Generator Necromancer Skills and Runes
On this page, we explain how to choose and use your skills when playing Generator Necromancer in Diablo 3. Updated for Patch 2.7.7 and Season 32.
Active Skills |
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Grim Scythe Cursed Scythe Skeletal Mage Contamination 1 Simulacrum Blood and Bone 2 Bone Spear Blighted Marrow 3 Blood Rush Potency 4 Bone Armor Dislocation |
Passive Skills |
Rotation
Similarly to all Inarius builds, the Grim Scythe Generator spec begins runs with an activation of Bone Armor, trying to catch as many monsters in the initial radius as possible to maximize your damage reduction stacks from the set 4-piece bonus. Then, summon your Simulacrums; due to the rune Blood and Bone you will get two minions at your side, and you need to be diligent in their upkeep as a large part of your DPS relies on them (you do not need to worry about their duration however — Haunted Visions makes them last indefinitely). If you find it hard to keep track of them in the thick of a fight, simply check with a cast of a spender (i.e. Bone Spear) somewhere outside the cluster of monsters; if two more spears shoot in that direction, you are set.
Rotate between your poisonous skills at your discretion; you only goal is to stay at your maximum Nayr's Black Death stacks at all times. You can spread Bone Spear to draw monster attention, or throw a Skeletal Mage Contamination for some extra DPS. Right as your Convention of Elements rotation finishes the Physical cycle and reaches Poison, you want to pop Bone Armor to trigger the stun of Dislocation, which will maximize your Krysbin's Sentence damage bonuses during your burst cycle. After that, simply swing Grim Scythe Cursed Scythe alongside your Simulacrums and enjoy the devastation; once the Poison cycle is over, you can either reposition with Blood Rush, or resume the rotation of Nayr upkeep and drawing monster attention into big packs for the next cycle of mayhem.
Skills and Runes
The primary damage dealer and main focus of the build is Grim Scythe — the close range Essence generator of Necromancers, whose melee mechanics fall in exact line with the proximity-based damage enhancement of the Inarius set. Its damage will be further enhanced with the dedicated Leger's Disdain phylactery, which introduces the unique dynamic of the playstyle — striving to remain as low on Essence as possible at all times, as your damage is amplified by the amount of resource Grim Scythe is actively restoring. Rune-wise, you are locked by the Cursed Scythe rune due to its dedicated weaponry, Trag'Oul's Corroded Fang, because of the poisonous synergy with the cubed Nayr's Black Death, and finally due to the huge curse value of the rune itself (see this build's gear page for more information).
A major skill slot will be devoted to Simulacrum, one of the Necromancer's longest cooldowns — thankfully, with the power of the revised Haunted Visions, now made permanent minions at your side. You will be taking the "double summon" rune Blood and Bone, since you want to maximize the mimicking of your own skills, which now includes — again, thanks to the amulet — Grim Scythe itself.
In order to more efficiently scout out rift levels, plan engagements, or even outright skip unfavorable fights, you will be using the Necromancer's solitary movement tool — Blood Rush. Couple it with the toughness rune Potency for a brief survivability spike on every engagement.
Bone Armor is the basis of Inarius set builds, tying into the damage reduction mechanic of the set and producing the swirling bone tornado effect of the 6-piece. The preferred rune is Dislocation, whose two-second stun will provide a moment of respite in the thick of battle, as well as an additional source of Nayr's Black Death and Krysbin's Sentence procs.
Since your major damage amplifier will be the cubed Nayr's Black Death, you will be trying to include as many synergistic poisonous abilities as possible (on top of the Cursed Scythe) with the remainder of your skillset:
- Bone Spear Blighted Marrow offers an excellent long-range monster pulling tool;
- Either Skeletal Mage Contamination (extra single target) or Death Nova Blight (damage reduction).
Passives
Swift Harvesting is the most logical addition to a primary attack-focused build, increasing the Attack Speed of both Grim Scythe and Siphon Blood with an impressive 15% bonus.
Since this spec falls into the category of low summoning builds, you can make use of the Stand Alone passive and its massive Armor bonuses with minimal losses.
Two interconnected passives — Eternal Torment and Spreading Malediction — will work off each other, with the former making curses applied by Cursed Scythe last indefinitely, and the latter — increasing your damage for each afflicted enemy with no apparent cap.
Changelog
- 10 Jul. 2024: Skills and passives reviewed for Season 32.
- 10 Apr. 2024: Skills and passives reviewed for Season 31.
- 10 Jan. 2024: Skills and passives reviewed for Season 30.
- 13 Sep. 2023: Skills and passives reviewed for Season 29.
- 22 Feb. 2023: Skills and passives reviewed for Season 28.
- 26 Aug. 2022: Skills and passives reviewed for Season 27.
- 14 Apr. 2022: Guide reviewed for Season 26.
- 08 Dec. 2021: Minor skill and passive revision.
- 22 Jul. 2021: No changes required for Season 24.
- 01 Apr. 2021: No changes required for Season 23.
- 19 Nov. 2020: Passives changed to accomodate S22-specific changes.
- 08 Jul. 2020: Overhauled the guide to include skill recommendations based on the revised powers of Haunted Visions and Razeth's Volition.
- 12 Mar. 2020: No changes necessary for Season 20.
- 22 Nov. 2019: Reviewed for Season 19.
- 23 Aug. 2019: Reviewed for Season 18.
- 12 May 2019: Guide was reviewed and approved for Season 17.
- 18 Jan. 2019: Information was reviewed and approved for Season 16 with no changes required.
- 27 Mar. 2018: Added the guide.
More Necromancer Guides
Builds from Other Classes
Farming Guides
This build is presented to you by Deadset, one of the very few professional Diablo 3 players. Deadset regularly publishes video guides on Youtube and streams on Twitch, where you can see how this and other builds play out in practice.
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