Diablo 4 Season 7 PTR: The Necromancer Buffs and Build Changes

Diablo IV Season 7 is almost here, and with it, a new round of patch notes have been released on the Public Test Realm (PTR). For those of us heavily invested in the game, and the Necromancer class in particular, the upcoming changes are nothing short of monumental. After digging into the patch notes for nearly eight hours, it’s clear that the Necromancer is set to receive a major overhaul in terms of damage output, skill viability, and build diversity. As you prepare for the exciting changes coming with Diablo IV Season 7, one thing that will help you get ahead of the competition is having enough Diablo 4 Gold to quickly adapt to new builds, gear upgrades, and changes in the market. Whether you’re looking to invest in powerful gear, craft the perfect items, or simply get a jumpstart on the season's content, MMOexp is the perfect platform for acquiring Diablo 4 Gold safely and efficiently. In this guide, we'll break down these changes in a straightforward manner to help you understand how these buffs affect your builds and what you should focus on as we head into Season 7.

Overview of Key Buffs and Changes

The upcoming Season 7 PTR introduces several major buffs that will shift the Necromancer meta in exciting ways. These changes have profound mathematical implications, particularly for high-end progression in Diablo 4's tougher endgame content like Pit tiers. Let's walk through these adjustments and what they mean for your builds.

Major Buffs Across the Board

One of the most exciting aspects of this patch is the massive increase in damage for several Necromancer builds. Here are the key builds and their expected damage increases:

· S Build: This build sees a 6.27x damage increase, which translates to a staggering 627% damage boost. This will push the build's capability up by about 13 Pit Tiers, possibly allowing it to clear Pit Tier 120 with relative ease. This increase is especially exciting for those who enjoy high-level pushing.

· Light Build: Similar to S Build, Light Build sees an increase of 623% damage, which equates to roughly 13 Pit Tiers. Expect it to perform at around Pit Tier 110, just below the highest tier for the strongest builds. While it's strong, it won't necessarily surpass the top contenders like S Build.

· Blood Wave: Arguably the biggest winner of all, Blood Wave benefits from a 14,700 bonus damage increase, which gives it a massive 35 Pit Tiers worth of power. This could potentially make Blood Wave the first Necromancer build capable of reliably clearing Pit Tier 150. Keep an eye on this one—it might become the go-to build for high-end progression.

· Full Rift Build: Gains a 400% damage increase, or about 10 Pit Tiers, bringing it to around Pit Tier 122. While it's not as strong as the others, it's a solid contender and worth considering for those who prefer a more defensive playstyle.

· Bone Storm: Bone Storm sees an unexpected boost in overall damage, but it may not be enough to push it to the highest echelons of performance. It remains a solid choice but still lacks the power for top-tier pushing.

· Blood Surge and Blood Lance: Blood Surge now gets a 350% damage boost, which is about 9 Pit Tiers of additional power, making it capable of clearing around Pit Tier 118. Blood Lance, on the other hand, gains a 497% bonus—11 Pit Tiers worth of extra power—bringing it up to around Pit Tier 124. Blood Lance is definitely one to watch, as it might rival or even outclass Bone Spirit in performance.

The Rise of Minion Builds

One of the most intriguing changes in the Season 7 PTR is the buff to minion builds. Minions are receiving a significant overhaul in terms of scaling. They now benefit from a 300% damage increase, which is equivalent to about 9 Pit Tiers, bringing them to Pit Tier 113.

However, the true potential of minions lies in the fact that their damage now scales directly off of the Necromancer's Lucky Hit Chance and multipliers. This is an entirely new mechanic for the game, which could have massive implications for minion builds in the long run. For example, Grasping Veins now provides a 50% damage multiplier to minions, something that it didn’t do before. This change alone will make minions significantly stronger, and it's still early to say just how much more powerful they’ll become with further optimizations.

Army of the Dead: A Game-Changer?

One of the most exciting, but also uncertain, changes involves Army of the Dead. This skill has the potential to become one of the most powerful abilities in the game with its newly implemented scaling mechanics. The patch notes hint that the skill now has the potential for enormous damage multipliers—some of the highest seen in the game—but it's unclear how this will all play out in practice. Testing in the PTR will be crucial to determine if Army of the Dead can emerge as a legitimate contender in the meta.

Which Builds Are the Strongest Now?

Now that we’ve gone through the main changes, let’s break down which builds will likely dominate in Season 7:

1. Blood Wave: The biggest winner here, thanks to the substantial damage increase from the new unique pants. This build might just become the top Necromancer build for pushing the highest levels of content like Pit Tier 150.

2. Blood Lance: Already a top-tier performer, Blood Lance gains a significant damage boost. This build remains one of the most fun and effective builds for pushing endgame content.

3. S and Light Builds: These builds get a respectable damage increase (around 13 Pit Tiers), putting them in a strong position for the mid-to-late game. While they might not outperform Blood Wave or Blood Lance, they’re still powerful and reliable options.

4. Bone Spirit & Bone Spear: Bone Spirit remains strong but is nerfed slightly by changes affecting the damage scaling. Bone Spear, particularly with the addition of Blood Spear, shows strong potential, though it's still uncertain if it can truly compete at the top levels.

5. Minions: The overhaul of minion mechanics could make them a viable contender in endgame content. Their ability to scale off of Lucky Hit Chance and the Necromancer's multipliers opens up the door for a more powerful minion-centric build.

6. Spirit Wave: This build got hit hard by bugs and nerfs, and as of now, it’s basically non-functional. It’s unlikely that it will become viable in the PTR unless further changes are made. 

Testing Builds in the PTR

The upcoming PTR testing phase is crucial for refining these builds and understanding exactly how the changes will play out in practice. Each of the builds mentioned above has the potential to dominate in one way or another, but the true test will be in the numbers, particularly when you start testing them in higher Pit Tiers and other endgame content.

Conclusion: What Should You Focus On?

· Blood Wave and Blood Lance are the primary builds to watch for Season 7. If you’re looking for high-level progression, these are your best bets.

· Minion builds have great potential, especially with the new Lucky Hit scaling and the changes to their damage multipliers. However, they’re still untested and require more experimentation.

· S and Light Builds will continue to perform well, but they may no longer be the top choices for pushing the highest levels of endgame content.

· Bone Spirit is solid but may not be the go-to build anymore, especially with the damage nerf.

Season 7 is shaping up to be a transformative patch for the Necromancer class. Whether you’re a longtime Diablo IV player or new to the game, this update offers an exciting new way to test, optimize, and push new limits of the game. Be sure to check out MMOEXP when the PTR goes live and purchase cheap Diablo IV Items to further refine your builds. Finally, test your favorite builds to see how they perform!