To find out more general information about leveling as a Sorcerer in Diablo 4, you can check out our main Leveling Guide.
Leveling GuideBuild Introduction
This Shock Sorceress build is highly effective for leveling up a new, alt, or seasonal character. It excels in dealing significant frontal area-of-effect (AoE) damage through the use of 
Arc Lash, while also providing solid single-target damage with 
Charged Bolts to take down bosses in melee range, and has improved mobility thanks to Flickering Arc Lash.
Once your character reaches Level 50 or is ready for World Tier 3, pick one of our Endgame Builds to continue your Sorcerer journey.
For information on Season 4: Loot Reborn, you can check out our Season Hub. Furthermore, the Season 4 Journey will reward you with a set of gear intended for an 
Incinerate build. You can check out our endgame build for it here.
Skill Bar and Skill Tree Points
Ice Armor 
Teleport 
Frost Nova 
Unstable Currents Arc Lash Charged Bolts The table presented below outlines the recommended order for allocating your Skill Points. At Level 50, you will have a total of 48 points available and an additional 10 points can be obtained upon completing Renown in each zone, resulting in a total of 58 points.
Enchantment Slots
The Specialization of the Sorceress Class becomes available at Level 15. It is recommended to complete the Legacy of The Magi questline, within the Fractured Peaks, as soon as possible to unlock the first Enhancement Slot. The second slot will become available upon reaching Level 30.
Each Non-Ultimate Skill is associated with an Enchantment effect, and any Non-Ultimate Skill can be equipped in an Enchantment Slot. However, a skill must have at least one skill point allocated to it in order to be used in the Enchantment Slot. Skill points that have been granted through gear work as well.
Fireball is slotted in the first Enchantment Slot once you unlock it at Level 15. It helps clear groups of enemies early on.
Fire Bolt is slotted in the second Enchantment Slot once you unlock it at Level 30. It simply adds more DPS to all your damaging Skills.
Mechanics and Playstyle
The core damage-dealing abilities in this build are Arc Lash and Charged Bolts. Arc Lash delivers impressive frontal area-of-effect damage and can Stun enemies it touches. The Charged Bolts Skill, on the other hand, excels in single target damage and is particularly effective against elites and bosses when used at melee range.
Additionally, the Unstable Currents ultimate skill enhances damage output by randomly casting an additional shock spell whenever a shock skill is used. This synergizes well with Arc Lash, as you can spam the skill during Unstable Currents, and use Charged Bolts when sufficient Mana has been accumulated.
The Shock Sorceress excels at controlling crowds. With increased movement speed through Flickering Arc Lash, as well as Teleport, you can easily move around or even through enemies, while Stunning or Freezing them through Frost Nova. This provides control and mobility during the fight.
Damage Rotation
Please note that this build will be especially fun for players who prefer melee combat, featuring a rotation that emphasizes melee-focused Skills:
- (Optional) Activate Unstable Currents against tough elites and bosses.
- Cast Frost Nova to apply Vulnerable.
- Cast Charged Bolts up close against tougher enemies to shotgun them with multiple bolt projectiles.
- Use Ice Armor to protect against incoming damage and regen Mana.
- Spam Arc Lash to finish off weaker groups of enemies.
Repeat the above steps until all enemies are defeated.
Gear, Gems, Elixirs, and Stats
When considering gear choices in Diablo 4, it is important to understand the concept of Item Power. Item Power, displayed beneath the item name and type, represents the strength of your gear and directly impacts the capabilities of your character. Higher Item Power generally indicates stronger gear, but it is important to also consider the affixes and effects that align with your class and build. In some cases, a lower Item Power item might outperform a higher one if it has a special stat that synergizes well with your skills or playstyle. So, when making gear decisions, keep an eye on both Item Power and the specific attributes that complement the build.
In the early levels, selling gear for gold is a good option, but in later levels, try to find a balance between selling and salvaging items. Additionally, prioritize upgrading weapons and jewelry, as they affect combat performance the most.
