Companion Spirit Walker Potential for Return of the Ancients 0.5 PoE 2
Summary
- Overview of the Spirit Walker ascendancy and its potential to create a viable “Beast Master” companion build in the Return of the Ancients (0.5) patch.
- Analysis of the confirmed triple damage buff for tamed beasts and new itemization support.
- Strategies for scaling companion base damage through weapon transfers (Catha’s Blessing) and high-damage gear like talismans or two-handed maces.
- Discussion of spirit reservation mechanics, specifically the interaction between percentage-based reservations and the Lord of the Wilds node.
- Examination of rare monster modifiers (e.g., Haste Aura, Energy Shield Aura) and their utility in layered defensive and offensive setups.
The Beast Master Fantasy
The Spirit Walker ascendancy offers the unique opportunity to tame massive boss-level entities, such as the Chimeral, monkeys, or the frozen variant of the bird that utilizes tornado mechanics. This “Beast Master” fantasy is becoming more viable due to several upcoming changes in the 0.5 update.
Buffing Companion Damage
Historically, companion damage has been insufficient for primary build focus. However, during a recent Q&A, Mark Roberts confirmed significant buffs:
Mark Roberts: “I think it might have even been—we’ve tripled the damage, I think, of tamed beasts.”
This tripling of base damage suggests a shift toward supporting companions as a primary damage source rather than just utility.
New Itemization and Support
New items are being introduced to bypass current limitations. Currently, the Trusted Kinship node allows for one extra tamed beast but imposes a penalty of “Less Defenses.”
- New Scepter: A newly showcased scepter allows for any number of tamed beasts, limited only by your spirit reservation space. It also provides a unique wolf companion.
- Idolatry Node: Provides reservation efficiency and percentage damage scaling, essential for min-maxing a multiple-companion setup.
Scaling Base Damage via Catha’s Blessing
The Spirit Walker’s Catha’s Blessing allows companions to inherit a portion of the base damage from your equipped weapon. Several gear paths are available:
- Lord of the Wilds & Talismans: Most mid-to-late game builds path heavily toward jewel sockets. By pathing to Lord of the Wilds, spirit is halved. While this affects flat spirit, it does not negatively impact percentage-based reservations (like the 42% or 39% required by certain companions). This allows for the use of a Talisman, which can provide flat physical damage (ranging from 700 to 1200 on the top end), significantly boosting companion base damage.
- Giantsblood & Strength Stacking: Utilizing Giantsblood might allow for the simultaneous use of a two-handed mace and a scepter. Combined with the Heroic Tragedy Energy Shield jewel and strength stacking, this could provide a massive damage floor for companions.
Utility Through Monster Modifiers
Companions can possess up to four monster modifiers. Even lower-level rare monsters (like those found in Act 3) offer powerful utility:
- Energy Shield Aura: Grants nearby allies 20% of their life as extra Energy Shield.
- Haste Aura: Provides 20% increased attack and cast speed and 10% increased movement speed.
- Temporal Bubble: Slows enemies, making boss mechanics easier to dodge.
- Offensive Mods: Modifiers that allow companions to create shocking ground or apply cold exposure.
Note: Obtaining a perfect set of modifiers is difficult. Hunting for specific rare mods (like Haste Aura combined with another specific stat) can require hours of zone resetting.
Current State and Future Outlook
Companions are currently untested as a primary hit-based damage source; most existing builds rely on Infernal Legion scaling based on monster life. The ability to tame unique bosses is a significant unknown that could be highly powerful or require tuning.
Complete patch notes are expected in approximately two weeks. Barring major changes, the Spirit Walker Companion build will be a primary focus for league starting and guide development.