Mf Sorc Build

[Kijya]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

I don't see being able to afford infinity any time soon.
If i cant afford crazy merc gear I assume I am not even bothering with one. Am i stuck using moat trick if I dont have infinity?

Decent merc gear is very cheap, and you should get one even when untwinked. Make an "insight" (runeword) polearm and put it on your act 2 mercenary of choice*, it's a huge help for your mana pool and does rather good damage at a dirt cheap price.

I told you before, most builds become strong enough to take on meph without the moat trick at some point. A pure blizzard sorceress reaches this point faster then others in general, and if you equip your merc with a "slows target" polearm that can make meph easy enough to handle even with very poor equipment.


*: My preferance is the prayer merc, because he'll replenish both your mana and health rather well in general once equipped with insight. Holy freeze is probably the best I'd say, but I'm lazy and like to avoid drinking potions as much as possible ...

 

[cakemountain]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

I was under the impression that prayer was garbage. you actually notice it?

 

[Kijya]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

I was under the impression that prayer was garbage. you actually notice it?

Your prayer mercenary reaches his max aura level (18) once he's 75, giving 21 life every 2 seconds. However, the meditation aura provided by insight gets a synergy bonus from prayer, thus you get 42 life every 2 seconds.

Yes it's very noticeable, keeps poison at bay (poison res is still needed though) and does decently at healing you up from random hits you take while blind teleporting.

 

[cakemountain]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

so say an insight polearm, vamp gaze, and shaftstop on a holy freeze merc, would he survive well enough to run meph and survive countess runs?

 

[Painkiller]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

I personnally came back recently too, also wanting to build an mf sorc. I went with the Blizzard sorc with the hope of farming Ancient Tunnels and Mephisto. This is what I did and it works just fine. However, I'm tempted to farm more places like the pit or the Worldstone and respeccing to a Blizzballer or full lightning is tempting (but I'm not wealthy enough yet to go full lite).

Also, having no gear for a merc, I found out that is was pretty easy to farm Meph and AT without a merc.

 

[cakemountain]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

well, I am planning on meph glitching. so probably target baal runs unless they are clearing too fast, and want him to be able to survive if i am using one.
The main reason I would want one is for slowing down all the craziness around the countess

 

[cakemountain]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

if I go a non-lightning build such as orb/fireball, can a merc with say infinity supported by static and telekenisis take out countess very fast?

i keep reading that nova based builds are very expensive to pull off, cant even afford a torch much less anni, and chain lightning seems awefuly slow casting

 

[Kijya]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

so say an insight polearm, vamp gaze, and shaftstop on a holy freeze merc, would he survive well enough to run meph and survive countess runs?

Yes, but in regards to meph it will depend on your own damage, he cannot beat meph on his own without specialized gear, nor last forever.

if I go a non-lightning build such as orb/fireball, can a merc with say infinity supported by static and telekenisis take out countess very fast?

i keep reading that nova based builds are very expensive to pull off, cant even afford a torch much less anni, and chain lightning seems awefuly slow casting

If you had infinity there'd be no need to go dual tree, pure lightning works the best once you've got those kind of founds imo.

That said, the answer is yes, infinity made in an eth elite polearm will do high enough damage to take out countess fast (you shouldn't waste the runes in anything but an elite eth polearm, unless going infinity on self ...). However you shouldn't think that you need to go as high in price as infinity for that ... there are harder hitting polearms out there ... cheaper ones.





I'm starting to think you should just try it out, nothing is better then first hand experience after all. You can restat up to 3 times for free, so you can try up to 4 builds on a single sorc without having to get tokens. Just make sure your first one is good for leveling like meteorb or orbitaller.

 

[Dragonmourne]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

pure blizz/ice blast at Meph runs ftw

 

[cakemountain]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

I meant insight not infinity lol. If I could afford infinity I would be able to play my barb. Also, I meant more along the lines of surviving meph, not damaging him, and killing countess since I wont have anything after static.

Most of the reason I am asking all this info is because I cannot afford a sorc until I finish my javazon, and want to get my plan together by the time i can. My income can only afford slowly gearing one char at a time right now until I start making some gems, junk jewels, and plain/socketable items with zon. I'm mainly surviving off of transfering gems from classic or forgerushing through classic and using my weak *** barb to do nm and hell forge.

thanks for some good responses though, hopefully have the time and funds to start a sorc here in the next week or 2 once class is out.

 

[Knarlfist]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

I've never had an Act2 Merc with richer gear than Gaze/Glad Bane/Elite Insight (I prefer Prayer merc mostly), and I run a similiar set with Act5 Barb merc using Lawbringer/Gaze/Glad Bane for my 1pt Smiter/Zealot.

My mercs are insanely durable... my ES sorc has no Lightning offensive firepower other than Static, and no offensive Fire other than 1pt Enchant+Warmth+Skills, so her merc has to help out with CI/LI kills. Other than occasional tactical teleport re-positioning, I don't have to worry about him.

The Barb merc working with my Paladin is even crazier. He comes down to Nihlathak with me, and being a melee class I end up having to clear the room... he dies once in a blue moon to Vipers if I am not quick enough to get out in front of them first, but for anything else his Sanctuary aura (ALL undead/undead PIs are rendered almost helpless, even archers... constantly interrupted while trying to fire) plus Bash+Knockback plus Decrepify really takes care of business.

I guess I just don't see why you feel you can't run a merc. Runes for Insight can be farmed in Norm/NM, Gaze can be farmed from NM, Glad Bane drops a lot and is so underrated that traders normally sell it for mere PGems. Anyone who thinks you need Infinity or you shouldn't bother using a merc, really need to re-think things thru.

 

[DeadInside.DOA]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

Running countess does not take much gear from you merc to clear. I was running her in my mid 70's and my merc has Duriels shell, a normal poleaxe Insight and a Steelskull for LL. Now that I am lvl 84 she goes down even quicker but the only change from my mercs gear from then till now is lvl of course and I have a new Insight made in a slightly stronger base poleaxe.

My merc used to die every run from Andy and Meph but since I have leveled him up he survives about 90% of the time with the above mentioned gear, which can usually be bought for mere pgems. You do not need a R/W decked out merc to do countess runs. There are so many good mid range items that get over looked that can get you by its not even funny.

 

[cakemountain]

Re: Mf Sorc Build

i can get 105% fcr with Eschuta/storm combo on a chain light sorc with a ring slot left for raven.
i like staying one element because i feel like there isnt as pressure to get a ton of +skills
+3 light ammy is dirt cheap and almost every point going into a synergy with neither of my targets being immune to light seems cool too.
block seems like it will pretty much take the sting out of the archers too.
might try a shael in storm for faster blocking too