He might look like a complex spellcaster or summoner class but the Necromancer in Diablo 2 and Resurrected is actually pretty straightforward. Those who don't want an army of emaciated minions fighting for them can opt to poke holes in their enemies with bones or poison them. The fact of the matter is, the Necromancer has always been an easier class to play compared to something as seemingly blunt as the Barbarian.
RELATED: Diablo 2: Everything You Need To Know About Unique Monsters
That doesn't mean players can slack off in their Necromancer builds in Diablo 2. Diablo and his brothers will still lay waste to anyone foolhardy enough to come at them unprepared. So in order to prepare one's Necromancer for the worst, some fitting Runewords are in order. Thankfully, the Necromancer's not too picky with his equipment.
Lore - Helm (Ort + Sol)
- +1 to All Skills
- +10 to Energy
- +2 to Mana after each kill
- Lightning Resist +30%
- Damage reduced by 7
- +2 to Light Radius
Lore or OrtSol is a relatively easy and affordable Runeword that players in the early game can farm. The +1 to all skills is surely welcome for any Necromancer build. The mana for every kill helps him sustain his attacks, assuming he's a Bonemancer build.
Ancient's Pledge - Shield (Ral + Ort + Tal)
- +50% Enhanced Defense
- Cold Resist +43%
- Fire Resist +48%
- Poison Resist +48%
- Lightning Resist +48%
As far as Necromancer Runewords go, Ancient's Pledge is a little too universal. In fact, some players might even trade it in for other Runeword items in the off-hand slot. However, it helps immensely once players get to Nightmare or Hell difficulty where every elemental attack can spell doom. Otherwise, a rare shield or a Shrunken Head might be better if the resistances don't need improvement.
RELATED: Mistakes Everyone Makes Playing Diablo 2
Stealth - Body Armor (Tal + Eth)
- Magic Damage Reduced by 3
- +6 to Dexterity
- +15 to Maximum Stamina
- +30% Poison Resist
- 15% Regenerate Mana
- 25% Faster run/walk
- 25% Faster Cast Rate
- 25% Faster Hit Recovery
Because of its universal benefits for low-level or early game players, the Stealth Runeword is always a good choice. In fact, some players in Normal difficulty probably already have the Runes ready without any effort on their part. Fast Cast Rate plays a good role here, especially for Bonemancers. Everything else helps a bit.
Spirit - Sword/Shield (Tal + Thul + Ort + Amn)
For Sword:
- +2 To All Skills
- +25-35% Faster Cast Rate
- +55% Faster Hit Recovery
- Adds 1-50 Lightning Damage
- Adds 3-14 Cold Damage 3 Second Duration (Normal)
- +75 Poison Damage Over 5 Seconds
- 7% Life Stolen Per Hit
- +250 Defense Vs. Missile
- +22 To Vitality
- +89-112 To Mana
- +3-8 Magic Absorb
For Shield:
- +2 To All Skills
- +25-35% Faster Cast Rate
- +55% Faster Hit Recovery
- +250 Defense Vs. Missile
- +22 To Vitality
- +89-112 To Mana
- Cold Resist +35%
- Lightning Resist +35%
- Poison Resist +35%
- +3-8 Magic Absorb
- Attacker Takes Damage of 14
For weapons, obviously, wands are off the table here since those can only have two slots max. If players are using wands for their Necromancers, then they might want to get the shield variant of the Runeword instead. In any case, both variants are beneficial mostly for their Mana increase, Skill level increase, and impressive Faster Cast Rate. For anyone still having a dilemma, the Shield version is more practical.
RELATED: Diablo 2: Things That Can Ruin Your Playthrough
White - Wand (Dol + Io)
- Hit Causes Monster To Flee 25%
- +10 To Vitality
- +3 To Poison And Bone Skills (Necromancer Only)
- +3 To Bone Armor (Necromancer Only)
- +2 To Bone Spear (Necromancer Only)
- +4 To Skeleton Mastery (Necromancer Only)
- Magic Damage Reduced By 4
- 20% Faster Cast Rate
- +13 To Mana
One good reason why players might want to get the Shield version of the Spirit Runeword is that the White Runeword for Wands is just too impressive. It's a highly desirable combination for Bonemancers and not too bad for Hybrid Summoners. If anything though, it was tailor-made for Bonemancer builds so make sure to maximize it.
Bone - Body Armor (Sol + Um + Um)
- 15% Chance To Cast level 10 Bone Armor When Struck
- 15% Chance To Cast level 10 Bone Spear On Striking
- +2 To Necromancer Skill Levels
- +100-150 To Mana
- All Resistances +30
- Damage Reduced By 7
Once players have graduated past the early stages of enduring the good but sub-optimal Stealth Body Armor, then they'll want to switch over to Bone. As the name implies, Bone is made with Necromancers in mind. The Bone Armor skill is one of the most reliable survival abilities of the Necromancer so it's handy here. Meanwhile, Bone Spear is also a welcome trigger. Again, it's mostly Bonemancers who will benefit from this armor but it's still viable for Summoners or Poisonmancers.
Radiance - Helm (Nef + Sol + Ith)
- +75% Enhanced Defense
- +30 Defense Vs. Missile
- +10 To Energy
- +10 To Vitality
- 15% Damage Goes To Mana
- Magic Damage Reduced By 3
- +33 To Mana
- Damage Reduced By 7
- +5 To Light Radius
Radiance is a welcome embrace for players who deem the Lore Helm too basic for Necromancers or Bonemancer or Poisonmancer builds. Those two builds, in particular, tend to be Mana-hungry. Hence, they'll be wanting the 15% Damage Goes To Mana here as that's the most crucial part of the Runeword. The Defense can also save any Necromancer's life in a pinch but not necessary thanks to Bone Armor or Bone Wall.
RELATED: Diablo 2: All Hirelings, Ranked
Heart Of The Oak - Mace/Staff (Ko + Vex + Pul + Thul)
- +3 To All Skills
- +40% Faster Cast Rate
- +75% Damage To Demons
- +100 To Attack Rating Against Demons
- Adds 3-14 Cold Damage, 3 sec. Duration (Normal)
- 7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
- +10 To Dexterity
- Replenish Life +20
- Increase Maximum Mana 15%
- All Resistances +30-40
- Level 4 Oak Sage (25 Charges)
- Level 14 Raven (60 Charges)
It would seem more favorable for Druids than Necromancers but really, Heart of the Oak is just stellar for any spellcaster class. One really can't go wrong with the hefty +3 To All Skills. The damage increase against Demons can be quite a game-changer during Hell or Baal farming runs. All in all, it's also a great weapon or Runeword for a high-level Necromancer of any build.
Enigma - Body Armor (Jah + Ith + Ber)
- +2 To All Skills
- +45% Faster Run/Walk
- +1 To Teleport
- +750-775 Defense
- + (0.75 Per Character Level) +0-74 To Strength (Based On Character Level)
- Increase Maximum Life 5%
- Damage Reduced By 8%
- +14 Life After Each Kill
- 15% Damage Taken Goes To Mana
- + (1 Per Character Level) +1-99% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (Based On Character Level)
Is it any wonder anymore what the best Body Armor is in Diablo 2 for any class? The Enigma Runeword just trumps everything else. Mostly everything else. It's all thanks to the Teleportation skill— this will turn any Summoner Necromancer invincible. Bonemancers and Poisonmancers also turn formidable with such a Runeword. The only problem is acquiring the Runes.