Summoner Necromancer Build

The Summoner Necromancer is an ideal choice for new players, relying on summoned minions to handle combat. Focus on Raise Skeleton and Skeleton Mastery early to create a formidable army. At level 24, invest in Decrepify to enhance minion damage and survivability. Higher levels unlock Revive and Summoner skills, further bolstering your forces. This build is gear-independent, making it accessible for those with limited equipment. While it shines in Normal and Nightmare, additional items like cheap runewords are recommended for Hell difficulty. The Summoner Necromancer offers a unique, hands-off playstyle, making it a great option for players who enjoy commanding an undead army.

Hybrid Summon/Bone Necromancer Build

The Hybrid Summon/Bone Necromancer combines the strengths of summoning and bone-based abilities, offering versatility and power. Early on, invest in Raise Skeleton and Teeth for consistent damage and minion support. At higher levels, transition into Bone Spear and Skeleton Mastery to enhance both summoning and offensive capabilities. This build synergizes well, allowing for crowd control and sustained damage output. While it requires more strategic planning than pure summoning builds, the Hybrid offers flexibility and scalability. It’s particularly effective in mid-game content, where balance between offense and defense is crucial. Gear-wise, focus on items that boost both summoning and elemental damage to maximize efficiency. This build is ideal for players who enjoy a mix of hands-on combat and minion management.

Skill Progression for Leveling

Focus on early-game skills like Teeth and Raise Skeleton for damage and minion support. Transition to Amplify Damage and Bone Armor in mid-game for survivability. Late-game, prioritize Bone Spear and Corpse Explosion for maximum area damage and efficiency.

Early Game Skills (Level 1-30)

The early game for a Necromancer focuses on establishing a strong foundation of damage and survivability. Start with Teeth at level 1 for ranged, area-of-effect damage. At level 2, invest in Raise Skeleton to summon loyal minions that tank and deal melee damage. By level 6, add Amplify Damage to boost both your spell damage and your minions’ effectiveness; Continue investing in Teeth and Raise Skeleton to maximize their potency. At level 8, consider Bone Armor for improved defense. Finally, at level 12, add Skeleton Mastery to enhance your minions’ durability and damage output. This progression ensures a balanced mix of offense, defense, and minion support, making the early levels smooth and efficient.

Mid-Game Skills (Level 31-60)

During levels 31-60, focus on enhancing your core abilities and introducing powerful new skills. At level 31, invest in Corpse Explosion for massive area-of-effect damage, synergizing perfectly with your minion army. By level 40, max Bone Spear to deal high single-target damage, especially against bosses. Continue investing in Skeleton Mastery to improve minion durability and damage. At level 50, add Bone Armor to boost defense and survivability. Finally, at level 55, invest in Lower Resist to weaken enemy defenses, making your spells more effective. This skill progression balances offense, defense, and utility, ensuring smooth progression through the mid-game and preparation for late-game challenges.

Late Game Skills (Level 61-99)

From level 61 to 99, focus on maximizing damage output and survivability. At level 61, invest in Corpse Explosion to obliterate large groups with massive AoE damage. Continue enhancing Bone Armor at level 65 for improved defense against late-game enemies. At level 70, add Bone Wall for emergency protection, allowing you to block and survive intense encounters. By level 75, Summoner Necromancers should fully invest in Raise Skeleton to create an unstoppable minion army. At level 80, max Decrepify to enhance crowd control and boost minion damage. Finally, past level 90, focus on synergies like Skeleton Mastery and Corpse Explosion to dominate endgame content with ease.

Attribute Distribution for Necromancer

Prioritize Vitality for survival, with minimal Strength and Dexterity to meet gear requirements. Invest moderately in Energy for spellcasting, focusing on Vitality for endgame durability and effectiveness.

Strength

Strength is crucial for equipping weapons and armor but should not be overly prioritized. Allocate enough points to meet the requirements of your desired gear, as excessive investment reduces flexibility. Focus on essential items early, ensuring mobility and defense without sacrificing other attributes. Strength needs are modest for most builds, allowing you to redirect points toward Vitality for survival. Early game demands minimal Strength, but higher levels may require more for specific runewords or equipment. Balance your investments wisely to maintain effectiveness and durability without overcommitting to a non-primary attribute; This approach ensures your Necromancer remains versatile and powerful throughout the leveling journey.

Dexterity

Dexterity plays a moderate role in a Necromancer’s leveling journey, primarily influencing attack rating and block chance. While it is not a primary attribute, allocating some points to Dexterity ensures smoother combat by improving your ability to land attacks and avoid enemy strikes. For most builds, a minimal investment suffices, as Necromancers rely more on minions and spells rather than physical attacks. Prioritize meeting the requirements for your desired weapons and shields, as excessive Dexterity does not significantly enhance your dark magic abilities. Any remaining points can be redirected to Vitality for increased survivability, making Dexterity a secondary but still important attribute for balancing offense and defense during the leveling process.

Vitality

Vitality is the most critical attribute for a Necromancer during leveling, as it directly increases health and survivability. Since Necromancers rely on their minions and spells, having a robust health pool is essential, especially in higher difficulties like Hell. Allocate as many points as possible to Vitality to withstand punishing enemy attacks and reduce downtime between battles. While Strength and Dexterity have their roles, Vitality should always be your top priority to ensure you can endure the relentless challenges of Diablo 2: Resurrected. A well-invested Vitality stat will keep you alive long enough for your minions and curses to dismantle any foe, making it the cornerstone of a successful Necromancer build.

