Melee Sorceress [1.3]

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Early Game - Mid-Game - End-Game - Challenges - Uberquests - Crafting
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INTRODUCTION

The Melee Sorceress relies on speed and versatility in both close-quarters and medium-ranged combat to take down her enemies, while still being tough enough to stand against the strongest foes.

This is a more "balanced" build than a dedicated farmer or boss-killer. Though not the fastest at either, it can nevertheless do it all without the need for respecs or constant gear swaps. In essence, this build is perfect for people who just want to play the game.

For this build, a Poison/Fire spec is used to provide higher damage potential while still maintaining a good level of survivability. Offensively, it utilizes a Fusillade+Bladestorm combo--boosted by Moonstrike, Baneblade, and Firedance--for maximum versatility and devastating burst damage. Defensively, it uses a multi-layered defense consisting of high Chance to Block, passive and active Damage Reduction, Life regen, and Life sustain to compliment its aggressive playstyle.





DISCLAIMER

1. I make no claims as to the originality of this build, nor to the ideas and strategies contained in this guide.

2. Because this is a Melee Sorc, caster respecs will not be used, even if using a caster spec would be easier for completing certain tasks.

3. This guide was written around the base M2017-1.3.1 patch. Since circumstances on the Realm can change from Season to Season, gameplay adjustments may be necessary if playing TSW. Adapt, or die.



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PROS AND CONS

Pros:
> Can complete every Uber solo and untwinked.*
> Access to summons when you need them.
> Doesn't need expensive gear.
> Doesn't need to grind to clvl 121.
> Many gear/skill combo possibilities.
> She's a Melee Sorceress.

Neutral:
> Moderate skill-switching involved (higher by End-Game).
> Average farmer.

Cons:
> Viable weapon options are limited due to skill restrictions.

*Samael can be done solo with a specific spec and gear setup. Check out SwineFlu's miniguide thread here.



FINAL STATS

STR - None
DEX - All
VIT - None
NRG - None



FINAL SKILLS

30 Points - Moonstrike
29 Points - Living Flame
26 Points - Fusillade
15 Points - Firedance, Baneblade
5 Points - Vengeful Power
1 Point - Familiar, Wraithsword, Blade Spirits, Bladestorm, Hive, Symbol of Esu, Force Blast, and all prerequisites



BASIC PLAYSTYLE

> Summon your Familiar -> exit town -> summon Blade Spirits and buff with Baneblade, Hive, and any oskill buffs provided by gear.
> Buff with Moonstrike and keep it active at all times during combat.
> Buff with Firedance whenever higher damage output is needed.
> Use Bladestorm for general questing and Wraithsword for Magic-immunes and dense mobs.
> Use Fusillade regularly for supplemental damage, bosses, and enemies that aren't easy to tank.
> Use Force Blast to debuff enemies, when necessary.
> Use Force Wall to keep enemies away, when necessary.



SKILLS BREAKDOWN


INNATE

Force Wall
Creates an impassible wall for a short time. Useful for keeping enemies away from you. As you level, it's cooldown timer is gradually reduced. Eventually, it's eliminated completely.



MELEE TREE

Moonstrike
Increases Max Life and damage for a short time. Keep this active at all times whenever in combat.

Wraithsword
Short to mid-range WDM melee attack. Deals pure Physical damage. Suited for close-quarters combat with dense mobs, Magic Immunes, and times when tanking to sustain Life resources is necessary. Best paired with the Life Leech mod.

Fusillade
Extremely powerful trap-like WDM skill that fires a linear stream of blades dealing Physical damage to a single, random target within range. If the target dies before the Fusillade expires, it will seek another target. More Base Points reduce it's seek range (meaning you'll need to use it closer to the target), but also reduce it's CD timer. Used as a source of supplemental damage in crowds, against bosses, and for enemies you don't want to engage in melee. When using Fusillade for general play, cast it near a mob then move on. There's no need to stick around once it's been cast.

Summon Blade Spirits
Ghostly floating swords that won't provide any buffs, but they're remarkably tough. Use them as tanks or distractions. All Sorc summons inherit the same “Elemental” bonuses form Sorc Passives, but they do not gain the Life bonuses from Vengeful Power, Snow Queen, or Living Flame.

Bladestorm
Short to mid-range WDM melee attack that converts a high percentage of Physical damage to Magic damage. Used for general play. Best paired with the Life on Attack mod.



POISON TREE

Vengeful Power
Passive that grants 25% Max Life, as well as percentage-based Physical Damage Reduction per Base Point (up to 20%). It also enhances you and your Blade Spirits with the Crushes Attacker mod, which grants you and your Blade Spirits a chance to deliver a retaliatory Crushing Blow when hit by a melee attack.

Hive
Buff that emits a swarm of insects dealing Poison damage when enemies are nearby. Used as a source of supplemental damage.



FIRE TREE

Living Flame
Passive that grants flat Life per Base Point, and Life regeneration per Skill Point.

