The Unholy Herdsman - Thelon's Pet Build (Homestead)

Vitalist

I welcome all in general and Thelon in particular)
First, would like to express gratitude to Thelon. I like similar style of play where one can run about and to depend not strongly on a party. I used these recommendations practically from the first levels and was very pleased. I hope, sometime I will become same big and strong)
Small question in connection with updating, to be exact with "Ancient Knowledge: This passive ability no longer decreases the cast time of your Destruction Staff Heavy Attacks by 5/10 of %. Instead, it grants you a bonus as long as you have one Destruction Staff ability slotted. This bonus depends on your staff type:
Flame Staves: Increases your single-target damage dealt by 4/8 of %.
Frost Staves: Increases the amount of damage you Block by 10/20 of %, % and reduces the cost of Block by 15/30.
Lightning Staves: Increases your Area of Effect damage dealt by 4/8 of %." - whether there is a sense to interchange the position of staffs in our bar (Inferno Staff for 1 and Lightning Staff for 2)?
And second small question: where it is the best of all to compare skills and rotation? Only on elite solo the mob?
P.S. I apologize for the my English, it is not my native language)

Jitterbug

Melon-baked parmesan pork sounds delicious!

Thelon

@Vitalist

Your English is pretty good, friend!

I'm still testing and messing around with the build, but right now I like having my lightning staff on the main bar with fire staff on the back bar, just as the build is currently setup. This is largely because I've been more effective by focusing more on "splash" damage than pure single target, so the lightning staff's AOE buff on the main bar has been working really well.

Keep an eye on this thread or my channel for the updated build!

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Vitalist

Thelon wrote: »

@Vitalist

Your English is pretty good, friend!

I'm still testing and messing around with the build, but right now I like having my lightning staff on the main bar with fire staff on the back bar, just as the build is currently setup. This is largely because I've been more effective by focusing more on "splash" damage than pure single target, so the lightning staff's AOE buff on the main bar has been working really well.

Keep an eye on this thread or my channel for the updated build!

Thank you)
We look forward to updating your build)

Imryll

Watching and waiting, as well.

Thelon

I've completed a major update for the build. It is now current to the Homestead patch.

Changes include:

- Updated character stats

- Added solo DPS parse (yay target dummies!!!)

- Removed outdated videos (updated build guide coming soon!!!)

- Added Dunmer as a second racial choice

- Updated CP distribution

- Recommended Lightning Staff of the Infallible Aether as Weapon 1

- Adjusted the enchants recommended on the weapons for the "poor man's" setup

- Updated the Skills section

- Added a section for Rotation and Combat Tips

- Simplified the Common Skill Replacement section

- Simplified the Helpful Hints for Solo Play section

I hope you guys keep enjoying this build!!! Let me know what you think - I love reading your feedback and ideas

Thelon

Big thanks to everyone who helped me with testing and to @Sordidfairytale for providing the training dummies!!!

Thelon

Build vid is ready for ppl that hate reading

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWYzUOgjmWM

erinthebow

Thank you for the update. I am curious as to what addon you used for your Solo DPS Parse. It is very complete and I would like to use it.

greylox

Combat metrics add on

HarpaxPT

Why elemental drain over daedric prey? Volatile is hitting for over 15k with it. Or why not replace power surge?

gard

HarpaxPT wrote: »

Why elemental drain over daedric prey? Volatile is hitting for over 15k with it. Or why not replace power surge?

I find that with power surge up, I very rarely ever need to use the matriarch heal. I'm considering dropping her for a skill, maybe daedric prey.

That said:
I'm not doing tremendously hard content. If I were, I suspect I might find that power surge isn't enough to keep me healed and my pets alive.
I'm leveling my pet sorc on my 2nd account, currently just completing questline for skillpoints and the last few cp to get me to 160. I was able to solo spindle on normal back around cp 30 but that's the most difficult thing I tried.

HarpaxPT

Yeah i use power surge on my overload or i dont use ele drain

Thelon

HarpaxPT wrote: »

Why elemental drain over daedric prey? Volatile is hitting for over 15k with it. Or why not replace power surge?

@HarpaxPT

Thanks for your question, friend. I slot Ele Drain because it's critical for a soloist going up against long, difficult boss fights. If you're in a group whose healer knows to slot this, I'd replace it with Crystal Frags for extra DPS.

Power Surge is alot crucial for a soloist, since you'll need the consistent self-healing it provides. If grouped you could replace it with Daedric Prey, though I think the Haunting Curse morph will be better unless you're running Atronach (which is only good for strictly single-target fights, and even there I like Meteor better)

HarpaxPT

When using the skeleton (first time yesterday!! Was super excited) my dps parse improved by 6k dps using daedric prey vs running power surge. I used pots for the major sorcery. I understand the heal component, but doesnt your twilight live better now and can effectively heal you now?

