LoD Poison Scythe Necromancer Trash Killer Variation

Last updated on Jan 10, 2024 at 09:00 by Deadset 21 comments
Build Variations Updated for Season 30, Patch 2.7.7 Main Build Solo Greater Rift Progression Group Trash Killer
1.

Greater Rift Group Speedfarm

The LoD Poison Scythe Necromancer can be adapted to be a group Greater Rift Trash Killing spec, especially when coupled with an appropriate team composition of support teammates. The build deviates in some ways from the base solo progression spec, most notably in the gear and legendary gem selection.

2.

Adapting Skills

Active Skills
Left Mouse Button Grim Scythe Icon Grim Scythe Cursed Scythe Cursed Scythe Right Mouse Button Skeletal Mage Icon Skeletal Mage Contamination Contamination 1 Simulacrum Icon Simulacrum Blood and Bone Blood and Bone 2 Bone Spear Icon Bone Spear Blighted Marrow Blighted Marrow 3 Command Skeletons Icon Command Skeletons Kill Command Kill Command 4 Bone Armor Icon Bone Armor Dislocation Dislocation
Passive Skills

The vast majority of your skill selection for group trash clearing will remain the same as your solo progression spec. For the sake of posterity, this is a short version of the reasoning behind each skill:

3.

Adapting Gear

Since you will not be responsible for CC immunity in groups, you should replace Krelm's Buff Bracers Krelm's Buff Bracers from the solo progression build for Ancient Parthan Defenders Ancient Parthan Defenders. Their potent damage reduction effect will be procced by the pre-nuke cast of Bone Armor Bone Armor Dislocation Dislocation, as well as your supports — and makes you much more durable in the highly damaging environments of GR progression.

With the ample protection given to you by supports, you can easily add another damage multiplier in the build in the form of Squirt's Necklace Squirt's Necklace, and offset its "increased damage taken" effect with the supports' protective buffs.

Slot Pieces Stat Priority
Head
  1. Intelligence
  2. Critical Hit Chance
  3. Poison Damage %
  4. Attack Speed
  5. Pickup Radius (Secondary Stat)
Shoulders
  1. Intelligence
  2. Area Damage
  3. Armor
  4. Vitality
  5. Health Globe Healing Bonus (Secondary Stat)
Torso
  1. Intelligence
  2. 3 Sockets
  3. Armor
  4. Elite Damage Reduction
  5. Melee or Missile Damage Reduction (Secondary Stat)
Wrists
  1. Intelligence
  2. Critical Hit Chance
  3. Poison Damage %
  4. Vitality
  5. Melee or Missile Damage Reduction (Secondary Stat)
Hands
  1. Critical Hit Damage
  2. Critical Hit Chance
  3. Area Damage
  4. Intelligence (or Attack Speed at high Paragon)
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
Waist
  1. Intelligence
  2. Grim Scythe %
  3. Vitality
  4. Armor
  5. Freeze on Hit % (Secondary Stat)
Legs
  1. Intelligence
  2. 2 Sockets
  3. Grim Scythe %
  4. Armor
  5. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat)
  6. Pickup Radius (Secondary Stat)
Feet
  1. Intelligence
  2. Vitality
  3. Armor
  4. All Resistance
  5. Health Globe Healing Bonus (Secondary Stat)
Amulet
  1. Socket
  2. Critical Hit Damage
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Poison Damage %
  5. Cooldown Reduction
Ring #1
  1. Socket
  2. Critical Hit Damage
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Area Damage or Attack Speed
Ring #2
  1. Socket
  2. Critical Hit Damage
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Area Damage or Attack Speed
Weapon
  1. High Damage Range
  2. Intelligence
  3. Socket (preferably from Ramaladni's Gift Ramaladni's Gift)
  4. Area Damage
  5. Attack Speed
  6. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat)
Off-hand
  1. High Damage Range
  2. Intelligence
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Grim Scythe %
  5. Area Damage

To help you with farming the gear you need for your builds, we have two very useful guides that you can access by clicking the links below: a Salvage Guide to help you quickly check whether or not you can safely salvage a piece of gear and a Legendary Farming Guide to help you efficiently farm legendaries and set items.

