Diablo 4 Season 8 Necro Tier List – Best Necromancer Builds for Leveling & Endgame

Necromancer enthusiasts, welcome to the Season 8 build guide where we break down the best and worst builds available for your skeletal sorcerer. This season introduces significant shifts in the power levels of key builds, with some old favorites falling behind and new contenders rising to prominence. Whether you're looking to dominate the Pit or blaze through content at lightning speed, understanding the current meta is key.

Once reigning supreme during early seasons, Shadow Blight has now been relegated to the F Tier. The nerfs to corpse explosion's lucky hit chance and the emergence of the Affliction Key Passive have significantly diminished its viability. Builds like the classic Infinist, which relied on Shadow Blight, are now outclassed by newer, more potent shadow-focused builds.

Bone Spirit, once the king of Seasons 5 and 6, now struggles in C Tier. The two-handed mace version, beloved for its heavy-hitting and essence management through Bone Prison tricks, remains a nostalgic favorite. However, due to the Dominate Glyph nerf and the high gear investment required, Bone Spirit builds no longer deliver competitive results. There remains hope that Blizzard might one day revive the two-hander Bone Spirit to rival Shadow Bloodwave once again.

The B Tier houses Blighted Corpse Explosion and various Summon Necromancer builds. These setups excel at leveling and early Pit pushing but lack the raw power for deep Pit runs. Changes to the Flesh Eater and Scent of Death nodes have introduced new opportunities, especially for Summon builds seeking sustainable critical strike boosts without relying extensively on blood orb collection.

Despite the buffs to the new unique weapon, Sanguir, the old reliable Grandfather remains the best choice for summon builds due to its massive critical strike bonuses.

In the A Tier, Blood Surge and Blood Spear shine brightly. These builds leverage corpse consumption mechanics perfectly, thanks to unique items like Indra's Memory and Curior's Embrace. With the Flesh Eater node rework, these builds now maintain buffs much longer, resulting in an incredibly smooth and powerful gameplay experience.

Meanwhile, Blood Lance and Sever also hold their ground, albeit slightly behind. Sever, in particular, benefits from recent changes to the Terror Skill, making it a potential dark horse for the season.

The undisputed champion of Season 8 is Shadow Bloodwave. Despite nerfs to the Bloodwave rank 5 bonus cap at 200% X damage, the build remains overwhelmingly powerful. It clears Pit 100+ without relying on boss powers or additional boosts, a testament to its raw strength and synergy.

Key changes for Season 8 include using the Auru Rune for consistent resource generation and shifting amulet priorities from Coalesced Blood to Tides of Blood and Gloom. Blood Overpower Damage now substitutes old fortified damage tempers, though it provides a lesser boost.

Season 8 also brings a more straightforward playstyle for Shadow Bloodwave players, eliminating the need for complex resource juggling. It's expected to continue dominating both high Pit bossing and speed farming scenarios.

For those starting fresh, Minions remain the best choice for early leveling due to their independence from gear. Alternatively, if you find the right aspects early, Blood Surge can also be a strong alternative. Transitioning to Shadow Bloodwave remains the ultimate goal, with particular attention to acquiring Fast Blood Aspect for smooth gameplay progression.

Looking ahead to Season 9, there is a wish shared by many veterans: the return of the Two-Hander Bone Spirit. This build's heavy-hitting nostalgia combined with modern balancing could offer a fresh rival to the reigning Shadow Bloodwave, bringing more diversity to the top-tier Necromancer builds.