Minionless, Really Minionless

[Dadaravager]

Hello all

We measure our PvM builds as to whether they can handle single-player as far as Hell.

I presume I would be in "variant" territory to suggest otherwise. Much earlier in Classic D2 history, you could get a truly minionless Arty type necro through to Act 1 in Hell (at least that is as far as mine got). He wore Vidalia's boots and ran around areas, gradually building large Corpse Explosion piles, or spamming (Bone Spirit and Poison Nova).

I understand that this would be a pipe dream nowadays, but I have experience with all of the three main skill trees.

Can anyone suggest the basic skill set of a minionless and merc-less necro, and give a surmise on how far they could get advancing through Normal...to Hell (maybe assuming help with the Ancients and NM Diablo upward).

[ll MasterKill ll]

Hello all

We measure our PvM builds as to whether they can handle single-player as far as Hell.

I presume I would be in "variant" territory to suggest otherwise. Much earlier in Classic D2 history, you could get a truly minionless Arty type necro through to Act 1 in Hell (at least that is as far as mine got). He wore Vidalia's boots and ran around areas, gradually building large Corpse Explosion piles, or spamming (Bone Spirit and Poison Nova).

I understand that this would be a pipe dream nowadays, but I have experience with all of the three main skill trees.

Can anyone suggest the basic skill set of a minionless and merc-less necro, and give a surmise on how far they could get advancing through Normal...to Hell (maybe assuming help with the Ancients and NM Diablo upward).

if you mean like a bonemancer you could use teeth with lots of synergies along with bone armour with 20 points in prison and some skill items bonuses you get 24 teeth doing 1000dmg ea which is nice

[FrostBurn]

If you're not going to use a merc, then it'll have to be a Bonemancer or a Poisonmancer, both of which you sound like you know about.

If you're talking about a Mojomancer, then you'll need a merc. You could do without it, but chances are it will drive you to insanity. A pure Mojo will not even touch the P&B and Summoning trees, relying solely on the curse tree. No CE, no Golem.