Two-Handed Staves are preferred over Wands for higher damage per hit. Armor should only be improved if it has relevant stats or bonuses for the build.
Legendary Aspects
To unlock Aspects in the Codex of Power, you must complete the corresponding Dungeon where the specific Aspect drops. Visit the Occultist to imprint Aspects onto items.
Once an aspect is unlocked in the Codex, either through completing the necessary dungeon or finding it as a random drop, it will be registered inside the Codex of Power forever and can be upgraded by salvaging the same aspect, up to a maximum of 16 times. If you get lucky and directly find a legendary aspect with the best roll possible, it will automatically be upgraded to max rank (16/16).
We have a dedicated in-depth Aspect and Codex of Power guide that you can check out for more information.
Listed below are all the Aspects that are important for the 
Arc Lash leveling build. Equip any aspect from this list in the slot it drops for, as they are all useful while leveling an Arc Lash Sorceress. However, if you need a specific pointer as to which aspect to get first, the 
Rapid Aspect would be the most beneficial as you level with Arc Lash. You can unlock this aspect by completing the Burried Halls dungeon within the Dry Steppes.
| Aspect Name | Legendary Aspect Power | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aspect of the Moonrise | Damaging an enemy with a Basic Skill grants you 4% Attack Speed for 10 seconds, stacking up to 5 times. Upon reaching maximum stacks, you enter a Vampiric Bloodrage, gaining {#}% Basic Skill damage and 15% Movement Speed for 10 seconds. | Random Drop / Obols Gambling |
| Aspect of Piercing Static | Charged Bolts pierce, but deal {#}% less damage to targets hit after the first. | Wretched Delve, Scosglen |
| Aspect of Control | You deal % more damage to Immobilized, Stunned, or Frozen enemies. | Sunken Library, Kehjistan |
| Rapid Aspect | Basic Skills gain {#}% Attack Speed. | Buried Halls, Dry Steppes |
 Aspect of Might | Basic Skills grant % Damage Reduction for 4.0 seconds. | Dark Ravine, Dry Steppes |
| Aspect of Retribution | Distant enemies have a 10% chance to be Stunned for 2 seconds when they hit you. You deal {#}% increased damage to Stunned enemies. | Abandoned Mineworks, Kehjistan |
 Prodigy’s Aspect | Using a Cooldown restores 15 Mana. | Witchwater, Hawezar |
| Aspect of Efficiency | Casting a Basic Skill reduces the Mana cost of your next Core Skill by {#}%. | Domhainne Tunnels, Scosglen |
| Edgemaster’s Aspect | Skills deal up to {#}% increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource. | Oldstones, Scosglen |
| Elementalist’s Aspect | Core or Mastery Skills cast at or above 100 Mana gain a {#}% increased Critical Strike Chance. | Pallid Delve, Dry Stepps |
| Mage-Lord’s Aspect | The  Vyr’s Mastery Key Passive’s Damage Reduction is increased by {#}% for each Close enemy, up to {#}%. | Random Drop / Obols Gambling |
| Stable Aspect | While Unstable Currents is not active, your Shock Skills have a {#}% chance to trigger a free cast from it. | Random Drop / Obols Gambling |
| Aspect of Disobedience | You gain {#}% increased Armor for 4 seconds when you deal any form of damage, stacking up to {#}%. | Halls of the Damned, Kehjistan |
| Aspect of Adaptability | – When cast below 50% Maximum Resource, Basic Skills generate 3 of your Primary Resource, once per cast. – When cast at or above 50% Maximum Resource, Basic Skills deal {#}% increased damage. | Random Drop / Obols Gambling |
| Aspect of the Unwavering | Taking direct damage has a {#}% chance to reset the Cooldown of one of your Defensive Skills. | Putrid Aquifer, Kehjistan |
 Aspect of the Bounding Conduit | Gain % Movement Speed for 3 seconds after using Teleport. | Komdor Temple, Dry Stepps |
Gems
Listed below are the best Gems to socket into gear for each item type.
| Weapon Gems | Armor Gems | Jewelry Gems |
|---|---|---|
 Topaz For Basic Damage |  RubyFor increased Maximum Life. |  Skull For more Armor. |
Which Elixirs Should You Use?
