TABLE OF CONTENTS
Nova Sorceress Introduction & Overview
The Nova Sorc is once again a viable, and extremely strong build thanks to the introduction of the Sunder Charms. It uses Nova for attacking, Static Field for reducing monster lives, Teleport for movement and Energy Shield for survivability boost. Since Nova consumes a lot of mana, the build requires a high mana budget, so making the Nova Sorc an Energy Shield based build makes sense. The build is capable of dealing with any game content except for Uber Tristram. The survivability of Nova Sorcs is also excellent, the build is easily Hardcore viable.
🔸 Easily Soloes any game content even in Player 8 difficulty
🔸 Hell Chaos run and Hell Baal run both within 2-3 minutes
🔸 Hardcore viable
🔸 Good Magic Findind potential
🔸 Very fast teleportation
Having a high faster cast rate is essential to make the build as effective as possible. In case you fight against high life monsters / Bosses, you can switch to Static Field to quickly reduce monster lives, then kill them with Nova. Unfortunately an effective endgame gear for the Nova Sorceress is quite expensive. While budget gearing options are available, they are far less efficient. Because of this, the build is not a great ladder starter.
Nova Sorceress Pros and Cons
Pros
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Cons
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Nova Sorceress Gameplay
Playing solo: Gameplay is a combination of teleporting, casting Nova and casting Static Shield. Your mercenary must have an Insight runeword and must stay alive at all times, otherwise your mana recovery will not be sufficient. For the most effective gameplay, you should wear an Infinity runeword as your weapon. Nova and Conviction act on a similar radious, and in addition Infinity provides up to -55% lightning resist.
Playing in a party: You should be the teleporter of the party, as your casting speed will most likely be the fastest. If you play with party members such as a Convictionist Paladin or a Necromancer casting Lower Resist Curses, your kill speed will improve drasticly, making you able to kill monsters in player 8 difficulty even quicker or in budget gear.
Playing Hardcore: Survivability depends on gearing and skilling. An Energy Shield sorceress build has much higher survivability than Life-based builds, and is the only viable option on Hardcore in order to stay alive regardless of what enemies you face (with the exception of Uber Tristram, you should never try to kill the Ubers on your own). 75% All resistances is a must have, and you should also protect yourself against physical attacks by having physical damage % reduction on your gear, and by having 75% chance to block. Possibly the best item setup for hardcore is an ethereal Zoded upgraded Guardian Angel armor in combination with a Stormshield to achieve 90% all resists and a high block chance with relatively low dexterity stat points. Energy shield will absorb almost all the damage you take (up to 95%), so you only need to worry about your mana recovery. Have Full Rejuv potions in your belt for emergency situations, and use walk instead of run to preserve your defense. A Call to Arms weapon is another must have for Hardcore, since casting Battle Orders with it can almost double your mana and life. Always have an active Energy Shield and Frozen Armor casted on yourself. Attack bigger mob packs from a distance, especially if there are champion or unique monsters around.
Always have Energy Shield and Frozen Armor casted. Use an Act2 Prayer Mercenary equippped with an Insight polearm (preferably ethereal Thresher).
Nova Sorceress Breakpoints
Note: Each second in the game consists of 25 frames or “ticks”. Your breakpoints decide how many frames it will take until you can attack/cast a skill/recover from a hit/ block a new hit.
Faster Cast Rate
- Aim for 63% (9 frame), 105% (8 frame) or 200% (7 frame) Faster cast rate for Teleportation and Nova casting breakpoints.
Faster Hit Recovery
- Ideally you should have at least some FHR on your gear. Have at least 20% FHR for an 11-frame Hit Recovery speed.
Faster Block Rate
- Having FBR on your gear is only necessary on Hardcore. Your base FBR is at 9 frames, and the next breakpoints are at 7% and 15%, 27% and 48% (5 frames). FBR on your gear is only useful if you wear a shield.
