Advice on ES nova spec

Expecting to see a warlock nerf, I built an es Nova sorc for rushing characters. This build is supposed to be “meta”, but in p1 I can’t even think about using Teleport because I’ll just die. Right now I am drinking full rejuvenations in the Frozen River tz on p1, being careful to walk everywhere. I’m level 86

My stats are 100% energy
Skills max static, Nova, light mastery, Telekinesis 10 to ES so far (level 86)

Infinity Scythe
Griffon’s eye
Skin of vipermagi
Magefist
2x SOJ
Arachnid Mesh
Waterwalk
10fcr all res ammy
+6 Bo CTA and lidless on swap
Anni/torch/sunder

My merc is a2 Prayer with Insight

Gives me 600 life/2.3k mana. All res are negative. A pitiful 3k damage. I have 50 stats remaining

What am I doing by wrong?

You need to max out Telekinesis and ES.

Also replace Waterwalk with Sandstorm Trek. You need to max out poison res. Its the only elemental dmg type that gets through ES.
Also put one point into Shiver Armor and Warmth.
Try to get Cure for your merc.
Did you max out Teleport? I can't tell by the way you worded it, but you only need 1 point into Teleport.

I’ll switch to trek. No, I didn’t max tele. I need 10 levels to max ES… as far as I can tell, this build needs like level 95. I did put one into Warmth and frozen

Shael Io Tal turned my Death Mask into a “gemmed Death Mask”

Oh wow, I’d need to add 41 str to put trek on

Here is mine (and the most common build imo. now with rotw, she could use a new ancient jewel in her griffons and a latent sunder):
https://maxroll.gg/d2/d2planner/svejxy0n

StoBeast wrote: 4 months ago

Shael Io Tal turned my Death Mask into a “gemmed Death Mask”

Cure is ladder only. You need to buy one on non ladder.

Cure is ladder-only. You must buy one.

Your setup is bot bad but 600 life and 2300 mana are not much for your gear.

What character level do you have?

Have you put any points in Str, Vit and Dex (which you should not do)?

I persOnally do not use Treks (too much str, need the points in Energy). I go with rare (caster) Boots with frw, mana and poison res.

Your Energy Shield is lacking. Max Telekinesis first, and then ES. Dump all your remaining stats in Energy. Get skillers to boost your ES %

StoBeast wrote: 4 months ago

I’ll switch to trek. No, I didn’t max tele. I need 10 levels to max ES… as far as I can tell, this build needs like level 95. I did put one into Warmth and frozen

Shael Io Tal turned my Death Mask into a “gemmed Death Mask”

Oh wow, I’d need to add 41 str to put trek on

Been there you need 20 to Nova, mastery, static, ES, Telekinesis. One point Tele, Warmth. You want to max out Telekinesis BEFORE ES, it makes a difference.

Meanwhile, if you don't care being slow with immunes and don't want to waste a token, I'd try HOTO + CoH + Lidless. You will feel the res difference improvement!

StoBeast wrote: 4 months ago

Ias far as I can tell, this build needs like level 95. I did put one into Warmth and frozen

Yea you max out skills at lvl 95 with this build. I put one point into thunderstorm so she is maxed at 96.
The trek vs other Boots with poison res really comes down to play style and preferences. I personally go for trek because of the additional fhr and the crazy high poison res. I have also maxed out fhr (all my skiller GC also have 12 fhr). Getting stunned on p8 from a crit soul hit in WSK can be deadly, even with maxed es and Telekinesis. This is probably overkill, but I enjoy not getting Stun locked.
At the same time I see the benefit of using the extra str points for energy.

Cracume wrote: 4 months ago

I'd try HOTO + CoH + Lidless. You will feel the res difference improvement!

No, ES Nova Sorc does not need all res, only poison res. And he already has a self-wield Infinity which is the best damage option by far.

This build does not necessarily need lvl 95. It depends on your +skills when you reach max 95% ES

Resistantces do not matter at all if you are using Energy Shield.

Also check this out forums/budget-non-squishy-nova-sorc-t1770329.html

I proposed that because they didn't max Telekinesis. Until then, it does

Other advice if you are feeling squishy - run Frostburn for the +40% mana, and go 75% FCR breakpoint with just viper and arachnid and griffon. It's plenty fast, a 75 FCR sorc already TP's faster than I can react to if I'm trying to assess whether I want to stop and kill an elite mob. This will also allow you to run with mara's which will provide more resist than your FCR ammy.

