Necrophos, the plague mongerer has infected countless foes and turned them into diseased and rotten invalids. He is known to dish out significant damage from a safe distance, while also healing allies and disrupting enemy movement. Necrophos is also known for his ability to deal massive magical damage to his foes, while sustaining him and his allies at the same time, making it difficult for his foes to escape or mount a counterattack. Hence, he is a valuable asset in team fights, where he can disrupt enemy ganks and create opportunities for its allies to deal significant damage. Necrophos is a highly dominant hero in the right hands, with the right builds!
To help you climb MMR with Necrophos, we bring you the Best 5 Necrophos Builds that will help you win games. These builds contain the best skill allocation and the best items that help you in dominating your games with this rancid mage.
5. Miracle Build
Miracle’s high octane and intelligent gameplay have gained him fame and attention from all over the world. He is known for his impressive versatility, yet we rarely see a Necrophos from him. The early game build is the most prominent Necrophos build which Miracle loves to try out in his pub games. Miracle’s map awareness and mechanical skills on Necrophos are truly breathtaking and something we all can learn from. He quite well knows everything the hero can do, this helps him induce fear in the mind of his enemies with his immense push and fight potential.
Necrophos is played differently by Miracle as he opts to play the hero in an extremely fast-paced manner, often wishing to buy the spellcasting and mobility items as soon as he can to paralyze the early game of his enemies. He prefers ganking and helping his team in teamfights instead of farming away as he can just push with Death Pulse ending the game as soon as he can. Miracle’s item choices and skill build allow him to go aggressive on his enemies as early as possible. This build is ideal if you are facing enemies with low magic and status resistance.
Use This Build If:
- You want to push and pressure the enemy laner as a mid-Necrophos
- You want a spellcasting build that helps you deal terrific damage in teamfights
- You want to be involved in more skirmishes from the early game
Skill Points
Level 1: Death Pulse: Necrophos releases a pulse that damages all the enemy units around him while healing himself or any allied units in the same AoE. Necrophos can sustain in the laning phase and damage his foes effortlessly in the early game.
Level 2: Heartstopper Aura: This passive ability causes enemy heroes to lose a percentage of their maximum HP over time. Also passively provides 8 regen per unit that Necrophos kills. The regen can stack up.
Level 3: Death Pulse
Level 4: Heartstopper Aura
Level 5: Death Pulse
Level 6: Reaper’s Scythe: Necrophos stuns the targeted enemy hero, then deals damage based upon the missing health. Upon successfully killing an enemy hero under its duration, he will gain permanently increased HP and mana regen. Any kill under this effect is credited to Necrophos, ensuring the increased regen and gold.
Level 7: Heartstopper Aura
Level 8: Death Pulse
Level 9: Heartstopper Aura
Level 10: +100 Reaper’s Scythe cast range
Level 11: Ghost Shroud: Necrophos becomes ethereal, becoming unable to attack or get attacked by enemies, while also slowing any enemies around him. He has amplified regeneration under its duration but takes increased magic damage. This spell should always be maxed if you are playing against heroes with little to no magical damage.
Level 12: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 13: Ghost Shroud
Level 14: Ghost Shroud
Level 15: +24% Ghost Shroud slow
Level 16: Ghost Shroud
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +15% Ghost Shroud self-restoration amp
Level 25: -2.5s Death Pulse cooldown
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 3x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 4 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Necrophos to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Tango (90 Gold) - Purchased at 0:02. Provides health regen if used on a tree (has 3 charges). It's the cheapest yet most convenient way of healing up in the game's early stages when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tango is a core item.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 2 minutes. Provides +45 movement speed to Necrophos. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Infused Raindrops (225 Gold) - Purchased at 3 minutes. Passively provides +0.8 Mana Regeneration while consuming a charge to block 120 incoming magic damage from instances over 75 damage. It comes with 6 charges, helping Necrophos fare well against heroes with high magic damage output.
- Sacred Relic (3400 Gold) - Purchased at 11 minutes. Provides +55 attack damage to Necro. The relic can further be upgraded into Radiance.
