As a Sorcerer player, my biggest pain point in Diablo 4 has always been the survivability. I can get one shot basically at anytime and from anywhere.
Sorcerer is still the squishiest class right now because of lack of Armor and Resistance not working great in World Tier 4. After spending hundreds of hours playing and researching, I am now able to face tank enemies that are 40 Levels above me.
So, I am excited to share my key learnings across Aspects, Gears and Paragon Board that helped me achieve the tankiness and enjoy the game without worrying about dying randomly. Hope it can help you enhance your favorite build and have more fun in Diablo 4 Season 1.
Disobedience On Amulet
First, use Disobedience at Amulet.
Armor is still the number one Damage Reduction mechanism in the game. The 15% Armor difference of the Disobedience alone is a 27% Damage Reduction to enemies 40 Levels above me.
Aspects To The Rescue
Second, get the Aspect of Might for 20% Damage Reduction and the Everliving Aspect for another 25%.
Before the 1.1 patch, Vulnerable Uptime has been low with Lightning and Fire Sorcerer as people use Frost Nova at that time.
But 1.1 buffed Ice Blades that the Vulnerable Uptime is close to 100% now. So, any build running Ice Blades can take the Everliving Aspect for another 25% Damage Reduction.
Gear Stats Prioritization
Third, get all these defensive stats on Helm, Chest Armor, Pants or Amulets.
Each of them is around 10% to 20% more Damage Reduction, or, in other words, gets you 12% to 25% more tankier.
And put your belt on, I am going to dive into some complicated math now. Or, you can just remember this conclusion and skip to the next section.
Helm/Chest Armor/Pants/Amulets
- % Total Armor
- Damage Reduction (from Close/Distant Enemies)
- Dodge Chance (against Close/Distant Enemies)
- Maximum Life
So, when you are getting a 20% Damage Reduction, it means you are 1-1/(1-20%) = 25% more tankier.
For example, if you have 10000 HP, a 20% Damage Reduction stat is equivalent to a 2500 Maximum HP stat. Because a hit of 12500 Damage from enemy will deal 12500*(1-20%) = 10000 Damage after 20% Damage Reduction.
So, Damage Reduction is more effective than it looks.
As after Level 90, you will have 10000 HP. At that point, pick the 20% Damage Reductions first. That are much better than 1000 Maximum Life.
While the % Total Armor and the % Damage Reduction are similar to the Maximum Life, that are interchangeable. I actually hate it so much. That it is so complicated.
The easy conclusion to remember is to get all these defensive stats.
One more important note is to get 2 Damage Reductions from Close Enemies as we are face tanking for most of the time. Enemies are in close range and 1 Damage Reduction from Distant Enemy on Pants or Amulet to avoid getting one shot before the fight that I am still rerolling on my Pants.
Also Read: How To Target Farm Specific Diablo 4 Unique Items And Double Unique Drop Chance?
Best Defensive Malignant Hearts
Next, get the Revenge Heart that is the best defensive heart right now as it offers flat 20% damage reduction in all situations.
No Glass Cannon
Don’t add Glass Cannon after Level 70. It will just make the survivability issue even worse.
The one rank from Raiment is unavoidable.
Paragon Board
In addition, get the 200 Armor from Paragon Board. It will be another 18% Damage Reduction against the Level 100 enemy.
I’ve updated the Thor Nuke Build Paragon Board to include this. If you are running other builds, make sure to get them on your boards, too. Of course, if it is very difficult for you to make builds, you can not only check the free builds here but also take a look at Diablo 4 Boosting Service. There will be professional players who tailor five builds for endgame for you.
Elixir
Last, take Armor Elixirs for a high tier Nightmare Dungeon push.
I took this 400 Armor Elixir, and it gives me another 22% Damage Reduction vs Enemies 40 Levels above me. And if I take this 900 Armor Elixir, it will give me a 49% Damage Reduction.
Imagine you are twice as tanky by just taking this Elixir. This 900 Armor Elixir can be farmed in the Helltide Chests.
1.1.1 Lookahead & Summary
When it comes to conclusion, the cold truth is that, Sorcerer is still the squishiest class right now.
And I hope this guide can help you adjust your favorite build to get as much tanky to face tank and sweep high level Nightmare Dungeons and have fun in Diablo 4 as a Sorcerer.
The upcoming 1.1.1 Patch buffs the Damage Reduction on Paragon Board Nodes and Damage Reduction on Glyphs. And this new Mage-Lord aspect will be interesting to test for further tankiness.
But to be honest, my deepest fear of getting one shot is still before the fight even starts. And these buffs would not change that situation. I’d recommend Blizzard to introduce a new Glyph to focus on Damage Reductions against Distant Enemy, like a counterpart of the Territorial Glyph.
