If you've played minions in ARPGs for long enough, you know the old rhythm: hit summon, fill the screen, let the swarm autopilot. Path of Exile 2 doesn't really let you coast like that anymore, and you'll feel it fast. Even your gearing priorities start to shift when you're thinking about PoE 2 Currency and what it enables, because the new Necromancer style is less "endless bodies" and more "build a team you can actually keep alive." It's still summoning, sure, but it's closer to running a small squad than tossing out disposable units.
Spirit Changes Everything
The big pivot is Spirit. Instead of living under a simple minion cap, you're working with a reservation-like budget where every skeleton you field locks up a slice of Spirit. That turns Spirit into your main offensive lever. Want a wider army. You've got to pay for it with passives, gear, and trade-offs elsewhere. And it's not just bigger numbers—Spirit forces real choices. You can't mindlessly stack "more minion damage" and call it a day; you're constantly asking what your lineup costs and what it's worth.
Picking Roles, Not Random Bodies
What makes this fun is how deliberate the roster feels. There are eight skeletal types that map to familiar roles: Tanks, Melee DPS, Ranged DPS, and Casters. You're not stuck hoping the AI sorts itself out. Going into a boss that slams the arena with chunky AoE, you'll probably want to spend Spirit on a thicker frontline, then keep fragile backliners safe. Walk into a fight where the timer is basically "kill it now," and you might ditch the tanks, load up on hitters, and accept the risk. It's the kind of adjustment you used to make with skill gems and flasks; now you make it with bodies.
What It Feels Like In Combat
In footage, the behavior difference is obvious. Tanks push in and stick, like they're meant to be punched. Archers and casters try to hang back, shuffle for space, and keep firing. The screen still gets messy, but it's a readable mess, like you're watching a par ...
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