[Sorc] AoE Builds Discussion

[Asherdoom]

i play this spec ( i am int capped)
RoR.builders - Sorcerer

with tapping the dark my survival have skyrocketed especially when cascadin in melee. Pretty funny though

[Bozzax]

Yep and you can inc burst with 2tic shadow knives

[Asherdoom]

Yep and you can inc burst with 2tic shadow knives

yeah i was thinking of knives but seems generally not worth that much. I mean they tick for some extra burst but seems quite mehh.... if I got cast time usually i go shattered shadow>infernal waveburst combo. You says that maybe with knives is better? Did you test that?

[Bozzax]

Imo
SK >>>> SS

1tic while moving, 2tic when you can stand still, dont suffer as much by setbacks and interrupts

One more ability when you are on CDs
More procs etc

SS is just .... less

[Asherdoom]

Imo
SK >>>> SS

1tic while moving, 2tic when you can stand still, dont suffer as much by setbacks and interrupts

One more ability when you are on CDs
More procs etc

SS is just .... less

yes i found it very lacking for a 3 sec cats. Initially back in time i was thinking about black horror too but jesus christ... 3 seconds cast... I am gonna experiment with knives too thanks for the head up

[Caduceus]

Path of Calamity Hybrid Build

I shared this build a while ago, and have since come up with an alternative to it that I have found to be particularly useful in RvR when playing in open warbads:

Path of Calamity Hybrid Build (Open Warband)

The Path of Calamity offers a nice mix of long-range single-target and mid-range area-of-effect spells which can create versatile builds to adapt to many situations.

This makes it ideal in open warbands where the size of the warband and amount of support you receive can vary greatly.

The build features many defensive tools that can help make you more self-sufficient and your party more survivable. Absorb Vitality helps to keep you alive in situations where healers are scarce. Tapping the Dark and Wind-woven Shell significantly improve the sturdiness of your group.

In terms of single-target damage the build puts an emphasis on mobility and damage over time, with Chilling Gusts greatly increasing the damage output of Chillwind and Ice Spikes. Absorb Vitality adds extra pressure, and Hand of Ruin can be used for heavy sustained damage or as part of bursting rotations. Frozen Fury is self-explanatory and increases damage output of both single-target and area-of-effect spells. Gloom of Night can be cast for added single-target pressure on tough targets.

Area-of-effect damage comes from a mix of damage over time and direct damage abilities. Ideally, areas are first primed with heavy hitting DoTs like Ice Spikes and Gloom of Night (and preferably also blasting potions), after which direct damage is applied with Pit of Shades and Infernal Wave.
This combination is especially potent in chokepoints and keep sieges. In defensive funnels, a tactic can be swapped out for Triumphant Blasting. This somewhat overlooked tactic can turn Sorc into the lynchpin of keep and fortress defenses.
In fights where mobility is key, focus on Ice Spikes, Infernal Wave, spreading Chillwind on multiple targets and the occasional Surging Pain (hits hard due to Frozen Touch procs. Also procs Tapping the Dark.) Only cast Gloom of Night when opportunities present themselves.

The Crippling Terror Morale 4 is optional, though I have found it quite unique and useful. In keep and fortress sieges it can be used at the start of an enemy push on the enemy healer blob to cripple their healing output for a full 7 seconds. It can also be cast on enemy ranged blobs to cripple damage output instead. Another interesting use is for assaulting posterns, where this M4 can be used to disable the melee blob that is usually stacked on the warp-in point.

Lastly, it is possible to combine this build with full Warlord or full Offensive Sovereign. The two extra skillpoints allow you to pick up Impending Doom for quick Dark Magic generation and added single-target burst. In addition, the 7-piece On Hit procs are very potent in large-scale fights where your direct damage AoE will spread 4% (Warlord) and 5% (Offensive Sov) increases in damage taken. The 8-piece bonus is optional.
Going full Defensive Sovereign is also an option, although it does not give access to Impending Doom, the 7-piece On Hit snare is very strong in large fights. The 8-piece ability that provides a 50% increase in AoE radius is also great, however due to a bug it does not apply to Pit of Shades and Gloom of Night, which defeats most of its purpose.
Even Bloodlord can be considered, as it provides On Hit effects that reduce healing received by 25%, which is potentially very effective in keep and fortress sieges.

[dwyur]

Imo
SK >>>> SS

1tic while moving, 2tic when you can stand still, dont suffer as much by setbacks and interrupts

One more ability when you are on CDs
More procs etc

SS is just .... less

yes i found it very lacking for a 3 sec cats. Initially back in time i was thinking about black horror too but jesus christ... 3 seconds cast... I am gonna experiment with knives too thanks for the head up

Never stand and cast a 3 second SS; if you have 2nd morale Focused Mind up, pop that at an opportune time and spam SS- you will bomb a large area out and once FM is off go back into your instant rotation.

My one question to others would be Lengthening Shadows and/or Piercing Shadows. people seem to be divided on whether it's worth using. I always did slot Lengthening Shadows because 33% extra range on IW and SP does seem like it would add up and reach others in the back, but I also do understand that within a proper warband you should be up pressuring with the insta's etc so the tactic slot might be better used for something else- just what tactic that is I'm not sure exactly. I have never using Piercing Shadows, but I can also see how the 50% Dark Magic backlash to all enemies within 30 feet can add up quickly as well.

What would be the 4 tactics used? Obviously Neverending Agony is standard, then I probably see Frozen Fury the most as well. What Tapping the Dark/Endless Knowledge/Lengthening Shadows/Piercing Shadows/Infernal Gift?

[SpacestarKid]

Endless Knowledge, Lenghtening Shadows, Neverending Agony and Frozen Fury. You can also experiment with a Glorious Carnage instead of Frozen Fury, nice tactic for open wb's to get quicker to Shatter moral or m4.
Piercing Shadows procs not often enough, imho, to use it on regular basis. Infernal gift is only worth using if you have 3+ dps, as it have no effect on you(good for pve).

[TreefAM]

Your spells hit far enough as it is for Lenghtening Shadows to be worth it, unless you are for some reason not with the melee blob but bombing from range which doesn't make sense anyhow.
You never want to replace Frozen Fury it's just too strong and Glorious Carnage only matters if you have more than 3 sorcs in the wb running it. What's the point of having 1 m2 faster than the rest when you have to wait for a morale drop anyhow?
At that point better take infernal gift and just buff the choppa in your party.

[Caduceus]

I think Lengthening Shadows is great for the increased radius on Surging Pain.