Blizzard sorc VS Lighting sorc

[salvo]

Blizzard sorc VS Lighting sorc

Chilling vs Sparking

Until now it seems Blizzard is much more popular compared to CL/Lighting sorc. My question is... WHY?

A pure light sorc can match a blizzy on almost every aspect although our main focus is killing power:

Say you can reach slvl40 and rich enough to afford Death Fathom, N'Veil and perfect facet: ( rough calculation, i'm n00b )

[7500 + (50%*7500) ] x 3 (*CM)
11,000 x 3 = 33,000

*CM = cold mastery
the 50% are from DF & NV + facet

While lit sorc:

Equiping perfect griffon, ormus, cresent moon RW 1h, lidless, +2 FCR ammy, 2x SoJ, arachnid, magefist, perfect facet [lower resist wand slvl 3 (-41%) on switch]

Reaching about slvl 37

25,000 + (25,000*100%) = 6 - 50,000 / 12fps (120% fcr)
real damage (average) is divided by 2 = 25,000 / 12fps

the 100% are from griffon, RW, facet + swith on the lower resist wand

other assumption: both inventory is full of skillers

Now which one is stronger? note that blizzard have casting delay.

Credits: Lorax & Soepgroente for some info from their guide.

edit: going to sleep now, thanks and see you tomorrow guys

 

[Vajar]

Chilling vs Sparking

Until now it seems Blizzard is much more popular compared to CL/Lighting sorc. My question is... WHY?

A few reasons:
1) cheap massive resistance negation
2) no need for a huge mana pool (lightning spells are spammy = costly)
3) each ice spike deals splash damage, multiple spikes per cast
4) no need to aim, just get the blizzard in the general area

 

[asdfgah]

I think blizzard more powerful skill because of the damage and -resists from CM. But for the sake of this comparison I think it would be easier and better to leave items out of it to give both skills the same onditions. You should also assume that you are attacking the same monster with the same amount of lightnin/cold resist to make it a bit more simple, just like the explanation of CM is done in the meteorb guide.

 

[salvo]

@vajar:
1. resistance can be tricked with lower resist wand
2. certain build strategy will eleminate this problem, mine is base vita, enough str for equip, rest on energy (i use energy shield)
3.-
4. The area of effect is not that wide

@asdfgh: assume we are facing baal, he has 50% res all. For this case i think you are right, since blizzy sorc has much more -enemy resist, but for 0%res, lit sorc can match it.

edit:
Real contest: Baal run speed
Blizzard sorc VS Lighting sorc
What is your record for Baal run using Blizzard sorc?

My record with light sorc is 3'7" wearing 350% mf

 

[logger120]

i prefer blizz b/c i have bad luck. lite skills have low min damage and i seem to hit the low end a lot more than the high end. plus i prefer the reducing effect of CM. now if i had a surplus of ber runes i'd install the RWM and go with the lite sorc cuz with conviction a lite sorc would pwn a blizz sorc IMO.

 

[salvo]

i prefer blizz b/c i have bad luck. lite skills have low min damage and i seem to hit the low end a lot more than the high end. plus i prefer the reducing effect of CM. now if i had a surplus of ber runes i'd install the RWM and go with the lite sorc cuz with conviction a lite sorc would pwn a blizz sorc IMO.

That's why i divided the final damage with two become real damage.
Agree, lit with conviction pwn blizzy

 

[whomhead]

You can use a wand of lower resist on a Blizz sorc as well. -resists are capped at -100%. This means that that -50 from Cold Mastery is still better if used under the same conditions.

No one's saying that Light sorcs are worthless. Blizz sorcs are just easier to play, and are still really powerful even without all that uber gear you listed.

 

[Llathias]

other than the area of effect ability and the uncomparably less mana requirement, a Blizz sorc can Static and TK-luck the cold immunes for the merc, but a lightning sorc is utterly helpless against immunes.

