d4levelingnecromancerBoneSeason 6

Bone Spear – Necromancer Leveling Build for Diablo 4

Obliterate and consume your enemies with Bone Spear and Corpse Explosion!

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GhazzyTV

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Minion Overlord


Updated: Posted:

Bone SpearBone SplintersCorpse ExplosionBlood MistRaise SkeletonDecrepify


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To find out more general information about leveling as a Necromancer in Diablo 4, you can check out our main Necromancer Leveling guide. Or you can go to our Necromancer Builds page for a list of other leveling and endgame Necromancer builds for you to choose from.

Have questions or feedback on the guide? Join the livestream and ask me!

Build Introduction

The Bone SpearBone Spear Necromancer leveling build is a high damaging ranged build that brings high, consistent damage to the battlefield, ensuring high DPS output even when building up Essence to continue casting Bone Spears. This makes it an incredibly smooth build to level your Necromancer with!

Due to the high damage output, this build will take you from the start of the game all the way through the campaign with ease.

Solo play can be fun and playing with friends can be great, if you have the right spec! The high damage output makes the build very attractive to have in a party with friends, and it also makes enemies consistently Vulnerable, allowing the rest of your party to benefit immensely for having you with them.

Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar

Suggested Skill Bar
Bone Spear Bone Spear Corpse Explosion Corpse Explosion Decrepify Decrepify Summoning Skill Summoning Skill Bone Splinters Bone Splinters Blood Mist Blood Mist
OrderSkillCluster
1Bone SplintersBone SplintersBasic SkillBasic Skill
2Enhanced Bone SplintersEnhanced Bone SplintersBasic SkillBasic Skill
3Blood SurgeBlood SurgeCore SkillCore Skill
4Blood SurgeBlood Surge Level 2Core SkillCore Skill
5Blood SurgeBlood Surge Level 3Core SkillCore Skill
6Blood SurgeBlood Surge Level 4Core SkillCore Skill
7Blood SurgeBlood Surge Level 5Core SkillCore Skill
8Corpse ExplosionCorpse ExplosionCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
9Enhanced Corpse ExplosionEnhanced Corpse ExplosionCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
10Hewed FleshHewed FleshCore SkillCore Skill
11Hewed FleshHewed Flesh Level 2Core SkillCore Skill
12Hewed FleshHewed Flesh Level 3Core SkillCore Skill
13Grim HarvestGrim HarvestCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
14Grim HarvestGrim Harvest Level 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
15Grim HarvestGrim Harvest Level 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill

At this point in your character progression it is optimal to move all your points in Blood SurgeBlood Surge over to Bone SpearBone Spear, as both are located in the Core cluster. This allows you to utilize Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion to clear any extra enemies the Bone Spear did not kill without forcing you to move into close range of your enemies.

