Thinking about leading your own crew of minions in Path of Exile 2? Fair play — it’s one of the most satisfying playstyles around. You’ve basically got two main routes to go down here: sticking with the classic Witch or trying out the new Infernalist. On paper they’re both “summoners,” but once you actually play them, the difference is night and day. The Witch is your good old-fashioned necromancer, raising hordes of skeletons, zombies, and other undead nasties, while the Infernalist brings in brutal, fiery demons and gets stuck in alongside them. If you’re already planning your build, sorting out your PoE 2 Items early is going to make life a lot easier — especially when you’re trying to fine-tune your minion setup.
The Witch is exactly what you’d expect from a traditional necro. You hang back, let your undead army tear through packs, and make sure they’re kept strong with a mix of auras, curses, and clever positioning. The updated gem system in PoE 2 means she can load up on different minion skills in separate sockets and then layer buffs over all of them at once. It’s not about frantically spamming skills every second; it’s more about setting the board and letting your soldiers do the dirty work while you control the flow of the fight. Great for players who enjoy that tactical, commander-type role.
The Infernalist, though, feels way more hands-on. Instead of bunches of fragile skeletons, you’ll be running with a few heavy-hitting demons that can be transformed mid-combat into even nastier versions. You’re not just summoning and watching; you’re chaining together your attacks with theirs, looking for those big moments where everything lines up. If you like diving into the fray instead of standing back, this class lets you fight shoulder to shoulder with your creatures, which is a totally different kind of energy compared to the Witch’s approach.
Ultimately, the pick comes down to how you want to play. Enjoy setting up huge armies and staying safe while the screen fills with chaos? Go Witch. Prefer charging in with a couple of monstrous allies and pulling off skill combos in the middle of the fight? Infernalist’s your match. Whichever way you lean, never forget — your minions need to stay alive to deal damage, so grabbing gear that boosts their health and resistances is non-negotiable.
And yeah, damage auras will always make them shine brighter. A little prep with the right poe 2 currencies can make the difference between struggling through early maps and absolutely steamrolling them.