A thought for reasonable rich player

[DeathMaster]

A thought for reasonable rich player

I was just having this ideal - could Energy shield socr be the most safe, yet powerful build?

The key is to reach lvl40 ES, so for reasonable rich player, it is not a big problem. We can have "easy" +11 to all skills:

head gear: +2 (eg. Shako)
amulet: +2
Ring x 2: +2
armor: +1 (eg. the recommended skin of viper)
weapon: +3 (HoTO)
shield: +1

This leaves belt option open (eg. can use SoE). Then add 9 lightning skiller, we have the target reached.

With that much +skills, build a powerful FO/CL or Lightning socr is very possible. Using the skills planner, at lvl 80, and total of 91 skills point, we have a very powerful build.

We have 430-450 FO damage, lvl 12 CM. That is pretty good cold damage.
If we max CL only, it will do 4-2447 damage, with lightning 10-3015 :thumbsup:
If we max lightning only, we have 4-4125 lightning plus 7-2124 CL.:thumbsup:

That indeed looks like very powerful build to me. Anyone tried it yet?

PS: Just to see what damage she can do, at lvl99, max both CL and lightning, CL 7-4169, Lightning 10-9532.

 

[Huriel]

I believe that 95% damage to mana would be more of a nuisance than a help. That would pretty much equal to every monster having mana burn, the way I see it

EDIT: I think that for a PVM build that would be less effective than a lower energy shield, as Energy shield is applied before resistances, meaning in hell that 95% damage being done to your (mana) is effectively doubled if I am correct. Meaning a 5000 damage lightning attack is now a 10000 damage attack. For PVP, however, this may be very viable, as it is applied after resistances.

Also, be sure to include that you should max telekineses, if you didn't include that in your build.

 

[Glenstorm]

Think of it more as a life orb that you can nearly double just by wearing 2 SoJs and a frostburn.

 

[DeathMaster]

I believe that 95% damage to mana would be more of a nuisance than a help. That would pretty much equal to every monster having mana burn, the way I see it

EDIT: I think that for a PVM build that would be less effective than a lower energy shield, as Energy shield is applied before resistances, meaning in hell that 95% damage being done to your (mana) is effectively doubled if I am correct. Meaning a 5000 damage lightning attack is now a 10000 damage attack.

Sadly you are not correct. http://www.purediablo.com/guides/news.php?id=549

The whole point of ES is it is applied before resistant, which means resistant is irrelevant (also AD/conviction/lower resist has effectively no effect to you).

The author has some impressive writing:

Our other great friend will be poison. Energy Shield does nothing against poison. We will have less than 400 life and -80% poison resistance. You get the idea. The good news? With Energy Shield up and sufficient Damage Reduction on our equipment, nothing is capable of dealing that final 1 damage to kill us. It's perfectly possible to tank the 4th and 5th group of Baal's Minions while at 1 hp with this build. I've done so at least 10 times in Nightmare when leveling up. But although possible and kinda cool, it's generally still a bad idea to run around in Hell with just 1 life.

 

[Liquid_Evil]

weapon: +3 (HoTO)

Use a +3 Energy Shield Stave with "Memory" socketing for a +9 bonus from the get-go.

+3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
33% Faster Cast Rate
Increase Maximum Mana 20%
+3 Energy Shield (Sorceress Only)
+2 Static Field (Sorceress Only)
+10 To Energy
+10 To Vitality
+9 To Minimum Damage
-25% Target Defense
Magic Damage Reduced By 7
+50% Enhanced Defense

 

[Huriel]

@Liq - While I think that would be a smarter idea for a lower budget player, I think HoTo and a shield would be a better combination. Provided that you can muster up 9 lightning skillers, you don't NEED that many points added to energy shield alone, as it maxes out at 40

EDIT: Unless, of course you meant to use the Memory as a pre-buff for ES, in which case I am sorry :smiley:

 

[Pillz]

Memory is the prebuff for it on switch. The ideal memory is 3 es 3 xxx armor 3 ts, but those don't exactly grow on trees. It makes hitting lvl 40 ES much, much easier. You really don't even need to go out of your way to hit it when you have a 9 ES staff.

It also lets you use non-light skillers, so for an es/fo build it makes your FO a lot more damaging.

The ideal set-up here would be a 9 es staff prebuff, +2 shako, +2 ammy, +3 weapon, +2 shield, a CoH , or, more realistically, a Vmagi and an soj/bk. This would also allow you to have an FCR ring, yay 105.

FO is probably the best way to go at this build, a light sorc really needs to put every point into mastery/cl/light/cb, otherwise the damage output isn't nearly enough to maintain a decent killing speed.

 

[smilts]

I would I think go with FO also, but where to place stats for a even build?

Why so much Vitality? Would this build be able to use energy where others wouldnt so you could get some life then energy and dex for mana and block?

 

[Huriel]

Probably 156 strength for spirit monarch, and then either dex for max block or all in to vitality, I'd guess?

 

[Drystan1]

Would this build be able to use energy where others wouldnt so you could get some life then energy and dex for mana and block?

Probably 156 strength for spirit monarch, and then either dex for max block or all in to vitality, I'd guess?

There are threads about which discuss both of those things.

I remember reading that if one goes with a Spirit Monarch (156 Strength,) it's best not to go Max block due to the low block % and stat investment.

I also read that it's better to forget about blocking with an ES sorc.

