The Summoner archetype in Ashes of Creation offers one of the most explosive AoE damage profiles in the game when built correctly. This guide focuses on a Summoner AoE DPS build designed to rapidly clear enemy packs, apply powerful debuffs, and leverage your Spirit Hunter as the primary source of sustained cleave damage.

This setup excels in PvE farming, open-world events, and dungeons, and remains highly effective in medium- to large-scale PvP fights, where AoE pressure, crowd control, and debuff stacking decide engagements.

Core Build Concept: Spirit Hunter AoE Dominance

At the heart of this build is Spirit Hunter, and for AoE purposes, there is only one correct choice: Always use the melee Spirit Hunter.

While the ranged version leans into single-target damage, the melee Spirit Hunter thrives in cleave scenarios and synergizes perfectly with the Summoner’s AoE toolkit.

Why Melee Spirit Hunter?

The key reason is Eviscerate.

· Eviscerate deals damage in a frontal AoE cone

· When striking enemies from behind, it deals 25% bonus damage

· Proper positioning turns your pet into a devastating cleave engine

Treat your Spirit Hunter like a precision-controlled melee DPS. Positioning is critical—rotate enemies, flank packs, and allow your hunter to carve through groups efficiently.

Core AoE Damage Abilities

Mortal Blast – Your AoE Backbone

Mortal Blast is your primary AoE spell and one of the most important buttons in this build.

Key strengths:

  · High AoE damage

  · Spreads Spirit Shred to nearby enemies

  · Massive damage amplification when debuffs are active

You should always take the upgrade:

  · Flat damage increase

  · Cooldown reduction when the target has Hex

This upgrade integrates perfectly into your rotation and significantly boosts sustained AoE pressure.

Hex – Primary Filler and Damage Amplifier

Hex is your most frequently cast ability and should be prioritized whenever it is off cooldown.

Why Hex matters:

  · High base damage

  · Causes your debuffs to deal 25% increased damage

  · Enables cooldown reduction synergies

Upgrade Hex to:

  · Reduce cooldown

  · Shorten duration

This allows you to maintain constant uptime in AoE situations, ensuring your entire kit hits harder.

Sustain, Resource Flow, and Pet Survival

Inspiration – Passive Essence Generation

Inspiration is simple but mandatory.

  · Increases passive essence generation

  · Enables smoother rotations

  · Improves command uptime in longer fights

This skill is essential for maintaining momentum during extended pulls or large-scale encounters.

Reconstruct – Emergency Pet Healing

Reconstruct provides targeted healing for your Spirit Hunter.

You won’t use it constantly, but when:

  · Your pet is tanking multiple enemies

  · Large pulls get chaotic

  · PvP pressure spikes

This ability becomes invaluable.

Debuff Engine: Where the Build Truly Shines

Galvanic Evisceration – Damage Multiplier

One of the strongest skills in the build, Galvanic Evisceration, dramatically amplifies your AoE damage.

Effects:

  · Reduces target's magic defense by 15% for 6 seconds

  · Applies three stacks of Shocked

  · Shocked acts as a pure damage buff

The real power comes from synergy:

  · Reapplying Eviscerate extends the debuff duration

  · Can reach up to 15 seconds of uptime

This ability turns your Spirit Hunter into a debuff-spreading machine and significantly increases total damage output across entire packs.

Soul Flare – AoE Damage and Crowd Control

Soul Flare is a must-have skill for both PvE and PvP.

  · High AoE burst damage

  · Applies an AoE stun

  · Extremely fast cast time

This makes it perfect for:

  · Locking down enemy packs

  · Interrupting dangerous mobs

  · Stopping players mid-action in PvP

It is one of the building’s strongest “panic buttons.”

Burst Windows and Pet Amplification

Amplify – Pet Burst Catalyst

Amplify buffs your Spirit Hunter’s damage by 25% for 10 seconds and doubles essence generation.

This ability defines your burst phases.

Upgrade to Recharging Amplification:

  · Reduces cooldown when consuming a Savagery stack

  · Allows frequent burst windows instead of long downtime

This keeps the build aggressive and responsive.

Body and Spirit – Hidden Sustaining Power

Body and Spirit adds critical sustain to the build:

  · Spirit Shred and Mortal Blast restore:

    · 20% of damage to health

    · 5% as mana to your pet

In AoE scenarios, this adds up quickly and dramatically reduces the need for constant micromanagement or emergency healing.

Utility and Control Tools

Siphon Vessel – Resource Management

Siphon Vessel allows you to steal mana from your pet.

You will use this frequently during:

  · Extended pulls

  · Long PvP fights

  · High-pressure event scenarios

It keeps your rotation flowing without downtime.

Void – AoE Silence and Damage

Void combines utility and damage:

  · AoE silence

  · Solid damage

  · Extremely effective against caster mobs

In PvP, it can shut down entire groups mid-cast, making it a powerful control tool with visual flair to match.

Mass Affliction – Persistent AoE Pressure

Mass Affliction applies:

  · AoE damage over time

  · A weakening effect on enemies

Upgrade it to:

  · Extend duration

  · Reduce cooldown

This ensures constant pressure on large packs and smooths out your damage curve.

Skill Flexibility After Core Unlocks

Once all core abilities are unlocked, remaining points are flexible. You can tailor them toward:

  · PvE efficiency

  · PvP survivability

  · Additional crowd control or mobility

However, everything outlined above forms the core AoE DPS engine of the build and should be prioritised.

Gear and Weapon Recommendations

Stat Priority

Focus on:

  · Intelligence

  · Wisdom

  · Mentality

  · Magic Power

These stats maximise damage, resource flow, and sustained casting.

Weapons

  · Ranged: Wand

  · Melee: Great Axe with Magic Power

While unconventional, a magic-powered great axe synergises extremely well with this setup and delivers surprisingly strong results.

Final Thoughts

This Summoner AoE DPS build is aggressive, fast-clearing, and fully embraces the summoner fantasy—overwhelming enemies with debuffs, empowered pets, and explosive AoE damage.

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