Skeleton Mastery/Revive interaction question

[Polydegmon]

I've been thinking about making a poison necro with summoning backup, and all of the guides I've checked out recommend skeletons for that. I, however, was thinking about using revives instead (just because all my previous necro summoners have been skeleton based). I looked at a skill calculator to see how comparable the damage would be between 20 SM revives and 20/1 RS/SM skeletons, and it looks like it hinges on exactly what effect SM has on revives: does it boost their base damage, or overall damage. That is, once I have a might merc, will the aura bonus be multiplicative with SM (revives are comparable), or additive (skeletons are better)?

On a related note, how essential is it to max both synergies for poison nova? I'll be using the full Trang's set (no Bramble), and could back that up with a couple facets if need be. If that adds enough power for poison nova to get by with only one synergy, I could use 20/20 skeletons. I'd like this to be a primarily poison-based build, though--the necro himself should be doing the majority of the killing versus non poison immunes.

[Demoquin]

You need to max all poison skills and have a few into Lower Resist. I would just go with the revives. With all your +skills you are bound to get, that equals 1 more human shield. Where skels you could have around 8-11 maybe.

You can always use revives to use against the poison immunes as well or corpse explode the ones that arent.

Mine went
Max poison skills
max CE
10 or so LR
1 every curse
a few in revive and 1 all else

[sike]

Ela!

Decide neither you want to be an Summoner with nova backup, or Poisoner with summon' backup #1

- If you want to be mainly Novamancer, legit one, i think you should spend those 60 pts in it to have an really effective nova, besides lower resist which is understood.
And for effective army support, not only running shields, i see like best option to max SM and 1 point in revives among all other summons; after, you should probabbly still have some points for aditional revives, their resistances, boosting golem, lower resist,...
- Aura' you have are always aditive, never really multiplicative, but, as SM is passive in this particular case it's going to be multiplicative then.
- Generally; depending on your +skill':
- max entire poison branch for Nova
- look to have slvl 10, 15, or 26 LR, for optimal use
- aim for around 12-17 revies, with good summoned resistances; +60
- and so on...

[Polydegmon]

I'm definitely looking to be a poison caster with summon backup, not the other way around, so I guess it's looking like 60 poison skills, 20 skel mastery, 1+ revive.

I'm kind of dubious as to the value of investing highly in lower resist. Levels 10, 15, and 26 are obviously where you get increased ability to break immunities, but is that really worth it? Judging by the Arreat Summit, monster resistances tend to occur in multiples of 5. Level 10 is already enough to break a 110% immune monster (if just barely), but the next step up is 120% (I couldn't find any 115% immunes), which is totally unbreakable with lower resist. Am I missing something?

[Isserus]

kudos for the creativity
i myself have been workin on a psn/summoner build...It isn't quite finished
i still am unsure exacly what i'm goin to socket everything w/
but so far/

`My Necro Build`

Stat Point Allocation/

Strength: Base
Dexterity: Base
Vitality: All
Energy: Base

Skill Point Allocation/

Summoning Tree:

Skeleton Mastery - 20(Maxed)
Raise Skeleton - 1(Prereq)
Skeleton Mage - 1(Prereq)
Revives - 1-5
Summon Resist - 1
Clay Golem - 1
Blood Golem - 1
Iron Golem - 1
Fire Golem - 1
Golem Mastery - 1(Minimum)

Psn/Bone Tree/

Bone Armor - 1
Corpse Explosion - 1(Prereq)
Poison Explosion - 20(Max)
Poison Dagger - 20(Max)
Poison Nova - 20(Max)

Curse Tree/

Amplify Damage - 1(Prereq)
Terror - 1(Mostly a Prereq)
Weaken - 1(Prereq)
Decrepify - 1
Lower Resist - 1

Gear/

Helm: *Shako
Weapon: *Death Web
2nd: *King Leoric's
Armor: Perfect Archon Plate Enigma(Tele)
Sheild: *Hom
2nd:
Gloves: Trangs
Rings: Soj
2nd: BK
Belt Arachnid
Boots: Marrowalks

Stretegy/
Buy an Act II Merc(Might or *Combat), use Fire Golems Fire Aura+Lower Resist+Poison Nova combo--should do some serious damage. For Uberz...this is where the Revives not only come in handy but are almost required. Use terror to knock off the little baddies away from the big baddies, and Decrepify for all other crowd control in and out of Uberz.

*Socket Shako w/Rainbow Facet Jewel
*
*Equip Combat Merc w/Insight for that infamous Prayer/Meditation synergy.

copywright 2007-8

[Mad Mantis]

Am I missing something?

No. Level 10 is all you need.

[Shaimus]

If the summons are just to stop enemies getting to you a point in summon skele warrior and skele mastery will be more than enough, or you could fork out an extra few points into mages and revives.

The summon damage output would be crap, but poison nova and CE would be main source of damage anyway.

[sike]

Yes, i mentioned it only like the 'breakpoints' where you get rounded percent i.e. 55-60-65 just like an additional information in case you have leftovers and need pt or two to get yourself nice LR breakepoint.
And, it is only of some real sence to get those bpts if you are going to fight other guys, where those additional 10% could mean lowering them under theri maximum, indeed.