- Radiance (5050 Gold) - Purchased at 12 minutes. Deals 60 damage per second in an AoE, while also causing them to miss 15% of their attacks. It also makes enemies miss 15% of their attacks. Radiance is an exceptional item on Necrophos as it allows him to deal high damage in fights and also farm fast with the help of his items.
- Lotus Orb (3850 Gold) - Purchased at 17 minutes. This can be a situational item, but as a utility Necrophos, this is a must-have because it is known to purge off enemy debuffs. It is exceptional if you face enemies who have single-targeted spells, as it can reflect the spells to them if timed right. It also provides increased armor and mana regen, sustaining the plague maniac.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 19 minutes. Grants the Death Seeker ability which spawns a Death Pulse towards the target enemy or ally, causing the target to become ethereal. Reduces enemy magic resistance. Spreads toward nearby enemies and allies after impact. This shard helps Necrophos save himself and his allies in a rough teamfight.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 22 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Necrophos, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming Blink. This will enable him to be the frontline and initiates a fight with the follow-up of his ultimate.
- Boots of Travel (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 23 minutes. Allows you to teleport on allied creeps anywhere on the map. Purchasing this item grants Necrophos extreme mobility, making him highly active and providing him with global potential. He can push lanes and join his allies in a teamfight anytime he wants.
- Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold) - Bought at 27 minutes. Upon usage, it emits a freezing wave that deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds. The increased armor and survivability ensure Necrophos stays durable in fights while reducing enemy healing in an AoE.
- Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 31 minutes. Upgrades the Blink Dagger. Increases strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of your strength as damage. Necrophos benefits heavily from this item as she can survive a teamfight due to the high strength bonus.
- Octarine Core (5275 Gold) - Purchased at 37 minutes. Octarine Core provides increased cast range, increased stats along with a 25% cooldown reduction for both items and spells. Spellcasting heroes like Necrophos benefit from the stats above as it enhances their gameplay and makes them deal high damage in a fight while increasing their mana regen. It provides impressive stats for low mana pool heroes like Necro, helping him stay durable in the late game.
Neutral Items
- Occult Bracelet - Each time Necrophos is attacked, he gains 0.5 mana regen, for up to 5 stacks. Necrophos has a serious mana problem in the early game, and hence this bracelet provides him with a massive mana bonus.
- Ring of Aquila - Grants 1.25 mana regen and 2 armor to nearby allies and allied units. This is an exceptional teamfight item for Necrophos.
- Cloak of Flames - Provides Necrophos with +4 armor and +10% magic resistance. It also deals 45 damage per second to units close to Necrophos. It is a mini-radiance that allows him to farm quickly and stay resilient in a fight.
- Timeless Relic - It provides Necrophos with +20% Debuff duration while increasing his spell amplification by 15%. As Miracle is playing Necrophos in the standard magical build, this item is highly beneficial to him as it amplifies his magic damage potential.
4. Ceb Build
The two-timer Ceb is an exceptional Necrophos player. You may see him play this hero frequently in his pub games, as it is one of his signatures along with his NPs and Dark Seers. Ceb has made this hero viable in the meta by playing her in the offlane. Ceb plays an extremely aggressive and greedy Necrophos, often opting for unorthodox items. He does not rely on his teammates to make plays in the game, rather he takes matters into his own hands with his insane builds.
Ceb loves the max Death Pulse build, as he is playing against heroes with debuffs and high damage in this matchup, which further motivates him to buy Aghanim’s Shard. This build optimizes Necrophos to his full potential by building both utility and damage items. Such a hybrid build can be risky but seasoned veterans like Ceb know their way around such matchups. Ceb builds items like Heart of Tarasque and Holy Locket to provide him with increased HP and sustain potential while also piercing through enemies quite effortlessly.
Use This Build If:
- You want an extremely reliable build for the late game which nets you more damage with Reaper’s Scythe
- You are facing heroes with low escape potential as well as low magic resistance
- You want to be involved in more skirmishes from the early game
- You want a self-sustainable build that makes you tanky, making it extremely valuable against damage-dealing heroes
Skill Points
Level 1: Death Pulse: Necrophos releases a pulse that damages all the enemy units around him while healing himself or any allied units in the same AoE. Necrophos can sustain in the laning phase and damage his foes effortlessly in the early game.
