I have been scanning through multiple bear-sorc guides around this forum for a while now, but I recently came across a reply post that suggested using a doom champion axe and calling the modified build a �polar-bear�. Now while this did seem like a very interesting thing to do I thought to myself, what�s the real possibility of a bear sorc using a doom weapon instead of the standard shael�d phase blade or shael�d gris weapon? So I thought about it more and more and looking at the items I actually have available I figured I�d actually post to see how viable everyone else thinks this build is, or if I should scrap the idea before becoming too invested. I understand this is more of a variation then a new build but I can honestly say I�ve never seen a sorc using the following setup. My Sorceress �BearWithFire� is currently Level 75 (just high enough to use torch, with all 3 respecs available) and I am in indecision of how to continue so I have come up with the following:
The Tri-Elemental Bear Guide
So what is the Tri-Elemental Bear Sorc? Well it is a sorceress who utilizes all of the elements that she could possibly improve through her masteries. The idea is to have the highest variability in damage while maintaining survivability. Obviously as it is in most cases the majority of the sorc�s damage comes from elemental damage applied very quickly through very fast attacks. This build will have a much slower attack in comparison but will equal out the damage types allowing for leaching capabilities (although that should not be necessary through the use of a certain runeword).
I used the following attack speed calculator to determine frames for IAS in bear form:
http://home.comcast.net/~thedragoon/...madvanced.html
As it stands I have the following items/runewords available to make this setup work:
Call to Arms Crystal Sword (switch)
Lidless Wall Shield (switch/ Maybe Spirit Monarch for the extra +1 skills)
Phoenix Monarch
Chains of Honor Dusk Shroud/Enigma (Either Breast Plate, Dusk Shroud, or Archon Plate, have yet to decide)/Fortitude (extra physical damage?/negates need for Shiver Armor
Runes needed for Beast
Runes needed for Doom
I would need the following to complete the setup:
Dream Helm (preferably diadem because as we know all sorcs look better in a diadem)
A 5 socket axe (any low requirement/or berserker axe for resale ability) for beast
A 5 socket war spike/berserker axe for Doom (Yes I understand that the war spike does not do anywhere near the damage of a Berserker Axe but as you will see later with the final setup the difference in attack is 2 frames in bear form, I have not run the calculation in damage differences and if anyone would like to do that feel free. It would be interesting to see the different outputs)
The variable items obviously are the remaining slots which are:
Gloves
Boots
Belt
Ammy/Rings
Inventory:
Torch
Annihilus
Lightning skillers/Various others
Mercenary Setup: (all available and equipped except andy�s due to lvl requirement)
Normal Defensive (Defiance Merc)
Andy�s Helm (currently giant skull bone helm for str to use infinity)
Eth Fort Archon Plate
Eth Infinity Colossus Voulge
I think the standard skill setup should look similar to the setup of most enchantress dream sorcs:
110 skill points total available (assuming lvl 99, which is very unlikely)
20 warmth
1-20 enchant (depends if using demon limb for pre-buff instead)
0-1 Shiver Armor (3 prereqs) (or none if using fortitude (gives chilling armor)
20 fire mastery
20 lightning mastery
1 cold mastery (for that extra -cold res)
1 static field
63 � 86 Total
The real variability comes down to the use of Telekinesis and Energy Shield:
1-20 Telekinesis
0-1 Teleport (depends if enigma/Energy shield is used)
0-20 ES (yes I understand TK should be maxed first but I�m not sure how many plus skills this build will end with, also could use an Memory ES for buff and save of the skill point)
0-1 Thunderstorm
0-4 pre-reqs (depending on skill choices)
1 � 46 Total
Only other option would be additional cold mastery but I feel this would be unnecessary since the cold damage is minimal anyway and Doom provides �cold res already which in combination with +skillers, infinity and base cold mastery would be sufficient)
This has been debated over and over time and again what the remaining points should go towards after masteries and warmth, so I have yet to decide as well and most others will debate about this.
