My summoner build: Ignite, Volatile Anomaly, Mold allies, and executions with Video Guide

Hey everyone! I’ve been having fun with a summoner build and wanted to share what I’m using and why.

The idea is to have summons help build falter, then use executions to recover power and keep bringing them back out. Here’s the setup:

• Ignite + Volatile Anomaly: Activate Ignite before summoning the anomaly so it gets the fire effect and applies Burn.
• Mold allies: I summon one or two before casting Volatile Anomaly, since the anomaly uses my remaining Power. I generally skip Mold allies when fighting Mold enemies.
• Astral Spike: A late game addition that I bring out after recovering Power. The build works before you unlock it.

For weapons, I prefer Cleave because its Power recovery upgrades support the summon loop, and Crush as my secondary for the Falter buildup. Uppercut Surge is my preferred finisher: it launches enemies, and hitting Lifted enemies recovers extra Power. Glaive is another primary option, while Spin Edge is a good alternative if you prefer more area coverage.

The summon talents I work toward are Enduring Ally for longer summon lifetime, Mold Colony for an additional active Mold ally, and Better Together for extra summon damage and Falter while Dominance is active after an execution.

Before anyone asks, I’m not using Command in this setup. For the rotation I’m running, I haven’t found it adds enough to prioritize it over the Power recovery and summon talents above. If you’re building toward this in the early or midgame, those are where I’d spend my points first.

My artifacts are Ornate Buckle, Bout Guard, and Pickpocket’s Tool. The first two help with Power recovery, while Pickpocket’s Tool makes the next Combat Ability free after a perfect dodge. Buckle and Bout Guard both increase damage taken, though, so staying active and getting those executions matters.

My usual opening is Ignite → Mold allies → Volatile Anomaly, then melee attacks and an execution to refill Power. Once I have Spike, I add it after that refill and keep replacing summons as needed.

I put together a video covering the setup, skill priorities, artifacts, and gameplay examples if you want to see it in action:

Full build guide: https://youtu.be/Ktt9yTdo-cw

Curious what other summoner players are using. Especially alternatives to Bout Guard & Pickpockets Tool if you have one! Happy to answer questions about the setup!