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May 15 2011 04:45am
Even though the original thread got stickied, due to the stupidity and spam, my guide finally got closed. However, it at least forced me to revise my guide. I changed some of the wording in this version, fixed some sections, added new sections and put in an additional miniguide. This guide is best viewed if you have the avqest font available.


~ Disclaimer - This guide is my interpretation on how to build/play the Poison Nova Necromancer. I am in no way claiming my builds are the best out there. With that being said, inb4tl;dr ~



Intro

Well just in case for anyone who wants to know *crickets chirp* I have been a huge fan of the Diablo series. Got Diablo 1 a year or two before Diablo 2 came out in 2000, and I have been hooked ever since. I have written several guides for other D2 sites many years ago, but I have never written one for D2JSP. So I decided might as well write one for a pretty solid build that I personally enjoy which doesn't get discussed much, the Poison Nova Necromancer (Novamancer). Its unpopularity has probably something to do with the unfair stigma associated with poison based characters. Plus, the strengths and popularity of the Novamancer's counterpart, Bone Necro, have cast a great shadow over Poison Nova in general.

For many of you this guide will be nothing new and most likely common sense information, but this guide should still be a somewhat reliable reference. I own two Poison Nova Necromancers, one on West and one on East, however, I'm normally playing on my West one (character names = caves) since I've invested more of my FG/time in building him.



Enjoy,

Hakeem (Godest)




Pros
  • Solid Poison Damage over a very short period of time
  • Low amount of skill points required for main spells
  • Moderately high minion HP
  • Poison Resists are arguably the least stacked out of the four elements
  • Moderate Poison Resist Pierce

Cons
  • Antidotes are your worst enemy
  • Relatively high mana costs
  • Difficult to GM duel as most duels will take place in nightmare rendering much of your pierce useless

Poison Nova Necros are rather quite solid and versatile for being a non-mainstream build. While there are some glaring weaknesses, they are arguably quite situational and temporary. Obviously there are also innate class weaknesses/advantages, but those are pretty rudimentary.


Stats

Necromancer Starting Attributes:
  • Strength: 15
  • Dexterity: 25
  • Vitality: 15
  • Energy: 25

  • Hit Points: 45
  • Stamina: 79
  • Mana: 25


Each Necromancer Level:
  • Life +1.5
  • Stamina +1
  • Mana +2


Necromancer Attribute Point Effect:
  • 1 Vitality point gives 2 Life
  • 1 Vitality point gives 1 Stamina
  • 1 Energy point gives 2 Mana

Along with the Druid, Necromancers have the 2nd worst HP gain per level and per attribute point into Vita with Sorceresses being the worst. So in that case you can either look at it as you absolutely have to try to dump everything into Vita, or you can see it as an opportunity to pump into dexterity since adding into Vita won't give you a great amount of HP.


Stats:
  • Strength - As low as you can. Generally, most builds or players that can afford higher end gear will allow you to keep base strength, but sometimes you may have to put a little in. No, it isn't a crime to put some points into strength. Plus in the end it might help you swap gear out much more easily if that is what you want, not to mention, you may not need to buy a 2 K FG Amulet to save you 50 HP.
  • Dexterity - Depends on if you want max block and how much dexterity you get from your items. You may opt for a max block build to be your main, or you may want it to be your secondary. At the same time, you may not want a max block build at all.
  • Vitality - Everything else.
  • Energy - This isn't a Tommyvv guide.


