Though they retained their Humanity after making a pact with death, Necromancers became the most terrifying agents of the Scourge. These dark, insidious men were once thought to be aspiring geniuses by the Magocracy of Dalaran. However, their insatiable lust to delve into the secrets of the dark arts drove them to forsake their very souls. Ner'zhul, the Lich King, granted these malevolent sorcerers true power over the dead in exchange for their loyalty and obedience. The shadowy Necromancers have the power to command various types of Undead and even spread the foul undead plague as well.

Level: 2 Cost: 145 20 2 Unit Type: Normal Attack Type: Magic Weapon Type: Missile Armor Type: Unarmored Armor: 0 Ground Attack: 8.5 avg *(#) = Stats when fully upgraded

Air Attack: 8.5 avg Cooldown: 1.8 Hit Points: 305 (385*) Health Regeneration: Blight Mana: 200 (400*) Mana Regeneration: 0.667 (1.167*) Range: 60 Day Sight: 140

Night Sight: 90 Speed: Average (270) Build Time: 24 Trained At: Temple of the Damned Requirements: None Transport Space Usage: 1 Production Hot Key: N

Necromancers are very popular among experienced undead players as they can raise lots of Skeletons to support your existing troops. Use them in combination with any force. They are also very helpful with Unholy Frenzy, which is especially powerful on Abominations and Frost Wyrms. Cripple can also help stop enemies that are trying to run away or severely limit the enemies ability to attack.

A typical strategy in team games is for Undead players to build up to Necromancers. Typically they will build 2-3 Temples of the Damned. This allows you to research upgrades in one building and train Necromancers at the same time. Spirit Towers and the Halls of the Dead/Black Citadel can defend the Undead town until the Necromancers are ready.

Necromancers are easily killed by melee units and ranged units using focused fire. It's important to keep the Necromancers away from the enemy. Often Necromancers have the greatest success when a group of melee units and the map block the enemy from reaching the Necromancers. Often Undead commanders will run in circles around the battle to avoid being killed, stopping only to raise some Skeletons.

Raise Dead (Autocast) Raises 2 Skeletons from a target corpse.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements None Always Available None Duration Cooldown Mana Cost Range Area of Effect Allowed Targets Effect 40 sec. 8 sec. 75 60 N/A Dead Raises 2 Skeletons

Raise Dead Information
Once the Skeletal Mastery upgrade is researched, Raise Dead will raise 1 Skeleton Warrior and 1 Skeletal Mage per corpse.

This spell is not on by default. This is to prevent the Necromancer from raising Skeletons from the Graveyard after he is created wasting his mana if you happen to build your Graveyard next to the Temple of the Damned.

Skeletons initially last 40 seconds. Research Skeletal Longevity to increase their time 15 seconds to a total of 55 seconds.

Skeleton Counters
Use Dispel.

Unholy Frenzy Increases the attack rate of a target unit by 75%, but drains 4 hit points per second. Lasts 45 seconds.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements 100 50 Temple of the Damned Necromancer Adept Training Duration Cooldown Mana Cost Range Area of Effect Allowed Targets Effect 45 sec. 1 sec. 50 50 Unit Air, Ground, Organic Unit takes 4 damage/sec, 75% attack speed bonus

Unholy Frenzy Information
Unholy Frenzy is very helpful on Heroes (whose health regeneration can make up for the loss of hit points), Abominations, Frost Wyrms, Tauren, Knights, and Bears. For some units, such as low hit point units, it is not a good idea to cast Unholy Frenzy on them because it will make them so weak they will be easily killed.

In team games make sure you know if your ally wants Unholy Frenzy on them before casting it. Some players do not like Unholy Frenzy at all (because their units lose hit points) and get very angry when their allies cast it on them.

Know when to use Unholy Frenzy. If you're just attacking Creeps or in some minor battle it is not worth casting Unholy Frenzy since it will weaken your troops. Don't cast Unholy Frenzy if you don't need it.

Unholy Frenzy works very well in combination with the Dread Lord's Vampiric Aura on Abominations and other advanced melee units and on melee heroes such as the Dread Lord. The Vampiric Aura will help heal the damage of the Unholy Frenzy.

Cast Unholy Frenzy on retreating enemy Heroes, or even units that are about to die. It will kill them off.

Cripple Reduces movement speed by 75%, attack rate by 50%, and damage by 50% of target enemy unit.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements 100 150 Temple of the Damned Necromancer Master Training Duration (Hero) Cooldown Mana Cost Range Area of Effect Allowed Targets Effect 60 (10) sec. 10 sec. 175 60 Unit Air, Ground, Enemy, Organic Movement Speed -75%, Attack Rate -50%, Damage -50%

Cripple Information
Cripple is the uber slow spell. It also requires a lot of Mana. You should pick your targets carefully when casting Cripple. Cast it on powerful normal units such as Knights, Tauren, Abominations, Frost Wyrms, or Druids of the Claw.

Cripple Counters
Use Dispel.

Skeletal Longevity Increases the duration of raised Skeleton Warriors and Skeletal Mages by 15 seconds.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 50 75 Temple of the Damned None 15 sec.

Skeletal Mastery Causes one of the two skeletons created by Raise Dead to be a Skeletal Mage.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 200 100 Temple of the Damned Black Citadel 30 sec.

Necromancer Adept Training Increases mana capacity by 100, mana regeneration rate by 30%, hit points by 40, and gives them the ability to cast Unholy Frenzy.

Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 100 50 Temple of the Damned None 30 sec.

Necromancer Master Training Further increases mana capacity by 100, mana regeneration rate by 30%, hit points by 40, and gives them the ability to cast Cripple. Research Cost Researched At Requirements Upgrade Time 100 150 Temple of the Damned Necromancer Adept Training, Black Citadel 45 sec.