In Diablo 4, the Necromancer's undead hordes can be a formidable force in the late game when constructed effectively. This summoner playstyle differs significantly from previous games, but its undeniable power makes it a compelling choice. To make minion builds viable in Diablo 4's endgame, one of the most evident approaches is to focus on Shadow skills. Below is a level 50+ endgame build that showcases the Necromancer's undead army and is suitable for Nightmare and Torment difficulties.
Diablo 4 Endgame Shadow Summoner Necromancer Build
Skill | Total Points |
Initiate's Bone Splinters | 3 |
Supernatural Blight | 7 |
Blighted Corpse Explosion | 3 |
Supreme Bone Storm | 3 |
Book of the Dead | Upgrade |
Reapers | 1 |
Shadow Mages | 2 |
Bone Golem | 1 |
The build relies on Shadow damage with the Shadowblight Key Passive and other related passives to boost the damage of minions.
Reapers excel in builds that do not heavily depend on critical hits, as they deliver a higher amount of consistent damage compared to other Skeletal Warriors. On the other hand, Shadow Mages are ideal for inflicting Shadowblight, making them an excellent choice. The Bone Golem plays a crucial role in this setup by using its AOE taunt to prolong the survival of both the skeletons and the player, while also providing usable Corpses.
In terms of abilities, the Core Skill to focus on is Blight, due to its capability to slow down targets and enhance the damage dealt by minions. As for the preferred Basic Skill, Bone Splinters is the top choice as it has the ability to inflict Vulnerable.
Blighted Corpse Explosion is essential in order to maintain a battlefield that is infused with Shadow damage, all without the need for Essence consumption. It is recommended to allocate just one point into the primary Corpse Explosion skill, as the majority of the damage will be derived from the Blight upgrade.
Bone Storm proves to be invaluable when it comes to clearing large groups of enemies, as it creates hazardous areas that affect both the player and their golem. This ability becomes even more potent when combined with one of the Aspects listed below. It is particularly effective in eliminating monsters that possess damage-reducing auras.
Passive Skills
Skill | Points |
Hewed Flesh | 3 |
Skeleton Warrior Mastery | 3 |
Grim Harvest | 3 |
Fueled by Death | 3 |
Death's Embrace | 3 |
Skeletal Mage Mastery | 3 |
Reaper's Pursuit | 1 |
Crippling Darkness | 1 |
Gloom | 3 |
Terror | 3 |
Golem Mastery | 3 |
Bonded in Essence | 3 |
Death's Defense | 3 |
Inspiring Leader | 3 |
Hellbent Commander | 3 |
Shadowblight | 1 |
To maximize their effectiveness, focus on passives that enhance minions, Darkness damage, and survivability. This includes taking all minion mastery nodes, including the four in the Ultimate tree, as well as the Shadow passives found in the second Corpse & Macabre tree.
Death's Embrace is essential to ensure the survival of players engaged in close-range combat throughout the entirety of this build.
The build may struggle against elites with AOE attacks, but as long as there are enough Corpses to spawn more skeletons, then players should have no trouble.
Gear and Aspects
Offense | Defense | Utility |
Blighted | Disobedience | Blood Getter |
Reanimation | Might | Viscous |
Frenzied Dead | Protector | |
Ultimate Shadow | ||
Rapid |
Consider replacing Rapid with Umbral for increased Essence generation, which can be beneficial for faster Bone Splinter attacks.
Players should focus on acquiring gear that provides bonuses to Vulnerable Damage, Damage to Enemies Affected by Shadow Over Time, and any stat boosts for minions.
While not necessary, the Ring of Mendeln can significantly enhance minion damage if players can maintain a minion count of at least seven. This unique ring grants up to a 10% chance on a Lucky Hit to empower skeletons and golems, causing their next attack to result in an explosion.
Paragon Boards
The Hulking Monstrosity node provides significant stat bonuses exclusively for golems, making it a valuable addition to summoner builds. While not as essential as Cult Leader, incorporating this node can greatly enhance the performance of golems.
Glyphs, Deadraiser, Control, Corporeal, and Darkness are all valuable in enhancing minion damage, with Deadraiser being particularly versatile in its application.
Diablo 4 is currently accessible on various platforms including PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.