Nova Sorceress Skills
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Cold Spells
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Lightning Spells
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Fire Spells
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Nova Sorceress Stat Points
Strength
Allocate enough Strength points to be able to wear your gear.
Dexterity
Allocate enough Dexterity points to be able to wear your gear. If you wear a Guardian Angel and Stormshield on Hardcore, put enough points on dexterity to have 75% chance to block.
Vitality
Don’t put any stat point on it.
Energy
Put all your remaining stat points on it.
You can re-stat your character by the quest reward of Akara’s Act1 Den of Evil Quest, or by using Token of Absolution.
Nova Sorceress Mercenary
You should have an Act2 Prayer Aura mercenary equipped with an Insight runeword weapon for optimal mana recovery.
Nova Sorceress Item setups
Ladder Nova Sorc Gear
Helm: Lore / Peasant Crown / Tal Rasha’s Horadric Crest
Amulet: Any amulet with +skill, + all resistances or +Faster Cast Rate
Weapon: Spirit Crystal Sword / Wizardspike
Switch Weapon: none
Shield: Spirit Monarch / Moser’s Blessed Circle
Switch Shield: none
Body Armor: Stealth / Skin of the Vipermagi
Belt: Tal Rasha’s Belt / Immortal King’s Belt / Nightsmoke / Crafted Caster Belt
Rings: Any ring with 10% FCR and other useful stats like allresist, life, magic find, etc.
Gloves: Magefist / Trang Oul’s gloves / Frostburn
Boots: 30% FRW boots with additional resists
Charms: Lightning Sunder Charm, Any charm with + lightning skill, life, resist or FHR will help.
Notes: Aim for 75% all resistances. You can use magic and rare items in any of your gear slots, and can also use them for your Mercenary.
Mercenary Gear
Helm: 3*Perfect Diamond socketed helm / Tal Rasha helm socketed with Perfect Diamond
Body Armor: Any useful rare body armor
Weapon: Insight Polearm
Advanced Nova Sorc Gear
Helm: Griffon’s Eye socketed with +5/-5% Lightning Facet
Amulet: Mara’s Kaleidoscope / 2 to Sorceress skills 20% FCR crafted amulet
Weapon: Heart of the Oak Flail / Eschutha’s Temper +5/-5% Lightning Facet / Obsession runeword in a +3 to Lightning, Chain Lightning, or Lightning Mastery
Switch Weapon: Call to Arms Crystal Sword
Shield: Spirit Monarch
Switch Shield: Spirit Monarch
Body Armor: Chains of Honor in an elite light body armor / Skin of the Vipermagi socketed with +5/-5% Lightning Facet / Ormus’ Robe socketed +5/-5% Lightning Facet
Belt: Arachnid Mesh
Rings: Raven Frost / Rare of crafted 10% FCR rings / Stone of Jordan
Gloves: Upgraded Magefist
Boots: 30%FRW triple resist rare boots
Charms: Lightning Sunder charm, Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Small Charms with @all resistances, life, faster hit recovery, Lightning Skillers (with +life, +FRW or +FHR optimally)
Mercenary Gear
Helm: Crown of Ages socketed with 2*Um /Andariel’s Visage / Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Upgraded Guardian Angel
Weapon: Insight runeword in an elite two-handed ethereal Polearm, preferably Thresher
Max Damage Nova Sorc Gear
Helm: Griffon’s Eye socketed with +5/-5% Lightning Facet
Amulet: Mara’s Kaleidoscope / 2 to Sorceress skills 20% FCR crafted amulet
Weapon: Heart of the Oak Flail / Eschutha’s Temper +5/-5% Lightning Facet / Obsession runeword in a +3 to Lightning, Chain Lightning, or Lightning Mastery
Switch Weapon: Call to Arms Crystal Sword
Shield: Spirit Monarch
Switch Shield: Spirit Monarch