Thelon

HarpaxPT wrote: »

When using the skeleton (first time yesterday!! Was super excited) my dps parse improved by 6k dps using daedric prey vs running power surge. I used pots for the major sorcery. I understand the heal component, but doesnt your twilight live better now and can effectively heal you now?

@HarpaxPT

Glad you're enjoying that testing dummy! Yes I find the Twilight Matriarch way more survivable now, but I only use her as a burst emergency heal. Power Surge fits the roll of you Heal Over Time.

grumpybird

Thank you so much for this build.

I'm new to sorcerer and not max cp (cp 350), last night I soloed Vet Crypt of Hearts with this build as I still needed to get Ilambris. The build carried me through it very nicely.

The biggest problem I had was pet control in the last fight, trying to get the clanfear to tank the melee twin, once she realised I was mashing the 'y' key the fight went well.

Absolutely fantastic build for soloing content and very forgiving for peeps like me who are still learning the class - thanks again^^

Thelon

@grumpybird

I'm glad you like the build, and thank you for your comments friend! Grats on the CoH solo!!!

Vahrokh

Hello,

this build is quite awesome, I am easily soloing several world bosses with a mix of *white* and unenchanted CP 140 Turug's and green Necropotence

I have a question about the latter, however. I found out Divines Necropotence is close-to-impossible to find for sale so I went to farm it myself. Well, I am not sure I am doing it right: even doing the "best" drop chance (world bosses) I get a wrong piece (usually, +gold, +armor instead of Divines...) Necropotence every 4-5 kills. In Delves it's even worse, I get a wrong piece every 10-20 kills.

How long am I expected to take, to get the full stuff? 6 months? Because ZOS already announced incoming nerfs and I would hate to grind that set with no other life, just to see some massive nerf and make the build useless.

Thelon

Hi @Vahrokh !

I might be mistaken but I think the best way to get Divines Necropotence is to just buy it from the Guild Store. I don't thiink the pieces should be too expenses. Otherwise, good luck with that grind

NinthPrince64

Vahrokh wrote: »

Hello,

this build is quite awesome, I am easily soloing several world bosses with a mix of *white* and unenchanted CP 140 Turug's and green Necropotence

I have a question about the latter, however. I found out Divines Necropotence is close-to-impossible to find for sale so I went to farm it myself. Well, I am not sure I am doing it right: even doing the "best" drop chance (world bosses) I get a wrong piece (usually, +gold, +armor instead of Divines...) Necropotence every 4-5 kills. In Delves it's even worse, I get a wrong piece every 10-20 kills.

How long am I expected to take, to get the full stuff? 6 months? Because ZOS already announced incoming nerfs and I would hate to grind that set with no other life, just to see some massive nerf and make the build useless.

I have slowly been acquiring Necropotence over time. What is the nerf you are referring to?

Vahrokh

Thelon wrote: »

Hi @Vahrokh !

I might be mistaken but I think the best way to get Divines Necropotence is to just buy it from the Guild Store. I don't thiink the pieces should be too expenses. Otherwise, good luck with that grind

Well, since I have returned back to the game (some weeks) all I have found in my guild stores is a belt and shoulders, enchanted with +health and +loot.

One evening (6 hours) worth of grinding outdoor bosses + dolmens + public delve + delves have netted me 5 Necropotence (2 purple) but none of them got divines.

Vahrokh

NinthPrince64 wrote: »

Vahrokh wrote: »

Hello,

this build is quite awesome, I am easily soloing several world bosses with a mix of *white* and unenchanted CP 140 Turug's and green Necropotence

I have a question about the latter, however. I found out Divines Necropotence is close-to-impossible to find for sale so I went to farm it myself. Well, I am not sure I am doing it right: even doing the "best" drop chance (world bosses) I get a wrong piece (usually, +gold, +armor instead of Divines...) Necropotence every 4-5 kills. In Delves it's even worse, I get a wrong piece every 10-20 kills.

How long am I expected to take, to get the full stuff? 6 months? Because ZOS already announced incoming nerfs and I would hate to grind that set with no other life, just to see some massive nerf and make the build useless.

I have slowly been acquiring Necropotence over time. What is the nerf you are referring to?

