Familiar

Active Skill · Conjuration · Wizard

5 Runes
From level 22

Effect

Cost: 20 Arcane Power

Summon a Familiar that attacks your enemies for 240% weapon damage as Arcane. This companion cannot be targeted or damaged by enemies. Lasts 10 minutes.

Runes

5 Runes

Sparkflint

from level 30 · Fire damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

Summon a fiery Familiar that grants you 10% increased damage.
Icicle

from level 40 · Cold damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

The Familiar's projectiles have a 35% chance to Freeze the enemy for 1 second.
Ancient Guardian

from level 44 · Arcane damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

Summon a protective Familiar. When you are below 50% Life the Familiar will absorb damage from 1 attack every 6 seconds.
Arcanot

from level 50 · Arcane damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

While the Familiar is active, you regenerate 4.5 Arcane Power every second.
Cannoneer

from level 57 · Arcane damage · Proc coefficient 0.1

The Familiar's projectiles explode on impact, dealing 240% weapon damage as Arcane to all enemies within 6 yards.

The proc coefficient scales the chance of on-hit effects (e.g. legendary powers, gems, Life per Hit) for each hit of the skill. Game files, version 2.8.0.

Familiar

Familiar summons a small companion that attacks enemies on its own and cannot be targeted or harmed. Because it lasts extremely long, it is a set-and-forget spell that you activate once and then usually only recast after a death or an area change.

The runes in particular make Familiar a fixture of many builds. Sparkflint is a strong choice because the fiery companion flatly increases all of your damage dealt, which affects practically every build and not just the familiar itself. Arcanot goes another way and grants you continuous Arcane Power regeneration, noticeably easing resource-hungry setups. If you want control, Icicle offers a chance to freeze enemies. In most cases, Familiar is a nearly free, permanent damage or resource bonus.

Cannoneer, Ancient Guardian and the unlock levels

Besides the well-known runes there are two more variants:

Ancient Guardian (level 44): when you drop below 50% Life, the Familiar absorbs the damage of 1 attack every 6 seconds. A small but dependable safeguard in tight moments.
Cannoneer (level 57): the projectiles explode on impact and hit every enemy within 6 yards for 240% weapon damage as Arcane, turning single-target damage into area damage.

The levelling order: Sparkflint unlocks at level 30, Icicle at 40, Arcanot at 50. Icicle has a 35% chance to Freeze for 1 second.

Arcanot or Sparkflint?

In fully geared setups, Arcanot is picked more often than Sparkflint. The rune regenerates 4.5 Arcane Power per second while the Familiar is active – and with a duration of 10 minutes that is practically all the time. It pays off most when expensive spells such as Explosive Blast drain your Arcane Power faster than it comes back. Sparkflint with its flat 10% damage fits when your resource budget is already balanced.

Spells the Familiar shows up with

Familiar often shares the bar with Magic Weapon and Storm Armor – three long-lasting spells you rarely need to recast. Teleport and the passives Galvanizing Ward and Audacity complete the typical picture.

by eRnstl