Animate Weapon - Path of Exile

Animate Weapon Animate Weapon is an active skill gem.

Animates a Melee Weapon Item or Lingering Blade to fight by your side. You cannot animate unidentified Weapons. Will not animate weapons with 6 sockets unless specifically targeted. Cannot be used by Traps or Mines.

Duration, Minion, Spell, Physical. Level: 1–20. Cost: 4–16 Mana. Cast Time: 0.60 sec. Requires Level 4.

  • Base duration is 40 seconds
  • Can use Items requiring up to Level (9–100)
  • Minions" Attacks deal (5–126) to (8–184) additional Physical Damage
  • Animated Lingering Blades deal (1–17) to (2–80) Added Attack Physical Damage
  • Minions deal (10–48)% more Damage
  • Maximum (5–14) Animated Weapons
  • Minions have (10–48)% more Attack Speed

Place into an item socket of the right colour to gain this skill. Right click to remove from a socket.

NameAdditional Effects From QualityWeight
Animate WeaponMinions have (0–20)% increased Movement Speed50

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Related Gems

Level Effect

LevelRequires LevelDexterityIntelligenceCostAnimated Lingering Blades deal 1 to 2 Added Attack Physical DamageCan use Items requiring up to Level 9Minions deal 10% more DamageMinions have 10% more Attack SpeedMinions' Attacks deal 5 to 8 additional Physical DamageMaximum 5 Animated WeaponsExperience
1410741, 2910105, 85841
2613951, 21112126, 1153,099
39171251, 314141410, 1567,433
412211461, 418161613, 18622,895
516261871, 522181817, 25749,725
620312271, 726202021, 32795,714
724372582, 931222226, 388169,595
828422982, 1135242432, 478283,759
932473393, 1440262639, 579453,996
10365336104, 1744282848, 729703,128
11405840104, 2149303053, 81101,061,223
12446344115, 2553323261, 91102,065,870
13486848126, 3058343468, 99112,507,110
14527451128, 3662363673, 112112,573,731
15557854139, 4266383883, 124127,611,351
165882571310, 4870404089, 1361213,437,908
176186601412, 5574424299, 1481325,052,147
186490621513, 62784444108, 1591343,869,436
196794651515, 71824646115, 17314242,081,178
207098681617, 801004848126, 18414
21721719, 861004949130, 19015
22741720, 921005050134, 19615
23761821, 991005151138, 20216
24781922, 1061005252142, 20816
25801924, 1141005353146, 21417
26822026, 1221005454150, 22017
27842028, 1311005555155, 22718
28862129, 1401005656160, 23418
29882231, 1491005757165, 24119
30902233, 1591005858170, 24819
31912334, 1631005959175, 25520
32922334, 1681006060180, 26320
33932336, 1721006161185, 27121
34942436, 1761006262191, 27921
35952437, 1801006363197, 28722
36962438, 1851006464203, 29622
37972539, 1891006565209, 30523
38982539, 1941006666215, 31423
39992541, 1981006767221, 32324
401002541, 2031006868228, 33324

Animate Weapon is a spell that animates a weapon on the ground as a flying allied minion.

Skill functions

Animate Weapon can be used on identified weapons lying on the ground, but not on any ranged weapons unless Spirit Guards is used. The weapon is permanently consumed. If the "Key Pickup" option is enabled in the UI tab of the Options menu, the "Highlight items and objects" key must be held down in order to cast Animate Weapon. Attempting to animate a weapon with an item level higher than the level of the gem allows will cost mana and perform the cast animation but have no effect.

Animate Weapon can also be used on Lingering Blades left behind by Bladefall and Ethereal Knives.

Animated Weapons are minions that are considered to be using the original weapon animated. They are therefore affected by modifiers to minions, as well as support gems for weapons, such as Elemental Damage with Attacks Support, but not affected by any of the player's damage or weapon modifiers.

Interactions

  • Loot Filter - Some modifiers on identified weapons can be highlighted by correctly editing custom loot filters. When combined with sources that cause items to drop identified, characters can quickly use weapons that are stronger than normal items or lingering blades. Cloak of Tawm'r Isley causes magical items to drop identified. Sextants can can modify watchstones to causes all items to drop identified in maps. Heist Trinkets can give up to 15% chance for items to drop identified per heist member.
  • Special benefits - Animated weapons can gain special modifiers that only apply to unique and rare weapons. Because it destroys the weapon for temporary benefits, most characters do not do this.
  • Buff Damage - Animate weapon can be used to buff other damage sources. Due to their large numbers and fast attack speed, Withering Touch Support can apply max Withered stacks fast.
  • Main Hand - 1 handed weapons summoned from items are counted as being used in the main hand. This only applies to weapon bonuses that come from being used in the main hand like Wings of Entropy.

