In the ever-evolving world of Path of Exile 2, the Dawn of the Hunt expansion and Patch 0.2.0 have brought significant changes to the game, especially for summoners. The return of the Raise Spectre mechanic has introduced a new layer of strategy and excitement for players who enjoy commanding minions. With hundreds of monsters available to summon and a wide range of abilities to exploit, the possibilities are nearly endless. In this article, we'll delve into the current state of spectres in Path of Exile 2, highlight the most powerful spectres, and recommend the best summoner builds to take advantage of them.
Introduction to Spectres in Path of Exile 2
The Bind Spectre system allows players to capture and summon specific monsters, creating a customized army of minions. With the right builds and support gems, spectres can become a formidable force on the battlefield. Whether you're leveling up or tackling endgame content, the right spectre can make all the difference.
Best Spectres for Leveling in Dawn of the Hunt
When it comes to leveling up efficiently, certain spectres stand out due to their unique abilities and high damage output. Here are some of the top choices:
Treant Foulspawn (Endgame)
Why It’s Good: Treant Foulspawn is one of the most powerful spectres due to its unique interaction with the Raise Spectre gem’s shade form, which massively boosts movement speed. By controlling this form manually with a direct minion key, the spectres can linger in their high-speed state and fire off mortars with devastating screen coverage. Supported by Scattershot, Wild Shard, Magnified Effect, and Reach Support, these mortars benefit from both spell and attack supports due to a loophole in spectre mechanics. This results in 75% more AoE scaling, further multiplied through passive tree investment.
Why It’s Good: The Vaal Guard boasts the highest base damage among spectres, with a 440% base modifier on its primary attack. It excels in fire-based minion builds that rely on burst AoE, especially with Scattershot for shotgun mechanics. Despite its downsides—visual clutter, FPS drops, and damage delay—it shines in coordinated minion setups. The build showcased uses Feeding Frenzy, Muster, Fire Infusion, Martial Tempo, and Scattershot, along with support minions offering stun, shock, fire exposure, and healing.
Why It’s Good: The Frost Wraith excels at crowd control with its freezing projectiles and explosion mechanics. It is a reliable spectre for both early leveling and endgame, thanks to its durability and ability to apply freeze on enemies. Its clear speed is impressive, especially when supported with cold or AoE scaling gems. This spectre is ideal for summoners looking to apply consistent chill and freeze effects while maintaining good area coverage and survivability.
Why It’s Good: The Forsaken Miner uses a grenade-throwing mechanic, casting dual projectile-based explosives that deal fire AoE damage. This spectre benefits from support gems that scale projectile count, AoE, and ignite. Its damage output is burst-heavy, making it especially effective against groups of enemies. During testing, it proved useful for fire-themed builds, particularly when paired with sources of fire exposure or burning ground. Its fast casting animation and solid projectile spread also contribute to its high coverage.
Why It’s Good: The Priest of the Sun is a powerful spectre for fire-themed builds, especially when paired with sources of fire exposure or burning ground. Its beam attack deals significant AoE damage, making it effective against groups of enemies. The spectre’s high life modifier and energy shield conversion further enhance its survivability and damage output.
Best Melee Spectres in Dawn of the Hunt
Why It’s Good: The Antlion Charger is a powerful melee spectre with high damage output and excellent mobility. Its rolling engage ability allows it to quickly close the distance to enemies, making it a formidable force in close combat.
Why It’s Good: The Black Scythe Mercenary is a versatile melee spectre with high damage output and excellent mobility. Its double-strike ability allows it to deal significant damage in a short amount of time, making it ideal for burst damage builds.
Why It’s Good: The Drudge Osseodon is a powerful melee spectre with high AoE damage output. Its Sunder slam ability makes it ideal for clearing groups of enemies quickly, making it a valuable addition to any summoner build.
Why It’s Good: The Forgotten Stag is a versatile melee spectre with high damage output and excellent utility. Its Shield Charge ability allows it to quickly close the distance to enemies, while its corrupted blood AoE makes it ideal for bleed and poison builds.