 

[salvo]

i prefer blizz b/c i have bad luck. lite skills have low min damage and i seem to hit the low end a lot more than the high end. plus i prefer the reducing effect of CM. now if i had a surplus of ber runes i'd install the RWM and go with the lite sorc cuz with conviction a lite sorc would pwn a blizz sorc IMO.

but...
you are talking infinity right? few is lucky enough to get two piece of Ber, while ist and mal is possible if you work hard on countess. But me myself i frown on overpowered RW.
Infinity have -90% & -45-55% to enemy resist, averagely 140.
+25% from griffon, +10% from 2x facet.
Total 175% + lower resist wand 41% = -236%
bah! cheap! :frown:

@thias: against immune i think both three pure elemental sorc is just the same, the must rely on merc

@whomhead: i got confused, if -resist is capped at 100 then it means slvl 40 of CM is useless (215%)0

edit: if you record your blizzard sorc speed on baaling, please post it. thx

 

[logger120]

yes i was referring to infinity.
Infinity
4 Socket Polearms
Ber + Mal + Ber + Ist
50% Chance To Cast Level 20 Chain Lightning When You Kill An Enemy
Level 12 Conviction Aura When Equipped
+35% Faster Run/Walk
+255-325% Enhanced Damage (varies)
-(45-55)% To Enemy Lightning Resistance (varies)
40% Chance of Crushing Blow
Prevent Monster Heal
0.5-49.5 To Vitality (Based on Character Level)
30% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Level 21 Cyclone Armor (30 Charges)

overpowered??? nah. ok maybe a little.
not that i ever expect to have 2 bers but if i did i would make beast and enigma (assuming i had a jah as well) first. then if i had 2 more bers i would make infinity. then i need 2 more jahs to make dream helm and shield. and then i would have my godly double dream enchantress. wow that is expensive. all i need is 4x ber and 3x jah 2x mal ist um pul io and some. ok so skip the enigma which saves me a ber and a jah so i need 3x ber and 2x jah. attainable in SP? yeah right.

 

[salvo]

What it means is that the lowest monster resistance can go to is -100%.

for example: baal have 50% resist. If you have slvl40 CM (-215%) that would means 150% will be used, while the 65% is wasted?

 

[whomhead]

You're mostly right, Salvo. Slvl 40 CM isn't useless, its just not as useful as you'd think. Because a monsters -resistances is capped at -100, and because CM doesn't break immunity, the most you'll ever need on a cold sorc is -199% cold resist. This will take a 99% cold resist monster down to -100%. Any more than that is useless.

Edit: that post ^ is correct. You'll only be using 150 of those -215%.

 

[Toppo]

Yeah, but maxing Blizz, synergies & CM is just so cool

 

[killian27]

Doesnt a pure light sorc kill meph kinda slow? I know your focusing on baal in this thread, but cant you do both with a blizz sorc?

 

[krzyhobo]

Actually I prefer Blizzard (or any cold-based sorc) over lightning purely because when lightning is your primary attack you don't have Static Field to fall back on when you come across immunes.

 

[essojay]

That lower resistance wand or Infinity makes a lightning sorc better than a cold sorc is pretty self-defeating since the LR wand has to be recharged (it's not so much gold or rune issue than an irritation issue) and Infinity is pretty much impossible to get.

Besides, blizsorcs are better meph runners and better baal runners (more LIs than CIs in WSK).

 

[salvo]

That lower resistance wand or Infinity makes a lightning sorc better than a cold sorc is pretty self-defeating since the LR wand has to be recharged (it's not so much gold or rune issue than an irritation issue) and Infinity is pretty much impossible to get.

Besides, blizsorcs are better meph runners and better baal runners (more LIs than CIs in WSK).

A slvl3 LR wand have 81 charges which is quite a lot, also the monsters need to be LRed are only LEs and Baal. Usually i use one or two charge per run except when there are a lot of LE and gloam.
lets forget the Infinity, but the LR wand eat a space for ali baba's blade.

Lit sorc is kind slow at meph? muhaha... not true... 30 second at p3 sounds slow for you? could be much faster with better CPU.

At running Baal, the most slowing part are third wave and fifth wave when the boss pack are LE/LI/magicrest, or there too many gloam (had to reroll map). But still, my average run is no less than 4 minutes.
Note that i use p1 at waves then p3 or p8 at baal.

other benefit of lit sorc:

free thunderstorm
high level mana shield
huge static field
low mana (free) teleport