The Elder Scrolls Online is an incredibly diverse MMO when it comes to the type of characters you can create. There are different ways to build your characters effectively for both PvE and PvP in this MMO because the gameplay within these two types of content is very different.
Although PvE and PvP are different, there are a few things that are best regardless of which content you like to play. Below you'll find a build for each Necromancer role for PvE and PvP content, including DPS, healers, and tanks. We've listed the best possible setup for each with the strongest item sets, skills, race, and even more.
The Best Necromancer Builds For PvE
PvE is complicated when you first start out, but luckily, there are a few sets, races, and skills that are best overall. Here's a build for each role you may want to play in a PvE setting.
Necromancer Magicka DPS Build For PvE
- Item Sets: Perfected Bahsei's Mania, Kinra's Wrath, Harpooner's Wading Kilt, Slimecraw, Perfected Maelstrom Inferno Staff
- Primary Skills: Ricochet Skull, Detonating Siphon, Skeletal Arcanist, Barbed Trap Stalking Blastbones, Avoid Boneyard, Wall Of Elements, Pestilent Colossus Ultimate
- Essential Slottable Champion Points: Deadly Aim, Wrathful Strikes, Master-At-Arms, Backstabber
- Race: High Elf or Dark Elf
- Mundus Stone: Thief Stone
Necromancers are one of the best DPS classes in ESO for PVE. Attacks such as Ricochet Skull and Stalking Blastbones offer incredibly high base damage. The cherry on top is the Pestilent Colossus ultimate, which buffs your group's damage during a boss fight. Double Inferno Staves is best for a magicka build.
Necromancer Stamina DPS Build For PvE
- Item Sets: Perfected Arms Of Relequen, Kinra's Wrath, Harpooner's Wading Kilt, Slimecraw, Perfected Maelstrom Greatsword
- Primary Skills: Venom Skull, Detonating Siphon, Skeletal Archer, Stalking Blastbones, Carve, Stampede, Barbed Trap, Pestilent Colossus Ultimate
- Essential Slottable Champion Points: Piercing, Deadly Aim, Master-At-Arms, Backstabber
- Race: Dark Elf
- Mundus Stone: Thief Stone or Lover Stone
Many players prefer magicka DPS builds because of their survivability. However, stamina builds often deal more damage, and skills like Venom Skull and Skeletal Archer are quite powerful. The Pestilent Colossus also increases your group's overall DPS. For maximum DPS, equip Dual Wield Weapons on your front bar and Two-Handed Weapons on your back-up bar.
Necromancer Healer Build For PvE
- Item Sets: Perfected Roaring Opportunist, Jorvuld's Guidance, Earthgore, Or Symphony Of Blades
- Primary Skills: Energy Orb, Illustrious Healing, Blood Altar, Combat Prayer, Spirit Guardian, Resistant Flesh, Braided Tether, Pestilent Colossus Ultimate, Renewing Animation Ultimate
- Essential Slottable Champion Points: Hope Infusion, From The Brink, Swift Renewal, Arcane Supremacy
- Race: Breton or Argonian
- Mundus Stone: The Atronach Stone
Necromancers are one of the best classes for a PVE healer in ESO. Not only do you have many passives useful for healing, but you also have powerful skills such as Spirit Guardian and Resistant Flesh. Although it's not a best-in-slot skill for most situations, the Reanimate skill is useful for resurrecting many fallen allies quickly.
Necromancer Tank Build For PvE
- Item Sets: Perfected Claw Of Yolnahkriin, Turning Tide, Spaulder Of Ruin, Void Bash
- Primary Skills: Pierce Armor, Inner Rage, Unnerving Boneyard, Hungry Scythe, Beckoning Armor, Expunge And Modify, Blood Altar, Pestilent Colossus Ultimate, Renewing Animation Ultimate
- Essential Slottable Champion Points: Enduring Resolve, Bulwark, Slippery, Unassailable
- Race: Nord, Imperial, or Argonian
- Mundus Stone: The Atronach Stone
The Necromancer tank is fantastic in PVE because it offers many benefits for your group inside dungeons and trials. You can use the Reanimate ultimate to resurrect allies or the Glacial Colossus ultimate to increase your group's overall damage to the boss.
The Best Necromancer Builds For PvP
PvP has its own set of rules for how to build your characters. You have to consider which sets will be effective against opponents that are tankier than PvE enemies and deal high burst damage. Necromancer builds work well regardless of if you want to play casually or become the Emperor of Cyrodiil.
Necromancer Magicka DPS Build For PvP
- Item Sets: Vicious Death, Dark Convergence, Balorgh
- Primary Skills: Avid Boneyard, Race Against Time, Storm Pulsar, Resolving Vigor, Necrotic Potency, Stalking Blastbones, Pestilent Colossus Ultimate
- Essential Slottable Champion Points: Biting Aura, Master-At Arms, Fighting Finesse, Wrathful Strikes
- Race: High Elf or Dark Elf
- Mundus Stone: The Lover Stone
PVP builds are very strong for Necromancers, but perhaps the most powerful is the magicka Necromancer since you can combine Vicious Death along with Dark Convergence as your powerful sets with the Pestilent Colossus ultimate to defeat many enemies with a single attack. Inferno Staves are fantastic for a magicka PVP build.
Necromancer Stamina DPS Build For PvP
- Item Sets: Spriggan's Thorns, Clever Alchemist, Balorgh
- Primary Skills: Blighted Blastbones, Spirit Guardian, Stampede, Anti-Cavalry Caltrops, Resolving Vigor, Dizzying Swing, Dawnbreaker Of Smiting Ultimate
- Essential Slottable Champion Points: Master-At-Arms, Fighting Finesse, Wrathful Strikes, Endless Endurance
- Race: Dark Elf
- Mundus Stone: The Lover Stone
You can deal a lot of burst damage with the Necromancer DPS build, regardless of if you're focusing on stamina or magicka. Dual Wield Weapons or Two-Handed weapons both work well, and this versatility is one of the best parts of a stamina PVP build.
Necromancer Healer Build For PvP
- Item Sets: Spell Power Cure, Robes Of Transmutation, Troll King
- Primary Skills: Illustrious Healing, Combat Prayer, Spirit Guardian, Braided Tether, Enduring Undeath, Energy Orb, Rapid Regeneration, Renewing Animation Ultimate
- Essential Slottable Champion Points: Focused Mending, Swift Renewal, Soothing Tide, Enlivening Overflow
- Race: Breton Or Argonian
- Mundus Stone: Atronach Stone
Necromancers are powerful regardless of build, but since you have the Reanimate ultimate, you can easily revive three fallen allies on the battlefield in an instant. This ability is especially powerful in PVP since you'll often encounter a battlefield of fallen allies in Cyrodiil.
Necromancer Tank Build For PvP
- Item Sets: Ironblood, Vanguard's Challenge, Death Dealer's Fete
- Primary Skills: Pierce Armor, Unnerving Bone Yard, Resolving Vigor, Heroic Slash, Beckoning Armor, Hungry Scythe, Renewing Animation Ultimate
- Essential Slottable Champion Points: Enduring Resolve, Bulwark, Unassailable, Cutting Defense
- Race: Nord, Imperial, Or Argonian
- Mundus Stone: Steed Stone
Although a PVP tank isn't the first build you may think of when you create a Necromancer character, it's a good option since they can use the Reanimate ultimate to resurrect your groupmates and distract enemy players while your allies damage them. You can also hold off enemies to stop them from attacking a keep or resource in Cyrodiil.