I don't know what build to try on my Sorcerer anymore. Bow/Bow? Any Hybrid build? Please advice.

Sunday_Samurai · July 2018

My crafting/achievements main is a Sorcerer, although I don't enjoy the class much anymore compared to Templar or Warden but what can you do?

I want to try new builds on my Sorcerer so I no longer just do writs on him, but revitalize him by trying new ways of playing. I've tried:

- Stam Sorc: How he started out. This was probably the most fun build I tried with Sorcerer. Just doing lots of AoE in dungeons with Whirlwind, Hurricane and Caltrops/Endless Hail and using Trap+Rending Slashes+Crushing Weapon weaving against bosses. If nothing else works, I'll have to go back to this.

- Tank: It's alright, but does no damage in overland content so it puts me off. I'd rather have my main not be a tank. I also don't like the very boring itemization Tanks have (Ebon+Whatever), just providing passive buffs. If I could find some cooler itemization combos, I could see myself going back to it, but not with the "meta" gear and skill setups, that's for sure.

- No Pet Magsorc: I found it hard to sustain a Force Pulse rotation. Not that I'm a very good player, I'll admit, although this was my favourite PvE option. Just lay some dots, make sure my shield is up, and go ham with Pulse and weaving.

- Pet Magsorc: My, this is boring, but effective. When a tank pulls adds, this is wonderful, but against a stray monster or too, I feel like I don't have enough single target damage on my own, and having 4 Dots to keep up and 2 self buffs really bores me.

- Healer: Basically a Templar but with Matriarch instead of Breath of Life. A little boring. Again, little itemization choices, and in dungeons where Healing wasn't all too needed, I found myself just being a 3rd Damage Dealer

Just like with tanks, I did enjoy short queue times.

Things I'd like to explore:

- Bow/Bow, using Crushing Weapon as a spammable, I have the part I like the most of my Stam Sorc and No Pet builds, the weaving. Why Bow/Bow? Just to try a different playstyle. Also with Midyear Mayhem coming up, a ranged build would make me feel more comfortable in Cyrodill.

- Hybrid? I know very little about them, other than the existance of Pelinal's. I've watched this dude Kristopher on Youtube who has some theorycrafting, but there's so little content about hybrid sorcerers, I feel a little overwhelmed.

Can you help me find a build for Bow/Bow or Hybrid so I can revitalize my sorc, or a new, unique way of re-experiencing the builds I've already tried? While I primarily want to be able to do PVE content, I dont see myself doing Vet DLC Trials, and I think almost anything will work in Vet Trials and below, but I am interested in PVP as well (hence my interest in Hybrids).

jaws343 · July 2018

I am running Bow/Bow on a stamblade right now and Crushing Weapon is so good. You can line up a snipe, light attack, crushing weapon, and hit for 20K+ damage all at once. Plus, at least for a stamblade, it synergizes well with Relentless Focus.

Sunday_Samurai · July 2018

jaws343 wrote: »

I am running Bow/Bow on a stamblade right now and Crushing Weapon is so good. You can line up a snipe, light attack, crushing weapon, and hit for 20K+ damage all at once. Plus, at least for a stamblade, it synergizes well with Relentless Focus.

If only there was a Class change, I'd use it to go into NB because I find them the most fun and effective at weaving, but alas.

What else do you run on your NB if I may ask? I guess I could use Hurricane and Surge as alts to Relentless Focus and that other selfbuff you've got.

jaws343 · July 2018

Hawkeye and Marksman for the sets. With Skoria. Dawnbreaker front bar with the bow ult back bar.

Sunday_Samurai · July 2018

Giving Bow/Bow a try, but I can barely reach 10k DPS ._. No potions, fracture or Dawnbreaker slotted, so I guess I could make it to 12-13k, probably. Bit of a shame, but I guess I'll just have to continue perfecting it and obtaining a Master's and VMA bow, the problem will be finding a group for VDSA

Lightspeedflashb14_ESO · July 2018

You want to do anything with bow/bow, read this first-
https://forums.elderscrollsonline.com/en/discussion/381498/everything-needed-to-know-about-bow-bow-in-pve/p1

mocap · July 2018

mag tank with pet. Stack magicka as much, use Ward alone or Ward + Harness

*sigh*

сurrent state of the game don't allows you to make unique and fun builds like in diablo-style games (Path of Exile, Grim Dawn, Borderlands 2). Not in overland, cuz it's easy as i dunno what, not in group play.

Imo only spellcraft will help, but also it will make PvP one big crazy hell hole

UPD: and yeah, there is no class change token, so you are pretty much stuck with your main. Only one option here - play different class for some time. When you get bored, return to your main.

