Core requirements
The advanced setup is A, and the budget setup is B.
- Hard points
- Level 90 · 101 points
- Damage type
- Blood Boil Physical + Fire
- Demon slots
- 15 hard points in Mastery · maximum 3
- Cast rate
- A 125% / B 105%
Attributes
Total attributes with equipment · hard points shown separately
| Strength | Before equipping A 55 / B 95Hard points A 10 / B 80 · keep Enigma equipped |
|---|---|
| Dexterity | 0 hard pointsNo maximum block |
| Vitality | A 450 / B 380 hard pointsIncludes 15 attribute quest points |
| Energy | 0 hard pointsA Potions and gear / B Insight |
Attribute calculations and equipment changes
Strength
A first meets Mage Plate Enigma's 55 Strength requirement with base 15 + Torch 15 + Annihilus 15 + 10 allocated points. Equip the grimoire and boots after receiving Enigma's +67 Strength at level 90. B has base 15 + 80 allocated = 95, using a Spirit Crystal Sword, a low-requirement grimoire and light armor. Removing Enigma may disable A gear. A uses a conservative allocation calculated before equipping armor, excluding extra attributes from the selected gear. Actual total Strength after equipping it exceeds 55.
Dexterity
A uses Obsession in a War Staff with no Dexterity requirement; B fixes Spirit to a Crystal Sword. Pair with a grimoire and do not invest in maximum block.
Vitality
At level 90, put the remaining points from the 460 total attribute points into Vitality after the Strength allocation above. If the weapon or base changes, recalculate requirements and put only the remaining points into Vitality.
Energy
A uses an Infinity mercenary, so it has no Meditation aura. Sustain summons and main attacks with gear Mana, Mana after Each Kill and potions. B uses Insight's Meditation to support Mana recovery.
Skills
Level 90 · 101 hard points
Main skills and synergies
Prerequisite · support 1 point each
Includes 12 quest points; equipment skill bonuses are excluded. Unlisted skills have 0 points. A and B use the same allocation.
Investment order
Unlock Summon Tainted and 
Death Mark, then learn to direct summons onto the target.
Blood Boil·
Engorge·
Blood Oath and Summon Tainted: raise each to 20, then at level 90 reach 
Demonic Mastery 15 and finish the 6 support points.
At 91–95, raise Demonic Mastery 20; at 96–99, Death Mark 5. Summon count stops increasing after 10 Mastery, but demon attributes continue to improve.
Equipment skill bonuses and allocation notes
Blood Boil's Physical component gains a hard-point synergy from Engorge; its Fire component gains one from Blood Oath. Invest 20 in both.
Tainted's Blood Boil synergy now applies correctly. Do not add your own and your summons' elemental damage bonuses as though they were the same value.
A·B Shared · Level 90, 101 points
Open this allocation in the simulator ↗
Equipment
A / B: compare modifiers and replacement requirements.
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon | A Runeword Obsession | B Runeword Spirit | A +4 to Skills · 65% FCR · resistances |
Weapon choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements6-socket War Staff +4 to Skills · 65% FCR · All Resistances B · Setup requirements4-socket Crystal Sword Target 35% Faster Cast Rate Selection rationale and replacementsFor direct spell damage, prioritize skills, casting speed and reduction of the relevant enemy resistance. | |||
| Grimoire / off-hand | A Ars Tor'Baalos | BRuneword Splendor | A Blood Boil · Engorge support / B 10% Faster Cast Rate |
Grimoire / off-hand choices and swapsA · Setup requirementsBlood Boil · Engorge · Demonic Mastery bonuses B · Setup requirements2-socket grimoire requiring no more than 60 Strength +1 skills · 10% Faster Cast Rate Selection rationale and replacementsWhen wielding a two-handed weapon in one hand, the other hand must hold a grimoire. B uses a grimoire base for Splendor instead of a regular shield. | |||
| Helm | A Harlequin Crest | B Runeword Lore | A Summoning skills · Life / B +1 skills |
Helm choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements+2 to All Skills · life/mana B · Setup requirements2-socket light helm +1 skills · lightning resistance Selection rationale and replacementsChoose skills and resistance reduction for your actual main damage source: Magic, Fire or summons. | |||
| Armor | A Runeword Enigma | B Skin of the Vipermagi | A Regroup summons / B Resistances · FCR |
Armor choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements3-socket Mage Plate Teleport · +2 to All Skills B · Setup requirements30% Faster Cast Rate · all resistances Selection rationale and replacementsUse Enigma to move both yourself and your summons together. B does not assume the same Teleport convenience. | |||
| Gloves | A Magefist | BMagefist | 20% FCR for detonation and healing spells |
Glove choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% Faster Cast Rate · mana regeneration B · Setup requirements20% Faster Cast Rate · mana regeneration Selection rationale and replacements20% FCR improves responsiveness when summoning, casting Sigils and moving. | |||
| Belt | A Arachnid Mesh | B Nightsmoke | A 20% FCR · skills / B Resistances |
Belt choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% Faster Cast Rate · +1 to All Skills B · Setup requirements10 All Resistances · Mana Selection rationale and replacementsDamage Taken Goes to Mana does not refund all Mana spent. | |||
| Boots | A Sandstorm Trek | BFaster Run/Walk and resistance boots | Fill your Poison Resistance and Hit Recovery gaps |
Boot choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsPoison Resistance · Life · Hit Recovery Selection rationale and replacementsFirst secure movement speed and resistances to escape packs. | |||
