User:Aspectacle/Minion Master

This is an work in progress PvE general/PvP purpose build to help figure out a formatting template for different build types. Realise that I don't really know all that much about minion masters so help is welcome! :)

See also:
 * User:Aspectacle/FoW Spider Farmer a PVE specific purpose build

name = Minion Master

type = PvE General, PvP

required campaign = Core

Minion Master, also known as MM, is a common build used frequently in PvE for questing and farming and in some PvP situations. The minion master raises an army of undead minions using Necromancer Death Magic spells and uses Soul Reaping and minion deaths to fuel continued production of minions. This is a favoured build in PvE because the minions provide many disposable targets for the enemy to engage (instead of the team) and a full compliment of minions can be quite an effective damage source. There are minion master builds in PvP but they aren't especially common in GvG or HA unless a supply of corpses is guaranteed and in these situations a PvP minion master is typically less specialised. Minion masters are very popular in Alliance Battles as there are many NPCs to provide corpses.

Advantages

 * Minions are disposable team members - they don't have to be kept alive so can take a lot of pressure off the team.
 * Good damage and good for pressuring the opposition
 * Body block foes

Disadvantages

 * Reliant on a steady supply of corpses. Doesn't work in PvE areas with lots of undead or spirits.
 * Race to claim corpses - can be denied corpses by faster casting corpse exploitation skills
 * Stupid, don't follow called targets.
 * Weak in PvE areas with lots of Area of Effect damage or where the damage is too great. They don't remain active for long enough to provide their core function which is to stop team members from taking damage.
 * The death of the minion master results in the minions attacking allies.
 * Body block allies in PvP

Counters

 * Faster corpse exploitation skills such as Putrid Explosion, Consume Corpse
 * Target the minion master as priority minions will possibly turn on the opposition weakening them
 * Interrupts and shutdown on the slow casting summoning spells
 * Area of Effect spells and skills
 * Don't die

Team builds

 * Often put in a team with pets which provide a supply of corpses.
 * Pressure builds with the addition of poison from Death Nova or Tainted Flesh

Core skills
Typically a minion masters goal is to summon and keep alive the full compliment of 10 minions. A build usually has 2 - 3 minion summoning skills, 1 or 2 minion healing skills. The actual skills used depend on the campaigns available and the personal preference. There are many minion skills so there are many possible variants.

While there are no particular core skills which are run through all minion master builds Blood of the Master and Animate Bone Fiend are very frequently seen in combination.

Variants
Core Prophecies Factions Nightfall
 * Death Nova in combination with weaker summoning spell Animate Bone Minions creates a "bomb" effect which results in a spike of damage. Healing is not included in these builds.
 * Tainted Flesh is often seen in PvP builds as a source of pressure and damage which does not rely on corpses.
 * Heal Area (or other campaign equivalent) is frequently used between fights to heal minions
 * Animate Bone Minions as the second minion raising skill
 * Verata's Gaze common in Alliance Battles for stealing the minions from the opposition
 * The elite Flesh Golem is popular choice as a Minion Master specific elite.
 * Jagged Bones and Animate Shambling Horror are popular skills because of many minions for the price of one.

Profession
A minion master is almost exclusively a Necromancer primary. A minion master can be run with necromancer only skills but commonly uses a monk secondary for the additional area of effect healing.

A Ritualist primary using maximum Spawning Power is a possible variant. The ritualist minions last a long time as they have more health and Ritualist skills which work with "created creatures" work well with minions, particularly Animate Bone Minions. Energy management for the ritualist is a problem as they cannot rely on Soul Reaping and their minions do not deal as much damage or have as much armour.

Secondary minion masters are uncommon as their minions are weaker and do not have access to the mecromancers equipment to allow them to be the most effective minion masters.

Attributes
Maximum possible death magic, with the rest split between supporting attributes.

Equipment

 * One piece of armor should have the bloodstained insignia.
 * For PvE run whichever armour you like, Minion Master's insignia is okay, but is initially weak and weak if you aren't running as a minion master - you'll want a second set of armour.
 * For PvP armour which increases energy or health is usually favoured.
 * Vile Scar Pattern


 * Favour weapons which decrease death majic cast time and recharge. Extra energy is always useful.

Playing a minion master
When you see that you've got energy from a death begin casting your first summoning spell with the corpse in the area. Continue to cast your minion spells as soon as there are deaths. When you reach 10 minions the oldest minion will be killed and replaced by any new minion summoned, which is good to keep the average health of the minions high. Minions begin to degenerate health at an increasing rate the longer they are alive. Occasionally use Blood of the Master to heal them during the fight and if they are idle use area of effect healing to maintain them to the next fight.

Stay to the back of a fight. It is important that you do not become an easy target because if you die your minions quickly disadvantage your team.

All campaigns Minion Master build
Animate Bone Fiend, Animate Shambling Horror, Flesh Golem, Blood of the Master, Heal Area, Res Skill.

Minion bomber
Animate Bone minions, Death Nova, Res Skill.

Historical notes

 * At Prophecies release it was possible to create an unlimited number of minions. This was restricted at release of Factions, it is believed as a result of balance for alliance battles.