Noob question: Getting better and faster at my cold sorc

[Graythman]

Hi everyone, ok first let me say after probably 6 years since playing I decided like many to play again because of the anticipation of DIII ok that said I'm a noob again. and started building a Cold Sorc on ladder.

I'm trying to level her plus of course do my own MF since from past playing

1. In the past too many hungry players (barbs other melee players in front lines just grab all the drops) so I lost my taste in partying and would solo

2. Too many dups, so I just solo.

That said since I cannot twink anyone yet and started back into the game, it seems to be going incredibly slow.

Right Now I'm level 21 in Act2, so far I've put my points into FB, req into the cold tree so that when I get 24 I can go blizzard etc etc..so I do know right now the game is a huge spamming of FB and glacial spike, which is part of my problem, so for future builds how to you allocate proper points as you level.

Also I hear of guys saying that within a couple hours they can run right into NM and I'm thinking no friggen way, of course it probably is doable I just don't see how..I'm sitting at level 21 now trying to do the Summoner and if I get close I'm getting zapped into oblivion.

For my gear I once I hit level 15 I just power shopped in Act2 till a decent boots and gloves of fortune dropped and then grabbed a 2 socket helm and 3 socket breast plate and cubed my topazes I had so far into flawed and so right now only have 2 flawed, hoping wishing I knew how to get more chipped topazes so I can finish the breast plate..I also grabbed a 2 socket bone shield and put some flawed diamonds in it for resists..I am trying to think ahead into act3 by having some decent normal MF gear so that I can get into NM sitting ok, but it's going brutally slow..

I've not used any merc yet, maybe this is my problem not sure..but I'm wondering how do you guys build a decent cold sorc on ladder, untwinked, and solo play, so that when you get into NM things can really start happening..

Thanks,
Troy

[-=Slaye]2=-]

Hi everyone, ok first let me say after probably 6 years since playing I decided like many to play again because of the anticipation of DIII ok that said I'm a noob again. and started building a Cold Sorc on ladder.

I'm trying to level her plus of course do my own MF since from past playing

1. In the past too many hungry players (barbs other melee players in front lines just grab all the drops) so I lost my taste in partying and would solo

2. Too many dups, so I just solo.

That said since I cannot twink anyone yet and started back into the game, it seems to be going incredibly slow.

Right Now I'm level 21 in Act2, so far I've put my points into FB, req into the cold tree so that when I get 24 I can go blizzard etc etc..so I do know right now the game is a huge spamming of FB and glacial spike, which is part of my problem, so for future builds how to you allocate proper points as you level.

Also I hear of guys saying that within a couple hours they can run right into NM and I'm thinking no friggen way, of course it probably is doable I just don't see how..I'm sitting at level 21 now trying to do the Summoner and if I get close I'm getting zapped into oblivion.

For my gear I once I hit level 15 I just power shopped in Act2 till a decent boots and gloves of fortune dropped and then grabbed a 2 socket helm and 3 socket breast plate and cubed my topazes I had so far into flawed and so right now only have 2 flawed, hoping wishing I knew how to get more chipped topazes so I can finish the breast plate..I also grabbed a 2 socket bone shield and put some flawed diamonds in it for resists..I am trying to think ahead into act3 by having some decent normal MF gear so that I can get into NM sitting ok, but it's going brutally slow..

I've not used any merc yet, maybe this is my problem not sure..but I'm wondering how do you guys build a decent cold sorc on ladder, untwinked, and solo play, so that when you get into NM things can really start happening..

Thanks,
Troy

I did the same as you this season. Solo my first sorc (blizzard). Normal is a pain, and therefore you shouldn't concentrate on getting higher mf gear. Increase your mana pool. Equip your merc with a nice socketable weapon and put for example topaz gems in them. Your merc will kill and make life easier for your sorc throughout normal. Use frost nova to chill monsters or glacial spike later on when you have the mana. Use tir runes to get mana after kill or gem whatever you can find with sapphires to increase your mana pool. At the start of act 3 you should be almost level 24 so things will get easier. While questing there should be no problem finding that and resists gear. An easy way to get resists is to gem a shield with diamonds. In act 5 you'll be able to make ancients pledge (ral ort tal) in a 3 soc shield.

To sum up:

1. Increase mana pool with sapphires in socketables.
2. Use tirs to get + mana for kill in socketables.
3. Up your resists.
4. Equip your merc with socketable weapon for high damage.
5. Solo baalruns will get you some nice starter gear for NM eventually even with zero mf
6. Concentrate on mf later when you get to NM andy/meph

[Demonicus]

Graythman,

What server are u on?

If you are on uswest, lets team up....I just made a new sorc myself and got her to 28 atm. I would be glad to push you thru and get u caught up with me (only in normal act 4). I have been doing diablo run (solo) to level up.

PEACE!

[Graythman]

Thanks for the suggestions.

I have put some flawed diamonds in a shield already and since I have nothing in my 3 socket breastplate I'll take your suggestions to heart and use some tirs or +mana kill gems and leave my 2 socket MF helm with flawed topazes as is, the boots of fortune and gloves will just help with cash..

If I score a half decent socket orb that would help..

I'm on Useast so sorry but would be cool to have teamed up, I might just make a uswest sorc there anyways so send me a PM.

Troy

[melianor]

I used socketables on my first char this season too. 4so armor with whatever sapphires i could get to up my mana and so forth. There are cheap runewords for a sorceress to use: Leaf, Stealth, Lore, Spirit and so on, which can easily be made when you progess in levels.

The first like 12 levels i usually go melee with some casting or ranged with throwing knives and some casting, just to be quicker at leveling and bypassing manaloss.