Skills


  • Lower Resist - Your main debuff. I preferably add just enough to have -65 resists with gear + B.O., however, some keep adding while others will only place one skill point. In my opinion, -65 is a solid amount to have as you have plenty of skill points to use and it won't take much to get to -65. You get -65 at level 26, -66 at level 31 and -67 at level 36.
  • Poison Nova - Your main attack. Obviously max this along with its synergies.
  • Teeth/Bone Spear - Your "final" attack. In most cases there is no need to add more than one point since we are merely using these skills for the range to finish off your opponent. Adding into Bone Wall/Prison will benefit these spells.
  • Bone Armor - Unlike your Bone Necro counterpart, your Bone Armor will be pretty crappy in general, so leave this as a one point wonder so you can abuse recast. If you want a better Bone Armor, much better to add into Bone Wall/Prison.
  • Bone Wall/Prison - You will most likely find these skills the most useful to place your remaining points in as it makes your Bone Armor stronger, gives you a better Wall/Prison and increased your Teeth/Spear damage.
  • Fire Golem - Your main minion, used for the Fire Absorb/Immunity and Holy Fire damage. Only put one. It may seem logical to keep adding for the fire absorb or for the extra Holy Fire damage, but both are poor reasons to add into Fire Golem.
  • Clay Golem - Your tank minion, used for slow and to tank damage in general. Only put one.
  • Iron Golem - Your situational/PvM minion, used for getting Meditation by making one out of Insight so your Merc can use something else. Only put one.
  • Golem Mastery - Normally only one point is needed, however, it does increase the HP of your Golems quite a bit in case you didn't like adding into Bone Wall/Prison.
  • Summon Resist - One point wonder for your Golems.
  • Revive - Optional choice. I would never waste my time getting summons, but some players may enjoy wasting their time.


Breakpoints


FCR - We want to achieve 125% FCR pretty much at all times. While I do not recommend it, you may opt for 75% FCR for a melee/MB build, or a "max damage" build, however, 125% is the optimum amount of FCR.

FHR - 86% FHR is the most viable breakpoint. Necromancers have pretty shitty FHR frames, so 56% FHR will probably not cut it in many situations. At the same time, trying to get 152% FHR may hurt you more than it will help you. 86% should be fairly easy to get, especially if you use Spirit.

FRW - Although there are no FRW breakpoints (inb4 qq from Noob_Nova), it is important to note the role of FRW. While FRW is quite important for practically any dueler especially in particular match-ups, it is especially important for Poison Nova Necros. If you can get a nice amount of FRW from your Circ + Boots + Enigma, you will have a pretty solid asset.

