Trobule with good sorcerer build

[zubionie]

Elite SS is a nasty place for a mage because there's almost no place to run. When running there, you'd need top gear to not die (effigy/wrappings of security and both lv25 'of brutality' ring/pendant). When your armor is around 650+ and health 2200-2300'ish, you can survive the otherwise one hit kills. It also helps a lot if your tank is good at keeping agro (3 taunts timed well).

The problem with lifegiver and elite runs in general, is that it actually pulls agro towards your squishy mage. If it's casted right after a warrior taunts, you'll have a high probability of drawing agro and dying (unless, again, you have a good tank that tries to taunt after lifegiver, but that would only mess up his 'taunt rhytm'). On top of that, rogues need to spam mana pots to be able to continously use their skills while warriors will burn through health pots. Lifegiver every 10 seconds isn't going to change that.

As for shield, that doesn't help anybody in your party except yourself and is not needed at all if you have decent gear and play as a mage should (nuke from a distance and correct use of skills).

The pure dmg mages that die a lot are usually undergeared or don't really play their classes like they should. First, there's always a tradeoff in health, armor and damage. It's important to find what works for you or what is needed to survive certain bosses (as mentioned in the SS example above). Second, it's important to use your skills right. For example, you mentioned going in with time, which to me is like the worst thing a sorcerer can do. Before dropping time, enemies should be stunned first (I prefer fireball over gale because gale often scatters mobs all over the place). Time also runs out almost exactly when the skill comes out of cooldown, a good mage will stun again at the right moment allowing them to drop another clock with hardly any risk, basically keeping your enemies pinned in one location. This is just one example to try and explain that it's important to time specific skills right.

The point that I'm trying to make is that learning to play your class right and gear it properly, will make you survive well during elite runs without dying all the time and without the need of lifegiver or shield. You'll only help speed up elite runs because you're dealing more dmg.

I have to admit, it took me a while to get used to run without lifegiver at first. Currently I hardly die during elite runs, at least not more than any other class and it feels satisfying to me knowing that I'm dealing the maximum amount of dmg possible

jay, i think your build is best when u're running with ppl that can afford pots regularly.. i've tried that build b4 for quite a long time.. i love it actually.. but later, i find that not all ppl can afford pots, they still rely on sorc's mana heal. we can't blame them.. and we can't always find good elite player pt everytime we gonna do elite.. sometimes random ppl or random guildmates join our pt. and they need our mana heal.. so later on, i drop lightning for lifegiver.. anyway 4 offensive build is kinda waste cs even with 3 offensive, u can still spam ur skill without waiting the cooldown

[Deadroth]

jay, i think your build is best when u're running with ppl that can afford pots regularly.. i've tried that build b4 for quite a long time.. i love it actually.. but later, i find that not all ppl can afford pots, they still rely on sorc's mana heal. we can't blame them.. and we can't always find good elite player pt everytime we gonna do elite.. sometimes random ppl or random guildmates join our pt. and they need our mana heal.. so later on, i drop lightning for lifegiver.. anyway 4 offensive build is kinda waste cs even with 3 offensive, u can still spam ur skill without waiting the cooldown

Thats right but heal its kinda... stupid on Elites... Cuz instead of giving life and mana to you it gains such big aggro and It should be called lifetaker than lifegiver... Exept the mana recover to other mates... who don't care about that u will die... I know only four good tanks... "Abrai, Deserted, Unaud and Henryii (sry if i wrong spelled ur name guys)... These guys wait for that u will cast heal and then they cast charged horn... Sweet combination Next, they gain back aggro by taunt from windmills.. just amazing But other tanks don't do their job as they should... This is painful... but still truth... And im sure the other great mages will support that argument : " The greatest matter on Elites is that You have to have a good tank in Your team" The 3/1 build is good setup i think so i recommend it

Dead

[Azemeazed]

my setup is 4fire, 4ice, 4heal, 4shield, 5int, 4dex, rifle

i made alot of testings and i had to come up with single build that is good for elites, soloing and pvp.
sure heal is not that good in elites since you pull agro, sure lightning is stronger in pvp than ice, sure clock is awsome in soloing wt4. But what with other skills on other maps/modes...

you need heal for soloing if you dont wanna spend lots of gold on medications, you also need heal in pvp to escape death. Heal is not that good in elite, but these other 2 scenarios need heal very much.

shield is not so important in soloing, but in pvp you must have it if you want to survive aimed shot, in elites also it comes handy to cast it when warrior fail agro. with shield you can also cast heal in elites, just cast shield and heal after it and warriors will have time to pull back agro from you.

ice is great aoe skill and very strong skill in pvp, i just love when i freez elite groups of monsters, or bunch of normal mode monsters in soloing. lightning for pvp would be stronger but than again i need cold for soloing and elites.

fireball is just fireball, no extra words needed :-)

clock... it is a great skill, couse you can easy solo wt4, but than again in hauntlet i found ice better use, in pvp clock is good to escape deadly situations, but i found out, for me, better way to escape... just run and shoot behind your beck and evenrually the follower will die :-)
cold is also better in elites couse you can freez those ranged monsters, not only slow their move.

all in all i tried lots of setups and this one is best for my playing style... maybe someone like to play dangerously without shield and heal, but i dont :-) maybe someone likes or is more used to clock than ice, but i dont :-) afterall it all depends of your playing style and what you like more. thats one of the reasons why this game is so good, you dont have ultimate, strongest setups, even gear is very adaptable to players styles, someone likes more health, someone more dps, someone more crit, someone more armor...