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[[File:IconSummonZombieDog.png|left]]
[[File:wd-mongrel1.jpg|thumb|250px|right|Good dogs.]]'''Summon Zombie Dogs''' is a Command Defensive [[Witch Doctor skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|level]] 24. It summons several zombie dogs, better commonly known as "mongrels" which [[tank]] for the Witch Doctor. This is the basic minion skill of the Witch Doctor.
Mongrels can also be detonated by the [[Sacrifice]] skill, dealing substantial damage to anything in the vicinity. This is their most effective way of directly damaging monsters.
<br><br>__TOC__
==Background==
==Skill Rune Effects==The following is a very quick listsummary. See the [[Summon Zombie Dogs rune effects]] page for a more thorough summary description of rune effects, or any of the individual rune pages for numbers, screenshots, blue quotes, and much more.
<skill class="WitchDoctor">Summon Zombie Dogs</skill>
==Skill Design==
[[File:WdSummon-Zombie-mongrel3Dog-allruned.jpg|right300px|thumb|Two mongrelsAll versions of the Dog, including un-[[rune]]d.]]Summon Zombie Dogs is the first summoning [[skill]] most Witch Doctors will ever use, and forms the backbone of early Witch Doctor strategy. The dogs are not very strong individually, either in giving or taking damage, but they are effective meat shields for , allowing the Witch Doctor to use his attack spells from the back row.
At higher levels Mongrels can deal decent damage, and in a swarm they may be useful against individual enemies, especially when their damage is boosted by a [[runestone]].
==Synergies==
The following [[Witch Doctor passives]] provide a benefit to Summon Zombie Dogs, runed or not:
{{Passive skills header}}
{{Witch Doctor Passive Circle of Life}}
{{Witch Doctor Passive Jungle Fortitude}}
{{Witch Doctor Passive Circle of LifePierce the Veil}}
{{Witch Doctor Passive Zombie Handler}}
{{Witch Doctor Passive Fierce Loyalty}}
==Development==
[[File:Wd-mongrel-locust.jpg|thumb|250px|Mongrel enhanced with Locusts.]]
'''Summon Zombie Dogs''' debuted with [[Diablo III]] in the [[WWI 2008]] gameplay video, where the skill was in the [[Voodoo Skill Tree]] at Tier I. Summon Zombie Dog was called [[Summon Mongrel]] (as [[Mongrel]] was the original name of the Zombie dog), and mongrels could be enchanted with [[Locust Swarm]] or [[Skull of Flame]], among other spells.
<blockquote>''I saw them finish off the last zombie on screen a number of times, and I don’t recall ever having to summon new ones simply because the old ones had gotten stuck or lost around some corner of the dungeon. That speaks to their pathfinding as well, since the dungeons in this year’s Blizzcon PvM demo were made largely from narrow corridors and were quite windy and full of sharp corners and obstacles.</blockquote>
===Beta===[[File:Wd-mongrel3.jpg|right|thumb|Witch Doctor walking two pets.]]Skill tiers were removed for shortly before the [[July 2011 Press Eventbeta]]started in September 2011, and Summon Zombie Dogs became a level 1 skill.[[Flux]] gave it another try, and discussed the skill's function:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/witch-doctor-beta-skills-mega-report] <blockquote>''Better known as “Mongrels,” this is the default tank for the beta, and a very effective one. The dogs don’t have a lot of killing power — all three of them on the same normal enemy is considerably slower than any Witch Doctor attack spell — but they’re not meant for damage in their base form. They’re meat shields, and they do a pretty good job of that. <br><br>''This skill previously worked with “one cast per dog,” so it took three casts to get all three of them out. (And you got more dogs with more skill points.) No more; now a single cast summons all three dogs, or re-summons fresh ones if your current batch are wearing out or one or more have died. It’s a full replacement cast, too; if you have two left you don’t just cast one new one to join the others; you get three new dogs.</blockquote>
The skill system was once again overhauled for the [[Beta Patch 13]] in February 2012, and Summon Zombie Dogs was classified as a Defensive skill and moved to level 4.
===Previous Versions===
See the [[Witch Doctor skill archive]] for more details on previous versions of Summon Zombie Dogs (or [[Summon Mongrel]]) and other Witch Doctor skills.
===In Other Games===
Summon Zombie Dogs is the spiritual successor to [[Diablo II]]'s {{iw|Necromancer Necromancer}} skill {{iw|Raise_Skeleton Raise Skeleton}}, which is also a low-level tanking minion summoning skill.
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/ Diablo III screenshots and pictures]
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=Summon+Zombie+Dog&cat=all '''Summon Zombie Dogs''' specific gallery contents]
<gallery>
File:wd-mongrel1.jpg|Close-up of two Dogs.File:Summon-Zombie-Dog-allruned.jpg|All versions of the dogDog, including un-[[rune]]d.File:Wd-mongrel-locust.jpg|Mongrel enhanced with Locusts.File:Wd-mongrel3.jpg|Witch Doctor with two Dogs.
</gallery>
==References==
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvm-report-witch-doctor BlizzCon 2010 Witch Doctor Hands-on Report]
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvp-arena-report/ BlizzCon 2010 PvP Hands-on Report]
* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/witch-doctor-beta- skills-mega-report Witch Doctor Beta Skills Mega-report: Part One] — IncGamers 1st Aug 30th Sep 2011* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/witch-doctor/active/ Witch Doctor Active Skills] -- — Blizzard's Official Diablo III 13th Sep 2011Site