~ Continued ~
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Equipment

Helms:
  • Rare Circlet - Potentially can be the best choice. Aside from the obvious +2 Skill/20% FCR necessities, other stats to look for are strength/dexterity, HP/mana, 2 sockets and FRW%.
  • Magical Circlet - Cheaper than Rare Circlets, mainly used as a cheap way in order to swap to stack.
  • Harlequin's Crest - Szacko. RIP darkkobra.
  • Crown of Ages - Mainly used for the damage reduction% (DR%), however, its 2 sockets offers some nice flexibility if you do not choose to BerBer it.
  • 1.08 Valkyrie Wing - Stylish/10. Although a very nice Rare Circlet will probably beat it, 1.08 Valk does have some nice aspects for a MB build. I would never ever recommend using this on a Spirit Monarch build. Unperm one are cheap to replace, so you may find this more viable to get rather than a Rare Circlet for your MB build if you are worried about your budget.
Armor:
  • Enigma - If you want to be taken seriously, then use this. Style points if you wear one made in Sacred Armor (inb4 u know who boys).
  • Bramble - No. If you can't understand that, then here let my friend Michael Scott tell you http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umDr0mPuyQc
Belt:
  • Arachnid's Mesh - Common and popular choice, especially for a MB build since you will be tight on FCR. Most Spirit Monarch builds should be able to get 125% FCR without FCR coming from the belt, so you may want to consider using a different belt if that is the case.
  • Thundergod's Vigor - Again straightforward. I normally like to use them as my main belt for many of my duelers. The max lightning resist is obviously sexy, but the 20 strength helps tremendously so that you don't have to buy expensive rare items that have strength.
  • Bugbelt - Can be your main belt especially if it is for a 125% FCR high DR% build. Very solid all round belt.
  • Verdungo's Hearty Cord - Your DR% belt. Use this for a high DR% Spirit build.
  • Rare FHR Belt - Can be useful if you don't need FCR. Provides mass FHR/Str/Life/Resists.
Gloves:
  • Trang-Oul's Claws - Should be the only gloves you use. Absolutely perfect stats for a Poison Nova Necromancer. +2 Curses and +25% Poison Damage.
  • Wizardspike Gloves - For most Casters, this is their dream glove. Damage is comparable to Trang-Oul's since you would be saving 30% FCR which would potentially allow you to have more +skills in the rest of your gear, and you would obviously be getting a boatload of resists and mana. While it is a good choice, many will find it particularly annoying that all Wiz gloves are unperm, however, like 1.08 Valks, they can be cheap to replace.
  • Snatchii's - Bad choice period for this char.
Boots:
  • 1.08 Rares/Dupes - The best and most expensive choice. You can get unperm ones to ease the cost, but if you can afford perm boots, I think it is worth it. Most of these come with 30% FRW/20% FHR/Strength/Resists.
  • 1.09-1.13 Rares - While not as good, they can come close to matching 1.08s.
  • Aldur's Advance - My favorite boots in the game. 40% FRW, 50 Life, 50 Fire Resists. If you don't need FHR from your boots, these may be your best option.
  • Shadow Dancer - Should only be used for your MB build, but they are pretty cute to wear as they are the only boots with 30% FHR, not to mention they give by far the most dexterity.
  • Hotspurs - Fire stack.
  • Waterwalks - Also, should only be used for your MB build.
  • Marrowwalk - Very underrated choice for MB builds. Provides up to 37 stats to strength/dexterity.
  • Merman's Sprocket - u jelly?
Weapons:
  • Heart of the Oak - The best overall choice. 40% FCR, 3 skills, Oak charges, 40 resists, 20 life replenish and even has 10 to dexterity. Should be used for practically all your builds.
  • Wizardspike Dagger - Very solid choice. While you do lose the skills, the nice stacking resists and extra 10% FCR over HotO make this a cute choice.
  • Death's Web - From first glance, it appears to be the most obvious choice. +4 to Poison Skills and -50% Poison Pierce look very inviting, but then you realize it doesn't give you anything else. No FCR, no resists, only an open socket. Yes, you can make a 125% FCR build using it, but you may be losing out on other essentials. I used to be heavily against Death's Web, but I tried it out and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, however, I still prefer HotO greatly.
  • Spirit Weapon - Only use this for your MB build. Can be an okay choice, but you should normally be able to get enough FHR from your helm + boots + one or two FHR GCs, so in my opinion Spirit weapons are not really needed, unless of course you are going to try to hit the 152% FHR BP which I do not recommend.
  • White - Worst choice even if you get one made in a +3 Poison Nova & +3 Lower Resist wand. Compared to HotO, you lose all the stats and 20% FCR in order to essentially gain +3 to Poison Nova.
Shields:
  • Spirit Monarch - Your main, and most likely your only non-MB shield. No explanation needed
  • Stormshield - Popular and most common MB shield. Gives you both DR% and a high block rate.
  • Homunculus - Very underrated choice for MB builds. Gives you +2 Necro skills, an additional +2 to Curses, +all resistances, better blocking percentage than Stormshield, so more HP for you, and it costs a lot less strength to use, which again could mean even more HP for you. Yes, it doesn't give DR% but if you have invested nicely into Bone Wall/Prison, your Bone Armor will be pretty solid allowing you to tank a bit of damage and abuse recast. As long as you block and keep your Bone Armor up, you shouldn't need to worry about DR% as much as other chars.
  • Darkforce Spawn - Became instantly useless when Spirit came out in the 2nd ladder season of 1.10, however, it could be an option for a 125% FCR max damage build, but I certainly would not recommend it as survivability and flexibility are more important than little extra damage.
  • Rare/Magical Shrunken Heads - I don't think you can find a viable build even if you had a nice shield. Vita builds are dominated by Spirit while MB builds will almost always use SS and Homunculus in our case. These Rare/Magical shields wouldn't really fill any niche.
Amulets:
  • Crafted/Rare Amulets - Pretty straight forward. Amulets are probably the last FCR piece most Casters will put on, so just keep in mind how much you will need.
  • Magical Amulets/Mara's Kaleidoscope - Again straightforward. Use only if you don't need FCR, however, you will probably most likely need FCR from your Amulet.
Rings:
  • SoJ/BK - I would prefer SoJ's since you will be going through pots pretty quickly. Plus, the max 50 unBOable life on BK is not going to save you in most situations.
  • Crafted/Rare FCR Rings - Like the Crafted/Rare Amulets, they are used to fill the remaining gaps of FCR. Use common sense here.
  • Raven Frost - Cute ring in general, especially for MB builds. I normally always try to wear one, especially for the CBF stat since I like to walk/run in my duels often.
  • Sorb Rings - Obvious use is obvious.
Inventory:
  • Annihulus/Hellfire Torch - Use common sense plox.
  • Poison & Bone Grand Charms - If you can't afford lifers, FRW/Strength/Dexterity/FHR are all decent alternatives.
  • Life/Resist SCs - o rly?
Sockets:
  • Poison Facet - I personally do not like using Rainbow Facets on any of my characters as my philosophy has always been flexibility and survivability are more important than extra damage. However, in some cases, Poison Facets may be the best choice, such as in a Wizardspike Dagger build where you'll have pretty stacked resists.
  • Ber - Use these to get extra DR%, remember the 50% cap.
  • Cham - If you have the choice of using a non-FCR ring and putting a Cham in an item, then I would advise using Raven Frost to get your CBF, especially if you are a MB build. I would only advise using Cham if both of your rings must be FCR.
  • Rare/Magical Jewels - I would only use these for their FHR stat to fill any remaining gaps that you might have.
  • Shael - You should only need to use this in your helm for a max block build.
  • Lo/Vex - Probably only should slap these into swapping gear for particular duels.

