This D4 Corpse Explosion Necro Build is proof the developers wanted to bring back our favorite parts of Diablo 2. With this Necro build you’ll be using the infamous Bone spear, Corpse Explosion and an Army of the Dead, just like back in the day!
D4 Corpse Explosion Necromancers are capable of insane AOE damage, so we are going to lean on that explosiveness combined with the impressive burst damage that Bones pear can drop. Anything that doesn’t die immediately, will be swarmed by our undead army and melted moments later.
D4 CORPSE EXPLOSION NECRO BUILD INDEX
D4 CORPSE EXPLOSION NECRO PROS / CONS
- Great AOE Damage
- Easy to set up
- Easy Rotation
- Slightly Less Single Target Damage
D4 CORPSE EXPLOSION NECRO BUILD VIDEO GUIDE
Something about the D4 Corpse Explosion Necro build confusing you? Don’t sweat it, listen to me explain every piece of the build in this detailed YouTube guide!
D4 CORPSE EXPLODE NECRO BUILD SKILLS & PASSIVES
BASIC ABILITY
The first ability your D4 Corpse Explosion Necromancer will unlock is used to apply vulnerability and damage the enemy. Grab this ability and these two passives.
Bone SplintersBone Splinters
Generate Essence: 6
Lucky Hit Chance: 17%
Lucky Hit Chance: 17%
Fire 3 bone splinters, dealing 8% damage each. Each subsequent time an enemy is hit by the same cast of Bone Splinters, you gain 1 Essence.
Enhanced Bone SplintersEnhanced Bone Splinters
Bone Splinters has a 25% chance to fire 2 additional projectiles if cast while you have 50 or more Essence.
Initiate’s Bone SplintersInitiate’s Bone Splinters
Bone Splinters has a 20% chance per hit to make enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
CORE ABILITY
Bonespear will be one of the primary damage dealing abilities. The main reason for bonespear’s existence is to proide corpses for Corpse Explosion..
Bone SpearBone Spear
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Conjure a bone spear from the ground, dealing 85% damage and piercing through enemies.
Enhanced Bone SpearEnhanced Bone Spear
Bone Spear breaks into 3 shards when it is destroyed, dealing 25% damage each.
Supernatural Bone SpearSupernatural Bone Spear
Bone Spear makes the first enemy hit Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
Hewed FleshHewed Flesh
Lucky Hit: Your damage has up to a 4% chance to create a Corpse at the target’s location.
This chance is doubled against Bosses.
This chance is doubled against Bosses.
CORPSE & MACABRE ABILITY
Once Bonespear creates a corpse or two, Corpse Explosion will be able to do the rest. Corpse explosion will also generate resources to cast more bonespear thanks to our grim harvest passive.
Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion
Lucky Hit Chance: 40%
Detonate a Corpse, dealing 50% damage to surrounding enemies.
Enhanced Corpse ExplosionEnhanced Corpse Explosion
Corpse Explosion’s radius is increased by 15%.
Plagued Corpse ExplosionPlagued Corpse Explosion
Corpse Explosion deals x8% increased damage to enemies that are Slowed, Stunned or Vulnerable. These damage bonuses can stack.
Grim HarvestGrim Harvest
Consuming a Corpse generates 3 Essence.
CURSE ABILITIES
We passed on the curse abilities for this build. We just didn’t have enough bar space for everything we wanted!
CORPSE AND MACABRE ABILITY
The D4 Corpse Explosion necro uses his Corpse Tendril ability to group up and debuff the enemies!
Corpse TendrilsCorpse Tendrils
Cooldown: 11 seconds
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Veins burst out of a Corpse, Pulling in enemies, Stunning them for 3 seconds, and dealing 20% damage to them. Does not consume the Corpse.
Enhanced Corpse TendrilsEnhanced Corpse Tendrils
Enemies who are in range of Corpse Tendrils are Slowed by 50% before being Pulled.
Blighted Corpse TendrilsBlighted Corpse Tendrils
Corpse Tendrils has a 30% chance to drop a Blood Orb when damaging enemies.
ULTIMATE ABILITY
You can only slot one ultimate ability, and this D4 Corpse Explosion necro is currently using Blood Wave. It does solid damage and can drop extra heals to keep you in the fight longer.
Blood WaveBlood Wave
Cooldown: 50 seconds
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Conjure a tidal wave of blood that deals 90% damage and Knocks Back enemies.
Prime Blood WavePrime Blood Wave
Blood Wave Slows enemies by 50% for 4 seconds.
