A typical MM build...

First of all N/Mo in my opinion are the best MM for the sake of Heal Area. Some say this degenerates their life faster, but I disagree, anyways here's my build that works to perfection....

Animate Bone Fiend
Animate Bone Horror
Veratas Sacrifice
Blood of the Master
Heal Area
Death Nova
Tainted Flesh [elite]
Rebirth, (if soloing, bring deathly swarm)

This build is simple and effective. Cast death nova and Tainted Flesh on all minions to add damage. This is a build you want. I don't have tainted, so I bring some other skill(Deathly chill, perhaps)

You should make sure to have 16 Death, and probably 11 or 12 Soul Reaping(I only bring minor SR rune... I don't like to go in with -150 health before sup vigor). With 11, I think you can get up to 8 in Healing Prayers.

@ Ump: I must be missing something in your math. How do you net 2 energy from minions with 9 in Soul Reaping?
its cuz he is using "Animate Bone minions" wich makes 2 lower lvl minions...
so the equationwould be 9(enemy body)+9(1st bone minion that dies)+9 (2nd bone minion that dies) = 27 therefore not only do you pay off the price of the minions you actually GAIN 2 energy in the end

Good thinking dude!

its cuz he is using "Animate Bone minions" wich makes 2 lower lvl minions...
so the equationwould be 9(enemy body)+9(1st bone minion that dies)+9 (2nd bone minion that dies) = 27 therefore not only do you pay off the price of the minions you actually GAIN 2 energy in the end

Good thinking dude! I see - I never factor in the energy generated when the enemy has died when doing those calculations.

I still prefer horrors to minions though - more damage, armour and health, and using the formula above you actually get a higher net energy gain than with the minions at 9 Soul Reaping:

Minions: Target dies (+9) Summon Minions (-25) Minions die (9+9) Total net 27-25 = 2

Horror: Target dies (+9) Summon Horror (-15) Horror dies (+9) Total net 18-15 = 3

Not a big difference, but goes to prove that the argument for taking minions over horrors is false when you're only investing 9 in Soul Reaping.

If you invest 10 in Soul Reaping the net energy gains are the same:

Minions: 10+10+10-25 = +5 net
Horror: 10+10-15 = +5 net

With anything over 10 in Soul Reaping, going with minions nets a higher energy gain.

This is the build that I am shooting for.

Death: 12+3+1=16
Soul: 8+1=9
Blood: 8+1=9
Healing: 7

1) Vampiric Gaze
2) Animate Bone Minions
3) Animate Bone Fiend
4) Verata's Sacrifice
5) Blood of the Master
6) Heal Area
7) Offering of Blood
8) Vengeance

Vampiric Gaze will steal 43 life, so it provides a decent heal and initial damage. Bone Minions will net 2 energy at 9 soul reaping (9-25+2*9=2) and gives two minions. Offering of Blood gives more energy when needed. Vengeance is a rez that is faster than Rebirth, doesn't take away my energy and disable my skills, I can exploit the body again for another minion, and regain most of the energy back from soul reaping. The only thing I lose is the reset option when regrouping a party after a wipe. However, considering I'm likely to be near the front, there will be no running away in the middle of a battle for me. I'm now in the desert with my necromancer and I already have a new target build. Obviously, I won't really know if it works until after the last mission and I start farming for greens.

N/Me
Death:12+3+1=16
Soul Reaping: 10+1=11
Blood: 8+1=9 (to get +5 regen from Blood Renewal)

1) Aura of the Lich (elite) - halves life, but also halves damage, cuts sacrifice costs by 4, and heals at the end.
2) Blood Renewal - great regen/healing especially when combined with AotL
3) Animate Bone Horror - minion tank
4) Animate Bone Fiend - minion damage
5) Arcane Echo - recast Verata's Sacrifice (to keep it always up) or more minons
6) Verata's Sacrifice - keep minions alive for a long enough time
7) Dark Bond - redirect damage to minion (they take less damage because you take less damage with AotL)
8) Death Nova/Resurrection Signet - lots of damage when used in tomb farming with barrage/pet on pets

if you have wasted attribute points on healing you dont deserve to call yourself MM, plain and simple.
Sure N/Mo's (only some, most suck anyway) can brag about size of their armies between fights, but they either have lvl 17 minions or simply can not handle big fights or both. Everything you just said is false, false, and false. Before you criticize n/mo's and their choice of skills maybe you should actually their build. Maybe you might like it? o.O

1)Putting points into healing is not a waste. I'm an N/MO and I deserved the right to be called an MM cuz that's what I do. My army of minions is large for that reason among others. Also too many times have I either had my monks slaughtered or I was the last person standing. You can talk all you want but I'm f_____n glad I brought healing to not only keep myself alive but my minions long enough to buy me enough time to rez my allies.

2)My army consists only of lvl 18-19 minions not the "17" you quoted. Judging by your comments I've come to the conclusion you think "most" N/MO's can carry large armies of lvl 17's that can't handle large fights.

3)Any N/mo has the potential to handle their own in large fights. It all boils down to how large of an army you can raise and keep. I think that's where the extra healing from "heal area" helps. Imagine yourself under attack and your nearest group of minions needs to be healed. Nobody's watching your minions but you. Verata's Sacrifice just ran out. So you renew VS. but your minions still need more health. You already sacrificed health using VS and BoTM is literally suicide at this point because you are under heavy fire. IF THIS ISN'T THE PERFECT SCENARIO TO HAVE A SKILL LIKE HEAL AREA THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS. Not only does it heal your minions without sacrificing more hp but it heals you from the VS sac. and enemy fire.