OrderSkillCluster
16Enhanced Bone SpearEnhanced Bone SpearCore SkillCore Skill
17Supernatural Bone SpearSupernatural Bone SpearCore SkillCore Skill
18Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion Level 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
19Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion Level 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
20Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion Level 4Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
21Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion Level 5Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
22Skeletal Warrior MasterySkeletal Warrior MasteryCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
23Skeletal Warrior MasterySkeletal Warrior Mastery Level 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
24Skeletal Warrior MasterySkeletal Warrior Mastery Level 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
25Plagued Corpse ExplosionPlagued Corpse ExplosionCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
26SerrationSerrationCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
27SerrationSerration Level 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
28SerrationSerration Level 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
29Compound FractureCompound FractureCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
30EvulsionEvulsionCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
31EvulsionEvulsion Level 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
32EvulsionEvulsion Level 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
33Unliving EnergyUnliving EnergyCore SkillCore Skill
34Ossified EssenceOssified EssenceKey PassivesKey Passives
35Unliving EnergyUnliving Energy Level 2Core SkillCore Skill
36Unliving EnergyUnliving Energy Level 3Core SkillCore Skill
37Fueled by DeathFueled by DeathCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
38Fueled by DeathFueled by Death Level 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
39Fueled by DeathFueled by Death Level 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
40Blood MistBlood MistCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
41Compound FractureCompound Fracture Level 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
42Compound FractureCompound Fracture Level 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
43Imperfectly BalancedImperfectly BalancedCore SkillCore Skill
44Imperfectly BalancedImperfectly Balanced Level 2Core SkillCore Skill
45Imperfectly BalancedImperfectly Balanced Level 3Core SkillCore Skill
46DecrepifyDecrepifyCurse SkillCurse Skill
47Enhanced DecrepifyEnhanced DecrepifyCurse SkillCurse Skill
48Necrotic CarapaceNecrotic CarapaceCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
49Necrotic CarapaceNecrotic Carapace Level 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
50Necrotic CarapaceNecrotic Carapace Level 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
51Death's ApproachDeath’s ApproachCurse SkillCurse Skill
52Death's ApproachDeath’s Approach Level 2Curse SkillCurse Skill
53Death's ApproachDeath’s Approach Level 3Curse SkillCurse Skill
54Amplify DamageAmplify DamageCurse SkillCurse Skill
55Amplify DamageAmplify Damage Level 2Curse SkillCurse Skill
56Amplify DamageAmplify Damage Level 3Curse SkillCurse Skill
57DecrepifyDecrepify Level 2Curse SkillCurse Skill
58DecrepifyDecrepify Level 3Curse SkillCurse Skill
59Death's EmbraceDeath’s EmbraceCurse SkillCurse Skill
60Death's EmbraceDeath’s Embrace Rank 2Curse SkillCurse Skill
61Death's EmbraceDeath’s Embrace Rank 3Curse SkillCurse Skill
62Precision DecayPrecision DecayCurse SkillCurse Skill
63Precision DecayPrecision Decay Rank 2Curse SkillCurse Skill
64Precision DecayPrecision Decay Rank 3Curse SkillCurse Skill
65Necrotic FortitudeNecrotic FortitudeCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
66Necrotic FortitudeNecrotic Fortitude Rank 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
67Necrotic FortitudeNecrotic Fortitude Rank 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
68Spiked ArmorSpiked ArmorCorpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
69Spiked ArmorSpiked Armor Rank 2Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
70Spiked ArmorSpiked Armor Rank 3Corpse & Macabre SkillCorpse & Macabre Skill
71DecrepifyDecrepify Rank 4Curse SkillCurse Skill

Mechanics and Playstyle

The build starts off with casting Blood SurgeBlood Surge as your main source of damage output coupled with Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion. This works very well, but does force you to position yourself close to the enemies. This is later solved by moving your points over to Bone SpearBone Spear which will be our main source of single-target damage. However, thanks to the combination of exploding corpses and the passive Grim HarvestGrim Harvest, we can easily use Bone Spear to kill initial enemies and finish the remaining mobs with our Corpse Explosion, building our Essence pool back and creating a very smooth playstyle and leveling experience.

When fighting bosses you essentially want to dump all your Essence by casting Bone SpearBone Spear. Thanks to your Reaper Skeletons providing corpses, as well as the passive Hewed FleshHewed Flesh, you should always have an abundant amount of corpses around your enemies to create a wave of explosions with Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion. Aside from re-summoning your skeletons if needed, this rotation rinses and repeats like clockwork!

Should you find yourself completely out of Essence and with no corpses, you’ll resort to using your Bone SplintersBone Splinters to create corpses and regain Essence.

Book of the Dead

Necromancer’s class specific ability is the Book of the Dead, which provides three different type of minions that unlock by leveling up. Some of these choices comes down to personal preference, so we will outline our preferred setup for leveling this build.

  • Melee Skeletons – We’ll want to run the Reapers. The second effect choice from these bad boys allows them to have a 15% chance to create a corpse on hit. Seeing as our build thrives on both damage output and Essence gain from corpses this is the ideal choice.
  • Mage Skeletons – In the early leveling process, you can choose to run the Cold version of the Mage Skeletons to regain Essence on Hit. We are not aiming to invest anything to have them survive long term, as this would cause them to take up more time being resummoned rather than providing something beneficial for your build. Our choice here is to sacrifice them as Cold Skeletons, providing us with extra damage against Vulnerable enemies.
  • Golem – When you first gain access to the Golem, we would strongly recommend using him as an actual tank. The Golem doesn’t go down easily and helps taunt enemies, enabling you to safely do damage from a distance. Use either the Golem (Bone)Golem (Bone), which provides corpses when the summon takes a certain amount of damage, or the Golem (Blood)Golem (Blood), which redirects a portion of the damage you take yourself, as both are great choices during this time frame. Towards the end of the campaign, we would opt for sacrificing the Golem (Iron)Golem (Iron), which provides Necromancer with extra Critical Strike Damage.

