Pure Fire Sorc Hell /players 8 - need advices

[gasconron]

After finally finishing Hell mode /8 players on PlugY with a Pure Lite + 95% ES sorc w/ Infinity merc setup, I'm inspired to create 2 more sorcs, using the "pure" mentality: 1 pure Fire & 1 pure Cold, meaning no ES on both (but I'll probably be lenient on Teleport, because it's an essential sorc skill).

So I started my Fire sorc last night, and I checked the builds listed on the forums to give me options on which path to take. I was sad to see however, that the pure fire Hell viable builds were Enchantress types: melee mages. I already spent years on palas, barbs and javazons. I started playing sorc for a reason and I really don't wanna go melee way. So I'm here to propose my strategy to make a caster pure fire mage work in Hell (players 8): stats, equip, merc w/ gear and skill pt. allocation. - -

Skills:
Firebolt - 20
Fireball - 20
Meteor - 20
pre-reqs - 4
Teleport - 1
Enchant - 20
Fire Mas/Warmth - split pts

Stats: (assuming lvl 85, with +10 attri from Act 3 quest from Norm & Night)
Str - 15 + 120 (for Upped Shaft)
Dex - 25...none (I'm not going for max block)
Vit - 10 + 140
Ene - 35 + 160

Equip: (haven't decided yet if I'm going +skills way or reduce damage way)
Shako w/ Um or Fire Facet
CoH or Upped Shaft
Magefist
Arach or String of Ears
Sandstorm or Silkweave
Primary: Dual Phoenix (do the - % fire resists stack?); if not HotO + Phoenix
Switch: Infinity scythe

Anni, Torch, 1 GC Fire+Vita, 1 GC Fire+Storms, 3 SC Shimmerings w/ random suffixes

Mercenary of Choice w/ Gear:
*I intend for him to kill off monsters whose immunity cannot be broken by infinity, as such I want him to have the highest DPS possible, with a certain amount of survivability coming from life leech and/or chance to cast Terror. I also plan to cast enchant on the merc to increase his damage.

Andy's Visage or Dream helm for the chance to cast
Fortitude
eth BotD weapon

Most likely I'll insist on playing caster style and wont go battle mage, so please post potential problems in Hell and how to deal with them... I hope it goes well, if not I might end up teleporting 80% of the game.

[SeCKSEgai]

Um, you'll probably be disappointed. Fire immunes don't break very well, and truth be told, most won't (if any). The reason why most fire builds are melee is basically for that reason, as melee enchantresses have alternative sources of damage (using lightning) on top of the fire.

So with that said, while you could probably be effective against non fire-immunes, the trick is finding places they'd be. Without having an alternative damage source (hence the popularity of meteororb) you're going to find so many speedbumps that in order to get through game efficiently you'll have to party or get rushed.

[sirpoopsalot]

It's a pain in the backside, and in my opinion not worth the effort, but:

I believe that if you purchase a wand with Lower Resistance charges and use that on weapon switch, it can often be enough to break many/most Fire Immunes when paired with an Infinity (of course, this means sticking the Infinity on your merc, which makes the most sense with dual-Phoenixes anyways). Ideally you'll get a wand with level3 charges, but that's a level99 affix, so you need to find the wand from Baal or shop it with a level94+ character. Level2 charges are much more attainable.

However, the monster will still be left with a very high fire resistance, and the options for lowering a monster's fire resistance further aren't quite as diverse or strong as the lightning and cold elements (though the dual Phoenix's you've planned will definitely be adequate). And, as I said, using charges like this is a pain in the backside.


Advice for your build: I don't see why you'd spend 20 points in Enchant without synergizing it - especially when you're neglecting your fire mastery at the same time. (FM will help your Fireball & Meteor quite a bit.) It seems to me that you're sticking yourself with two mediocre fire attacks, and I'd prefer to just pick one and make that strong as possible and not worry about the other one. You won't really need a 2nd attack-type from the same element anyways.