Biro123 · July 2018

I keep toying with the idea of a hybrid sorc.. thinking for PVP.

I kind of think along the lines of sustain from stam regen + dark exchange (most efficient).
Defence from surge/vigour/blocking/Heavy armour (or dodging) sword n board.. Perhaps higher magicka than stam and a weak(ish) hardened emergency shield..

Offence, high spell-damage for curse/wrath - perhaps a stamina spammable + gap-closer.. 2-handed? or destro? or maybe have snb as the offensive bar and resto..?

Not sure if need to go pelinials or if I can use sets that impact both.. (Clever alch/shackle etc..) Never really got the 9 traits to be able to make pelinials to experiment with...
Perhaps Argonian/clever alch with some pot cooldown reduction jewellery..?

Oreyn_Bearclaw · July 2018

Never thought I would say this, but my PVP sorc is starting to at least smell like a hybrid. Haha. She still plays as magic, but I have about a 19k stam pool thanks to shacklebreaker, tri stat glyphs, and tri stat jewerly.

For PVE, it's hard to beat a good stam sorc for 95% of content in terms of a fun playstyle IMO. Super fast, super tanky, great ST, and ridiculous AOE damage.

If going magic as a PVE magic DPS, I prefer the pet build if I am being honest. Rather than play a non-pet, I would just assume play mageblade. Its better, faster, stronger, how does the song go?

Sorc would not be my choice for a bow/bow build. They just dont bring much to the table to help with this. If trying to make bow/bow work, I would suggest a NB.

Try as you will, hybrid builds dont work for DPS. They can work in PVP, and most PVE tanks are hybrids, but otherwise, hybrid is a bad word in ESO.

Never had much luck with a sorc healer or tank. Not saying you cant make it work, but there are just way better options out there.

Magic Sorc is pretty darn strong in open world PVP right now, might be worth a shot. Stam Sorc is also arguably the strongest Battlegrounds class.

I have 3 sorcs. A stam DPS, a magic pet DPS, and a magic PVP build.

AcadianPaladin · July 2018

I run a bow/bow stamsorc. She is not end game and her setup is quite simple and easy to attain without doing any vet stuff. Hundingsx5 + Spriggansx5 + monster shoulder of choice (currently Selene).

Sustain is a bit of a challenge on bow/bow stamsorc so I use dark exchange for stam and burst heal. Because of sustain, I also optimize light attack damage and my 'pew pew' light attacks hit for 10K per second. I also weave with my light attacks. Plenty of stam / weapon damage and bound armaments contribute to that solid light attack damage. For stand off stealth, I weave a snipe/poison injection combo, then hold trash at bay with bombard (arrow spray morph). Volley + Caltrops is my killing zone and delivers 10K dps just between the two of them. Surge + Hurricane keeps her healthy and helps when up close - which becomes necessary soloing bosses to keep them in my volley/caltrops killing zone.

Last I checked, she was able to break (barely) 20K dps on the dummy. She can solo most world bosses and mow through public dungeons. I'm reluctant to formally group her as a dps since bow/bows have a bad rep. I'm comfortable she can certainly hold her own as a solid dps though for normal dungeons. In fact, she could probably solo FG1 and a couple other normal dungeons.

Toc de Malsvi · July 2018

Sunday_Samurai wrote: »

Giving Bow/Bow a try, but I can barely reach 10k DPS ._. No potions, fracture or Dawnbreaker slotted, so I guess I could make it to 12-13k, probably. Bit of a shame, but I guess I'll just have to continue perfecting it and obtaining a Master's and VMA bow, the problem will be finding a group for VDSA

Masters bow will only add maybe 1k. VMA bow will add around 3-4k if you maximize buffs and don't cut the dot short, while also keeping downtime to a minimum. If you are struggling with dps it has everything to do with your rotation primarily and secondly your build. At 10k dps I guarantee that your rotation is bad and you are likely missing a lot of light attacks as well.

Toc de Malsvi · July 2018

Oreyn_Bearclaw wrote: »

Sorc would not be my choice for a bow/bow build. They just dont bring much to the table to help with this. If trying to make bow/bow work, I would suggest a NB.

This is very untrue. Sorc is second only to NB for top Bow/Bow dps and has better utility. Running Bow/Bow on a sorc affords double barring Bound Armaments which increases stam by 8% and increases light attack damage which stacks well with Hawkeye from bow passives which also increases light attack damage. 5% more physical damage flat, 15% cost reduction to ultimate's brings Ballista into a reasonable cost range. Hurricane and Crit Surge offer offer much needed mitigation, Major Brutality and passive healing source in both PVP and PVE. Implosion is just the icing on the cake as Bow/Bow lacks an execute and this passive is better utilized by them.