d4Endgamemeleeseason 4Sorceress

Charged Bolts Sorcerer Endgame Build Guide for Diablo 4 (Season 4)

Enhanced efficiency. Unmatched mobility. Pure Lightning Power!

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Lexyu

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Charged BoltsTeleportUnstable CurrentsFrost NovaIce ArmorFlame Shield


Build Introduction

The Charged BoltsCharged Bolts Sorcerer electrifies the entire ground with explosive lightning, leaving your foes with no safe space to survive. Piercing bolts from Aspect of Piercing StaticAspect of Piercing Static combined with exploding lightning novas from Enhanced Charged BoltsEnhanced Charged Bolts enables this build to excel against groups of enemies. Storm through endgame activities with the explosive power of the Charged Bolts Sorcerer!

This endgame build guide assumes your character is at least Level 50. Check the Sorcerer Leveling Guide if you need help getting there. You should also already have the Build Requirements to switch to the Charged Bolts Sorcerer.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths
  • Explosive Area of Effect (AoE) damage for clearing groups of enemies.
  • Simple playstyle.
  • Multiple Defensive Skills and Crowd Controls for survivability.
Weaknesses
  • Needs specific gear to function well.
  • Melee range combat.
  • 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.

Build Requirements

Charged BoltsCharged Bolts can quickly drain Mana and requires specific gear to perform well. Start with the Chain Lightning Leveling Guide to begin a new Sorcerer character, and then transition to the Chain Lightning Endgame Guide at Level 50. Collect the required items listed below before attempting to switch to this Charged Bolts Sorcerer build.

Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar

Skill Bar Setup for Charged Bolts Sorcerer (order does not matter)
Charged Bolts Charged Bolts Teleport Teleport Frost Nova Frost Nova Ice Armor Ice Armor Flame Shield Flame Shield Unstable Currents Unstable Currents

The Skill Tree above shows the full allocation of 58 Skill Points for the Charged Bolts Sorceress build. Make sure you obtain the 10 Skill Points available from Renown.

Alternative Skills

If you are using Tal Rasha's Iridescent LoopTal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop, a third buff stack can be obtained for a 1.45x damage multiplier. Follow the steps below for this maximum damage setup.

  1. Remove all Skill Points from Frost NovaFrost Nova, PermafrostPermafrost, and HoarfrostHoarfrost.
  2. Allocate Ice BladesIce Blades, Enhanced Ice BladesEnhanced Ice Blades, and Summoned Ice BladesSummoned Ice Blades. Equip Ice Blades on your Skill Bar instead of Frost Nova.
  3. Allocate Conjuration MasteryConjuration Mastery Rank 3, which is activated by Lightning SpearLightning Spear automatically casted from Unstable CurrentsUnstable Currents and Ice BladesIce Blades casted from the Skill Bar.
  4. Allocate the last remaining Skill Point into Icy VeilIcy Veil.

Enchantment Slots

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

Equip Fire BoltFire Bolt in the first Enchantment Slot. This applies Burning to enemies to activate Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze and other bonuses from Paragon. Alternatively, MeteorMeteor is slotted in the Meteorstomp Build Variant.

Equip TeleportTeleport in the second Enchantment Slot to enable the Telestomp playstyle.

Paragon

Paragon unlocks after reaching Level 50, and the progression system offers a considerable boost to character power. The images below provide a visual of each Paragon Board setup for the Charged Bolts Sorcerer.

Important Notes:

  • Make sure you select the correct Legendary Boards and rotate them into the correct orientation.
  • Attach Legendary Boards in the correct order, as bonus requirements of Rare Nodes increase with their placement order.
  • Additional bonus requirements on Rare Glyphs may not be obtainable until they gain increased radius range at Level 15.

1. Starting Board (Destruction)

Socket DestructionDestruction for increased Critical Strike Damage and a separate damage multiplier.

2. Elemental Summoner (Territorial)

Attach the Elemental SummonerElemental Summoner board without any rotations. Socket TerritorialTerritorial for some valuable Damage Reduction. Prioritize leveling Territorial to 15, as the increased radius is needed to obtain the additional bonus. The Legendary Node on this board is not utilized.