Level 2: Heartstopper Aura: This passive ability causes enemy heroes to lose a percentage of their maximum HP over time. Also passively provides 8 regen per unit that Necrophos kills. The regen can stack up.
Level 3: Death Pulse
Level 4: Heartstopper Aura
Level 5: Death Pulse
Level 6: Reaper’s Scythe: Necrophos stuns the targeted enemy hero, then deals damage based upon the missing health. Upon successfully killing an enemy hero under its duration, he will gain permanently increased HP and mana regen. Any kill under this effect is credited to Necrophos, ensuring the increased regen and gold.
Level 7: Death Pulse
Level 8: Heartstopper Aura
Level 9: Heartstopper Aura
Level 10: Ghost Shroud: Necrophos becomes ethereal, becoming unable to attack or get attacked by enemies, while also slowing any enemies around him. He has amplified regeneration under its duration but takes increased magic damage. This spell should always be maxed if you are playing against heroes with little to no magical damage.
Level 11: +100 Reaper’s Scythe cast range
Level 12: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 13: Ghost Shroud
Level 14: Ghost Shroud
Level 15: Ghost Shroud
Level 16: +24% Ghost Shroud slow
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +15% Ghost Shroud self-restoration amp
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Faerie Fire (70 Gold) - Instantly restores 85 health upon usage. It also passively grants 2 damage per instance. It is an effective item if you’re playing in the mid lane, or just want extra damage and sustain in the side lanes.
- Circlet (155 Gold) - Grants +2 of all attributes. It helps Necrophos stay durable through the early game.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each direction grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you face heroes who cast spells frequently.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 1 minute. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Necrophos to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 2 minutes. Provides +45 movement speed to Necrophos. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Power Treads (1400 Gold) - Bought at 4 minutes. It provides 45 movement speed and 25 attack speed along with toggleable attributes, which offer everything from increased mana pool to armor and even strength, helping Necrophos stay durable and sufficient in all game stages.
- Wind Lace (250 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. Provides +20 movement speed. It is a decent early-game item providing Necro with the much-needed movement speed that he lacks.
- Cloak (500 Gold) - Bought at 6 minutes. Provides +15% magic resistance. It is an effective way of reducing magic damage dealt to Necrophos, helping him stay durable in the early game. It can further be upgraded into Hood of Defiance.
- Hood of Defiance (1500 Gold) - Purchased at 8 minutes. The Hood is the first defensive item that people often purchase on Necrophos, as it provides increased magic resistance. Upon activation, it can absorb up to 350 magic damage, making it an ideal purchase against heroes with high magic damage.
- Force Staff (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 12 minutes. Pushes Necrophos or the targetted unit in the direction they are facing. It can be used both offensively or defensively depending on the situation.
- Pipe of Insight (3475 Gold) - Purchased at 16 minutes. Hood of Defiance can further be upgraded into Pipe of Insight. It not only shields Necrophos from incoming magic damage but also shields his allies and allied buildings in an AoE. Necrophos also gains passive health regen and magic resistance from this item, making it an ideal item against high magic damage-dealing heroes.
- Lotus Orb (3850 Gold) - Purchased at 21 minutes. This can be a situational item, but as a utility Necrophos, this is a must-have because it is known to purge off enemy debuffs. It is exceptional if you face enemies who have single-targeted spells, as it can reflect the spells to them if timed right. It also provides increased armor and mana regen, sustaining the plague maniac.
- Holy Locket (2400 Gold) - Purchased at 26 minutes. Can be used by Necrophos to heal allies or himself on usage, based on the charges which are granted based on enemy hero casting spells, basically a glorified Magic Stick. This provides the tiny bit of sustain and healing required to withstand enemy damage in the late game, health gain is also amplified by Ghost Shroud.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 31 minutes. Grants the Death Seeker ability which spawns a Death Pulse towards the target enemy or ally, causing the target to become ethereal. Reduces enemy magic resistance. Spreads toward nearby enemies and allies after impact. This shard helps Necrophos save himself and his allies in a rough teamfight.
