PvP Lightning ES Sorc: Max Block or spirit?

[stevethatsmyname]

PvP Lightning ES Sorc: Max Block or spirit?

I have been thinking about this all day and I really can't decide which I would like better. I would love to get some opinions from someone who has tried both....

My gear will mostly be limited by budget, nothing extremely godly (i.e. i will probably be using occulus for weapon, vipermagi armor, shako helm, etc)

A bit of background on myself: I typically max block on most sorcs but spirit monarch just looks extremely tempting. I will probably be going for around 120% FCR to hit the 117 lightning BP. So spirit is not 100% neccessary to hit that, but it would sure help a lot.

My choices:

-Maxed block with a low-STR build, Shield would possibly be a whitstans or upgraded viscurant.

Maxed block with 156 str, shield is SS

0 block with 156 str, shield is Spirit Monarch.

0 block with low-str (lidless shield maybe?)


I have seen some guides recommend max block with any sorceress pvp build, but i've seen a lot of people say that with an ES build (assuming 95% ES) block is unnessesary because ES blocks almost all the damage anyways.

Opinions/thoughts?

 

[fwing]

Re: PvP Lightning ES Sorc: Max Block or spirit?

Yes ES blocks damage anyway, but only a certain amount and poof there goes ur mana after a few hits. No mana = death

Out of your choices, I would eliminate 0 block with low-str shield right off the bat. I mean that stat points which = mana/life for you that you will loose as a result of using a spirit or max block shield are DEF worth it. Spirit is indeed extremely temping: resists, fcr, fhr, skills... ultimate caster shield. SS has resists, str (u wouldnt need more anyway) and HUGE damage reduction. Ber'ed will bring you to 43 when the pvp cap is 50. If it comes to spending stats for a max block shield (as in this is ur only factor), I would just go ss.

So I would bring your choices to spirit 0 block or SS max block. This is basically the question of: defensive vs offensive. With spirit u get more mana/life cuz of the lack of dex, but with SS you get great damage reduction and that ever so sweet max block. Combined with a cold armor u have one of the greatest defensive characters.

I usually go for Spirit mainly beacuse of the fcr, but if you say you can hit the bps u need w/o a spirit then I would def recommend a ber'ed SS.