Firedance
Buff that increases both the Physical and Elemental Spell Damage (including Poison damage) of any ally within the fire circle. It's damage buffs can be increased with Skill Points, but it's Cooldown timer can only be reduced with Base Points. 15 Base Points will eliminate it completely.



ARCANE TREE

Familiar
Familiars are untargetable and their attacks stun enemies. They also have the Zann Esu's Rite aura, which grants 15% Faster Cast Rate, a 25% bonus to NRG, and a +1 skill level boost for every four Base Points, as well as an extra cat for every 5 Base Points. Zann Esu's Rite only takes effect when you're in the field, not while you're in town. Do all your buffing and summoning in the field so your army can benefit from its +Skills bonus.



REWARD SKILLS

Baneblade
Uber Skill. Buff that provides Velocity, damage, and defense boosts, as well as an innate source of Life on Attack, Faster Block Rate, and Increased Chance to Block. However, it locks out almost all spells and some WDM skills.

Symbol of Esu
Ennead Challenge Reward Skill. It allows for the creation of an infinite number of Moon Symbols, which are used just like potions to restore a percentage of your Max Life instantly. However, they don't remove Poison effects.

Force Blast
Black Road Challenge Reward Skill. A fast-moving, long-range debuff nova that reduces enemies' Physical damage and cast rate for a short time. Incredibly useful against ranged attackers that deal Physical damage, but each cast will consume a large amount of Mana. Use it wisely.



BREAKPOINTS

IAS:
10/37/92 (5 fpa) - Crystal Sword (-20 WSM)
6/23/56/129 (5 fpa) - Warp Blade (-10 WSM)
FBR:
3/7/13/20/32/48/75/129/280 (4 fpa)
FHR:
5/11/20/35/60/109/280 (3 fpa)
FCR:
6/19/42/83/194 (5 fpa) - Staff
8/22/42/78/157 (6 fpa) - Crystal Sword/Warp Blade

Source: Speed Calculator v. 1.2 by Terryys.



CHANCE TO BLOCK

Sorcs have an innate +3% CtB. With Baneblade active, their innate CtB increases to +4%. The following values show the total DEX needed per additional %CtB from shields to achieve Max Block (75%). They will assume a clvl 120 Sorc with Baneblade active.

+2% CtB = 3015 DEX
+1% CtB = 3615 DEX
+0% CtB = 4515 DEX



MERCENARIES

A good support Merc can be handy in many situations, especially early on or when farming. For this build, an Act 3 Iron Wolf Abjurer will be the most useful. His spells can help you deal with Physical and/or Magic-immunes and his Warp Armor will help keep him alive during tough fights.

► GEAR

Tip:
Mercs inherit both your GF and MF, on top of any they get from gear, as long as they get the kill. They also benefit from the +Skills mod found on gear. They cannot use oskills.



SUMMONED MINION RESISTANCES

Summons gain 15% all res per Skill Point up to a maximum of 75%. They can gain more res with the Summoned Minion Resistances mod from gear/skills/Charms, but they cannot utilize more than +75% from these sources. They suffer the same res penalties you do in later difficulties.

Summoned Minion Resistance Penalties per Difficulty (assuming at least 5 Skill Points in a summon skill):

Hatred (+/-0% Res Penalty)
75% innate resistances. An additional +25% Minion Res will make them immune.
Terror (-50% Res Penalty)
25% innate resistances. An additional +75% Minion Res will make them immune.
Destruction (-100% Res Penalty)
-25% innate resistances. An additional +75% Minion Res will give them 50% resistances.

Tip:
Summoned Minions (and Reanimates) inherit your MF, as long as they get the kill.



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BUILD

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GEAR

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WALKTHROUGH

Hatred (clvl 1-54)

Consider Hatred the game's “Tutorial.” Here, you'll get a general feel for how the game plays, how a Sorc's skills work, and an introduction to both the caster and melee playstyles.

Act 1:

    Playing as a melee build will be difficult at first. Until you reach Tristram, level as a melee build, but play as a caster build. Use Flamefront or Lorenado until your Mana is low, then switch to Immersion (it deals more damage with less Mana).

    Tip:
    Don't have Gheed reveal the map until after completing the Den of Evil quest. It will make completing this quest much easier. Do this on every difficulty.

    When you reach Tristram, farm Griswold's Treasure Box for a Warp Blade and Ceremonial Armor. If you get
    The Magister
    The Magister
    Long Staff (4)