Energy

Energy is a secondary attribute for Necromancers, primarily influencing mana pool size and spellcasting ability. While not as critical as Vitality, allocating some points to Energy early on can improve mana sustainability, especially when relying on spells like Teeth or Poison Dagger. However, as you progress and gain access to summoning skills, your dependency on direct spellcasting decreases. Most Necromancer builds prioritize Vitality and Strength over Energy, as minions and curses handle much of the offensive workload. Nevertheless, a moderate investment in Energy ensures smoother gameplay during the early levels when mana management is more challenging. Focus on allocating enough points to support your spell usage without neglecting other critical stats like Vitality and Strength.

Stat Priorities for Leveling

When leveling a Necromancer, your stat priorities should focus on survival and effectiveness. Vitality is your most important stat, as it directly increases your life pool, which is crucial for withstanding heavy damage in higher difficulties. Strength should be allocated enough to meet the requirements of your gear, particularly for weapons and armor. Dexterity is less critical but can be useful for improving attack rating if you plan to use melee attacks. Energy, while important for mana sustainability, should be allocated sparingly, as Necromancers rely more on summoning and curses rather than direct spellcasting. Always prioritize gear with life, mana, or resistances to complement your stat distribution and ensure a smoother leveling experience.

Essential Gear for Leveling

The right gear is crucial for efficient leveling. Focus on items with life, mana, and resistances. Key pieces include Nagelring, Magefist, and Spirit Shield for their beneficial stats and bonuses to necromancer abilities.

Weapon Choices

Weapon selection is vital for a Necromancer, as it directly impacts spellcasting and minion effectiveness. For a Bone Necromancer, focus on caster weapons like staves or wands, which provide bonus mana, spell damage, and attack speed. The Bone runeword is excellent for early-game damage, while Spirit offers superior mana regeneration and spell bonuses. Summoner Necromancers benefit from faster weapons like swords or daggers to maximize minion attack speed. Consider Nagelring for its life and mana per kill; In Hell difficulty, switch to Heart of the Oak or Call to Arms for enhanced capabilities. Equip weapons with resistances and life steal to ensure survival. Prioritize items with +skills to boost necromancer abilities for optimal leveling efficiency.

Armor and Defense

Armor selection is crucial for a Necromancer, balancing defense and utility. Early on, prioritize items like Bloodfist or Lidless Wall for their low requirements and useful mods. As you progress, transition to runewords like Stealth (enhanced movement) or Leaf (bonus energy). In Hell difficulty, focus on high-defense armors with resistances, such as Duress or Fortitude, which provide elemental resistance and life regeneration. These choices ensure survivability while maintaining mobility and spellcasting efficiency. Pair your armor with shields like Rhyme for additional defense and mana regeneration, or Sanctuary for block chance and resistances. Proper armor selection is key to enduring the challenges of higher difficulties while supporting your necromancer’s unique playstyle.

Accessories and Charms

Accessories and charms play a vital role in enhancing your Necromancer’s survivability and offensive capabilities; Early on, focus on Small Charms for life and energy boosts, such as Shimmering or Life charms. Transition to Grand Charms later, prioritizing Summoning or Necromancer skill bonuses; The Annihilus charm is a must-have for its universal stats and damage reduction. For weapons, The Oculus (Swirling Crystal) provides mana regeneration and resistances, while Ormus Robes offer enhanced defense and energy. Utilize Strength and Dexterity charms to meet equipment requirements. Stack Resist and Mana charms in Hell difficulty to counter elemental threats. Charm combinations like Shimmering/Thawing or

Mercenary Choice and Equipment

Choose Holy Freeze or Might Mercenaries for optimal crowd control and damage. Equip them with Insight for mana regeneration or Duress for crushing blow potential. Andariel’s Visage and Guillaume’s Face are excellent helmet choices for enhanced attack speed and life leech, ensuring your merc stays formidable throughout your journey.

Best Mercenary Types for Necromancer

The best mercenaries for Necromancers are Holy Freeze or Might Mercenaries, as they provide excellent crowd control and damage. Holy Freeze mercenaries are ideal for slowing enemies, allowing you and your minions to dispatch them safely. Might mercenaries, on the other hand, deliver high physical damage, making them a great addition to your army. Both types are durable and can withstand late-game content. Hire them from Act II for better survivability. Equipping them with Insight for mana regeneration or Duress for enhanced damage and defense is highly recommended. Additionally, Andariel’s Visage or Guillaume’s Face helmets can significantly boost their attack speed and life leech, ensuring they remain effective throughout your leveling journey.

Equipment for Mercenaries

Equipping your mercenary with the right gear is crucial for their survival and effectiveness. For weapon and armor, prioritize runewords like Insight (for mana regeneration) or Duress (for enhanced damage and defense). Andariel’s Visage or Guillaume’s Face helmets are excellent choices, as they provide life leech and attack speed. In the early game, focus on affordable items like Stealth or Lore runewords. As you progress, transition to Prudence for energy and defense. Ensuring your mercenary is well-equipped will make them a formidable ally, especially in Hell difficulty. Invest in their gear to maximize their damage output and survivability throughout your leveling journey.

Leveling Strategies by Difficulty

Adapt your tactics across Normal, Nightmare, and Hell difficulties. Focus on area-effect spells in Normal, switch to defensive strategies in Nightmare, and optimize gear in Hell.