~ Continued ~


This post was edited by Godest on May 15 2011 04:50am
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May 15 2011 04:47am
Builds

Putting together the right group of items should be pretty self-explanatory as long as you understand what you are trying to achieve such as DR%, max block, 125% FCR, 86% FHR, and so on. However, the following will be a general list of builds to use. Keep in mind that this doesn't cover everything.

----------------

Build 1:
Cookie-Cutter
  • Shako/CoA
  • Enigma
  • HotO
  • Spirit Monarch
  • TGods/Verdungos/Bugbelt/Rare Belt
  • Trang Gloves
  • 2 Necro/20% FCR Amulet
  • FCR Ring
  • SoJ/BK/Raven Frost/Sorb Ring
  • Aldurs/Rare Boots/Hotspurs
Notes: The typical Vita build for Necromancers in general. You aren't limited to using a 20% FCR amulet, however, remember that if you drop it to 10%, you'll have to get it from elsewhere. Wiz Spike Dagger can also replace HotO in this build, which would open up 10% FCR from your build. In terms of socketing, you really only have your helm to socket which is quite open to different suggestions. Most of the items I listed under sockets would work fine.

----------------

Build 2:
Max Block
  • Rare/Magical 20% FCR Circlet
  • Enigma
  • HotO
  • Stormshield/Homunculus
  • Arachs
  • Trang Gloves
  • 2 Necro/20% FCR Amulet
  • FCR Ring
  • SoJ/BK/Raven Frost/Sorb Ring
  • Rare Boots/SDancers/Marrowwalk
Notes: I listed only boots that provide FHR and/or dex, however, if you feel that you can get both fine, the other boots will of course work for this build. This build is not very open as you are limited by your ability to get enough items with FCR and FHR. While Wiz Spike Dagger may seem logical since it gives a little more FCR, I would not advise taking HotO away from this build. A Spirit weapon can be used in this build, especially to get enough FHR, but if you can afford quality items, you shouldn't need to worry about not hitting 86% FHR. I highly recommend using Raven Frost as your non-FCR ring in this build. Any sockets in this build should be towards helping you achieve 86% FHR, so Shaels in the helm would be logical. Finally, if you want to use that 1.08 Valk that has been sitting around, well this the build to use it in.