    Two-Hand Damage: 6 to 7
    Required Level: 3
    Required Dexterity: 8
    Item Level: 1
    Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
    +1 to All Skills
    +50% Damage to Undead
    +(11 to 13)% to Fire Spell Damage
    +(11 to 13)% to Lightning Spell Damage
    +(3 to 5) to Flamefront
    +(3 to 5) to Flash
    Fire Resist +(16 to 25)%
    Lightning Resist +(16 to 25)%
    (11 to 15)% Bonus to Defense
    Socketed (2)
    Two-Hand Damage: 13 to 15
    Required Level: 21
    Required Dexterity: 19
    Item Level: 31
    Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
    +(2 to 3) to All Skills
    +50% Damage to Undead
    +(16 to 18)% to Fire Spell Damage
    +(16 to 18)% to Lightning Spell Damage
    +(7 to 10) to Flamefront
    +(9 to 12) to Flash
    Fire Resist +(36 to 45)%
    Lightning Resist +(36 to 45)%
    (21 to 25)% Bonus to Defense
    Socketed (3)
    Two-Hand Damage: 22 to 26
    Required Level: 40
    Required Dexterity: 43
    Item Level: 51
    Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
    +(3 to 4) to All Skills
    +50% Damage to Undead
    +(21 to 23)% to Fire Spell Damage
    +(21 to 23)% to Lightning Spell Damage
    +(13 to 16) to Flamefront
    +(19 to 24) to Flash
    Fire Resist +(56 to 65)%
    Lightning Resist +(56 to 65)%
    (31 to 35)% Bonus to Defense
    Socketed (4)
    Two-Hand Damage: 27 to 32
    Required Level: 49
    Required Dexterity: 88
    Item Level: 77
    Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.15 per Dexterity)%
    +(5 to 6) to All Skills
    +50% Damage to Undead
    +(23 to 25)% to Fire Spell Damage
    +(23 to 25)% to Lightning Spell Damage
    +(19 to 24) to Flamefront
    +(25 to 30) to Flash
    Fire Resist +(66 to 75)%
    Lightning Resist +(66 to 75)%
    (36 to 40)% Bonus to Defense
    Socketed (4)
    during one of your runs, use the Apocalypse oskill to make farming easier. Once you can equip both your Weapon and Body Armor, you can transition to a melee playstyle.

    Finishing the remainder of the Act won't be a problem, just be sure to get the Catalyst of Disenchantment from the Smith in the Monastery's Barracks. With this, you can turn any spare Uniques into Arcane Shards (except those from Griswold's Treasure Box). Cubing 5 Arcane Shards creates an Arcane Crystal. These will be useful later on. Finally, don't use this Catalyst on any Unique quivers, jewels, or jewelry. Hold onto them instead. They can be turned into more valuable Signets of Learning later.

    Tip:
    Gold drops will be scarce early on and most of the items you find aren't worth much--the exceptions being jewels, rings, amulets, and apples. All of these will fetch a decent price, with apples being worth more in later Acts, so save these when you find them.

Act 2:

    Some elemental attacks will hurt more, particularly Poison. But don't buy MOs yet. Instead, socket your armor with resistance gems or jewels with resistance mods. Focus primarily on Poison and Fire.

    Because the mob density is so high in the Sewers, you'll find yourself frequently running low on Mana. But it won't be a problem outside this one area. Though it's tempting, don't put a point into Mana Sweep. Using it will lock out Fusillade, and vice versa.

    Be sure to activate at least the Halls of the Dead Waypoint on your way through the Act.

    Zoltun Kulle guards the entrance to Duriel's lair. His Lightning attacks can hurt, so just plant a Fusillade near him and retreat.

    Duriel himself is nothing. Just run up to him and hit him with Moonstrike+Fusillade. He'll die in seconds. But then, Duriel isn't actually the true boss of Act 2...

Act 3:

    You won't have much trouble early on, but the Kurast areas will be more dangerous. Djinn will occasionally use Immolation Bomb, a fireball nova that deals decent Fire damage if you're near the center of the explosion. Manglers can do significant damage with their Storm Crows if they're all aimed at you. Gloopers' Miasma and Assamites' Gamma Field will just make life a pain.

    In Mephisto's Durance, Que Hagans are the most dangerous things. They have a fast, long-range attack that does moderate damage, but they also summon hordes of Peace Warders.

    Mephisto's attacks will do a lot of damage. If you can rush him and hit him with a Fusillade right away, he should go down quickly. Nevertheless, have your Body Armor socketed with Onyxes to protect against his Cold attack.

    By the end of A3, you'll be around clvl 40. Before continuing on, farm Mephisto for enough ACs to uptier your Weapon and Body Armor to T3 (don't forget to add a Rune to the recipe when uptiering TUs). Then, make the rest of your TU gear (if it hasn't dropped) and uptier your Shield to T3. You can keep farming to uptier the rest of your gear, but if you hit clvl 48 at any time during this process, stop and move on to avoid over-leveling and missing the first level-restricted quest.

    Tip:
    Cube an AC with an Oil of Craft to create an Arcane Cluster. Cube the Cluster with an AC to put the AC into storage. Cube the Cluster again to pull an AC out of storage.

Act 4:

    You won't have much trouble here as long as your gear is socketed with res gems.

    Grab the Catalyst of Destruction from Hephasto in the River of Flame. This will be important later when you need to prep base items for Runewords.

    In the Chaos Sanctuary, three of the seals will release a Superunique enemy.
    > Magdha (west) uses Fire and Poison spells and spawns with minions. However, if you kill Magdha, all its minions will instantly die.
    > Ghom (east) is fairly tanky and its Tremor and Fortress will take decent chunks of your life.
    > Buyard Cholik (north) also spawns with minions. They all use Stormcrows, which does decent damage.

