My Blizzard-Fireball sorc build guide

[knuckle_sammich]

For those of you that can afford it, a cold aura or defense aura merc from act 2 equipped with doom runeword would help bring down enemy defenses to cold.

Doom
Hel + Ohm + Um + Lo + Cham
Axes, Hammers & Polearms only

5% Chance To Cast Level 18 Volcano On Striking
Level 12 Holy Freeze Aura When Equipped
+2 To All Skills
+45% Increased Attack Speed
+330-370% Enhanced Damage (varies)
-(40-60)% To Enemy Cold Resistance (varies) <--- oh yeah!!
20% Deadly Strike
25% Chance of Open Wounds
Prevent Monster Heal
Freezes Target +3
Requirements -20%

[Zarhrezz]

For those of you that can afford it, a cold aura or defense aura merc from act 2 equipped with doom runeword would help bring down enemy defenses to cold.

Doom
Hel + Ohm + Um + Lo + Cham
Axes, Hammers & Polearms only

5% Chance To Cast Level 18 Volcano On Striking
Level 12 Holy Freeze Aura When Equipped
+2 To All Skills
+45% Increased Attack Speed
+330-370% Enhanced Damage (varies)
-(40-60)% To Enemy Cold Resistance (varies) <--- oh yeah!!
20% Deadly Strike
25% Chance of Open Wounds
Prevent Monster Heal
Freezes Target +3
Requirements -20%

Only for the cold damage done by the merc himself though.

[kookaroo113]

i got a stupid question....how the hell can something be immune to physical thats like saying im immune to being stabbed in the face...i know its kinda random but ive always wondered taht :scratch:

[wise_man]

i got a stupid question....how the hell can something be immune to physical thats like saying im immune to being stabbed in the face...i know its kinda random but ive always wondered taht

It's simple. All you have to do is use your imagination.

Think of a ghost. If you try to stab it in the face your hand will go right through it without hurting it.

Another example is Achiles. After being dipped in the river, he was immune to all physical damage, except in his ankle. He's face looks ordinar, and act ordinar, but if you try to stab it, your knife will stop at his skin, due to the blessing from his dip in the river.

[Jek]

It's simple. All you have to do is use your imagination.

Think of a ghost. If you try to stab it in the face your hand will go right through it without hurting it.

Another example is Achiles. After being dipped in the river, he was immune to all physical damage, except in his ankle. He's face looks ordinar, and act ordinar, but if you try to stab it, your knife will stop at his skin, due to the blessing from his dip in the river.

Or just think Superman. :lol:

just started my blizz/fireball on ladder.

[spartacvs]

Or just think Superman. :lol:

just started my blizz/fireball on ladder.

Tell us how it goes. BTW aren't you the guy who wrote a javazon guide?

To put my 2 cents, I will add a few comments.

As for the merc, I agree that the act2 merc is slow. But, I found the defiance one to be one that survive the better.
That lead me to another topic: dex. I, personnaly, avoid max block when I can but there is something to consider: the combination of block + defiance aura from your merc. That's why I decided to goal for like 50% block. That's enaugh to take a few hits while being able to stand the elemental attacks (with good resist of course).

I actually have a pure cold sorc on ladder. Purpose was to have a first char as mf and I know that, whatever the built, if you have absolutely crappy items, you're gonna have a hard time in hell. But being a one element only drive me to the same problem: cannot do hell. So I'm starting to think for my next built. Hammerdin, summoexploder or a dual sorc? There is many things to consider. What built? What spell I'd like to use? What items I can have and want to use? I don't really like the hammerdin (while I respect his power). For my part, I cannot stand the occy teleport and I'm too poor to afford a hoto runeword. So that leave me with tal set.

I'm pretty happy with my cold sorc right now and I thnink it was a good choice. My tactics are pretty much like the one of a hammerdin. Cast a storm, retreat, cast another one. As for the choice of GS over IB, I think GS is better and here's why. When I cast a storm, some monsters can get across it. So I finish them with IB. So blizz is the crowd control while IB is for a specific target. Another thing that hasn't been discussed is dmg/mana. IB is more effecetive in that matter. And the less point in energy, the more in vita.

meteord vs blizzball? It's a matter of preference. Orb is a better spell to cast in front of you while you move. And, that's what peoples say, orb is more powerfull if not fully synergised. But I prefer to cast a blizz, retreat, come back and cast another one on standing targets or taugh ones. I find that a better tactict than sitting there, cast my spells while I receive a load of attacks.

[izrafel]

Only for the cold damage done by the merc himself though.

DAMMMMN when i saw the doom runeword post i was quite excited... booo

[elias2]

For a build like this to work you need nice items...
Mainly because you need cm and cant afford to put allot of skills into it..
Unless its sp, then it would work fine...

+Skills.
2 helm
2 Amulet
1 armor
2 rings
3 wepond
0-1 shield
1 fire (gloves, rather use thes then frost and stack up on fireskillers)
1 Belt
-----------------------
12-13 is resneble amount of + skills. You need lvl 17 cm so you have to go with 4 cold skillers and rest fire or put 3-4 skills in cm and all fire skillers.
Moste important is to have a strong main attack and use the other one as backup/slow or you will be slower killing. Highest dmg comes from fire skills so they are probebly good main attacks. My first 1.10 character was pure fire sorc. Second was Fireball/orb sorc. I soloed hell with that sorc. Fronze orb made nice dmg but moste came from fireball... Havent played diablo2 since then but i think this was how i did it.

20 FO
1 CM
1 F Armor
Pre req cold: 5
20 firebolt
20 Fireball
20 firemastery
1 warmth
1 static
1 Telekinesis
1 teleport
------------
91 skills = lvl 80

At higher lvls you can get teleport or go with meteor but then you have to waste 3 points before getting to it. At lvl 99 you could get lvl 16 meteor.

And lvl a normal defencia merc. Youre def will be really nice with him. Also you wont have much use for HF merc because you allredy got FO. Mana shield was worhless when i used to play because resists and manashield dident work.

[spartacvs]

20 FO
1 CM
1 F Armor
Pre req cold: 5
20 firebolt
20 Fireball
20 firemastery
1 warmth
1 static
1 Telekinesis
1 teleport
------------
91 skills = lvl 80

Your built is like a meteorb except you made a "mistake". Should have maxed meteor rather than fireball. Fireball receive the same synergy % from either meteor or firebolt, And firebolt is useless in hell, unlike meteor.

Also, I never recommand to put a point in any armor. You should use a orb on your weapon switch. Furthernore, I think chilling armor is better so you save some points. Of course that doesn't work if you have mf equipment on the switch.

[spartacvs]

There's a mistake in my previous post.

Should have maxed meteor rather than fireball
should be replaced by
Should have maxed meteor rather than firebolt