I'll try to did around and find some linkies, but I'm pretty sure I've read those things here somewhere.

Edits:

http://www.purediablo.com/guides/news.php?id=563
For an energy shield build I strongly recommend against block, you'll need all the mana you can get, you'll survive melee anyway if you can put up enough mana.

This thread has some things on why Spirit isn't used with max blocking - the stat requirements.

 

[Darkoooo]

Well...

Gear:
Helm: Harly (2 skills)
Ammy: Mara's (2 skills)
Weapon: HotO (3 skills)
Armor: Viper (1 skill)
Shield: Whitstan's <- you can socket it with Eld for less dex requirement
Gloves: Trang's
Belt: Arach (1 skill)
Boots: Silks
Ring: SoJ (1 skill)
Ring: SoJ (1 skill) <- you can put wisp projector for those gloams
Switch: 9 ES Memory staff
9 lightning skillers

My choice would be to go with max block. I know I never regretted it with my ES sorces (and I have made 3 so far).

This gives you 105 FCR and +11 all skills and 9 to lightning skills.

Skills:
Max FO
Max TK
Max Lightning
Max Chain Lightning
6 CM
1 pt LM
1 pt ES
1 pt wonders

After prebuffing with Memory staff you get lvl 27 ES (82%). Now, you can choose to invest some more points in ES to get a higher Energy Shield, or invest those points to Lightning Mastery to get more damage.

Stats:
Str: Enough for gear
Dexterity: Enough for max block
Vit: ~50
Energy: Rest

 

[moo-cow]

You could also use prebuff gear to get high levels, a +3 circlet/ammy, that 1.11 +2 sorc armor and other fun stuff just for the prebuffing, and then switch into regular questing gear.

Use a +3 Energy Shield Stave with "Memory" socketing for a +9 bonus from the get-go.

/showing off
Memory
Superior Battle Staff
Two Hand Damage: 15 - 13
Durability: 45 of 40
Required Level: 37
Fingerprint: 0xa2b8a703
Item Level: 79
Version: Expansion 1.10+
Properties:
+2 to Attack Rating
13% Increase Maximum Durability
+2 to Thunder Storm (Sorceress Only)
+2 to Energy Shield (Sorceress Only)
+2 to Lightning Mastery (Sorceress Only)
50% Enhanced Defense
Magic Damage Reduced by 7
20% Increase Maximum Mana
+3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
33% Faster Cast Rate
+2 to Static Field (Sorceress Only)
+3 to Energy Shield (Sorceress Only)
+10 to Energy
+10 to Vitality
+9 to Minimum Damage
25% Target Defense
4 Sockets (4 used)
Socketed: Lum Rune
Socketed: Io Rune
Socketed: Sol Rune
Socketed: Eth Rune

 

[Liquid_Evil]

I used to have a similar stave except with a Chilling Armor in lieu of the Thunderstorm.

I didn't think TS worked the way ES did in regards to a buff though. I thought I read somewhere that your TS was active at whatever level it was currently at, making prebuff Thunderstorm orbs and the like, essentially useless. Stat-master/game-mechanic gurus care to confirm or deny?

Or I suppose you could be using it just to gain the +point to it without spending any hard points to get to the skill. If that was the intent, then gg.

 

[Grisu]

Would such an investment in ES work for a Melee sorc - well, for a Kingslayer one, actually?

 

[Zhao_Yue1]

I didn't think TS worked the way ES did in regards to a buff though. I thought I read somewhere that your TS was active at whatever level it was currently at, making prebuff Thunderstorm orbs and the like, essentially useless. Stat-master/game-mechanic gurus care to confirm or deny?

If you 0 hard pts in TS and get it by prebuff - the skill checks the current level of TS to determine the number of strikes per second. When you switch to your main weapons, you have a skill level of 0 so TS strikes 0 times a second. Graphics show but no damage is done. :hide:

 

[purplelocust]

If you 0 hard pts in TS and get it by prebuff - the skill checks the current level of TS to determine the number of strikes per second. When you switch to your main weapons, you have a skill level of 0 so TS strikes 0 times a second. Graphics show but no damage is done. :hide:

Wow! I had no idea, thanks for the info. There have been some times that I went to a fair amount of trouble to prebuff a TS and now I realize it was for nothing...

 

[Darkoooo]

If you 0 hard pts in TS and get it by prebuff - the skill checks the current level of TS to determine the number of strikes per second. When you switch to your main weapons, you have a skill level of 0 so TS strikes 0 times a second. Graphics show but no damage is done. :hide:

Yeah, but if you have a hard point in it, damage can be prebuffed.

Edit: RTB says it can

 

[Liquid_Evil]

I don't think it can. Whatever your current lvl TS is what it is. I had always heard that it couldn't be buffed like other skills and was treated differently.

 

[maxicek]

How does damage reduction work with ES?

If I used a Stormshield, will the 35% DR be applied before the damage, hence reducing the the drain on my ES?

 

[stephan]

The different types of damage reduction are applied in this order:

1) XvX penalty (for example Player vs. Player = -5/6)
2) Sorceress Energy Shield
3) Necromancer Bone Armor and/or Druid Cyclone Armor
4) Integer DR/MDR
5) Percentage resists (including DR%)
6) Percentage absorb
7) Integer absorb

(Note that -%ED from skills like Weaken and Taunt are in the damage formula of the attacker)

So %DR doesn't help that much with ES.