    As for Diablo, his Flamestrike and Bloodstorm are deadly, but having high Fire res helps. Kill all his minions asap, then hit him with Fusillade. Spam him with Wraithsword until he uses Bloodstorm, then just run around until Fusillade's CD timer expires and hit him again. The second Fusillade will kill him.

    Diablo will drop the Scroll of Athulua, telling you about the first Level Challenge. After you take Tyrael's portal, go back to A2 and complete the Level Challenge 1.

Act 5:

    Pick up a Mark of Infusion from Shenk and use it to make your Honorific in T1 Leather Gloves. Sell some apples and orb it with 5x All Res and 5x FHR. This will improve your Elemental defenses and nearly double your Hit Recovery.

    About the only things you need to watch out for going forward are Detonators. They cast a slow-moving fireball on-death that deals massive damage (possibly 1-shotting you) even with 75% Fire res. There's also a highly dangerous Superunique Rogue-type monster with minions guarding the entrance to the Crystalline Passage.

    Tip:
    The side areas in Act 5 (Infernal Pit, Pit of Acheron, Abaddon, and Icy Cellar) are filled with Elite mobs that are much tougher than normal Elites, but the XP gains are higher than in normal areas.

    Baal is tougher than Diablo, but he's not too hard. His most dangerous attacks are the black circles he casts on the ground. They erupt into a large AoE that will take about 40% of your Life if you're hit. You can generally just melee him, but you may need to retreat occasionally to heal. Use Fusillade every chance you get.

    Baal will drop the Scroll of Kurast, telling you about the Ennead Challenge. After you've taken Tyreal's portal, start a new game in Hatred and complete it. But beware, the Torajan Jungles are extremely dangerous.



Terror (clvl 54-110):

Consider Terror as the true beginning of the game. By now, you're expected to have a general understanding of the game's mechanics, as well as your build's strengths and weaknesses. As such, things will become more difficult, and you'll rely on Fusillade more to supplement your damage. It's recommended you be at least clvl 54 with a T4 Weapon and T3 Body Armor before starting. Also, have your res capped.

As you journey through Terror, you'll encounter a specific Veteran monster native to each Act that may drop an Evil Eye. Cubing all 5 different Evil Eyes together with your CC will add a bonus to it.

Note:
Veteran monsters won't always spawn in their designated areas during a specific game. Don't worry if you reach the end of an Act and haven't seen one. You'll have plenty of opportunities to collect these Monster Tokens later on.

Act 1:

    Proceed normally, uptiering your TUs as your clvl allows. Focus on your Weapon first, then Body Armor, then Shield. Also, start orbing your Honorific and jewelry with Minion Res to improve Blade Spirits' survivability.

    Clawstorm Terrors in the Monastery's Jail will drop the first Evil Eye.

    Andariel will drop the Scroll of the Zakarum, telling you about the second Level Challenge. Take note of its max level req and don't exceed clvl 90 until it's done.

Act 2:

    Starting around A2 Sewers, monsters will start to drop Sacred gear and Shrines. Items to collect along the way include:

    • Sacred Warp Blade (not Crystal Sword)
    • Sacred Ceremonial Armor (or highest grade Sorc Body Armor you can find)
    • Sacred Sash
    • T6 or Sacred Jared's Stone
    • T6 Magic Leather Gloves
    • Abandoned Shrines (all of them)
    • Creepy Shrines (1-3)
    • Ornate Shrines (10-20, for your merc)

    Tip:
    You can create a Vessel to store your Shrines by cubing a Shrine with an Oil of Craft. Then, just cube a full Shrine with it's corresponding Vessel to store the Shrine. Cube the Vessel again to pull a Shrine out of storage.

    Belladonna Extracts may also start to drop. You'll need a few of these to adjust your Attribute/Skill points later.

    Also, collect and upgrade all Runes higher than Zod in order to make 2x Kur, 1x Vith, and 1x Nih by the beginning of Destruction.

    Like last time, activate at least the Halls of the Dead Waypoint.

    Fairy Witches in the Canyon of the Magi will drop the second Evil Eye.

    Tip:
    Cube 2x Arcane Crystals and a Healing pot to create a completed Horadric Staff.

Act 3:

    Make your way to the Swampy Pit in the Flayer Jungle and complete the Level Challenge 2. If the Death Projector is your first Superunique kill in A3, it will also drop the Jade Figurine for the Golden Bird quest.

    With LC2 done, there are no more level-restricted events. You're free to go about questing, leveling, and farming to your heart's content.

    You should have a T6 Weapon by now. But even so, things will get tougher once you hit the Kurast areas and beyond.

    Glowing Blobs in Travincal will drop the third Evil Eye.

    Tip:
    Cube 2x Arcane Crystals and a Mana pot to create a completed Khalim's Will.

