The Tavern

Firstly, please don't suggest Deep Dwarf, Spriggan, Troll or Ogre. I don't really enjoy those races.
After getting a bit bored with Yred's sort of... not too useful abilities for what I would like to play as (that and I didn't like the focus on melee + ranged/evocations for ranged combat), I figured I'd try up Kiku again.
The idea that I had was to pick a race that would start as necromancer and immediately grab a melee weapon (ideally axes or else polearms). Axes for the cleave and polearms for the reach while behind minions. I'm not sure which; it would be based on what I find first that's useful.
What I plan on doing till around the end of Lair is: melee weapon + lethal infusion/excruciating wounds, vampiric draining for well... draining health and agony for softening up the harder enemies, like a hydra, etc; obviously animate dead for minions.

I can safely get up to about the end of Lair, with a bit of running away.
So what I need to have explained is: are wands useful (as attacking weapons; teleport, healing, etc all good) and if so, how high should I raise evocations?
Would it be that much of a negative thing if I have something like an Orc with -3 spellcasting and 0 necromancy?
The other choices I wanted to go for was either Ds, Ko or else... Minotaur (which worries me a bit since they have terrible necro/spellcasting).

How does a melee like character of kiku proceed after Orc? I mean I get the for Slime/Shoals/etc there are a set of pretty much required resistances. That's all fine. But what strategy, beyond "agony+ wall of zombies + melee) is recommended (if any)?

Tengu!

Agony, wall of zombies + melee is plenty enough to win with. The great thing about necromancy is that you get a lot out of a little skill investment. It's the perfect complement to melee juggernaut. Just play any race that you would play as a bruiser. Probably wouldn't bother with evocations if you're talking about just wands. Offensive wands are great in early game but later on you want your melee to be killing stuff. Wands of hasting, heal wounds and teleport are useful all game of course, but not a reason to raise evo. I like DsNe a lot, but play whatever you like really. HO is fine.

If you're going to pump necromancy high then consider using a fast weapon and pain branding it. Bolt of draining can go through your zombie walls, and dispel undead will take out liches. You should really pack a punch offensively until the endgame demon realms.

Merfolk. You'll be able to get a glaive and pain brand it right away (if you find an early demon trident use that but don't hold off branding to look for that). Your Necromancy aptitude is not ideal but it's more than made up for by dodging, fighting, and polearms. Hopefully kiku will gift simulacrum, your ice apt will help with that.

Ds/HO/Hu are all fine. In general you want enough necro for your spells, at least 10-12 if possible for pain, get the pain weapon on something good right away, and otherwise focus on weapon/fighting/dodging like a normal melee guy. (HO probably wants armour instead? unsure how soon you can get say Agony in plate, but a ring or staff of wizardry would be great).

Your "strategy" and "tactics" are more important than "required resistances" for shoals and even slime, though certainly rCorr makes slime a lot easier. If you have simulacrum, here's one plan for an early slime victory:
1) make a path down to slime:6.
2) carefully clear the outside of slime:6 without waking TRJ
3) return to lair
4) call for corpses a few times until you have nice ones (elephant is good, hydra is great)
5) animate skeletons and take the chunks
6) rush down to slime:6
7) haste (!speed is fine) and draw trj out of the middle
8) bury him in an army of icy death
9) don't die to the azure jellies

I'd go HuNe^Kiku. Use whatever happens to be on the floor for the first several levels.

I always have fun with Demonspawn.

Yes. 0 is fine.

They are canceled by your positive aptitudes. The main penalty of that race is the lack of intelligence, and that one can also be ignored.

There are many excellent spells in that school of magic and you can also learn other schools of magic. Death Channel is one of my favorite spells. Corpse Rot is also extremely good, and not too boring to use when you are with Kiku.