Unleash the devastating synergy of the Bloodmage Ascendancy and a horde of empowered minions with the Crimson Overlords build. By focusing on the Bloodmage’s unique mechanics, including life sustain through Sanguimancy, and combining it with powerful minion scaling, this build overwhelms enemies with sheer force. Whether facing hordes of foes or single-target bosses, this build excels at both survival and destruction.
Core Build Mechanics
The Crimson Overlords build revolves around summoning resilient, high-damage minions while leveraging the Bloodmage’s Life Remnants for sustain and additional survivability. This synergy ensures constant healing, even in prolonged battles, while your minions wreak havoc on enemies. The build is flexible, allowing for customization based on your preferred playstyle—whether leaning into offensive spellcasting, defensive crowd control, or maximizing minion power.
Ascendancy Nodes
The Bloodmage Ascendancy offers a wealth of powerful nodes that fuel the Crimson Overlords build. Below are the key nodes you should prioritize, along with recommendations for optional nodes based on your preferences.
Core Nodes
- Sanguimancy
- Grants Skill: Life Remnants
- Converts mana costs into life costs, enabling unique resource management.
- Generates Life Remnants from enemy kills and critical hits, providing significant healing and an overflow mechanic to bolster survivability.
- This is the heart of the build, offering unparalleled sustain.
- Grants Skill: Life Remnants
- Vitality Siphon
- 10% of Spell Damage Leeched as Life
- Complements Sanguimancy by ensuring consistent life regeneration when casting offensive spells.
- 10% of Spell Damage Leeched as Life
- Crimson Power
- Gain Energy Shield from equipped Body Armour as extra maximum Life
- Dramatically increases your effective health pool when wearing high-energy-shield body armor, further reinforcing your survival capabilities.
- Gain Energy Shield from equipped Body Armour as extra maximum Life
- Gore Spike
- 1% increased Critical Damage Bonus per 40 Life
- Great for life-stacking builds, synergizing with Sanguimancy’s life overflow mechanic to deal massive critical damage.
- 1% increased Critical Damage Bonus per 40 Life
Skill Gems and Supports
The Crimson Overlords build relies on a blend of summoning, buffing, and offensive spells. Here’s the recommended setup:
Primary Minions: Summon Skeletal Warriors
- Supports:
- Minion Mastery: This remains a crucial gem for overall minion strength.
- Last Gasp: Offering a temporary reprieve from fatal blows for the zombie frontline.
- Feeding Frenzy: Encouraging aggressive minion behavior.
Support Minions: Summon Skeletal Mages
- Select a damage type (e.g., chaos or elemental) and support accordingly.
Tank Minions: Raise Zombies
- Supports:
- Elemental Army: Remains vital for bolstering minion survivability.
- Meat Shield: A key gem for drawing enemy aggro towards the zombies.
Offensive Spells
- Choose area-of-effect or utility spells like Fireball or Blight to complement your minions.
- Supports:
- Added Chaos Damage (if focusing on chaos damage).
- Increased Critical Strikes (for synergy with Sunder the Flesh).
Curses and Auras
- Blasphemy – Despair: Reduces enemy chaos resistance, amplifying minion and spell damage.
- Arctic Armour: Provides additional defenses against physical and fire damage.
- Pain Offering: buffs minions damage.
Recommended Unique Items (not verified)
- Bones of Ullr (Boots)
- Reduces reservation costs, allowing more active minions.
- Lifespring (Wand)
- Boosts spell levels and provides life recovery.
- Bloodthorn (Quarterstaff)
- Inflicts bleed on hit, enhancing synergy with Blood Barbs.
- Abyss of Embers (Amulet)
- Amplifies bleeding inflicted by the wearer or minions.
Gameplay Strategy
- Summon Your Army
- Begin every encounter by summoning your full complement of Skeletal Warriors, Skeletal Mages, and Zombies.
- Apply Auras and Curses
- Activate Blasphemy – Despair to reduce enemy resistances and Arctic Armour for defenses.
- Position Strategically
- Stay at the edge of combat, letting your minions tank and deal damage. Use offensive spells to clear groups or weaken tough enemies.
- Sustain Through Sanguimancy
- Capitalize on Life Remnants to heal during prolonged battles or when taking damage spikes.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths
- High minion damage output.
- Exceptional life sustain through Life Remnants.
- Strong defenses via tanky minions and effective curses.
- Flexible gameplay with offensive spell support.
Weaknesses
- Reliant on minion AI for targeting.
- Vulnerable to enemies that bypass minions.
- High mana/life costs require careful resource management.
Final Thoughts
The Crimson Overlords build showcases the best of the Bloodmage Ascendancy. With a potent combination of minion scaling, life sustain, and flexible offense, this Witch build is both powerful and engaging. Whether you’re a veteran Path of Exile player or diving into Path of Exile 2 for the first time, this build promises an exciting and effective playstyle.