3. Burning Instinct (Reinforced)

Rotate the Burning InstinctBurning Instinct board 3 times before attachment. Socket ReinforcedReinforced to boost the Damage Reduction stat on Smoldering EmbersSmoldering Embers. Prioritize leveling Reinforced to 15 to gain increased radius, as it is needed to obtain the Damage Reduction in the additional bonus. The Legendary Node on this board is not utilized.

4. Static Surge (Control)

Attach the Static SurgeStatic Surge board without any rotations. Immediately obtain the Legendary Node for a consistent source of Vulnerable application and Mana generation. Socket ControlControl and prioritize leveling it to 15 for the increased radius to gain the additional bonus.

5. Ceaseless Conduit (Flamefeeder)

Rotate the Ceaseless ConduitCeaseless Conduit board 2 times before attachment. Socket FlamefeederFlamefeeder and prioritize leveling it to 15 for the increased radius to gain the additional bonus. The Legendary Node on this board is not utilized.

6. Enchantment Master (Exploit)

Rotate the Enchantment MasterEnchantment Master board 3 times before attachment. Socket ExploitExploit and prioritize leveling it to 15 for the increased radius to gain the additional bonus. The Legendary Node on this board is not utilized.

Paragon Board images courtesy of d4builds.gg. Click this link for the Paragon planner.

Gear, Gems, Elixirs, and Stats

Season 4 brings an incredible shift in character progression systems. The major rework to itemization and crafting in Patch 1.4.0 changes the core mechanics of Diablo 4, and the changes will remain in effect beyond Season 4. For further details, read the overview in the Tempering and Masterworking section.

Legendary Aspects

Listed below are all the best-in-slot Aspects for the Charged Bolts Sorcerer build. Salvage Legendary Items with higher Aspect values to unlock them in the Codex of Power, and then imprint them onto Legendary Items with the preferred affixes.

Gear SlotAspect or Unique ItemEffect
Amulet (+50% bonus effect)Elementalist's AspectElementalist’s AspectCore or Mastery Skills cast at or above 100 Mana gain a [20.0 – 40.0%] increased Critical Strike Chance.
Wand or FocusAspect of Piercing StaticAspect of Piercing StaticCharged Bolts pierce, but deal [60 – 40%] less damage to targets hit after the first.
Wand or FocusStorm Swell AspectStorm Swell AspectYou deal x [21 – 30%] increased damage to Vulnerable enemies while you have a Barrier.
Ring Slot #1 (replaced by Ring of Starless SkiesRing of Starless Skies)Aspect of Shredding BladesAspect of Shredding BladesIce Blades’ chance to apply Vulnerable is increased by +20% and the Vulnerable duration is increased by 4 seconds. You gain x [15 – 25%] Vulnerable Damage.
Ring Slot #2 (replaced by Tal Rasha's Iridescent LoopTal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop)Edgemaster's AspectEdgemaster’s AspectSkills deal up to [10 – 20%] increased damage based on your available Primary Resource when cast, receiving the maximum benefit while you have full Primary Resource.
Gloves (optional replacement with Fists of FateFists of Fate)Conceited AspectConceited AspectDeal [15 – 25%] increased damage while you have a Barrier active.
Helm (replaced by Starfall CoronetStarfall Coronet or Harlequin CrestHarlequin Crest)Snowveiled AspectSnowveiled AspectCasting Ice Armor makes you Unstoppable and grants 30% bonus Armor for [3.0 – 5.0] seconds.
ChestRaiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the InfiniteAfter using Teleport, Close enemies are Pulled to you and Stunned for [2 – 3] seconds, but Teleport’s cooldown is increased by 20%.
Pants (replaced by Tibault's WillTibault’s Will)Aspect of DisobedienceAspect of DisobedienceYou gain [0.6 – 1.1%] increased Armor for 4 seconds when you deal any form of damage, stacking up to [36 – 66%].
Boots (optional replacement with FlickerstepFlickerstep)Aspect of the Bounding ConduitAspect of the Bounding ConduitGain [25 – 30%] Movement Speed for 3 seconds after Teleporting.

Gems

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

SlotGems
WeaponRoyal SapphireRoyal Sapphire for increased Vulnerable Damage.
ArmorRoyal RubyRoyal Ruby for increased Maximum Life.
JewelryAny Resistance Gems needed or Royal SkullRoyal Skull for Armor.