3.1.

Altar of Rites

The former Season 28 theme, the Altar of Rites, has been revised and re-added to Diablo 3 as a permanent character progression mechanic. — For virtually all builds and players of all skill levels — from casual to advanced — we recommend progressing through the Altar tree using the path outlined below. The suggested path is geared towards maximum quality of life first, then amplifying damage, and then mopping up the tree with defensive and edge case utility nodes.

Note that while they require reaching them with a Seal, Legendary Potion Powers are not part of the Seal cost system; Potions unlock with a separate resource called Primordial Ashes, obtained from salvaging Legendary or Set items of Primal (red bordered) quality. Upgrade them as soon as possible, and in the order shown below (courtesy of Caleko's Altar of Rites planner).

Altar of Rites Planner

You can read more on the Altar of Rites, Seals and Legendary Potion Powers in our dedicated Altar of Rites Mechanics guide.

4.

Adapting Gems

You will maintain Legacy of Dreams Legacy of Dreams (foundational gem for the build) and Simplicity's Strength Simplicity's Strength (damage multiplication for your main source of DPS) from the solo progression build. Since you will no longer be responsible for taking the Rift Guardian down, you will replace Bane of the Stricken Bane of the Stricken with Bane of the Trapped Bane of the Trapped for another massive source of damage multiplication.

4.1.

Season 30 Soul Shards

In Season 30, your helm and weapon sockets will be taken over by the supremely powerful Soul Shards. For this variant, we recommend the following:

  • HelmSliver of Terror with "Your Attack Speed and Critical Hit Chance are increased by 5% for each skill on cooldown" as its Rank 3 power. For optimization benefits, aim for Intelligence or Melee/Ranged Damage Reduction on its Rank 2 roll.
  • WeaponRemnant of Pain with "When you critically hit an enemy, you increase Attack Speed of all players by 5%" as its Rank 3 power. For optimization benefits, aim for Poison Skills % Increase or Weapon Damage Increase on its Rank 2 roll. This Soul Shard delivers guaranteed crits when you apply hard crowd control effects on enemies (i.e., Bone Armor Bone Armor Dislocation Dislocation).
Slot Gems
Jewelry
Helm
Torso and Pants
Weapon

For more information about gems, please refer to our guide on gems.

5.

Adapting Kanai's Cube

You will keep Nayr's Black Death Nayr's Black Death as your weapon Cube power; this is a major source of damage multiplication for the build, and your entire skill selection revolves around it. The same applies to Illusory Boots Illusory Boots, which allow you freedom of movement without losing any potential Poison stacks from your skill lineup.

Haunted Visions Haunted Visions remains a pivotal part of the build due to its Simulacrum Simulacrum-based powers. Note that this slot is interchangeable with Squirt's Necklace Squirt's Necklace depending on your better rolled item.

The Kanai's Cube can be used for much more than simply extracting Legendary powers from items. Please refer to our Kanai's Cube guide for more information.

6.

Legendary Potion

Your recommended potion is Bottomless Potion of the Tower Bottomless Potion of the Tower, whose Armor-increasing properties complement the naturally high All Resistances stat of Necromancers (due to Intelligence scaling Resistances) for optimal survivability.

7.

Changelog

  • 10 Jan. 2024: Revised guide for the permanent addition of the Altar of Rites, and added Season-specific Soul Shard recommendations.
  • 13 Sep. 2023: Added Season 29 Paragon Cap and Gearing recommendations.
  • 22 Feb. 2023: Added Season 28 Altar of Rites recommendations.
  • 26 Aug. 2022: Added Season 27 Angelic Crucible recommendations.
  • 14 Apr. 2022: Guide reviewed for Season 26.
  • 08 Dec. 2021: Added Season 25 Soul Shard recommendations.
  • 22 Jul. 2021: Added S24 Ethereal recommendation.
  • 01 Apr. 2021: Minor gear revision and added follower recommendation.
  • 19 Nov. 2020: Added S22 Cube recommendation.
  • 02 Jul. 2020: Guide added.
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