Magicka Sorcerer; what build is wise to pick from scratch?

ROYTASTICx

Good day all,

So the past few days i started playing ESO again after quitting it a year ago. I went for a Sorcerer (Magicka based so far) High elf.
Always enjoyed playing as a Sorcerer focussed on dealing damage. I am more a staff kinda person rather than using shields or dual wield.

Now i've read a few builds online such as:

http://deltiasgaming.com/eso-magic-sorcerer-dps-build/
http://deltiasgaming.com/eso-magic-sorcerer-pvp/
http://tamrielfoundry.com/topic/one-approach-to-leveling-a-magicka-based-sorcerer/

I have a few questions for some of the more experienced players out there:

1. What is the difference between Lightning and Inferno staffs in-game when it comes to damage and such. Pro's and cons?
2. What would you guys recommend as ability bars for level 1 - 50? And maybe after that?
3. What are the most important skills/passives i should level along the way?
4. Still have left 3000 crowns on my account from playing a year ago, anything i should buy apart from a mount (already have imperial edtion horse)

Hope you guys can provide me with some ideas on how to get back in to the game again !

Thanks in advance

Beardimus

Hi there @ROYTASTICx . I main a Sorc and am currently leveling another. According to this forum you have picked a bad time to run a sorc, but I wouldn't listen to the hype / drama unless you're a pro after the last 0.01%.

I found leveling skills are a bit different to end game, I.e. I use pets to level but not later (tho I am leveling a pet healer build now!). The clanfear acts as a tank and has a nice heal Morph.

Level all 3 skills lines. Frag's (1st skill dark magic) you will use throughout, and Mages wrath/endless fury (1st skill storm) is also useful so I think level all 3. Until you unlock LA passives run a bit of HA for added protection too is my tip.

1. Lighting / restro are held attacks, DOT which people cant dodge roll in pvp. But inferno lets you weave attacks in between other skills
2. As above, frags, wrath / endless fury you will use them throughout. Overload is a useful Ultimate as you can pick the morph that gives magika back so doing content when you run out of resources use that
3. Level all 3, slot a skill from Each.run mainly light armour for magika gains once you level it up. (training trait is a good idea to fast level)
4. Mount for sure. Maybe XP scrolls of you want to speed level. Or carry capacity upgrade? (take ur mount to the stables daily to upgrade it too its cheapest way) or buy a DLC. Imp city is a PvP expansion. Wrothgar is a big snowy landscape with a good questline, or thieves guild is you like deserts and stealing or Dark Brothhood if you like killing innocents

Im sure more knowledgable experts will pop on soon, or the sorc doom and gloomers but ignore them. Sorcs rock.

Are you console? Region?

Sorry for typos in a rush!

Grao

Hi there @ROYTASTICx , one of the doom and gloom folks that @Beardimus mentioned and yes, I will mentioned you suffer with bad timing as sorcerers have seen far better days. Alas, answering your question:

You will need to level up Destruction Staff of course as that will be your main bar weapon as magika sorcerer. Your main armor will of course be light armor but leveling med and heavy armor will give you access to passives later on which are useful.

On the staff tree you will need to level

Wall of Elements into Elemental Blockade
Force Shock into Force Pulse
Impulse into Elemental Ring

Additionally, certain new interesting builds make use of Destructive Touch and Weakness to Elements into Elemental Drain is a important skill for raiding and at least one in your raid grou should be keeping it on the boss at all times.

From the Dark Magic Tree you should level:

Negate - Though it was heavily nerfed in the past, its current iteration is quite useful in mass PvP.
Crystal Shards into Crystal Fragments - Use only when it procs.

Rune Prison and Encase are situationaly useful while leveling, but became quite pointless for PvE later on. Rune Prison is interesting for PvP.

From Daedric Summoning you need:

Bound Armor into Bound Aegis - Slotted on all three Bars, sadly.

Unstable Familiar into Unstable Clannfear can be useful while questing and running solo dungeons as the pets can tank for you. Late game they become rather useless unfortunately. Conjured Ward is still a skill worth leveling despite the considerable nerfs to its duration, but it should only be slotted for situations in which such shielding is required.

