Socialism
Diabloii.Net Member
UPDATED: Hardcore Orb/TELEPORT/TK Blind-Teleporting Budget MF Sorceress
- Massively Updated November 26th, 2008 -
Featuring a BRAND NEW 'Rich jerk section' at the end of this post! Yowie! Zappo!
NOTE: Foundations of this guide also apply to CLASSIC players.
DISCLAIMER: Huge read. The Hardcore Orb/TELEPORT/(tk) Blind-Teleporting Budget MF Sorceress is formed from the collective knowledge of the good folks at the DII.net and AB Hardcore forums.
Introduction
This is for poor/new-ladder -LEGIT- players wanting an efficient and durable MFer.
Assumptions: untwinked, no-trade, solo hardcore play (softcore too). Shako, COH/HOTO/CTA,
torches etc. are shiny but unnecessary. This text is long, but laid out to help you truly
understand how to keep this super-efficient teleporter and magic finder alive.
NOTE: Already an expert? Never die teleporting? Skip to the build in the next post.
Then again, if you're already 1337, why are you reading a guide? Nooblet.
"Blind-Teleporting"
Correct teleporting means holding down teleport and watching the mini-map, ignoring all else.
Blind-Teleporting is the absolute fastest way to travel. With adequate faster cast rate (FCR),
faster hit recovery (FHR), faster block rate (FBR), and mana cost-to-regeneration ratio, it's also
the safest way.
Basic MF tenets
I hate MFing, so I maximized efficiency and minimized boredom, best expressed by my
super-aggressive playstyle. I blind-teleport exclusively in hardcore and have never lost an
MFer to it. Tenets:
1. Profit
Don't run Pits/Tunnels if you want volume finds. Great stuff drops, but very rarely. The Pits
may have the same arealvl as WSK, but Baal and minions drop exponentially better. I don't
recommend solo Baals unless you're an Enigma-din or Infinity user. If you have this stuff; stop
reading. Why do you still MF? Untwinked dual-element casters can Baal, but lack optimal safety.
That said...
Hell Mephisto dies easily, doesn't need much MF for AWESOME drops, and has excellent
TC categories. Major deterrent? The journey from Durance 2 to Durance 3.
Note: "Glitching" bosses is very profitable. Make games with a character that's already
killed the boss for quest; kill the boss with a character that hasn't. This yields an enhanced
"quest drop" every time. Guaranteed.
2. Survival & 3. Speed (these go hand-in-hand)
a. Teleporting
*Barebones, a well-equipped teleporter has:
4-6 mana cost Teleport, 63% FCR, 30% FHR, 27% FBR, decent resistances, 75% block
*Ideally, a well-equipped teleporter has:
2-4 mana cost Teleport, 105% FCR, 60% FHR, 27% FBR, stacked resistances, 75% block
b. Mephisto
You only need cold/light resistance to run Hell Mephisto. Specialize. Don't fight every monster
in the game. Fire/Poison resists aren't useful for teleporting through Durance 2.
c. Why most die to (a), some to (b), and what to learn from their mistakes
Section c. Part 1
Most die teleporting due to lag or "teleport lock," i.e. when something stops you from teleporting.
You're swarmed by fanatic/extra strong/cursed dolls, RIP.
Teleport lock is caused by:
Rationale
Teleport lock causes #1: getting hit and #2: blocking hits
Faster Cast Rate
At 63% (9-frame) or 105% (8-frame) casting, most enemies won't complete their attack animation
before you've teleported away. I hold down teleport, watch the mini map, and keep an eye on
life/mana. 99% of the time, nothing hits me because I don't stop to chat. If I do get hit,
fine. Tap '2' or '3' for life. Don't panic. If manaburned, tap '4' for mana and don't break stride.
Faster Hit Recovery
If hit, you'll need 30%+ FHR to avoid teleport lock (#1). Higher is better. This speeds up your hit
recovery animation when hit for a certain % of life. Match/beat your teleport cast rate to
prevent hiccups. Think Bloodfist and rare FHR boots/belts.
