Animate Guardian

Quick Summary: Summons a permanent guardian minion that equips items you feed it, providing powerful auras and utility to your build. High-investment support minion for endgame summoners.

Overview

• Skill Name: Animate Guardian

• Skill Type: Active Spell

• Gem Color: Red (Strength)

• Gem Tags: Minion, Spell

• Release: Version 1.1.0

• Last Changed: Patch 3.27

Skill Identity

Primary Use

Animate Guardian creates a unique permanent minion that can be equipped with actual items from your inventory. This allows you to customize the Guardian with specific items that provide auras, curses, or other benefits to you and your other minions.

The Guardian is primarily used as a support minion rather than a damage dealer. Common item choices include:

• Kingmaker (weapon) - Provides Fortify and Culling Strike to nearby allies
• Dying Breath (weapon) - 18% increased damage aura
• Leer Cast (helmet) - 15% increased damage aura
• Victario’s Flight (boots) - Movement speed aura

The Guardian persists through zone changes and even death (if you’re alive), but if it dies, all equipped items are lost permanently, making it a high-risk, high-reward minion.

Playstyle

Gameplay Pattern:

• Summon Animate Guardian once
• Feed it items for desired benefits
• Guardian provides passive auras/benefits
• Keep Guardian alive (invest in minion life)

Best Content For:

• ✅ Endgame farming - powerful auras
• ✅ Party play - supports party with auras
• ✅ Minion builds - buffs other minions
• ❌ Not for early leveling - too expensive

Gem Stats

Base Stats (Level 1)

Required Attributes

Mechanics

How It Works

When you cast Animate Guardian, it creates a permanent minion. You can then feed it items by casting the skill on dropped items (weapons, body armor, helmet, gloves, boots). The Guardian equips these items and gains their stats and modifiers.

IMPORTANT: If the Guardian dies, all equipped items are permanently lost. This makes investing in Guardian survivability crucial, especially if using expensive items.

Item Feeding

• Cast Animate Guardian on the ground to summon
• Cast on dropped items to equip them to Guardian
• Can equip: Weapon, Body Armor, Helmet, Gloves, Boots
• Items are consumed and lost if Guardian dies

Support Gem Compatibility

Best Support Gems

Must-Have Supports

Defensive 4-Link Setup

1. Animate Guardian
2. Minion Life Support
3. Meat Shield Support
4. Empower Support

Scaling & Optimization

Primary Scaling Factors

1. Minion Life: CRITICAL - prevents item loss
2. Gem Level: Higher level = more base life
3. Minion Resistances: Keeps Guardian alive
4. Item Quality: More survivability

Stat Priority

Guardian Survivability (Most Important):

1. +Gem levels - More base life
2. % increased Minion Life - Stack as much as possible
3. Minion resistances - Cap if possible
4. Minion regeneration - Nice to have

Common Guardian Setups

Budget Setup (1-5 divine)

Total: ~50c, Low risk

Endgame Setup (50+ divine)

Total: 50-100div, High risk/High reward

Guardian Survivability

Keeping Guardian Alive

Critical Investments:

1. Level 21+ Gem: Dramatic life increase
2. Empower Support Level 3+: More gem levels
3. Minion Life Support: 40%+ more life
4. Minion Life nodes on tree: Stack percentage increases
5. +X to Maximum Life to Minions: Flat life additions

Dangerous Content:

• Uber Bosses with high damage
• Chaos damage (if Guardian has negative chaos res)
• Degens (Guardian doesn’t always avoid ground effects)

When Guardian Dies

• All equipped items are LOST PERMANENTLY
• Must re-summon and re-equip all items
• Consider keeping backup items
• Consider not using Guardian in extremely dangerous content

Common Builds Using This Skill

All endgame summoner builds use Animate Guardian for support.

Pros & Cons

Strengths ✅

• ✅ Powerful auras: Massive buffs to build
• ✅ Customizable: Choose items for your needs
• ✅ Permanent: Persists through zones and death
• ✅ Support: Enhances entire build

Weaknesses ❌

• ❌ Item loss risk: Expensive items lost on death
• ❌ Requires investment: Minion life crucial
• ❌ High maintenance: Monitor Guardian health
• ❌ Not for early game: Too expensive for leveling

Tips & Tricks

Mechanical Tips

1. Always prioritize survivability: Gem level, minion life, resistance
2. Start cheap: Use budget items until you’re confident
3. Check Guardian frequently: Especially in dangerous content
4. Have backups: Keep spare Guardian items in stash
5. Avoid uber content: Unless fully invested in survivability

Resources

Official Resources

• Gem Wiki Page: https://www.poewiki.net/wiki/Animate_Guardian

Related Content

Similar Skills

• Summon Golem: Other support minion
• Raise Zombie: Tanky permanent minions

Important Items

• Kingmaker - Best endgame weapon
• Dying Breath - Budget weapon option
• Leer Cast - Budget helmet

Changelog