- Heart of Tarasque (5000 Gold) - Purchased at 35 minutes. Heart grants immense HP and increased health regen, which helps Necrophos frontline and tanks a teamfight. It allows Necro to soak up significant damage and quickly regen back due to the regen buff.
Neutral Items
- Occult Bracelet - Each time Necrophos is attacked, he gains 0.5 mana regen, for up to 5 stacks. Necrophos has a serious mana problem in the early game, and hence this bracelet provides him with a massive mana bonus.
- Ring of Aquila - Grants 1.25 mana regen and 2 armor to nearby allies and allied units. This is an exceptional teamfight item for Necrophos.
- Dragon Scale - Provides 5 Armor and 5 health regen while also dealing 18 damage per second to enemies hit by Necrophos’ physical attacks.
3. Zai Build
Zai made his splash on the competitive scene at a very young age, he lead big teams to victory with his impressive gameplay. He is also very versatile and has played a wide range of heroes throughout his pro career, including the almighty plague mongerer Necrophos. Zai loves playing Necrophos in the offlane due to the utility and healing that he provides, it is of extreme value in various matchups. In certain matchups against low magic-resistant heroes or heroes with illusions, Necrophos shines the most. Zai is aware of this fact and only picks Necrophos in those situations.
Necrophos is played very passively in the lane by Zai, often relying on levels and then rotating to other lanes for kills. Zai loves to build utility items, including Pipe of Insight, Holy Locket, and Guardian Greaves which ensures that his team stays healthy even through a tough teamfight. Zai has various tips and tricks with this hero, dropping items to use stick under Ghost Shroud duration to heal more, using creep aggro to his advantage, and much more! This utility may appear to be passive to many people, but it is highly advantageous in the late game if your team lacks sustain.
Use This Build If:
- You want a utility-focused teamfight build
- You want to be involved in more skirmishes from the early game as an offlaner
- You want an extremely reliable offlane Necrophos build that is focused on the late-game
Skill Points
Level 1: Death Pulse: Necrophos releases a pulse that damages all the enemy units around him while healing himself or any allied units in the same AoE. Necrophos can sustain in the laning phase and damage his foes effortlessly in the early game.
Level 2: Heartstopper Aura: This passive ability causes enemy heroes to lose a percentage of their maximum HP over time. Also passively provides 8 regen per unit that Necrophos kills. The regen can stack up.
Level 3: Death Pulse
Level 4: Heartstopper Aura
Level 5: Death Pulse
Level 6: Reaper’s Scythe: Necrophos stuns the targeted enemy hero, then deals damage based upon the missing health. Upon successfully killing an enemy hero under its duration, he will gain permanently increased HP and mana regen. Any kill under this effect is credited to Necrophos, ensuring the increased regen and gold.
Level 7: Death Pulse
Level 8: Ghost Shroud: Necrophos becomes ethereal, becoming unable to attack or get attacked by enemies, while also slowing any enemies around him. He has amplified regeneration under its duration but takes increased magic damage. This spell should always be maxed if you are playing against heroes with little to no magical damage.
Level 9: Heartstopper Aura
Level 10: Heartstopper Aura
Level 11: +100 Reaper’s Scythe cast range
Level 12: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 13: Ghost Shroud
Level 14: Ghost Shroud
Level 15: +24% Ghost Shroud slow
Level 16: Ghost Shroud
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +32% Heartstopper regen reduction
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 4x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree (has 3 charges). It's the cheapest yet most convenient way of healing up in the game's early stages when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tango is a core item.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each direction grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you face heroes who cast spells frequently.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 1 minute. Provides +45 movement speed to Necrophos. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Arcane Boots (1300 Gold) - Purchased in 3 minutes. Arcane Boots are an essential item for Necrophos as It provides him with mana regen and sustains him through teamfight along with the increase in movement speed. It can be disassembled as well, allowing you to build different items with it later on in the game.
