Best Sorc for Nihlathak Running

[UberB]

I wanted to make a sorc that could do Nihl runs quickly and efficiently without dying. I tried Blizzard but it didn't work too well because I had to abort runs a lot due to Nihl being cold immune. Then I tried Lightning but my merc kept killing things and blowing both of us up, plus not being able to kill the vipers sucked. So I figure dual tree would be the best. I know FO/CL is the best for other keys (countess in particular) but I plan on running purely Dkeys. I think meteorb or blizzballer would be faster for Nihlathak but I may be wrong. Which dual tree setup do you guys think is the best for running Nihlathak? What gear should she use? I was planning on using a Tal's set (good for dual tree, right?). But I'm thinking the integer PDR isn't enough for the vipers, even with Sol's in the armor and helm. Should I forgo the tal's set and go with a Circlet of life everlasting, hoto, vipermagi, and arach's?

[Davio]

Well, my strategy is just to run around like crazy with my meteorb and meteor his arse, ignoring the minions as much as possible, usually takes no more than 4 hits to take him down.

If he's fire immune, aaaah, fook it, ng. =)

[mephiztophelez]

any kind of dual tree sorc with the RIP mod should do fine, especially with a half decent merc. telebomb Nihlathak when you first see him, static the crap out of him and meteor/lightning his butt.


personally, i find a Kick'sin to be the best Nihlathak runner.

[Spectrus]

Then I tried Lightning but my merc kept killing things and blowing both of us up, plus not being able to kill the vipers sucked.

Your skill should be Lightning (NOT CL), and you should be using Teleport to pull your merc back while lining up Nihlathak's minions. If you don't have Infinity, then forget the merc. If you do, Infinity breaks viper's LI, so you can kill them. A Griffon's is enough to push through enough damage to send them into hit recovery. Teleport is the key to success. Conviction also breaks most LI spawns Nihlathak has, and even when he does spawn unbreakable LI, careful teleporting will make sure you get all the kills, and once he's alone, the merc will have his fun.

I've never really had many problems running him in 8 player games using a Lit sorc. I've also used a pure fire sorc for it, and that worked basically just as well. If you're on ESCL, maybe PM me or something and I can help you out (maybe).

[UberB]

I think the reason my light sorc sorta failed is because I went for 200fcr, which really screwed my mana. I was running out even with Insight. I think I will change my hoto to Crescent Moon, switch FCR rings to SOJ + Raven, and switch FCR ammy to Mara's. I hope this sorc can then last without Insight. (I really don't want to use mana pots since their cost really stacks up after runs.) Problem is, I still don't have Infinity so I can't kill the vipers.

[mephiztophelez]

i'd really shy away from single tree sorc's for Nihlathak running. i'd also shy away from any build that rely's on a merc.

an orb/lit or orb/fireball sorc will plough through Nihlathak nary breaking a sweat.

Nihlathak 1.0.1 (http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=595668)

[UberB]

This brings us back to the first post again: which hybrid sorc would be best? Meteorb? Blizzballer? CL/FO? What about their gear? Should I aim for 105 fcr? 86 fhr? How much integer PDR? What would be your preferred gear? Merc or no?

[synx]

Whichever build you decide to go with, get a nature's peace ring.

They're fairly cheap, and will make killing nihil easier than punching a baby.

[sangfagel]

This brings us back to the first post again: which hybrid sorc would be best? Meteorb? Blizzballer? CL/FO? What about their gear? Should I aim for 105 fcr? 86 fhr? How much integer PDR? What would be your preferred gear? Merc or no?

I thought *mephiztophelez said everything allready but he apparently didn´t :grin:

105%>85% but it ´s mainly for tele, so - if you have good block and fhr% - 85% fcr will do anyways. Less than 85 is not acceptable though.

circa 50 PDR makes it very safe but it´s not necessary imo. Most important is to NEVER go/run - allways tele and you will be ok.

My Orb/FB sorc never die in this area and can do it very fast but I think that Orb/light would do it as well. It must be 2-elemental build, it must be strong and have good defensive properities as full block, full resists, over 1k hp, some PDR and FHR - not a big deal at all :rolleyes:

You can of course collect a special gear which gives you 95% pr, lots of PDR etc but I personally think its just an overkill.

[UberB]

There isn't an 85% FCR breakpoint - either 63 or 105. I think I will go with a Meteorb build, with a full Tal's set. Tal's with Magefists gives 70 FCR, so I'd need a perfect Spirit to get to 105 FCR. This however would sacrifice block. I never was a big fan of going max block on a sorc, and I really don't see how it's possible to get over 1k hp with max block at all. So with Tal's the tradeoff is 105 FCR or max block, and at this time I'm leaning towards the FCR.

[Davio]

I use meteorb with full tal's set and magefists 30% upgraded to crusader gauntlets. =)

The little demons around Nila are always cold immune, at least, that's what I have seen, so if you want to take them out as well, pure cold is a no-no.

Max block on a sorc is just not my style, I just make sure I don't get hit much, my shiver armor is at 10 or so and my lvl 93 merc can tank with his 3.6k stone armor, reaper's toll and gaze.

[Spectrus]

The little demons around Nila are always cold immune, at least, that's what I have seen, so if you want to take them out as well, pure cold is a no-no.

One of the common suggestions actually is to go pure cold, as then you can't kill any minions and nihlathak doesn't get any funny corpse things to pop.

To the OP: I don't think there's any way to use full tal's and still get to 105 fcr without using a shield with fcr, but you can pick up a fcr ring so that any spirit will do, rather than having to find a perfect one. I've also not gone max block on any of my sorcs, so I don't think that not having max block is a problem at all.

[Davio]

I don't think 105 is necessary, I use 63+ and can get there without problems.

I see your point of going cold as to not kill any minion. Nature's peace is maybe mandatory as I got killed twice today because my merc could not restrain himself. xD

[Alc]

II really don't want to use mana pots since their cost really stacks up after runs.Pick up any wand/orb-type weapon, chances are they're worth 35k = 140 mana pots.

One of the common suggestions actually is to go pure cold, as then you can't kill any minions and nihlathak doesn't get any funny corpse things to pop.Except when Nihl's cold immune, or if your merc starts getting violent, at which point your run is screwed.

I don't think 105 is necessary, I use 63+ and can get there without problems.105 is easily achieved for a sorc and is much nicer. It's one of those "once you try, you'll never go back" things.

[UberB]

I'll go with no merc then. That way I don't have to go tele'ing around like a fool to prevent him from eagerly rushing at a monster to poke it.

[sangfagel]

There isn't an 85% FCR breakpoint - either 63 or 105.
Of course there´s no 85% fcr brakpoint... sorry.... I really don´t know what I was thinking about :shocked:

I think I will go with a Meteorb build, with a full Tal's set. Tal's with Magefists gives 70 FCR, so I'd need a perfect Spirit to get to 105 FCR. This however would sacrifice block. I never was a big fan of going max block on a sorc, and I really don't see how it's possible to get over 1k hp with max block at all. So with Tal's the tradeoff is 105 FCR or max block, and at this time I'm leaning towards the FCR.

I actually have max bock with Spirit and 1k+ hp but I don´t use Tal set. With Tal set it is not possible.

Btw - after doing 50 Nil runs today and never losing more than 20% hp, I can say that:

1. Difficulty of these runs and especially snakes are highly overrated. Snakes are n00bs.:cool: The only potetially dangerous thing is Nil´s CE what is easy to avoid disarming the merc and using Nature´s Peace ring.

2. Nil spawns cold and fire immune circa 1 time per 10.