Supreme Blood WaveSupreme Blood Wave
Blood Wave leaves behind 3 Blood Orbs as it travels.
CORPSE EXPLOSION NECRO book of the dead
SKELETAL WARRIOR
For the Skeletal Warrior we’ll take the Reapers, and then choose the Second Perk, which is going to provide a ton of corpses for Corpse Explosion as well as Resummoning our Army of the dead here.
Skeletal ReapersSkeletal Reapers
Deals area damage with a slow and powerful scythe, and has a special wind-up attack, dealing heavy damage every 10 seconds.
UPGRADES
Reaper attacks against enemies who are Immobilized, Slowed, Stunned or Vulnerable reduce the cooldown of their powerful wind-up attack by 2 seconds.
Reapers have a 10% chance to carve the flesh off enemies, forming a corpse. This cannot happen on the same enemy more than once every 5 seconds.
SACRIFICE
You deal x10% increased Shadow Damage but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
UPGRADES
Reaper attacks against enemies who are Immobilized, Slowed, Stunned or Vulnerable reduce the cooldown of their powerful wind-up attack by 2 seconds.
Reapers have a 10% chance to carve the flesh off enemies, forming a corpse. This cannot happen on the same enemy more than once every 5 seconds.
SACRIFICE
You deal x10% increased Shadow Damage but you can no longer raise Skeletal Warriors.
Skeletal Reapers Perk 2Skeletal Reapers Perk 2
Reapers have a 10% chance to carve the flesh off enemies, forming a corpse. This cannot happen on the same enemy more than once every 5 seconds.
SKELETAL MAGE
For the Skeletal Mage we are going to take the Bone Mages, and then Take the First Perk. This is going to amp up their damage by a massive 40% after they’ve been alive for 5 seconds. Huge!
Bone MagesBone Mages
Uses its own bones as projectiles, dealing heavy damage for a Life cost.
UPGRADES
Reduce the life cost of your Bone Mages attacks from 15% to 10%. After being alive for 5 seconds, Bone Mages deal 40% increased damage.
Each time a Bone Mage dies from its own attack, they leave behind a corpse and Fortify you for 30%.
SACRIFICE
Your Overpower damage is increased by 1, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Mages.
UPGRADES
Reduce the life cost of your Bone Mages attacks from 15% to 10%. After being alive for 5 seconds, Bone Mages deal 40% increased damage.
Each time a Bone Mage dies from its own attack, they leave behind a corpse and Fortify you for 30%.
SACRIFICE
Your Overpower damage is increased by 1, but you can no longer raise Skeletal Mages.
Bone Mages Perk 1Bone Mages Perk 1
Reduce the life cost of your Bone Mages attacks from 15% to 10%. After being alive for 5 seconds, Bone Mages deal 40% increased damage.
GOLEM
For the Golem We’ll take the Bone Golem, and this will allow it to absorb 15 percent of the damage we would have taken, making our D4 Necro quite a bit tankier!
Bone GolemBone Golem
Taunts enemies in a wide area.
UPGRADES
Each time your Golem takes up to 20% of its Maximum Life as damage, it shed a corpse.
Your Golem gains 10% Maximum Life and the amount of thorns they inherit from you is increased from 30% to 50%.
SACRIFICE
You gain 10% increased attack speed, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.
UPGRADES
Each time your Golem takes up to 20% of its Maximum Life as damage, it shed a corpse.
Your Golem gains 10% Maximum Life and the amount of thorns they inherit from you is increased from 30% to 50%.
SACRIFICE
You gain 10% increased attack speed, but you lose the ability to summon a Golem.
Blood Golem Perk 1Blood Golem Perk 1
Your Golem absorbs 15% of the damage you would take.
D4 NECRO BUILD SKILL POINT ORDER
You get one point every time you level. So at level 2 on your first character you will be spending point #1. At level 5 you will be spending point #4.
When you earn your first renown you will have the same number of skill points as levels.
Beyond that you will have to do some quick math to know how many points you’ve earned from renown and how many points you have earned from levels to know which part of this you are on.
POINTS 1 - 9
Bone SplintersBone Splinters
Generate Essence: 6
Lucky Hit Chance: 17%
Lucky Hit Chance: 17%
Fire 3 bone splinters, dealing 8% damage each. Each subsequent time an enemy is hit by the same cast of Bone Splinters, you gain 1 Essence.
