In Diablo 4, the Necromancer is one of the most iconic and versatile classes, commanding the power of death itself. Among the Necromancer's arsenal, Army of the Dead stands out as a signature ability, summoning a massive horde of undead warriors to devastate enemies and dominate the battlefield. This build guide focuses entirely on maximizing the Army of the Dead skill, combining summoning magic, corpse manipulation, and passive enhancements to create a relentless force of destruction. Whether you are tackling hordes of enemies in the open world or challenging high-level bosses, this build will help you control the battlefield with an unstoppable undead army.

 

Understanding the Army of the Dead Ability

The Army of the Dead ability is the centerpiece of this build. When activated, it summons a legion of skeletal warriors that fight alongside the Necromancer for a set duration. These minions automatically attack nearby enemies, allowing the player to focus on positioning, supporting skills, or unleashing other powerful abilities.

 

A few key aspects make this ability so effective:

High Damage Potential: Each summoned skeleton contributes to total damage output, making it possible to decimate large groups of enemies quickly.

 

Crowd Control: The horde can distract and overwhelm foes, giving the Necromancer room to maneuver or unleash additional spells.

 

Synergy with Corpses: The battlefield often becomes littered with corpses, which can be leveraged by abilities like Corpse Explosion for extra damage.

 

Maximizing the effectiveness of this skill requires thoughtful selection of complementary skills, passives, and gear. You can also buy Diablo 4 materials to craft gear.

 

Core Skills for the Build

The Army of the Dead Necromancer relies on a combination of active skills that summon, empower, or manipulate minions, as well as passives that enhance their power. Below are the most essential skills to focus on.

 

Active Skills

 

1. Army of the Dead

This is the signature skill for the build. The main goal is to summon as many undead minions as possible and keep them active for maximum battlefield control. The key considerations for upgrading this ability include reducing cooldown time, increasing minion damage, and extending their duration. Some players also prioritize enhancements that grant lifesteal or resistances to the summoned minions, improving survivability.

 

2. Summon Skeletons

While Army of the Dead provides a large burst of minions, Summon Skeletons allows the Necromancer to maintain a steady stream of undead warriors. Summoned skeletons complement the army by filling gaps and continuously applying pressure to enemies. Upgrading this skill can increase the number of skeletons, improve their damage output, or enhance their durability, ensuring that your army is always supported.

 

3. Corpse Explosion

One of the most destructive skills in the Necromancer's repertoire, Corpse Explosion turns corpses into explosive damage sources. After the battlefield is filled with bodies, either from your minions or enemy kills, this skill can trigger massive area-of-effect damage. Enhancements focus on increasing radius, damage, and chain reaction potential, which can turn any battlefield into a zone of devastation.

 

4. Bone Armor

Defense is just as important as offense. Bone Armor protects the Necromancer and enhances survivability by reducing incoming damage. This is particularly important when facing tougher enemies or bosses while your army is active. Upgrades may increase damage reduction, duration, or provide reactive effects that damage nearby enemies when struck.

 

5. Blood Siphon

Sustainability is crucial in prolonged battles. Blood Siphon allows the Necromancer to regain health by draining life from enemies. In combination with the army, which keeps enemies engaged, this skill ensures that the Necromancer remains alive and active throughout the fight. Upgrades focus on increasing the amount of health restored and enhancing the skill's efficiency.

 

6. Death's Reach

Death's Reach extends the range and impact of your minions, allowing them to hit enemies from a safe distance. This skill synergizes perfectly with Army of the Dead, as your summoned minions can attack from multiple angles while you remain in a safer position. Enhancements may increase attack range, damage, and area-of-effect capabilities.

 

Passive Skills to Enhance the Build

Passive skills are essential to maximizing the potential of the Army of the Dead build. They improve minion survivability, damage output, and resource management.

 

1. Grim Harvest

This passive enhances resource regeneration and health recovery through corpse collection. With a battlefield littered with corpses, Grim Harvest ensures the Necromancer maintains a steady flow of resources to summon and maintain minions. Upgrades increase corpse collection efficiency, allowing for faster and more frequent summoning.

 

2. Unyielding

Unyielding boosts minion health and damage resistance. This is critical for keeping the undead army alive longer during fights. By investing in this passive, you make your minions harder to kill, allowing them to maximize their damage potential over the duration of Army of the Dead.

 

3. Reanimation

Reanimation increases the effectiveness of reanimated minions, improving both damage and resilience. This synergizes well with your main army, especially in extended fights, and ensures your undead force remains potent even after multiple waves of combat.

 

4. Necrotic Might

This passive enhances overall minion damage, making each summoned skeleton more deadly. By increasing damage output and reducing cooldowns on summoning skills, Necrotic Might ensures that your army consistently maintains pressure on the enemy.

 

Gear and Item Priorities

Selecting the right gear is critical to maximizing the potential of the Army of the Dead Necromancer. Focus on Diablo 4 Items that increase minion power, duration, and survivability, as well as your own defensive and resource capabilities.

 

Weapons

Two-Handed Scythe: Provides high damage output and often comes with bonuses that enhance minion abilities.

 

Focus and Off-Hand: Using a combination of focus and off-hand items can help balance damage and resource management, allowing for frequent summoning of the army.

 

Armor

Prioritize armor that boosts minion health, damage, or resistances to ensure that your undead horde remains effective for longer durations.

 

Gear with cooldown reduction is essential to increase the frequency at which Army of the Dead can be used.

 

Jewelry

Amulets: Look for bonuses to minion damage or duration, improving the overall impact of your army.

 

Rings: Life leech rings are useful for maintaining your health while your minions handle the majority of the combat.

 

Legendary Affixes

Cooldown reduction is critical for minimizing downtime on your Army of the Dead ability.

 

Increased minion damage or health affixes further amplify the strength and resilience of your undead army.

 

Conclusion

The Army of the Dead Necromancer build in Diablo 4 is a highly rewarding playstyle that combines summoning power, corpse manipulation, and defensive sustainability. By carefully selecting skills, passives, and gear, players can create a battlefield dominated by an unstoppable undead army. This build is especially effective in situations where crowd control, sustained damage, and minion survivability are essential.

 

Whether facing hordes of enemies in the open world or tackling the most challenging bosses, the Army of the Dead build allows players to experience the full power of the Necromancer class. With careful planning, skillful execution, and the right equipment, you'll command legions of the dead and leave devastation in your wake, truly embodying the master of death.