Stats are the same as always:
Strength: Enough to wear Gear
Dexterity: Enough to wear Gear
Vitality: Majority
Energy: Depend on use of Energy Shield
So the different weapon choice will provide the following:
War Spike with 30 to 48 damage (-10 base speed) Doom Runeword (additional 45 ias/330-370% ED)
According to the calculator that gives me a 10 frame attack, 5 more OIAS gives me a 9 frame attack and 45 more OIAS gives me a 8 frame attack
Berserker Axe with 24 to 71 damage (0 base speed) Doom Runeword (additional 45 ias/ 330-370% ED) According to the calculator that gives me a 11 frame attack, 25 more OIAS gives me a 10 frame attack and 70 more OIAS (unrealistic) gives me a 9 frame attack
Overall the Setup provides the following:
Chance to Cast:
5-25% Chance to Cast Level 10 Firestorm on Striking (Sorc Torch)
5% Chance To Cast Level 18 Volcano On Striking
100% Chance To Cast level 40 Blaze When You Level-up
40% Chance To Cast Level 22 Firestorm On Striking
10% Chance To Cast Level 15 Confuse When Struck
Auras:
Level 12 Holy Freeze Aura
Level 15 Holy Shock Aura
Level 10-15 Redemption Aura (varies)
Mercenary Auras:
Level 12 Conviction Aura
Level X Defiance (provided by Merc)
Damage Related:
+45% Increased Attack Speed
+330-370% Enhanced Damage (varies)
+350-400% Enhanced Damage (varies) (off weapon)
+200% Damage To Demons
+100% Damage To Undead
-(40-60)% To Enemy Cold Resistance (varies)
-28% To Enemy Fire Resistance
20% Deadly Strike
25% Chance of Open Wounds
Prevent Monster Heal
Freezes Target +3
8% Life Stolen Per Hit
Skills Stats: (Not including Charms)
+4 To All Skills
+20 To Strength
+10 To Vitality
+100 To Life
+0.625-61.875 To Mana (Based On Character Level)
Resist/Absorb:
All Resistances +70-90 (varies)
+5% To Maximum Lightning Resist
+10% To Maximum Fire Resist
+15-21 Fire Absorb (varies)
Other Various:
+20-30% Faster Hit Recovery (varies)
+350-400 Defense Vs. Missile (varies)
Damage Reduced By 8%
Replenish Life +7
37-50% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items (varies)
On switch with no Pre-buff gear would relevantly provide:
+3 To All Skills
Some level of Battle Command/Battle Order depending on CTA
Right now the gear for the open slots of gloves/boots/belt/rings/ammy. are open for debate, I am unsure of what combination is needed to achieve the correct amount of FHR, FCR, Resists, and Additional Skill Points that are necessary for this to be effective. Assuming that I need to get 45 OIAS to reach an 8 frame attack though, the most viable option seems to be Laying of Hands gloves, Nostrofo�s coil Belt and Highlord�s Amulet. This would provide me with 50% IAS, just enough to pass the last breakpoint for the frame of attacks but leaves me vulnerable to a lack of FHR without additional charms.
Using that setup would provide the additional stats:
+50% Increased Attack Speed (off weapon)
+350% Damage To Demons
+ (0.375 Per Character Level) 0-37 % Deadly Strike (Based On Character Level)
Adds 1-30 Lightning Damage
5-7% Life Stolen Per Hit (varies)
Chance to Cast:
10% Chance To Cast Level 3 Holy Bolt On Striking
Skills/Stats:
+1 To All Skills
+15 To Strength
Resists:
Fire Resist +50%
Lightning Resist +35%
Other Various:
Attacker Takes Lightning Damage Of 15
Slows Target By 10%
+2 To Mana After Each Kill
-3 To Light Radius
This still leaves the boots and rings to fill in the gaps in this build.
Right now I am thinking A BK ring for additional Leach and the plus skill. A raven frost for additional dex, attack rating and cannot be frozen. Maybe even the possibility of a manald heal for the missing mana leach.
The boots can be a variety of things though:
Gore Riders - for the missing crushing blow
Marrow walks - for additional Str/Dex
WaterWalks - for Dex and Life
Sandstorm Treks for - Str/Vitality and Psn Resist (which will be lacking otherwise)
Overall this build would produce a very high life, high defense character with the capability of killing almost any monster. Overall electric damage would be sacrificed but is made up in survivability and adds an element of physical damage. It allows the option of having Holy Freeze and Defiance rather than one or the other through a Mercenary.
Any input is greatly appreciated! Thanks for Reading!|||i don�t know much about this build, but an estimated guess would be, that without a dream shield u�ll deal way less damage than u could deal. iirc 90% of the damage of a dream sorc comes from the HS aura, the rest is just a minor add. a lvl 12 holy freeze aura will do ~400 damage if unsynergized (that�s just a guess, didn�t look into the skill table) so i wouldn�t consider it worth using, except for the slowing effect. since a bear form allows u for an incredible fast attack speed, attacking on 8 fpa or 9 fpa would be a waste imo
but after all, try this and if this build is fun for u, play it. but regarding the setup that provides the highest damage output (dream sorcs are one of the classes with the highest possible) i think this one is not optimal.|||Eh, pretty much the above. A single Dream still does respectable damage so it'll certainly be viable, especially with Enchant. Just note that Pheonix's Firestorm will stop you from attacking when it's cast (it's super annoying).
If Doom could be made in a Phaseblade I'd say go ahead and do that, but as it is Doom gives a small bit of cold damage while seriously gimping your lightning and phys DPS (over something like a Grief PB).