Enhanced Bone SplintersEnhanced Bone Splinters
Bone Splinters has a 25% chance to fire 2 additional projectiles if cast while you have 50 or more Essence.
Bone SpearBone Spear
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Conjure a bone spear from the ground, dealing 85% damage and piercing through enemies.
Enhanced Bone SpearEnhanced Bone Spear
Bone Spear breaks into 3 shards when it is destroyed, dealing 25% damage each.
Supernatural Bone SpearSupernatural Bone Spear
Bone Spear makes the first enemy hit Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
Initiate's Bone SplintersInitiate's Bone Splinters
Bone Splinters has a 20% chance per hit to make enemies Vulnerable for 2 seconds.
Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion
Lucky Hit Chance: 40%
Detonate a Corpse, dealing 50% damage to surrounding enemies.
Enhanced Corpse ExplosionEnhanced Corpse Explosion
Corpse Explosion's radius is increased by 15%.
Plagued Corpse ExplosionPlagued Corpse Explosion
Corpse Explosion deals x8% increased damage to enemies that are Slowed, Stunned or Vulnerable. These damage bonuses can stack.
POINTS 10 - 19
Hewed FleshHewed Flesh
Lucky Hit: Your damage has up to a 4% chance to create a Corpse at the target's location.
This chance is doubled against Bosses.
This chance is doubled against Bosses.
Hewed FleshHewed Flesh
Lucky Hit: Your damage has up to a 4% chance to create a Corpse at the target's location.
This chance is doubled against Bosses.
This chance is doubled against Bosses.
Hewed FleshHewed Flesh
Lucky Hit: Your damage has up to a 4% chance to create a Corpse at the target's location.
This chance is doubled against Bosses.
This chance is doubled against Bosses.
Grim HarvestGrim Harvest
Consuming a Corpse generates 3 Essence.
Grim HarvestGrim Harvest
Consuming a Corpse generates 3 Essence.
Grim HarvestGrim Harvest
Consuming a Corpse generates 3 Essence.
Bone SpearBone Spear
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Conjure a bone spear from the ground, dealing 85% damage and piercing through enemies.
Corpse TendrilsCorpse Tendrils
Cooldown: 11 seconds
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Veins burst out of a Corpse, Pulling in enemies, Stunning them for 3 seconds, and dealing 20% damage to them. Does not consume the Corpse.
Enhanced Corpse TendrilsEnhanced Corpse Tendrils
Enemies who are in range of Corpse Tendrils are Slowed by 50% before being Pulled.
Plagued Corpse TendrilsPlagued Corpse Tendrils
Enemies damaged by Corpse Tendrils are made Vulnerable for 3 seconds.
POINTS 20 - 29
Fueled by DeathFueled by Death
You deal x3% increased damage for 6 seconds after consuming a Corpse.
Fueled by DeathFueled by Death
You deal x3% increased damage for 6 seconds after consuming a Corpse.
Fueled by DeathFueled by Death
You deal x3% increased damage for 6 seconds after consuming a Corpse.
Death's ReachDeath's Reach
You deal x4% increased damage to Distant enemies.
Blood WaveBlood Wave
Cooldown: 50 seconds
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Conjure a tidal wave of blood that deals 90% damage and Knocks Back enemies.
Prime Blood WavePrime Blood Wave
Blood Wave Slows enemies by 50% for 4 seconds.
Supreme Blood WaveSupreme Blood Wave
Blood Wave leaves behind 3 Blood Orbs as it travels.
Bone SpearBone Spear
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Conjure a bone spear from the ground, dealing 85% damage and piercing through enemies.
Bone SpearBone Spear
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Conjure a bone spear from the ground, dealing 85% damage and piercing through enemies.
Bone SpearBone Spear
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Conjure a bone spear from the ground, dealing 85% damage and piercing through enemies.
POINTS 30 - 39
Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion
Lucky Hit Chance: 40%
Detonate a Corpse, dealing 50% damage to surrounding enemies.
Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion
Lucky Hit Chance: 40%
Detonate a Corpse, dealing 50% damage to surrounding enemies.
Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion
Lucky Hit Chance: 40%
Detonate a Corpse, dealing 50% damage to surrounding enemies.
Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion
Lucky Hit Chance: 40%
Detonate a Corpse, dealing 50% damage to surrounding enemies.
Ossified EssenceOssified Essence
Your Bone Skills deal x1% increased damage for each point of Essence you have above 50 upon cast.
Golem MasteryGolem Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Golem by x25%.
Golem MasteryGolem Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Golem by x25%.
