[2.5] Pokemancer (Summoner Necromancer Walkthrough/Guide) **WIP**

[Zartok]

When crafting gear, is there anything specific you are looking for? High minion dmg, life, res %? Life? Vit? Str? Any other stats?

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It seems all of the items need to be crafted with Magical and Tainted.

However, I'm assuming I will most likely run out of these shrines since you need them for every single item. So I want to make sure what I roll is decent enough to not have to roll over again and waste more shrines when I need to use them on other items.

Thanks

You dont necessarily need to use tainted/magical on every slot it just depends on what all you have for gear.

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A shrine blessed sacred honorific can be comparable to a crafted roll depending how well that goes but the crafted does have more potential. Most seem to mainly look for dmg rolls but life is certainly important since thats all necro minions are is a brick of hp since they removed avoid for them a while back although high hp was still good to have of course. Beyond that yea its pretty much defensive stats to look for like hit recovery and life and such since we dont amplify dmg from a main stat. Having a decent mana pool is certainly worth as well.

EDIT: I have added a crafting section to the guide now

What nob4242 said I'll write a mini-section down below of the crafting gear part soon.
The thing is that when you craft with a shrine, it will 100% give you two set stats.
For the recommendation these two shrines gives the following bonuses:
-Tainted crafts gives-
On One-Handed (Wands) and any armor (except Body Armors): +(8 to 25)% to Summoned Minion Damage and +(16 to 50)% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating
On Two-Handed Weapons and Body Armors: +(15 to 35)% to Summoned Minion Damage and +(30 to 70)% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating

-Magical crafts gives-
On One-Handed (Wands) and any armor (except Body Armors): +(4 to 30)% to Summoned Minion Life and +(4 to 15)% to Summoned Minion Resistances
On Two-Handed Weapons and Body Armors: +(6 to 50)% to Summoned Minion Life and +(6 to 25)% to Summoned Minion Resistances
You see the information here: https://docs.median-xl.com/doc/wiki/shrines

The thing about shrine crafting is that you can double dip the 100% given stats given by the shrine by putting the crafted item you are happy with in the cube, together with 2 Arcane Crystal. You can only do this once per item!

So, this means that if you make a crafted item and you bless it. The stat range is now like this:
One handed / any armor piece (-body armor): 16% to 50% minion dmg and 32% to 100% minion AR
Two handed / Body armor: 30% to 60% minion dmg and 60% to 140% minion AR

This is where the minion stats gets powerful.

The alternative is to use a honorific item like nob4242 mentioned, where you control 100% of the stats your self and then add the specific stats of the shrine blessing. For instance you can add mystic orbs until you have a max of 20% minion damage (5 x 4% minion dmg), then after you can throw the item inside the cube together with a tainted shrine + 2 arcane crystals. The outcome would then be 20% minion dmg + (8 to 25)% minion dmg. So potentially +45% minion dmg.

So if we compare those two alternatives, the minion damage of +45% on a honorific item is actually really close to the maximum of 50% minion damage of the tainted craft + bless.

That means if you are purley looking at the minion damage, the honorific one is a safer bet.. NOW here is the difference between a honorific and a shrine crafted one.

Honorific: Let's say you are level 120. That means you can chose 100% which 6 different stats from the mystic orbs your want on your item.
Crafted: You get the two 100% guaranteed mods from the shrine + 1-4 extra affixes. This means that if you hit the +4 extra affixes, both items would have a total of 6 different stats. But one item is random, and one item is guaranteed.
PS: Crafting 6 pieces with 6 mods would cost you 2 309 400 gold.

The Honorific item could then look like this:
+45% to Summoned Minion Damage
+50% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating
+40% to Summoned Minion Life
+20% to Summoned Minion Resistance
+30% to all elemental resistance
+150% enhanced defense
+40% total defense

So why would you go for a shrine craft? If you check the list of affixes from this page: https://docs.median-xl.com/doc/wiki/affixes.
Then you can see that there is actually some pretty mods you can get (IF you are lucky). Like on the necromancer shield, you can get +(10 to 16) to Summon Sinner, which is a strong minion for mid game farming. And if you were to be super lucky, you could end up with a necromancer shield looking like this:
From the RANDOM affixes:
+4 to Necromancer Skill Levels
+16 to Summon Sinner
+25% to Summoned Minion Damage
+30% to Summoned Minion Life

Then you add the 100% guaranteed mods from the shrine + blessing. The total would then be:
+4 to Necromancer Skill Levels
+16 to Summon Sinner
+75% to Summoned Minion Damage
+30% to Summoned Minion Life
+100% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating

Which would be a pretty strong item

So all in all... Using a honorific item with a shrine blessing is a good alternative until you get a craft you are happy with.

Sooooooo... After all this rambling, I'll start adding it to the guide

PS: Wish you could add a table to compare info

[Baler]

Thank you very much for making this guide.
And thank you for including a D2Stats item filter, this is something often over looked by other guides.

Keep up the good work, this guide will help new and veterans for a long time.

[pjw1012]

How does my character supply HP?? Do I have to rely on potion??

[Zartok]

Thank you very much for making this guide.
And thank you for including a D2Stats item filter, this is something often over looked by other guides.

Keep up the good work, this guide will help new and veterans for a long time.

Thank you Baler, I'm happy to hear those words:) I'm trying my best to make a great guide for the community

How does my character supply HP?? Do I have to rely on potion??

