The Necromancer is one of the most versatile classes in Diablo 2 Resurrected, capable of dealing damage through various means while also providing utility and support through minions and curses. As a new player or returning veteran, understanding how to level your Necromancer efficiently can greatly enhance your gameplay experience. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the best leveling strategies, skills, gear recommendations, and more to help you maximize your Necromancer's potential.
Understanding the Necromancer Class
The Necromancer is a spellcasting class that specializes in summoning undead minions, casting debilitating curses, and unleashing powerful poison and bone spells. This class can be divided into several builds, each focusing on different aspects of its abilities.
Key Attributes
- Strength: Determines how much equipment you can wear. Only invest enough to wear your gear.
- Dexterity: Increases your chance to hit and your block chance if you use a shield.
- Vitality: Increases your life pool, crucial for survivability.
- Energy: Important for mana, but typically, you should focus on Vitality and other attributes.
Choosing a Build
Before diving into leveling, you should choose a build that suits your playstyle. Here are three popular Necromancer builds:
1. Summoner Necromancer: Focuses on raising a large army of skeletons and golems to do the fighting for you.
2. Poison Nova Necromancer: Utilizes poison spells to deal damage over time, effective against groups of enemies.
3. Bone Necromancer: Centers around bone spells that deal direct damage, such as Bone Spear and Bone Spirit.
For the purposes of this guide, we will focus on the Summoner Necromancer, as it is one of the easiest and most effective builds for leveling.
Leveling Strategy
Leveling your Necromancer efficiently involves understanding where to allocate your skill points and how to approach each act of the game.
Leveling from 1 to 30
- Skills:
- Level 1-6: Invest in Raise Skeleton and Skeletal Mastery.
- Level 7: Add a point to Clay Golem for additional tanking.
- Level 8-12: Continue investing in Raise Skeleton and Skeletal Mastery.
- Level 13-20: Focus on Raise Skeleton to its maximum of 20 points and Skeletal Mastery to 10 points.
- Level 21-30: Invest points into Corpse Explosion to increase your damage output significantly.
- Gameplay Tips:
- Always have a full army of skeletons. Summon them before engaging in combat.
- Use Corpse Explosion to deal significant area damage, especially against groups of enemies.
- Utilize curses like Amplify Damage to increase the damage your minions do.
Leveling from 30 to 60
- Skills:
- Level 31-40: Max out Skeletal Mastery and start putting points into Revive for additional minions.
- Level 41-50: Max out Corpse Explosion to enhance your area damage.
- Level 51-60: Invest in Bone Spear or Bone Spirit for additional damage options.
- Gameplay Tips:
- As you progress, focus on keeping your minions alive. Be strategic with your positioning.
- Use your curses effectively to debilitate stronger enemies.
- Always look for corpses to maximize the effectiveness of Corpse Explosion.
Leveling from 60 to 99
- Skills:
- Level 61-70: Continue to enhance your Revive skill and consider adding points to Golem Mastery.
- Level 71-80: Max out Revive and Golem Mastery.
- Level 81-99: Invest in your desired damage skills, whether you prefer Bone or Poison spells.
- Gameplay Tips:
- At higher levels, utilize Revive to resurrect powerful enemies as allies.
- Continue to use curses effectively; Lower Resist can be particularly good for poison builds.
- Look for powerful gear that boosts your minion skills and survivability.
Gear Recommendations
Selecting the right gear for your Necromancer can greatly enhance your leveling experience. Here are some recommended items:
Early Game Gear (1-30)
- Weapons:
- Death's Touch (Unique Scythe) - Great for increasing damage.
- Armor:
- Stealth (Runeword) - Provides faster run/walk and increased cast rate.
- Helm:
- Lore (Runeword) - Boosts energy and provides additional skills.
Mid Game Gear (30-60)
- Weapons:
- Heart of the Oak (Runeword) - Increases skills and provides resistances.
- Armor:
- Treachery (Runeword) - Offers increased speed and damage reduction.
- Helm:
- Andariel's Visage (Unique Mask) - Boosts skills and increases life leech.
Late Game Gear (60-99)
- Weapons:
- Call to Arms (Runeword) - Provides a massive boost to skills and battle commands.
- Armor:
- Enigma (Runeword) - Grants teleportation for mobility.
- Helm:
- Shako (Unique Mask) - Offers excellent boosts to skills and survivability.
Final Tips for Leveling Your Necromancer
- Participate in Group Play: Grouping with other players can significantly speed up leveling.
- Focus on Quests: Complete quests for additional experience bonuses and rewards.
- Utilize Town Portals: Always keep a few Town Portals on hand to escape tough situations.
- Stay Updated: As the game evolves, new strategies or gear may emerge, so staying connected with the community can provide fresh insights.
In conclusion, the Necromancer in Diablo 2 Resurrected offers a rich and rewarding gameplay experience. By following this comprehensive leveling guide, you can effectively build your character from the ground up, maximizing your potential and enjoying the vast world of Sanctuary. Whether you choose to summon an army of the undead or unleash devastating spells, your journey will undoubtedly be filled with challenges and triumphs. Happy leveling!
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best leveling build for a Necromancer in Diablo 2 Resurrected?
The best leveling build for a Necromancer is typically the Skeleton Summoner build, which focuses on raising skeletons to deal damage while you support them with curses and other spells.
What skills should I prioritize when leveling my Necromancer?
You should prioritize skills like Raise Skeleton, Skeleton Mastery, and Corpse Explosion for damage, along with curses like Amplify Damage to boost your skeletons' effectiveness.
Is it better to focus on summoning or poison skills when leveling?
For leveling, the Summoning skills are generally more effective as they allow you to have minions that can tank and deal damage while you stay safe.
What is the ideal stat distribution for a Necromancer during leveling?
You should focus on allocating points mainly into Energy for mana, then Dexterity for better block chance if using a shield, and strength just enough to equip your gear.
What gear should I aim for while leveling my Necromancer?
Look for gear that boosts skills, increases your minion damage, and provides mana regeneration. Items like the 'Lore' helm and 'Skin of the Vipermagi' armor are good early choices.
How important is synergy when leveling a Necromancer?
Synergies are very important for maximizing damage output. Skills like Skeleton Mastery and Raise Skeleton need to be leveled alongside your main damage skills.
What mercenary should I use for a Necromancer leveling build?
The Act 2 Desert Mercenary is ideal for a Necromancer, especially one with the Offensive aura, as it boosts the damage of your skeletons.
How can I efficiently farm experience while leveling my Necromancer?
Focus on areas with high monster density like The Countess in the Forgotten Tower or the Chaos Sanctuary, where your minions can efficiently kill enemies.
What are some common mistakes to avoid when leveling a Necromancer?
Avoid spreading your skill points too thin across different trees; focus on one build. Also, don't neglect your gear; using outdated equipment can hinder your progress.
What level should I aim to be before entering Hell difficulty with my Necromancer?
Aim to be at least level 70 before entering Hell difficulty to ensure your skills and gear are sufficient to handle the increased challenge.
