new mark of the red covenant is like a warm fire on a cold night

If you haven't tried it - do yourself a favour. For the build cost of a few chaos, you can get a triad grip(4 red sockets) and a mark of the red covenant. The new change giving AOE fire splash damage is one of the best item improvements ever.

You have to run necromancer because it is double the power of any other ascendency. It is also the only ascedency where your power is not reliant on 'nearby', and these zippy little flaming skulls can off-screen too well to worry about that crap.

I chose to also run a bubonic trail, soulwrest and 5 link rotting legion chest for full fire minions and cheap, decent defences. Currently saving up for a queens escape to test that out.

SRS > Minion speed > Combustion > minion damage

raise zombie + Raise spectre > minion life > feeding frenzy > minion speed

Summon Phantasm > faster projectiles > minion speed > elemental army > fire penetration > minion damage

If anyone cares, I can write more of a guide, but I don't plan on testing endgame or any other ridiculously gated content because F@#k grinding and running a squillion maps to test anything out.