Build Overview
Welcome to Boosting Ground's comprehensive guide for the Shadow Sever Necromancer, a powerful endgame build that combines exceptional survivability with consistent damage output. This build harnesses the power of shadow-infused scythes enhanced by Overpower mechanics and guaranteed Critical Strikes, making it suitable for all content levels in Season 8.
Core Build Identity
The Shadow Sever playstyle revolves around unleashing devastating shadow scythes while maintaining multiple defensive layers through barrier generation. This build excels at both clearing dense enemy packs and eliminating elite threats, making it a versatile choice for players seeking a balance between offense and defense.
- Exceptional safety through dual-layer barrier mechanics
- Reliable and steady damage delivery
- Comfortable gameplay experience across all content
- Essence management requires careful attention
- Resource sustainability can fluctuate during extended encounters
Essential Equipment Requirements
Mandatory Unique Items
Your build foundation requires two critical unique pieces:
Creates Desecrated Ground beneath your Sever projectiles
Provides corrupting damage over 2 seconds
Essential for area denial and additional damage layers
Ensures guaranteed Overpowers for Sever
Amplifies critical strike damage
Requires maintaining 275+ maximum Essence for activation
Skill Configuration
Active Abilities Setup
Your action bar should contain these six abilities:
- Sever - Primary damage dealer launching shadow scythes
- Corpse Tendrils - Enemy grouping and critical strike enhancement
- Soulrift - Persistent damage amplification buff
- Blight - Area corruption and curse spreading
- Blood Mist - Emergency escape and immunity tool
- Corpse Explosion - Buff maintenance and corpse consumption
Skill Point Distribution
Allocate your 71 base skill points according to the following priorities, with an additional 12 points available through the Renown system for a total of 83 points.
Book of the Dead Configuration
| Minion Type | Choice | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Skeletal Warriors - Defenders | Sacrifice | Increased Resistance to All Elements |
| Skeletal Mages - Bone | Sacrifice | Enhanced Overpower damage scaling |
| Golem - Iron | Sacrifice | Amplified Critical Strike Damage |
Equipment Optimization
Legendary Aspects and Gear Slots
Effect: Emanates a dark aura applying Decrepify and Iron Maiden to enemies
Curse propagation occurs every few seconds with 4-second duration outside aura
Effect: Provides 15-20% increased Damage Reduction
Effect: Increases Shadow damage by 35-50% against cursed enemies
Effect: Amplifies Critical Strike Damage against cursed targets
Effect: Transforms Sever behavior - splits into 3 expanding specters instead of returning
Ring 1 - Sacrificial Aspect: Enhances all sacrifice bonuses
Ring 2 - Grasping Veins Aspect: Provides critical strike chance boost after Corpse Tendrils usage
Stat Priority Guidelines
Focus your itemization on these attributes in order of importance:
Tempering Recommendations
Apply these tempering recipes to enhance your gear:
| Gear Slot | Primary Recipe | Secondary Recipe |
|---|---|---|
| Helmet | Profane Innovation: Corpse Tendril Size increase | Worldly Endurance: Maximum Life boost |
| Chest | Worldly Endurance: Maximum Life boost | Decay Innovation: Soulrift Duration extension |
| Gloves | Decay Innovation: Soulrift Duration extension | Worldly Finesse: Critical Strike Damage amplification |
| Rings | Necromancer Efficiency: Ultimate Cooldown Reduction | Worldly Finesse: Critical Strike Damage amplification |
| Weapon | Dreadful Augments: +Ranks to Titan's Fall | Profane Finesse: Damage to Cursed Enemies |
Gem and Runeword Strategy
Gem Placement
Runeword Combinations
| Slot | Combination | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Weapon | Ahu + Xan | Grants 15 Offering on Lucky Hit against non-Healthy enemies Consumes 300 Offering for guaranteed Critical Strikes and Overpowers |
