Introduction
This is pretty much a carbon copy of this build at Alcast, just reworded and reordered with some new player focused changes.
Index
Character
| Class | Necromancer |
| Race | Breton (Max Magicka +2000, Spell Resistance 2310 (4610 if Burning, Chilled or Concussed), Magicka Recovery +100, Magicka costs reduced by 7%) |
| Subspecies | Vampire (Optional – Magicka and Stamina Recovery +10%) |
| Mundus | The Shadow (+17% Critical Damage) |
| Attributes | Magicka 64 Health 0 Stamina 0 |
| Buff Food | Max Health and Max Magicka |
| Potions | Spell-Power Potions (Cornflower, Lady’s Smock, Water Hyacinth) |
Skills
Front Bar: Inferno Staff
| Button | Skill | Line | Morph from |
| X | Hungry Scythe | Bone Tyrant | Death Scythe |
| Y | Harness Magicka | Light Armor | Annulment |
| B | Unnerving Boneyard | Grave Lord | Boneyard |
| LB | Soul Splitting Trap | Soul Magic | Soul Trap |
| RB | Unstable Wall of Elements | Destruction Staff | Wall of Elements |
| ULT | Shooting Star | Mages Guild | Meteor |
Back Bar: Inferno Staff
| Button | Skill | Line | Morph from |
| X | Stalking Blastbones | Grave Lord Skill | Blastbones |
| Y | Skeletal Arcanist | Grave Lord Skill | Skeletal Mage |
| B | Mystic Siphon | Grave Lord Skill | Shocking Siphon |
| LB | Degeneration | Mages Guild Skil | Entropy |
| RB | Ricochet Skull | Grave Lord Skill | Flame Skull |
| ULT | Glacial Colossus | Grave Lord Skill | Frozen Colossus |
Other Skills
This is a better setup for soloing, but for dungeons or any grouping, switch out Hungry Scythe for Channeled Acceleration (Psyjic Order Skill – Acceleration Morph) if you have it, or either Inner Light (Mages Guild Skill – Magelight Morph) if you want more Spell Critical or Scalding Rune (Mages Guild Skill – Fire Rune Morph) if you want some more damage output (it also synergises well if you have a group mate who inflicts Weakness to Fire, like a Dragonknight’s Fiery Breath).
You need to make sure you have as many Grave Lord abilities on one bar, but also at least one Mages Guild Ability on each bar (to maintain the +2% Max Magicka and Magicka Recovery). With this setup, it means that your back bar will increase your Critical Strike Chance against enemies under 25% health by 50%.
This will be a recommendation on all characters – when soloing world (especially Cyrodiil), have Charging Maneuver (Assault Skill – Rapid Maneuver Morph) slotted somewhere just for getting around faster. In this case, I’d switch it with Soul Splitting Trap.
Method
There is a detailed rotation in the original build, but I don’t use it. Not because it’s wrong, but because it doesn’t feel natural to how I play. What I’ll do is describe what I do and the effects, but bear in mind that the original build will be far more potent!
- Activate and keep active Skeletal Arcanist (Damage, adds 300 Magicka Recovery and 1500 Spell Penetration (from Undead Confederate and Dismember passives).
- Fire Stalking Blastbones (takes 2.5 seconds to cast, then time to travel to target and does good AoE to enemies, so it makes a good opener. Also leaves behind a corpse).
- Activate Unnerving Boneyard on the enemy group after Stalking Blastbones detonates leaving a corpse (This will add 50% more damage on top off applying Major Breach and Fracture). Keep it up as you get more corpses.
- Fire an Unstable Wall of Elements and keep it up whenever it detonates.
- Fire off Ricochet Skull as your main direct attack (every third cast deals 20% more damage and bounce to 2 nearby targets).
- As you start getting hit, use Harness Magicka to mitigate damage and return some magicka.
- Use Mystic Siphon on corpses to return magicka and deal some decent damage.
- Put Degeneration on the toughest enemy you’re facing for great DoT, but also increases your Spell Damage by 20%, and Light and Heavy Attacks return 100 magicka.
- Use Soul Splitting Trap every once in a while for just that bit more DoT.