----------------

Build 3:
Death's Web
  • Rare/Magical 20% FCR Circlet
  • Enigma
  • DWeb
  • Spirit Monarch
  • Arachs
  • Trang Gloves
  • 2 Necro/20% FCR Amulet
  • FCR Ring
  • SoJ/BK/Raven Frost/Sorb Ring
  • Aldurs/Rare Boots/Hotspurs
Notes: A 20% FCR amulet is not required, however, I think it is almost necessary. Just remember that if you do drop to a 10% FCR amulet you have to offset this by using another FCR ring. Sockets are pretty open here to suggestions.


Hotkeys

Choosing the right hotkeys is a very personal matter as we all like and dislike different ways. However, just as a reference and suggestion that some may appreciate, the following are the hotkeys I use:

W - Switch weapons
E - Switch weapons
Q - Battle Command
R - Battle Orders
A - Bone Armor
S - Fire Golem
D - Clay Golem
F - Bone Prison
Z - Telepot
X - Teeth
C - Bone Spear
V - Poison Nova
B - Lower Resist


~ Continued ~


This post was edited by Godest on May 15 2011 04:50am
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Spells & Tactics
  • Lower Resist - Your main debuff. Always make sure that your opponent has this on him at all times, especially before you are about to land a Nova.
  • Poison Nova - Your main attack. Now, unlike your counterpart, the Bone Necro, you are going to have to be a little more creative in landing a hit. You can either be offensive and take the initiative to get one in, or you can play defensively and attempt to place one where they might move to. Both strategies are required in order to be fully effective at dueling.
  • Teeth/Bone Spear - Your "final" attack. Doesn't do much, but it gets the job done when your opponent only has a handful of HP left.
  • Bone Armor - While not as good as a Bone Necro's for many of you it will still be sufficient enough to abuse.
  • Bone Wall/Prison - Used to block your opponent's pathing, or to trap them, especially in pubs.
  • Fire Golem - Your main minion, used for the Fire Absorb/Immunity and Holy Fire damage. Along with Teeth/Bone Spear, Fire Golems are used to get that last bit of HP.
  • Clay Golem - Your tank minion, used for slow and to tank damage in general. They have about several thousand more life than Fire Golems, so keep that in mind. You may want to have Clay Golem up for the majority of duels.
  • Iron Golem - Your situational/PvM minion, used for getting Meditation by making one out of Insight so that your Merc can use something else.
  • Revive - Your optional spell. Some like spending their time collecting some summons to BM pubs, but in my opinion it is very boring and time consuming. The use of stacking summons is pretty straightforward.

Killing - The general tactic to dueling a player is to cast Lower Resist, get one or two Poison Novas in and then spam Teeth/Bone Spear while teleporting around with your Fire Golem trying to get that last bit of HP. If you are unfamiliar with Poison Nova, you may be unaware that Poison Nova will not finish off a player even if the poison has yet to completely dissipate. You can, however, kill with Poison Nova if the opponent has a very menial amount of HP left, but that is certainly not recommend as it is much easier to finish them off with Teeth/Bone Spear. It is also important to note how terrible Teeth's damage is. While it is probably more likely to hit your opponent if you are spamming, for most builds, it only does 50-100 damage before PvP penalties. So with that in mind, Bone Spear is arguably more viable as the finisher as it does about 6 x more damage, travels faster, goes through targets and costs less mana. Just remember, even though this is a Necromancer, definitely don't treat this as a Bone Necro. You have shittier range, you have a curse to cast and you deal elemental damage.

Golems - As I noted, it is important to realize the different aspects of the 3 main golems - Clay, Iron, Fire. While Fire Golem is used to finish off opponents, you probably shouldn't use it during the entire length of a duel unless of course you are dueling a Fire Sorceress. Instead, I recommend using Clay Golem until your opponent's HP starts nearing one which at that point, you should summon your Fire Golem. Clay Golems have a couple thousand more HP and can slow your opponents. The final golem, Iron Golem, is completely optional, however, it is pretty useful especially if you are going to be PvMing especially Baaling for levels. Make your Iron Golem out of an Insight so that your Merc can use something else, and you'll be one happy PvM player.

Bone Armor - Just recast that shit all the time.