Yep, good ol' potions But as soon as you get more points into Embalming + Mold The Flesh you will become quite tanky. Also more minions = more meat shield. Median XL is a lot harder than regular D2, so if you survive through the campaign without dying, you are doing super good.

[nob4242]

I put some Regen on my honorifics cause I don't like potion chugging if I can help it but yea we dont have any method of sustain really. You could grab dream eater but not ideal for the point investment.

[abababa7]

Metal Solace is good HP sustain skill, require Veil King and strong enough though.
I put points into all summon upgrades except Chaos Nova, wearing complete

Archbishop Lazarus

Archbishop Lazarus
(Tribute Set)

Lazarus' Chasuble
Lazarus' Surplice Cap
Lazarus' Votive Lamp
Lazarus' Lamen

Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
+25% to Summoned Minion Damage
+25% to Summoned Minion Resistances

Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
+100% to Summoned Minion Life
+50% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating

Set Bonus with complete set:
+1 Extra Veil King
+2 to Necromancer Skill Levels
+100% to Summoned Minion Life
+50% to Summoned Minion Damage
+50% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating

and

Grim Silhouette

Grim Silhouette
Gargoyle Head (Sacred)
Defense: (3694 - 4389) to (4792 - 5617)
Chance to Block: 2%
(Necromancer Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 443
Item Level: 105
Veil King: +100% Life and Damage
+(3 to 5) to Necromancer Skill Levels
+(31 to 60)% to Summoned Minion Damage
+(75 to 150)% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating
+(130 to 180)% Enhanced Defense
+(500 to 1000) Defense
Maximum Cold Resist +(1 to 2)%
Elemental Resists +(15 to 25)%
Socketed (4)

.
At FAUZ, I've usually taken 1-3 potions.

[Immortal2563]

Metal Solace is good HP sustain skill, require Veil King and strong enough though.
I put points into all summon upgrades except Chaos Nova, wearing complete

Archbishop Lazarus

Archbishop Lazarus
(Tribute Set)

Lazarus' Chasuble
Lazarus' Surplice Cap
Lazarus' Votive Lamp
Lazarus' Lamen

Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
+25% to Summoned Minion Damage
+25% to Summoned Minion Resistances

Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
+100% to Summoned Minion Life
+50% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating

Set Bonus with complete set:
+1 Extra Veil King
+2 to Necromancer Skill Levels
+100% to Summoned Minion Life
+50% to Summoned Minion Damage
+50% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating

and

Grim Silhouette

Grim Silhouette
Gargoyle Head (Sacred)
Defense: (3694 - 4389) to (4792 - 5617)
Chance to Block: 2%
(Necromancer Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 443
Item Level: 105
Veil King: +100% Life and Damage
+(3 to 5) to Necromancer Skill Levels
+(31 to 60)% to Summoned Minion Damage
+(75 to 150)% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating
+(130 to 180)% Enhanced Defense
+(500 to 1000) Defense
Maximum Cold Resist +(1 to 2)%
Elemental Resists +(15 to 25)%
Socketed (4)

.
At FAUZ, I've usually taken 1-3 potions.

Lol. 1-3 potion? Well, I don't know how you do it, I have a similar setup and I'm beaten nonstop. Wherever on the map there is a lot of ranged units (Fauzt, Cold Fusion, Labs) I refuse to play so much that I have already disassembled the necro twice and returned to the sorceress.

[Antarus]

Metal Solace is good HP sustain skill, require Veil King and strong enough though.
I put points into all summon upgrades except Chaos Nova, wearing complete

Archbishop Lazarus

Archbishop Lazarus
(Tribute Set)

Lazarus' Chasuble
Lazarus' Surplice Cap
Lazarus' Votive Lamp
Lazarus' Lamen

Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
+25% to Summoned Minion Damage
+25% to Summoned Minion Resistances

Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
+100% to Summoned Minion Life
+50% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating

Set Bonus with complete set:
+1 Extra Veil King
+2 to Necromancer Skill Levels
+100% to Summoned Minion Life
+50% to Summoned Minion Damage
+50% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating

and

Grim Silhouette

Grim Silhouette
Gargoyle Head (Sacred)
Defense: (3694 - 4389) to (4792 - 5617)
Chance to Block: 2%
(Necromancer Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 443
Item Level: 105
Veil King: +100% Life and Damage
+(3 to 5) to Necromancer Skill Levels
+(31 to 60)% to Summoned Minion Damage
+(75 to 150)% to Summoned Minion Attack Rating
+(130 to 180)% Enhanced Defense
+(500 to 1000) Defense
Maximum Cold Resist +(1 to 2)%
Elemental Resists +(15 to 25)%
Socketed (4)

.
At FAUZ, I've usually taken 1-3 potions.

Can u please record video how u clear levels this build? very interesting.

[CircaG]

In your "early challenges" part of the guide, you put to max Death Ward. In the endgame one, you say to only put 1 point in it, however, I have maxed everything at lvl 110 right now (with only 1 into Death Ward). Should I go ahead and max that out now?

[Zartok]

In your "early challenges" part of the guide, you put to max Death Ward. In the endgame one, you say to only put 1 point in it, however, I have maxed everything at lvl 110 right now (with only 1 into Death Ward). Should I go ahead and max that out now?

Ah yes Start maxing Death Ward after. I'll update the section. Thanks