- Wind Lace (250 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. Provides +20 movement speed. It is a decent early-game item providing Necro with the much-needed movement speed that he lacks.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 4 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Necrophos to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Mekansm (1775 Gold) - Purchased at 8 minutes. Mekansm provides healing to Necrophos and his allies in an AoE. This sustains them in a teamfight and can also be helped to turn the tides into a hard fight.
- Cloak (500 Gold) - Bought at 10 minutes. Provides +15% magic resistance. It is an effective way of reducing magic damage dealt to Necrophos, helping him stay durable in the early game. It can further be upgraded into Hood of Defiance.
- Guardian Greaves (4950 Gold) - Purchased at 12 minutes. Mekansm along with Arcane Boots are further upgraded into Guardian Greaves at 25 minutes into the game. Upon usage, it heals Necrophos and his allies in an AoE, replenishing their HP and mana, while also removing negative debuffs from Necrophos (as he is the caster).
- Force Staff (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 17 minutes. Pushes Necrophos or the targetted unit in the direction they are facing. It can be used both offensively or defensively depending on the situation.
- Hood of Defiance (1500 Gold) - Purchased at 17 minutes. The Hood is the first defensive item that people often purchase on Necrophos, as it provides increased magic resistance. Upon activation, it can absorb up to 350 magic damage, making it an ideal purchase against heroes with high magic damage.
- Pipe of Insight (3475 Gold) - Purchased at 20 minutes. Hood of Defiance can further be upgraded into Pipe of Insight. It not only shields Necrophos from incoming magic damage but also shields his allies and allied buildings in an AoE. Necrophos also gains passive health regen and magic resistance from this item, making it an ideal item against high magic damage-dealing heroes.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 22 minutes. Grants the Death Seeker ability which spawns a Death Pulse towards the target enemy or ally, causing the target to become ethereal. Reduces enemy magic resistance. Spreads toward nearby enemies and allies after impact. This shard helps Necrophos save himself and his allies in a rough teamfight.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 25 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Necrophos, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies. It can also be upgraded into Arcane Blink. This will enable him to be the frontline and initiates a fight with the follow-up of his ultimate.
- Radiance (5050 Gold) - Purchased at 31 minutes. Deals 60 damage per second in an AoE, while also causing them to miss 15% of their attacks. It also makes enemies miss 15% of their attacks. Radiance is an exceptional item on Necrophos as it allows him to deal high damage in fights and also farm fast with the help of his items.
Neutral Items
- Pig Pole - Provides +6 of all attributes. It's active turns Necrophos into a pig, making him unable to use spells or items but increasing his movement speed, which can allow him to escape certain sticky situations.
- Bullwhip - Increases Necrophos’ health regeneration by 3 and mana regeneration by 2.5. Upon usage, it grants 18% movement speed for 4 seconds to allies and Necrophos. It also slows for the same amount and duration of cast on enemies.
- Titan Sliver - Increases Necrophos’ base attack damage by 20%, it also increases his magic resistance by 16% and buffs up his status resistance by 12%. These stats allow Necrophos to be highly durable and resilient in a teamfight.
- Paladin Sword - Increases lifesteal, spell lifesteal, regen, and healing by 14%. This allows Necrophos to sustain his teamfights.
2. 33 Build
Necrophos is one of 33’s most-played heroes. His exceptional gameplay and knowledge of this plagued monstrosity are unbeatable. He leaves no stone unturned when it comes to dominating the game with Necrophos. Everything from the web placement to the micro is managed well by 33. He recognizes the strengths as well as the weaknesses of this hero. 33 focuses on demolishing the laning phase with his aggressive playstyle while also paying attention to his farming speed. 33 Builds all the essential items he needs to win his lane, his Necro builds are always well-planned.
33 plays quite an aggressive initiator build, which ensures his allies are safe in the back while he frontlines throughout the game. He focuses on split-pushing and initiating the teamfight first on Necrophos, he can do this easily with the healing and damage bonuses he has on this hero. Hence, he prioritizes items like Scythe of Vyse and Dagon 5 which helps him be an excellent team fighter and great at controlling the crowd. Once 33 hits the item timings on Necrophos, there is no way you can stop his onslaught. He has a very team-fight-oriented build, allowing him to prioritize the late game well.