Elixirs

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. Elixirs can also drop randomly from enemies and chests during many activities in Diablo 4. Listed below are the best Elixirs to consume, ranked by importance.

  1. Elixir of PrecisionElixir of Precision provides the highest damage output increase, if not already capped at 100% Critical Strike Chance.
  2. Elixir of AdvantageElixir of Advantage increases damage output, if not already capped at 100% Attack Speed bonus from gear and Paragon.
  3. Elixir of ResourceElixir of Resource helps with Mana issues, if you do not already have the appropriate Mana gear. This elixir is highly recommended for starting characters to maintain constant casts of Charged BoltsCharged Bolts.
  4. Elixir of FortitudeElixir of Fortitude is the best general purpose option for survivability. Increased Maximum Life grants larger Barriers from ProtectionProtection and Ice ArmorIce Armor.
  5.  Elixir of Iron Barbs Elixir of Iron Barbs can provide a high amount of Physical Damage Reduction. Armor becomes more effective as you approach the Armor cap (9,320 against monster level 100 and above).
  6. Specific Resistance Elixirs can be utilized to survive against Uber Bosses with elemental attacks.

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

Listed below are the affixes to prioritize on gear for Charged Bolts Sorcerers. Each line of affixes are listed in order of importance. Affixes on the same line are considered to be equally important, but their benefits may vary depending on how much is stacked or other character stats. Bolded affixes are the most important targets for Masterworking upgrades.

A One-handed Weapon and Focus setup is preferred over a Staff for more beneficial utility affixes. A Focus has a Cooldown Reduction implicit stat, as well 4 useful affix mods. A Wand is preferred over a Dagger for the Lucky Hit Chance implicit stat.

Prioritize Boots with the implicit effect, Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown, for faster resetting of TeleportTeleport Enchantment.

The priority order of Resistances is Lightning > Poison > Fire > Cold > Shadow. Maximum Resistance is 70% by default for each element. Lightning and Fire Resistances are capped with ElectroElectro in Paragon and Keeper of FlamesKeeper of Flames in the Paragon setup. Poison, Cold and Shadow Resistances need to be capped through affixes on gear or gems in jewelry.

If you are using a speed setup with Teleport Enchantment, temper the Evade Cooldown Reduction affix from the Natural Motion Manual onto your Boots and Amulet. Otherwise, temper the Movement Speed or Teleport Cooldown Reduction affixes.

Check the Tempering and Masterworking section for more details on Blacksmith upgrading.

SlotGear AffixesTempering Affixes
Wand1. Maximum Life
2. Intelligence, Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage
Shock AugmentsShock Augments (Weapon): Chance for Charged Bolts Projectiles to Cast Twice
Shock FinesseShock Finesse (Offensive): Shock Critical Strike Damage
Focus1. Critical Strike Chance, Cooldown Reduction
2. Resource Cost Reduction, Lucky Hit Chance to Restore Primary Resource
3. Maximum Life, Intelligence
Shock AugmentsShock Augments (Weapon): Chance for Charged Bolts Projectiles to Cast Twice
Shock FinesseShock Finesse (Offensive): Shock Critical Strike Damage
Helm1. Mana per Second, Cooldown Reduction
2. Intelligence, Lucky Hit Chance
3. Maximum Life, Resistances, Armor
Natural SchemesNatural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration
Worldly EnduranceWorldly Endurance (Defensive): Maximum Life
Chest1. Mana per Second, Ranks to Defensive Skills, Ranks to Teleport
2. Resistances, Armor
3. Maximum Life, Intelligence
Natural SchemesNatural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration
Worldly EnduranceWorldly Endurance (Defensive): Maximum Life
Gloves1. Ranks to Charged Bolts, Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed
2. Resource Cost Reduction
3. Lucky Hit Chance, Intelligence, Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage
Natural FinesseNatural Finesse (Offensive): Damage to Close Enemies
Natural SchemesNatural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration
Pants1. Resistances, Armor
2. Maximum Life, Intelligence
Natural SchemesNatural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration
Worldly EnduranceWorldly Endurance (Defensive): Maximum Life
BootsImplicit Stat: Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown
1. Mana per Second, Movement Speed
2. Resistances, Armor
3. Maximum Life, Intelligence
Natural MotionNatural Motion (Mobility): Evade Cooldown Reduction
Natural SchemesNatural Schemes (Utility): Crowd Control Duration
Amulet1. Ranks to Devouring Blaze, Critical Strike Chance, Cooldown Reduction
2. Attack Speed, Resource Cost Reduction
Natural MotionNatural Motion (Mobility): Evade Cooldown Reduction
Worldly StabilityWorldly Stability (Resource): Resource Generation or Resource Cost Reduction
Rings1. Critical Strike Chance, Attack Speed, Resource Cost Reduction
2. Lucky Hit Chance, Intelligence, Critical Strike Damage, Vulnerable Damage
Worldly StabilityWorldly Stability (Resource): Resource Generation or Resource Cost Reduction
Shock FinesseShock Finesse (Offensive): Shock Critical Strike Damage

