Ok. It has been over a week that I felt bad with my first sorcerer-to-be seeing how my first character build got me unsatisfactory results (having the wall taken down faster with link around during the heat of things, small jump with teleport, too many skills & setup, “jack of trades” trope.) I did not like the linker tree at all for my kind of playstyle as well as pyromancer (and elementalist too) so I dont think I’m ever going to discuss them extensively here (or at all.) Not into Necromancer as of now just because I find using corpses not as fun as managing SP with Sorcerer.
The experiences I had with my first wizard, then made me research a lot of what I can do to fit in sorcerer path. So for Sorcerer class, most that I’ve read have written how Sorc2 is optimal because of the commands & increase of levels with Summon, Familiars and Salamion. I have thought of getting Desmodus in c3, but it seems that from how people sounded, “it could’ve been better” phrase pops into my head after reading their comments. After debating within myself, I decided that Sorc2 is enough with what content is available in ToS, going for max summon, familiar, hold, morph, riding, cat servant and 2 salamion (hearing how attack:ground has issues… maybe i’ll hold off to salamion 1 to see if commands get some rework along with AI scripts ToS devs have.) Ok. with Sorc2, I plan to at least have the other ranks be viable both in PvE and PvP content. I know sorc isn’t the best DPS out there (since duh, it’s yellow icon, utility class) so the best thing I thought to pair up with it is CC class circles. I am really in for a crowd control character because being able to get the situation and let others do the DPS makes me feel more fulfilled. Of course, I think of solo play too since I probably won’t be with my friends all the time. This is why the classes I felt that can compliment the style or sorc are the following: cryo, kino, rc, wiz.
##1. Cryomancer
- C3 is the best rank because of the levels it gains with Ice Pike, Ice Wall and Subzero Shield and with ranks unlocking Snow Rolling and Frost Pillar. I have read how people use Ice Bolt for the freeze chance rather than the damage (which I have utilized too.) It synergizes well with Rune of Ice from Rune Caster and Psychokino in offering more crowd control and the in/famous IC+PP combo.
##2. Psychokino
- C3 again, is the best rank because of the access to Raise and Gravity Pole that are awesome CC spells (even PD can’t stop that!) Maxing Psychic Pressure is a must with this. I read how Telekinesis works that you can actually cast spells as you hold an enemy in place. gotta watch positioning here because most of the spells of this class that deal damage need one’s avatar to be stationary, thus the need of Swap and Teleportation.
##3. Rune Caster
- Hard hidden quest advancement, 8 second cast time, rank 6 availability. really steep for a single circle. It does offer 5 runes to pick and Rune of Ice (Isa) is one if cryo circle is chosen (does not scale with Snow Rolling and Frost Pillar from what I’ve heard.) Best with the IW+PP tactic or can use links and smack the walls can work for the Ice rune buff DPS thing. Even though its skills are all 8 seconds no matter what skill level the rune is cast, I think they are mainly used as pre-engagement buff. Even Rune of Destruction (Hagalaz) and Rune of Justice (Tiwaz) seem to follow that pre-engagement setup which I think rune caster just makes it feel a Support class (Green Icon.) It only became a (Red Icon) class circle because it has offensive spells (like Psychokino.)
- Does Rune of Justice proc shards from Ice Wall? If so, would it take into account the attack power of Rune of Justice? I read how it it’s actually a multihit skill (4 hits if I’m not mistaken.)
##4. Wizard
- Ok this might be not that optimal and more fitting to a DPS build, but hear me out. Magic Missile just has that bouncing very nice for clearing stuff out. Quickcast attribute makes every spell deal 50% more damage and when paired with Rune of Ice or destruction, just makes it awesome. Going this path also makes Summon Familiar do more damage so a Sorc3 path is welcomed here while also having to pick C1 of available classes in rank 4 (cryo/pyro/kino/linker/thaum/ele.) Add to that is how going wiz3 will bank a lot on what classes will be available on ranks 8-10 (like that’d be a new 3circle class or finishing off what rank4 class was picked and picking the rank10 class.)
###Why not just go Warlock?
