I cannot see pure minions as viable end game. I’m going to have to make a hybrid build just to survive and most likely sacrifice my golem again.
Why cant minions hold aggro like D2R? In that game, i am able to have a barracade of minions. I can even teleport to relocate them via town portal or Enigma.
I feel like thr devs are biasly indifferent towards Army builds.
That’s cause it’s not. The only decent minion build is really just a ring of mendeln build. The minions only exist as a delivery system for the proc. this has been known.
run in circles and evade through, use blood mist on CD.
I am only lvl 85, but this season is better then last for pure minions vs butcher imho
I think i did a lvl 100+ butcher (NMD 50~) when I was like level 78-79.
My build is at a tough spot right now too, as i have literally none of my key glyphs active
It possible. Lv95 pure Minions with no another way to attack.
Run in circle, evade, run around pillar, use bloodmist when stun.
Meet him in Lv.55 dungeon.
I don’t want to be harsh, but i think at level 95 a 55 NM dungeon should be trivial.
The real test is, being fully geared at 100 with 21 glyphs etc beating him in a 100 NM dungeon. That is what meta builds can do, so pure minions has to be able to do it too (though im fine with doing it slower and less effectively). Anything less is a failure of the build.
Butcher retreats when i cheese hum by running around pillars… Doesnt it happen to you guys as well?
During Season 1, my max NM dungeon was tier 77 with pure minion.
But that’s when im level 100 with full glyphs and 5 boards.
That said, i dont thinks viable still. There are not enough skeletons, and even Golem doesnt hold aggro against elites and butcher.
Hell, my minions would scatter to attack trash mobs and walls!! Walls!!!
sadly i think a pure minion builds (without using them to just trigger shadow passives) might be harder to come by to D4 as there is no spender that summons (i.e. skeletal mages in D3)
With the game’s focus on generator/spender balance type abilities that is.
(and do hate the fact that skeletal priests are a thing now… instead of a targeted re-focus for minions)
Ugh. Skeletal mages in d3 felt horrible to play.
I hope they never go back to that design philosophy.
Minions just need better damage to be viable. A lot better damage.
And maybe a better way to target them, though you can target them with attack spells or curses
Playing pure minions without the ring. No biggie, Butcher is no problem at all. Biggest damage dealer is the golem.
that info doesn’t help anyone. I would add your level and rough gear/glyph levels and nightmare dungeon level that you killed butcher in.
Yea, id also like to know.
I run a Reap, Bonestorm, Cd reduction - pure minion build with Corpse Explosion via Howl.
Full minion affixes, 5 boards, golem, minion, corpse consumption boards.
I have 5 active sources of damage reduction including vampire skill. I cannot kill butcher without my minions dying off. Cant generate enough corpse.
My current build replies on Malignant Hearts which i no longer have… 
That said im planning to strip the build for 2 blood boards and overpower… the thing is, i wont have damage reduct or sustain…
Same here, ring still not dropping but the piggy isn’t a big deal to me.
When you see a skull mark and hear chains you know he is there. Find somewhere you can run in circle and cheese him.
Strongly recommend you to get Blood Mist coz it saves me alot and can also do some damage and heal.
My last encounter with butcher was S1 with a pet build, it…. Didn’t go so well.
The main issue with necromancer army builds is the skill point investments required. I think it’s 15 at bare minimum?
3/3 skele hp and dam.
3/3 mage hp and dam.
3/3 for inspiring leader.
3/3 hellbent commander.
3/3 deaths defence.
Then there’s the golem…
In comparison, a no pets necro that sacrifices em all? Ummm 6 points total…… plus the sacrifices.
Leaves very little to play with after fleshing the skills out, and that’s not even going on gear for extra minion stuff 
More or less based on Kripps Golemmancer Build Guide.
Killed Butcher since lvl 30 or so and then also later on. Never had any problems.
At the moment lvl 83 and leveling my paragon boards glyphs with Nightmare Dungeons something about 10 lvl higher then my lvl. And my build is still far away from maxed out.
Also my minions are super tanky against the butcher.
I just hit 80 and have yet to run into the butcher. Might be because for some of them I can skip areas and just go for that door with the final boss. Ill give him a shot eventually, but if turns out like last season where he ignores my minions and can kill me in three wacks then forget it. Ill just town out and back.
I killed him with a minion build at lvl 90 but it was very hard, like others said you have to kite him and use blood mist + potions. Not sure what a clean answer is but you really notice when an enemy like him that ignores minions and focuses you shows up, since if you don’t run or use mist to break targeting he will laser focus you down.