- Use Hungry Scythe if things get hairy with your health when soloing, or keep up Channeled Acceleration up for the extra 10% Critical Damage while grouping. Or pop down Scalding Rune to just pile on some more damage.
- Glacial Colossus is your main Ultimate, use it whenever you would normally use an Ultimate! It does decent AoE damage, applies Major Vulnerability (increase damage taken by 30% for 3 seconds) and stuns enemies for 4 seconds.
- Shooting Star is slotted mostly for the Mages Guild passives, however, it is viable to use against large groups due to returning 12 Ultimate per enemy hit, so can be quite useful situationally.
Gear
Starter Set
This is different from the original build in that I’m not assuming you have access to the Willpower set for Jewelry, so I’ve just filled out Magnus’ Gift. When you get access to Willpower (probably best through Guild Shops), get those, or replace the shoulders with an Undaunted pair, any light ones will do to maintain your 5 set bonus.
| Slot | Set | Type | Trait | Enchantment |
| Head | Magnus | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Magnus | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Chest | Julianos | Heavy | Divines | Magicka |
| Hands | Julianos | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Belt | Julianos | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Legs | Julianos | Medium | Divines | Magicka |
| Feet | Julianos | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Neck | Magnus | Jewelry | Arcane | Spell Damage |
| Ring | Magnus | Jewelry | Healthy | Spell Damage |
| Ring | Magnus | Jewelry | Arcane | Spell Damage |
| Main 1 | Magnus | Fire Staff | Precise | Fire Enchant |
| Offhand 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Main 2 | Magnus | Fire Staff | Infused | Weapon Damage |
| Offhand 2 | – | – | – | – |
Magnus’ Gift can be crafted in Arananga, Greenshade for Aldmeri Dominion, Vaewend Ede, Rivenspire for Daggerfall Covenant, and Xal haj-ei Shrine in Shadowfen for Ebonheart Pact (See links for locations).
Law of Julianos can be crafted in the Boreal Forge, Wrothgar for all players.
Intermediate Set
| Slot | Set | Type | Trait | Enchantment |
| Head | Zaan | Medium | Divines | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Zaan | Heavy | Divines | Magicka |
| Chest | Burning Spellweave | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Hands | Mother’s Sorrow | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Belt | Burning Spellweave | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Legs | Mother’s Sorrow | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Feet | Burning Spellweave | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Neck | Mother’s Sorrow | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Spell Damage |
| Ring | Mother’s Sorrow | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Spell Damage |
| Ring | Mother’s Sorrow | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Spell Damage |
| Main 1 | Burning Spellweave | Fire Staff | Precise | Fire Enchant |
| Offhand 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Main 2 | Crushing Wall | Fire Staff | Infused | Weapon Damage |
| Offhand 2 | – | – | – | – |
Zaan’s Shoulders are obtainable from Undaunted chests, while the helmet is a drop from the boss in Veteran Scalecaller’s Peak.
Burning Spellweave drops in City of Ash I an II.
Mother’s Sorrow drops in Deshaan – Belt and Feet from Delve bosses; Head, Chest and Legs from World bosses; Shoulders and Hands from Public Dungeon bosses; Rings and Necklaces from Dark Anchor chests and; Weapons from World and Public Dungeon bosses.
Crushing Wall comes from Veteran Maelstrom Arena.
Advanced Set
| Slot | Set | Type | Trait | Enchantment |
| Head | Zaan | Medium | Divines | Magicka |
| Shoulder | Zaan | Heavy | Divines | Magicka |
| Chest | Perfected False God’s Devotion | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Hands | Mother’s Sorrow | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Belt | Mother’s Sorrow | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Legs | Perfected False God’s Devotion | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Feet | Mother’s Sorrow | Light | Divines | Magicka |
| Neck | Perfected False God’s Devotion | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Spell Damage |
| Ring | Perfected False God’s Devotion | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Spell Damage |
| Ring | Perfected False God’s Devotion | Jewelry | Bloodthirsty | Spell Damage |
| Main 1 | Mother’s Sorrow | Fire Staff | Precise | Fire Enchant |
| Offhand 1 | – | – | – | – |
| Main 2 | Crushing Wall | Fire Staff | Infused | Weapon Damage |
| Offhand 2 | – | – | – | – |
Zaan’s Shoulders are obtainable from Undaunted chests, while the helmet is a drop from the boss in Veteran Scalecaller’s Peak.
