AoEd4DamageEndgameS-TierSorceress

Blizzard Endgame Sorcerer Build Guide for Diablo 4 (Season 1)

Hail down massive AoE destruction with exploding Ice Spikes.

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Lexyu

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Updated: Posted:

BlizzardFrost NovaTeleportIce ArmorFlame ShieldDeep Freeze


Build Introduction

The BlizzardBlizzard Sorcerer build hails destruction down on top of enemies. Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect also explodes highly damaging Ice Spikes from the ground, causing the bulk of the total damage. This build excels at large Area of Effect (AoE) clearing with a high sustained Damage Per Second (DPS) once multiple Blizzards are ramped up.

Blizzard Sorcerer can also be modified to speed farm Nightmare Dungeons. With TeleportTeleport Enchantment and Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite, the Sorcerer can zoom through dungeons for quick experience and loot. Check the Telestomp Variant Section for all the details.

Consider the Ice Shards Sorcerer build as well. It has more immediate burst damage output, making it better for speed farming Nightmare Dungeons. Blizzard Sorcerer progresses through general content a little slower, but its higher sustained DPS is better for harder content, like high Tier Nightmare Dungeon pushes or Uber Lilith. Additionally, Blizzard Sorcerer has a safer playstyle which makes it a good choice for Hardcore mode. Choose a build based on your preferences in endgame activities.

This is a well performing endgame build for Sorcerer, but it is not a viable starting build. Level a new character with Arc Lash in the Sorcerer Leveling Guide. We recommend having all offensive Aspects, including an extracted Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect with a high flat damage value. You should also consider collecting the recommended gear ahead of time. Check the Aspects Section and Gear Section below for more details.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths
  • High Sustained DPS
  • Effective Wave Clearing if Stacked in One Spot
  • Multiple Defensive Skills and Crowd Controls for Survivability
Weaknesses
  • Takes Time to Ramp Up DPS
  • Damage Reliant on Crowd Controlled Enemies or Staggered Bosses
  • Lacks Survivability When Defensive Skills or Crowd Controls Are Inactive

To see how this build compares to the other builds on our site, you can check out our build tier lists.

Season of the Malignant

Season 1 Patch Updates

The following list details the changes in the Season 1 Patch Update that are specific to this build. Check the Changelog for all the other guide updates.

  • Glacial Aspect Ice Spikes bonus damage to Frozen reduced from 25% to 15%.
  • Glacial Aspect Ice Spikes damage increased from .2-.3 to .25-.35.
  • Aspect of the Frozen Tundra Ice Spikes damage increased from .25-.35 to .3-.4.
  • Aspect of the Frozen Wake Ice Spikes damage increased from .2-.3 to .25-.35, and Chill increased from 10% to 15%.
  • Devouring Blaze bonus Critical Strike damage reduced from 10/20/30% to 7/14/21%.
  • Devouring Blaze bonus Critical Strike damage to Immobilized reduced from 25/50/75% to 10/20/30%.
  • Aspect of Retribution bonus damage to Stunned reduced from 20-40% to 10-20%.
  • Aspect of Disobedience maximum stacks reduced from 100 to 60, reducing maximum Bonus Armor % from 25%-50% to 15%-30%.
  • Protection Barrier duration increased from 2 to 3 seconds.
  • Supreme Deep Freeze Cooldown Reduction increased from 50% to 100%.
  • Mana Shield Damage Reduction increased from 5/10/15% to 7/14/21%.
  • Destruction Glyph now affects all damage instead of just Core Skills.
  • Fixed an issue where Aspect of Control was applying its damage bonus 3 times for Staggered bosses.
  • Fixed an issue where Aspect power would also increase when upgrading an item at the Blacksmith.

Blizzard Sorcerer loses a considerable amount of damage output with the nerf to Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze and fix to Aspect of ControlAspect of Control. Ice Spike base damage on Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect receives a slight buff. Unfortunately, it does not offset the damage lost from the reduced bonus to Frozen and the base damage no longer increases with upgrades at the Blacksmith.

DestructionDestruction is now usable to increase Critical Strike Damage on Ice Spikes and has been included in the Paragon setup. This change might allow the Blizzard build to remain as a top pick for Sorcerers in Season 1.

