Best Diablo 4 Necromancer build for early access

best Necromancer builds in Diablo 4Blizzard Entertainment

Diablo 4‘s Necromancer class is back to raise the undead and take down minions from afar, so we’ve put together the best Necromancer builds along with an alternative one for you to maximize your damage output.

The Necromancer class has always been one of the most powerful classes in Diablo, and that’s no different for this game. It’s a returning class along with Barbarians and shares a fair bit of similarity to Sorcerers. They can inflict damage from long-range, and thanks to the public beta, fans were able to get a taste of the class before the game was released in June 2023.

Article continues after ad

The best Necromancer builds in Diablo 4 emphasize long-range combat combined with a troop of Skeletal Warriors, Mages, and even the Golem. The undead army does all the melee damage to enemies while Necromancers use magic and spells to drain all their health from a range.

If you’re looking to become a custodian of the balance between life and death, here are some of the best Necromancer builds to survive the legions of Hell in Diablo 4.

Article continues after ad
all basic Necromancer skills in the skill tree in Diablo 4Blizzard Entertainment
Basic skills are always available to use.

Best Necromancer build in Diablo 4

Diablo 4 is still in its early stages and many builds are yet to be discovered. However, the Skeleton Army Necromancer build has gained some traction during the beta period. We’ve tried it ourselves and can confirm it’s currently the best build for the Necromancer in Diablo 4.

The build plays to the Necromancer’s strengths and also allows for a lot of player freedom and experimentation while making use of a powerful Skeleton army. Here’s how to assemble the best Necromancer build:

Article continues after ad

You’ll begin with the ability to summon four skeleton warriors when the game begins but by focusing on certain skills as early as possible, you’ll be able to make this squad of boney minions exceptionally lethal.

Once you’ve cleared the game’s opening missions, you’ll be given the opportunity to access the Necromancer’s Book of the Dead – an alternative set of skills that govern your undead minions. In this early stage, only the Skirmisher variety of Skeletal Warriors will be unlocked, but as soon as you’re able to select the first Skirmisher upgrade which will let you summon a fifth Skeletal Warrior.

Article continues after ad

Once you’re able, upgrade the passive skill Skeletal Warrior Mastery to improve the health and damage output of your minions. This will take three level-up points to be fully upgraded but will make your five skeletons much more powerful.

At level 15 you’ll get the ability to summon three Skeletal Mages. Unlike the Skeletal Warriors, the Mages will hang back and shoot shadow damage at enemies from afar. You can select any upgrade from the Book of the Dead that you like, just be careful not to select the Sacrifice option. This will sacrifice your minions, buffing the Necromancer, but losing the ability to summon them. So, stay away from that, as that’s another build entirely.

Article continues after ad

You should also put three points into the Skeletal Mage Mastery to make sure your Mages are fully upgraded. Finally, you’ll be given the option to summon a Golem at level 25. You can also upgrade Golem Mastery by three points to toughen the already powerful creature.

There are other passive skills you can use to buff your minions so as soon as you can, place three points into each of the following skills to get the best from this build:

Article continues after ad
  • Bonded in Essence – Mages can heal other minions
  • Death’s Defense – Minions can’t be instant-killed by one attack.
  • Hellbent Commander – Minion’s damage output increased by 10% when they’re close to you.
  • Inspiring Leader – Buffs your minion’s attack speed when you’re at full health.
  • Kalan’s Edict (Key Passive) – Improves minion’s attack speed by 15%. This doubles if more than seven minions are active at once.

This will complete your undead retinue and will allow you to take the fight to Diablo with a full squad of minions. It’s also by far the best Necromancer build in Diablo 4 at the present time.

Necromancer using Corpse Explosion skill in Diablo 4Blizzard Entertainment
Plagued Corpse Explosion deals additional damage to enemies.

How to use the best Necromancer build in Diablo 4

The main objective of the Necromancer class in Diablo 4 is to use death as its primary weapon and inflict damage from a range. It can summon skeletal minions and cast Bone, Blood, or Shadow skills to wear down enemies over time. As a matter of fact, Necromancer is suitable for both solo and multiplayer plays.

Article continues after ad

The class, especially the minions, were very overpowered as of the first beta. They were nerfed by the second Server Slam beta, but continue to be OP compared to some other classes.

So, you can expect the Necromancer class and its best build to be performing extremely well! The Necromancer class is a fan favorite after appearing first in Diablo 2, then returning to Diablo 3 and 4 by popular demand.

That wraps up everything we know about the best Necromancer build in Diablo 4. If anything changes, we’ll be sure to update our build. So, do check back regularly.

Article continues after ad

So, there you have it — those are some of the best Necromancer builds in Diablo 4. If you want to know about more class builds and the game in general, be sure to check our other guides and content:

Diablo 4 Review | Diablo 4: Best way to make money | Diablo 4: Fastest ways to get XP & level up | All Diablo 4 Gems: Types, effects, costs, more | How to Transmog gear in Diablo 4: Armor, weapons & more | Does Diablo 4 feature followers or mercenaries to hire? | Diablo 4 couch co-op explained: | When is Diablo 4 Season 1? Possible start date, theme, & rewards | How to play Diablo 4 Early Access: Dates, times & how to preload | What is Diablo 4 Hardcore mode? | How to get a mount in Diablo 4 | Diablo 4: How to upgrade your healing potion | How to swap weapons in Diablo 4 | Diablo 4: World Tiers explained | How to use emotes in Diablo 4

Article continues after ad

Related Topics