Bone Wall/Prison - Although it is considered BM against those who cannot Teleport, using Wall/Prison can be very useful especially in pubs where no one gives a rat's ass. Pretty self-explanatory, just trap 'em and you got 'em. Bowazons and Paladins who runs around with charge (mainly Hammerdins) are probably the best opponents to use these spells against.

Namelocking - Unlike Bone Necros, namelocking is not a necessary skill to posses for a Poison Nova Necro. However, it is a nice plus if you are able to namelock since after all you will need to use Teeth/Bone Spear to finish off your opponent.

WSG - Weapon Switch Glitch is a trick everyone should know. Very useful for Necros since they have bad FHR frames.

Walking/Teleporting - While you should be almost always Teleporting, walking can be very useful especially in some match-ups such as against Hammerdins, Druids and other Necros. Knowing when to walk can be an invaluable skill.

----------------

Paladins:
Hammerdin
  • Always a dangerous character to face since Hammers do very high magic damage which obviously cannot be dramatically reduced. However, dueling Hammerdins isn't a complete nightmare. Since most will charge around and cast Hammers almost aimlessly, you just have to predict where they will be next in order to try to have them run into a Poison Nova. Bone Wall/Prison help tremendously in this case. While not required, walking will be a useful technique especially if they are trying to tele-stomp you with Hammer. Be careful getting the swirly from Smite and then going into an FHR animation from FoH, because next thing you know it, he's raping you. Also be sure to look for Grief as many will carry one in stash.
Smiter
  • Smiters will inevitably try to Charge you, so perhaps having max block or at least some DR% will make this duel easier for you. Just try to keep your distance, especially away from Smite, and land a couple Novas. Again, avoid getting Smite + FoH'd.

----------------

Druids:
Wind
  • Can be a very difficult duel, however, Poison Nova works great against Wind Druids in general since it will take out virtually all of his minions and it isn't affected by Cyclone Armor. "Cannot be Frozen" is an important mod to have while dueling them, as you should be walking some of the time. Range may be an issue here unlike your Bone Necro counterpart, so just be sure to keep a smart distance in order to stay away from Nados while at the same time being able to land a few Novas.
Shapeshifter
  • With their mass HP, they might take a while to kill, however, since they can't utilize Tele, as long as you can keep your distance you have a much better chance of winning than they do. However, don't underestimate their FRW.

----------------

Amazons:
Bowazon
  • A pretty tricky duel. They will be constantly desyncing, so land a Nova is not as straightforward as other duels. At the same time, their ability to dodge/avoid/evade your attacks is very frustrating. If possible, using Bone Prison makes this duel much easier. Always be sure to have Bone Armor recasted on yourself. DR% and/or blocking may be useful here.
Javazon
  • A similar duel to Bowazons for the most part, however, instead of worrying about long range physical damage, you now have to worry about short range Lightning damage. It is pretty dangerous seeing that you have to get in close to land a Nova. TGods will help tremendously here.

----------------

Assassins:
Trapsin/Hybsin
  • I would argue that Assassins will be your biggest enemy in general, especially Trapsins. They will be surrounded by high damage traps and you need to get close enough to hit, so defensive Trapsins will be a nightmare in many cases. They will try to always have a swirly on you, so make sure that you WSG out of as many locks as you can. If you are facing a Hybsin, make sure that Bone Armor is always up and you may also want to get DR% and/or max block. At the same time, be sure to note that Fade will dramatically lower the duration of Lower Resists so always make sure the curse stays on them.
Ghost
  • Again, a rather difficult duel. Just WSG/walk out of whatever locks you can, put on some DR% and/or block and keep Bone Armor up.

----------------

Necromancers:
Bone
  • A pretty difficult duel, seeing that their spells are technically better than yours (magic damage, long rang, better targeting). Essentially an "avoid their hits, land your hits" type of duel. Pack as much HP and/or damage, as you won't have to worry about other aspects in general.
Poison Nova
  • Your mirror duel. Like against Bone Necros, pretty much who can get the most hits in.

