My Necromancer set-up, check it out and critique please

[The Son Of Disaster]

I'm going to be building a Summoning Necromancer when I get the time off school and get my Real computer :) But none-the-less will have to do some trading. He is a similar premise to most summoners but a couple differences. Let me know what you think and if I need to change anything

Stats:
Strength ~118 after equip for Marrow Walks
Dexterity ~ 200 after equip for block with Homunculus
Vitality Rest ~400+
Energy ~ Haven't put a point since I was 15 in 1.09 :p

Skills:
20 Skeleton Mastery
20 Raise Skeleton
20 Corpse Explosion
15 Bone Wall
10 Prerequisites
5 Golem Mastery
3 Summon Resist
2 Amp Damage
1 Dim Vision, Revive, Lower Resist, Bone Prison

Equip:
Helm: Rare Circlet: Not sure the mods I want or will get here yet aside form +2/20% socketed for Resists
Armor: "Enigma" Dusk Shroud
Weapon: "Faith" Blade Bow (or similar)
Switch: "Call To Arms" Flail
Shield: Spirit Monarch
Gloves: Trang-Oul's Claws
Belt: Arachnid Mesh
Boots: Marrow Walk
Amulet: Rare +2/10% w/ Resists
Ring 1: Stone of Jordan or Raven Frost (opinions?)
Ring 2: Rare 10% FCR / ~5% Mana Leech with + Life and/or Life Leech

Hell Fire Torch
Annihilius
9x Summon GCs w/ Life (40+ :))
8x 5 Resist All Scs with Life/FHR/ F R/W

Merc:
act 2 Offensive of course
"Infinity" Thresher
"Fortitude" Archon Plate (or similar)
Andariel's Visage Jeweled with Rare jewel 30% ED, 30% Fire Res, 9 Str 1-100 Lite Dmg Jewel :) in my dreams that is.

Notes:
--Only 8 Small Charms due to Tome of Town Portal will be in inventory, unless I get used to it being on belt. (The scrolls only not the book of course)
--2 Points in Amp Damage because it makes the radius equal to that of Corpse Explosion which I like, it may not end up that way, just how I distributed points in the skill calc I used.
--3 Points in Summon Resist get it to 70% which is a solid number, also keeping it at an even 30% to make my Iron Golem elementally immune (100% Resist All)
--Mana Leech on Ring keeps me from needing to incorporate "Insight" which keeps my army in tip-top power.

That's my set-up hope things look up to par. I really like the Faith idea, it allows my 'mancer to be much more proactive. Also provides better Fanat than Beast and a safer attack.


Let me know what you think

[HiTS]

Just a quick note, a monarch requires a strength of 156.

Are you using a spirit monarch or a Homunculus? You'll never get max block with a monarch. Well, okay you can but the investment will be very steep.

[Taurean]

He uses Faith as main weapon, and CTA & Spirit on switch for prebuff...

[Phoenix13]

And enigma will give you enough strenght so you won't have to use many points, your torch and anni will help you wear the enigma.

[The Son Of Disaster]

Yeah I changed plans for shields half way through lol thats why that got mixed up. So I guess now I dont know which block would be nice while teleing etc and casting. But the strength wont be bad. 77 til dusk enigma, dusk gives ~68 = 145 + 20 from marrows and I'm all set. Thanks for catching the shield thing :)

[DarkPrinceLoki]

pretty good setup, i would have had a different skill point distrubution, but then again thats just how i roll

[The Son Of Disaster]

Yeah, I still can't settle on mages or not :/ and Golem mastery is because I'll be making a higher end IG out of like eth or upgraded bone snaps, hone sundans, or when I'm lucky tomb reavers. This is still subject to change. If I do it would be -14 pts Bone Wall, -4 pts Golem Mastery, -1 pt Amplify Damage, +19 pts Raise Skeletal Mage.

What is the "Credits:" thing mean?

PS DPL: I read your nec guide, I thought it was very informative, interesting and well put together. I just have been reading so many nec guides lately I think I'd heard most of it before. But still kudos :)

[DarkPrinceLoki]

Credits= forum gold, give or take. i dunno how to actually use the feature, or even if its useable.

consider puting just 3 points into magi, let the +skills take care of it. Truthfully the magi's only purpose is to slow and prevent monster heal. that's all i use them for, poison and cold. if it helps my point placement looks like this:

Summon Tree
20 Raise Skeleton
20 Skeleton Mastery
4 Clay Golem
5 golem Mastery
3 Skeleton magi
4 Blood Golem
10 Summoned Resist
5 Iron Golem
4 Fire Golem
1 Revived

Poison & Bone
5 Bone Armor
1 Teeth
10 Corpse Explosion
5 Bone Wall
5 Bone Prision
1 bone Spear

Curses 1 in each of the following
Amplify Damage, Weaken, terror, Iron Maiden, Life Tap, Decreptify, Lower Resist

If i would change anything I would take out Lower Resist, and the Bone Armor synergies; adding them to my golem synergies more than likely. i was more focused on balance though with my build.

[Skullcaptain]

Well, skill distribution are quite similar to Fishymancer (http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=349093) ;)

[The Son Of Disaster]

It is pretty much a fishymancer, with sort of a commandomancer play style. Well not at all, I stand back and provide cover fire :) Maintaining my own health/mana. I kinda of question your Golem Point spread there Loki? Is it so that you can use Golems interchangeably? And do you not suffer sever deminishing returns on the Summon Resist? I rethought, and did go the RSMagi route. Thus:

20 Raise Skeleton
20 Skeleton Mastery
20 Raise Skeletal Mage
20 Corpse Explosion
13 Prerequisites
3 Summon Resist
1 Dim Vision, Revive, Lower Resist, Bone Prison

[DarkPrinceLoki]

no the golem point spread is for the synergies, I use an Iron Golem almost exclusivly. Summon Resist does start to get diminishing returns at lvl 10, which is why i stop there, my +skills boost it to lvl 20ish, which is the same reason i leave Corpse Explosion at lvl 10 as well. another reason I stop at lvl 10 for those skills is to have more skill points to put in other skills (hence my golem and bone armor/wall/prison spread)

[kwittstruck]

I tend to only put 5-10 in mage cause once you get in hell, they are almost useless. Too many immunities. Only ones that are ok are the poison ones to help prevent heal. So i put a little points into them to get to revives mostly and then let +skills do the rest