Best Diablo IV Necromancer Build and Guide
The Necromancer class is one of Diablo’s most famous, with its ability to summon undead minions and utilize dark magic to combat the forces of the Burning Hells. Season 5 takes this even further as players will invade the Burning Hells and take the fight to the Infernal Hordes. In this build, we’ll be using Blood Surge as the primary damage skill for Necromancers.
Blood Surge is a powerful ability with insane mob-clearing utility, thanks to its blood nova and boss damage.
Much of the other abilities that you’ll select will serve to fuel and set up your Blood Surge, whether by generating Essence or debuffing enemies to increase its damage potential. These skills, in particular, are very effective for this build:
- Blood Surge
- Corpse Tendril
- Raise Skeleton
- Blood Mist
- Decrepify/Iron Maiden
- Hemorrhage.
For your damage rotation, always start with Iron Maiden as this debuffs enemies with a DoT effect. Next, cast Blood Surge as your bread-and-butter damage skill. If you run out of Essence, use Hemorrhage to refill your resource and get back to casting Blood Surge. Corpse Tendrils and Iron Maiden are used for setting groups up for damage, while Decrepify ensures that you survive otherwise lethal damage from enemies. Blood Mist is both your engagement and disengagement tool for emergencies.
Table of Contents
Skill Tree Allocation
For your skill tree allocation, take the following:
- Hemorrhage
- Enhanced Hemorrhage
- Blood Surge
- Enhanced Blood Surge
- Paranormal Blood Surge
- Acolyte’s Hemorrhage
- 4 points in Blood Surge
- Blood Mist
- Iron Maiden
- Enhanced Iron Maiden
- Decrepify
- 3 points in Skeletal Warrior Mastery
- 3 points in Necrotic Carapace
- Corpse Tendrils
- 3 points in Skeletal Mage Mastery
- 3 points in Inspiring Leader
- 3 points in Bonded in Essence
- Gruesome Mending
- 3 points in Coalesced Blood
- 3 points in Tides of Blood
- Rathma’s Vigor
- Enhanced Corpse Tendrils
- Plagued Corpse Tendrils
- Enhanced Blood Mist
- 3 points in Death’s Embrace
- 3 points in Amplify Damage
- Enhanced Decrepify
- Abhorrent Decrepify
- Unliving Energy
- 3 points in Imperfectly Balanced
- 3 points in Death’s Approach
- 2 points in Hewed Flesh
For the Book of the Dead, take Reapers for generating more corpses, Cold Mages for sustaining your Essence meter, and sacrifice Bone Golems for increased attack speed.
Blood Surge Gear Affixes
Your first and most vital Aspect when gearing your Necromancer is the Blood-bathed Aspect, which will echo your Blood Surge’s nova after casting it. This gives the skill an extra hit on top of its already powerful burst damage. As for the other Aspects, use the following to enhance your Skeletal Minions and yourself:
- Aspect of Hardened Bones
- Aspect of Occult Dominion
- Aspect of Disobedience
- Blood Boiling Aspect
- Ghostwalker Aspect
- Aspect of Frenzied Dead
- Aspect of Reanimation
- Edgemaster’s Aspect
For gem slots, take Rubies for both your weapons and armor for more Overpower Damage and Max Life. Meanwhile, place Skulls on your jewelry for the extra armor.
Finally, for the gear affixes, look for the following:
- Weapons
- Damage
- Overpower Damage
- Resource Cost Reduction
- Helmet
- Max Life
- Ranks to Curse Skills
- Essence per Second
- Chest
- Life per Second
- Essence per Second
- Any Resistances
- Gloves
- Overpower Damage
- Ranks to Blood Surge
- Intelligence
- Pants
- Max Life
- Any Resistances
- Ranks to Hemorrhage
- Boots
- Intelligence
- Max Life
- Life per Second
- Amulet
- Resource Cost Reduction
- Intelligence
- Any Resistances
- Rings
- Attack Speed
- Max Life
- Resource Cost Reduction