Best Malignant Hearts Tier List for Blizzard Sorcerer

The Season 1 theme introduces Malignant Hearts that provide build-altering bonuses. The hearts are divided into 4 categories, each with a color that needs to be socketed in the corresponding colored Malignant Socket on equipped jewelry. Wrathful Hearts are a special case due to their rarity, and can be placed in any Socket. 

Always socket Malignant Hearts instead of a SkullSkull in Jewelry. Malignant Hearts provide an Armor bonus that scales with its Item Power.

Listed below is the Malignant Heart Tier List for this build, ranked by importance. Stats displayed reflect what a Level 20 character would receive as a drop.

  1. Caged Heart of The BarberCaged Heart of The Barber (Wrathful, Super-World Tier III): Critical Strikes and all subsequent damage within 2.0-4.0 seconds is absorbed by your target. Then, the absorbed damage erupts onto surrounding enemies. Stored damage is increased by 10% per second. – Fixed in Patch 1.1.1 to work with “on hit” effects and Lucky Hit chance.
  2. Caged Heart of Tal'RashaCaged Heart of Tal’Rasha (Vicious, Offensive): For each unique element you deal damage with, you deal 7-12% increased damage for 3-10 seconds. – Fixed in Patch 1.1.2 to be correctly calculated as multiplicative instead of additive.
  3. Caged Heart of Tempting FateCaged Heart of Tempting Fate (Vicious, Offensive-World Tier III): You gain 40-60% Critical Strike Damage but your Non-Critical Strikes deal 20-15% less damage.
  4. Caged Heart of RevengeCaged Heart of Revenge (Brutal, Defensive-World Tier III): 10-20% of incoming damage is instead suppressed. When you use a Defensive, Subterfuge or a Macabre skill, all suppressed damage is amplified by 250% and explodes, dealing up to 1360-2040 Fire damage to Nearby enemies.
  5. Caged Heart of SpellbreakingCaged Heart of Spellbreaking (Brutal, Defensive): Upon taking Elemental Damage, gain 10-20% Damage Reduction for 5 seconds. – Buffed in Patch 1.1.1 to reduce all damage taken, instead of providing resistances to individual elements.
  6. Caged Heart of the PicanaCaged Heart of the Picana (Vicious, Offensive): Critical Strikes electrically charge the enemy for 0.75-2.50 seconds, causing lightning to arc between them and any other charged enemies dealing 68-136 Lightning damage.

Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar

Skill Bar Setup for Blizzard Sorcerer (order does not matter)
Blizzard Blizzard Frost Nova Frost Nova Teleport Teleport Ice Armor Ice Armor Flame Shield Flame Shield Deep Freeze Deep Freeze

The following tables show the full allocation of Skill Points for the Blizzard Sorcerer build. The first table has the most important 52 points to start the build. The second table has the remaining 6 points that are allocated once you obtain all Skill Points from Renown.

Priority SkillsCluster
Fire BoltFire Bolt Level 2 (not on Skill Bar, only for Enchantment Slot 1)Basic SkillBasic Skill
DevastationDevastation Level 3
Potent WardingPotent Warding Level 1
Core SkillCore Skill
TeleportTeleport Level 1, Enhanced TeleportEnhanced Teleport, Shimmering TeleportShimmering Teleport
Frost NovaFrost Nova Level 5, Enhanced Frost NovaEnhanced Frost Nova, Mystical Frost NovaMystical Frost Nova
Ice ArmorIce Armor Level 1, Enhanced Ice ArmorEnhanced Ice Armor
Flame ShieldFlame Shield Level 1, Enhanced Flame ShieldEnhanced Flame Shield, Mystical Flame ShieldMystical Flame Shield
Glass CannonGlass Cannon Level 3
Elemental AttunementElemental Attunement Level 1
Defensive SkillDefensive Skill
Align the ElementsAlign the Elements Level 1, Mana ShieldMana Shield Level 3, ProtectionProtection Level 3Conjuration SkillConjuration Skill
BlizzardBlizzard Level 1, Enhanced BlizzardEnhanced Blizzard, Mage's BlizzardMage’s Blizzard
Icy VeilIcy Veil Level 3, Cold FrontCold Front Level 3
Mastery SkillMastery Skill
Deep FreezeDeep Freeze
PermafrostPermafrost Level 3, HoarfrostHoarfrost Level 3, Icy TouchIcy Touch Level 3
Ultimate SkillUltimate Skill
ShatterShatterKey PassivesKey Passives