ZOS announced "severe" classes reviews are incoming. Considering Thelon build has been nerfed in the past already and considering how good this current build is, I have a certain amount of gripes about a new nerf.

gard

Vahrokh wrote: »

NinthPrince64 wrote: »

Vahrokh wrote: »

Hello,

this build is quite awesome, I am easily soloing several world bosses with a mix of *white* and unenchanted CP 140 Turug's and green Necropotence

I have a question about the latter, however. I found out Divines Necropotence is close-to-impossible to find for sale so I went to farm it myself. Well, I am not sure I am doing it right: even doing the "best" drop chance (world bosses) I get a wrong piece (usually, +gold, +armor instead of Divines...) Necropotence every 4-5 kills. In Delves it's even worse, I get a wrong piece every 10-20 kills.

How long am I expected to take, to get the full stuff? 6 months? Because ZOS already announced incoming nerfs and I would hate to grind that set with no other life, just to see some massive nerf and make the build useless.

I have slowly been acquiring Necropotence over time. What is the nerf you are referring to?

ZOS announced "severe" classes reviews are incoming. Considering Thelon build has been nerfed in the past already and considering how good this current build is, I have a certain amount of gripes about a new nerf.

Announced where?

Thelon

@gard

Zenimax does have a history of nerfing specific builds, and Necropotence is overperforming in very specific scenarios (1v1 with Pets + 600 CPs)

That said, I think it's fine to continue collecting Necropotence @NinthPrince64 , as it makes less sense to build something else out of fear Necro will be nerfed. It reminds me of a timeless lesson from the classic Kung Fu Panda:

You are too afraid of what was,
Or of what is going to be.

There is an old saying:

Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
But today is a gift.

That is why it's called the present.

Thelon

Vahrokh wrote: »

Thelon's build has been nerfed in the past

Though it's true that ZOS has directly nerfed several of my builds in the past, its really one of the best compliments a Dev can give to a theorycrafter

Wrecking_Blow_Spam

Thelon wrote: »

@gard

Zenimax does have a history of nerfing specific builds, and Necropotence is overperforming in very specific scenarios (1v1 with Pets + 600 CPs)

That said, I think it's fine to continue collecting Necropotence @NinthPrince64 , as it makes less sense to build something else out of fear Necro will be nerfed. It reminds me of a timeless lesson from the classic Kung Fu Panda:

You are too afraid of what was,
Or of what is going to be.

There is an old saying:

Yesterday is history,
Tomorrow is a mystery,
But today is a gift.

That is why it's called the present.

Gotta love some Kung fu panda.
Props on the build, my questions:

Do you think infused on big pieces is better? Since we have lots of max magic and it'll stack? Or more spell crit better?

Do you recommend this for VMA? (I'm very experienced in VMA just curious how it does.

If you're cheap and don't want "chain chug" pots 24/7, what would you recommend dropping for inner light? Also would you recommend double betting inner light and maybe dropping twilight (mainly in maelstrom)?

One last question: have you tried this build for soloing bosses in IC districts for telvar farm? How does it do? And potentially could put Imperial physique set with necropetence or would it be best to leave sets as they are?

Cheers.

Vahrokh

Hello again,

I have noticed in your last build you have switched from Clanfear to Volatile Familiar.

Now, I mostly do delves / outworld bosses / instances solo... is volatile Familiar any good at tanking? Last time I tried it, it'd die in 2 hits to any elite NPC.
Is it better now and I can use it for outworld bosses or is it still too squishy?

Thelon

@Wrecking_Blow_Spam

Wrecking_Blow_Spam wrote: »

Do you think infused on big pieces is better? Since we have lots of max magic and it'll stack? Or more spell crit better?

I prefer the extra spell Crit from Divines as it nets more damage + self-healing. Go infused if you like to rely more on shields + pet damage. Both are totally viable and the differences are fairly negligible.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam wrote: »

Do you recommend this for VMA? (I'm very experienced in VMA just curious how it does.)

Yes, this build is great for vMA, and that's where I do a bunch of my testing.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam wrote: »

If you're cheap and don't want "chain chug" pots 24/7, what would you recommend dropping for inner light? Also would you recommend double betting inner light and maybe dropping twilight (mainly in maelstrom)?

If you drop the Twilight Matriarch, you lose access to your burst heal, so I don't recommend this unless your grouped or highly proficient at vMA. Instead of double-barring Inner Light put it on the front bar only and try Haunting Curse on the back.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam wrote: »

One last question: have you tried this build for soloing bosses in IC districts for telvar farm? How does it do? And potentially could put Imperial physique set with necropetence or would it be best to leave sets as they are?

Yes, I've soloed all IC bosses with this build, and it makes for a really good Tel Var farm if you don't get pvp'd in the process. If a particular boss is troublesome, bring the Clannfear instead of Volatile Familiar. I've never used Imperial Physique but I'm skeptical that it would out DPS Ilambris + Infalliable Aether.

Good luck out there!!!