Calculating damage

There are different calculation for weapons summoned from items on the ground and lingering blades from spells.

  • Note - These calculations are meant to calculate animate weapons base stats only. It will not calculate other things like modifiers. See minions and other wiki pages for calculating the entire damage of minions.

Casting on a weapon

Weapons gain the base damage, base attack speed and base % critical strike chance of the weapon they are summoned from.

The minions deals additional physical damage modifier is added to the base damage.

The lingering blades damage is not added to weapons created from items.

Casting on a Lingering Blade

Lingering blades have the base stats of a Glass Shank.

The same formula is used as casting on a weapon, except the lingering blade physical damage is added on top of the other physical damage.

Item acquisition

Animate Weapon can drop anywhere. Drop level: 5.

Recipes

Animate Weapon can be created from the following recipes:

Amount Part Description
6 The Summoner Random Minion gem with 20% quality
13 The Cataclysm Random corrupted level 21 Spell gem
6 The Fox Random level 20 gem
8 Dying Anguish Random level 19 gem with 19% alternative quality
8 The Hook Random corrupted level 21 gem with 23% alternative quality
3 Gemcutter's Promise Random gem with 20% quality
1 Gemcutter's Incubator Random gem with 1–20% quality
1 The Void Random divination card set exchange

Vendor reward

This item can be bought at the listed NPC vendors, after completing the following quests:

Class → Witch Shadow Ranger Duelist Marauder Templar Scion
Quest ↓
Breaking Some Eggs
Act 1
Nessa		 ✓ ✓ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✗ ✓
A Fixture of Fate
Act 3
Siosa		 ✓
Fallen from Grace
Act 6
Lilly Roth		 ✓

Threshold jewels

The following threshold jewels augment Animate Weapon:

Item Limit Radius Stats
Spirit Guards 1 Medium Minions deal (8-12)% increased Damage
With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Animate Weapon can Animate up to 12 Ranged Weapons

Related unique items

The following unique items are related to Animate Weapon:

Item Base Item Level Stats
Spirit Guards Viridian Jewel 1 Minions deal (8-12)% increased Damage
With at least 40 Dexterity in Radius, Animate Weapon can Animate up to 12 Ranged Weapons
Jorrhast's Blacksteel Steelhead 44 45% increased Stun Duration on Enemies25% chance to Trigger Level 20 Animate Weapon on Kill
(150-200)% increased Physical Damage
(8-12)% increased Attack Speed
(8-12)% increased Cast Speed
30% less Animate Weapon Duration
Weapons you Animate create an additional copy
Chains of Command Saintly Chainmail 70 Trigger Level 20 Animate Guardian's Weapon when Animated Guardian Kills an Enemy
10% chance to Trigger Level 18 Animate Guardian's Weapon when Animated Weapon Kills an Enemy
(150-190)% increased Armour and Energy Shield
+(60-90) to maximum Life
Animated Guardian deals 5% increased Damage per Animated Weapon
Animated Minions' Melee Attacks deal Splash Damage to surrounding targets
Animated Minions' Melee Attacks deal 50% less Damage to surrounding targets
You cannot have non-Animated Minions

Related helmet enchantments

The following helmet enchantments affect Animate Weapon.

Name Level Labyrinth Stats Spawn Weighting
Enchantment Animate Weapon Chance To Create Additional Copy 1 66 Merciless Labyrinth 16% chance to create an additional Animate Weapon copy helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Animate Weapon Chance To Create Additional Copy 2 75 Eternal Labyrinth 24% chance to create an additional Animate Weapon copy helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Animate Weapon Duration 1 66 Merciless Labyrinth 20% increased Animate Weapon Duration helmet 100
default 0
Enchantment Animate Weapon Duration 2 75 Eternal Labyrinth 30% increased Animate Weapon Duration helmet 100
default 0

Alternate skill effects

Animate Weapon has the following alternate skill effects:

Item Effect(s)
Automaton Animate Weapon Effect Your Animated Weapons have an Automaton Effect.
Celestial Animated Weapon Effect Your Animated Weapons becomes a Celestial Effect.
Innocence Animate Weapon Effect Your Animated Weapons have an Innocence Effect.
Polar Animate Weapon Effect Your Animated Weapons have a Polar Effect.