Returning player, concerned about minions

[Perashim.1359]

Hello, after playing this off and on for a while, then taking a long hiatus (despite not making much headway with Heart of Thorns.) I felt like it was a good time to return and start playing again. However, I'm a little worried because I usually play minionmancer, and from what I have briefly seen and heard about, Necromancer minions aren't very good anymore.

 

Is this true? Besides solo content is there any place in the game where being a minionmancer is fine (late game, open world, dungeons, raids)? Will there be some form of a fix/overhaul for them in the future?

[Hoodie.1045]

> @"Perashim.1359" said:

> However, I'm a little worried because I usually play minionmancer, and from what I have briefly seen and heard about, Necromancer minions aren't very good anymore.

>

> Is this true? Besides solo content is there any place in the game where being a minionmancer is fine (late game, open world, dungeons, raids)? Will there be some form of a fix/overhaul for them in the future?

 

For open world PvE, minionmancer is quite effective and unkillable because your minions tank all of the damage. When it comes to dungeons and raids, I wouldn't recommend you run full minionmancer and instead use only Shadow Fiend.

[Perashim.1359]

> @"Hoodie.1045" said:

> > @"Perashim.1359" said:

> > However, I'm a little worried because I usually play minionmancer, and from what I have briefly seen and heard about, Necromancer minions aren't very good anymore.

> >

> > Is this true? Besides solo content is there any place in the game where being a minionmancer is fine (late game, open world, dungeons, raids)? Will there be some form of a fix/overhaul for them in the future?

>

> For open world PvE, minionmancer is quite effective and unkillable because your minions tank all of the damage. When it comes to dungeons and raids, I wouldn't recommend you run full minionmancer and instead use only Shadow Fiend.

 

Would using a flesh golem or Lich form be fine as well?

[Sephylon.4938]

Lichform has been changed, flesh golem is your best cc skill

[Manpag.6421]

I don't think it's so much that minions 'aren't good', it's simply that the power creep of two expansions has made them a comparatively subpar option if you're wanting to really optimise your necro's damage. For surviveability in PvE, or if you went with necro for the whole flavour of commanding an undead army, that is still perfectly viable enough.

[Lily.1935]

They've never been that good aside from that brief window when lich form was used. Some have uses or have seen use. Blood fiend was used for a while on reaper as their go to heal for their condo set in raids before scourge came out and sand flare replaced that by being both supportive and helping to trigger sadistic searing. Flesh golem still sees use due to its hard cc but it's often the case that necros prefer plague lands for the dps boost. Surprisingly, shadow fiend is used purely for its activated ability which gives 10% life force on scourge. So currently it's common to see shadow fiend and uncommon to see flesh golem. Aside from that the others are not used in any significant capacity. Also, if decicate is ever buffed to provide more life force than shadow fiend it will likely fall out of favor. But that's a debate all itself due to decicate having a cast time.

[Catchyfx.5768]

Minions can be helpful, but in endgame i think full minionmancer is waste of utility slots. Blood for heal why not, golem for stun(if you are power necro) why not and shadow fiend for condibuilds

[Perashim.1359]

So what I am getting is that aside from Solo instances and most Open world, it's better to have a different build that at least makes use of the shadow fiend or flesh golem if I want to have at least one minion anyway. KInda frustrating.

[SlippyCheeze.5483]

> @"Perashim.1359" said:

> So what I am getting is that aside from Solo instances and most Open world, it's better to have a different build that at least makes use of the shadow fiend or flesh golem if I want to have at least one minion anyway. KInda frustrating.

 

Honestly, I think you should do what you please. If, and only if, you start running into trouble doing what you want to do in the game, look at maybe changing it up.

 

Sure, minion necro isn't the best choice, but who says you have to play what is "best" mechanically, rather than "best" most fun?

[voltaicbore.8012]

> @"SlippyCheeze.5483" said:

 

> Honestly, I think you should do what you please. If, and only if, you start running into trouble doing what you want to do in the game, look at maybe changing it up.

>

> Sure, minion necro isn't the best choice, but who says you have to play what is "best" mechanically, rather than "best" most fun?

 

Cheese speaks the truth. Absolutely no need to get frustrated until you run into an issue with a game mode you _want_ to play, but find that your minion-mancing ways are deficient for. For the vast majority of content that doesn't require you to reach certain thresholds of dps output, minionmancer does just fine.

[Perashim.1359]

I'm probably going to main a different profession (like ranger or elementalist) then, but I'll still play my necromancer every now and then, having two builds (minionmancer for PvE, other for Dungeons and raids). At least until necrominions are changed for the better.