    Before facing Mephisto, replace the Rubies in your Weapon with any Perfect Rainbow Stones you have. Mephisto is tough, and you'll want to kill him as quickly as you can.

    Like last time, farm Mephisto for some ACs. Uptier your Body Armor and Boots to T5, your Shield and Helm to T6, and your Belt to T4 (orb your Honorific with STR orbs to help with the reqs).

Act 4:

    The main thing to look for is the Catalyst of Learning, dropped by Izual. With it, you can turn those Unique quivers, jewels, and jewelry you've been hoarding into SoL (as well as spare SUs/Set pieces later on).

    Landmasses spawn in the Lost City/River of Flame and will drop the fourth Evil Eye. They spam Shower of Rocks, so try to trap them on the other side of an island and kill them with Fusillade.

    By the time you reach the Chaos Sanctuary, item level drops going forward will be 99. Items to collect from here on include:

    • 2x Rare Sacred Warp Blade (not Crystal Sword)
    • 2x Rare Sacred Leather Gloves
    • 2x Rare Sacred Gauntlets
    • 1x Rare Sacred Boots (the ones marked “Boots”)
    • Witchhunter's Hood
      Witchhunter's Hood
      Cap (Sacred)

      Defense: (2136 - 2611) to (2161 - 2642)
      Required Level: 90
      Required Strength:
      250
      Item Level: 1
      +(80 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
      10% to Strength
      10% to Dexterity
      Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
      Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
      Physical Resist 5%
      (16 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
      Requirements -50%
      Socketed (4)

      Witchhunter's Attire
      (Assassin Claw Set)
      (Assassin Set piece)
    • All pieces of
      The Mysteries
      The Mysteries
      (Sorceress Melee Set)

      Cauldron
      Pentacle
      Sacred Circle
      Witchblade

      Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
      +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
      +50 to Dexterity

      Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
      +21 to Spiral Dance
      Physical Resist 10%

      Set Bonus with complete set:
      +100 Damage
      +4 to Ward of Fate
      10% Chance of Crushing Blow
      Weapon Physical Damage +100%
      +4000 Defense
      5% Chance to Avoid Damage

      (Melee Sorc Set)
    • Ilvl 99 Jewels

    Tip:
    The reason for collecting 2 versions of some Rare Sacred items is to make crafting less worrisome. First, you'll craft 1 version until it seems decent. Next, craft the second version until it's better than the first. Then, go back to crafting the first version until it's better than the second, and so on until you get something that's great. This way, you avoid regrets.

    You should reach clvl 90 in the Chaos Sanctuary (if not, level here until you do before facing Diablo). This is the point at which the build finally starts to take off. You'll finally have access to Symbol of Esu, and more importantly, Baneblade. The native LoA from Baneblade coupled with Living Flame's regen will greatly increase your survivability. It also makes Perfect Rubies in your Weapon obsolete, so replace them with Perfect Rainbow Stones (if you haven't already).

    The 3 Superuniqes are much more dangerous this time around. Be careful.

    Don't bother trying to melee Diablo. Just hit him with Fusillade, then run around in circles until its CD timer expires. Repeat. He'll drop the Scroll of Fear, telling you about the first Trial in the Black Road Challenge. You're not ready for that yet.

Act 5:

    You'll start gaining levels quickly now, and things will start to get easier. Also, don't forget you can put an extra point into Baneblade at clvls 91 and 92 to give yourself a boost.

    Pick up another Mark of Infusion from Shenk. Use it at any time to remake your Honorific in T6 Leather Gloves. Orb them with the same MOs as your T1 pair, except don't use All Res. Instead, socket them with perfect res gems.

    At clvl 96, you'll have enough points into Firedance to remove it's CD timer, so you can start using it any time you need a damage boost.

    You'll also have enough points into DEX by this point to uptier your Body Armor to T6. This will also allow you to uptier your Belt to T5, which is the highest you'll uptier it.

    Nihlathak has a guaranteed Signet of Learning drop, so you can farm him for a few if you want some easy Attribute Points.

    Bane Hunters in the Worldstone Keep will drop the fifth and final Evil Eye needed to upgrade your Class Charm.

    Baal is a bit tougher this time around, but so are you. With more points into Fusillade now, you can use it far more often.



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BUILD

► expand


GEAR

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WALKTHROUGH

Prelude to Destruction (clvl 110-120)

Before moving on to Destruction, do the following in Terror:

1. Go back through the Acts and pick up any Evil Eyes you may have missed to add +1 Sorc Skills and +20% XP Gained to your CC.

2. Grind T-Cows until you're clvl 120. While there, keep an eye out for a base Sacred Warp Blade, a good base Sacred Sorc Armor, and a Belladonna Extract (if you don't have them already).

3. If you still need a Kur, Vith, or Nih Rune, spend some time in K3KBA until you have them. While you're there, look for Rare jewels with IAS and AR mods. Any additional %DEX mods are also helpful. Also grab any 2 jewels with FCR.

