Starting a cold sorc

[Ofca]

I'm starting a cold sorc and I was wondering about a few things...
I didn't play sorcs a lot since spell timers have been introduced, but I played a TON of sorcs before...and I like to think it was waaay much more fun before...
Nowadays, nobody puts more than one point in warmth and just a few or no points in energy. To think I had a CB/FW twinker with max warmth and 300+ energy, in the old days, before the spell timers. It was really fun to play...I could launch FOs so fast they would almost touch eachother, due to lots of FCR :)
I find playind trough the early levels without putting any points into nrg and warmth takes the fun out of it and turns into a lot of frustration.
So I wonder...Are you not frustrated when you start a new sorc? Cause it sure as hell frustrates ME! Waving some stupid sword, not having the mana to do anything... I had enough of playing twinked chars, I want to play a cold sorc from scratch and I wanted to hear some thoughts what you think how she would fair...
I'd like to be able to beat the game...

So...the build:
The main skills would be blizzard and glacial spike
Skill points:
20 Ice Bolt
20 Ice Blast
20 Glacial Spike
20 Blizzard
5 or so in Cold Mastery
I maybe get teleport and energy shield...thinking of it...
Yes, definetly teleport :)
Stats, I dunno...energy, I will try to play with 100, and increase if it will be too frustrating...
strength - how much I need
dex- base
vit-rest


SO, any suggestions, what could I do different, to make it a more effective build?

[Nacaa]

I agree with you. Always when I am creating a new Sorceress I want to get her to level 30 or somewhere around there as quick as possible since the first 10-20 levels just isn't alot of fun because you are just able to throw your spells a few times and then "Not enough mana"! I put alot points into Energy since I like to have alot of mana. I get life from charms + items and I just have enough strengh for equipment and I haven't used blocking since 1.10 was released since I usually don't get hit because of my Merc and I take it careful. I usually put a few points into Warmth too. Like 5 or so and that is enough.

Definately go with Teleport ;) As for Energy Shield. I have a lvl91 SP Blizzard Sorceress who can handle the game pretty easy without Energy Shield and I am sure that with Energy Shield I would just have been loosing mana way to fast for my character to recover. I wouldn't have gone with it.

[Ofca]

My play stile is more berserkish...:)
I play very fast and careless...so to speak...I mean, I watch out for myself but sometimes I die just because I wasn't carefull enough or I was trying to kill kill kill and forgot about staying alive...:D

Also, which merc should I use? A barb? Since I need a merc capable of killing and tanking... Or act2 merc with might?

[billy_goat]

I'd max or get 'roun lvl 15 cold mastery before you start pumping the other stuff

[shock128]

Cold Mastery is extremely important. Your skill chart is right for a blizz sorc except fot the fact Cold Mastery is extremely important and though you should max it after all the synergies, it should be where you dump the rest of your skill points (with 1 into warmth, teleport, static(optional) ) If you're wealthy, base energy is all you really need.

Act 2 Cold aura merc is great, but if you're worried about cold immunes, and strong firearrow act 1 merc is the way some players go because they fire every time you teleport i believe.

Energy shield is really only decent if you dump points into telekenisis...otherwise mana drops too fast and you end up have 0 mana and not being able to teleport away.

Tal set's a good place to start. Then move to Blizzard Ormus Robes, Death's Fathom, Snowclash for maximum effect.

Cold Facets increase your damage even more.... worth investing in.

That's my 5 cents

[Ofca]

She is level 33 and on her way to kill baal...
I'm currently putting points into CM... I'll put some into blizz if I'll need more damage
I have 100 energy and I don't mind the big mana pool...infact, I like it :) Lots of glacial spikes keep the monsters under blizz...warmth is at 1...
My defiance merc does his job nicely...but his faith will be grim once I reach act2 NM