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Diablo 4’sSeason of the Construct has added a robot companion for players to customize. Named the Seneschal Construct, this mechanical spider can do everything from damaging demons to healing your character.
These spiders are configured with Governing and Tuning Stones, two items that behave identically to Path of Exile’s skill and support gems. Equip the right stones on your build, and your character will benefit from massive damage bonuses, permanent healing, and much more. But before you start theorycrafting the perfect build, let’s first explain how you can get your hands on this mechanical spider and its various skills.
How To Unlock The Seneschal Construct
This mechanic is only present during Season of the Construct. Eternal Realm characters will not have access to Seneschal Constructs.
The Seneschal Construct becomes availableafter completing “The Ennead” quest.This is part of the seasonal quest that becomes available upon completing or skipping the Diablo 4 campaign. Look for the quest “A Suppurated Wound” in Kehjistan to get started. Once unlocked, the companion will fight beside your character for the rest of the season.
This companion behaves identically to a Necromancer’s undead minions.Seneschal Constructs stick close to your character, attack enemies on screen, and will draw enemy aggro when possible.Your construct’s damage output scales with your character’s overall power and the Governing Stones system, so your companion will deal far more damage as you reach the endgame.
Governing Stones And Tuning Stones
You can modify your Seneschal Construct’s skills through Governing Stones and Tuning Stones.To access this menu, open your inventory and select the leftmost tab above your item grid.The tab should be labeled “Seneschal Construct.” This menu is where you’ll configure the construct’s skills and general behavior.
You’ll notice that the large square sockets may only house Governing Stones.A Governing Stone is a skill that your Seneschal Construct will cast when possible.Governing Stones come in three forms: melee, ranged, and utility. The names are self-explanatory. Melee is used up close, ranged is used from afar, and utility will buff your character in some form. These stones are earned from seasonal content.
Two Governing Stones may be equipped at a time. You cannot equip the same Governing or Tuning Stone twice.
Each Governing Stone may be augmented with up to three Tuning Stones.A Tuning Stone augments how a Governing Stone behaves.For example, a skill that has a cooldown may be affected by Tuning Stones with the cooldown tag. you may check if either stone type is compatible by looking at the item’s tags, found right under the stone’s rank.If the Tuning and Governing Stones share at least one tag type, they’re compatible.
Gyrate
Melee
The construct whirls its legs around quickly, dealing X damage to all surrounding enemies.
Bushwack
Arcing, Melee
Quickly ambush up to 2 targets, dealing X damage to each enemy. May strike the same target multiple times.
Impale
Perform a line attack in front of the construct, dealing X damage to all enemies.
Focus Fire
Arcing, Ranged, Duration, Channeled
The construct channels a ray of fire onto 2 targets, dealing X damage to each over 2.5 seconds.
Lightning Bolt
Projectile, Arcing, Ranged
Launch a bolt of lightning at the target, dealing X damage. Arcs to 1 target, dealing 35% of the original damage.
Firefly
Projectile, Ranged
Deploy a small firefly that lands on the targets and explodes 3 times after 1.25 seconds, dealing X damage.
Tempest
Arcing, Ranged, Duration
Electrically charge an enemy, causing it to deal X damage to themselves and 1 additional enemy every second over 5 seconds.
If an enemy is killed, Tempest spreads to another enemy, gaining +2 seconds and 20%[x] bonus damage. These bonuses also apply if Tempest is reapplied to the same target.
Protect
Cooldown, Duration, Utility
Gain 50% of your max life as a Barrier for 5 seconds. 20s cooldown.
Reconstruct
Cooldown, Duration, Utility, Channeled
You heal for 40% of your max life over 3 seconds. 10s cooldown.
Autodefense
Your construct destroys incoming enemy projectiles over the next 5 seconds, up to 30 projectiles. 25s cooldown.
Does not work on boss or player projectiles.
All Tuning Stones
Unless otherwise stated, the listed bonuses only apply to your construct.
Ranged, Melee
The supported skill inflicts 30% slow to struck targets.
Closer targets are afflicted with a stronger slow, up to 80%.
Efficiency
Your character gains +15% critical chance against targets hit by the supported skill. Lasts 3s.
Frigid
50% of the skill’s damage is applied as cold damage over 5s.
Bleeding
50% of the skill’s damage is applied as bleed damage over 5s.
Electrocution
50% of the skill’s damage is applied as lightning damage over 5s.
This damage has a 15% chance of stunning the target for 2s.
Poison
50% of the skill’s damage is applied as poison damage over 5s.
The poison has an 11% chance to spread to an additional target each second.
Dusk
50% of the skill’s damage is applied as shadow damage over 5s.
Afflicted enemies who attack have a 15% chance of being interrupted. Does not interrupt bosses.
Mockery
Taunts enemies for 4 seconds on hit. Has a 15s cooldown per enemy.
Burning
50% of the skill’s damage is applied as burning damage over 5s.
Burning enemies take x40% bonus critical strike damage from the construct.
Ranged, Melee, Utility
On construct skill use, your character gains Fortify.
Skills with longer cooldowns or slower attack times provide additional Fortify.
Safeguard
On construct skill use, your character gains +15% damage reduction for 3s.
Registered Damage
Damage from this skill is registered. When the target dies, they explode for 50% of the registered damage.
Gripping
Distant targets are pulled towards the construct. 10s cooldown between activations.
Initiative
The construct will teleport to the target on skill use. 1s cooldown.
Evernight
The supported skill grants you +4 to all skills when used for 2s.
+150% skill effectiveness.
The Best Governing And Tuning Stones
Seneschal Constructs are best used for their utility, not their damage. Even with their damage scaling properties, a Seneschal Construct won’t compete with the best builds in Diablo 4 for mobbing or bossing. With that said, some of the attack Governing Stones can be used to proc utility Tuning Stones such as Mockery and Safeguard.
The best Governing Stones this season are Flash of Adrenaline, Reconstruct, and Tempest.Flash of Adrenaline gives your character a damage bonus that can achieve 100% uptime with the right supports, while Reconstruct gives you a constant source of healing once upgraded. Tempest is the best skill to apply on-hit supports like Mockery since it’s an arcing skill, allowing it to hit a dozen enemies while the Arcing support is equipped. Focus Fire is also a solid alternative if you don’t like Tempest.
Tuning Stones are more situational, but there are some clear standouts.Tactical, Duration, Arcing, Taunting, and Genesis should all be acquired as soon as possible.Tactical and Duration allow for 100% uptime on Flash of Adrenaline, while Arcing and Taunting allow your construct to draw aggro from monsters for you, increasing your survivability. Genesis makes the supported skill 2.5x stronger, an amazing Tuning Stone to pair with Flash of Adrenaline.
For nearly every build in Diablo 4,the best construct build is to use Flash of Adrenaline with the Genesis, Tactical, and Duration supports.Flash of Adrenaline gives you a 25% multiplicative damage buff for eight seconds.Genesisincreases this damage bonus to a whopping 50%, whileTacticalandDurationadjust the skill’s cooldown and duration, respectively. With all three supports,you permanently deal 50% more damage.
Since you’re able to’t use the same Tuning Stones multiple times, using a second utility skill is unwise since we won’t have any supports to buff it. That’s why we instead recommend theTempestskill. TheArcingstone will make it chain to 12 enemies when an enemy dies. This triggersMockery and Efficiency, causing those targets to become taunted and receive +15% critical chance from your attacks.
If your build doesn’t use critical hits, replace the Efficiency support with Safeguard (+15% DR) or Breaking (applies Vulnerability).