| Amulet | AWarlock FCR amulet | BWarlock skill amulet | A 10% FCR · Summoning skills / B Resistances |
Amulet choice and replacement detailsSelection rationale and replacementsObtain both skills and resistances while keeping the FCR specified in the table. | |||
| Ring 1 | AFCR and resistance ring | BCast rate/mana/resistance ring | A·B Maintain 10% FCR |
Ring 1: choice and replacement detailsSelection rationale and replacementsInclude this ring's FCR in the actual total. | |||
| Ring 2 | A The Stone of Jordan | BMana/resistance ring | A Summoning skills · Mana / B Resistances |
Ring 2: choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements+1 to All Skills · Mana Selection rationale and replacementsEnemy Magic Resistance reduction affects your own Magic damage; it does not automatically transfer to summons. | |||
Mercenary and weapon swap
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercenary | A Act 2 Prayer  Runeword InfinityRuneword Fortitude Andariel's Visage | B Act 2 Prayer Runeword InsightRuneword Treachery Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest | Distinguish your damage types from your summons' |
Mercenary detailsOperating requirementsInsight sustains Mana; Might supports Physical damage. If you choose Infinity, Conviction lowers only Fire, Cold and Lightning Resistance, not Magic or Physical Resistance. Supply the mercenary with Life leech and resistances. | |||
| Weapon swap | A Runeword Call to ArmsRuneword SplendorTome | B Keep main weapon and grimoire | Does not assume an extra 156 Strength for a Monarch |
Swap detailsOperating requirementsReturn to the main weapon after Battle Command and Battle Orders. A grimoire's skill bonuses cannot replace the hard points required for Demonic Mastery's summon count or Bind Demon's capture tier. | |||
Upgrade order
- Stabilize repeated healing with Summoning skills, an Insight mercenary and resistances.
- Raise Blood Boil and Engorge-related skills with Ars Tor'Baalos.
- Complete Obsession 65 + Magefist 20 + Arachnid Mesh 20 + amulet 10 + ring 10 = 125%.
- Add Enigma for regrouping and an Infinity mercenary, but avoid shattering the corpses needed for Engorge.
Playstyle
- Position summons
Maintain Tainted and direct them to your focus target with Death Mark.
Summon positioning details
Details
The default keeps 3 demons without Consume to establish attack positions. Adding a Defiler trades one Tainted for damage sharing.
- Detonate
Use Blood Boil after your demons reach the enemies.
Detonation details
Details
Damage originates at the demons, not around you; do not cast it into empty space.
- Recovery
Once corpses appear, heal demons with Engorge, then detonate again.
Healing details
Details
Blood Boil also consumes demon Life; repeated casting without healing will kill your summons.
- Without corpses
Survive by resummoning and moving until you create the first corpse.
Without corpses: details
Details
Dead summons cannot be healed; summon replacements. In boss fights, check their Life and the number of surviving demons first.
- Immune enemies
Against Fire immunities, rely on Blood Boil's Physical component and the mercenary.
Immune-enemy details
Details
Bypass enemies immune to both Physical and Fire damage rather than assuming a Defiler alone will handle them.
- Survival
Maintain your own resistances and Life as well.
Survival details
Details
Blood Oath transfers only part of the damage; this is not the early-release 99% damage-transfer build.
- Leveling
B practices summon healing and detonation intervals in the Hell Stony Tomb and Mausoleum.
Leveling details
Details
Start in these two areas, whose ordinary monsters have no Fire or Physical immunities. Send summons ahead against Stony Tomb beetles' Lightning retaliation and Unique packs with curses or auras; skip Unique enemies immune to both Physical and Fire. With limited gear, prioritize Engorge healing over repeated Blood Boil casts.
Mechanics and notes
Damage components
Blood Boil has both Physical and Fire components. Hard points in Engorge increase Physical damage, while hard points in Blood Oath increase Fire damage, each by +20% per 1 point.
Demon Life and Engorge
Demons pay Blood Boil's Life cost. Engorge consumes corpses to heal and buff demons, so alternate attacking with healing.
Damage transfer
Blood Oath changed to diminishing growth in 3.2; at skill level 20, it transfers 25% of your damage. Even with gear, the default setup is not described as 99% transfer. Your Healing Potion effectiveness was also adjusted from 3.2 to 150%. This is separate from Engorge's demon healing rate and the damage-transfer percentage.
Resistance reduction for summons
Enemy Fire Resistance reduction on your gear does not transfer directly to Tainted. Auras applied to enemies, such as Infinity's Conviction, also help summons.
Strengths, limitations and farming style
Strengths
Summon placement becomes the center of your offense.
Mixed Physical and Fire damage handles more enemies than a single element.
Limitations
You must manage corpses, summon Life and repositioning together.
Your rhythm breaks early in boss fights or where summons die quickly.
Additional variants
Keep the full summon group
The default uses 1 Consume only when needed. Maintaining Consume continuously reserves one of the maximum 3 slots, reducing the demons available to detonate directly.
Bind Demon support variant
Lower Demonic Mastery 15→1 to reclaim 14 points, and Consume 1→0 for another 1, then add 15 Bind Demon. This permits capture but reduces the maximum demon count; it is a separate allocation from the default summon burst build.