Faster Block Rate
With a slow block rate and multiple fast-hitting/high AR monsters, you're likely to get stuck in block
animation from all the hits, aka "block lock." To avoid this, you need a shield with FBR. Rhyme's
ok, but upgraded Moser's Circle/Visceratuant or Whitstan's Guard are superior. In a bind, a bone
shield of deflection (30% FBR / 20% increased blocking) with resists will do.
Teleport lock causes #3: getting hit, manaburn and #4: running out of mana
Invest in teleport (points in teleport > warmth; invest at a 4 or 3:1 ratio only if you have to).
The Orb/TK build can do this without losing too much efficiency. With a 2-6 mana cost teleport,
decent (100%+ish) mana regen, and 4-600 mana from base energy (use charms if needed), you'll
regenerate fast enough to teleport indefinitely - even if manaburned. Still, chug blues just in case.
Teleport lock cause #5: clicking on an item
Hold spacebar ("show items" key) while teleporting. This disables the cursor from registering items.
Alternatively, type /nopickup in the chatbox (great for anyone killing Baal's minions!).
Section c. Part 2
75% blocking is key. Moat trick is slow and a ninja council member might kill you. Teleport right up
to Mephisto, Orb once to chill, then jam out Static Fields. Ideally, your merc has 50/75% slow and
tanks - walk back so Orbs are "sweetspotting" (last Orb explodes inside Mephisto's graphic). Repeat
until dead. Your A2 normal Defiance merc should use Kelpie Snare, Reaper's Toll, or Woestave.
Running Debates
Max Block vs. Vita
Why get hit if you don't have to? Max block has 75% chance of deflecting all Mephisto's attacks
excluding lightning/poison - which he won't use in melee. Read: the 'Cold Ball' is blockable.
For this specific teleporter, max block > max vita because:
Faster Hit Recovery
Realistically, with starting gear, you'll have 10 or 9-frame hit recovery, max.
Faster Block Rate
With an easily acquired Whitstan's Guard or Visceratuant, you hit 6-frame blocking.
What this means:
* Get hit while teleporting, teleport away in 10 or 9 frames.
* Block while teleporting, teleport away in 6 frames. That's a 75% chance to escape 50% faster.
Frozen Armor vs. Shiver Armor
Shiver Armor apparently chills enemies when they begin their attack animation, while Frozen Armor
only kicks in after you take an unblocked hit. Go with Shiver Armor; it's nice to escape unscathed.
63 vs. 105 FCR
Orb is on a timer. FCR is only used for Static/Teleport. You can teleport fine at 9 frames, but faster
is better. Hit 105% if you can afford to, but don't stress if you only hit 63% FCR.
Insight vs. Kelpie Snare vs. Teleport vs. Energy Shield vs. Ice Bolt
First off, I don't like being dependent on a mercenary for survival. If you rely on Insight and don't
invest in Teleport, fast-hitting manaburn mobs will kill you. With 2-6 mana cost Teleports and decent
mana regen, manaburn is a joke, even without a mercenary.
Second, unless he's very well-dressed, Emilio will die vs. Andariel without a source of slow or
decrepify. With Kelpie Snare, he has a much better chance of survival, so tack on another boss you
can easily MF. Kelpie Snare + Blackhorn's Face = 95% slow. Wow.
Energy Shield, like blocking, is just a buffer between damage and life. 55% absorb coupled with fast
mana regen/cheap teleports is enough to save you from most teleport lock scenarios. Truth be told,
Energy Shield is unnecessary - but if you're untwinked... don't chance it. You'll end up whining.
>>> Let me be clear: I don't use Energy Shield on any sorceress I make (I only play hardcore). Its mechanics scream "kill me" for a small handful of scenarios. Not common, but prevalent. Thus.