Use This Build If:
- You want an early game fight oriented build which does not falter in the late game
- You want a highly self-sustainable build that can help you stay durable and withstand immense damage
- You are facing squishy and low armor heroes, this build deals high damage and eviscerates their armor
Skill Points
Level 1: Death Pulse: Necrophos releases a pulse that damages all the enemy units around him while healing himself or any allied units in the same AoE. Necrophos can sustain in the laning phase and damage his foes effortlessly in the early game.
Level 2: Heartstopper Aura: This passive ability causes enemy heroes to lose a percentage of their maximum HP over time. Also passively provides 8 regen per unit that Necrophos kills. The regen can stack up.
Level 3: Death Pulse
Level 4: Heartstopper Aura
Level 5: Death Pulse
Level 6: Reaper’s Scythe: Necrophos stuns the targeted enemy hero, then deals damage based upon the missing health. Upon successfully killing an enemy hero under its duration, he will gain permanently increased HP and mana regen. Any kill under this effect is credited to Necrophos, ensuring the increased regen and gold.
Level 7: Death Pulse
Level 8: Ghost Shroud: Necrophos becomes ethereal, becoming unable to attack or get attacked by enemies, while also slowing any enemies around him. He has amplified regeneration under its duration but takes increased magic damage. This spell should always be maxed if you are playing against heroes with little to no magical damage.
Level 9: Heartstopper Aura
Level 10: Heartstopper Aura
Level 11: +100 Reaper’s Scythe cast range
Level 12: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 13: Ghost Shroud
Level 14: Ghost Shroud
Level 15: +24% Ghost Shroud slow
Level 16: Ghost Shroud
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +32% Heartstopper regen reduction
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 2x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Necrophos to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Boots of Speed (500 Gold) - Purchased at 2 minutes. Provides +45 movement speed to Necrophos. It is ideal for all heroes as you can purchase upgraded boots with it.
- Wind Lace (250 Gold) - Purchased at 3 minutes. Provides +20 movement speed. It is a decent early-game item providing Necro with the much-needed movement speed that he lacks.
- Boots of Travel (2500 Gold) - Purchased at 8 minutes. Allows you to teleport on allied creeps anywhere on the map. Purchasing this item grants Necrophos extreme mobility, making him highly active and providing him with global potential. He can push lanes and join his allies in a teamfight anytime he wants.
- Kaya (2050 Gold) - Purchased at 12 minutes. It provides Necrophos with increased stats along with increased spell lifesteal, damage amplification, and increased mana regen amplification. It ensures he does not run out of mana whilst, in a teamfight, it can further be upgraded into Kaya and Sange.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 15 minutes. Grants the Death Seeker ability which spawns a Death Pulse towards the target enemy or ally, causing the target to become ethereal. Reduces enemy magic resistance. Spreads toward nearby enemies and allies after impact. This shard helps Necrophos save himself and his allies in a rough teamfight.
- Black King Bar (4050 Gold) - Bought at 20 minutes. Provides magic immunity from all magical damage, making Necrophos invulnerable during fights. It allows him to use his Blink aggressively and get on top of heroes without worrying about getting caught off-guard.
- Kaya and Sange (4100 Gold) - Purchased at 24 minutes. Provides immense bonuses such as increased stats, status resistance, spell damage amplification, along with health and mana amplification. It is an effective item for spellcasting heroes like Necro. Besides, it offers extreme survivability with increased stats, making him durable in a teamfight. This item ensures he never runs out of mana.
- Scythe of Vyse (5675 Gold) - Purchased at 28 minutes. Scythe offers immense disable potential as it turns the targeted enemy into a pig, making them unable to use any spells or items while also reducing their movement speed. This disabler item is of high value to Necrophos as it allows him to dominate the late game by locking down his foes and decimating them with the follow-up from his team.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 32 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Necrophos, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies. It can also be upgraded into Overwhelming Blink. This will enable him to be the frontline and initiates a fight with the follow-up of his ultimate.