4. Make
Grace
,
Erawan

Erawan
Body Armors

'LemKoCham'
Runeword Level: 83
15% Combat Speeds
5% Chance of Crushing Blow
+(144 to 171)% Enhanced Defense
(27 to 30)% to Strength
(27 to 30)% to Vitality
Physical Resist (13 to 15)%
(15 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
, and
Truce
Truce
Belts

'Jah'
Runeword Level: 80
5% Combat Speeds
Stun Attack
Slows Attacker by 5%
+(172 to 200)% Enhanced Defense
Physical Resist 10%
with the Rare jewels you collected. Make
Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Sorceress Orbs

'Cham'
Runeword Level: 83
+3 to Sorceress Skill Levels
-1% Base Block Chance
60% Hit Recovery
+(6 to 16) to Divine Apparition
20% to Energy
Maximum Life and Mana +5%
+(100 to 200) Life when Struck by an Enemy
with the FCR jewels. Grace is a more defensive weapon, and it's damage won't be great, so reaching the 5 fpa IAS breakpoint is a must. After that, focus on AR jewels.

5. When all your new gear is made, drink a Belladonna Extract and put just enough points into STR to equip everything. Put the rest into DEX.



Prologue

Before doing Ubers in Destruction, rush through the first 2 Acts, activating every Waypoint along the way. In A2, get the Dark Tome from the Summoner in the Arcane Sanctuary and cube it with your CC. Activate the Canyon of the Magi Waypoint, then go back to Terror and complete the Black Road Challenge. After which, put a point into Force Blast to make life easier.



Destruction

Now that you're familiar with how the game plays in general, and how your characters handles in Destruction, it's time to get a feel for how End-Game content will play by tackling some of the easier Uberquests on your way to Baal.

Tip:
Some Uber bosses have a chance to drop a Trophy, which will add a bonus to it's corresponding Charm. It's recommended you farm for a perfect version of a Charm before cubing it with its Trophy, unless otherwise noted.

Act 1:


Act 2:


Act 3:


Act 4:


Act 5:



Bitter Work

Destruction Baal is still out of your league. In order to get ready for the challenges ahead, you'll need to do some farming. You'll do this in Terror since the Uberlevels are easier there.

Objectives:

  • Acquire all pieces to
    The Mysteries
    The Mysteries
    (Sorceress Melee Set)

    Cauldron
    Pentacle
    Sacred Circle
    Witchblade

    Set Bonus with 2 or more set items:
    +2 to Sorceress Skill Levels
    +50 to Dexterity

    Set Bonus with 3 or more set items:
    +21 to Spiral Dance
    Physical Resist 10%

    Set Bonus with complete set:
    +100 Damage
    +4 to Ward of Fate
    10% Chance of Crushing Blow
    Weapon Physical Damage +100%
    +4000 Defense
    5% Chance to Avoid Damage

    .*
  • Find
    Witchhunter's Hood
    Witchhunter's Hood
    Cap (Sacred)

    Defense: (2136 - 2611) to (2161 - 2642)
    Required Level: 90
    Required Strength:
    250
    Item Level: 1
    +(80 to 120)% Enhanced Defense
    10% to Strength
    10% to Dexterity
    Maximum Elemental Resists +2%
    Elemental Resists +(31 to 40)%
    Physical Resist 5%
    (16 to 20)% Bonus to Defense
    Requirements -50%
    Socketed (4)

    Witchhunter's Attire
    (Assassin Claw Set)
    .
  • Collect as many Abandoned Shrines as you can.
  • Collect 1 to 3 Creepy Shrines.**
  • Collect as many Arcane Crystals as you can.
  • Find a Belladonna Extract.
  • Eat at least 150 SoL.

*If farming for The Mysteries Set is too much trouble, you can use the Alternative Setup listed in the End-Game gear section.
**Only necessary if using the Alternative Setup.


Note:
With the exception of
Witchblade
Witchblade
Warp Blade (Sacred)

One-Hand Damage: (183 - 197) to (333 - 358)
(Sorceress Only)
Required Level: 100
Required Dexterity: 400
Item Level: 1
Dexterity Damage Bonus: (0.13 per Dexterity)%
Area Effect Attack
1% Chance to cast level 25 Sanguine Covenant on Melee Attack
Adds 50-100 Damage
Stun Attack
+(172 to 200)% Enhanced Damage
+100 Life Regenerated per Second
+(51 to 100) Life on Melee Attack
Socketed (6)

The Mysteries
(Sorceress Melee Set)
, individual pieces of the Melee Sorc Set aren't that good on their own. It's recommended you not swap out any of your current gear until you have at least 3 pieces.


Farming Locations:

    Terror Tran Athulua:
    TA has a Unique drop bias, making it a good place to farm ACs. The high mob density also makes it a decent spot to farm Set items, and thus, SoL. Since res isn't a concern here, socket your gear and your merc's gear with Lum Runes for more MF.

    Terror K3KBA:
    You're mostly farming this place for Shrines, but K3K has a Set drop bias, so you're likely to also find a few Set pieces here. It's also a good place to farm for jewels.

