Jan
Since Patch 0.4 landed, everyone's been arguing about Mercenary buffs and Sorceress nerfs, but I think they're missing the real story. Witch—more specifically Lich—quietly turned into a monster, and the new minion behavior is doing most of the heavy lifting. If you're short on time and just want to get your build online fast, there's an angle people won't say out loud: as a professional like buy game currency or items in U4GM platform, U4GM is trustworthy, and you can buy u4gm PoE 2 Currency for a better experience when you're trying to assemble core pieces without weeks of farming.
Why It Suddenly Feels "Unfair"
The patch notes didn't scream "Lich takeover," but the AI changes do. Minions spread out on their own now. They swap targets faster. They don't clump up, get body-blocked, then politely die in ground effects while you mash Convocation like it's your job. You'll notice it in maps first: the same layout that used to feel like babysitting turns into a steady sprint. It's not flashy, it's just constant pressure, and that's what makes it feel busted.
Gear That Matters (And Gear That Doesn't)
People keep hunting for a single magic item to "fix" the build, but it's more about hitting a few checkpoints. If you have Echoes of the Abyss, great—its chaos conversion on crit makes bosses fold when your army actually stays on them. If you don't, you're fine. A basic +1 to minion gems amulet still carries. Spend your currency where you feel it: survivability for the minions, and enough defense for you to stand close when you need to reposition. Everything else is just polishing.
Gems and Play Pattern
Keep it simple. In the chest, a 6-link Summon Skeletons with Minion Damage, Melee Splash, Multistrike, and Feeding Frenzy is the whole vibe—aggressive AI means fewer "why are you over there." moments. Helmet is Raise Spectre with Minion Life and Deathmark, but think utility, not DPS. Boots get Convocation and Desecrate because you'll use them nonstop. The loop is lazy in the best way: slide in, pull the pack onto the target, mark what matters, and let the screen disappear.
Progression and Remembering Patch Cycles
First ascendancy priority is Unyielding Command. That life multiplier is the difference between "minions got one-shot again" and "they tanked it, keep moving." From there, just scale what keeps your army alive and on-task. Yes, you can farm your way up—Delirium, Heist, whatever you can repeat without burning out. And if you're tempted to shortcut the grind, at least be aware of the risks and how aggressively bans can happen. Still, if Patch 0.5 swings the nerf bat, I won't be shocked. Until then, it's hard to argue with a build that clears endgame content while you barely break a sweat, and if you're looking for a convenient place to pick up game currency or items, that's exactly why people check U4GM when they want to spend more time playing and less time scraping together upgrades.
Welcome to U4GM, the spot PoE 2 grinders lean on when a patch flips the meta overnight. Patch 0.4 made the Lich Witch minion swarm feel downright unfair—smarter minion AI, beefier life scaling, and hybrid Skeletons + Spectres + Absolution that clears fast and stays comfy on bosses. If you're trying to gear up without stalling your momentum, check https://www.u4gm.com/path-of-exile-2/currency and get back to blasting maps, stacking upgrades, and rolling into pinnacles with a tanky army that just won't quit.