Cold/Lightning sorc needs advice...

[Colossus-ilVec]

Im about to build a PvM MF cold/lightning sorc and i was wondering which is better in lightning tree chainlightning or thunderstorm? I want to have coldtree and frozen orb as my main and lightning tree as backup but Im wondering if thats really viable? Here is the two builds Im thinking of, which one do you think I should go for?

1.

20 Frozen Orb
20 Ice Bolt (syn.)
15-20 Cold Mastery
20 Thunderstorm
20 Lightning Mastery

2.

20 Frozen Orb
10-15 Cold Mastery
20 Lightning
20 Chain Lightning
20 Lightning Mastery

And one last (I know it has been asked alot before) question: I am pretty much a noob with no good gears whatsoever, with that in mind should I go for blocking or no blocking? Thanks in advance
:scratch:
Peace :)

[Pier]

I would go with the 2nd option.
Tip: read M0nk Fo/CL guide in the stickies.

But since you have apparantly no good gear. I would advice against this build.
The lightning tree needs massive +skills and FCR.
ALhough you can come a long way with Vipermagi, suicide branch, Lore, frostburns, Lidless wall and other cheap caster eq.
SHop NM Meph for that and maybe Travincal for skillers GC.

If you want a simple MF sorc, build a Meteorb one. (read the stickies)
It's not heavy eq dependent, at least not as a lightning sorc.

Grr pIER

[Colossus-ilVec]

I would go with the 2nd option.
Tip: read M0nk Fo/CL guide in the stickies.

But since you have apparantly no good gear. I would advice against this build.
The lightning tree needs massive +skills and FCR.
ALhough you can come a long way with Vipermagi, suicide branch, Lore, frostburns, Lidless wall and other cheap caster eq.
SHop NM Meph for that and maybe Travincal for skillers GC.

If you want a simple MF sorc, build a Meteorb one. (read the stickies)
It's not heavy eq dependent, at least not as a lightning sorc.

Grr pIER

Thanks for your advice :) but Im a big fan of the coldtree and Frozen Orb and I want it as my main attack. Will FO do with maxed syn. in hell? And I guess your right of lightning beeing item dependent, so what about 20 Firewall and 20 Firemastery? :howdy:

[Pier]

FO will even do without the synergy, but go max it if you want.

Your main problem in hell will be the cold immunes.
You need another tree for that.
FW/FM is a possibility. So is meteor/FB/FM/, as CL/L/LM, as is CB/L/LM, etc etc etc.

And get a good merc. He should do the occasional FI/CI.

Good luck.
Once again: read some guides!!

Grr pIER

[Colossus-ilVec]

FO will even do without the synergy, but go max it if you want.

Your main problem in hell will be the cold immunes.
You need another tree for that.
FW/FM is a possibility. So is meteor/FB/FM/, as CL/L/LM, as is CB/L/LM, etc etc etc.

And get a good merc. He should do the occasional FI/CI.

Good luck.
Once again: read some guides!!

Grr pIER

Thanks for the advice pIER :DD

[HipHop Automust]

Hm... if you're main objective for this Sorc is for Mf, going a pure single tree (excluding Lightning) is good enough. Reason I exclude Lightning from a single tree success is in consideration of the horrible range of damage/high item and +skill dependency/horrible cast rates. Even my 8k damage CL/L sorc had a difficult time against Meph in Hell... I found myself using FO more against him for versatility.

From personal experience, I found FO/CL/L a good combo for general PvM, with FO the boss killer and CL/L the group killer. However, she was very item dependent and lost a considerable amount of Lightning Tree killing power when I sacrificed +skills and Facets for increases in MF.

I am currently in the process of rebuilding the good old Static-FO sorc that was oh-so faithful in the past.