Darkforce Spawn

Darkforce Spawn is an elite Bloodlord Skull necromancer shield that prioritizes skill bonuses over defense. This unique offers the potential for massive skill point gains but competes directly with Homunculus, which remains the preferred choice for most Necromancers.

Skill Point Potential

With +1-3 to Summoning Skills, +1-3 to Poison and Bone Skills, and +1-3 to Curses, Darkforce Spawn can provide up to +9 skill points across all three Necromancer trees when perfectly rolled. This makes it particularly valuable for Poison Nova or Bone Spear Necromancers who benefit from the Poison and Bone skill boost. The +30% Faster Cast Rate helps reach crucial FCR breakpoints while the 10% Increased Maximum Mana supports frequent spell casting.

Why Homunculus Wins

Despite its skill bonuses, Darkforce Spawn struggles to compete with Homunculus. The 32% blocking chance is significantly lower than Homunculus's 72%, and the lack of +2 to all Necromancer skills means Homunculus often provides equal or better total skill levels while also offering superior defense, resistances, and regeneration. Darkforce Spawn's level 65 requirement also means many Necromancers will already have access to Homunculus by the time they can equip this shield.

When to Consider It

Darkforce Spawn becomes interesting only with perfect or near-perfect rolls featuring +3 to Poison and Bone. For Bonemancers and Poison Nova builds, the combination of FCR and specific tree bonuses can edge out Homunculus in pure damage output, though you sacrifice considerable survivability. The shield can also work during the transition period before finding Homunculus, but most players will skip it entirely.