Golem MasteryGolem Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Golem by x25%.
Bonded in EssenceBonded in Essence
Every 5 seconds, your Skeletal Priest's Healing will Heal your Skeletons for an additional 20% of their Maximum Life.
Bonded in EssenceBonded in Essence
Every 5 seconds, your Skeletal Priest's Healing will Heal your Skeletons for an additional 20% of their Maximum Life.
POINTS 40 - 49
Bonded in EssenceBonded in Essence
Every 5 seconds, your Skeletal Priest's Healing will Heal your Skeletons for an additional 20% of their Maximum Life.
Death's DefenseDeath's Defense
Your Minions cannot lose more than 75% of their Maximum Life from a single damage instance.
Death's DefenseDeath's Defense
Your Minions cannot lose more than 75% of their Maximum Life from a single damage instance.
Death's DefenseDeath's Defense
Your Minions cannot lose more than 75% of their Maximum Life from a single damage instance.
Skeletal Warrior MasterySkeletal Warrior Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Skeletal Warriors by x15%.
Skeletal Warrior MasterySkeletal Warrior Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Skeletal Warriors by x15%.
Skeletal Warrior MasterySkeletal Warrior Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Skeletal Warriors by x15%.
Death's ReachDeath's Reach
You deal x4% increased damage to Distant enemies.
Death's ReachDeath's Reach
You deal x4% increased damage to Distant enemies.
Skeletal Mage MasterySkeletal Mage Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Skeletal Mages by x20%.
POINTS 50 - 58
Skeletal Mage MasterySkeletal Mage Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Skeletal Mages by x20%.
Skeletal Mage MasterySkeletal Mage Mastery
Increase the damage and Life of your Skeletal Mages by x20%.
Unliving EnergyUnliving Energy
Your maximum Essence is increased by 3.
Unliving EnergyUnliving Energy
Your maximum Essence is increased by 3.
Unliving EnergyUnliving Energy
Your maximum Essence is increased by 3.
Imperfectly BalancedImperfectly Balanced
Your Core Skills cost x3% more Essence, but deal x5% increased damage.
Imperfectly BalancedImperfectly Balanced
Your Core Skills cost x3% more Essence, but deal x5% increased damage.
Imperfectly BalancedImperfectly Balanced
Your Core Skills cost x3% more Essence, but deal x5% increased damage.
Inspiring LeaderInspiring Leader
After you have been Healthy for at least 4 seconds, you and your Minions gain +4% Attack Speed.
D4 CORPSE EXPLOSION NECRO BUILD ROTATION
1
Corpse TendrilsCorpse Tendrils
Cooldown: 11 seconds
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Veins burst out of a Corpse, Pulling in enemies, Stunning them for 3 seconds, and dealing 20% damage to them. Does not consume the Corpse.
Use Corpse Tendrils to damage and group up the enemies.
2
Bone SpearBone Spear
Essence Cost: 25
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Lucky Hit Chance: 50%
Conjure a bone spear from the ground, dealing 85% damage and piercing through enemies.
Use Bonespear to kill enemies and create Corpses in the process.
3
Corpse ExplosionCorpse Explosion
Lucky Hit Chance: 40%
Detonate a Corpse, dealing 50% damage to surrounding enemies.
Use Corpse Explosion to detonate the corpses. This will create more corpses for you to detonate. Thanks to our passives, this will also give you more essence to cast more bonespears.
4
Blood WaveBlood Wave
Cooldown: 50 seconds
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Lucky Hit Chance: 20%
Conjure a tidal wave of blood that deals 90% damage and Knocks Back enemies.
Save Bloodwave for elite packs and bosses to help knock them down.
5
Raise SkeletonRaise Skeleton
Raise a Skeleton from a Corpse to fight for you.
Once all of your Skeletons have been summoned, Raise Skeleton briefly summons a Skeletal Priest to empower your Minions for 5 seconds, increasing their damage by 20% and healing them for 10% of their Maximum Life.
Once all of your Skeletons have been summoned, Raise Skeleton briefly summons a Skeletal Priest to empower your Minions for 5 seconds, increasing their damage by 20% and healing them for 10% of their Maximum Life.
Don’t forget to resummon minions as they are knocked down.
D4 NECRO BUILD LEGENDARY ASPECTS
The best aspects and Legendaries will be listed below for this D4 Corpse Explosion Necromancer Build, broken into their different types. You can only benefit from one aspect at a time, so don’t try to wear two of the same aspect.
