You weren't the most lethal of necromancers, and that was with Master's powers. I'd suggest heroing and fighting a group of hero ragers and telling me its not really a big deal. I haven't played a spectre in a damn long while, but I never really found them that difficult either, but then maybe I was just lucky or something. Eyes of flames on my Marans always took care of sleep, camo always took care of my sylvans, manacles as my tribunal. Naturally, necros have to deal with all of those, except now they get to deal with heroes at a rank disadvantage and they have no locate object for their lichquest items. Animate dead is still a bitch. Sleep got a major nerfing, and since you were mortal at least barrier wands got a major nerfing as well. Granted, sylvans aren't what they were at Valgs time but I'm not really sure I would consider pre-change necromancers to be as lethal as you claim.