Perfected False God’s Devotion is from the Sunspire Trial.
Mother’s Sorrow drops in Deshaan – Belt and Feet from Delve bosses; Head, Chest and Legs from World bosses; Shoulders and Hands from Public Dungeon bosses; Rings and Necklaces from Dark Anchor chests and; Weapons from World and Public Dungeon bosses.
Crushing Wall comes from Veteran Maelstrom Arena.
Passives
| Class Skills | |
| Grave Lord | All passives |
| Bone Tyrant | All passives |
| Living Death | All passives |
| Weapon Skills | |
| Destruction Staff | All passives |
| Armor Skills | |
| Light Armor | All passives |
| Medium Armor | All but Agility |
| Heavy Armor | All but Revitalize and Rapid Mending |
| World Skills | |
| Legerdemain | All passives (Optional, but Improved Hiding can be useful) |
| Soul Magic | All passives |
| Vampire | All passives (but you can leave out Blood Ritual or just not be a vampire) |
| Guild Skills | |
| Dark Brotherhood | Shadow Rider (All passives if doing Dark Brotherhood activities) |
| Fighters Guild | Intimidating Presence and Banish the Wicked (Bounty Hunter if you like) |
| Mages Guild | All passives |
| Psyjic Order | All passives if you’re using Channeled Acceleration |
| Thieves Guild | None (All passives if doing Thieves Guild activities) |
| Undaunted | All passives |
| Race Skills | |
| Breton | All passives |
| Crafting Skills | |
| Alchemy | Medicinal Use |
Champion Points
You’ll notice as you level up that Tenacity stops being as useful, so I respecced as I hit the milestones to phase it out. No, I don’t know why – I just copied the original build!
Level 300
THE MAGE
| THE RITUAL | ||
| Thaumaturge 31 | ||
| THE ATRONACH | ||
| Master-At-Arms 20 | ||
| THE APPRENTICE | ||
| Elemental Expert 27 | Elfborn 20 | Spell Erosion 2 |
THE THIEF
| THE SHADOW | ||
| None | ||
| THE LOVER | ||
| Arcanist 49 | Tenacity 49 | |
| THE TOWER | ||
| Warlord 2 |
THE WARRIOR
| THE LORD | ||
| None | ||
| THE LADY | ||
| Hardy 23 | Elemental Defender 23 | Thick Skinned 23 |
| THE STEED | ||
| Ironclad 31 |
Level 600
THE MAGE
| THE RITUAL | ||
| Thaumaturge 44 | ||
| THE ATRONACH | ||
| Master-At-Arms 40 | Staff Expert 5 | |
| THE APPRENTICE | ||
| Elemental Expert 64 | Elfborn 37 | Spell Erosion 10 |
THE THIEF
| THE SHADOW | ||
| Tumbling 20 | Shadow Ward 20 | |
| THE LOVER | ||
| Arcanist 100 | Tenacity 23 | |
| THE TOWER | ||
| Warlord 37 |
THE WARRIOR
| THE LORD | ||
| None | ||
| THE LADY | ||
| Hardy 42 | Elemental Defender 42 | Thick Skinned 40 |
| THE STEED | ||
| Ironclad 31 | Spell Shield 24 |
Level 810
THE MAGE
| THE RITUAL | ||
| Thaumaturge 52 | ||
| THE ATRONACH | ||
| Master-At-Arms 56 | Staff Expert 27 | |
| THE APPRENTICE | ||
| Elemental Expert 64 | Elfborn 61 | Spell Erosion 10 |
THE WARRIOR
| THE LORD | ||
| None | ||
| THE LADY | ||
| Hardy 49 | Elemental Defender 49 | Thick Skinned 48 |
| THE STEED | ||
| Ironclad 81 | Spell Shield 43 |
Wull Scott 