From Storm calling you should level up:

Overload, your best sorcerer ultimate, but not exactly great. It does good short burst damage.
Mage's Fury into Mage's Wrath, your Finisher.
Lightning Form into Boundless Storm, a buff to resistances and speed that also causes damage in a AoE around you.
Lightning Splash into Liquid Lightning, a bit hard to aim but one of the best DoTs in the game, even if ground targeted.

Surge has suffered considerable nerf and late game you are far more likely to use potions for the buffs it provides, alas, it is a good skill to have while leveling. Bolt Escape into Streak is always useful when you need to escape and it has its uses in PvP, despite the continuous onslaught of nerfs towards it.

From Mage's Guild you need:

Meteor for your best damage ultimate.
Mage Light into Inner Light - It will just sit on your bar giving you magika.

Think that is about it, at least if you are aiming to DPS.

ROYTASTICx

Beardimus wrote: »

Hi there @ROYTASTICx . I main a Sorc and am currently leveling another. According to this forum you have picked a bad time to run a sorc, but I wouldn't listen to the hype / drama unless you're a pro after the last 0.01%.

I found leveling skills are a bit different to end game, I.e. I use pets to level but not later (tho I am leveling a pet healer build now!). The clanfear acts as a tank and has a nice heal Morph.

Level all 3 skills lines. Frag's (1st skill dark magic) you will use throughout, and Mages wrath/endless fury (1st skill storm) is also useful so I think level all 3. Until you unlock LA passives run a bit of HA for added protection too is my tip.

1. Lighting / restro are held attacks, DOT which people cant dodge roll in pvp. But inferno lets you weave attacks in between other skills
2. As above, frags, wrath / endless fury you will use them throughout. Overload is a useful Ultimate as you can pick the morph that gives magika back so doing content when you run out of resources use that
3. Level all 3, slot a skill from Each.run mainly light armour for magika gains once you level it up. (training trait is a good idea to fast level)
4. Mount for sure. Maybe XP scrolls of you want to speed level. Or carry capacity upgrade? (take ur mount to the stables daily to upgrade it too its cheapest way) or buy a DLC. Imp city is a PvP expansion. Wrothgar is a big snowy landscape with a good questline, or thieves guild is you like deserts and stealing or Dark Brothhood if you like killing innocents

Im sure more knowledgable experts will pop on soon, or the sorc doom and gloomers but ignore them. Sorcs rock.

Are you console? Region?

Sorry for typos in a rush!

Thank you for your time. I wasnt aware of the fact that Sorcerers are that popular at the moment. Before i played as a Sorc, i also played as a DK but i havent read in to that lately.

I will take a look at the skills you pointed out this evening

Thank you.

ROYTASTICx

Grao wrote: »

Hi there @ROYTASTICx , one of the doom and gloom folks that @Beardimus mentioned and yes, I will mentioned you suffer with bad timing as sorcerers have seen far better days. Alas, answering your question:

You will need to level up Destruction Staff of course as that will be your main bar weapon as magika sorcerer. Your main armor will of course be light armor but leveling med and heavy armor will give you access to passives later on which are useful.

On the staff tree you will need to level

Wall of Elements into Elemental Blockade
Force Shock into Force Pulse
Impulse into Elemental Ring

Additionally, certain new interesting builds make use of Destructive Touch and Weakness to Elements into Elemental Drain is a important skill for raiding and at least one in your raid grou should be keeping it on the boss at all times.

From the Dark Magic Tree you should level:

Negate - Though it was heavily nerfed in the past, its current iteration is quite useful in mass PvP.
Crystal Shards into Crystal Fragments - Use only when it procs.

Rune Prison and Encase are situationaly useful while leveling, but became quite pointless for PvE later on. Rune Prison is interesting for PvP.

From Daedric Summoning you need:

Bound Armor into Bound Aegis - Slotted on all three Bars, sadly.

Unstable Familiar into Unstable Clannfear can be useful while questing and running solo dungeons as the pets can tank for you. Late game they become rather useless unfortunately. Conjured Ward is still a skill worth leveling despite the considerable nerfs to its duration, but it should only be slotted for situations in which such shielding is required.