----------------

Barbarians:
Whirldwind
  • Since Barbs will have a high amount of innate HP, this duel will be pretty difficult since it will take a little bit to get one to zero. Just stay alert so that it is difficult for them to take advantage of you getting knocked back from Leap. As with other physical damaging characters, having DR% and/or block will make this duel more manageable. And as always, make sure Bone Armor is up all the time.

----------------

Sorceresses:
All Elements
  • I would personally just treat these duels like a fast Bone Necro. Regardless, they can be difficult to keep up with, but with the right moves, you'll be able to land a couple Poison Novas to take care of their low HP. If they are ES, well it is your lucky day.


~ End of the Poison Nova Necromancer guide. Please continue for the Trang-Oul Poison Nova Necromancer miniguide. ~
Member
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May 15 2011 04:49am

~ Disclaimer - This guide is my interpretation on how to build/play the Trang-Oul Poison Nova Necromancer. I am in no way claiming my builds are the best out there. With that being said, inb4tl;dr ~



Stats

Stats:
  • Strength - As low as you can. Your highest strength item should be your Trang helm which requires 106 strength if you don't put a -req jewel in it.
  • Dexterity - You should get max block, however, be warned that it will take quite a bit of dex. Since the HP gain per vitality is not significant on Necros, the difference in the end is pretty miniscule.
  • Vitality - Everything else.
  • Energy - This isn't a Tommyvv guide.


Skills


  • Lower Resist - Your main debuff. Put one or put a couple, and sit.
  • Poison Nova - Your main attack. Obviously max this along with its synergies.
  • Poison Dagger - Could also be your main attack :evil: This is obviously a synergy to Poison Nova as well.
  • Teeth/Bone Spear - Your "final" attack. In most cases there is no need to add more than one point since we are merely using these skills for the range to finish off your opponent. Adding into Bone Wall/Prison will benefit these spells.
  • Bone Armor - Unlike your Bone Necro counterpart, your Bone Armor will be pretty crappy in general, so leave this as a one point wonder so you can abuse recast. If you want a better Bone Armor, much better to add into Bone Wall/Prison.
  • Bone Wall/Prison - You will most likely find these skills the most useful to place your remaining points in as it makes your Bone Armor stronger, gives you a better Wall/Prison and increased your Teeth/Spear damage.
  • Fire Golem - Your main minion, used for the Fire Absorb/Immunity and Holy Fire damage. Only put one. It may seem logical to keep adding for the fire absorb or for the extra Holy Fire damage, but both are poor reasons to add into Fire Golem.
  • Golem Mastery - Normally only one point is needed, however, it does increase the HP of your Golems quite a bit in case you didn't like adding into Bone Wall/Prison.
  • Summon Resist - One point wonder for your Golems.


Breakpoints

FCR - As a Vampire, you have terrible, terrible FCR frames to the point where I don't think you should give a shit about how much FCR you put on.

FHR - This isn't supposed to be a serious char, don't worry about the FHR.

FRW - Put on a shitload of FRW and strength bug whatever you can, enough said.


Equipment

Helms:
  • Trang-Oul's Guise - This is a Trang-Oul build.

Armor:
  • Trang-Oul's Scales - This is a Trang-Oul build.

Belt:
  • Trang-Oul's Girth - This is a Trang-Oul build.

Gloves:
  • Trang-Oul's Claws - This is a Trang-Oul build.

Boots:
  • Aldur's Advance - Cheap build needs a cheap and solid option. Aldurs are arguably the best choice here.
  • Merman's Sprocket - u jelly?

Weapons:
  • Heart of the Oak - You like Oak charges, skills, resists, and life replen?
  • Death's Web - Ouch.
  • Blackbog's Sharp - Can't afford HotO or Death's Web? Do you want to use Poison Dagger? If you answered yes to either one, get this.
  • Fleshripper - My personal weapon of choice for Poison Dagger since you get 50% Open Wounds :evil:
  • Wizardspike Dagger - Allows you to cast a bit faster, stack resists and use Poison Dagger, naiz.

Shields:
  • Trang-Oul's Wing - This is a Trang-Oul build.

Amulets:
  • The Cat's Eye - FRW, IAS, dex, what else do you need?
  • Everything else - If you don't want to use Cat's Eye then you are fucking crazy.