To gain an edge in your adventures, head to the Alchemist in any main town, and craft Elixirs that increase your stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Remember to gather the necessary crafting materials by foraging plants! Craft an 
Elixir of Advantage to boost Attack Speed, or an 
Elixir of Momentum for increased Movement Speed.
Return to the Alchemist again when you reach Level 20, 30, 45, 60, 70, 80, and 90, to upgrade your potion. The extra healing is essential to survival!
Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes
During your leveling journey, you may stumble across items with very good affixes. Tempering these items can provide you with a significant boost in character power, so make sure you understand how it works:
Items in the game have been adjusted to reflect their rarity: Normal Items have no affixes, Magic Items have 1 affix, Rare Items have 2 affixes, Legendary Items have 3 affixes, and Unique Items have 4 affixes. Upgrading a Rare Item to a Legendary Item won’t add a third affix, making default Legendary Items the best choice for maximizing your character’s potential. Tempering adds 2 extra affixes to Rare or Legendary Items, with Ancestral Legendary Items supporting up to 5 affixes.
Tempering is only possible if you have already found a few Tempering Manuals while leveling!
Tempering GuideKeep an eye out for the following stats and modifiers that are particularly beneficial for this build (listed in order of importance):
| Gear Slot | Important Affixes (ranked by priority) | Tempering Recipes and Affixes |
|---|---|---|
| Weapons | 1. Intelligence, Basic Skill Damage 2. Core Skill Damage 3. Vulnerable Damage, Maximum Life |  Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Crowd Controlled EnemiesShock Augments (Weapon): Chance for Charged Bolts Projectiles to Cast Twice |
| Focus | 1. Basic Skill Attack Speed, Attack Speed 2. Cooldown Reduction 3. Resource Generation | Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close EnemiesShock Augments (Weapon): Chance for Charged Bolts Projectiles to Cast Twice |
| Helm | 1. Cooldown Reduction, Intelligence 2. Armor, Maximum Life 3. Resistances | Sorcerer Control (Utility): Stun Duration or Frost Nova SizeWorldly Endurance (Defensive): Maximum Life |
| Chest | 1. Intelligence, Ranks to All Defensive Skills 2. Resistances, Maximum Life 3. Armor, Barrier Generation | Sorcerer Control (Utility): Stun Duration or Frost Nova SizeWorldly Endurance (Defensive): Maximum Life |
| Gloves | 1. Attack Speed, Ranks of Arc Lash, Ranks of Charged Bolts 2. Critical Strike Chance 3. Maximum Life, Armor | Natural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close EnemiesWorldly Fortune (Utility): Chance to Stun |
| Pants | 1. Intelligence, Ranks of Arc Lash 2. Armor, Maximum Life 3. Resistances | Natural Resistance (Defensive): Any ResistanceSorcerer Control (Utility): Stun Duration |
| Boots | 1. Movement Speed 2. Ranks of Teleport, Intelligence 3. Maximum Life, Armor | Natural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control DurationSorcerer Motion (Mobility): Teleport Cooldown Reduction |
| Amulet | 1. Cooldown Reduction, Ranks of All Defensive Skills 2. Movement Speed 3. Armor, Resistances | Natural Motion (Mobility): Movement SpeedShock Finesse (Offensive): Lightning Damage |
| Rings | 1. Attack Speed 2. Maximum Life, Intelligence 3. Crowd Control Damage, Vulnerable Damage | Ultimate Efficiency — Sorcerer (Resource): Unstable Currents Cooldown ReductionShock Finesse (Offensive): Lightning Damage |
Capstone and Early Paragon
Once you hit Level 50 with this build, you will be ready to tackle your first Capstone Dungeon and unlock World Tier 3. We recommend using the following Paragon boards and Glyphs for your first few levels after 50, as you transition into your preferred endgame build. Please keep in mind that the information provided is just intended to assist you in spending points for a few levels, and we strongly advise you to choose an endgame build guide to truly enjoy the game at world tier 4 and beyond.