Remaining Renown PointsCluster
Inner FlamesInner Flames Level 1, Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze Level 3Mastery SkillMastery Skill
TeleportTeleport +2 PointsDefensive SkillDefensive Skill

Alternative Skills

Deep FreezeDeep Freeze is useful as a panic button in emergencies or as another source of Freeze when Frost NovaFrost Nova is on Cooldown.

The default Skill Tree is our best setup for general farming activities. Alternatively, Deep Freeze can be replaced with the following Skills.

  • Glinting Frost BoltGlinting Frost Bolt can be used to generate Mana if you run into resource problems. Proper Mana Cost Reduction and Maximum Mana should be enough resource management, so Frost BoltFrost Bolt should only be used as a temporary solution.
  • InfernoInferno has a vortex pull that can be helpful for grouping enemies, especially if you are lacking Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite.
  • MeteorMeteor can apply Immobilize with Wizard's MeteorWizard’s Meteor to gain more damage from Aspect of ControlAspect of Control and Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze. The vortex pull from Raiment of the Infinite makes it easier to land Meteor on an entire pack of enemies. While this setup is capable of dealing higher DPS, it is not needed unless you are pushing Nightmare Tiers well above your own level. For general farming purposes, Meteor is an unnecessary extra step in the rotation.

Enchantment Slots

Non-Ultimate Skills can be equipped in two available Enchantment Slots. 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.

Slot Fire BoltFire Bolt in the first Enchantment Slot. This applies Burning to enemies for Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze and Burning Effects from Paragon. Do not equip Fire Bolt on the Skill Bar.

Slot TeleportTeleport in the second Enchantment Slot. Equip Boots with Max Evade Charges or Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown as the implicit effect for more Evade Teleports. Teleports are needed to apply Burning to enemies, as Blizzard and Ice Spike do not work with Fire BoltFire Bolt Enchantment.

Paragon

The following video guides cover the entire Paragon setup and explain the decisions made. The video uses Ice Shards Sorcerer as an example. The Blizzard Sorcerer build uses the same setup, minus the Lucky Hit Chance nodes.

The Paragon progression system unlocks after reaching Level 50, and offers a considerable boost to character power. Within the Paragon Board, there are many different bonuses, ranging from minor stat enhancements on Magic Nodes to more significant gains with Rare Glyphs and Legendary Nodes.

When progressing towards Glyph Sockets and Legendary Nodes, we recommend prioritizing attributes such as Attack Speed, Non-Physical Damage, Intelligence, Resistance, and Life for Normal and Magic Nodes. As you level up Glyphs, their effects expand in radius. Therefore, if you are unable to meet Additional Bonus requirements early on, it might be better to skip allocating extra nodes for now.

Below, we have compiled a list of the most beneficial nodes for the Blizzard Sorcerer build, sorted in the order obtained in Paragon.

