Today, we're diving into the world of Animate Weapon (AW) with a focus on a ranged Necromancer build. Previously, We've covered a Guardian version, but today, it's all about the poison variant, which, trust us, scales way better in the endgame. It's always up-to-date for every league. Now, let's jump into this poison AW Necro build that's sure to spice up your gameplay!

• Build Mechanics and Playstyle
• Leveling the Build
• Path of Building and Skill Tree
• Gearing Up
• Ascendancy and Charms

↖ Build Mechanics and Playstyle

• Summoning Weapons: Use Bladefall or EK to create lingering blades. These blades are then animated into weapons.
• Minion Duration: In lower-budget versions, aim for increased duration nodes for longer minion uptime. In higher budgets, duration drops a bit.
• Mapping Strategy: Summon a few weapons at the start of a map. Use Arcanist Brand and Convocation to position them, then summon more as needed.
• Efficient Summoning: To minimize downtime, summon more weapons whenever you encounter tougher enemies.

↖ Leveling the Build

• Leveling with AW: You can start using Animate Weapon at Level 28. Use Bladefall to create blades early on.
• Alternative Leveling: For faster leveling, consider using SRS Absolution until Level 28.

↖ Path of Building and Skill Tree

• Low Budget POB: Covers essential leveling trees and focuses on poison in the skill section. Link: https://pobb.in/5Ex09N6AXOsw.
• Duration Nodes: Early in the tree, aim for increased duration nodes for sustained minion uptime.
• Eldritch Battery: Aim for Eldritch Battery for better Mana sustain.
• Resistance Nodes: Around Act 5 or 6, prioritize resistance nodes for survival.

↖ Gearing Up

• Before vs. After Poison Focus: Initially, focus on minion damage and life. After transitioning to poison, gear up accordingly.
• Weapon and Shield: Start with a generic weapon with +1 to skills and a simple shield with life and resistances.
• Helmet: Look for energy shield pieces, aiming for a +1 or +2 to minion skills in higher budgets.
• Affordable 6-Links: Rather than a Tabula Rasa, look for affordable, corrupted 6-link body armors.
• Skill Gem Setup: Use chance of poison and hypothermia, supported by skitterbots for shock and chill.

↖ Ascendancy and Charms

• Ascendancy Choices: Start with the Magi for damage and switch to Primalist later for efficiency.
• Charm Selection: Use charms to fix attributes and resistances. Look for ones that provide Onslaught to minions.
• Final Thoughts: This build transforms the Poison SRS template into an Animate Weapon build. Use zombies and golems as a meat shield to protect your animated weapons.

We hope you guys enjoy this build guide. If you have any suggestions for future builds or thoughts on this one, drop a comment below.