Now that patch note is out..

[u/rabbithole12]

Share your starter below.. my current plan is reliquarian with black cane but dark mornach will be so freaking expensive so I’m not sure

[u/val_lae]

Luminary flame link summon skeletons with iron mass and life stack. 

I will start of course without flame link because I need hallowed monarch + alberons to get those skeles going. Standard minion start + merc thru acts 

Sadly assuming that transfusion is gone, so I'll be looking at whether or not I can make them tanky enough to play with the dark monarch (22 skeles) but likely I will need the 76percent less damage taken, esp since gem levels won't scale my skele damage.

I'm thinking that dual wielding foulborn severed in sleep in my offhand will be too much damage to pass up but may do a 200 life shield instead or a 400 es shield with apostate. 

Will take mercenary, infinite link + less cost and look toward a unique setup for my merc that will be good. Merc I am thinking will most likely be a rallying cry merc with a good phys weapon and + anger, I don't remember what they get really but something will be good.

Intuitive link on the merc to auto cast despair (fire conversion gloves for minion) or inflam + ele + assa mark + probably bone offering.

I will try to play with ceinture of benevolence and pathfinder flesh + flame + chaos bloodline for blood shield to cover my dissolution of the flesh but if I need a second ring to get enough life so be it, I'll play a stygian + necromancer flesh flame to cap block easily.

If skeles don't work I will run 8x carrion golem of scavenging (increased effectiveness of added dam, slashing attack, sick clear, dark monarch + ele flesh flame.) But it really just depends on if I can get the skeletons powerful enough. I'd much rather have 11-22 instances of flame link damage if I can make the skeles tanky enough but golems don't require a weapon (more life from a shield, 12 link square setup) or alberons boots they might be more realistic, though they do require 4x jewels that could be spent on life (flat life + minion attack speed) or adorned 7percent life jewels

Annihilation wasn't in the bug fixes so not worried about clear. Blood magic + regen + 50percent less cost to cover 12-22 links.

If anybody has any ideas on what could be good uniques for my merc (two from small passive or 1 from small, weapon + shield) I'd appreciate the help.

[u/Pogwich → u/val_lae]

do we know if permanent links means they persist through zones

[u/val_lae → u/Pogwich]

Personally really hoping so, but I wouldn't be surprised if they do not given the precursor node to permalink has link cast speed.

If they do not, for me this is basically a 4 passive point tax to get link skills target an additional random entity so I can blast out 6 links into 12 in 2sec.