Ok, Warlock has OP damage.
Even so, it’s still only one rank and the cooldown and interaction of its skills that I feel useful are not ‘that’ useful. For one, I read around the forum how Dark Theurge does not proc the Invocation: Deliver (dark property +15%) even though they are the same spirit sprite and how one has to be real close to the spawned spirit after killing an enemy to be affected. I am also put off by how long the cooldown is for Pole of Agony (like, the story of the game has put lives in peril… there should be plenty of agony feels floating around to ‘reduce the skill cooldown,’ right?) Evil Sacrifice has a 5 second cast time in the tosbase video even though it’s a linear shot (much like Rune of Justice (Tiwaz) in how it goes.)
Recently saw that Dark Theurge now has a 25 hit (5 per spirit) and it is a real damage dealing skill along with Pole of Agony.
Yeah, accessing the Warlock circle makes room for rank10 new classes as a viable option if one pursues it up to rank 3. It still goes back to my reasoning that CC will eventually kill in PvE (through crowd control) and hold its ground in PvP (still crowd control) and Warlock as of now does not seem to go to that direction. If the new classes offer CC, I’d most probably go for that (especially if there will be one unlocked in rank 8, hidden or not)
###Chronomancy or Necromancy?
Though I like Pass and ‘how to train your summons’ paths, these are unlocked at rank 5 & 6 respectively. meaning I’d sacrifice Sorcerer, which is the main reason I’m having the 7-rank-limit-dilemma now. The Ice Age theme of cryochrono is really good area support while the sorc1necro2 is the pet path I see in most builds (because flesh cannon OP, especially with a wiz3 circle.)
###What about Thaumaturge?
Yeah, it does share rank 4 unlocked class along with elementalist. Thankfully I’m not for elementalist. Anyway, the idea of using transpose of a full int build with or without Transpose: Equilibrium attribute after casting one’s summons and then casting Thurisaz… MM! (tl;dr of skill queue: Quickcast > Summon Familiar & Summoning > Transpose > Rune of Giants - tons of int for summon, tons of HP on self.) Might be wrong and whacked, but I’ll try to explain.
OK with all these said, here are paths I have thought of that’ll touch on most of these points:
- having some sort of CC
- viable for future content
- has sorc2 in the class paths (so all my sorc2 paths will have the same skill points allocation.)
###1. Cryosorcaster
[Cryo3 > Sorc2 > RC] - Utilizes the full arsenal of ice paths that benefit from Rune of Ice.
- wiz tree - max sleep for early small aoe cc, 3 lethargy for the increased strike dmg debuff attribute, 1 EQ for knockup cc, EB and RS can be exchanged; reflect shield 3 for the attribute (unless someone tells me it’s really not worth any silver and skillpoint here) and more EB skillpoints, easier casting for small knockback (can release the spell and shoot the energy bolt even when not maxed as long as the “levels” pop up.)
- cryo tree - max IPike, SShield, SRolling, FPillar. 1 gust, 1 IBlast for pushing away (pvp) and aggro-getter (pve). Ice Wall 7 for 8 blocks (can block paths still, though at a shorter range.)
- rc circle - Isa for Ice skills (sadly, no kino / linker to proc ice shards from wall), Algiz for resists, Hagalaz for the uber dmg (maybe this or Tiwaz can proc the ice wall, i dunno… has someone tried this?) Dunno if I should bring down hagalaz/tiwaz for 1 point in Thurisaz.
###2.a. Wizychorcerer
[Wiz2 > Kino3 > Sorc2] - Yes this is crazy but hear me out here:
- wiz tree - with wiz2 opens up that idea of doing a wiz3, rank9-10 or wiz3, RC, rank 10 class build path. More points for sleep, more points for energy bolt for easier knockback, 5 points surespell to be sure of casting PP, GP, TK without being interrupted from behind especially ranged ones.
- kino tree - max Raise, GP, PP. 1 point for Magnetic Force for group up / root / stun (pvp). Heard of how Telekinesis having it in middle levels to be optimal as it also CCs the caster in place, how 5 Swap for swapping into Raise is good spot, and how more teleport levels is great, starting with 3 is okay; Telekinesis, Swap and Teleportation can have its skill points redistributed for Pve and PvP play (any suggestions for this?)
