Any Creative Necromancer Build?

[SirName]

I have

I was more thinking about fleshripper which has -50% enemy defence (which also works on bosses, alebit at 1/2 efficiency) and CB.

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I have done a fishymancer long ago which used Fleshripper in just this manner. Had 20 points in PD for AR enough dex for max block with Homunculus (the small extra AR from dex was the point). Wore a Raven Frost, but otherwise standardish Fishy caster & +skill gear. Had maybe Gores sneakers, can’t remember. Bossfights were faster indeed and you could help merc with the first kills for army build up.

It was just a fishy with a small twist though. Would not call it a build of its own.

 

[drmalawi]

I have

I have done a fishymancer long ago which used Fleshripper in just this manner. Had 20 points in PD for AR enough dex for max block with Homunculus (the small extra AR from dex was the point). Wore a Raven Frost, but otherwise standardish Fishy caster & +skill gear. Had maybe Gores sneakers, can’t remember. Bossfights were faster indeed and you could help merc with the first kills for army build up.

It was just a fishy with a small twist though. Would not call it a build of its own.

What is the difference between a fishymancer and a skelliemancer?

Where the line of a build and a variation of another build lies, is just a matter of preference.

 

[Maltatai]

What is the difference between a fishymancer and a skelliemancer?

Where the line of a build and a variation of another build lies, is just a matter of preference.

Not sure if the question was rhetorical, but I'll answer anyway for the benefit of other readers if nothing else

Skelliemancers would be any build with raised skeletons as a major component, and maybe skeletal mages fall under that term as well even if the playstyle with them becomes different. With a little over 40 points being needed to max skeletons there's obviously a lot of room for customization. A skelliemancer would in turn be a type of summoner, the most generalised term for necros focusing on any kind of summoned minions.

Nightfish (the forumite) wrote a guide long ago for a summoner specialising in raised skeletons, revives and corpse explosion, with a town guard as hireling, amplify damage as a main curse and decrepify when needed. He also recommended rapidly recasting clay golems and hitting bosses with eth-socketed blades and crushing blow from armour items to speed up the process. That build is the fishymancer.

In a lot of conversations it seems to me that the fishymancer build has become some sort of presumed or default summoner or skelliemancer build, which in that case is a sad thing because it hides the possibility of variety that is such a strength of D2.

 

[drmalawi]

Gottcha, it seems that "fishymancer" has been subject to "inflation". One could view a fishymancer as a variation of a skelliemancer and not a build in it self

 

[LouB]

Here is Nightfish's definition of a Fishymancer from his 2.1 guide: "what is a Fishymancer? Basically this necro relies on plain skeletons and corpse explosion to kill things. This is probably the safest and least item dependent build in the current patch and it is probably capable of beating hardcore without using any items at all. (feel free to use items, though. Most people do) Aside from being easily capable of beating the game with no specific gear this guy also makes an excellent MF character.

I think the name stuck for the class because it wasn't gear dependent AND for the ability for high amounts of MF. In fact, the MF was a critical component of the build. He also covered a lot of possible variations.

He also wrote a guide for an Amazon that he called a Fishyzon, but it didn't become anywhere as popular.

 

[PhineasB]

The Fleshripper approach (I also included Ghost Flame as the primary attack with Fleshripper for bosses) is a pretty fun approach, and one I’d recommend. I went with primary focus on physical damage and CB, with pDagger more about AR to aid physical, with skeletons as defensive distractions that actually helped with damage.

Reflections on a 7 x 7 (+2): 51 Mats/Pats

Original post August 26, 2016 I just Pat-ted the last character in the 7 x 7 project that I started a few years ago. I opened this thread to motivate myself to write up the journey. * * * A little background: I started playing in 2005/2006. My first character was pretty sad – a barb with...

www.purediablo.com

 

[PhineasB]

Sorry for double post, but I transferred Fishymancer Guide, so posting link here:

Diablo 2 Necromancer Fishymancer Build Starter Guide - PureDiablo

This Fishymancer Build Guide is intended to give a quick-and-easy overview of the key details on the build and pointers on playthrough/progression.

www.purediablo.com