Unique Items

Listed below are the recommended and optional Unique Items for the Charged Bolts Sorcerer build. Each item description includes the most important affix to target for Masterworking upgrades.

  • Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite (required) enables the Telestomp playstyle for Charged BoltsCharged Bolts to shotgun with piercing bolts and exploding lightning novas.
    • Masterworking Priority: Ranks of the Glass Cannon Passive
  • Starfall CoronetStarfall Coronet (optional) enables a hybrid build setup with MeteorMeteor for supplemental damage. Check the Meteorstomp Variant section for more details.
    • Masterworking Priority: Ranks of Meteor or Cooldown Reduction
  • Harlequin CrestHarlequin Crest (recommended) provides additional Ranks to Charged BoltsCharged Bolts and 20% Damage Reduction, if you are lucky enough to find this Uber Unique Item. Only equip Harlequin Crest if you do not intend on playing the MeteorMeteor setup.
    • Masterworking Priority: Cooldown Reduction
  • Tal Rasha's Iridescent LoopTal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop (recommended) can provide up to a 60% damage multiplier with 4 elemental stacks.
    • Masterworking Priority: Cooldown Reduction
  • Ring of Starless SkiesRing of Starless Skies (recommended) is the best Uber Unique Item for the Charged Bolts Sorcerer. The unique effect provides a 40% damage multiplier and solves any Mana issues.
    • Masterworking Priority: Critical Strike Chance
  • Fists of FateFists of Fate (optional) increases overall damage by 50% with a perfect 300% value on the unique effect. The Lucky Hit affixes synergize well with the high Lucky Hit Chance in this build. Unfortunately, they are still a minor damage loss compared to well-rolled Legendary Gloves with +4 Ranks to Charged BoltsCharged Bolts, Attack Speed, Critical Strike Chance and an Offensive Aspect.
    • Masterworking Priority: Lucky Hit Chance to Restore Primary Resource
  • Tibault's WillTibault’s Will (recommended) provides a damage multiplier effect and a Damage Reduction from Close Enemies affix that is not usually obtainable in the Pants slot, in addition to Mana generation. Alternate activations of the damage buff with TeleportTeleport and Flame ShieldFlame Shield.
    • Masterworking Priority: Damage Reduction from Close Enemies
  • FlickerstepFlickerstep (optional) provides a Damage Reduction from Close Enemies affix that is not normally available in the Pants slot, and the unique effect is useful for more Unstable CurrentsUnstable Currents uptime.
    • Masterworking Priority: Damage Reduction from Close Enemies
  • Staff of Lam EsenStaff of Lam Esen (optional) allows piercing Charged BoltsCharged Bolts to hit enemies multiple times, but does not provide more DPS than a Legendary One-handed Weapon and Focus setup with 2 Offensive Aspects. In addition, you lose Cooldown and Mana affixes from a Legendary Focus.
    • Masterworking Priority: Ranks of Charged Bolts

Season 4: Loot Reborn

The following list details the changes in the Season 4 Update (Patch 1.4.0) that may pertain to Charged Bolts Sorcerers. Check the Changelog for all the other guide updates.