NameEffect
ElementalistElementalist• Paragon nodes within range gain + [72%] bonus to their Non-physical damage and damage reduction modifiers.
• Additional Bonus (requires 40 Intelligence purchased in radius range):
Dealing Fire, Cold, or Lightning damage to an enemy increases all damage you deal to them by 5% for 10 seconds, stacking once per element.
Frigid FateFrigid FateDealing Cold damage to Vulnerable enemies increases your Lucky Hit Chance by +1% for 5 seconds, up to 15%. (Legendary Node not used)
TacticianTactician• Grants + [120%] bonus to all Rare nodes within range.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
You deal x10% increased damage for 4 seconds after casting a Defensive Skill.
Elemental SummonerElemental SummonerYour Conjuration Skills have a 5% reduced Cooldown or Mana cost per Conjuration Skill you have equipped. (Legendary Node not used)
FlamefeederFlamefeeder• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal + [9.6%] increased damage to Burning targets.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
You deal x10% increased direct damage to Burning enemies.
Burning InstinctBurning InstinctYour Burning damage is increased by 40% of your Critical Strike Damage, further increased by 5% for every 20 Intelligence you have. (Legendary Node not used)
DestructionDestruction• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal + [19.2%] increased Critical Strike Damage.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
Critical Strikes increase all damage the enemy takes from you by x2% for 10 seconds, up to x12%.
Ceaseless ConduitCeaseless ConduitCrackling Energy has a 25% chance to not consume a Charge when triggered. Crackling Energy’s damage is increased by 2% per 20 total Intelligence you have. (Legendary Node not used)
ExploitExploit• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal + [3.85%] increased damage to Vulnerable targets.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
Dealing damage to a Vulnerable enemy increases your damage by x1% for 6 seconds, up to x10%.
Searing HeatSearing HeatCasting Fireball or Meteor increases the Critical Strike Chance of further casts of that Skill by +5% for 5 seconds, up to +15%. Additional stacks do not refresh this timer. (Legendary Node not used)
ControlControl• For every 5 Dexterity purchased within range, you deal + [14.4%] increased damage to Crowd Controlled targets.
• Additional Bonus (requires 25 Dexterity purchased in radius range):
You deal x10% increased damage to Slowed or Chilled enemies or, instead, x20% increased damage to Stunned or Frozen enemies.

Starting Board

  1. Path right and up to Elementalist. Purchase all 4 surrounding Magic Nodes.
  2. Continue up to the Glyph Socket. Insert ElementalistElementalist and purchase 40 Intelligence from nodes in radius range.
  3. Obtain Elemental Balance nearby and 3 Magic Nodes providing Non-Physical Damage.
  4. Continue down to Resilience and purchase 2 Magic Nodes providing Maximum Life.
  5. Continue up the left side to the first Board Attachment Gate. Attach Frigid Fate after rotating the board clockwise 1 time. The Glyph Socket should be located in the bottom left quadrant.

Frigid Fate (2nd Board)

The Legendary Node on this board is not used.

  1. Path left and then up to Oppressive. Purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.
  2. Continue up and then right to the Glyph Socket. Insert TacticianTactician and purchase 25 Dexterity from nodes in radius range. This Glyph needs the increased radius range at Level 15 to fulfill the additional bonus. Skip this step or use EnchanterEnchanter until TacticianTactician is at least Level 15.
  3. Obtain Weakness nearby and purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Vulnerable Damage.
  4. Continue right to Restorative. Purchase 2 Magic Nodes providing Maximum Life.
  5. Take the shortest route to the Board Attachment Gate on the right side. Attach Elemental Summoner without any rotations to the board. The Glyph Socket should be located on the top side.

Elemental Summoner (3rd Board)

The Legendary Node on this board is not used.

  1. Path right and then down to Reservoir and purchase all 5 Magic Nodes.
  2. Continue right and then down to Swift Conjurer. Purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Attack Speed.
  3. Path back up to the Glyph Socket. Insert FlamefeederFlamefeeder and purchase all Dexterity nodes in radius range. This Glyph needs the increased radius range at Level 15 to fulfill the additional bonus. Skip this step until Flamefeeder is at least Level 15.
  4. Take the shortest route to the Board Attachment Gate on the bottom side. Attach Burning Instinct after rotating the board clockwise 2 times. The Glyph Socket should be located in the top right quadrant.

Burning Instinct (4th Board)

The Legendary Node on this board is not used.

  1. Path down and then right to the Glyph Socket. Insert DestructionDestruction and purchase all Dexterity nodes in radius range.
  2. Obtain Smoldering Embers nearby and purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Damage Reduction from Enemies That Are Burning.
  3. Obtain Cinders nearby and purchase 3 Magic Nodes providing Damage to Burning Enemies.

Ceaseless Conduit (5th Board)

The Legendary Node on this board is not used.

