Based on the changes to Fire Golem and Skeletal Mage skills, Act 3 Mercenary in Diablo 2 Resurrected 2.4 patch, is an elemental Necromancer build viable in D2 now? Let’s get into a full breakdown of the D2R 2.4 Necro Skeleton Mage build with Act 3 merc gear. 

Diablo 2 Resurrected 2.4 Necro Skeleton Mage Build - D2R Act 3 Merc Build & Gear 

This D2R 2.4 Necromancer build gets pretty decent lightning damage from Act 3 merc, the skeletal mage skill does not scale well, all it does is improve life, defense, and a number of allowed summons. This character is all about synergizing fire damage from the golem and corpse explosion with the lower resist curse. Fire Golem and Raise Skeletal Mage to provide initial elemental damage, Corpse Explosion for that area damage, and lower resist for breaking immunities, the Act 3 mercenary uses a static field, which acts as a substitute for the crushing blow that comes with a traditional Act 2 mercenary. 

Skill Tree

- Summoning Spells (67 points): Skeleton Mastery 20, Raise Skeletal Mage 20, Fire Golem 20, Raise Skeleton 1, Clay Golem 1, Golem Mastery 1, Blood Golem 1, Summon Resist 1, Iron Golem 1, Revive 1

- Poison & Bone Spells (21 points): Corpse Explosion 20, Teeth 1

- Curses (7 points): Amplify Damage 1, Iron Maiden 1, Life Tap 1, Lower Resist 1, Weaken 1, Terror 1, Decrepify 1

Gear 

The build gear is a basic magic find setup, and the purpose of this build is to go full elemental. The popular D2R runewords like Spirit and Enigma have been used. 

- Weapon: Heart of the Oak (Flail)

Heart of the Oak

+3 To All Skills
+40% Faster Cast Rate
+75% Damage To Demons
+100 To Attack Rating Against Demons
Adds 3-14 Cold Damage, 3 sec. Duration (Normal)
7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
+10 To Dexterity
Replenish Life +20
Increase Maximum Mana 15%
All Resistances +30-40 (varies)
Level 4 Oak Sage (25 Charges)
Level 14 Raven (60 Charges)

- Helm: Harlequin Crest (Shako)

Harlequin Crest

Defense: 98-141 (varies)
Required Level: 62
Required Strength: 50
Durability: 12
+2 To All Skills
+ (1.5 Per Character Level) 1-148 To Life (Based On Character Level)
+ (1.5 Per Character Level) 1-148 To Mana (Based On Character Level)
Damage Reduced By 10%
50% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
+2 To All Attributes
(Only Spawns In Patch 1.09 or later)

- Amulet: Mara’s Kaleidoscope 

Mara's Kaleidoscope

Required Level: 67
+2 To All Skills
All Resistances +20-30 (varies)
+5 To All Attributes
(Only Spawns In Patch 1.09 or later)

- Armor: Enigma (Mage Plate)

Enigma

+2 To All Skills
+45% Faster Run/Walk
+1 To Teleport
+750-775 Defense (varies)
Sale [+775 Defense]
+ (0.75 Per Character Level) +0-74 To Strength (Based On Character Level)
Increase Maximum Life 5%
Damage Reduced By 8%
+14 Life After Each Kill
15% Damage Taken Goes To Mana
+ (1 Per Character Level) +1-99% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (Based On Character Level)

- Shield: Spirit (Monarch)

Spirit

Shields
+2 To All Skills
+35% Faster Cast Rate (varies)

+10-14% Enhanced Damage
+55% Faster Hit Recovery
+250 Defense Vs. Missile
+22 To Vitality
+89-112 To Mana (varies)
Cold Resist +35%
Lightning Resist +35%
Poison Resist +35%
+3-8 Magic Absorb (varies)
Attacker Takes Damage of 14

- Boots: Spirit Brogues (Greaves)

- Rings: Viper Finger, Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band

- Belt: Blood Strap (Demonhide Sash)

- Gloves: Magefist (Light Gauntlets)

- Charms: Gheed’s Fortune (Grand Charm), Annihilus (Small Charm), Hellfire Torch (Large Charm), Graverobber’s Grand Charm of Sustenance, Graverobber’s Grand Charm of Vita, Stout Small Charm of Fortune, Small Charm of Vita

Mercenary (D2R Act 3 Merc Gear)

- Act 3 Merc: Level 85 Iron Wolf

- Weapon: Spirit (Broad Sword)

- Shield: Spirit (Monarch)

- Armor: Skin of the Vipermagi

- Helm: Andariel's Visage (Demonhead)

Calefxd thinks the best way to showcase the power of this character is to compare it to the traditional summon necromancer and a merc-only necromancer. However, the result shows traditional necromancer is the fastest chaos runner, in order to cast a corpse explosion and funny enough, skeleton mages and fire golem and an Act 3 mercenary literally kill slower than an Act 2 mercenary with Obedience and Treachery.