- Overwhelming Blink (6800 Gold) - Purchased at 37 minutes. Upgrades the Blink Dagger. Increases strength and deals damage in an AoE that deals attack and movement speed slow to enemies, while also making them take 150% of your strength as damage. Necrophos benefits heavily from this item as she can survive a teamfight due to the high strength bonus.
- Dagon 5 (7700 Gold) - Purchased at 42 minutes. Upon usage, it deals huge single-targeted burst damage, Dagon can be upgraded, increasing the cast range and damage it deals on the highest level. (level 5).
Neutral Items
- Seeds of Serenity - Upon usage, provides +8 health regeneration to Necro and all allies in an AoE.
- Specialist’s Array - Increases Necrophos’ attributes while also providing him with increased attack damage. Specialist’s Array is helpful to make core Necrophos an essential team fighter.
- Ogre Seal Totem - Flops Necrophos forward twice, dealing damage in an AoE while slowing enemies on each bounce. This item is beneficial in getting Necrophos out of sticky situations.
- Timeless Relic - It provides Necrophos with +20% Debuff duration while increasing his spell amplification by 15%. As Miracle is playing Necrophos in the standard magical build, this item is highly beneficial to him as it amplifies his magic damage potential.
1. GpK Build
Not all heroes are as impactful as Gpk on Necrophos. He is one of the rising stars in the European region. Gpk loves playing Necrophos aggressively due to the fight and tank potential that the hero has to offer. He is also known to fare well in almost all matchups due to his survivability and spectacular spellcasting. He can also farm extremely fast and rotate to the other lanes when he gets his ultimate. It is difficult to stop an early game-farmed Necrophos, he just snowballs and runs over his enemies effortlessly. Gpk optimizes a late-game build which allows him to stay relevant and demolish all his enemies with his ultimate, Reaper of Scythe.
Gpk loves farming in the early game, an early-game Blink Dagger helps him initiate a fight and deal heaps of AoE damage which helps him fight frequently and also be mobile. He often builds items that ensure he has enough mobility and sustains to withstand a teamfight early on. Hence, items such as Shiva’s Guard, and Heaven’s Halberd are highly preferred by him due to their efficacy. As the game progresses, you can also opt for Aghanim’s Scepter which offers amplifies the magical damage that Necrophos and fight potential, though it’s not seen in this game, it is a highly effective item in the extreme late stages of the game. This build is ideal if you want to be a dominating force right from the laning phase.
Use This Build If:
- You want to have a high-impact Necrophos gameplay right from the laning phase
- You are facing heroes with low magic resistance and low armor
- You want a late-game-oriented build that can obliterate even the worst enemies in the late game
- You want a self-sustainable build that makes you tanky, making it extremely valuable against damage-dealing heroes
Skill Points
Level 1: Death Pulse: Necrophos releases a pulse that damages all the enemy units around him while healing himself or any allied units in the same AoE. Necrophos can sustain in the laning phase and damage his foes effortlessly in the early game.
Level 2: Heartstopper Aura: This passive ability causes enemy heroes to lose a percentage of their maximum HP over time. Also passively provides 8 regen per unit that Necrophos kills. The regen can stack up.
Level 3: Death Pulse
Level 4: Heartstopper Aura
Level 5: Death Pulse
Level 6: Reaper’s Scythe: Necrophos stuns the targeted enemy hero, then deals damage based upon the missing health. Upon successfully killing an enemy hero under its duration, he will gain permanently increased HP and mana regen. Any kill under this effect is credited to Necrophos, ensuring the increased regen and gold.
Level 7: Death Pulse
Level 8: Heartstopper Aura
Level 9: Heartstopper Aura
Level 10: Ghost Shroud: Necrophos becomes ethereal, becoming unable to attack or get attacked by enemies, while also slowing any enemies around him. He has amplified regeneration under its duration but takes increased magic damage. This spell should always be maxed if you are playing against heroes with little to no magical damage.