- Points of thought: I know people will say cryo1 will be better than wiz2 because no wiz3 and IW+PP combo is viable especially with Audra. Also debated in myself if I did go for a wiz kino path, would wiz3 be better or kino3 and apparently, kino3 because of the 2 OP CC it unlocks than the lategame potential of wiz3. I’m putting this out here so it can be assessed / discussed with open minds concerning the synergy with sorc2 in PvE and PvP setting.
###2.b. Crychorcerer
[Cryo1 > Kino3 > Sorc2] - The one that is just satisfactory to the 7-rank limitation now.
- IF anything here is the build I have in mind if not wiz2. It has the IC+PP combo, raise and GP. no rune to boost the ice skills, but can still freeze (since I think Ice Wall shard freeze chance is unaffected while Ice Bolt is - and now has more levels for easier casting lvl 1; Ice Blast for aggro-getter still.)
###3. Cryokino
[Cryo3 > Kino3 > future summons!] - And of course, combining the two CC paths will generate this one… WAIT WHA??
- Where is the pet?! No summons?! Ok… so here’s my idea to why I even suggested this one even though I said I’m going sorc2 path. Cryokino sets up for incredible CC sure (combining my explanations from the former two builds,) but where do pets come in? do I take out cryo (what crychorerer is now) or from kino?
- Actually, neither. This build is banking on another pet utilizing circle from the upcoming ranks (unless someone has information about the classes: Mimic, Taoist, Enchanter, Onmyoji, Shadowmancer, others.) That said, This can take up a rune caster circle to utilize the DPS potential of IW+PP combo if ever points will be shifted in the cryo tree to cater to that (can anyone help if ever?) at rank 8, leaving rank9 new classes as a viable option as well.
###4. Wizmaturgerer
[Wiz3 > Thaum1 > Sorc2 > RC] - This looks hella big!
- Anyway this one utilizes oneself to being a tank along with the summon. Wiz in the frontlines. It does need to be in a party with tons of healing and is really PvE oriented (because in PvP, when you can’t cast skills, your most likely dead.) Cast your summons, Quickcast, Transpose, Rune of Protection, Rune of Giants. You’d benefit from the 50% resist, have an AoE ratio of a large monster to sponge up those AoE attacks and tons of HP. Also solves the problem of con:int ratios imho.
- wiz tree - same explanation as the one in 2.a. Wizychorcerer
- thaum circle - Swell Body for Exp, Shrink Body to debuff enemy’s attack, Transpose for a full Int build can be a con:int with bonus stats involved.
- rc circle - Hagalaz for the power with quickcast, Thurisaz for the tanky side & Algiz for resists
- Downside other than the gimmick this does as a meat shield is the casting of both runes and being unable to use skills while in giant mode.
- Even with Transpose: Equilibrium, Do note that there will be a 10 second downtime with Transpose, being that it’s only lvl 5 unless one takes it to a new rank.
So, why am I still bothered? Well, it’s more of the PvP concept. Here’s what I said to my friend (who’s getting troubled with me being troubled already about this class choosing, wishy-washy brain of mine.)
“What’s tearing me apart from going cryo3 sorc2 rc path is that the skills of kino seem way better at doing CC (plus more useful in both PvE and PvP content.) while going a kino path will make me just do a cryo1 and miss out on either sorc2 commands or runecaster with the current available ranks… I just like these 4 classes already and I dunno if going that path to rank10 will be optimal than taking the new classes in the later ranks.”
Well, I do want to hear opinions from all of you cryomancers, psychokinos, rune casters and sorcerers and everyone else who can contribute information, even thoughts on how I should go about this 7-rank path limit as of now.
P.S. I like how most of the formatting is the same as with my Reddit post.
Changelog:
05.02.16
- spellchecks & formatting
- Added section explaining of why not the other classes aside from pyromancer, linker & elementalist.
- added Wizmaturgerer build