CODEX OF POWER
These Legendary Aspects can be target farmed by simply completing the Dungeon they are located in. Once completed the aspect will appear in your codex of power for you to use as any time you want.
Aspect of Inner CalmAspect of Inner Calm
Deal 5-10% increased damage for each second you stand still, up to 30%.
Progress Campaign in Scosglen to unlock
Every class
Aspect of the ProtectorAspect of the Protector
Damaging an Elite enemy grants you a Barrier absorbing up to x damage for 10 seconds. This effect can only happen once every 30 seconds.
Unlocked by completing Lost Archives in Fractured Peaks
Every class
CODEX - NECRO SPECIFIC
Splintering AspectSplintering Aspect
Bone Spear’s primary attack makes enemies hit beyond the first Vulnerable for 1.5-2.5 seconds. Bone Shards from Bone Spear deal 50-100% bonus damage to Vulnerable enemies and pierce them.
Progress Campaign in Dry Steppes to unlock
Necromancer
Aspect of Potent BloodAspect of Potent Blood
While at full Life, Blood Orbs grants 10-20 Essence.
Unlocked by completing Betrayer’s Row in Dry Steppes
Necromancer
Aspect of ReanimationAspect of Reanimation
Your Skeletons gain increased damage while alive, up to 20-30% after 10 seconds.
Progress Campaign in Scosglen to unlock
Necromancer
Aspect of TormentAspect of Torment
Critical Strikes with Bone Skills increase your Essence Regeneration by 20-30% for 4 seconds.
Unlocked by completing Black Asylum in Zones
Necromancer
Fastblood AspectFastblood Aspect
Blood Orbs reduce your Ultimate Cooldown by 0.5-1 seconds.
Unlocked by completing Iron Hold in Hawezar
Necromancer
Hulking AspectHulking Aspect
Your Golem has a 1-4% chance to reduce its active Cooldown by 2 seconds and a 0.5-2% chance to spawn a Corpse each time it damages an enemy with its normal attack.
Unlocked by completing Sepulcher of The Forsworn in Kehjistan
Necromancer
Requiem AspectRequiem Aspect
You gain 3-5 Maximum Essence per active Minion.
Progress Campaign in Scosglen to unlock
Necromancer
Aspect of Grasping VeinsAspect of Grasping Veins
Gain 10-20% increased Critical Strike Chance for 6 seconds when you cast Corpse Tendrils. You deal 30-60% bonus Critical Strike Damage to enemies damaged by Corpse Tendrils.
Unlocked by completing Corrupted Grotto in Kehjistan
Necromancer
LEGENDARY ITEMS
These are the legendary aspect that can only be found as a drop in the game. You must kill enemies and bosses until you get these legendary items to drop.
Smiting AspectSmiting Aspect
You have 10-20% increased Critical Strike Chance against Injured enemies. While you are Healthy, you gain 20-40% increased Crowd Control Duration.
Random drop
Every class
RANDOM DROP - NECRO SPECIFIC
Aspect of Hardened BonesAspect of Hardened Bones
While you have 7 or more Minions, your Minions gain 15-20% increased Damage Reduction.
Random drop
Necromancer
Aspect of Frenzied DeadAspect of Frenzied Dead
Each time one of your Summoning Minions damages an enemy, they gain 10-14% Attack Speed for 3 seconds, up to 30-42%.
Random drop
Necromancer
Aspect of the EmbalmerAspect of the Embalmer
Consuming a Corpse has a 20-30% chance to spawn a Blood Orb.
Random drop
Necromancer
Aspect of Ultimate ShadowAspect of Ultimate Shadow
Bone Storm and Blood Wave are also Darkness Skills, deal Shadow damage, and gain additional effects: Enemies damaged by Bone Storm take x increased Shadow Damage over 2 seconds. Blood Wave desecrates the ground it travels over, dealing x Shadow damage over 4 seconds.
Random drop
Necromancer
Blood Getter’s AspectBlood Getter’s Aspect
Your maximum number of Skeletal Warriors is increased by 2.
Random drop
Necromancer
Tidal AspectTidal Aspect
Blood Wave fires two additional waves, each dealing 50-60% less damage then the previous.
Random drop
Necromancer
Viscous AspectViscous Aspect
Your maximum number of Skeletal Mages is increased by 2.
Random drop
Necromancer
UNIQUE ITEMS
These are the unique items you should look out for. These won’t start dropping until you reach Tier 3 Difficulty, known as Nightmare.