  1. From the Frigid Fate board, take the shortest route to the Board Attachment Gate of the left side. Attach Ceaseless Conduit after rotating the board clockwise 3 times. The Glyph Socket should be located in the bottom right quadrant.
  2. Path left and then up to Hunter Killer. Purchase all 5 surrounding Magic Nodes.
  3. Path back down to the Glyph Socket. Insert ExploitExploit and purchase all Dexterity nodes in radius range.
  4. Take the shortest route to the Board Attachment Gate on the bottom side. Attach Searing Heat without any rotations to the board. The Glyph Socket should be located in the top right quadrant.

Searing Heat (6th Board)

The Legendary Node on this board is not used.

  1. Path right and then down to the Glyph Socket. Insert ControlControl and purchase all Dexterity nodes in radius range.
  2. Continue down and left to Combustion. Purchase 2 Magic Nodes providing Critical Strike Damage.

The remaining 3 Paragon points can be put into Potion Healing and All Resistance. Click this link and check the Paragon page on the planner for a visual of the entire tree.

Mechanics and Playstyle

The Blizzard Sorcerer requires careful management of resource and multiple cooldowns. Only 1 Skill Point is allocated in BlizzardBlizzard, as this build does not rely on the Damage Over Time portion of the skill. Instead, Ice Spikes from Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect deal almost all the damage in the build.

Casting Frost NovaFrost Nova to freeze an entire pack of enemies enables damage increases from Enhanced BlizzardEnhanced Blizzard, Aspect of ControlAspect of Control and ControlControl. Mystical Frost NovaMystical Frost Nova is our only source of Vulnerable application.

ShatterShatter is used as the preferred Key PassivesKey Passives in this build. AvalancheAvalanche is better for boss fights, but not worthwhile for general use due to the low Lucky Hit Chance of BlizzardBlizzard.

Use Deep FreezeDeep Freeze as a last resort to save you with Immunity.

Damage Rotation

Use the following rotation to optimize damage.

  1. Activate Flame ShieldFlame Shield immediately for 25% Mana Cost Reduction. Alternatively, you can save it to use reactively to break Crowd Controls or prevent fatal damage.
  2. Pre-cast BlizzardBlizzard a few times from a distance to start ramping up damage and Chill.
  3. Use TeleportTeleport offensive on top of enemies to activate Fire BoltFire Bolt Enchantment and apply Burning status. This is more effective with Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite for the Stun (see Telestomp variant).
  4. Cast Frost NovaFrost Nova to Freeze the entire pack of enemies.
  5. Activate Ice ArmorIce Armor for 25% Mana Regen.
  6. Continue casting BlizzardBlizzard until enemies are defeated.
  7. (Optional) Cast Deep FreezeDeep Freeze during difficult fights to become Immune while remaining Ice Spikes kill enemies.

Gear Choice and Stats

While farming with your BlizzardBlizzard Sorceress, make sure to pick up all Rare Item drops that may be upgrades. Additionally, save Legendary Items that have useful aspects in your stash to be used later, or for extracting and imprinting onto well rolled Rare Items.

Starting Gear Requirements

Collect the required gear before you make the switch to Blizzard Sorcerer. Wait until you have at least Sacred Items from World Tier 3 with all the possible Cooldown Reduction and Mana Cost Reduction mods.

A Staff is preferred over a Wand and Focus for the +100% bonus effect to Aspects on a Two-Handed Weapon. Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect gains double damage on a Staff from multiplying the base damage of Ice Spike by 2. In addition, the 25%[x] increased damage to Frozen enemies goes to 50%[x]. The Aspect bonus effect on a Staff contributes an additional 2.4 times multiplier on total damage from Ice Spikes!

Mana Cost Reduction is an important stat to spam more casts of BlizzardBlizzard. It can be found on a Focus, Amulet, and Boots. Get at least 25% Mana Cost Reduction before starting the build. In addition, Maximum Mana on Rings and Helm helps with resource management.

Higher Item Level gear provides higher stat values. Replace outdated gear often, and upgrade new gear at the Blacksmith to increase Item Levels further.

Stat Priority List

Listed below are the Affixes to prioritize on gear for Blizzard Sorcerer. Each line of Affixes are listed in order of importance. Affixes on the same line are considered to be equally important, since their exact values differ for each character. All stats have an effect that is dependent on how much is already stacked. Bolded stats are the most important and sometimes vital for the build to function properly.

