Most people barely noticed Patch 0.4 on January 3 because they were too busy arguing about Mercenary buffs and Sorceress nerfs. I did the opposite and stayed on Witch, and I'm glad I did. If you're gearing up and you want to acheter item poe 2 without getting dragged into the usual "mirror-tier or bust" nonsense, this league's minion angle is a real breath of fresh air.
Why Lich Suddenly Feels Different
The patch notes didn't shout "this is broken," but you'll feel it the minute you hit red maps. Minions used to clump. They'd eat the same slam, stand in the same puddle, then you'd wonder why your army vanished. Now they spread out on their own, swap targets faster, and don't look lost when a boss phases. That change alone makes the whole build calmer to play. Add the 20% life multiplier on Unyielding Command and it stops being "minions survive if you baby them" and turns into "minions survive, full stop."
My Setup, No Fancy Tricks
I ditched the clunky Spectre-first style and went for a Skeleton core with utility on top. Skeletons sit in a 6-link with Minion Damage, Multistrike, and Melee Splash. Don't skip Splash. You can try to convince yourself it's fine, but your clear will feel sticky without it. I keep Raise Spectre in the helm with defensive supports because I'm not chasing damage there; I want reliability. Gloves run Absolution for that extra punch on tanky rares and awkward map mods. It's not a "one button deletes the screen" kind of thing. It's steady. You keep moving, your minions keep working, and T16s stop being a chore.
Budget Reality and Scaling
The big spike comes from Echoes of the Abyss. The +1 level is nice, but the chaos conversion on crit is what makes bosses feel like they're melting instead of slowly being chewed down. If it's out of reach early, a simple rare +1 amulet carries you farther than people think. I'm around 30 divines in, mostly from playing, not flipping, and it scales cleanly. I ran 50 Blight-ravaged maps in a row as a stress test and didn't die once, which would've sounded like a joke before 0.4.
Play It While It Lasts
Minions are finally in that sweet spot where you can push hard content without feeling like you're doing extra homework. If you're short on time and just want to get your core pieces online fast, I get why some folks look at services like U4GM to buy currency or items and skip the slow stretch, especially when the market's moving and you don't want to fall behind the curve.
Why Lich Suddenly Feels Different
The patch notes didn't shout "this is broken," but you'll feel it the minute you hit red maps. Minions used to clump. They'd eat the same slam, stand in the same puddle, then you'd wonder why your army vanished. Now they spread out on their own, swap targets faster, and don't look lost when a boss phases. That change alone makes the whole build calmer to play. Add the 20% life multiplier on Unyielding Command and it stops being "minions survive if you baby them" and turns into "minions survive, full stop."
My Setup, No Fancy Tricks
I ditched the clunky Spectre-first style and went for a Skeleton core with utility on top. Skeletons sit in a 6-link with Minion Damage, Multistrike, and Melee Splash. Don't skip Splash. You can try to convince yourself it's fine, but your clear will feel sticky without it. I keep Raise Spectre in the helm with defensive supports because I'm not chasing damage there; I want reliability. Gloves run Absolution for that extra punch on tanky rares and awkward map mods. It's not a "one button deletes the screen" kind of thing. It's steady. You keep moving, your minions keep working, and T16s stop being a chore.
Budget Reality and Scaling
The big spike comes from Echoes of the Abyss. The +1 level is nice, but the chaos conversion on crit is what makes bosses feel like they're melting instead of slowly being chewed down. If it's out of reach early, a simple rare +1 amulet carries you farther than people think. I'm around 30 divines in, mostly from playing, not flipping, and it scales cleanly. I ran 50 Blight-ravaged maps in a row as a stress test and didn't die once, which would've sounded like a joke before 0.4.
Play It While It Lasts
Minions are finally in that sweet spot where you can push hard content without feeling like you're doing extra homework. If you're short on time and just want to get your core pieces online fast, I get why some folks look at services like U4GM to buy currency or items and skip the slow stretch, especially when the market's moving and you don't want to fall behind the curve.