I’ve been seeing wonderful numbers with specific Necro builds, but the Blood Minion Necro build is being left in the dust. I’ve been playing the Blood Minion build because I don’t want to play Meta. Meta isn’t for me because I find playing Meta too easy. So, why am I asking for minions to be stronger? Wouldn’t that make it closer to being a possible Meta build? Not really, given how weak the minions become later on. A slight minion damage increase would still put them on the lower side of the Necro Meta builds, but it will make it more playable at 100+, so Necro minion builds can at least complete level 110 dungeons.
Currently, I can do about 3-5 above, depending on the buffs/debuffs. Still, it’s hampered by the minions’ inability to output the numbers to take down the targets within a reasonable amount of time.
I’m asking for a slight increase in minion damage output, but nothing extreme. Just enough for the minion build to be more enjoyable.
If people point out the Necro Bone Minion build? The Bone/Shadow build carries the minions. It’s unfair if players use the Necro Bone/Shadow build as a reference point because it does not properly represent the weakness of the minions.
If you can only clear NM dungeons with +5 monster levels on you, then its a player/build issue not a minion issue.
Minions are weak but literally any build should be able to clear NM dungeons with monsters +10-20 levels on you with relative ease.
Spoken like someone who has never played a minion build.
Between minions pillowfisted attacks, your inability to target with them, and the fact that certain elite monster affixes completely hard counter minions, it is completely possible to “hit a wall” with minion builds.
I mean, sure, if you want to spend 2 hours on a single nm dungeon you can technically clear it.
But we all know thats not a reasonable benchmark
that’s a bit harsh, and there I was giving you a +heart on another thread 
anyways, I only play minion builds. This is a build I made this league, its undergone a few morphs since its original inception due to how bad Kalan’s edict is (i basically was forced to scrap it). My original plan was to even have unyielding commander on my weapon for insane attack speed, until I realised how badly they nerfed Curse of Decrepify and minion auto attacks.
So this is the current form of the build: maxroll.gg/d4/planner/ptsnx0og
Its not amazing, but it can clear NM 100 at a snails pace, and farm 80’s fairly smoothly. Damage is pretty bad, so no skipping Lilith phases, hence why I still havent killed her
I don’t think pure companion/minion builds are meant to be strong and I am not sure they ever will be, but a properly supported build can certainly go pretty far.
This season I am playing without guides and trying to use my own intuition to make a build as I have done since launch on several other classes. Where I decided to go this season was a minion based Necro build supported by blight and corpse explosion that is incorporating a bit of thorns as well. It’s a bit of a Jack of all trades build which would can underperform at the top end, but it also has few weaknesses meaning I do t don’t have to be quite as selective of the content I choose to run.
The build relies heavily on corps generation and it does it quite well. I have put significant work on to minion life and damage reduction bonuses and they rarely ever die, I also make it a point to summon my skeletal priest often between explosions. I run a bit of extra luck hit on the build as well which procs the feed the coven vampiric power for and extra 10%[x] damage as well as covens fangs which my minions deal 52%[x] damage to cc enemies as well which is done with decrepify. I also run bloodless scream which chills enemies and the mages ice storms plus 3 extra mages on my ammy gives quite a bit of chill and frozen procs as well. If I get those more reliably I will switch to domination power for 24%[x] increase damage as well.
At level 80 I clearing NM40 in around 10 minutes. Have only 3 glyphs slotted, control lv9, corporeal lv3, and mage lv2. There is so much untapped damage potential still left on this build. It also lacks in resistances and armor which I am still in sacred gear.
Pretty much any combination you can throw together this season can work until NM70 I believe. From there to 100 is a matter of min/maxing and making a few tweaks.
Here are some other numbers for reference on my level 80 Necro with respect to minions:
Dmg with minions 55%
Dmg with warriors 45%
Dmg with mages 194%
Dmg with golem 192%
Minion life bonus 131%
Warrior life bonus 45%
Mage life bonus 60%
Golem life bonus 74%
Minion resist all 12%
Minion damage reduction 28%