Lightning Sorceress Build -D2R 2.6

Build Introduction

The Lightning Sorc is probably the most extreme sorceress build, as it is the only one capable of reaching 200% faster cast rate and having a 7 frame teleport speed, making it the fastest build in the game. With proper gearing feats like teleporting to Mephisto, Andariel or the Throne of Destruction from the nearest waypoints within 30 seconds are easily doable. In addition, lightning sorcs also have high area damage via the chain lightning skill that deals up to 13k damage per bolt, and up to 37k lightning damage with the lightning skill. If you want to break the record for the quickest Meph run, this is the build you should play! The downsides are the same as other sorceresses, the relatively weak survivability compared to other classes, and the monsters with elemental damage immunities. The latter can be overcome by equipping your mercenary with Infinity to provide you Conviction aura and remove enemy resistances and immunities in most cases. Budget and Ladder starter versions of the build are available, but if you want the best gearing options, it's going to be very expensive.

Related Guides

Mercenary Guide | Magic Find Guide | Charms Guide | Quest Rewards Guide | Hardcore Guide | Levelling Guide | Secret Cow Level Guide | Restating and Skilling Guide | Item Upgrade Guide | Cube Recipe Guide |

Gameplay

Attacking skills: Against monster groups, you should use the Chain Lightning skill, as it is by far the highest area damage dealing lightning skill. Against high life monsters and bosses using Static Field is a great choice as it reduces the remaining life of a Boss by 25% with each cast and can quickly reduce any enemy monster’s life to 50%. Then you should use Lightning to kill monsters as it's the highest single-target damage lightning skill. Against lightning immune monsters, you should rely on your merc. Having your merc wear an Infinity runeword weapon will provide you with Conviction aura which gets rid of most lightning monster immunities.

Movement: For movement we will rely on teleportation. Lightning sorcs are the most mobile characters in the game with the fastest possible teleportation speed, as this build is capable of reaching 200% FCR and 7 frame teleportation. Otherwise you should aim for the 63% FCR breakpoints (9 frame teleportation), or the 105% FCR breakpoint (8 frame teleportation). Make sure to walk instead of run, so you retain your chance to block against physical attacks.

Survivability: This build is amongst the more fragile sorceress builds. You will have to rely on very expensive equipment in order to boost your survivability, like lightning skill charms with life, and all resistances small charms with life. Wear a Call to Arms as your switch weapon so you can buff your life and mana by the Battle Orders skill. Make sure to have 75% all resistances on hell, and wear a Raven Frost ring so you don't get frozen. If you are willing to give up damage and faster casting rate, using a Stormshield instead of a Spirit as your primary shield can greatly help with your survivability.

Party and Solo play: Soloing with the lightning sorc is not an issue if you are able to afford an Infinity for your merc. Without that, you will have to face plenty of lightning immune monsters that will cause you troubles. You will still be able to farm endgame Bosses, but for clearing areas like the Chaos Sanctuary or the Throne of Destruction, you will have to rely on your party. When doing Baal runs, a lightning sorc can be the most helpful character you can have, as it can teleport to the Throne of Destruction faster than any other character, making the party able to farm Baal with unmatched speed.

Magic Find: The lightning sorc can be a very decent magic find character. It can achieve high magic find % and still deal immense damage, but you will need separate gear for MFing and for farming. It is also a great ladder starter, you will be capable of efficiently farming Meph, Andy, Countess and many other monsters with ease right after a season start.

Stats

Strength: Put just enough points on it to be able to wear your gear.

Dexterity: Put just enough points on it to be able to wear your gear.

Vitality: Put all remaining points on it.

Energy: Don't put any points on it.

Skills

• Put one point on every lightning skill
• 1 point on Warmth
• 1 point on Frozen Armor, Shiver Armor and Chilling Armor
• 20 points on Chain Lightning
• 20 points on Lightning
• 20 points on Lightning Mastery
• 20 points on Nova
• Remaining points on Charged Bolt

Breakpoints - Check out our Sorceress Breakpoints guide.

Items, Gearing

The listed items are organized by slots.

• The usefulness rating of an item is based on how good it is for farming.
• The price rating reflects the cost of the item (cheaper ones are available after ladder starts as budget options), higher price ratings reflect exponentially higher cost for an item.
• Magic Find ratings are added to items that are good options for MFing.

Adding sockets and improving your items

• If you complete the act5 quest Siege on Harrogath, Larzuk will grant extra socket/sockets to your items. Use the quest to add sockets to your gear and put useful jewels, runes or gems in your item sockets.
• You can also upgrade your unique items from normal to exceptional quality and from exceptional to elite by using Horadric Cube recipes. After upgrading, your armor pieces will have more defense, and your weapon pieces will have more damage. The downside of upgrading is the increased strength/dexterity requirements.
• To increase your cold damage, put +5/-5 Lightning Rainbow Facets in your item sockets.

