View Full Version : To block or not to block... that is the question.
My sorc is lv 62 right now. She has 50 str, base dext, 200 vit, and base energy. She has about ~550 life and about ~550 mana. She has 75 stat points remaining, not including the 10 from nm and hell quests.
She is a blizz sorc and is my mfer.
Should I leave dext base, put some points into it, or put lots of points into it to get max block? (I won't be using ss)
Since she's blizzard, she will be standing far back but when I tele to mf I'm not sure how badly she will need the block.
Valar-Wrath
04-08-2005, 05:25
My sorc is lv 62 right now. She has 50 str, base dext, 200 vit, and base energy. She has about ~550 life and about ~550 mana. She has 75 stat points remaining, not including the 10 from nm and hell quests.
She is a blizz sorc and is my mfer.
Should I leave dext base, put some points into it, or put lots of points into it to get max block? (I won't be using ss)
Since she's blizzard, she will be standing far back but when I tele to mf I'm not sure how badly she will need the block.
Block.
Have enough dex to at least reach max block with a whitstans.
Block.
Have enough dex to at least reach max block with a whitstans.
Do you recall how much that is?
Its been awhile since I've gone over this stuff
seriously, youre playing hc, if you dont block, get hit, wam, youre dead. block is always the key, after that, its life..
Valar-Wrath
04-08-2005, 06:39
Do you recall how much that is?
At your level it'll be close to about 115 dex. At level 80 it's 153 dex for max block and at level 99 it's 186 dex for max block.
Cleglaw_Himself
04-08-2005, 07:07
I vote Block also.
You can Eld the shield too if you use Whitstan's and have enough resists elsewhere.
Valar-Wrath
04-08-2005, 07:15
Instead of me actually acting like I am a sork blocking genius, I found this in the sork forum:
Ok, wow, that thing is ridiculously hard to paste so you can actually get info from it.
Well, basically with a whitstans+eld it's 95 dex at level 50, 143 dex at level 80, and 173 dex at level 99.
*Taken from Shadow_247's Blizzard guide.
Do you recall how much that is?
Its been awhile since I've gone over this stuff
It'll be quite a bit. All your excess points now, I'd estimate, and about 3 per level thereafter.
drinkturps
04-08-2005, 11:38
Block all the way. Even if it's at about 40-50% if you don't have good gear, the sound of things bouncing off your shield is saving you.
xeyloderixed
04-08-2005, 11:55
more real life examples:
salad's now dead 92 sork teled to a bunch of might+fana knights in cs and died in 1 hit. she had about 1.8k life with a weak bo from cta (lvl 17ish), and used ss.
my still alive 95 sork has 1.5k life from a very very weak bo (lvl 10ish), has max block, and have teled through countless fast fana-fanataurs and the like. blocking is the safest way to tele through those.
if you just use that sork for general mfing, then block is almost pointless. you can realistically tele through durance with a vita build safely, but if you want to go further than that with your sork, then block is the only way to go.
on a sidenote, your life/mana is a bit low for your lvl. i think what u need to consider before going block is charmwork. a vitasork at that lvl can easily reach 800 life.
Mcsaladshaker
04-08-2005, 17:24
Hey xey, 2 things you forgot
1) My comp basically froze for a few seconds right in the middle of that
and
2) My sorc teles safetly with max block now AND only 60 FCR =)
Whitstans/Viper/Wizzy + Max Block + decent charms = Winning Build
Save da gems and charms and roll dem! Mana charms rock, mana/life charms really rock.
I have never lost a max block sorc and I dont even like playing sorcs.
BTW, if you can do it 105 FCR is sick for safety but tuff to do with much MF.
HelzCaretaker
04-08-2005, 19:21
personally for mages I view max block as a waste of points, I'd suggest 55-65% block, max block I view essential for pvp not pvm since there are tricks to avoid getting hit (fast tele sorc can avoid getting hit by teleing b4 they swing for example).
block saves lag swings. ;[
Valar-Wrath
04-08-2005, 19:46
I'd suggest 55-65% block
If you're going to go all the way to 65% block and spend all the dex points, why not spend the "few" extra to hit 75% and theoretically deflect 3 out of 4 melee or ranged attacks?
