How do necromancers stack up by the time PoP comes around? I'm contemplating running necro for my 3rd box as my main source of DPS but also for their utility (snare, FD pulling to break camps, etc). However, looking at their AA list has me a little concerned. In comparison to other classes, necros seem lacking for DPS AA abilities come PoP. While direct damage nukers get crits, I don't see anything that augments DoTs. So a necro gets less benefit than other caster DPS from archetype AA and then only one class DPS AA in Wake the Dead? Is a necro still a good source of sustained group dps come PoP, or do wizards, mages, and all the melees pass them by?
On the up side, the lack of useful AAs means Necromancers shine without them! Yea AAs don't do much for them, but they are still solid DPS in PoP. Wizards will definitely be better. I'm a big necromancer fan for their utility, DPS, pull ability. With DoT stacking and the increased number of DoTs you have access to at 65, a Necromancer can roll 5-6 DoTs pretty easily. More if you have clickies like Epic, EP Pants, VT Splurt shoulders. Even without those items you're able to hold down solid DPS and sustain it for awhile due to lich. You'll be advantaged more than most AK Necromancers were as well because Burning Affliction focus will likely work for you. On AK that only worked for a small period of time.
Necro was fun kiting places that didn't summon, like plane of fire. Necro can kite multiple fire giants in the campy area, which is pretty fun. Their AA's aren't too special though aside from crit dots and crit/double-crit taps. I kinda feel like I remember dots can crit damage and then crit heal, but I might be full of s*
Wake the dead is only really good for scaring your raid by bringing a raid boss back to life just after you have killed them to scare your raid, the dps from the pet you summon with the aa is pretty weak. But saying that it was one of my favourite aa's for that reason. In pop I could solo better exp in most solo situations than I could get in a group especially true once in plane of fire. Legacy of zek pet is very good dps. Dps on mobs that have enough hp to survive long enough for dots to run their course is very good. Crit aa would have been amazing on AK along with the FD aa. On raids necros can do very high sustained dps once you have ft15 horse and seduction on Saryn you have some serious mana regen to work with. Hope some parts of this was helpful, I never regretted playing A necro on AK but I did play solo and didn't box.
