Top Diablo 2 Necromancer Builds for Resurrected Season 9

In Diablo 2, the Necromancer stands out as a formidable character steeped in the themes of death and decay. This unique class wields the power of the grave, enabling players to unleash devastation upon their foes. In a narrative where Diablo inadvertently challenges death itself, players can harness the Necromancer’s distinct abilities to sidestep the brink of life and death. Let’s delve into some of the most effective Necromancer builds available.

The Necromancer isn’t as straightforward a choice as characters like the Barbarian or Sorceress. Rather than employing conventional arcane magic, the Necromancer draws upon bone spells, poison tactics, and a legion of undead minions to combat the forces of evil. While this class does incorporate some spellcasting, it doesn’t quite reach the Sorceress’s damage output, nor does it excel in melee combat like the Barbarian or Paladin.

Instead, this character utilizes a unique array of skills that turn death itself into a weapon, distinguishing it from other classes. One of the most captivating aspects of the Necromancer is the ability to raise fallen foes as allies, effectively creating an undead army that grows stronger with each victory.

Diablo 2 Resurrected necromancer trailer — Blizzard Entertainment

The Necromancer is a chilling yet powerful warrior, harboring a deep-seated animosity towards Diablo.

Is the Necromancer the Right Choice for You?

Think of the Necromancer as akin to the Night King from Game of Thrones. This class thrives through strategy and cunning, with a focus on summoning minions while casting debilitating curses from the shadows. While the Necromancer lacks the resilience of close-combat characters like the Barbarian, he is far from defenseless.

Equipped with daggers that can be imbued with poison, the Necromancer can deal substantial damage to enemies who draw too near. With the right enhancements from charms and socketed emeralds, these weapons can become lethal tools of destruction.

Best Builds for the Diablo 2 Necromancer

When contemplating a Necromancer build, it’s vital to remember that minions form the core of this character’s strength. If the concept of having a swarm of skeletons or resurrected enemies tackling foes isn’t appealing, you might want to explore other character options.

Nearly all Necromancer builds incorporate some form of minion mastery. The thrill of watching your undead army wreak havoc on the battlefield while you control the flow of the fight is a unique joy. However, players can certainly engage in close combat as well.

Diablo 2 Resurrected Necromancer — Blizzard Entertainment

Mixed Summoner Build

Considered the quintessential Necromancer build, the Mixed Summoner focuses primarily on the summoning skill tree, allowing players to cultivate a formidable army of followers. This build is time-consuming, but it can ultimately yield a staggering total of 62 minions on the battlefield.

The breakdown of minions typically includes:

20 Raised Skeletons (melee)
20 Raised Skeleton Mages (ranged)
1 Gollum
20 Revived Enemies
1 Hired Mercenary

Each addition of a skeleton or revived enemy requires a skill point, emphasizing the significance of strategic skill allocation. Players may also invest in ‘Skeleton Mastery’ to enhance the durability and strength of their skeletal warriors and mages. Sometimes, fewer but more powerful minions can prove more effective than a legion of weaker foes.

Gollum Overview

Gollums serve as a more resilient minion, remaining at your side until they are defeated or dismissed. You may only have one Gollum active at a time, but they often possess greater stamina than skeletons. Through the ‘Gollum Mastery’ skill, these creatures can balloon in power over time.

Gollums can evolve into specialized forms:

Blood Golem: Vampiric beings that heal you as they slay enemies, making their survivability a pivotal asset.
Iron Golem: Created using a metal weapon, the Iron Golem inherits that weapon’s attributes. A strong poison dagger, for instance, can be reshaped into a lethal Golem.
Fire Golem: The most formidable variant, which ignites nearby enemies and inflicts explosive damage upon death, proving strategic in crowded encounters.

Revived Minions

Acquired later in the game at level 30, the Revive skill allows players to resurrect and command up to 20 fallen foes temporarily. To maximize this skill, reaching level 50 is essential.

Revived minions fight alongside your skeletons and Gollum, but they are temporally bound, losing vitality over time. Despite their limited duration on the field, Revived minions retain their original powers and attributes, often proving even more robust than standard skeletons, especially when encountered on higher difficulty settings.

Given the absence of a Revived Mastery, players need to strategize wisely about including Revived minions alongside their Gollum and skeletal army.

Diablo 2 resurrected — Blizzard Entertainment

Melee Summoner Build

This build prioritizes close-combat summons like the skeleton warriors and Gollum. By investing in enhancing these minions, you can summon a formidable front-line force. With the right skill points devoted, you can conjure up to 20 powerful fighters.

This build synergizes with curses and bone spells, ensuring that your minions maintain an edge during fights.

Elemental Magic/Projectile Summoner Build

Unlike the melee variant, this build emphasizes a squad of skeletal mages proficient in elemental magic. A well-organized group can deliver devastating magical attacks. Given their vulnerability in close-range combat, securing these mages with curses and other protective spells is crucial.

Curses Overview

It’s advisable for all Necromancer players to invest in various curses, even within minion-centric builds. Curses can disrupt enemy movements and create chaos, enhancing your and your minions’ combat effectiveness. A curse build that focuses on debuffing enemies allows for precision strikes, though it may limit the investment in other skills.

Poison Tactics

While primarily not designed for heavy melee confrontation, the Necromancer can be lethal in close quarters through strategically utilized poison. Employing daggers alongside poison spells, such as Poison Cloud and Poison Nova, can make for a dangerous blend of offense with the right mix of curses and minion abilities to round out the build.

Utilization of Bone Spells

The Necromancer’s arsenal includes bone spells, which can have devastating effects, such as causing corpses to explode for massive AOE damage—an excellent tool for crowd control. Bone walls can trap enemies, separating them from allies, while Bone Spears can serve as long-range projectiles and can be upgraded to escalate their impact during combat.

In summary, Diablo 2 offers a diverse array of classes including the Druid, Sorceress, and the famed Necromancer. Each presents unique gameplay experiences and strategies.

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