The Lich

The Lich - Magicka Necromancer PVE Build

What do we call this? Magcro? mag necro? magromancer?! Pick your poison, I’m sticking with Mag Necro, regardless of the term used to describe it, this class is INSANE!

This Magicka Necromancer build is built for HIGH single target DPS, great AOE dps and MASSIVE ultimate gain! This build is FUN, has great survival, has a full static rotation which never has to change, has solid sustain and is all round balanced for all PVE content.

Utlizing a rather fun set too making it themed on top of everything else adds to it’s overall appeal!

We do have a couple of pets in our arsenal but unlike the Sorcerer where the abilities have to be double barred in order to have 100% uptime on them, the Necromancer has fire and forget pets. We raise the dead, we use them , and then dump them again.

The corpse system is extremely useful for the necromancer. The Templar can syphon energy from dead bodies of course but the Necromancer is the master of all that is dead. We can consume Ultimate, heals, minions and even resurrect dead bodies/players.

This system DOES make the learning curve a little tricky but don’t worry, all you need to know is explained in detail in the video. The Necromancer can be fun if you are just smashing buttons, however if you have great situational awareness and understand how to take advantage of the bodies around you, then you can become VERY powerful. Also this is not just the bodies from players or enemies, you can physically consume the corpses of your raised pets to benefit you,

In this build consuming corpses is key! We have abilities that do damage over time, we have ground based aoes, we have ultimate regeneration, AND heals all from paying attention to what is dead and what is alive. Clever and planned useage of your corpse consuming skills can completely change the tide of any battle.

In this build you will have all of the above however, covered FOR you. The rotation alone takes full advantage of consuming corpses, setting up some well placed corpses with planned and timed skills to then utilize them when they are present!

As well as the corpse system, we have elements of all kinds in our damage including ice, fire, AND shock! Which makes the Magicka Necromancer the master of all magic!

And last but not least of course, we have an ultimate in the form of a massive flesh abomination which grants major vulnerability to your group. Meaning all players hit the targets affected by 30% more damage! The Necromancer is the only class in the game with this bonus. Play smart and you can be a massive asset to any group!

Key bonuses to the setup

  • High damage output in both single target AND AOE!

  • Fire and forget abilities/pets which do NOT require double baring of the same skills (unlike the sorcerer)

  • Incredible ultimate gain from our Necrotic Potency IF used correctly!

  • Major Vulnerability (30% damage done increase to target for EVERYONE) from our Colossus Ultimate

  • At execute range we have a passive which greatly improves our critical chance!

  • High use of class skills, making it feel like a totally unique setup/class/playstyle

  • High health bonus JUST for being a Necromancer!

  • The more you understand about the class, the more powerful you are if you have the ability to take advantage of the situation at the time, ESPECIALLY if there are many many BODIES!

Skills:

Lightning Destruction Staff

1) Stalking Blastbones
2) Barbed Trap
3) Mystic Siphon
4) Inner Light
5) Ricochet Skull
Ultimate – Shooting Star

Flame Destruction Staff

1) Necrotic Potency
2) Unstable Wall Of Elements
3) Harness Magicka/Inner Light
4) Skeletal Arcanist
5) Avid Boneyard
Ultimate – Glacial Colossus

 

Champion points

  • 75 Thaumaturge
  • 66 Master at Arms
  • 9 Staff Expert
  • 56 Elfborn
  • 64 Elemental Expert
  • 75 Tenacity
  • 75 Arcanist
  • 44 Warlord
  • 72 Tumbling
  • 4 Shadow Ward
  • 19 quick recovery
  • 64 hardy
  • 64 elemental defender
  • 51 thick skinned
  • 72 ironclad

Lower Champion Points

If you are lower than maximum champion points do NOT worry! This will work no matter what and of course the more cps you get the more effective it will be, however some hints on what to do at lower cps. I get questions about 300cps, 401 cps, 12 cps? we could be here all day but here are somethings i personally would recommend to prioritize in your damage areas..

Firstly be sure to get 30 points into Elemental Expert, this will allow you access to the 9% critical chance passive and give you a good base for Magic/shock/fire/ice damage across the board. Then get 40 points into Thaumaturge to start getting that dot bonus for your skills bonus before then pushing for master at arms and Staff Expert. . After that push for piercing while evening out your cps until you hit maximum.

As far as the resists are concerned (red trees) get 15 points into quick recovery asap for the res bonus passive and then from there BALANCE your resists between hardy, elemental defender and thick skinned until you have a good even base and just drip them in boosting it as you go until you are maxed.

For the green trees be sure to spread tenacity and Arcanist as evenly as possibly and boost them both to 75, then after work on dodge roll costs (tumbling) and break free costs (warlord).

Rotation

Front bar: Light Attack, Stalking Blastbones, Light Attack, Ricochet Skull, Light Attack, Ricochet Skull, Light Attack, Stalking Blastbones, Light Attack, Mystic Siphon, Light Attack, Ricochet Skull, Light Attack, Stalking Blastbones, Light Attack, Barbed Trap, Weapon Swap 

Back Bar: Light Attack, Avid Boneyard, Light Attack, Skeletal Arcanist, Light attack, Unstable Wall Of Elements, Weapon Swap.

NOTE: Always fire your ultimate if ready, at the END of the rotation and swap back to the front to be sure to get the most damage out of it (front bar has higher weapon damage).

Also if you feel like you need more ultimate regeneration you can throw in a “Light Attack, Necrotic Potency” before swapping to your front bar after Unstable wall of Elements but try not to hang on the back bar too long.

Potions & Food

Potions really help a LOT. Spell power pots are most useful for this setup because it keeps up your magicka recovery and major sorcery meaning you constantly have 20% increase to spell damage. This can be kept up 100% of the time with medicinal use, so i HIGHLY recommend getting that skill in alchemy maxed asap.

Food is very simple, the highest level food you can consume with 2 stats only, MAX health and MAX magicka. There are 3 variations of recipes but all are the same in the stats they give so your choice which one you use.

Spell pots – Lady smock + Water Hyacinth + Cornflower + Lorkhan’s Tears

Food – Minstral Banana-Bunny Hash – Small game(1) + Bananas(2) + Seasoning(3)
             Melon-Baked Parmesan Pork – White Meat(1) + Melon(2) + Cheese(3)
             Solitude Salmon-Millet Soup – Fish(1) + Tomato(2) + Millet(3)
             Clockwork Citrus Filet – Red Meat(1), Lemon(1), Perfect Roe(1), Frost Mirriam(1)
             Witchmother’s Potent Brew – Nightshade(1), Bervez Juice(1), (Rice(1), Small Game(1)

Gear Setup

Below is a chart showing the overall gear set-up, noting the optimal set requirements in terms of weight, enchants & traits!

We are using the Shadow Mundus stone along side 64 points into Magicka

We are a High Elf but other races are also usable. Dark elf, Khajiit or Breton are good substitutes.

Optimal Setup

necro gear

No Trial/beginner Setup

beginner necromancer,

Gear Locations

Zaan – Scalecaller Peak
    Mantle Of Siroria – Cloudrest
Caluurion‘s Legacy – Fang Lair
Maelstrom weapons – Veteran Maelstrom Arena

 Grothdar – Vaults Of Madness
New Moon Acolyte – 9 Trait Crafted Set
Law Of Julianos – 6 Trait Crafted Set