1 or 20 to skeleton mages

[BlargX]

It can take quite a long time to get many +skills.

 

[relliKniaP]

So what do you spend all your points on if you only do 1 in CE and Mage?

20 Raise Skeleton, 20 Skeleton Mastery, one point in all Curses, one point in all 1-point wonders and pre-reqs. Then i go for a Summon/Poison hybrid or a Summon/Bone hybrid. More fun, more style.

It can take quite a long time to get many +skills.

+5 to all skills is easily achievable imo.

 

[amusingtugboat]

CE is such a powerhouse, I see it way more useful then any other skill you could possibly put points into.

 

[Eilo Rytyj]

There's nothing stopping you from placing extra points into Dim Vision AND Mages. Think about it:

7 important curses: Amp, Decrep, DV, Life Tap, and their prereqs Weaken, Terror and IM. Add in Confuse and/or Attract if you ever use them (I don't) - that's 9 points to start with.

21 points in the P&B tree - 1 Teeth, 20 CE. That's all you really need.

66 points go to the Summon tree. 20 in each Skellys, Mastery and Mages. 1 in Revive, Clay, Blood and Iron Golems, Summon Resist and Golem Mastery. No more, no less.

With all quests done that can be accomplished as early as level 83. If you plan to level to 90 you can have 8 in Dim Vision by then, which will be higher with +skills.


However, my personal preference lies in Golem Mastery for my Summoner's final skill points. I usually get by fine with careful playing and off-screen Dim Vision casting in troublesome areas, and I like the idea that I can make a chunky Iron Golem down the road if I find something worth sacrificing. Otherwise, it makes for an immortal Clay Golem.

 

[MCPWTB]

Crushing Blow or insight iron golem is so useful. Also a beast iron golem is possible but expensive.

I just wasn't sure how many points in golem mastery is enough points to ensure the iron golem won't die to say a pack of those blood lords in the baal throne room, on crack.

One thing I hate is having to teleport away just because my merc or iron golem is going to die even though my skeletons and I are just fine.

I did:
+20 sm
+20 skeletons
+20 mages
+20 golem master
+1 revive + pre-reqs
+1 amp damage
+1 bone armor, +150-200 damage absorb with one point.
+rest CE

That's one build I made it works fine.

I like my poison/skeleton necro better as it kills faster except for poison immunes, then it kills almost as quickly.

 

[jkra]

So what do you spend all your points on if you only do 1 in CE and Mage?

I'm guessing he's one of those guys with rediculously beefed up bone armors.

He has 19+19 points extra since he's only putting a point into CE and SM, so he can probably invest heavily into the synergies, and in the poison tree as he mentioned.

Granted, personally, I''d rather had a CE like a hydrogen bomb and 15 mages stacked on Baal's bald head--but to each his own.

 

[Ed from Russia]

My vote goes to Dim Vision instead of Mages.

If you want both, consider the following setup:
20 RS
20 SM
20 Mages (max this last)
15 Dim Vision (enoug for decent duration and range)
15 Corpse Explosion (enough for good range)
1 Revive, Clay Golem, Golem Mastery, Summon Resist, Amp Damage, Decrepify
5 prerequisites (are something like that)
total 92, done by lvl 81.

 

[Rawness]

Max mages, dim vision is helpful, it is however not really necessary anyways.

 

[Perfect Hatred]

I played summoner for about a year without realizing monsters could have unbreakable physical immunity (=that amplify damage wont break). Why? Because I always use mages and the mages killed those monsters before I became aware of the fact that my skellies and merc couldnt hurt them :grin:

 

[MasterMynd]

I too vote for DV over RSM. My build-of-choice is:

20 Raise Skeleton
20 Skeleton Mastery
20 Corpse Explosion
20 Dim Vision
1 Raise Skeletal Mage
1 Clay Golem
1 Revive
1 Decrepify
1 Amplify Damage
1 Bone Armor
prerequisites
rest in Bone Wall for Bone Armor synergy

Of all the Fishy-based builds I've tried, this one is by far the safest.

 

[AnimeCraze]

I wouldn't sacrifice speed for safety in a build that is very safe already, especially on softcore.

 

[relliKniaP]

CE is such a powerhouse, I see it way more useful then any other skill you could possibly put points into.

Yes, CE is a powerhouse. With max CE playing a Skelemancer is too easy, and im not enjoying that. It comes down to your personal preference.

I wouldn't sacrifice speed for safety in a build that is very safe already, especially on softcore.

I agree.

 

[Perfect Hatred]

Yes, CE is a powerhouse. With max CE playing a Skelemancer is too easy, and im not enjoying that. It comes down to your personal preference.



I agree.

Well in 8 players games CE doesnt hurts the monsters all that much, kinda sucks.

 

[AnimeCraze]

But it doesn't hurt any less, which is good. After all, there is no other skill that scales with players except static. The only drawback of CE in 8 player games is availability of corpses is lower.

 

[BlargX]

20 Raise Skeleton, 20 Skeleton Mastery, one point in all Curses, one point in all 1-point wonders and pre-reqs. Then i go for a Summon/Poison hybrid or a Summon/Bone hybrid. More fun, more style.



+5 to all skills is easily achievable imo.

Depends what level you're at, whether you trade or not, and whether you play single player or bnet.