How nerfed is nova

[Fincher]

How nerfed is nova

I just got back into d2 a couple weeks ago, the game used to be revolved around hell cows and sojs, now its baal runs and Botd(whatever the **** that is)
Anyway i noticed that there are no nova sorcs's are they really bad, I was contenplating a fireball/meteor/firbolt/nova

Would this work in Pvm and if not why not and what are some uncommon and underrated sorceress types

Thanks

 

[MithrandirX]

I just got back into d2 a couple weeks ago, the game used to be revolved around hell cows and sojs, now its baal runs and Botd(whatever the **** that is)
Anyway i noticed that there are no nova sorcs's are they really bad, I was contenplating a fireball/meteor/firbolt/nova

Would this work in Pvm and if not why not and what are some uncommon and underrated sorceress types

Thanks

Nova is fatally nerfed. Read the guides for build information. Also, I would not reccomend a single-tree sorc for PVM. Just too many immunes these days.

Mith

 

[azn_gamer2003]

I just got back into d2 a couple weeks ago, the game used to be revolved around hell cows and sojs, now its baal runs and Botd(whatever the **** that is)
Anyway i noticed that there are no nova sorcs's are they really bad, I was contenplating a fireball/meteor/firbolt/nova

Would this work in Pvm and if not why not and what are some uncommon and underrated sorceress types

Thanks

You see, with the new 1.10 patch, there are these things called synergies. Basically, what they do is they take weaker skills, and the point you put into those skills help beef up higher level, but similar skills. For example, firebolt, fireball, meteor. There aren't any more nova sorcs mainly due to the fact that nova doesn't have enough synergies. In the 1.10 world, the nova sorc equivalent would be a fire sorc. Mainly firebolt, fireball, metoer, mastery, w/e. That build wouldn't be too bad because it is very similar to the fire sorc, but I would just frop off the nova and spend the points elsewhere. Cows runs suck now because they got nerfed badly in 1.10. Cows these days, give crap experience, and I'm not sure, but I think their drops got worse. BotD is a very powerful runeword, it stands for Breath of the Dying, for melee characters with several incredibly rare runes.

Breath of the Dying
Vex + Hel + El + Eld + Zod + Eth
All Weapons
50% Chance To Cast Level 20 Poison Nova When You Kill An Enemy
Indestructible
+60% Increased Attack Speed
+350-400% Enhanced Damage (varies)
+200% Damage To Undead
-25% Target Defense
+50 To Attack Rating
+50 To Attack Rating Against Undead
7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
12-15% Life Stolen Per Hit (varies)
Prevent Monster Heal
+30 To All Attributes
+1 To Light Radius
Requirements -20%

Another rune word, essentially the BotD for caster characters called HotO, which stands for Heart of the Oak. You might be interested. Also includes very rare runes.

Heart of the Oak
Ko + Vex + Pul + Thul
Staves & Maces only
+3 To All Skills
+40% Faster Cast Rate
+75% Damage To Demons
+100 To Attack Rating Against Demons
Adds 3-14 Cold Damage
7% Mana Stolen Per Hit
+1 To Blizzard (Sorceress Only)
+10 To Dexterity
Replenish Life +20
Increase Maximum Mana 15%
All Resistances +30-40 (varies)
Level 4 Oak Sage (25 Charges)
Level 14 Raven (60 Charges)
+50% Damage To Undead

Generally, sorcs these days are single tree sorcs. Primarilly fire(meteor and synergies) and cold(blizzard and synergies) sorceresses. Lightning is kinda crappy right now, but there are a few charged bolt/lightning/ chainglightning/ thunder storm sorcs. Albeit weak due to the 1.10 changes. Basicaly, the 1.10 patch both screwed up and revolutionized the gameply for sorcs.

P.S. Mith I think you are wrong. True, there are alot of immunities, but what are parrty members and mercs for? Then again, a meteorb sor would be too bad.

Hope this helped.

Azn_gamer2003

 

[sorcyone]

nova was indirectly nerfed in 1.10 :

1. Global monster 50% hell physical resistance was removed and monster hit points doubled, but almost all elemental skills were given synergies to boost damage, except nova. So nova is half as effective as it once was.

2. Cow levels were nerfed so you get almost no experience now, and poor drops.

3. You need lots of mana to use nova. In 1.10 using high mana doesn't work well. Too many monsters have mana burn. In addition Energy Shield which used to work well with high mana nova sorc, doesn't work well. DR and elemental resists are calculated after shield damage, so your mana drops like a fly under Mortein even with 95% resistance.
Even maxing the telekinesis synergy doesn't help enough.

4. Monsters hit much harder and hit recovery was made much longer, making it very difficult to keep casting.

5. Many more immunes, especially lightning immune. You really have to go dual tree.

 

[Fincher]

ok than...

Help me make this choice
should I
Max firebolt, fireball, meteor, fire mastery, than Hydra or inferno
Or should I go with like blizz and cold mastery or orb and mastery

 

[Dalarans.Pride]

Generally, sorcs these days are single tree sorcs. Primarilly fire(meteor and synergies) and cold(blizzard and synergies) sorceresses. Lightning is kinda crappy right now, but there are a few charged bolt/lightning/ chainglightning/ thunder storm sorcs. Albeit weak due to the 1.10 changes. Basicaly, the 1.10 patch both screwed up and revolutionized the gameply for sorcs.

