need hell party build advice

[MegaVovaN]

need hell party build advice

Hi all!
I have my sorc at lvl 78 (Vega's MF sorc - FO/FB/meteor) and I am just annoyed how helpless she is in hell. So many cold immune monsters, only 300 dmg in FO and about 1.1k in Meteor, but Meteor is hard to use against mobile monsters. And in party, act4-5, she just gets slain. In baal runs it looks like she's lvl 1 naked...here's screeny:


So, I want uberstrong build (that would be strong at lvl70-80, cause beyond 80 is a very long run) FOR HELL PARTIES. One that can trail 7 leechers w/o dying in hell A5, specifically Baal runs! Wait, I think it's called a TANK. On behalf of items...I do not have much of them, and my sorc cant look for them in hell, and NM meph is pretty hard but possible...so dont tell me to rely on godly items - i don't have them.

Thanks in advance!

 

[F1R3STR1D3R]

If you want survivability try to get an Insight/Prayer merc (if you are on ladder)
and an energy shield. You can make two builds with a high level energy shield. An orber sorc, and a lightning sorc. Or if you want to do both make a FO/CL sorc!

It also looks like you put a lot into vitality, if you go energy shield, you want your life/mana proportional to your energy shield %. That looks like too much strength also. Unless you are aiming for Spirit Monarch you don't need that much.

 

[Quietust]

If you want a character that can solo baal runs in 8 player games, then what you want is a blizzard sorceress (or a hammerdin, but that's another matter). Sorcs can specialize in a single element to deal out some huge damage (think 10+K fireball and 20+K meteor or 5K blizzard with -150% enemy resists) and rely on a mercenary to take care of immunes, but once you go to 2 elements, you get significantly weaker and are better for just providing support for the rest of the party.

Having read Vega's MF Sorc guide, I would recommend against using it and instead following Sasja's Meteorb Sorceress guide with the minor deviation of first maxing Fireball/Meteor/Fire Mastery and then spending remaining points to boost Cold Mastery - fire attacks tend to do much more damage, and Frozen Orb isn't as strong as some people would like to claim.

Another minor observation is that your character is only level 78 - you can expect to gain a LOT of damage just by leveling up to 85 or so (takes around 10-15 Baal runs to get from 84 to 85) and equipping some cheap +skill items - Spirit sword (make it yourself on Ladder), a cheap +1 skill helmet (tarnhelm, peasant crown, Lore runeword), and a magic amulet goes a long way.

If you want a tank, then make a Barbarian or Paladin (again, here comes the hammerdin bit); sorceresses are not designed to tank, but are meant to stand BEHIND the tanks and deal out their damage. Another minor problem is that you're trying to use an MF build in general combat; most magic find characters are generally only effective in certain areas of the game - Hammerdins and Wind Druids require open areas, Skelemancers require wide paths, and Sorceresses require non-immune monsters that won't kill them instantly. If you want to lead Baal runs, then try a suitable build.

 

[MegaVovaN]

Yes, I am on a ladder, USEast. Btw, what are advantages, if any, of being NOT on ladder?
What is CL?
I don't mind listening about hammerdins, too.

Having read your two posts, I decided to start from scratch.

//Cool, I didn't know sorcs can do gigantic dmg in 1 element...gonna build that one just for joy of doing crazy dmg - but not for hell, since there are so many immune monsters, and I don't expect tanks to support me.//

Since I want a tank, it would be Barb or Hammerdin. What guides/builds would you recommend?
Sorc can supply new char with pretty decent gear - in Normal at least.

 

[F1R3STR1D3R]

CL = Chain Lightning

Barbs are good tanks, but if you want to do widespread damage you need to whirlwind, and then lose your tanking ability.

Wind druids and Hammerdins can tank and do nice damage.

Look for stickies in the Druid and Paladin forums.

 

[MegaVovaN]

CL = Chain Lightning

Barbs are good tanks, but if you want to do widespread damage you need to whirlwind, and then lose your tanking ability.

Wind druids and Hammerdins can tank and do nice damage.

Look for stickies in the Druid and Paladin forums.

OK then, I think Hammerdin is good. What guide to use? This one or that one?

 

[Tillya]

OK then, I think Hammerdin is good. What guide to use? This one or that one?

If you would have taken some time to browse through them you would see they don't differ that much (to say the least).
Read em both, and you'll come to 1 good build.