You load into PoE 2, roll a Witch, and somehow you end up playing the calmest "necromancer" in the game through an ascendancy that sounds like it should be all fire spells. That's the Infernalist. And if you're also the type who keeps an eye on gear progress and trading, it's hard not to think about PoE 2 Currency while you're putting the army together, because a few key upgrades make this setup feel unfair in the best way.

Early campaign habits that actually matter

The first hours are simple, but there are traps. You'll usually start with plain skeletons, maybe Skeletal Snipers if you want smoother clear. Don't overthink your own damage. Your job is to keep the line from folding and to keep moving. You'll notice pretty fast that positioning beats "more buttons." Let the skeletons take the first hit, then you step to the side and keep the fight wide. Once you get access to basic curse support, it starts to click: you aren't a caster, you're a coach. A curse on a pack does more than another random spell ever will, and it scales as your minions scale.

Mid-game swap into real killers

Later on, the build stops feeling like a starter and starts feeling like a plan. This is where you graduate into Skeletal Reavers and Arsonists, and suddenly rares don't get to play the game. Reavers chew through targets that try to push your frontline, while Arsonists pressure the backline and keep packs burning. Your rotation becomes about timing rather than spam. Keep Pain Offering up when it matters, drop Flammability when you're leaning into fire, or swap to Vulnerability when your physical side is doing the heavy lifting. You'll also learn when to let corpses sit and when to cash them in with Detonate Dead for a quick swing in tempo.

Why Infernalist breaks the minion limit problem

Spirit is the wall most minion builds smash into. Infernalist gets a sneaky way around it with Beidat's Will, converting part of your max life into Spirit. It's not subtle. More Spirit means more bodies, and more bodies means safer maps. The defensive tools help you live through the moments when something slips past the screen clutter too. Converting hits toward fire damage can smooth out scary spikes, and scaling Energy Shield from life makes gearing feel forgiving. Then you add the Infernal Hound, which straight-up soaks a slice of damage meant for you, and it's easier to stay calm even in messy boss arenas.

Keeping it chill without feeling slow

Infernal Flame replaces the usual mana rhythm, and it rewards you for not panicking. Cast, build flame, let it juice your ignite chances and fire scaling, then settle back into the commander seat. Flame Wall is great for creating extra pressure and spawning those temporary Raging Spirits that clean up stragglers. The playstyle stays relaxed, but it doesn't feel lazy; you're still making calls every few seconds. If you want a build that maps comfortably, boss fights without hand cramps, and still has a clear upgrade path, you can do a lot worse than gearing toward your next Divine Orb and letting your army do what it does best.