And agree you have to max out Telekinesis, I would do that before putting more than a few points into ES. ES really only starts to shine with maxed TK.

Also, while leveling and before your ES is maxed, you will have to balance between health and life a bit more, and resistances other than poison will still matter. Once you are fully maxed out, the other resistances don't really matter. Just use some resist charms until your ES is high enough.

louner wrote: 4 months ago

Resistantces do not matter at all if you are using Energy Shield.

Also check this out forums/budget-non-squishy-nova-sorc-t1770329.html

Lightning Res <50 + Pack of Souls simultanously shooting at you = Death
Bad Poison resist at Terror Radament or second Baal Wave = Big annoyance and dangerous
Bad resist and Lower Res cursed @ Chaos Sanctuary = Have fun drinking pots

Could add more examples, Scarabs just come to my mind

long story short= go 75% all res, even on ES sorc, its QoL

Blubbalutsch wrote: 4 months ago

louner wrote: 4 months ago

Resistantces do not matter at all if you are using Energy Shield.

Also check this out forums/budget-non-squishy-nova-sorc-t1770329.html

Lightning Res <50 + Pack of Souls simultanously shooting at you = Death
Bad Poison resist at Terror Radament or second Baal Wave = Big annoyance and dangerous
Bad resist and Lower Res cursed @ Chaos Sanctuary = Have fun drinking pots

Could add more examples, Scarabs just come to my mind

long story short= go 75% all res, even on ES sorc, its QoL

Ehh, I am running around with -90% lightning res, almost never die, even on P8 Baal runs. It's not that bad. I'd recommend trying it out, see if you are ok with the risk for yourself

Blubbalutsch wrote: 4 months ago

long story short= go 75% all res, even on ES sorc, its QoL

Nope. To reach 75% all res, you would have to Sacrifice lots of damage and fcr.

Instead you increase your mana pool. With 3000+ mana and max ES, you can even survive a volley of 10 souls. The only real danger are dolls. For them, I sometimes switch my self-Infi for Eschuta's+ Stormshield.

louner wrote: 4 months ago

Ehh, I am running around with -90% lightning res, almost never die, even on P8 Baal runs. It's not that bad. I'd recommend trying it out, see if you are ok with the risk for yourself

Of course you can do that, but glass cannon is no fun imo and according to the thread's creator, drinking pots and having to move carefully is the biggest problem. I leveled Nova sorc to 99. The damage gain thru 3 more skillers and RBF in Vipermagi is neglectable, but the risk of dying at lvl 98 is not. But if you seek even more thrill, why not try doing -90% res build at hardcore ?

mikelessar wrote: 4 months ago

Nope. To reach 75% all res, you would have to Sacrifice lots of damage and fcr.

You don't have to Sacrifice any FCR with decent Amu, Boots and charms.

Blubbalutsch wrote: 4 months ago

louner wrote: 4 months ago

Ehh, I am running around with -90% lightning res, almost never die, even on P8 Baal runs. It's not that bad. I'd recommend trying it out, see if you are ok with the risk for yourself

Of course you can do that, but glass cannon is no fun imo and according to the thread's creator, drinking pots and having to move carefully is the biggest problem. I leveled Nova sorc to 99. The damage gain thru 3 more skillers and RBF in Vipermagi is neglectable, but the risk of dying at lvl 98 is not. But if you seek even more thrill, why not try doing -90% res build at hardcore ?

Its not a glass cannon by any means. Try putting on The Gladiator's Bane, or Prudence runeword, you will see what I mean

The point is, with lvl ~30 Energy Shield, it absorbs ~90% of damage, then you can negate the remaining 10% with "magic damage reduced by X"/"damage reduced by X" nearly down to zero. Even -90% lightning res does not matter that much, because it will bump damage you would take from HP pool from like 4 points to 7-8 etc; not really something substantial.

If you are running with this build, then yeah it will be a glass cannon: https://maxroll.gg/d2/guides/nova-sorceress-guide (I really think that it's a shit build tbh - this specific one from maxroll; I love Nova sorc overall, but with some reduced damage etc)

I put in a Mal in my perfect Vipermagi and that solved almost all the bleed-through

StoBeast, you have not told us about your charms. Of course, skillers are a good idea and maybe 2 or 3 +12 fhr grand charms (ideally with +1 lightning) because you are tele-stomping all the time.

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