Path of Exile 2 introduces a wealth of new possibilities when it comes to character builds. One of the standout builds in the new game is the Summoner Shaman, a powerful EZNPC class that harnesses the forces of nature to summon elemental spirits and totems to do battle. This guide will dive deeper into how to build a Summoner Shaman, focusing on skills, gear, passive trees, and playstyle adjustments for maximum effectiveness.

Understanding the Shaman Class

The Shaman is a class that taps into the primal energies of nature, focusing on summoning powerful elemental creatures. Unlike the traditional summoner that relies heavily on undead minions, the Shaman’s elemental spirits bring diversity to the build. These spirits can take the form of lightning, fire, water, or earth, each offering different strengths and benefits. The Summoner Shaman build capitalizes on the synergy between these elemental forces to provide both offensive power and defensive capabilities.

Core Skills for the Summoner Shaman Build

To maximize the potential of the Summoner Shaman build, you’ll need to focus on specific skills that allow you to summon spirits and place totems strategically. Here’s a breakdown of the core skills for this build:

Fire Spirit Burst: This skill summons a volatile fire spirit that deals AoE fire damage upon impact, igniting enemies and causing them to burn over time. This skill is invaluable for clearing large packs of enemies quickly and efficiently.

Lightning Spirit Vortex: The lightning spirit vortex creates a damaging circular area where lightning strikes enemies within it. It chains lightning damage across enemies, making it ideal for crowd control and massive damage output.

Earth Totem Shield: An essential defensive ability, the Earth Totem summons a totem that creates an area of effect that provides damage reduction for nearby allies and protects your spirits. It’s perfect for keeping enemies at bay while your spirits and totems focus on offensive duties.

Water Spirit Freeze: Water spirits deal frost damage and have the added benefit of slowing and freezing enemies in their path. This crowd control effect makes them invaluable for tackling tough mobs or bosses with high mobility.

Passive Skill Tree and Notable Nodes

The passive skill tree for the Shaman class in Path of Exile 2 offers a wealth of customization. To maximize the effectiveness of your Summoner Shaman, focus on the following:

Elemental Spirit Enhancements: Seek out passive nodes that specifically increase elemental damage and the survivability of your spirits. Nodes like Storm Conduit and Elemental Surge significantly boost damage and allow your spirits to deal more damage across multiple types of enemies.

Totem Mastery: Since the Summoner Shaman relies heavily on totems, picking up Totem Mastery nodes is essential. These nodes increase totem damage, totem health, and allow you to place additional totems. This provides substantial bonuses to your fire totems and defensive Earth totems.

Spirit Vitality and Mana Scaling: Look for nodes that increase mana regeneration or maximum mana. The Summoner Shaman is heavily reliant on mana for summoning spirits, and keeping your mana pool stable is crucial for sustained combat.

Gear and Itemization

Gear for the Summoner Shaman should prioritize elemental damage, mana regeneration, and totem bonuses. Here are a few recommendations:

Elemental Damage Gear: Focus on equipment that enhances lightning, fire, and cold damage to increase the effectiveness of your spirits. Gear with % increased elemental damage is crucial for boosting your offensive power.

Totem Health and Survivability: Look for items that grant bonuses to totem health and totem damage reduction. These will help your totems survive longer, especially in high-level content.

Mana Regeneration: You will need plenty of mana regeneration to keep summoning spirits. Items that provide increased mana regeneration and reduced mana cost for skills can be a lifesaver during extended boss fights.

Playstyle and Strategy

To succeed with a Summoner Shaman build, your playstyle will revolve around careful positioning and managing your summons effectively. Here are some strategies to help you master the build:

Keep Your Spirits Alive: Your spirits are your main source of damage, so ensuring their survival is key. Use defensive totems like the Earth Totem Shield to create barriers and protect your spirits while they deal damage.

Use Crowd Control Wisely: Water spirits provide freeze and slow effects, which are invaluable for controlling the battlefield. Use them to keep mobs at a distance while your fire and lightning spirits handle the damage.

Don’t Overextend: Your spirits need time to deal damage and regenerate their health. Stay back from the frontline to avoid attracting too much attention while your summoned forces do the work.

In conclusion, the Summoner Shaman in Path of Exile 2 offers a versatile and powerful playstyle that allows you to command the forces of nature through elemental spirits and totems. With the right skills, gear, and passive tree investment, this build can excel in both offensive and defensive capabilities. Whether you are clearing mobs or taking on powerful bosses, the Summoner Shaman is sure to leave a lasting impact on Wraeclast.