and +minion skills gives best damage output. Serpent's Egg helps with Zombie upkeep because of additional power charge generation. Instilling Overflowing Power increased maximum power charge count to seven.

Helmet
Any high ES rare with +minion skills. Socket Talisman of Ralakesh rune for additional minions.

Body Armour
High EV/ES/EV+ES rare with +spirit, +life, and +res.

Gloves
High EV/ES/EV+ES rare with +life and +res.

Boots
Bones of Ullr provides much needed reservation efficiency to counter drawbacks from Gigantic Following notable. These can be substituted with +35% move speed rare if other items provide enough spirit to fill in all skill slots with minions for Muster support.

Belt
Darkness Enthroned as helmet version with two Talisman of Ralakesh runes provides additional damage with high opportunity cost. Alternative choice, if not the better one, is a good rare with triple resists and high life.

Rings
Priority on high life and triple resists. Mana regen and cast speed are nice to have, while rarity is luxury. Choose unset rings if unreserved spirit allows for additional skeletal minions. Else, choose prismatic or chaos res base.

Grip of Kumelak can have very nice mods like additional spirit, power charges and cast speed per spirit. All of these are Kurgal modifiers. So, choose visely and good luck.

Things to do

-Fix mana issues to switch ascendancy for more life
-Gamble for Prism Guardian
-Craft unset rings
-Desecrate new Sceptre
-Acquire Darkness Enthroned
Last edited by Nefa#2167 on Sep 21, 2025, 4:09:34 PM
Last bumped on Sep 22, 2025, 10:06:35 AM
Hey, thats a nice Idea for a build! Will be trying to do something similar in trade with tactician. Also in the post above the dude gave me another briliant idea for this archetype: you can just strap sacrifice and unearth, kill one of your dudes with unearth. Then cast on minion death profane ritual and summon zombies. Rinse and repeat. Will be also adding sth like living lightning linked to orb of storms or some other trigger. Suffice to say: looks promising.
"
Hey, thats a nice Idea for a build! Will be trying to do something similar in trade with tactician. Also in the post above the dude gave me another briliant idea for this archetype: you can just strap sacrifice and unearth, kill one of your dudes with unearth. Then cast on minion death profane ritual and summon zombies. Rinse and repeat. Will be also adding sth like living lightning linked to orb of storms or some other trigger. Suffice to say: looks promising.


Thank you!

In the previous batch I did test Zombies and utilized very low costing Terracotta Soldiers for power charge generation via Sacrifice and Profane Ritual. However, this took quite an effort and the soldiers were bugged and did not follow without constantly pressing minion control hotkey. With new Gemlin Legionnaire ascendancy note power charge generation is much smoother experience.

p.s. uploaded new video. Have to farm more splinters for the higher tier bosses.
Updated T2 bosses as well as other minor things. Got Brutu's Brain drop and added it to skelly clerics.
Nice build!
Is this build fine to start with? I really like the concept.

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