| Helmet | Cir + Vex | Accumulates 300 Offering after casting 5 skills Provides +1 to all skills for 10 seconds |
Alternative Options:
- Cir + Lum: Temporary solution for Essence management issues
- Igni + Xal: Substitute if Ahu + Xan unavailable
- Tam + Wat: Endgame replacement when transitioning away from Cursed Aura
Paragon Board Progression
Board Acquisition Order
- Start with your base Necromancer board
- Focus on reaching the first legendary node
- Prioritize Intelligence nodes and damage reduction
- Place your first glyph in the optimal socket
- Attach your second board focusing on critical strike enhancement
- Acquire legendary nodes that boost Corpse skill effectiveness
- Install glyphs that complement your Sever damage
- Path efficiently toward maximum essence nodes
- Add boards emphasizing curse effectiveness
- Secure legendary nodes for shadow damage amplification
- Optimize glyph placement for maximum radius benefit
- Connect intelligence clusters for scaling
- Complete remaining boards for defensive layers
- Maximize all relevant legendary nodes
- Ensure all glyphs reach level 21 for enhanced effects
- Fine-tune pathing for maximum stat efficiency
Key Stat Benchmarks Through Paragon
- By Level 100: 275+ Maximum Essence (Banished Lord's requirement)
- By Level 150: 50%+ Critical Strike Chance
- By Level 200: 1000 Armor (cap)
- Final Goal: 80%+ Critical Strike Chance with full buffs
Glyph Strategy
Prioritize these glyph types:
- Damage amplification for cursed enemies
- Critical strike enhancement
- Essence regeneration support
- Defensive multipliers
Mythic Unique Upgrades
Helm Replacement
Replaces standard helmet for massive damage scaling
Prioritize +Ranks to Core Skills for Greater Affix
Chest Replacement
Substitutes Hardened Bones Aspect
Focus on Maximum Life or All Stats for optimization
Seasonal Mechanics - Boss Powers
Primary Selection
Grigoire's Lightning Square - Core boss power for consistent activation
Modifier Powers
- Hatred's Embrace's Haste - Replace with Harbinger of Hatred's Volley upon reaching critical strike cap
- Wandering Death's Chest Beam - Additional damage layer
- Lilith's Wind of Hate - Supplementary offensive option
Mercenary Configuration
Primary Mercenary: Raheir
Configure with these abilities:
- Ground Slam for crowd control
- Raheir's Aegis for defensive support
- Bastion for damage reduction
- Inspiration for buff sharing
Reinforcement: Varyana
- Bloodthirst triggered on Sever casts
- Provides additional healing and damage
Combat Execution
Standard Rotation
Optimal Skill Rotation
Maintain Soulrift
Group with Tendrils
Apply Blight
Spam Sever
Weave Corpse Explosion
Reserve Blood Mist for emergency situations
Essence Management
Consumable Recommendations
Primary Elixir Choice
Elixir of Fortitude II - Maximum Life increase for survivability
Alternative Options
- Elixir of Destruction II - Budget-friendly damage option
- Elixir of Resourcefulness II - Essence management assistance
Remember to maintain upgraded health potions appropriate to your level.
Advanced Unique Targeting
Focus your target farming efforts on these bosses:
| Item | Boss/Location |
|---|---|
| Path of Trag'Oul | Farm from Grigoire's Lair for additional Corruption layers |
| Blood Moon Breeches | Available from all Lair bosses |
| Banished Lord's Talisman | Obtainable from all Lair bosses |
Endgame Optimization Tips
- Maintain 1000 armor through paragon and gear optimization
- Achieve 70% base resistances (85% with bonuses)
- Balance attack speed with resource sustainability
- Prioritize movement for positioning during Sever cycles
- Adapt boss powers based on content difficulty
This Shadow Sever Necromancer build offers exceptional versatility for Season 8 content. Master the rotation, optimize your gear progressively, and enjoy the satisfying gameplay of shadow scythes decimating your enemies while maintaining superior survivability through intelligent barrier usage and positioning.