Gear SlotImportant Affixes
Staff+ DPS value, Critical Strike Damage and Vulnerable Damage
+ Damage to Close Enemies, Intelligence
+ Damage to Burning, Stunned or Crowd Controlled Enemies
Focus (not used by default)+ DPS value, Cooldown Reduction, Mana Cost Reduction, Critical Strike Chance
+ Critical Strike Chance Against Injured Enemies
+ Damage Reduction from Burning Enemies
+ Resource Generation
+ Crowd Control Duration
+ Intelligence
Helm+ Cooldown Reduction and Maximum Mana
+ Maximum Life and Armor
+ Crowd Control Duration
+ Barrier Generation
+ Intelligence
Chest+ Damage Reduction, DR from Close, Distant or Burning Enemies
+ Maximum Life and Armor
+ Barrier Generation
+ Intelligence
+ Damage, Cold and Frost Skill Damage
Gloves+ Attack Speed and Critical Strike Chance
+ Intelligence
+ Critical Strike Chance Against Injured Enemies
+ Damage to Injured Enemies
Pants+ Damage Reduction, DR from Burning, Close or Distant Enemies
+ Maximum Life and Armor
+ Dodge Chance and DC Against Close Enemies
+ Intelligence
Boots+ Mana Cost Reduction and Ranks of Frost Nova
+ Ranks of Teleport
+ Movement Speed
+ Dodge Chance and DC Against Distant Enemies
+ Damage Reduction while Injured
+ Intelligence
Amulet+ Cooldown Reduction, Mana Cost Reduction and Ranks of the Devouring Blaze Passive
+ Ranks of All Defensive Skills
+ Ranks of Glass Cannon, Hoarfrost, Permafrost or Icy Touch Passive
+ Movement Speed
+ Damage Reduction, DR from Burning, Distant or Close Enemies
+ % Intelligence
+ Critical Strike Chance Against Injured Enemies
+ Crowd Control Duration
+ Damage and Frost Skill Damage
+ Armor
Rings+ Critical Strike Chance and Damage, Vulnerable Damage
+ Maximum Life, Maximum Mana
+ Damage to Close Enemies
+ Damage to Burning, Stunned, Injured or Crowd Controlled Enemies, Cold Damage
+ Resource Generation
+ Barrier Generation

Legendary Aspects and Codex of Power

Listed below are all the best-in-slot Aspects found on Legendary Items that are important for the Blizzard Sorcerer build. Aspects from the Codex of Power can be used if you cannot find the proper Legendary drops, but they have weaker effects. Extract Aspects from lower level Legendary Items and imprint them onto better Rare Items with preferred stats.

Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect contributes almost all of the base damage output in this build. Aspects with flat damage values scale up every 10 Item Power, and they can be extracted to maintain the same flat damage value once imprinted. Follow the step below to optimize the flat damage value on Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect.

  1. Find a Legendary Item with Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect that has a high Item Power and a high flat damage value within the given range.
  2. (This step no longer works with the season 1 patch update.) Upgrade the Legendary Item at the Blacksmith for an increase to the range of the flat damage value every 10 Item Power. A value rolled near the top of the range will maintain its high position in the new range when upgraded.
  3. Extract the Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect from the Legendary Item. The extracted Aspect maintains the flat damage value.
  4. Imprint the Glacial AspectGlacial Aspect on a well rolled Rare Item. Weapon DPS does not matter much, as Ice Spike base damage is determined by the flat damage value on the Aspect. Therefore, only 725 Item Power is necessary for the highest stat ranges on item affixes. Prioritize getting a Rare Item with the top affixes recommended in the Stat Priority List.
A Glacial Aspect Extracted from a 829 Item Power Legendary

Frostblitz AspectFrostblitz Aspect seems like it has a bad tradeoff of increasing the Cooldown on Frost NovaFrost Nova, but it has an unexpected interaction (possible bug) with Enhanced Frost NovaEnhanced Frost Nova. The Cooldown effect double dips when you have 2 maximum charges, reducing Cooldown by 2 seconds for every kill, up to 8 seconds total. This interaction makes Frostblitz AspectFrostblitz Aspect worth using when it normally would not be used.

