Necromancer Summoning Guide
The Summoning Necromancer (Summonmancer) is a classic minion-based build that commands an army of skeletal warriors and mages while using Corpse Explosion to devastate enemy groups and curses to weaken foes. Raise Skeleton provides the core army while Skeleton Mastery enhances minion effectiveness and Corpse Explosion clears crowds efficiently. This versatile build excels at safe gameplay and crowd control, offering a "undead general" playstyle with skeletal armies, strategic positioning, and the ability to dominate battlefields through coordinated undead attacks and necromantic magic.
First thing to do is allocate 1 point in the following Skills: Amplify Damage, Dim Vision, Weaken, Iron Maiden, Terror, Confuse, Life Tap, Attract, Decrepify, Lower Resist, Bone Armor, Bone Wall, Bone Spear, Bone Spirit, Bone Prison, Teeth, Clay Golem, Golem Mastery, Iron Golem, Fire Golem, Blood Golem, Summon Resist, Bone Spear, and Bone Spirit. After this max out the following Skills: Raise Skeleton, Skeleton Mastery, Corpse Explosion, Raise Skeletal Mage. With your extra points, max out Bone Armor for defense and then put remaining points into Golem Mastery for golem effectiveness and Amplify Damage for curse enhancement.
When it comes to your Attributes, start with acquiring a Hellfire Torch and an Annihilus Charm. Put those in your inventory and then add Strength, enough to wear your gear. Dexterity should be minimal unless needed for gear requirements since skeletons do the fighting. Energy can be useful for Corpse Explosion spam and maintaining summons, but gear can compensate. The rest of your points should go into Vitality for maximum life and survivability while commanding your skeletal army from safe distances.
Best Weapon choices include Heart of the Oak Runeword in a Flail for +3 All Skills, 40% Faster Cast Rate, and resistances to maximize summon effectiveness, or Spirit Runeword as a budget option with +2 Skills and 35% Faster Cast Rate. Beast Runeword provides Fanaticism Aura that benefits all skeletons significantly with attack speed. Shield wise, Homunculus is Best in Slot for +2 Necromancer Skills and +5 Bone Armor specifically, or Spirit Monarch for +2 Skills and 35% Faster Cast Rate. When it comes to your Armor, Enigma Runeword in a Mage Plate base is Best in Slot for +2 Skills and Teleport utility for positioning yourself and skeletons strategically. Skin of the Vipermagi is excellent for +1 Skills and 30% Faster Cast Rate. Trang-Oul's Scales provides +2 Necromancer Skills and set bonuses. Helmet, Harlequin Crest is ideal for +2 Skills, Life, and Mana for maximum skeleton effectiveness, or Bone Visage with +3 Summoning Skills if available as rare. For Gloves, Magefist provides +1 Fire Skills and 20% Faster Cast Rate for Corpse Explosion casting, or Trang-Oul's Claws for 20% Faster Cast Rate and cold resist. For the Belt, Arachnid Mesh is perfect for +1 Skills and 20% Faster Cast Rate to enhance all skeleton levels, or Goldwrap for 30% Extra Gold and 10% Faster Cast Rate. When it comes to Boots, War Traveler for Magic Find and strength/vitality bonuses since skeletons do the killing, or Sandstorm Trek for 20% Faster Hit Recovery and poison resist. Rings, Stone of Jordan provides +1 Skills and mana for skeleton maintenance and Corpse Explosion spam, pair with Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band for +1 Skills and Life Leech. Amulet you can opt for Mara's Kaleidoscope for +2 Skills and resistances, Tal Rasha's Adjudication for +2 Skills and magic find, or a rare amulet with +2 Necromancer Skills, Faster Cast Rate, and resistances.
For your inventory, focus on Necromancer Skill Charms with +Summoning Skills and life bonuses to maximize skeleton effectiveness and army size. Small Charms with 7% Magic Find and resistances or life and resistances since skeletons handle all combat. Faster Cast Rate Small Charms help with quick Corpse Explosion casting for crowd clearing. Mana Small Charms support maintaining large skeleton armies and frequent spell casting. Life Small Charms keep you alive while commanding your undead legion. Gheeds Fortune for Magic Find, Gold Find, and reduced vendor prices.
Mercenary wise, an Act 2 Nightmare Offensive mercenary with Might Aura amplifies all skeleton damage significantly and provides additional frontline support, or Act 2 Nightmare Prayer mercenary for Prayer Aura life regeneration for both you and skeletons. For Weapon, Insight Runeword in a Thresher base is essential for Meditation Aura to support Corpse Explosion spam and skeleton maintenance, or Pride Runeword for Concentration Aura massive damage bonus to all skeletons. Helmet options include Vampire Gaze for Damage Reduction and Life Leech, or Andariel's Visage for Attack Speed and Strength. Armor you want Fortitude Runeword in an Ethereal Sacred Armor base for mercenary survivability and damage support, or Treachery Runeword for Attack Speed and Fade proc to keep your mercenary alive while commanding your army of skeletal warriors and mages with Clay Golem providing additional tanking and Corpse Explosion devastating enemy groups across the battlefield.