From Storm calling you should level up:

Overload, your best sorcerer ultimate, but not exactly great. It does good short burst damage.
Mage's Fury into Mage's Wrath, your Finisher.
Lightning Form into Boundless Storm, a buff to resistances and speed that also causes damage in a AoE around you.
Lightning Splash into Liquid Lightning, a bit hard to aim but one of the best DoTs in the game, even if ground targeted.

Surge has suffered considerable nerf and late game you are far more likely to use potions for the buffs it provides, alas, it is a good skill to have while leveling. Bolt Escape into Streak is always useful when you need to escape and it has its uses in PvP, despite the continuous onslaught of nerfs towards it.

From Mage's Guild you need:

Meteor for your best damage ultimate.
Mage Light into Inner Light - It will just sit on your bar giving you magika.

Think that is about it, at least if you are aiming to DPS.

Thank you so much for your indepth skill explaination. If you have to pick 2 skillbars that would make a great sorc (at least as great as possible atm ) what would they be.

That way i have something to work with for now.

Thank you so much for your time!

Waffennacht

ROYTASTICx wrote: »

Grao wrote: »

Hi there @ROYTASTICx , one of the doom and gloom folks that @Beardimus mentioned and yes, I will mentioned you suffer with bad timing as sorcerers have seen far better days. Alas, answering your question:

You will need to level up Destruction Staff of course as that will be your main bar weapon as magika sorcerer. Your main armor will of course be light armor but leveling med and heavy armor will give you access to passives later on which are useful.

On the staff tree you will need to level

Wall of Elements into Elemental Blockade
Force Shock into Force Pulse
Impulse into Elemental Ring

Additionally, certain new interesting builds make use of Destructive Touch and Weakness to Elements into Elemental Drain is a important skill for raiding and at least one in your raid grou should be keeping it on the boss at all times.

From the Dark Magic Tree you should level:

Negate - Though it was heavily nerfed in the past, its current iteration is quite useful in mass PvP.
Crystal Shards into Crystal Fragments - Use only when it procs.

Rune Prison and Encase are situationaly useful while leveling, but became quite pointless for PvE later on. Rune Prison is interesting for PvP.

From Daedric Summoning you need:

Bound Armor into Bound Aegis - Slotted on all three Bars, sadly.

Unstable Familiar into Unstable Clannfear can be useful while questing and running solo dungeons as the pets can tank for you. Late game they become rather useless unfortunately. Conjured Ward is still a skill worth leveling despite the considerable nerfs to its duration, but it should only be slotted for situations in which such shielding is required.

From Storm calling you should level up:

Overload, your best sorcerer ultimate, but not exactly great. It does good short burst damage.
Mage's Fury into Mage's Wrath, your Finisher.
Lightning Form into Boundless Storm, a buff to resistances and speed that also causes damage in a AoE around you.
Lightning Splash into Liquid Lightning, a bit hard to aim but one of the best DoTs in the game, even if ground targeted.

Surge has suffered considerable nerf and late game you are far more likely to use potions for the buffs it provides, alas, it is a good skill to have while leveling. Bolt Escape into Streak is always useful when you need to escape and it has its uses in PvP, despite the continuous onslaught of nerfs towards it.

From Mage's Guild you need:

Meteor for your best damage ultimate.
Mage Light into Inner Light - It will just sit on your bar giving you magika.

Think that is about it, at least if you are aiming to DPS.

Thank you so much for your indepth skill explaination. If you have to pick 2 skillbars that would make a great sorc (at least as great as possible atm ) what would they be.

That way i have something to work with for now.

Thank you so much for your time!

Resto staff: dampen magic, blessing of restoration, streak, innerlight and Crystal Frag ult: Overload
DW: Velacious Curse, Mage's Wrath, Hardened Ward, Crystal Frag, Innerlight ult: Overload/Comet

Overload bar: Innerlight, Streak, Hardened Ward, Surge and Wrath I think

That's my PvP sorc mag build

Runs x5 Alchemist on resto bar, x3 willpower and x3 Julianos and x5 Julianos, x4 alchemist dw

Atronach for regen.

I run it at 4500 spell damage 42kish (need more undaunted) magicka

Edit: blessing can become combat prayer for more dps or healing ward for crazy shield goodness.

Frag on both bars so heals and shields can proc it, not relying on wrath so much for proc