Prodigy's AspectProdigy’s Aspect is needed to help with Mana generation.

Aspect of Frozen WakeAspect of Frozen Wake does not increase the damage of Ice Spikes from BlizzardBlizzard. It can be used to Freeze enemies faster during general farming.

Aspect of Binding EmbersAspect of Binding Embers provides Immobilize to activate more damage from Aspect of ControlAspect of Control and Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze. In addition, the unhindered movement helps if you get stuck on monsters with the Telestomp Variant.

Gear SlotAspect NameLegendary Aspect Power
Staff (+100% bonus)Glacial AspectGlacial AspectWhen you cast Blizzard it will periodically spawn exploding Ice Spikes that deal [X] damage. Your Ice Spikes deal 50% increased damage to Frozen enemies.
Amulet (+50% bonus effect)Aspect of ControlAspect of ControlYou deal [25-35%] more damage to Immobilized, Stunned, or Frozen enemies.
Ring Slot #1Prodigy's AspectProdigy’s AspectUsing a Cooldown restores [15 – 25] Mana.
Gloves or Ring Slot #2Aspect of the Frozen TundraAspect of the Frozen TundraWhile Deep Freeze is active, exploding Ice Spikes form in the area, dealing [X] Cold Damage. Your Ice Spikes have [50%] increased explosion radius.
Gloves or Ring Slot #2 (optional replacement with Fists of FateFists of Fate)Conceited AspectConceited AspectDeal [15 – 25%] increased damage while you have a Barrier active.
Chest (gets replaced by Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite)Everliving AspectEverliving AspectYou take [20 – 25%] less damage from Crowd Controlled or Vulnerable enemies.
Helm or PantsAspect of DisobedienceAspect of DisobedienceYou gain [0.25 – 0.50%] increased Armor for 4 seconds when you deal any form of damage, stacking up to [15.00 – 30.00%].
Helm or PantsFrostblitz AspectFrostblitz AspectFrost Nova gains an additional Charge but the Cooldown per Charge is increased by [40 – 30%].
BootsAspect of Binding EmbersAspect of Binding EmbersFlame Shield lets you move unhindered through enemies. Enemies you move through while Flame Shield is active are Immobilized for [2.0 – 3.0] seconds.

Unique Items

Raiment of the Infinite

Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite – After using Teleport, Close enemies are Pulled to you and Stunned for [2 – 3] seconds, but Teleport’s cooldown is increased by 20%.

This Unique Chest Armor synergizes well with this build to group and Stun enemies, activating Aspect of ControlAspect of Control and Static SurgeStatic Surge. Check the Telestomp Variant section for more details.

Fists of Fate (Optional)

Fists of FateFists of Fate – Your attacks randomly deal 1% to [200 – 300%] of their normal damage.

These Unique Gloves gloves increase overall damage by 50%, if they roll a perfect 300% value. They are comparable to well-rolled Legendary Gloves with Attack Speed, Critical Strike Chance, and an Offensive Aspect.

Not Recommended Unique items

Listed below are the Unique Items not recommended for this build and the reasons they are not worthwhile.

  • The OculusThe Oculus – The random Teleport location is a major downside. The unique affix, Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown, can be obtained as an implicit affix on Legendary Boots instead. The Telestomp Variant is a better setup that already allows for permanent stun-locking and non-random Teleport locations. In addition, a Legendary Weapon provides much more DPS with damage affixes and an Offensive Aspect.
  • FrostburnFrostburn – These Unique Gloves are a major DPS loss compared to well-rolled Legendary Gloves or Fists of FateFists of Fate.
  • Iceheart BraisIceheart Brais – The occasional Frost Nova on enemy death should not be needed, and it does not help while moving from pack to pack. Legendary Pants provide more important Damage Reduction affixes and a Defensive Aspect.

Gems

Listed below are the best Gems to socket into gear for each slot type.

