Overview
This Patch 0.5 day-one summoner leans on the new seasonal runes to solve the classic minion-build problem: not enough spirit, not enough resistances, and a painful early game before the army is fully online. By stacking the Ruin of the Blossom (bonus spirit) and the Ruin of the Prison (resistance with a maximum-resist trade-off) into a cheap chest piece, the build comfortably runs around 200-300 spirit by Act 2 and fields seven Skeletal Arsonists alongside Raging Spirits — well above what is normally possible at that stage of the campaign.
The creator pilots a Witch into Infernalist and points out a parallel path for Druid into Shaman if you prefer charm-free spirit reservation. Either way, the core plan is the same: bridge the gap from “summoner with no minions” to “summoner with a full army” using Unearth and Contagion in early Act 1, then transition into Flame Wall + Raging Spirit + Skeletal Arsonists for the rest of the campaign. The guide also doubles as a day-one currency primer, leaning on Ruin-event craft outcomes and small Chaos/Exalted exchange flips to fund the two unique anchors.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Patch 0.5 runes make spirit and resists trivial to solve before Act 3, removing the usual minion early-game pain.
- Two affordable uniques (chest piece + boots) are enough to carry the build from late Act 1 all the way into maps.
- Skeleton Arsonist + Flame Wall + Raging Spirit deliver strong AoE and solid single-target through campaign bosses on the first attempt.
- Twin-class flexibility: the same plan works for Witch/Infernalist with extra durability via Infernal Hound, or Druid/Shaman with free spirit from the 120-point passive cluster.
Cons
- Hinges on grabbing the Ruin of the Blossom and Ruin of the Prison while they are still cheap on day one.
- The early Act 1 window before Raging Spirit is still slow — you are babysitting Unearthed skeletons and a Contagion patch.
- The Ruin of the Prison lowers maximum resistance, so you must keep current resists comfortably overcapped before scaling further.
- Requires reservation-efficiency boots and the appropriate keystones to actually field seven arsonists; missing either drops your minion count noticeably.
Key Skills
- Skeletal Arsonist — main damage minion, supported by Multi-Shot, Magnified Area, Fire Achievement, and additional Area of Effect.
- Raging Spirit — fast-attacking secondary minion summoned by casting Flame Wall, paired with Fortress and Rapid Casting.
- Flame Wall — the trigger spell that both buffs Raging Spirits and stacks bonus minion damage as you travel.
- Unearth — early-game filler that summons temporary skeletons and feeds the “hit recently” bonus that grants minions 30% increased damage.
- Pain Offering + Elemental Weakness — single offering boost plus a focused curse for tougher rares and bosses.
Gear & Anointments
The two anchors are a chest piece socketed with the Ruin of the Blossom and the Ruin of the Prison, plus a pair of boots with at least 25% reservation efficiency and meaningful movement speed. Everything else is opportunistic: +1 minion skills on weapon, helmet, and amulet (with room to upgrade to +2), then standard life/resist/attribute rolls on the remaining slots. The creator specifically calls out gambling and trade-filter tricks (alchemy, transmutation, regal) as the cheapest way to find those +1 base items in the first few hours.
Endgame Notes
The build is described as ready into maps with the unique chest + boots combo, and the new Imbued/Internal Match skill is flagged as a strong defensive option once you can fit Runic on your gear to revive lost minions on demand. Skeleton Warrior’s Sacrificial Lamb is also called out as a synergy with Ritual Offering for added burst.
Credits & Source
Build credited to Mattjestic Life — see the full day-one walkthrough, gear screenshots, and Act-by-Act boss footage in the source video for the complete picture: original guide on YouTube.