    As you find Abandoned Shrines, you can start crafting a pair of Sacred Leather Gloves. However, don't spend too much time on crafting a perfect pair. You'll need lots of Abandoned Shrines for crafting better things later. Once you have a pair that's satisfactory, you can replace your Honorific Leather Gloves. For more info on Shrine-crafting, see the Crafting section of this guide.

    Other Farming Locations:
    The Worldstone Keep/Antechamber/Throne of Destruction in A5 and the Chaos Sanctuary in A4 have many Elite mobs, which may drop Set pieces. And the Torajan Jungles have a Signet drop bias, which may yield a handful of SoL. Finally, Nihlathak has guaranteed SoL+TU drops.

Preparations:

    Make Your Amulet:
    Use some of the ACs you farmed to make a
    Teganze Pendant
    Teganze Pendant
    Amulet

    Required Level: 60
    Item Level: 70
    +1 to All Skills
    +10% to Fire Spell Damage
    +10% to Lightning Spell Damage
    +10% to Cold Spell Damage
    Maximum Life +(3 to 5)%
    Maximum Mana +(20 to 30)%
    Elemental Resists +10%
    +(13 to 38) Mana after each Kill
    (if you haven't found it already).

    Craft Some Jewels:
    Use a Ber Rune to craft some LL/ML jewels with either 2% DEX or 1% All Attributes, plus either IAS or FHR. You only need enough of these to hit the 5 fpa IAS and 4 fpa FHR breakpoints. Ssee the Crafting section of this guide for more in-depth info.

    Readjust Attribute Points:
    Once you have your new gear, drink another Belladonna Extract to readjust your Attribute Points. Like last time, just put enough into STR to wear your gear and put the rest into DEX.



Image



BUILD

► expand


GEAR

► Basic Setup - for clvl 120 Sorcs


► Alternative Setup - for clvl 120 Sorcs


► Ultimate Setup - for clvl 121 Sorcs


► Other Gear


WALKTHROUGH

This part of the game will be far less linear, consisting of an Uber/Farming cycle. By the time you begin, you should have the full Melee Sorc Set (or the Alternative Setup), a good pair of crafted gloves, Witchhunter's Hood, and all Charms+Upgrades (minus Trophies) from the Ubers listed in the Mid-Game section.

Part I

    Legacy of Blood
    Akarat
    Lord Aldric Jitan
    Teganze
    Cube the Trader's Chest 50x with an Amethyst for the highest possible DEX value. Try to get at least 101 DEX with no less than -50 STR (you can settle for less DEX if you get higher rolls for other Attributes). When you cube it 50x, a Skull will appear. If you're happy with the Charm you've crafted, keep it. If not, sell it. Then kill Terul for another one and try again.

    Note:
    Leave this Charm in your Stash until after you've upgraded your CFM and gotten Quov Tsin's Charm.

    Farming Teganze
    Farm this place for enough material to make 1 Xis Rune (skip this if you don't intend on reaching clvl 121). To make a Xis Rune, first cube an Elemental Essence with a Runestone to make an Elemental Rune. When you have 1 of each type of Elemental Rune (6 in total), cube them all with another Runestone to make a Xis Rune.

    Toraja
    If you find an Auhe Rune, then gg (seriously). Make
    Nero
    (if using the Set) or
    Sway of the Stars
    (if using the Alternative Gear) and never look back. If not, farm Toraja until you do.

    Farming Toraja
    The easiest thing to do is to lead Lilith to an area you've already cleared, trap her on the other side of a fence, and farm the Morlu she spawns. Since she constantly spawns them and they can teleport (but Lilith can't), you can just hole up in a safe place and farm them all day long--literally. It can take more than an hour of constant Morlu farming before a single Great Rune drops.

Part II


Part III:

If you intend on grinding to clvl 121, now is the time to do it. Go ahead and eat all the XP sigs you've collected so far.

    Farming Tran Athulua
    The goal right now is more about farming for SoL rather than useful SUs; the possibility of finding SUs is just a bonus. Depending on how many sigs you've eaten up to this point, you may still need Amethysts in some of your gear. As you eat more sigs, you can slowly replace them with Lum Runes. While you're there, farm for a +15% Life/Mana version of the Sunstone Charm and the Trophy. Resurrect your merc to help.

    Farming the Torajan Jungles
    You'll be farming this place for Signets. You may not find as many SoL here as in TA, but this is the only place to get your 3 Signets of Skill, as well as a fair amount of XP sigs--all of which you'll eat the moment you find them. While you're here, farm Jitan, Bartuc, and Akarat for their Trophies.

    By the time you're done farming these places, you should have all 500 SoL eaten.

    Note:
    If you're using the full Melee Sorc Set, you can continue on. The Set is generally good enough to do most of the remaining Ubers. Farm for upgrades if and when you need them.

    If you're using the Alternative Gear, you'll want all the listed upgrades before moving on. Use a Belladonna Extract to adjust Attribute Points as necessary.