Helm

• Lore runeword -usefulness 4/10, price 1/10
• Peasant Crown unique helm - usefulness 5/10, price 2/10
• Tal Rasha's set helm - usefulness 7/10, price 2/10
• Harlequin Crest Shako unique helm - Usefulness 8/10, price 6/10
• Griffon's Eye - Usefulness 10/10, price 6/10

Amulet

• Any amulet with +1-2 to sorceress skills or + % faster cast rate - usefulness 4/10, price 1/10
• Tal Rasha's set amulet - usefulness 7/10, price 6/10
• Mara's Kaleidoscope unique amulet - usefulness 8/10, price 7/10
• 2 To Sorc skills +20% faster cast rate crafted amulet - usefulness 10/10, price varies

Weapon

• Spirit Crystal Sword -usefulness 6/10, price 2/10
• Wizardspike unique weapon - usefulness 6/10, price 4/10
• Tal Rasha's set weapon - usefulness 6/10, price 3/10
• The Oculus unique weapon - usefulness 8/10, price 5/10
• Heart of the Oak runeword - usefulness 9/10, price 6/10
• Eschuta's Temper unique weapon - usefulness 10/10, price 5/10

Shield

• Lidless Wall - usefulness 5/10, price 2/10
• Stormshield - usefulness 8/10, price 4/10
• Spirit Monarch - usefulness 8/10, price 2/10
• 4*Lightning Rainbow Facet Jeweler's Monarch of Deflection magic shield - usefulness 10/10, price 9/10

Switch Weapon

• Call to Arms Runeword - usefulness 10/10, price 7/10

Switch Shield

• Spirit Monarch - usefulness 10/10, price 2/10

Body Armor

• Stealth runeword - usefulness 5/10, price 2/10
• Skin of the Vipermagi unique armor - usefulness 7/10, price 5/10
• Tal Rasha's set armor - usefulness 6/10, price 6/10
• Ormus's robe unique armor - usefulness 10/10, price 5/10
• Chains of Honor runeword - usefulness 10/10, price 8/10

Belt

• Rare belt with +resistances and +life - usefulness 3/10, price 2/10
• Nightsmoke unique belt - usefulness 4/10, price 2/10
• Tal Rasha's set belt - usefulness 6/10, price 3/10
• Arachnid Mesh unique belt - usefulness 10/10, price 6/10

Rings

• Raven Frost unique ring - usefulness 8/10, price 4/10
• Bul Katho's Wedding Band unique ring - usefulness 8/10, price 6/10
• Stone of Jordan unique ring - usefulness 8/10, price 6/10
• Rare or crafted ring with 10% faster cast rate with additional life, mana, resistances - usefulness 10/10, price varies

Gloves

• Magefist unique gloves - usefulness 10/10, price 3/10

Boots

• Rare boots with 30% faster run and walk, % to faster hit recovery - usefulness varies, price varies
• Sandstorm Trek unique boots - usefulness 7/10, price 4/10
• Waterwalk unique boots - usefulness 8/10, price 4/10

Charms

• Any charm with +skill, life, faster hit recovery or faster run and walk - usefulness 4/10, price 1/10
• Annihilus unique charm - usefulness 10/10, price 8/10
• Hellfire Torch unique charm - usefulness 10/10, price 6/10
• +1 to Lightning Skills Grand Charm - usefulness 7/10, price 4/10
• Magic grand charms with +1 to Lightning skills and +life, +faster hit recovery or +faster run and walk - usefulness 8-10/10, price 5-10/10
• Magic small charms with resistances and life - usefulness 8-10/10, price 6-9/10
• Gheed's fortune unique charm - price 4/10

Mercenary

Have a Normal Act2 Combat or Defensive Mercenary (Prayer or Defiance aura) to provide you with mana and life regeneration, or additional defense.

Ethereal items don't lose durability if your mercenary wears them, so having ethereal item bases for each gear slot is preferred due to their increased defense on armor items and increased damage on weapons. In many instances ethereal items that are great for mercenaries will be much more expensive than non-ethereal ones.

Mercenary gear:

Helm

• Any 3 socketed helm with 3 perfect diamond to increase mercenary resistances and survivability - usefulness 5/10, price 1/10
• Tal Rasha's set helm - usefulness 6/10, price 3/10
• Vampire Gaze unique helm - usefulness 7/10, price 4/10
• Guillame's face set helm - usefulness 8/10, price 4/10
• Andariel's Visage unique helm - usefulness 10/10, price 5/10

Weapon

• Insight runeword to provide you with meditation aura so you never run out of mana - preferably in elite base - usefulness 7/10, price 4/10
• Reaper's Toll unique weapon - usefulness 7/10, price 6/10
• Infinity runeword - usefulness 10/10, price 8/10

Body Armor

• Treachery runeword - usefulness 9/10, price 4/10
• Fortitude runeword - usefulness 10/10, price 7/10

Rpgstash.com will have D2R items in its Ladder selection already on day 1. We will be doing our best to let you buy 2.4 ladder items right at the beginning of the season including the new runewords, so you can climb the ladder rankings as fast as possible!

If you want to get the best items and runewords in the game, check out our D2R Store.