Minions in PoE 1 as “free auras” - is this actually fine?

Some minions - Animate Guardian, Spectres, Golems - don’t really function as a build.
They function as a buff package you can add to almost any character.

You get:
- solid damage/defence boosts
- almost no investment
- no real cost

You pay:
- a few sockets
- annoying micromanagement

So even if you don’t want to play minions, you still run them — because it’s too efficient not to.

The issue:
- no real trade-off — just free power
- becomes mandatory for min-maxing
- “cost” is just bad UX, not a resource

Possible fix:
Move minions to a reservation-based system.

They already behave like auras:
- persistent
- provide buffs
- require little to no interaction

If it works like an aura, it should cost like one.

This would force actual choices:
- another aura
- or a “minion aura”

Instead of taking everything for free.

Important:
This is not about nerfing summoners.

This is about:
- Animate Guardian
- buff spectres
- utility golems

Minions used as universal buffs, not as a main playstyle.

Summary:
Right now these are hidden multipliers with no real cost, which is why almost every build runs them.

Permanent buffs should consume a real resource — not be free.

Specters and AG will die instantly in any juiced map without defensive investment. Thats your opportunity cost.

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gladiatorpie#3317 wrote:

Specters and AG will die instantly in any juiced map without defensive investment. Thats your opportunity cost.

I just ran a 5-way solo — the fire golem didn't die. Also farmed T16 ultimatum — AG and stone golem lived. Yeah, on full juiced maps they often die. But on the other hand, my AG doesn't have a sustain setup. There are setups for AG that allow it to survive even on a 4-link, even on fully juiced content. Either way, the fact that they can die makes them even more broken and frustrating. So you get free auras, rarity/culling strike, and many other bonuses, but there's a chance they might die. Still, you're forced to use them if you want to min-max

1. You need to invest in their survivability
2. You are losing gem slots, and when they cannot survive jiuced content even with 4-link - it is not optimal use of slots. If you build can freely use 4-link for a buff that can be lost at any juiced map, at any second, maybe you have better options for your build or the build is not the best one.

For example, I have AG 5-link with my str stack jugg, but I am wasting 5-link + it cost me 20+ divines to get mid+ gear that will give me some buf + sustain for my AG. And it still sometimes dies in a nightmare and to the normal Feared.

I cannot imagine AG or golems without the investment (points, gem sockets, currency) that can survive anything apart from alch and go