Body Armor: Chains of Honor in an elite light body armor / Skin of the Vipermagi socketed with +5/-5% Lightning Facet / Ormus’ Robe socketed +5/-5% Lightning Facet
Belt: Arachnid Mesh
Rings: Raven Frost / Rare of crafted 10% FCR rings / Stone of Jordan
Gloves: Upgraded Magefist
Boots: 30%FRW triple resist rare boots
Charms: Lightning Sunder charm, Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Small Charms with @all resistances, life, faster hit recovery, Lightning Skillers (with +life, +FRW or +FHR optimally)
Mercenary Gear
Helm: Crown of Ages socketed with 2*Um /Andariel’s Visage / Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Upgraded Guardian Angel
Weapon: Insight runeword in an elite two-handed ethereal Polearm, preferably Thresher
Magic Find Nova Sorc Gear
Helm: Harlequin Crest Shako (Socket it with Ist rune)
Amulet: 40-50% Magic Find amulet
Weapon: Wizardspike / Heart of the Oak flail
Switch Weapon: 6*Ist Crystal Sword
Shield: Spirit Monarch
Switch Shield: 4*Ist Monarch
Body Armor: Skullder’s Ire socketed with Ist
Belt: Upgraded Goldwrap
Rings: 2*Nagelring
Gloves: Upgraded Chance Guards
Boots: War Traveler
Charms: Lightning Sunder charm, Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Small Charms with 7% Magic find (and also @all resistances if possible)
Mercenary Gear
Helm: Crown of Ages socketed with 2*Um /Andariel’s Visage / Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Upgraded Guardian Angel
Weapon: Insight runeword in an elite two-handed ethereal Polearm, preferably Thresh
200% FCR Nova Sorc Gear
Helm: Griffon’s Eye socketed with +5/-5% Lightning Facet
Amulet: 2 to Sorceress skills 20% FCR crafted amulet
Weapon: Heart of the Oak Flail / Eschutha’s Temper +5/-5% Lightning Facet
Switch Weapon: Call to Arms Crystal Sword
Shield: Spirit Monarch
Switch Shield: Spirit Monarch
Body Armor: Skin of the Vipermagi socketed with +5/-5% Lightning Facet / Ormus’ Robes socketed with +5/-5% Lightning Facet
Belt: Arachnid Mesh
Rings: 2*Rare of crafted 10% FCR rings / Stone of Jordan
Gloves: Upgraded Magefist
Boots: 30%FRW triple resist rare boots
Charms: Lightning Sunder charm, Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Small Charms with @all resistances, life, faster hit recovery, Lightning Skillers (with +life, +FRW or +FHR optimally)
Mercenary Gear
Helm: Crown of Ages socketed with 2*Um /Andariel’s Visage / Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Upgraded Guardian Angel
Weapon: Insight runeword in an elite two-handed ethereal Polearm, preferably Thresh
Hardcore Nova Sorc Gear
Helm: Harlequin Crest Shako (Socket it with Um rune)
Amulet: Metalgrid
Weapon: Heart of the Oak Flail / Wizardspike
Switch Weapon: Call to Arms
Shield: Stormshield Monarch
Switch Shield: Spirit Monarch
Body Armor: Ethereal Guardian Angel socketed with Zod rune
Belt: Arachnid Mesh
Rings: Stone of Jordan / Rare or crafted 10% FCR ring with resists and/or life and mana
Gloves: Frostburn
Charms: Lightning Sunder charm, Annihilus, Hellfire torch, Gheed’s Fortune, Magic Small Charms (with +all resistances, +life or +faster hit recovery)
Note: Aim to overprotect yourself for situations when you get cursed with spells such as Lower Resist and Amplify Damage or get under an effect of an aura such as Fanaticism or Conviction.
Mercenary Gear
Helm: Crown of Ages socketed with 2*Um /Andariel’s Visage / Crown of Thieves (preferably ethereal, socketed with Ral/Um rune)
Body Armor: Ethereal Upgraded Guardian Angel
Weapon: Insight runeword in an elite two-handed ethereal Polearm, preferably Thresher
