Dilemma with ranged minions

General
1

Been playing around with various options on my L89 Acolyte, and I’ve settled on Skeleton Archers and Archmage as my minions of choice. For the most part, this combo works great with my other skills. The problem I run into is when I inevitably hit a mini-boss with the “Less damage from distant enemies” buff. Since I can’t force my ranged minions to get in close, I’m losing a big chunk of my DPS, especially when the boss has a pack following them around inside the bubble.

If you’re wondering why I just don’t switch to Warriors instead of Archers, the problem is my weapons. I’ve got a decent T6 roll on the Minion Spell/Bow enhancement, which sits on my Profane Wand. Since I can’t use the Minion Spell/Melee enhancement on Wands, I’ve been searching in vain for a Staff that can replace my Wand/Catalyst; damage yes, defenses no. I’m still using Exalted items, no good LP2+ replacements yet.

I really don’t want to re-spec again; I’m happy with the current setup, as long as the bubble doesn’t show up. Any suggestions as to what I can do in the meantime? I’m sure if I’m patient enough, I’ll find a staff that fits my needs.

2

You can use that affix on a sceptre https://www.lastepochtools.com/db/suffixes/AGwFgzEA

1 Like
3

Are you saying that because they will die if they get close? Because otherwise you can make them go inside the bubble using the command minions key (default “A”).

You can also just add zombos to your minions. They will get close and act as meat shields for you and your ranged minions. And they also use spell damage. Plus they can have kill threshold as well, which is very handy for boss fights.

4

The problem with the command minions keys is that the minions get distracted way too easily, so in large battles I’ve found it a waste of effort. I’ve also noticed that the AI for ranged minions tries to keep them away from melee range, which I like.

While they are squishier than the warriors, I’m not losing them too often.

5

I think I’d ignored sceptres because there just aren’t any good ones for minion-based builds. In my case, though, I think it’s worth exploring again.

6

OK, I think I found an acceptable workaround. While the minion command does not make the ranged summons enter the bubble, a resummoning while I’m inside the bubble does. Not ideal, but better than before.