Part IV:

Edited by Solfege 5 years.
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For this guide, Uberquests are grouped into 3 tiers, and ranked depending on gear requirements, number of Signets of Learning needed, and the amount of strategy/player skill necessary to complete them. They are listed in Documentation order.

Easy
  • Gear: Combination of Early and Mid-Game gear recommended
  • Signets of Learning: 0
  • Strategy/Player Skill: Low

Medium
  • Gear: Mid-Game gear, with some End-Game upgrades recommended
  • Signets of Learning: 150-300 recommended
  • Strategy/Player Skill: Medium

Hard
  • Gear: Full End-Game or other specific gear
  • Signets of Learning: 500 recommended
  • Strategy/Player Skill: High

This symbol indicates an Uberquest has a corresponding Trophy.



KEHJISTAN

Death Projector
► More info


Horazon's Sanctum
► more info


Kurast 3000 B.A.
► More Info


Akarat
► more info


Rathma Square
► more info


Heart of Sin
► more info


Legacy of Blood
► more info


Lord Aldric Jitan
► more info


Teganze
► more info


Quov Tsin
► more info


Viz-jun
► more info


Kingdom of Shadow
► more info


The Triune
► more info


Toraja
► more info


Yshari Sanctum
► more info


Astrogha
► More Info


WESTERN KINGDOMS

Horror Under Tristram
► More Info


Infernal Machine
► More Info


The Binding of Baal
► more info


Assault on Mount Arreat
► more info


Island of the Sunless Sea
► more info


Cathedral of Light
► more info


Tran Athulua
► more info


Bull Prince Rodeo
► more info


Eve of Destruction
► more info


Ghosts of Old Bremmtown
► more info


Judgment Day
► more info


Athulua
► more info


Fauztinville
► more info


Xazax
► more info
Edited by Solfege 5 years.
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Corrupted Abbey
► more info


Nephalem's Sacrifice
► more info


WASTELANDS

Khalimgrad
► more info


Lord of Lies
► more info


The Black Road
► more info


Spirit World
► more info


World Nexus
► more info


Archbishop Lazarus
► more info


The Void
► More Info



Image



LEVEL CHALLENGE 1

► More Info


ENNEAD CHALLENGE

► More Info


LEVEL CHALLENGE 2

► More Info


BLACK ROAD CHALLENGE

Reward:
+150 Life/Mana added to your CC
Unlocks your BRC skill

    Trial of Fear:
    ► More Info


    Trial of Greed:
    ► More Info


    Trial of Contrition:
    ► More Info


    Trial of Knowledge:
    ► More Info


    Trial of Blood:
    ► More Info


    Completing the Challenge:
    ► More Info



Image



JEWEL-CRAFTING

► More Info


SHRINE-CRAFTING

► More Info


BASE-CRAFTING FOR RUNEWORDS

► More Info



Image



  • The entire MXL team.
  • All the people who keep the forum running, maintain the documentation, and host servers.
  • Blizzard North (may you RIP).
  • SwineFlu for his write-ups and teaching me how to do the ultra-end-game Ubers many moons ago.
  • Everyone who provided feedback, strategies, and tips for this guide.
  • And last, but not least, the people who took the time to read this guide and try out the build.

Thanks for reading!

If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions related specifically to this guide, feel free to PM me here on the forum.
Edited by Solfege 5 years.
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Goodkidscc
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How can you invest into the cold light and fire trees if you can only pick 2?
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ok i didnt read yet, but i can already tell nice pics

/e: IAS: 39/80/180 (Warp Blade) i think you forgot to factor the wsm from the weapon itself when you (i assume) checked the bps in the speedcalc, warp blade got a really good wsm
Edited by void 7 years.
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Goodkidscc wrote:How can you invest into the cold light and fire trees if you can only pick 2?


He starts with Lightning/Ice then switch to Fire/Ice later.
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Pinball wrote:
Goodkidscc wrote:How can you invest into the cold light and fire trees if you can only pick 2?


He starts with Lightning/Ice then switch to Fire/Ice later.


He starts with Light/Ice for the def/survivability, but then once he gets later game into some RWs, he can respec to Fire/Ice for more life and damage (firedance), along with Adamantine Guard end game for the Warp Armor passive from Light tree.
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Goodkidscc
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LHawkins1 wrote:
Pinball wrote:
Goodkidscc wrote:How can you invest into the cold light and fire trees if you can only pick 2?


He starts with Lightning/Ice then switch to Fire/Ice later.


He starts with Light/Ice for the def/survivability, but then once he gets later game into some RWs, he can respec to Fire/Ice for more life and damage (firedance), along with Adamantine Guard end game for the Warp Armor passive from Light tree.

Gotcha. I realized it was a misguided question after I read the guide a second time.

Nicely done, and cookied.
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void
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ok i read it all, i dont remember anything thats missing, but i would be interested in your source for where you found that adamantine guard oskill warp armor boosts minions as well
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Uberquests section added. That's enough for today...