The ONLY instance I will ever recommend the use of Energy Shield is for this sorceress. This penniless, built-to-get-gear-for-other-characters, "I wear what I found" sorceress. And only for teleporting through Durance 2. And only for less-than-regen-mana-cost-cast teleport. And only with maxxed Telekinesis. And perhaps if you have a less-than-broadband internet connection (~150++ ping).
Regarding Ice Bolt debates, here's an old (slightly modified) post of mine from long ago:
Points into Energy Shield and prereqs vs. Memory staff
Memory's great, but finding a nice 4 os staff with +eshield or +shiver is tedious and time consuming.
Also, stash-switch prebuffing is irritating. I'd rather invest the 4-5 points into energy shield so I can
use Gull + Rhyme (125% MF) or Ali Baba + Rhyme (~100% MF) on switch. More MF means more loot!
NEW! Rich jerk section!
Now that's all covered, finally, the build/setup.
- Massively Updated November 26th, 2008 -
Featuring a BRAND NEW 'Rich jerk section' at the end of this post! Yowie! Zappo!
NOTE: Foundations of this guide also apply to CLASSIC players.
DISCLAIMER: Huge read. The Hardcore Orb/TELEPORT/(tk) Blind-Teleporting Budget MF Sorceress is formed from the collective knowledge of the good folks at the DII.net and AB Hardcore forums.
Introduction
This is for poor/new-ladder -LEGIT- players wanting an efficient and durable MFer.
Assumptions: untwinked, no-trade, solo hardcore play (softcore too). Shako, COH/HOTO/CTA,
torches etc. are shiny but unnecessary. This text is long, but laid out to help you truly
understand how to keep this super-efficient teleporter and magic finder alive.
NOTE: Already an expert? Never die teleporting? Skip to the build in the next post.
Then again, if you're already 1337, why are you reading a guide? Nooblet.
"Blind-Teleporting"
Correct teleporting means holding down teleport and watching the mini-map, ignoring all else.
Blind-Teleporting is the absolute fastest way to travel. With adequate faster cast rate (FCR),
faster hit recovery (FHR), faster block rate (FBR), and mana cost-to-regeneration ratio, it's also
the safest way.
Basic MF tenets
I hate MFing, so I maximized efficiency and minimized boredom, best expressed by my
super-aggressive playstyle. I blind-teleport exclusively in hardcore and have never lost an
MFer to it. Tenets:
- 1. Profit
- 2. Survival
- 3. Speed
1. Profit
Don't run Pits/Tunnels if you want volume finds. Great stuff drops, but very rarely. The Pits
may have the same arealvl as WSK, but Baal and minions drop exponentially better. I don't
recommend solo Baals unless you're an Enigma-din or Infinity user. If you have this stuff; stop
reading. Why do you still MF? Untwinked dual-element casters can Baal, but lack optimal safety.
That said...
Hell Mephisto dies easily, doesn't need much MF for AWESOME drops, and has excellent
TC categories. Major deterrent? The journey from Durance 2 to Durance 3.
Note: "Glitching" bosses is very profitable. Make games with a character that's already
killed the boss for quest; kill the boss with a character that hasn't. This yields an enhanced
"quest drop" every time. Guaranteed.
2. Survival & 3. Speed (these go hand-in-hand)
a. Teleporting
*Barebones, a well-equipped teleporter has:
4-6 mana cost Teleport, 63% FCR, 30% FHR, 27% FBR, decent resistances, 75% block
*Ideally, a well-equipped teleporter has:
2-4 mana cost Teleport, 105% FCR, 60% FHR, 27% FBR, stacked resistances, 75% block
b. Mephisto
You only need cold/light resistance to run Hell Mephisto. Specialize. Don't fight every monster
in the game. Fire/Poison resists aren't useful for teleporting through Durance 2.
c. Why most die to (a), some to (b), and what to learn from their mistakes
Section c. Part 1
Most die teleporting due to lag or "teleport lock," i.e. when something stops you from teleporting.
You're swarmed by fanatic/extra strong/cursed dolls, RIP.
Teleport lock is caused by:
- 1. getting hit and going into recovery animation
- 2. blocking hits and going into recovery animation
- 3. getting hit and manaburned (stuck!)
