Kela's Necromancer Melee Skeleton + Zombies (super cheap league starter, all content)

In 3.8, Necromancer and summoner in general has been buffed to the roof. Summoner has always been strong but to make it super strong you will require a little bit of investment. However in 3.8 u can just make a very basic summoner build and it will clear all the content easily.

My build is using skeleton for the main damage dealer and zombies for your personal bodyguard and meatshield. I also use 4 spectres to generate frenzy charge and as a curse caster.

This build is built and played in 3.8 where Summoner is at its peak. Will expect some nerf in 3.9 and onwards. I will update the guide after patch notes.

At full buff, one skeleton will deal around 520k shaper dps, my build can have up to 12 skeleton at a same time so the total dps is around 6m shaper dps. I also have 10 zombies that deal around 200k shaper dps per zombies.

Thus dps from skeleton = 500k * 12 = 6m
dps form zombies = 200k * 10 = 2m
Total = 8m dps



Of course i know this is ideal case where all your 22 minions are hitting a single target at a same time. In actual, this rarely happen. However 1 cast of raise skeleton will give you 4 skeleton and u can use 4 skeleton dps as for your minimum dps.

A few aura are used for buff (pride, purity of elements, dread banner). This will reserve 95% of your mana, thus i use eldritch battery to use my ES as mana.

I choose dodge/evasion as main defense for this build. U can have MOM or armor for this same build but personally i prefer dodge.

Please note that this build is using Eldritch Battery (EB) configuration to use ES as mana. Taking acrobatic node will reduce your ES by 30%. This shouldn't be a problem because we dont need too much ES to cast our skeleton.

As you can see my gear is completely random and shit. You probably want a convoking wand with +1 to all spell mod on it. You may ask, why +1 all spell and not +1 all minion? It is because +1 to all spell will also affect your aura and minion. Of course getting both of the mod in a wand is better but it will cost you a lot.

I also use a shaper chest with +1 socketed active gems on it. This is completely unnecessary, u can just use a tabula or any 6l. If u have free Prefix on your helmet or chest, u can craft +1 additional zombies and skeleton on it.

Other than that u just focus on life and resistance. Note that i use winterheart for chill immunity and vix lunaris for freeze immunity. It is not really required as u can use your heat flask.

And on the helmet, i use a elder helmet with minion life support on it to boost my zombies life and to make them die less. Its not a big deal as you can easily summon your zombies anytime. You can just use any rare helmet with big life and resist and it will not affect the build too much.

Try to use ES or ARMOR/ES base for all of your gear so that you will have some ES to use as mana.

https://pastebin.com/ynn0zbtG

Starting from A1 use raise zombie and 1 other skill to kill monster, such as freezing pulse. At level 12 grab raise skeleton gems (use a vaal version if u have), support both your zombie and raise skeleton with minion damage and minion speed when it unlocks. U can also support your skeleton with summon phantasm on kill support to get more minions. Use flame dash for movement skill

At A2, grab desecrate and minion speed support.

At A3, grab convocation and raise spectre. Make your way to siosa in library and do his quest so you can get feeding frenzy and meatshield support. Use feeding frenzy for your skeleton and meatshield for your zombies. You really dont need to use aura yet at this point. You dont have to summon your specter yet at this point because low level specter die really easily

Continue this until A6 where u can buy all the actual gems and socket it. You may use Pride as aura until u complete A10. Do not spec into Eldritch battery yet until you are in your final gear.

Tree priority:

Enduring bond - lord of the dead - sacrifice - spritual command - gravepact - spiritual aid - ravenous horde - phase acrobatic.

Take nearby life when you feel your life is too low. Dont take Eldritch battery until u have like 800ES.

Ascendancy:
Mindless aggression - Unnatural strength - Plaguebringer - Bone barrier

Levelling gear :

Anything, if u have a tabula it is good, if not just use whatever u pick up on floor.

Gem order is as per priority.
1. Summon skeleton - Minion damage - Feeding frenzy - Brutality - Maim - Melee physical damage (for boss fight)/Melee splash (for mapping)
2. Raise zombie - Meatshield - Melee physical damage - Minion life - Brutality (if you have minion life on your helmet)
3. Raise spectre - meat shield - blood magic]
4. CWDT - Immortal call

Other gems no need to be linked and u can put in any slot:
Flame dash, convocation, summon carion golem, flesh offering, pride, dread banner, purity of elements and desecrate.

Whew that was a lot of skill gems right? well welcome to summoner's build!

You may ask why did i link blood magic to my spectre? Well there is a rumor going on that if you link your spectre with blood magic, your specter will generate frenzy more frequently. And i feel it is kinda true.

Summoner build is literally walking simulator, u just press your quiksilver flask and run around the map while summoning your skeleton for once in a while.

When fighting a big serious endgame boss, do this ritual for maximum damage:
1. summon all your skeleton to the max count
2. Cast a desecrate and cast flesh offering
3. Cast a desecrate again and this time dont touch it, necromancer's ascendancy will make your minion deal more damage when there's corpse nearby!
4. Keep circling (while dodging) bosses in close proximity to trigger your pride maximum effect
5. Watch the boss melt.

1. Carnage chieftain for frenzy charge- can be found in riverways a2
2. Mortality experimenter for temporal chain curse - can be found in lunaris temple a3