First Draft of my v1.13 PvP Bone/Summon Hybrid Necromancerder=0>

[LANG DEEZY]

Hi All,
this is the first draft of my guide for the summon/bone hybrid necromancer for the 1.13 patch and new ladder season. Please give me some comments and criticism so I can improve this guide. I have only been playing the new patch for about a month, so I may be behind on some things -- let me know!

Thanks,

LANGDEEZY

PvP Summon/Bone Hybrid Necromancer Guide
For 1.13 Patch

With the end of the Marrowalk Bug this build fell out of favor, and since then there has been no new guide to explain how this build works on 1.13. So, I decided to create my own. I have been playing D2 on and off for 10 years, and the Necromancer has always been a favorite of mine. I hope you find this guide helpful.

Contents
I. What is a Summon/Bone Hybrid Necro
II. Why You Should Try This Build
III. Stat Point Allocation
IV. Skill Point Allocation
V. Items/Gear Selection
VI. PvP Srategies (Not Completed Yet)


I. What is a Summon/Bone Hybrid Necro

This Necromancer utilizes the protection and attack capabilities of Skeletons and other summons as well as Bone skills in order to subdue opponents in duels. With this build you will be able to achieve a summoned army rivaling the power of a pure Summoner, and still be able to deal enough magical damage from bone skills to take out most PvP chars. You will primarily summon skeletons and Bone Spirit will be your primary attack. Bone Spirit is a guided attack that will automatically seek out enemies, permitting you to fire without much effort put toward aiming, which is very helpful in chaotic, fast-paced D2 duels.

II. Why You Should Try This Build

The reason this build is effective is that it allows you to kill opponents from afar using un-resistible magic damage while your army takes all of the beating and acts as a meat-shield between you and your enemy. Also, this build would work perfectly in PvM as well, if you wished to use this Necro for both. This build is a great mix between the constantly active hack-n-slash melee chars and the more passive casters/summoners. While this build has lost some punch post-bug, the fact that it deals magic damage makes it still effective in 1.13.

III. Stat Point Allocation

This is quite simple, it is the same as most PvP Necro’s as well as most other PvP chars in general:

Strength: Enough for Gear (can be as little as base if you have anni+torch)
Dexterity: Enough for Max Block (75%)
Vitality: All remaining Stat Points (big surprise)
Energy: None (Your gear should give you plenty of mana)

IV. Skill Point Allocation

This is the most important part of this build, since even a naked summon/bone necro can be effective if skills are allocated properly. This build is not really complete until Level 99 and needs to be at about Level 90 to truly reach its potential. Bone Wall should be your last maxed skill, make sure proper points are placed into all other skills before maxing it.

Poison and Bone Tree

20 Bone Spirit – Your main Attack Skill, it deals magic damage so it will ignore enemy resistances
20 Bone Wall – Synergy to both Spirit and Armor (Maxed Last)
1 Teeth – Prereq to Spirit but can be useful for stunning or finishing opponents
1 Bone Armor – Extra protection from Melee Chars
1 Corpse Explosion – Prereq for Spirit, Useful in PvM
0-X Bone Prison, (More Bone Armor Damage Absorb – Defensive)
-OR-
0-X Bone Spear (More Bone Spirit Damage – Offensive)

Curse Tree

1 Amplify Damage – Makes Summons do more damage to your opponents
1 Decrepify – Reduces Opponents damage, speed, and physical resistances by 50%
1 Terror – Prereq for Decrep
1 Weaken – Prereq for Decrep

Summon Tree

20 Raise Skeleton – These guys can have over 5k life and do good damage with Amp
20 Skeleton Mastery – Synergy to Raise Skeleton, makes them tanks
1 Clay Golem – Use this Golem if you want to slow your opponents
0-1 Blood Golem
0-1 Iron Golem
0-1 Fire Golem – Use this Golem if you want to deal some elemental damage
1 Golem Mastery
1 Summon Resist

*Points in Skele Mage and Revive are not recommended.

V. Items/Gear Selection

If you are serious about PvP than getting good gear is very important, since the +skills and other mods will allow you to significantly increase your Bone Spirit Damage, your Bone Armor protection, and the overall survivability of your skeletons (and you). If you are just a casual public dueler and you do PvM, than cheaper gear can be used.

Helm:
Best--
~Shako – Um’d (for more caster protection) or Ber’d (for more melee protection)
~Rare 2-Socket +2 Necro Skill Circlet with 20FCR and resist mods. Consider Shaels for FHR or Ums for resists.
Cheap--
~Peasant Crown War Hat

MF--
~Shako – Ist or Ptopaz

Armor:

In PvP, movement is key. Therefore, Enigma is by far your best option due to the teleport mod. Also, your skeleton army forms a barrier around you as you tele, keeping you safe as you travel. If you do not like teleport, or fight in leagues that do not allow it, CoH is your best choice.