HelzCaretaker
04-08-2005, 20:34
it gets harder to maintain max block the higher level you are, the difference between 65 and 75 block for my necro is probably 150 or so life, how often does he get hit? Rarely, any melee merc should tank hits + the fact that most die quite fast to his poison, sorc's attack from even further away. So why not have more life vs elemental creatures? Also I know from experience having less block has saved my life due to the fact that taking a few weak hits to escape from a pack vs sitting in there blocklocked can help.
i have to agree with Kime (helz)...maintaining a 60-65% is much much easier at higher lvls, and still provides blocking for more then half of your hits while giving you a life boost.
Like he said 75% block would be more of a pvp. Let me try to explain my view why. While pvp you're dueling melee chars, and if you're not dueling melee chars or chars outputting physical dmg you're not worried about block anyways. So while dueling melee only you want to minimize as much dmg.
While in pvm you are not only encountering physical dmg but you have to avoid magical and elemental as well. Although you can argue "well if you have max res and max block its taken care" this is true, its much easier to take care of with one thing and that is life. More life means you need less res and less block...its pretty simple and very efficient.
I'm by no means saying ignore block and neither is Kime, but when you're on a caster and you're moving and dodging do you really need to block 3/4 physical attack while tele'ing? I'd rather be safe from all kinds of surprises while tele'ing. and honestly, how often do you land in a big dangerous herd while tele'ing? I tele without maphack and I can avoid landing in dangerous herds the majority of time...every so often i might slip up and come close to danger, but blocking a good 60% of physical attacks and having nice life incase i can't is always more then sufficient.
Sure you could add a few more points to take that block from 60-65 to 75...but thats a few more points at 50...taking your block from 60-65 to 75 at lvl 80...thats a bit more. I'd rather use hard points into str paired with life charms, or hard points into energy for my eshield where I'll gain the most benefit for my hard points.
Valar-Wrath
04-08-2005, 22:58
it gets harder to maintain max block the higher level you are, the difference between 65 and 75 block for my necro is probably 150 or so life
I'm sorry, I don't believe that. Necros get 2 life for every 1 vitality. So what you're saying is that going from 65% chance to block to 75% chance to block, it would cost you 75 more points into dexterity(if my math is correct) and that is way off, unless you are using a shield that shouldn't be used for blocking anyway.
A second point, is that sorks only get 2 life for every 1 vitality, so it's not such a huge life bonus for a few extra points that would achieve max block.
Thirdly, I've never been "blocklocked" where it endangered my character.
At your level it'll be close to about 115 dex. At level 80 it's 153 dex for max block and at level 99 it's 186 dex for max block.
Wizzy requires 75
Dex/Mana ring or good Raven can give 20
Walks is 15
Tals is 10??? Forget
2 from SHako
God knows what else.
Put in 75 hard for Wizzy
You are at 112ish with gear and hard points, 153 is nothing to get and 186 at 99 is nothing to get either.
With good charms it is simple to get 1400 life on a Max Block Sorc.
I never made a max block Necro, not even my Boney had block! Even with the best shield it takes a ton of Dex to get max wit a Necro if you want the +skills from a head.
The funny thing about when you die is it is never multiple hits, it is only 1 hit that kills you, do you want that hit to have a 60% chance or a 75% chance?
Valar-Wrath
04-08-2005, 23:21
With good charms it is simple to get 1400 life on a Max Block Sorc.
Yep, my sorc had close to 1.5 k life without BO.
I never made a max block Necro, not even my Boney had block! Even with the best shield it takes a ton of Dex to get max wit a Necro if you want the +skills from a head.
Well with a humonculous(sp?) it isn't too hard. Definately the ideal shield if you're going with a max block necro.