It is usually suggested to choose Rare Glyphs over Magic Glyphs because they offer stronger bonuses. However, if you do not have the recommended rare glyph, the lower rarity versions are good enough for the start.
Starting Board
- Grab the
Resilience node first to gain extra Resistance to All Elements. - Then the non-physical damage boost node
Elementalist, because you can still be vulnerable during leveling, so you should focus on better resistances before aiming for more damage. - If you have it, insert the
Flamefeeder or, alternatively, 
Subdue Glyph, and grab surrounding nodes.
Static Surge Board
Turn the board twice before attaching!
- Make your way to the glyph slot first and insert either Wisdom or
Elementalist, and pick surrounding Intelligence nodes. - Then grab the additional damage to stunned enemies node,
Incapacitate, and the lightning resistances from 
Electro. - Additionally, take the
Static Surge legendary node, and then head out on the right.
Ceaseless Conduit Board
Turn the board once before attaching it.
- Head to the glyph socket. If you have this rare glyph already, insert Control into the glyph socket. The alternative magic glyph option would be Slayer.
- Afterward, grab the
Galvanic Catalyst rare node as well as the surrounding magical nodes for increased lightning damage. - Additionally, if you still have paragon points to spend, you can grab
Hunter Killer and nearby magical nodes for extra damage against Elites, as well as Movement Speed.
Paragon Board images courtesy of d4builds.gg
Once you have enough paragon points to move on to the fourth board, you can switch to an endgame build. Keep in mind that the boards above are simply transitional paragon boards until you are ready to jump into an endgame build!
Season 4 Changes
The following list details the changes in the Season 4 Patch Update that may pertain to leveling an Arc Lash Sorceress.
Skills and Passives
- Mastery Skills are now also considered Core Skills.
Enhanced Ice Armor: - Mana Regeneration increased from 25% to 30%.
- Shimmering Ice Armor:
- While Ice Armor is active, you reduce its Cooldown by 1 2 seconds for every 50 Mana you spend.
- Mystical Ice Armor:
- While Ice Armor is active, you periodically Chill Close enemies for 20% and deal 15% increased damage to Frozen enemies.
Shimmering Frost Nova: - Frost Nova grants 3% Dodge Chance per enemy hit, up to 15%. Hitting a Boss gives the maximum amount. For the next 8 seconds, you keep this effect, and successful Dodges generate 20 Mana.
Enhanced Teleport: - You gain 30% Movement Speed for 3 seconds after Teleporting.
- Mystical Teleport:
- Teleport deals 500% increased damage. It also forms a Crackling Energy for each enemy it hits, up to 3.
Greater Charged Bolts: - Damage increased from 25% to 35%.
Elemental Attunement: - Cooldown reset chance increased from 5% to 7%
Convulsions: - Lucky Hit Chance increased from 3% to 5%.
Elemental Dominance: - Damage increased from 3% to 4%
Aspects and Gear
- Aspect of the Bounding Conduit
- Teleport’s Cooldown is reduced by 1.0-2.5 seconds. After Teleporting, Crackling Energy hits 2 additional enemies for 5 seconds.
- Aspect of Retribution
- Chance to Stun increased from 8% to 10%.
- Now increases damage to Stunned and Knocked Down enemies.
- Aspect of Disobedience
- Armor stacks no longer fall off independently. They now refresh or reset at the same time.
- Armor gain changed to 25-40%.
Changelog
- May 10th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 4.
- Skill points 57 + 58 were modified.
- Added Tempering Affixes.
- Updated Legendary Aspects.
- Added three Paragon Boards with basic glyph recommendations.
- Added Season 4 change list.
- March 5th, 2024: Updated for Patch 1.3.3.
- January 22nd, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3.
- October 17th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 2.
- August 7th, 2023: Moved this build to its own separate page.
- August 4th, 2023: Updated for Patch 1.1.1.
- July 18th, 2023: Updated for Season 1.