Seeing as you don't need mana for any of your attacks and you'll be leeching it back constantly the ES idea is a good one, but I don't know if losing the fire damage is worth it. You can gain heeeaaaapss of fire damage with a semi-decent pre-buff.
Also, CoH seems like a very good fit.|||enchant / dualdream bearsorc is better.|||Quote:
enchant / dualdream bearsorc is better.
Thats what I was thinking too.|||Quote:
Eh, pretty much the above. A single Dream still does respectable damage so it'll certainly be viable, especially with Enchant. Just note that Pheonix's Firestorm will stop you from attacking when it's cast (it's super annoying).
If Doom could be made in a Phaseblade I'd say go ahead and do that, but as it is Doom gives a small bit of cold damage while seriously gimping your lightning and phys DPS (over something like a Grief PB).
Seeing as you don't need mana for any of your attacks and you'll be leeching it back constantly the ES idea is a good one, but I don't know if losing the fire damage is worth it. You can gain heeeaaaapss of fire damage with a semi-decent pre-buff.
Also, CoH seems like a very good fit.
When looking at using the Phoenix it was definately more for the respective use of the redemption aura and -fire res that it comes with as well as the huge bump up in Physical damage that it will give. I understand this loses the dual dream attribute but an additional 400% ed is not exactly something to sneeze at for Physical numbers. Since any Sorceress build is difficult to achieve max block without around 300 dexterity and the use of a gaurdian angel, I am inevitably going to be taking a lot of hits when swarmed, but thats where the defiance merc/shiver armor/bear form comes in to try and counter that. The doom isn't necessarily for its staggering cold damage but more so for the holy freeze effect allowing for slowing of enemies and therefore once again taking less hits. With all the defensive bonuses that this setup provides along with slowing from holy freeze and constant refilling of my health/mana orbs with energy shield in use, I should be near invicible taking minimal hits even with such a low chance to block.|||Quote:
Since any Sorceress build is difficult to achieve max block without around 300 dexterity and the use of a gaurdian angel, I am inevitably going to be taking a lot of hits when swarmed, but thats where the defiance merc/shiver armor/bear form comes in to try and counter that. The doom isn't necessarily for its staggering cold damage but more so for the holy freeze effect allowing for slowing of enemies and therefore once again taking less hits. With all the defensive bonuses that this setup provides along with slowing from holy freeze and constant refilling of my health/mana orbs with energy shield in use, I should be near invicible taking minimal hits even with such a low chance to block.
Why not get a holy freeze merc instead? Never played a bear sorc before, but I thought the general idea with dual dreams is to hit so hard and fast that nothing lives long enough to do much damage to you.|||Quote:
When looking at using the Phoenix it was definately more for the respective use of the redemption aura and -fire res that it comes with as well as the huge bump up in Physical damage that it will give. I understand this loses the dual dream attribute but an additional 400% ed is not exactly something to sneeze at for Physical numbers.
It is. You lose around 15k raw lightning max dmg|||All good points Pyro, I think the char could be a decent tank. I would still skip Doom +Defiance for Grief PB +HF merc, as it seems very silly to not put the 800% ED you'll have to good use. "The best defense is a a good offense" is very applicable here I think.
Other than that... I know what you're using Pheonix for, but that doesn't change just how annoying Firestorm is, especially for a fast-ish single-target attack. With a 9 frame attack you'll be waiting for about 10* frames before you can attack again when it procs
*It could be more or less, but as I understand it that's how it works.|||Hubb: How much of a difference would not using a defiance merc make in my defense rating? At that point I would only have the shiver armor and bear form boosting my defense. The defiance would make a huge portion of that. I can see where using a grief would be far superior though since not only would I be able to have it in a phase blade (much faster and may hit lower breakpoints without lots of additional oias freeing up equipment spots) but it would also add the element of poison damage with venom and -poison resistance to boot. It would lose the cold element except through the merc but would provide almost every type of damage there is in the game (excluding magic of course). According to the calculator though with a 30ias grief phase blade I can hit 8 frames with 15 oias. With a 37ias grief phase blade I can hit 7 frames with 15 oias. This makes it so that a higher ias variety would be preferable but very difficult to obtain. Assuming I would get an average grief with 35 ias I can hit the 8 frame mark with only 10 oias allowing me to use bloodfist (for fhr that I'm lacking) and then some other belt/amulet combination, possibly verdungos/arach with a maras.
Nurman: Yes, this would lose around 15k light damage, but I think the overall point of this would to be able to vary the type of attack so that almost nothing is immune. It would lose the 15k light damage but an additional 15k light damage against a monster with lightning immunity that cannot be broken still does no damage. No build could ever exceed the amount that a dual dream sorc does, but I figured this build would add a little variety to the standard bear sorc, while still outputing decent enough physical/cold damage to kill something should there ever be that light/fire immune (rare as it may be).
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