Best skellymancer skill setup?

[Ed from Russia]

Best skellymancer skill setup?

I know - there's a post like this every few days, but I thought I'd post this to get a definitive answer. I don't know how to make a poll so I'll just count votes in the responses.

A simple question:
After you max Raise Skeleton, Skeleton Mastery and Corpse Explosion, which is the 4th skill you should max to make the most effective skellymancer?

Let's assume that you make your skellymancer mainly for MF, in areas such as WSK and The Pit.

The options:
a) Skeletal Mages
b) Dim Vision
c) Bone Armor synergies
d) Golem Mastery (to get an Iron Golem)
e) Other (please state)

Over time I have made all these variants and I have a preference, but I don't want to lead others' opinions (for now).

 

[MedctnStn]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

my vote would be for the mages, as i don't think bone armor is a good idea for this type of build (more for a bonemancer IMO)

 

[Moe the Barkeep]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

I go max golem mastery because I make my iron golems out of cheap insights.

 

[Veratio]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

Why just one? You could very wisely split between a few of these. Personally though after seeing the necro pet calculater I would have to go with Mages.

 

[DH Amazon]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

e) Amp
Around 25yards radius is enough, if corpse exp has around 15yards.
Good for lazy players, no need to cast whole time new curses.

And very good if just Merc and Necro alone go hunting while soloing.

 

[Tarantella]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

...After you max Raise Skeleton, Skeleton Mastery and Corpse Explosion, which is the 4th skill you should max to make the most effective skellymancer?

The answer is "How will you deal with a unique boss with nasty mods that has unbreakable physical immunity and who is in the process of carving up your army like Sauron at the start of the LOTR film?" :scratchhead:

 

[Ed from Russia]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

The answer is "How will you deal with a unique boss with nasty mods that has unbreakable physical immunity and who is in the process of carving up your army like Sauron at the start of the LOTR film?" :scratchhead:

No, the objective is efficient MFing, not killing all monsters in the game. You can just tele/run past unbreakable PIs.

 

[mephiztophelez]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

i've found points in Dim Vision to be points well spent.

 

[Yogirat]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

A simple question:
After you max Raise Skeleton, Skeleton Mastery and Corpse Explosion, which is the 4th skill you should max to make the most effective skellymancer?

Boy, that sure takes us summoners that only put one or just a couple points into CE out of the loop.:whistling:

No, the objective is efficient MFing, not killing all monsters in the game. You can just tele/run past unbreakable PIs.

Where is the challenge?

A point in all curses with extra points in Amp and DV for radius. A point or more in GM and SR. The pre-reqs to revives with extra points in mages if you feel like it. Bone armor synergies, including that one point wonder Bone spear. It makes a balanced build IMO.

 

[sequoia]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

If you're MF'ing, that's all you need. I find that mages and an aura golem are the most fun skills to spice your MF'ing experience.

 

[Pillz]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

My builds generally go:
20RS
20SM
20CE
1 in each curse
10-20 Bone armor synergy
Remaining points into golem mastery

 

[Ed from Russia]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

Boy, that sure takes us summoners that only put one or just a couple points into CE out of the loop.:whistling:

Yeah, I made sure to close that discussion before it started. With the right equipment a few points in CE might give you an adequate range. But I still think that maxing it is worth it, if only because there are no better options for investing skill points.

Where is the challenge?

In this case the challenge is in creating the most efficient MF runner, not in killing every monster in the game. In the time that you take to kill a physical immune iron-skin monster with high life (even with maxed mages), I can run The Pits.

 

[Ed from Russia]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

The score so far is:

Mages 2
Dim Vision 2
Bone Armor 1
Amplify Damage 1
Iron Golem 1

I am counting my vote here for Dim Vision. It gives you a lot of safety when you run areas like WSK. Mages don't add much IMO, you lose them a lot if you play high-speed (which I do when I am MFing) and it takes you longer to raise your army. Bone Armor is not necessary, since most of the damage you will take is elemental. Iron Golems (from Insight) are useful but I keep losing them at the speed I am playing. A few extra points in Amp is a good idea (unless you max DV), but maxing it is a waste of at least 10 points.

Note: In my introduction I didn't mention some one-point wonders (Revive, Summon Resist, Decrepify, Amp, perhaps Bone Armor)

Please keep the opinions coming.