- 4. running out of mana (see above)
- 5. teleporting on an item (corpse, well, chest, whatever)
- 9-frame cast rate or faster
- 30%+ faster hit recovery
- low (2-6 mana) Teleport cost (infinicast - keep reading)
- good faster block recovery (27%+) and blocking (75%)
- decent nerves
- enough life to take 3-4 hits
- 16-slot belt (row setup: purple, purple, red, blue)
Rationale
Teleport lock causes #1: getting hit and #2: blocking hits
Faster Cast Rate
Code:
Frame.....13.....12.....11.....10.....9.....8.....7
FCR.......0%.....9%.....20%....37%....63%...105%..200%before you've teleported away. I hold down teleport, watch the mini map, and keep an eye on
life/mana. 99% of the time, nothing hits me because I don't stop to chat. If I do get hit,
fine. Tap '2' or '3' for life. Don't panic. If manaburned, tap '4' for mana and don't break stride.
Faster Hit Recovery
Code:
Frame.....15.....14.....13.....12.....11.....10.....9.....8.....7.....6
FHR.......0%.....5%.....9%.....14%....20%....30%....42%...60%...86%...142%recovery animation when hit for a certain % of life. Match/beat your teleport cast rate to
prevent hiccups. Think Bloodfist and rare FHR boots/belts.
Faster Block Rate
Code:
Frame.....9.....8.....7.....6.....5.....4.....3
FBR.......0%....7%....15%...27%...48%...86%...200%animation from all the hits, aka "block lock." To avoid this, you need a shield with FBR. Rhyme's
ok, but upgraded Moser's Circle/Visceratuant or Whitstan's Guard are superior. In a bind, a bone
shield of deflection (30% FBR / 20% increased blocking) with resists will do.
Teleport lock causes #3: getting hit, manaburn and #4: running out of mana
Invest in teleport (points in teleport > warmth; invest at a 4 or 3:1 ratio only if you have to).
The Orb/TK build can do this without losing too much efficiency. With a 2-6 mana cost teleport,
decent (100%+ish) mana regen, and 4-600 mana from base energy (use charms if needed), you'll
regenerate fast enough to teleport indefinitely - even if manaburned. Still, chug blues just in case.
Teleport lock cause #5: clicking on an item
Hold spacebar ("show items" key) while teleporting. This disables the cursor from registering items.
Alternatively, type /nopickup in the chatbox (great for anyone killing Baal's minions!).
Section c. Part 2
75% blocking is key. Moat trick is slow and a ninja council member might kill you. Teleport right up
to Mephisto, Orb once to chill, then jam out Static Fields. Ideally, your merc has 50/75% slow and
tanks - walk back so Orbs are "sweetspotting" (last Orb explodes inside Mephisto's graphic). Repeat
until dead. Your A2 normal Defiance merc should use Kelpie Snare, Reaper's Toll, or Woestave.
Running Debates
Max Block vs. Vita
Why get hit if you don't have to? Max block has 75% chance of deflecting all Mephisto's attacks
excluding lightning/poison - which he won't use in melee. Read: the 'Cold Ball' is blockable.
For this specific teleporter, max block > max vita because:
Faster Hit Recovery
Code:
Frame.....15.....14.....13.....12.....11.....10.....9.....8.....7.....6
FHR.......0%.....5%.....9%.....14%....20%....30%....42%...60%...86%...142%Faster Block Rate
Code:
Frame.....9.....8.....7.....6.....5.....4.....3
FBR.......0%....7%....15%...27%...48%...86%...200%What this means:
* Get hit while teleporting, teleport away in 10 or 9 frames.
* Block while teleporting, teleport away in 6 frames. That's a 75% chance to escape 50% faster.
