Best Necromancer leveling build in Last Epoch

Don't know about you, but I love having the paranormal do all the work for me.

Acolyte from the class selection menu in Last Epoch
Screenshot by Dot Esports

While Necromancers might seem like an all-mighty and mysterious class in Last Epoch, the truth is we’re just lazy. 

Recommended Videos

Instead of charging into battle with a regular sword like a Bladedancer, I’d much rather work on getting the best Necromancer build in Last Epoch so all that’s left to do is command my army of undead into battle. Admittedly, during the first steps of your leveling-up journey, you’ll be swinging your scepter once or twice. But with the right gear, active and passive skills, and blessings, you’ll be on your way to having the best character build out there.

Best Necromancer leveling build in Last Epoch

Necromancer build summoning zombies to devour an enemy in Last Epoch
Image via Eleventh Hour Games

How to build the best Necromancer in Last Epoch

Here’s a step-by-step rundown of how to get the best Necro build in Last Epoch:

  1. At level two, focus on spamming three skeletons by your side with Summon Skeletons. Direct this skill by pressing A and moving your mouse.
  2. At level four, spend all your skill points on upgrading Summon Skeletons and Wandering Spirits.
  3. At level seven, include Bone Curse in your hotbar.
  4. At level eight, spend all your skill points on upgrading Summon Bone Golem.
  5. At level nine, include Transplant in your hotbar.
  6. Keep progressing until you reach level 16. Unlock the Necromancer Mastery and have Summon Volatile Zombie as your main spender. Here’s where the Necromancer minion build gets really satisfying.
  7. When you have five Necromancer Mastery points, add Summon Skeleton Mage to your hotbar.
  8. At level 20, spend skill points on upgrading the Summon Skeleton Mage.
  9. At level 35, spend skill points in upgrading the Summon Volatile Zombie.
  10. When you have 30 Necromancer Mastery points, include Dread Shade in your hotbar.
  11. At level 50, spend all your skill points on upgrading Dread Shade.

Blessings

The best blessings for a Necromancer in Last Epoch are Springs of Fire to increase Minion Damage by 40-60 percent and Reign of Dragons to increase Minion Resistance by seven to 12 percent. If you’re looking for a quick leveling boost, the Fall of the Outcast will increase your experience by four to six percent.

Skills

Completed Active Skill Tree for a Necromancer Build ideal for leveling up in Last Epoch
Screenshot by Dot Esports

In the Summon Skeleton Mage specialization, focus on getting as many skeletons as you possibly can. Instead of unlocking abilities to increase your personal damage, go for skills like Splintered Dominion, Argonautic Speed, and Forbidden Arcana.

Once you unlock your second specialization, you’ll have access to a second summon: Bone Golems. Instead of dealing damage, their main focus will be soaking up damage as tanks while our skeletons function as melee and ranged DPS.

Skeleton Mages are your caster-ranged DPS, so do your best to build up their mana gauge and damage per mana passives. Grave Passage and Celer Mortis are a must-have in this skill tree.

Volatile Zombies should become your main spenders, so turning them into a horde of damage-dealing undead is your next step. On this skill tree, don’t overlook damage over time skills like Flammable Vitae and Army of Rot.

Your last summonable is Dread Shades, which is an enemy debuffer and party buffer. With skills like Dying Coven, Grim Fate, and Martyrdom, your minions will earn a health, armor, damage, and speed boost.

Remember, if you don’t feel comfortable with this setup, you can always respec your skills.

Gear

The best gear for a Necromancer boosts minion stats and intelligence. Minion stats increase their damage, dodge rate, health, or critical strikes, while intelligence increases minion damage altogether.

In the early game, your best gear setup will be the Reach of the Grave weapon and the Doublet of Onos Tull body armor. These two legendary pieces can be obtained and equipped as early as level 5. 

As you near levels 15 to 35, you’ll start to unlock mid-tier loot like the Pebble’s Femur weapon, the Turquoise Amulet and Ring, the Pebble’s Stash collar and belt, and the Advent of the Erased boots.

As soon as you enter the endgame of Last Epoch, I strongly suggest you start using the Last Epoch Tools, which includes a great Loot Filter for you to focus on the loot you want.

Passives

Completed Passive Skill Tree for a Necromancer Build ideal for leveling up in Last Epoch
Screenshot by Dot Esports

Here is every passive you should maximize to get the best Necro build in Last Epoch:

  • Forbidden Knowledge: To get extra intelligence and necrotic resistance.
  • Dark Rituals: To increase minion attack and cast speed.
  • Stolen Vitality: To increase your vitality and minions’ health.
  • Soul Aegis: To increase your minions’ armor.

Once the Necromancer Passive tree is unlocked, spend your points on these skills:

  • Risen Army: To increase minion damage, attack, and cast speed.
  • Cursed Blood: To increase your and your minions’ physical and necrotic damage.
  • Aegisfall: To give your minions a chance to shred armor on hit.
  • Unbound Necromancy: To gain an additional Skeleton.
  • Effigies: To increase your chances to consume a minion, as well as fire and bow damage.
  • Moonlight Pyre: To increase minions’ fire and necrotic damage.
  • Tyrant’s Legion: To increase summoned Skeleton’s physical penetration, and poison penetration and add one more skeleton to your stash.
  • Frantic Summons: To increase overall speed.
  • River of Bones: To increase overall damage and health leech for you and your minions.
  • Heresy: to boost your intelligence
  • Rite of undeath: To increase Necrotic and Elemental resistance and damage. 
Author
Image of Cande Maldonado
Cande Maldonado
Though Cande started her journey in the video game industry as a localization specialist six years ago, she soon realized that her true calling was to annoy NPCS and smash virtual pottery. Under Nintendo and Square Enix's chokehold, she will willingly pour hours upon hours into reaching 100% completion in the longest roleplaying games ever made. But hey, who needs fresh air and sunlight when you can just live in Ivalice?