Elixirs and Health Potions

Visit the Alchemist in any main town to craft helpful Elixirs that increase stats and experience gain for 30 minutes. Make sure to forage plants and pick up the necessary crafting materials during your adventures; they randomly spawn around the world. Craft a Precision ElixirPrecision Elixir for Critical Strike Chance and Damage, or an Assault ElixirAssault Elixir for Attack 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.

Telestomp Blizzard Sorcerer Build Variant

Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer is a Stun variant build created by Lexyu. It is designed to speed farm Normal or Nightmare Dungeons even faster for more experience and loot. Telestomping is the act of using TeleportTeleport offensively right on top of enemies to vortex and Stun them.

This version of the build requires the Unique Chest Armor, Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite. It can drop globally in World Tier 3 or 4 with an extremely low chance, so keep farming with the original version of the build until you find it.

Stun is used to activate Crowd Control damage bonuses, reducing the dependency on Frost NovaFrost Nova and its long Cooldown. In addition, Evade is transformed into another Teleport with a Cooldown that is reduced by the proper implicit effect on Boots. Teleport your way quickly through dungeons, sucking up and Stunning enemies with the Raiment of the Infinite Blizzard Sorcerer!

Raiment of the Infinite is required for the Telestomp Ice Shards Sorcerer

Skill Tree Points for Telestomp Blizzard Sorcerer

With Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite, Telestomp Blizzard Sorcerer puts more focus on TeleportTeleport instead of Frost NovaFrost Nova. The only recommended change to the Skill Tree is moving extra points from Frost Nova to max out Teleport instead.

Paragon for Telestomp Blizzard Sorcerer

Stun effects in Paragon are utilized once Raiment of the Infinite is obtained. Replace Ceaseless ConduitCeaseless Conduit with Static SurgeStatic Surge. The Legendary Node restores 10 Mana on Stunning Close Enemies can fill an entire Mana pool with a telestomp.

Click this link and check the Paragon page on the planner for a visual of the entire tree.

Mechanics and Playstyle for Telestomp Blizzard Sorcerer

Stun provides an alternative way to Crowd Control (CC) enemies, reducing the dependency on Frost NovaFrost Nova for Freezing. Most enemies can be killed quickly after telestomping. Reserve Frost Nova for tougher elites and larger groups of enemies.

Use the Evade TeleportTeleport foremost and often, as the cooldown is easily reduced with the Boots implicit effect, attacks reduce evade’s cooldown by 1.2 Seconds. Make sure to upgrade the Boots 5 times to get the highest effect possible. Use the normal Teleport on the Skill Bar as a backup whenever Evade Teleport is unavailable. Get into a rhythm of pre-casting BlizzardBlizzard from a distance, telestomping into the pack of enemies, and moving on to the next pack while the remaining AoE finishes enemies off.

Gear Choices for Telestomp Blizzard Sorcerer

Most of the stat priorities stay the same for the Telestomp version of Blizzard Sorcerer. The major differences are listed below.

  • Boots with the implicit effect, attacks reduce evade’s cooldown by 1.2 Seconds, are required.
  • +4 Ranks to Teleport is preferred in addition to +4 Ranks to Frost Nova on Boots.
  • +3 Ranks to All Defensive Skills on the Amulet is more important than before.
  • Aspect of RetributionAspect of Retribution replaces Storm Swell AspectStorm Swell Aspect or Aspect of Frozen WakeAspect of Frozen Wake for more damage to Stunned enemies.
  • Use Aspect of Binding EmbersAspect of Binding Embers on Boots for unhindered movement if you get stuck on monsters after telestomping.

Changelog

  • August 20th, 2023: Not Recommended Unique Items section redone. Added The OculusThe Oculus to the list.
  • August 15th, 2023: Caged Heart of Tal'RashaCaged Heart of Tal’Rasha fixed in Patch 1.1.2 to be correctly calculated as multiplicative instead of additive. Malignant Heart Tier List adjusted accordingly.
  • August 9th, 2023: Malignant Heart rankings reevaluated for Patch 1.1.1 changes.
  • July 18th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1. DestructionDestruction is now usable to increase Critical Strike Damage on Ice Spikes and has been included in the Paragon setup.
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