Rings:
  • SoJ/BK - I would prefer SoJ's since you will be going through pots pretty quickly. Plus, the max 50 unBOable life on BK is not going to save you in most situations.
  • Raven Frost - I wear two of them for the AR to hit with Poison Dagger, the meni cold sorb and the dex for max block.

Inventory:
  • Annihulus/Hellfire Torch - Use common sense plox.
  • Poison & Bone Grand Charms - Use ones with FRW to go super phast.
  • FRW/Resist SCs - What is racecar spelled backwards?



Spells & Tactics
  • Lower Resist - Your main debuff. Always make sure that your opponent has this on him at all times, especially before you are about to land a Poison Nova/Dagger.
  • Poison Nova - Your main attack. Run up and land that shit, or let them chase you like idiots and run into your Novas.
  • Poison Dagger - Your other main attack. Use this against Casters that you can catch up to. Much easier to use Poison Nova against everyone else, especially those with high defense.
  • Teeth/Bone Spear - Your "final" attack. Doesn't do much, but it gets the job done when your opponent only has a handful of HP left.
  • Bone Armor - While not as good as a Bone Necro's, for many of you it will still be sufficient enough to abuse.
  • Bone Wall/Prison - Used to block your opponent's pathing, or to trap them, especially in pubs.
  • Fire Golem - Your main minion, used for the Fire Absorb/Immunity and Holy Fire damage. Along with Teeth/Bone Spear, Fire Golems are used to get that last bit of HP.

Killing - Hit and run. Either land a Poison Nova, or better yet, Poison Dagger, and fucking take off. Make sure Lower Resist is casted on them first.

Golems - Keep a Fire Golem up running around while you're running around.

Bone Armor - Just recast that shit all the time.

Run - Just fucking run.


End

Thanks for reading my guide. Hope you enjoyed it. Again, nothing new for many of you, but perhaps this might solve some general questions in the future for those who want to make a Poison Nova Necro.

Feel free to comment and post any questions!

Thanks,

Hakeem (Godest)
Member
Posts: 127,924
Joined: Aug 28 2005
Gold: 3,012.71
May 15 2011 04:50am
Quote (Godest @ 15 May 2011 13:50)
Quote (RaBBit3x @ 15 May 2011 13:50)
TL;DR


ty rate.

At least I got the entire thing in time before someone posted :wacko:

I waited you to finish it before posting. :)

This post was edited by RaBBit3x on May 15 2011 04:53am
Member
Posts: 13,691
Joined: Oct 6 2009
Gold: 1,786.00
May 15 2011 04:50am
Quote (RaBBit3x @ May 15 2011 03:50am)
TL;DR


ty rate.

At least I got the entire thing in time before someone posted :wacko:

Quote (RaBBit3x @ May 15 2011 03:50am)
I waited you to finish it before posting. :)


Ty 4 being GG gentleman



This post was edited by Godest on May 15 2011 04:55am
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May 15 2011 04:54am
writed wrong sry meng nice guide

This post was edited by Ekaan on May 15 2011 05:00am
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Joined: Oct 6 2009
Gold: 1,786.00
May 15 2011 04:59am
Quote (Ekaan @ May 15 2011 03:54am)
nice guides, but in the trang guide, is it not the fhr that decide how fast you will cast the nova? i got 56 fhr on my psn nova


Wait, what?
Member
Posts: 26,794
Joined: Jul 22 2005
Gold: 7,164.00
May 15 2011 05:41am
Great guide 9/10 imo

In your opinion, a poison nec is going to have a tough time! :D

Paladins:
Hammerdin
Always a dangerous character to face

Druids:
Wind
Can be a very difficult duel

Amazons:
Bowazon
A pretty tricky duel.

Assassins:
Trapsin/Hybsin
I would argue that Assassins will be your biggest enemy in general, especially Trapsins.

Ghost
Again, a rather difficult duel.

Necromancers:
Bone
A pretty difficult duel

Barbarians:
this duel will be pretty difficult

This post was edited by uptoolayte on May 15 2011 05:42am
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