Best--
~Enigma (JahIthBer) Runeword – (AP, MP, or Dusk) Teleport will allow you to stay alive longer as well as fire spirit from different locations to confuse your opponent.
Good--
~CoH (DolUmBerIst) Runeword – Impressive resist and str mods and +2 skill.
~Guardian Angel – If you choose to go the anti-caster route and socket other items with Ums or pdiamonds, than this armor will work well for you.
Cheap--
~Vipermagi - +1 Skills, 30% faster cast, +20-35 all resists are its useful mods.
~Que-Hagans - +1 Skills, 20% faster cast, 20% faster hit recovery, +15 to energy are its useful mods.
MF--
~COH

Weapons:

If you are aiming for the 125% FCR breakpoint, you will pretty much have to use either HoTO or Wizardspike. Overall, however, Boneshade brings the most to the table for a Bone/Summon Necro hybrid. White is also solid, but has relatively low FCR compared to other options.

Best--
~36-40 Resist HoTO (KoVexPulThul) - +3 Skills, FCR, Dex, and Max Mana.
~Boneshade Wand - +2 To Necromancer Skill Levels, +1-2 To Bone Spirit, +2-3 To Bone Spear, +2-3 To Bone Wall, +4-5 To Bone Armor, +4-5 To Teeth, +25% FCR.
Good--
~White Wand (DolIo) - +10 To Vitality, +3 To Poison And Bone Skills, +3 To Bone Armor, +2 To Bone Spear, +4 To Skeleton Mastery, 20% Faster Cast Rate, +13 To Mana are its useful mods.
~Wizardspike - 2-198 To Mana (Based On Character Level), 50% FCR, Regenerate Mana 15%, Max Mana 15%, Resistances +75, Indestructible.

Cheap--
Suicide Branch - +50% Damage To Undead, +1 To All Skills, 50% Faster Cast Rate, Increase Maximum Mana 10%, All Resistances +10, +40 To Life, Attacker Takes Damage of 25.
Switch--
~CTA for BO

MF--
~Wizardspike -- Ist

Gloves:
Best--
Trang-Ouls – Curses, FCR
Good--
~Magefists – FCR, Mana Regen
~Frostburns – +Max Mana
MF--
~Chance Guards

Belts:
Best--
~Arachnid Mesh -- +1 skills, FCR
Good--
~TGods – Lightning resist/absorb, +str, +vit
~Verdungos – DR, +Vit
Cheap--
~Nightsmoke
~Tal Rasha Belt
~Gloom’s Mesh
MF--
~Tal Rasha Belt
~Goldwrap

Shields:
Best--
Spirit Monarch – If you need FCR
Homunculus – If you need resists, +curse skills
Good--
Stormshield – DR, Str, ad Def are its best mods
Boneflame – FRW, decent resists and +skills
Cheap--
Lidless Grim - +1 skill, Mana bonuses, FCR
Switch (w/ CTA)--
~Spirit Monarch
-OR-
~Lidless
MF--
~Any of the unique shields above sock'd with Ist or Ptopaz

Boots:
Best--
~Rares – FRW, Resists, Str/Dex are the mods you are looking for

~War Travelers
Good--
~Waterwalk – Str, Life, and Dex are its useful mods
~Sandstorm Trek – FHR, Str, and Vita are its best mods
~Marrowalk - +1-2 Skele Mastery is its best mod
Cheap--
~Aldurs – Good for Life, FRW, and Fire Resist

MF—
~War Travs
~Rares with MF

Rings:
Best--
~SOJ - +skill and Mana
~BK - +skill and Life
Good--
~Rare with FCR and Resists
~Ravenfrost - Dex, Cold sorb, and Cannot be Frozen
Cheap--
~Manald Heal – Mana
MF--
~Nagelring
~Rare with MF

Amulets:
Best--
~Crafted – Looking for +2 Skill, resists, FCR, Str, Dex, etc. (must be lvl 89 to craft)
~Rare – Looking for basically same mods as Crafted
Good--
~Mara’s - +2 Skill, 20-30 resist, +5 to stats (Best option if you don’t need FCR)
Cheap--
~Cat’s Eye
~Eye of Etlich
MF--
~Rare with +1-3 Skill, MF

Charms:
~5-6 Summon GCs with FHR/Life
~3-4 Bone/Poison GCs with FHR/Life
~Necro Torch LC
~Annhulius SC
~SCs – Life/Mana/FHR/Resists/FRW (depends on what you need)

Numbers to Aim for at completion of this build:
3k+ Life minimum with BO, 1.2k without
400-500 Teeth Damage
2.6k Bone Spirit Damage
75 Resist in all Categories
86% FHR Breakpoint (6 Frames)
75% FCR Breakpoint (10 Frames), though 125% FCR BP would be better
75% Chance to Block (Max Block)

600+ Damage Absorbed by Bone Armor

[ambid]

Well well, where would I start?

Using summons is consider bad mannered in duels, in all realms I believe. If you are going to bm, you are better off with the normal bone necro and 1 pt in revives.

In stats you say you should stat dex for max block and in shields you suggest spirit as the best shield. These two don't go along without snatchii gloves.

Actually, I pretty much disagree with all the items choices, as well as I disagree with the build. In my opinion, pure bone necro is way better, for both bm and gm dueling.