TABLE OF CONTENTS
Lightning Sorceress Introduction & Overview
Lightning Sorceresses became incredibly strong with the 2.5 patch, with the introduction of Sunder Charms. By wearing a Lightning Sunder charm a Lightning Sorc can quickly deal with any enemy monster, using Lightning, Chain Lightning, and Static Field skills. The build is effective in any type of gameplay, including Terror Zone farming, Magic Finding, Boss runs, Cows, Chaos runs, Baal runs, and basicly any activity thats available in the game. The survivability of the build is also quite good, as Lightning Sorcs can cast a high level Energy Shield.
🔸 Easily Soloes any game content even in Player 8 difficulty
🔸 Hell Chaos run and Hell Baal run both within 2-3 minutes
🔸 Hardcore viable
🔸 One of the best builds for Magic Finding
🔸 Optimal Ladder Starter
🔸 Very fast teleportation
Lightning has different casting breakpoints compared to other Sorceress spells. Having a high faster cast rate is essential to make the build as effective as possible. You can use either Lightning or Chain Lightning for attacking, it is up to your preference which one you rather attack with. In case you fight against high life monsters / Bosses, you can switch to Static Field to quickly reduce monster lives, then kill them with your Lightning Spells. Unfortunately an effective endgame gear for the Lightning 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.
Lightning Sorceress Pros and Cons
Pros
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Cons
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Lightning Sorceress Gameplay
Playing solo: Firstly your goal should be to get Spirit runewords in order to improve your faster casting rate, then an Insight runeword for your mercenary to solve any of your mana issues. Use an Act2 Prayer merc, as Prayer synergises with Insight’s meditation aura. There are many lightning immunes in the game, so your next goal should be to get a Lightning Sunder charm by farming Terror Zones. After that all you need to do is Magic Finding and Rune farming as much as possible until you can afford a Call to Arms, with which you can buff your Life and Mana, improving your survivability. Lastly you should try to get an Infinity and equip it either on yourself, or on your mercenary. Soloing gameplay is straigthforward, use teleport for movement, and attack enemy monsters from a distance with either Lightning or Chain Lightning.
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 with ease even 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.
lways have Energy Shield and Frozen Armor casted. Try to get a Raven Frost ring to avoid being frozen. Use an Act2 Prayer Mercenary equippped with an Insight polearm (preferably ethereal Thresher).
Lightning 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 casting breakpoints.
- Aim for 52% (14 frame), 78% (13 frame), 117% (12 frame) or 194% (11 frame) Faster cast rate for Lightning 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.
Lightning Sorceress Skills
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Cold Spells
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Lightning Spells
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Fire Spells
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Lightning 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
Put all your remaining stat points on Vitality if you want to make a life based build without Energy Shield.
Energy
Put all your remaining stat points on it if you want to make a mana-based Energy Shield build.
You can re-stat your character by the quest reward of Akara’s Act1 Den of Evil Quest, or by using Token of Absolution.
Lightning Sorceress Mercenary
You should have an Act2 Prayer Aura mercenary equipped with an Insight runeword weapon for optimal mana recovery.
Lightning Sorceress Item setups
Ladder Lightning 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 Lightning 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 Lightning 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: Infinity runeword
Switch Weapon: Call to Arms Crystal Sword
Shield: none
Switch Shield: Spirit Monarch
Body Armor: Chains of Honor in an elite light body armor
Belt: Arachnid Mesh
Rings: 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, 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 Lightning 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 Lightning 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 Lightning 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 Thresh
