I wouldn't be surprised if mag sorc. (non-pet) is behind average in DPS. It's what I've played my whole time in ESO. But with build creativity you can pass most, if not all, content in the game. Heck, I've been able to solo world bosses and dolmens since probably around CP 200-300 depending on which one it was. A couple of them I need help with (barely) even as a max-level player (Probbably because I'm a vamp and there is fire damage).

Once you get the best gear to complement your play style and gold it all out and have the right traits on everything, you should do well regardless. I don't even light attack and/or weave and I can hit 25-30K DPS. I don't even really use the 2nd bar. I use Wall of Elements (morph) with my back bar and Maelstrom lightning staff and swap to the front bar. I just heavy attack and use a couple other skills. So even with an easy, low-stress/degree of difficulty play style, you can do just about anything with practice. I passed vMA many time this way also and that was before I had the maelstrom staff.

For people who want a more advanced play style and who want to light attack/weave/bar swap constantly, you can easily hit 40-50K DPS with practice. There are lots of build videos with unique ideas online like Alcast and Xynode. My build is definitely nowhere near top DPS, so if you're an elitist, there are better options for sure.

Pointers to succeed with mag sorc:
1. Make sure you have just enough magicka sustain for your play style (Use a set like Perfected False Gods or a magicka recovery glyph or two if needed)(Not an issue for me since I heavy attack a lot and that returns lots of magicka and doesn't use any)
2. Make sure your spell pen is close to 9,100 when you're solo. (Hopefully your group provides the rest in group content so you get close to 18,000 against trial bosses etc.)
3. Make sure your gear maximizes the damage from the skills that you use.
(I heavy attack so I'm using a Maelstrom staff, Undaunted Infiltrator, and Infallible Aether to get 3 heavy attack buffs. I'm also using a shock glyph (infused) to maximize concussion and off-balance to get even more of a heavy attack damage buff))
Just tailor your gear to what skills (type of damage) you're going to do. For example, maybe Elemental Succession and Netch's Touch for someone doing all shock damage. Again, there are lots of build ideas online, and I know some like Xynode update their content after every patch to account for changes.

mrtudi wrote: »

My main character is a magicka sorcerer, but I don't particularly enjoy playing with pets (I see it more of a necromancer thing). Can sorcerers still reach good dps without using the matriarch and scamp?

Absolutely you can. My highest performing dps character is my magsorc, no pets.

I have never run pets on my sorcs, either my mag or stam. I hate how they look and I do not think they are in keeping with most peoples ideas of what a traditional sorcerer is, or should be.

To me a sorcerer wields powerful dark, arcane magic. Zos should have stuck with that, there was no need for pets, especially ones that are so ugly.

There are cures for sustain of course. Several actually. So just lower your dps slightly to fix the sustain problem and you're golden.

Bobby_V_Rockit wrote: »

malistorr wrote: »

There are cures for sustain of course. Several actually. So just lower your dps slightly to fix the sustain problem and you're golden.

Elaborate!

Drop 452 Weapon/Spell damage from Berserker weapon enchant for Absorb Magicka or Stamina. Drop 174 Weapon/Spell damage from up to 3 jewelry enchants of 169 recovery or 203 cost reduction. Swap a damage set like Mother’s Sorrow for a sustain set like Seducer or Lich. Change from Altmer or Orc to Breton or Redguard. Swap bistat food to tri-stat with recovery.

Of course these are all terrible options, that will reduce DPS even more after a series of significant reductions in the damage of most skills. Something tells me an off-meta heavy attack build is about to be recommended

Bobby_V_Rockit wrote: »

WrathOfInnos wrote: »

Bobby_V_Rockit wrote: »

malistorr wrote: »

There are cures for sustain of course. Several actually. So just lower your dps slightly to fix the sustain problem and you're golden.

Elaborate!

Drop 452 Weapon/Spell damage from Berserker weapon enchant for Absorb Magicka or Stamina. Drop 174 Weapon/Spell damage from up to 3 jewelry enchants of 169 recovery or 203 cost reduction. Swap a damage set like Mother’s Sorrow for a sustain set like Seducer or Lich. Change from Altmer or Orc to Breton or Redguard. Swap bistat food to tri-stat with recovery.

Of course these are all terrible options, that will reduce DPS even more after a series of significant reductions in the damage of most skills. Something tells me an off-meta heavy attack build is about to be recommended

There’s tri-stat food with recovery? I’m console so just pre-empting lol. False God’s + Shadowrend + recovery glyph for now.

Edit: best I can come up with (which has already been dismissed as a bad idea in another thread) would be move attributes up to 17k health and then use Ghastly Eye Bowl drink (mag+mag recovery) but you lose a ton of magicka in doing so (33k mag, 17k health, 1781 mag regen).

@Bobby_V_Rockit Yes, look up Witchmother’s Potent Brew, Clockwork Citrus Filet, Dunious Camoran Throne, and Artaeum Takeaway Broth.

All of these have a significant loss of health and either Stamina or Magicka compared to bi-stat.

Bobby_V_Rockit wrote: »

WrathOfInnos wrote: »

Bobby_V_Rockit wrote: »

WrathOfInnos wrote: »

Bobby_V_Rockit wrote: »

malistorr wrote: »

There are cures for sustain of course. Several actually. So just lower your dps slightly to fix the sustain problem and you're golden.

Elaborate!

Drop 452 Weapon/Spell damage from Berserker weapon enchant for Absorb Magicka or Stamina. Drop 174 Weapon/Spell damage from up to 3 jewelry enchants of 169 recovery or 203 cost reduction. Swap a damage set like Mother’s Sorrow for a sustain set like Seducer or Lich. Change from Altmer or Orc to Breton or Redguard. Swap bistat food to tri-stat with recovery.

Of course these are all terrible options, that will reduce DPS even more after a series of significant reductions in the damage of most skills. Something tells me an off-meta heavy attack build is about to be recommended

There’s tri-stat food with recovery? I’m console so just pre-empting lol. False God’s + Shadowrend + recovery glyph for now.

Edit: best I can come up with (which has already been dismissed as a bad idea in another thread) would be move attributes up to 17k health and then use Ghastly Eye Bowl drink (mag+mag recovery) but you lose a ton of magicka in doing so (33k mag, 17k health, 1781 mag regen).

@Bobby_V_Rockit Yes, look up Witchmother’s Potent Brew, Clockwork Citrus Filet, Dunious Camoran Throne, and Artaeum Takeaway Broth.

All of these have a significant loss of health and either Stamina or Magicka compared to bi-stat.

Those are all bi-stat with recovery though. Oh well. I already use witchmother’s, perfect roe is outrageously rare

Ah, just a difference in naming then. I was calling the recovery their third stat. I’m not aware of any with Max Health, Magicka, Stamina, and recovery.

Sorcerers have one of the best sustain skills in the game: dark exchange. Theres even a morph for each resource. I highly recommend it.

quit the class, they ruin it every patch more and more, save yourself the headache and do yourself a favor!