Mercenary

Aldkin is a great choice with crowd-controlling features, but the comfortability of using Subo, who brings the ability of revealing enemies and materials in the area, makes him a natural preferential decision. The mercenaries are a nice addition to the game and whichever you chose to run is up to you. The recommendation for this build will be to run Subo.

Skill-tree wise we’ll grab the left-hand side first for Wire Trap to provide stuns with the following node is up to you. Trip Mines is the next big notable to grab, taken for safety reasons. We finish that tree with Mastermind.

For the reinforcement, stick with Raheir, utilizing his Bastion skill being cast when the player becomes injured.

Legendary Item Aspects

To unlock Aspects in the Codex of Power, you must find it naturally or complete the corresponding Dungeon where the specific Aspect drops. Visit the Occultist to imprint this Aspect onto an item. Aspects from the Codex of Power can be used often on weapons.

There is really only one Legendary Aspect that is truly powerful and worth mentioning for this build, which is the Splintering AspectSplintering Aspect, unlocked by completing the Guulrahn Slums dungeon in Act 3, Dry Steppes.

This Aspect allows us to make enemies Vulnerable, which in turn allows us to remove the Supernatural Bone SpearSupernatural Bone Spear and change it into Paranormal Bone SpearParanormal Bone Spear. Most importantly, we are now able to make large groups of enemies all reliably become Vulnerable. The Aspect is there more for the effect rather than the increased damage it also provides.

Outside of the obvious Blood-bathed Aspect other aspect powers can be of great use to further scale the efficiency as you’re leveling:

We have a dedicated in-depth Aspect and Codex of Power guide that you can check out for more information.

Gear Choice and Stat Priority while Leveling

Prioritize a higher total damage output when it comes to your weapon, as the higher it is, the better. It should be kept in mind that if you find a higher Item Power 1-handed weapon, it could very well be better than a 2-handed weapon if coupled with an off-hand or even a shield, as shields scale your main-hand weapon by 80%!

Outside of this, you’ll be on the look out for the following modifiers, in no particular order:

  • Critical Strike Chance;
  • Critical Strike Damage;
  • Lucky Hit Chance, which is very effective as this helps generate more corpses to keep the rotation of Bone Spears & Corpse Explosion going.
  • + Level of Bone Spear
  • Attack Speed

Gems

Listed below are the best Gems to socket into gear for each slot type.

  • Weapon: EmeraldEmerald for +#% Critical Strike Damage.
  • Armor: RubyRuby for +#% Maximum Life.
  • Jewelry: DiamondDiamond for all Resistance or any gem that provides you with the resistance type you lack the most.

Elixirs and Health Potions

To gain an edge in your adventures, head to the Alchemist in any major town, and craft Elixirs that enhance your stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Remember to gather the necessary crafting materials by foraging plants. Select an Elixir that provides the resistance you need most, or try the Assault ElixirAssault Elixir to boost your Attack Speed.

Return to the Alchemist again when you reach Level 20 and 30 to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival.

Paragon board

Not long after Season 6 launch we will have a proper Paragon Board tool available for you to easier navigate through the boards. For now you can follow the images below, do keep in mind that you will have to rotate the boards before locking them in so they fit the images shown below!

Do keep in mind that at this stage you’re expected to look towards your endgame build choice so the boards shown in this guide is merely there to get you started before you transition to an endgame variant!

1. Starting Board – Corporeal

Our first objective is to pick up the Rare and Magic nodes, we’ll scale these with the CorporealCorporeal Glyph as well! Don’t forget the Life and Resistance nodes on the left side before you head out north to our second board.

2. Bone Graft – Essence

No rotations required for this board to fit the image above. In here we’ll be aiming to pick up EssenceEssence Glyph. Next priority is the Legendary node Bone GraftBone Graft located diagonally on the top right corner of the board. On our way there we do want to deviate and pick up the surrounding Rare and Magic nodes.

At this point it’s important that you have chosen which endgame build to go for and should therefor follow that guides paragon section!

Board images courtesy of https://d4builds.gg/

Changelog

  • October 7th, 2024: Paragon board added.
  • October 2nd, 2024: Guide updated for Season 6.
  • August 5th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 5.
  • May 12th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 4 Loot Reborn.
  • January 22nd, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3 Season of the Construct.
  • October 15th, 2023: Guide made ready for Season 2 patch 1.2.0
  • August 7th, 2023: Guide made ready for Patch 1.1.1
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