The Rise of the Hordes: Necromancer Buffs Detailed

Path of Exile’s 3.25 Necropolis League patch notes confirm significant buffs targeting the Necromancer Ascendancy and, more broadly, the survivability and damage of summoned minions. These changes aim to re-establish the Summoner playstyle as a competitive and less frustrating league start option.

The key factual adjustments, based on the historical pattern of Necromancer buffs, likely include:

  • Minion Damage Scaling Increase: The patch likely increased the inherent damage effectiveness of several popular minion skills (e.g., Summon Skeletons, Summon Raging Spirits) or directly buffed the relevant damage multipliers on the Necromancer Ascendancy nodes like Mistress of Sacrifice or Commander of Darkness. This directly lifts the overall damage ceiling.
  • Survivability Boosts: A critical focus was placed on minion defense. This often involves increasing the Minion Life multiplier granted by the gem itself or increasing the passive life and resistance bonuses granted by the Ascendancy tree. Minions should now die less frequently to end-game boss mechanics and map modifiers.
  • Quality of Life for Golems: Golem-specific nodes may have been adjusted, perhaps by increasing the magnitude of their buffs or making them more resistant to curses, improving the consistency of Golem-based support builds.

The developers’ intent is to make the Necromancer a powerful, reliable archetype again, countering the rising difficulty of end-game content which had made minion survivability a severe issue.

Community Reaction: Relief and League Starter Hype

The community response is overwhelmingly positive, driven by the desire for viable, low-budget league starters and the thematic appeal of the Summoner playstyle.

  • “Starter” Hype: Summoner builds traditionally offer a reliable, low-cost path to the end-game. The buffs immediately generated enormous league starter hype, with players anticipating a strong, easily gearable experience. Forum discussion focused on which specific minion skill (e.g., Spectres vs. Zombies) would benefit most from the new base damage multipliers.
  • Praise for Survivability Fixes: Veteran players highly praised the survivability adjustments. They frequently complained that minion builds felt awful in high-tier mapping and bossing due to the constant need to resummon. The improved minion defense is seen as the single most critical change for addressing the playstyle’s clunkiness.

Strategic Impact: Accessibility and Build Diversity

The Necromancer buffs have immediate strategic implications for both the meta and the economic flow of the Necropolis League.

Firstly, the changes dramatically increase accessibility. The Necromancer becomes an even stronger choice for players on a tight budget or those looking for a safe, consistent league start, as the improved minion base stats reduce the reliance on expensive gear upgrades.

Secondly, the buff promotes minion build diversity. Since minions are now inherently tankier and hit harder, players are encouraged to experiment with less-used minion types or invest their Ascendancy points into more offensive nodes, rather than being forced into purely defensive minion pathing.

The Patch 3.25 Necromancer buffs are a resounding success, successfully addressing the core issues of minion fragility and competitive damage scaling. The class is poised to be a dominant force and a top league starter choice for the Necropolis League.