Also, if you choose to be a fire-caster and not an Enchantress, your FCR looks pretty low with your planned gear. I'd aim for 105 FCR as a major goal of the build (i.e. I would definitely pick Arachnid's Mesh and Magefists, and probably Vipermagi for armor, with either the circlet and/or rings and/or ammy to make up the remaining 35 FCR needed).

The Dual-Phoenix's do stack (but can't break immunities on their own), so I'd stick with them if they're within an acceptable price range for you.

[gasconron]

thanks for the feedback... the lower resist wand on the switch will make most sense i guess.

[onderduiker]

A combination of an Infinity 'BerMalBerIst' polearm's Level 12 Conviction Aura When Equipped (Fire Resist -85%) and Level 1-3 Lower Resist charges (FR -31-41%) would apply FR -23-25% to Immune to Fire monsters, and thus remove immunities if FR < 123-125%. The following monsters would remain Immune to Fire in Hell:

Act 1


175% Bishibosh (Cold Plains)
125% Dark Ones (Jail Levels 1-3, Inner Cloister, Cathedral, Catacombs Levels 1, 2 and 4)


Act 2


185% Fire Eye (Palace Cellar)


Act 3


195% Witch Doctor Endugu (Flayer Dungeon Level 3)


Act 4


130% Venom Lords (Outer Steppes, Plains of Despair, Chaos Sanctuary)


Act 5


140% Balrogs (Abaddon, Pit of Acheron, Infernal Pit)
125% Returned Mages (Arreat Plateau)
130% Burning Dead Mages (Pit of Acheron)
140% Moon Lords (Glacial Trail, Drifter Cavern)
130% Doom Knights (Infernal Pit)
130% Soul Killer Shamans (Worldstone Keep Level 1)
140% Doom Knights (Worldstone Keep Level 3, Throne of Destruction)
130% Assailants (Throne of Destruction)
145% Pit Lords (Throne of Destruction)
195% Colenzo the Annihilator (Throne of Destruction)


Pandemonium Event


145% Pit Lords (Furnace of Pain, Tristram)
130% Burning Dead Mages (Tristram)

The earlier Acts would be much easier as the only remaining Immune to Fire monsters would be random Possessed Champions (cannot be cursed with LR) and (Super) Unique monsters that your hireling should be able to handle if you support with Static Field and Telekinesis. However, Acts IV and V present serious obstacles for a pure fire Sorceress (bear in mind that Venom Lords are guaranteed to spawn in the Chaos Sanctuary, and Infector of Souls spawns with 11 minions in Hell).

[gasconron]

even in nightmare, i'm already facing these problems, as my merc cannot yet equip infinity at his current level forcing me to do a very slow progress as what i am facing now, atm...

now i see that chaos sanc and ToD will be the main trouble spots as they can't be skipped out on. Well at least I'm not dying a lot, yet.

[mephiztophelez]

here's everything i know about Fire Sorks.... (http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=705248)

i've run hell baal many, many, many times solo with a fire sork (in big games too as i was levelling from 95-97) and while it is possible to do, i wouldn't really reccomend it, especially without a point into Glacial Spike (for holding nasties like Lister and Co steady so 'ol Waheed can pound 'em).

Chaos actually isn't that hard. first thing i do is tele around and meteor (eg: kill) all the Oblivion knights. then i go and res the merc and from there, between Glacial, Static and the merc, everything will eventually die. it takes time, but you can do it.

i used a gbane/gaze/e-Obedience holy freeze merc to take care of fire immunes and the only thing you need be seriously scared of is the Fire Immune, Cannot Be Frozen frenzytaur (as found on WSKIII and the throne).

now, a pure, pure, pure nowt else but Tele fire sork is going to have all kinds of stress. you could shop a staff with Glacial as a staffmod if you're determined not to spend any into the cold tree (or hope to find an orb with glacial on it), but without Glacial Spike, your making life very hard for yourself.