 

[Cyanight]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

I have built so many necros and just recently made a Lord of Mages build. I had set out with the same plan which was to have as much MF on my character as possible yet still have sufficient killing power. Right now my character is level 76 and I have the following skills:

Skeleton Mastery 20 + 22
Skeleton Mages 20 + 22
Golem Mastery 20 + 27(Make an Iron Golem out of Insight and use as much +skill as you can get)
Raise Skeleton 1 + 22
Revive 1 + 22
Clay Golem 1 + 22
Blood Golem 1 + 22
Summon Resists 1 + 22
Iron Golem 1 + 22
All Curses 1 + 12
Teeth 1 + 12
Corpse Explosion 1 + 12

Equipment:
Harlequin Crest (+Perfect Topaz = 74 MF)
Enigma (76 MF)
Stone of Jordan (x2)
Crystal Sword (6x IST 180 MF)
Rhyme Shield (Bone shield, still looking for a nice head, 25 MF)
Call To Arms (switch)
Spirit Monarch (switch)
Chance Guards (40 MF)
Gold Wrap (Uped for 4 rows, 30 MF)
War Traveler Boots (50 MF)
7 Summon Charms, Anni, Torch, 7%MF & 5 Resist All charms (x6)

517 Magic Find. I could break 600 with a Gheeds Charm and a Monarch (IST x4 100MF) shield but I prefer the Rhyme’s fast blocking since I built the character with Max Block.

Remaining skills will probably go into Bone Wall or Bone Prision for Bone armor synergy. I rarely use corpse explosion on this build because I love to make revives which I can summon up to 20 with 16 mages, a golem and my Merc who has (Infinity, Duress and Guillaume's Face. Act 2 Thorns merc)

I’m still undecided what to do with my extra points as well. This character is so much fun to play. My killing power is insane with Lower resists and Conviction. The only thing I can think that would help is to build up more defense with a bone armor synergy.

 

[Thomh]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

I just built my 6th Fishy for running the WSK in the Single-Player MFO, and have the usual 20 Skill points saved. Single-player=teleport charges and no enigma, so I really hate the Mages, although I didn`t like them on the realms with Enigma either. Takes a long time to summon your army, they block the path of the merc and their damage is not that great. I think my vote would go to a balanced char with some points in Amp, DV and Golem Mastery(for IG). Just enough to make everything run smoothly in heavy MF mode.

 

[DH Amazon]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

I like dim vision too, but in this case amp took my vote. Reasons below.

Is there big difference with Dim Vision lvl20 or Dim Vision lvl37. For example if +17 all skills, what is good lvl to stop?.
I have almost max Dim vision in one necro, its nice while running Nihlathak, to keep merc alive better.
Against souls, I use Thunder with 85 resist. I have tele necro, so no time to cast dim vision. I just tele middle of souls, Curse once that amp and then start to explode almost right away.

If I have running necro or I use mages then I like dim vision, enough time to cast it ahead and keeps those mages alive better.
I use dim vision too while entering travi temples in full games, but those runs I don't use skeletons, just merc and golem. Entering those temples are nastier than entering Throne. So that dim vision nicely blinds all, so I can check which monsters are around. Actually I use that dim vision in Baalruns too at start of lvl, to check which 3 monsters types are around. After that just amp, as then there is safe zone at start of lvl where to return, if something happens to merc.
And I use dim vision too to get first bodies for skeletons. Pindle Garden not option for me, as I run Nihlathak too.

Casting many curses in solo Baalruns just slowing down my necro.
Thats why I picked that amp as 1st choice. Amp all the way.
But +15... skills I don't max it, usually just to keep same range as corpse explosion have. But that 8...12 points wasn't option in poll. So maxing just that one if one needed to be maxed.

Choosing lvl37 dim vision with 18 amp versus lvl37 amp with 18 dim, I choose that high amp one. Keeping both around lvl20...25 is usually best option for me.

 

[Ed from Russia]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

@ DH Amazon
I wanted to keep the choices simple to avoid many subdiscussions, such as the one you just started. I agree that investing 20 hard points in Dim Vision may not be necessary; about 10-15 is normally enough. I use DV a lot; especially when I run WSK and The Pit, to disable Gloams and Archers.

However, if I use DV on a Necromancer I prefer to keep Amp low. The reason is that I want to be able to cast Amp with a short radius so it doesn't un-blind ranged attackers.