The funny thing about when you die is it is never multiple hits, it is only 1 hit that kills you, do you want that hit to have a 60% chance or a 75% chance?
I understand what you're saying but it's more like: Do you want that hit to have a 40% chance or a 25% chance. I'm going with the latter.
Max block ftw.
Oh ya
Defiane Merc + Cold Armor 1 point + Max Block + High Fast Cast = Success
Add in Kelpies Snare or that one with Decrep, but Kelpies can insure your merc doesnt one hit Dolls and might live thru a couple IM hits.
Oh ya......Oak Sage is handy
I say max block is better but I'm not really sure myself
I'm building an mfsorc to get started again, and I'm purley gonna mf meph (ts/orb don't pick on me for that ts owns for meph runs, it's takes care of those pain in the *** ghould lords or whatever that are cold immune)
Though I'm not quite sure if I'm gonna go for block since you can block mephs cold ball, or if I'm gonna use a 3 pdiamond mosers instead and take the hit with lots of vit and more res
also, while I'm asking, I don't have any experience with the synergies, so I'm ambivalent between going 20 ice bolt @ lvl 80 with 10 ts / 10 lightning mastery, or skipping the synergy
would be grateful for input on that :>
Valar-Wrath
05-08-2005, 02:33
I say max block is better but I'm not really sure myself
I'm building an mfsorc to get started again, and I'm purley gonna mf meph (ts/orb don't pick on me for that ts owns for meph runs, it's takes care of those pain in the *** ghould lords or whatever that are cold immune)
Though I'm not quite sure if I'm gonna go for block since you can block mephs cold ball, or if I'm gonna use a 3 pdiamond mosers instead and take the hit with lots of vit and more res
also, while I'm asking, I don't have any experience with the synergies, so I'm ambivalent between going 20 ice bolt @ lvl 80 with 10 ts / 10 lightning mastery, or skipping the synergy
would be grateful for input on that :>
Skip ice bolt. It really does not help orb that much and is not needed for mfing at all. Use the 20 points and max out TS and it's mastery, if you insist on using the TS/Orb build.
P.S. Mosers only has two sockets so don't get too excited about those resists.
ill bring my differing opinion here too (as allways when this discussion is up)
No block, max vita, blizz sorc = dead meph, andy and pindle. Get a good merc though, one that can take hits. with 70'ish fcr you'll do just fine teleing. I know I do.
Valar-Wrath
05-08-2005, 03:03
ill bring my differing opinion here too (as allways when this discussion is up)
No block, max vita, blizz sorc = dead meph, andy and pindle. Get a good merc though, one that can take hits. with 70'ish fcr you'll do just fine teleing. I know I do.
But are you sure the least safe cold build and no blocking is really the way to go when just starting HC?
But are you sure the least safe cold build and no blocking is really the way to go when just starting HC?
Well... I started with it when i started HC =/
How does the phrase go, "giftless train" :lol:
P.S. Mosers only has two sockets so don't get too excited about those resists.
I seems my memory is failing me :>
I hate "dedicated" builds, ones made just to run this or that or these. Orb/TK build is basically 100% pure MF solo build but you go for it if that is what you want.
I build to play the full game, top to bottom. Cold immunes dont stop my sorc I static the piss out of them and kill em wiht my merc. Max block allows me to teleport in thier face give them a big fat sloppy kiss while I static the piss out of them and my merc busts thier ballz! I telekenisis bosses and pin them to the wall while my merc kilsl them, or I have even gone as far as to use 1 point Lightning +skills to take a little life from them while my Merc beats the piss out of them.
A sorc can be made a bunch of ways but there is only ONE way it can go anywhere and kill anything and it is with max block and static and a good merc and all the other things that go with it, high life, some FHR, good FCR and resists.
My MF sorcs can teley Baal, run around Pits with people, not a place for a solo cold sorc, rush if needed but I usually dont do that, they can go anywhere and do anything and they dont need to change gear either......
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