Sorc Tank Build - What can I Improve on?

Bash-ley

I'm a level 39 sword and board sorc tank. I wear 5 heavy 1 light, I use the Ashen Grip Armor (I know there is better but I'm waiting to research more traits).

1st skill bar I have Summon Unstable Clanfear, Shielded Assault, Bound Aegis, Thundering Presence, Ransack and Greater Storm Atronach.
2nd Skill bar I have Summon Unstable Clanfear, Degeneration, Bound Aegis, Thundering Presence, Ransack and Greater Storm Atronach.

I have double the amount of points in health to what I have in Stam and none in Magicka.

I tend to ensure that I always have my pet and armor summoned before a fight, then straight off the bat go in with Shielded Assault. From here I use Thundering Presence followed by Ransack.
I then swap to my 2nd skill bar and use Degeneration when needed. On occasion I'll swap back to bar 1 to re-use Shielded Assault. All the while re-activating Thundering Presence if it runs out.
Thus far I have seen little need for Magicka as although some of my skills are expensive I rarely have to activate them. I mostly use Ransack for taunt and a little extra damage, other than that I slash/block.

This has worked really well in PVE - but this may be because I complete ALL quests in an area before moving on so I tend to be a bit OP. For example as a Lvl 39 I'm still going through Alik'r Desert quests (and having no problems)

I recently dabbled in PVP and found that I did okay, but only okay. I did well for the most part, being able to hold my own in a large group, and even managing when it was 2:1 (me being the 1).

I've used this format for a while now (probably 10 levels roughly... with some small variation) I'm starting to think there is probably a better way of doing things?

Bash-ley

ignore this comment - whoops XD

RavenSworn

Ive always seen sorcerer tanks to be the magicka kind. They are much better equipped to be a magicka tank ( much like any other class of course) but the bonuses to magicka returns are fsr better for sorcerer.

That being said... Why do you have ransack for both bars? Probably a better way to do it woukd have ransack on one, and another dps ability on the other in its place. Ransack too... I'd use Pierce armor, since you alreafy have thundering presence for the extra armor. While its alright having more armor, im assuming you are not finishing off the mobs as best as you can be.

I have a magicka 5heavy 2 light tank/dps that uses Pierce armor, thundering presence, unstable clanfear, shattering prison and lightning flood for the first bar, velocious curse, unstable clanfear, critical surge, critical rush and endless fury for the second.

I have seen stamina based sorcs, and they are really awesome but I find they lack a lot of utility in their arsenal to be stamina based. I couod be wrong, im still leveling my sorcerer but thats the impression this class gives me.

Bash-ley

uniq_faznrb18_ESO wrote: »

Ive always seen sorcerer tanks to be the magicka kind. They are much better equipped to be a magicka tank ( much like any other class of course) but the bonuses to magicka returns are fsr better for sorcerer.

That being said... Why do you have ransack for both bars? Probably a better way to do it woukd have ransack on one, and another dps ability on the other in its place. Ransack too... I'd use Pierce armor, since you alreafy have thundering presence for the extra armor. While its alright having more armor, im assuming you are not finishing off the mobs as best as you can be.

I have a magicka 5heavy 2 light tank/dps that uses Pierce armor, thundering presence, unstable clanfear, shattering prison and lightning flood for the first bar, velocious curse, unstable clanfear, critical surge, critical rush and endless fury for the second.

I have seen stamina based sorcs, and they are really awesome but I find they lack a lot of utility in their arsenal to be stamina based. I couod be wrong, im still leveling my sorcerer but thats the impression this class gives me.

TBH I think you're right, I'm although I'm ding okay, I could be doing a lot better. I have a lot of inefficiencies in my build. I'll definately be replacing ransack on one of my bars with another DPS skill. probably lightening flood! so do you think I should replace all of my stam points with magicka?

Nestor

Bash-ley wrote: »

so do you think I should replace all of my stam points with magicka?

If you are using Magic Skills then absolutely put as much as you can into Magic. Attributes, Glyphs, Gear.

Thing is, Shields are scaled from your Magic and Hardened Ward which you may not have unlocked yet really benefits from Magic. I would go so far as to have nothing in Health either if you can pop two shields for stacking. You should have Immovable from the Heavy Armor line if you don't have hardened ward yet. Boundless Storm is the morph you want on Lightening Form as it does damage too. Anyway, I never take Health damage as long as I keep my shields up. I think I have 10 in Health the rest in magic, and I wear 5 Light/2 Heavy

You should really approach your bars from an AoE or Trash Mob focus and a Boss DPS Focus and switch between them. Have two shields on each bar, unless you like swapping back and forth for Utilities and the rest combat skills or enemy debuff skills.

In your case, use a Destro Staff for Ranged/AoE Trash Mobs and 1H/S for up close Boss Tanking. Me, I go two Destro Staffs, one for AoE and one for DPS.

Bash-ley

Nestor wrote: »

Bash-ley wrote: »

so do you think I should replace all of my stam points with magicka?

If you are using Magic Skills then absolutely put as much as you can into Magic. Attributes, Glyphs, Gear.

Thing is, Shields are scaled from your Magic and Hardened Ward which you may not have unlocked yet really benefits from Magic. I would go so far as to have nothing in Health either if you can pop two shields for stacking. You should have Immovable from the Heavy Armor line if you don't have hardened ward yet. Boundless Storm is the morph you want on Lightening Form as it does damage too. Anyway, I never take Health damage as long as I keep my shields up. I think I have 10 in Health the rest in magic, and I wear 5 Light/2 Heavy

You should really approach your bars from an AoE or Trash Mob focus and a Boss DPS Focus and switch between them. Have two shields on each bar, unless you like swapping back and forth for Utilities and the rest combat skills or enemy debuff skills.

In your case, use a Destro Staff for Ranged/AoE Trash Mobs and 1H/S for up close Boss Tanking. Me, I go two Destro Staffs, one for AoE and one for DPS.

Awesome, thanks for the feedback dude I really appreciate it! I'm going to go on a total re-spec overhaul!

I guess I was thinking too lateral with my build - I thought heavy armor and sword and board were the obvious go to tank lines and didn't consider the great bonuses that sorcs can offer!

Nestor

Bash-ley wrote: »

I guess I was thinking too lateral with my build - I thought heavy armor and sword and board were the obvious go to tank lines and didn't consider the great bonuses that sorcs can offer!

Heavy and Sword and Board are the best combo for a Tank for sure (depending on the rest of the build), but not the only way to effectively tank.

Just remember your in mostly light armor and you won't have much health, so the shields are critical to success. Lose those and your a glass canon and will be smashed. It also might not the be the best way to Tank Bosses in Trials and Vet Dungeons where they have harder mechanics but your not set up for failure, just have to keep in mind your limitations on the build. However for all other content and dungeons you will do just fine. Even in PvP the reason sorcerers are so powerful are the shields.

Just don't apply two shields that give the same buffs. I don't think Boundless and Hardened are the same effect, but I love that lightening coming off me so much that I can't give it up.

RavenSworn

You can also have heavy armor enchanted with magicka glyphs that will help alleviate the reduced bonuses in light armor.

Heavy offers good damage mitigation and sword and board offers good blocking bonuses. You can also have a hybrid build for tanking but use a different gear for while you are questing / dpsing.

Food for thought.
-RavenSworn

Bash-ley

Thanks for the advice guys, all really helpful stuff! I'll be doing some serious reworking tonight