 

[DH Amazon]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

However, if I use DV on a Necromancer I prefer to keep Amp low. The reason is that I want to be able to cast Amp with a short radius so it doesn't un-blind ranged attackers.

I use decrepify in those cases, as fixed range 4 always. But that low amp works too.
Or my favorite curse, attract and then amp rest. Works great against archers. Against souls, that dim vision is much better.

 

[Tarantella]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

No, the objective is efficient MFing, not killing all monsters in the game. You can just tele/run past unbreakable PIs.

Ah, teleing in HC (and using high runes I've not found myself) for me is a no-no. In the WSK lag will get you killed eventually; stepping out of your teleblob which refuses to 'unstick' will get you killed eventually, and without tele running past one unbreakable PI into another unbreakable PI wil get you killed eventually. 'Parking' an enemy to continue onto another is not always straightforward. Safety play requires you let your army deal with a group of enemies in its own way sometimes.

.....
....In this case the challenge is in creating the most efficient MF runner, not in killing every monster in the game. In the time that you take to kill a physical immune iron-skin monster with high life (even with maxed mages), I can run The Pits.

Off course not burdened by having to wear enigma a summoner wearing trangs can firewall many unbreakable PIs, a golem made from gimmershreds or similar helps, revives with elemental damage (witches for example) are very effective en masse. The old trick of using attract,amp, lower resist, then CE is a good tactic to pull out of your hat once in a while.

One of my favourite mf (500 plus)summoners I took to level 94 one ladder had 20 points in bone spirit which with plenty of plus skills does the job nicely and gave me something to do on left click. But thats for a 1 point in every curse, I point in CE build again I think.

 

[zarniwoop]

Re: Best skellymancer skill setup?

Copy paste of my advice that I always give.


I have played a fishymancer (summoner) for many ladders.

It is devastating once built. If you can get your skellies pumped just a bit, 26+ you'll be fine.

Here is my build:

20 skeleton mastery
20 raise skeleton
20 raise skeletal mage
10 - 12 corpse explosion
10- 12 dim vision
1 in everything else.

If you don't like dim vision, you need to take a different crowd control spell for gloams and other things. Attract works well I've heard. I like dim vision because it just shuts down every ranged unit on the screen. At high levels it will affect places you cannot even see yet.

Do not put any points in fire golem. Do not put more than 1 point in any golem skill. Clay golem is the BEST golem. It will die endlessly until you get more + skill gear later. don't worry about it.

I'm serious, you do not need to sink more than one point into any other skills but the 5 listed to beat the entire game fairly easily. Oblivion knights will still suck, and until you get about 28 in your summoning skills the rare fanatical lightning enchanted double packs will clean your clock.

Grab a cheap vipermagi, a homunculus, an arm of king leoric, A necro helm with +2 summoning skills and resists or life, and a +3 necro summoning amulet and you're already at like 32 summoning skills and owning everything.

I have 28 summoning skills right now and the only thing that is giving me trouble is oblivion knights (and gloams because my + all skills isn't high enough yet to really pump dim vision). The writer of the fishymancer guide suggested 20 in dim vision. That certainly works. But, from experience I know that 10-15 is more than enough long term.

One note: to turn the summoning necro from a great class to a overpowered class, you will need an enigma.


Later in the ladder, my gear will be:

Head: shako
Armor: Enigma runeword
Boots: War Travellers
Weapon: Heart of the oak runeword in a flail
Shield: Homunculus with a perfect diamond socketed
Belt: Arachnid mesh OR Thundergods Vigor
Amulet: Either a great +3 summoning ammy, a +2 necro magic find, or a maras kaleidescope.
Rings - 2x nagels

Weapon switch: arm of king leoric (we have no need for a CTA).
Shield switch: Spirit in a monarch or another homunculus.



You can dress your merc in anything. But, you want to get him crushing blow. The way I typcially do it is to buy him a guillaime's facemask which has 35 perecent CB and costs pgems. People talk about using uber runewords for his weapon, but I always use an insight in a cryptic axe or thresher. Having plenty of mana is great and I tried using infinity and pride and it makes no real difference. I wipe out anything with or without them.

If you want to do UBER Tristram with a necro, then I do suggest you read the uber tristram guide for necros because you will need to make some changes.



Welcome to the necro class!

Z