P.S. Mith I think you are wrong. True, there are alot of immunities, but what are parrty members and mercs for? Then again, a meteorb sor would be too bad.

Hope this helped.

Azn_gamer2003

Funny, i was under the impression the meteorb sorc was pretty much the best choice you could look for.

 

[illezt]

Funny, i was under the impression the meteorb sorc was pretty much the best choice you could look for.

I think it was a misspelling. Perhaps he meant "wouldn't". Or I could just be wrong, lol.

But yeah... Nova is terrible now. :rant:

 

[amishamigo]

The only way it would be good is if they introduced a weapon with like plus 20 to nova (that would be totally fair, a level 60 nova) and around 80 faster cast. I could see a sorsa using it at 7 fpa with 2k damage, but it really does suck now unfortunately.

 

[[FLS]prozerran]

The only "good" thing about nova now is that it stuns the surrounding enemies very briefly, sorta like a 0.3 second stun warcry of the barb. Other than that, all it does is to zap your mana and do almost no damage =[

 

[Soepgroente]

Blizzard + CM + synergies = very effective
Meteor + synergies + FM = very effective
Lightning + LM + synergies = very effective

Just needs a might mercenary or a party to kill immunes. I hate giving up a synergy and not getting maximum potential damage.

 

[Lisa]

I have a max block nova/FO ladder sorc level 85 that is fun for me. I do not use energy shield and so don't run out of mana. Life is 770 and mana is 900. I am terrible at soloing Act bosses except Mephisto but I wanted an untimered spell that did not need synergy points. I can solo many places in hell but some places I go down fast. (My resists are 90 because I use Guardian Angel) So the block of course helps with physical damage but the few times the hits get through it almost kills me or does when the hits are 500 hps or more.

I never made a nova sorc pre 1.10 so I don't know how much better they were but all the 1.09 guides assumed you needed above nova 30 skill points to be effective anyway. I only have level 26 nova so I hope to get better once I get skill charms and a decent amulet.

I think it's fun, though.

 

[Celandro]

The biggest change from 1.09 apart from synergies is the opportunity to get what I call 'dual masteries' for whatever build you are using. That is, for Fire and Lightning builds, you get -% enemy fire/lightning resistances, while for Cold builds you get +% damage. So basically, any build can get both +%damage and -% enemy resist. Check out tal orb with 3/4/5 items for an example.

 

[Dementia]

Uhh...I think it is the other way around with the masteries...Cold Takes away resist and Fire/Lightning adds damage.

 

[IMCL85]

lets say nova is no use now. Cause in order to hit a monster with high man cost and close range attack ( which is nova ) you are putting ur self in front of groups and groups of hit attack and hit life monster, which would probably kill you in 2-3 attack. So just forget about it.

 

[prion]

Lisa must be an elite player to make this build work

lets consider the difficulties. you need:
-high life
-max block
-high defense
-PDR
-high mana
-8 frame cast

Because nova got no damage boost, it is harder to outlast the boosted monsters.

 

[azn_gamer2003]

I think it was a misspelling. Perhaps he meant "wouldn't". Or I could just be wrong, lol.

But yeah... Nova is terrible now. :rant:

Yea I meant wouldn't

 

[Lisa]

Lisa must be an elite player to make this build work

lets consider the difficulties. you need:
-high life
-max block
-high defense
-PDR
-high mana
-8 frame cast

Because nova got no damage boost, it is harder to outlast the boosted monsters.

Prion,

I am not an elite player but I do have a great group to play with in Guild Medieval. The one thing that has made a difference for soloing is the shako I finally got. My life is 770 with it so it's not high but high enough to take one big physical damage hit and get away. I have a Dwarf Star ring for the fire absorb. With resistances at 90 the elemental damage does not take me down before I can get away if I have to. But the real fast physical damage guys with tons of hit points are almost impossible, I must admit. I have 70% faster cast with wzdspke and the fire gloves I can't remember the name for. 115% is looking out of reach.

I like to be able to play by myself in hell. Of course I also like to magic find but only have it on the shako, so mf runs are not what they were with my meterorb sorc. Andariel just laughs at me and proceeds to chase me around the room. But Mephisto goes down fine. I have not tried Diablo and Baal solo and won't until I get more lightening charms.

I just wanted to see if I could make this build and I did and it is fun, so yes the first part of the char dev was tough but NM was easy because of FO and hell is do-able if not easy.

 

[Wolv]

Its easy to max both Meteor and Orb, plus throw points into fire and cold masteries for an effective sorc. Throw in a Defiance merc and U can solo most places in Hell (the only places I have problems w/ are Baal, Diablo, and travincial - which could be solved w/ the use of absorb gear). I breeze thru everywhere else....

Single element sorcs kill fast, but are just too specialized to be able to mf in all the mf hotspots....I'd personally rather have more diversity and slower kill speed

BTW - ALWAYS throw a point into static.

 

[Celandro]

Uhh...I think it is the other way around with the masteries...Cold Takes away resist and Fire/Lightning adds damage.

You misunderstood me. I was saying that there are items that give +cold damage and -enemy light/fire resist. AND that these are the items that are the best in 1.10 because they give what I call 'dual masteries', ie Cold Mastery(-enemy cold resist) and Item Cold Mastery (+cold damage).