Level 11: +100 Reaper’s Scythe cast range
Level 12: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 13: Ghost Shroud
Level 14: Ghost Shroud
Level 15: Ghost Shroud
Level 16: +32 Death Pulse Heal
Level 17: Stats
Level 18: Reaper’s Scythe
Level 19: Stats
Level 20: +32% Heartstopper regen reduction
Items to buy for this build (Early to Late Game)
- 3x Iron Branch (50 Gold) - Grants +1 of all attributes per branch. It provides decent sustain in the early game. The branch can be also planted to block paths for enemies or to deceive them under the fog.
- Tango (90 Gold) - Provides health regen if used on a tree (has 3 charges). It's the cheapest yet most convenient way of healing up in the game's early stages when you are playing in the side lanes. Regardless of the hero you play, Tango is a core item.
- Circlet (155 Gold) - Grants +2 of all attributes. It helps Necrophos stay durable through the early game.
- Magic Stick (200 Gold) - Gains a charge each time an enemy uses a spell around you. Each direction grants 15 HP and mana and can have up to 10 charges. It is a perfect item in the laning stage if you face heroes who cast spells frequently.
- Gloves of Haste (450 Gold) - Purchased at 1 minute. It provides Necrophos with a +20 attack speed. It is further upgraded Power Treads.
- Power Treads (1400 Gold) - Bought at 4 minutes. It provides 45 movement speed and 25 attack speed along with toggleable attributes, which offer everything from increased mana pool to armor and even strength, helping Necrophos stay durable and sufficient in all game stages.
- Wind Lace (250 Gold) - Purchased at 4 minutes. Provides +20 movement speed. It is a decent early-game item providing Necro with the much-needed movement speed that he lacks.
- Magic Wand (450 Gold) - Bought at 4 minutes. Gains a charge every time an enemy uses a spell in an AoE. It can store up to 20 charges, with each charge healing you up to 15 HP and mana. It is an ideal starting item as it allows Necrophos to sustain herself in the lane if he is facing spellcasting heroes.
- Bracer (505 Gold) - Purchased at 6 minutes. Bracer increases all three attributes while also increasing attack damage and health regen for Necrophos. The bonuses double after 25 minutes, hence it is an ideal early-game item for strength heroes like Necro.
- Rod of Atos (2750 Gold) - Bought at 11 minutes. Upon usage, it roots the targeted unit. It can be the much-needed lockdown that Necrophos needs to stop enemies from TP’ing.
- Blink Dagger (2250 Gold) - Purchased at 15 minutes. Blink Dagger is a core item on Necrophos, as it allows him to initiate a teamfight, or chase enemies. It can also be upgraded into Arcane Blink. This will enable him to be the frontline and initiates a fight with the follow-up of his ultimate.
- Aghanim’s Shard (1400 Gold) - Purchased at 17 minutes. Grants the Death Seeker ability which spawns a Death Pulse towards the target enemy or ally, causing the target to become ethereal. Reduces enemy magic resistance. Spreads toward nearby enemies and allies after impact. This shard helps Necrophos save himself and his allies in a rough teamfight.
- Sange (2050 Gold) - Purchased at 22 minutes. Increases Necrophos’ strength, status resistance, and health regen and also amplifies his lifesteal. Sange is an essential item in the early game as it makes Necrophos highly durable, making him able to stand his ground in fights.
- Heaven’s Halberd (3550 Gold) - Purchased at 23 minutes. Prevents the targeted enemy from doing any physical attacks for 5 seconds. It also offers passive evasion and stats from Sange for Necrophos. It is an ideal item if you are facing hard-hitting physical damage the enemy carries.
- Shiva’s Guard (4850 Gold) - Bought at 27 minutes. Upon usage, it emits a freezing wave that deals 200 damage and slows the enemy for 40% of their movement speed. This slow is impressive and lasts for 4 seconds. The increased armor and survivability ensure Necrophos stays durable in fights while reducing enemy healing in an AoE.
Neutral Items
- Fairy’s Trinket - Increases Necro’s health by 75, while increasing spell amplification and reduces mana loss by 5% Though it is an effective item on spellcaster heroes, the ferocious plague mongerer can benefit from it in the early game if he is constantly fighting from the get-go.
- Grove Bow - Upon physical attacks by Necrophos, it makes the targeted enemy take 15% amplified magical damage.
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