- Max vita: you can take ~10 hits, but are hit 80-85% of the time (factoring in mediocre
blocking from base dexterity). A stitch of lag and you're dead. - Max block: you can take ~7 hits, but are hit only 25% of the time. Max block over max
vita on *this* Meph MF sorceress any day. (note: all my other sorceresses are max vita)
Frozen Armor vs. Shiver Armor
Shiver Armor apparently chills enemies when they begin their attack animation, while Frozen Armor
only kicks in after you take an unblocked hit. Go with Shiver Armor; it's nice to escape unscathed.
63 vs. 105 FCR
Orb is on a timer. FCR is only used for Static/Teleport. You can teleport fine at 9 frames, but faster
is better. Hit 105% if you can afford to, but don't stress if you only hit 63% FCR.
Insight vs. Kelpie Snare vs. Teleport vs. Energy Shield vs. Ice Bolt
First off, I don't like being dependent on a mercenary for survival. If you rely on Insight and don't
invest in Teleport, fast-hitting manaburn mobs will kill you. With 2-6 mana cost Teleports and decent
mana regen, manaburn is a joke, even without a mercenary.
Second, unless he's very well-dressed, Emilio will die vs. Andariel without a source of slow or
decrepify. With Kelpie Snare, he has a much better chance of survival, so tack on another boss you
can easily MF. Kelpie Snare + Blackhorn's Face = 95% slow. Wow.
Energy Shield, like blocking, is just a buffer between damage and life. 55% absorb coupled with fast
mana regen/cheap teleports is enough to save you from most teleport lock scenarios. Truth be told,
Energy Shield is unnecessary - but if you're untwinked... don't chance it. You'll end up whining.
>>> Let me be clear: I don't use Energy Shield on any sorceress I make (I only play hardcore). Its mechanics scream "kill me" for a small handful of scenarios. Not common, but prevalent. Thus.
The ONLY instance I will ever recommend the use of Energy Shield is for this sorceress. This penniless, built-to-get-gear-for-other-characters, "I wear what I found" sorceress. And only for teleporting through Durance 2. And only for less-than-regen-mana-cost-cast teleport. And only with maxxed Telekinesis. And perhaps if you have a less-than-broadband internet connection (~150++ ping).
Regarding Ice Bolt debates, here's an old (slightly modified) post of mine from long ago:
Note that the analysis above is based on low-to-no +skill Frozen Orbs. I absolutely recommend putting points into Ice Bolt: but only when you have enough +skills to make it worthwhile. Increasing 300 damage by 40% (+120 damage)isn't much to brag about; increasing 600 damage by 40% (+240! damage) is. Recap: points in Ice Bolt only "worth it" with a ton of +skills and +% cold damage gear. Read this to see what 40% damage can help you get to.
Points into Energy Shield and prereqs vs. Memory staff
Memory's great, but finding a nice 4 os staff with +eshield or +shiver is tedious and time consuming.
Also, stash-switch prebuffing is irritating. I'd rather invest the 4-5 points into energy shield so I can
use Gull + Rhyme (125% MF) or Ali Baba + Rhyme (~100% MF) on switch. More MF means more loot!
NEW! Rich jerk section!
Code:
Ok. For the curious bastards out there who just
won't let up, here's the old "legendary" (ha!) Socialism [B]super-twink[/B]
massive-damage full-game-Baal-teleporter pure Orber setup.
20 Ice Bolt
01 Frost Nova, Ice Blast, Spike, Blizzard, Frozen Armor, Shiver Armor
20 Frozen Orb
20 Cold Mastery
20 Warmth
10 Teleport
01 Telekinesis
01 Static Field
98 skill points, done at level 87.
Q: "¿Por que no tiene Energy Shield?"
A: I'm not gear-poor and I have a decent broadband connection.
Q: "Skills?"
A: 14 or 17, depending on gear setup. 15 or 18 with Battle Command.
Q: "Gieb gear piece by piece equipment plz? lol"
A: No.
Hints!
-----
- 8-frame cast rate
- no dupewords
- lightning absorb
- around 1.3k damage per shard
- meets or exceeds all breakpoints save for [B]one[/B] glaring omission!
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