  • Mastery Skills are now also considered Core Skills.
  • Tal Rasha's Iridescent LoopTal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop
    • Maximum stacks now capped at four.
    • All Resistance variants increased from 8%/3% to 10%/4%.
  • Staff of Lam EsenStaff of Lam Esen
    • Critical Strike Damage replaced with Ranks of Charged Bolts.
  • Tibault's WillTibault’s Will
    • Damage increase while Unstoppable reduced from 20-40% to 10-20%.
    • Damage increase persists for 1 second longer after being Unstoppable.
  • Greater Charged BoltsGreater Charged Bolts
    • Damage increased from 25% to 35%.
  • Lightning SpearLightning Spear
    • Damage increased by 8% (.15 to .16).
  • Ice ArmorIce Armor
    • Enhanced Ice ArmorEnhanced Ice Armor
      • Mana Regeneration increased from 25% to 30%.
    • Shimmering Ice ArmorShimmering Ice Armor
      • Previous – Enemies that hit you while Ice Armor is active have a 15% chance to become Frozen for 3.23 seconds.
      • Now – While Ice Armor is active, you reduce its Cooldown by 1 second for every 50 Mana you spend.
    • Mystical Ice ArmorMystical Ice Armor
      • Previous – Damage against Vulnerable enemies contributes 50% more to Ice Armor’s Barrier.
      • Now – While Ice Armor is active, you periodically Chill Close enemies for 20% and deal 15% increased damage to Frozen enemies.
  • Shimmering Frost NovaShimmering Frost Nova
    • Previous – Frost Nova generates 4 Mana per enemy hit.
    • Now – 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.
  • Flame ShieldFlame Shield
    • Enhanced Flame ShieldEnhanced Flame Shield
      • Previous – Flame Shield grants 25% increased Movement Speed while active.
      • Now – Flame Shield has a 50% larger burn radius.
    • Mystical Flame ShieldMystical Flame Shield
      • Previous – You gain 25% Mana Cost Reduction while Flame Shield is active.
      • Now – After Flame Shield ends, surrounding enemies are Stunned for 3 seconds and your next Skill within 10 seconds is a guaranteed Critical Strike.
  • TeleportTeleport
    • Enhanced TeleportEnhanced Teleport
      • Previous – Teleport’s Cooldown is decreased by 0.5 seconds per enemy hit, up to 3 seconds.
      • Now – You gain 30% Movement Speed for 3 seconds after Teleporting.
    • Mystical TeleportMystical Teleport
      • Previous – For 4 seconds after Teleporting, Crackling Energy hits 2 additional enemies.
      • Now – Teleport deals 500% increased damage. It also forms a Crackling Energy for each enemy it hits, up to 3.
  • Elemental AttunementElemental Attunement
    • Cooldown reset chance increased from 5% to 7%.
  • Mana ShieldMana Shield
    • Damage Reduction increased from 7% to 8%.
  • Devouring BlazeDevouring Blaze
    • Crowd Controlled enemies now provide the damage bonus instead of Immobilized.
  • Conjuration MasteryConjuration Mastery
    • Previous – You gain 1% increased damage for each active conjuration.
    • Now – You gain 1% increased damage, 1% Movement Speed, and 2% Mana Generation for each active Conjuration.
  • Elemental DominanceElemental Dominance
    • Damage increased from 3% to 4%.
  • Hectic AspectHectic Aspect
    • Cooldown Reduction reduced from 2-4 seconds to 1-2 seconds.
  • Aspect of DisobedienceAspect of Disobedience
    • Armor stacks no longer fall off independently. They now refresh or reset at the same time.
    • Armor gain changed to 25-40%.
  • Aspect of the Bounding ConduitAspect of the Bounding Conduit
    • Previous – Gain 15-30% Movement Speed for 3 seconds after Teleporting.
    • Now – Teleport’s Cooldown is reduced by 1.0-2.5 seconds. After Teleporting, Crackling Energy hits 2 additional enemies for 5 seconds.
  • TacticianTactician
    • New Functionality: Now lasts 4 seconds longer for each Defensive Skill not on your Action Bar.

Video Overview and Gameplay Footage

Advanced Information

Additional details are provided in the following sections for a more in-depth explanation of the Charged Bolts Sorcerer. Read this advanced information after understanding the basic overview of the build in the previous sections.

Build Mechanics

The Charged Bolts Sorcerer relies on a Telestomp setup to group enemies so they can all be hit with Charged BoltsCharged Bolts modified by Aspect of Piercing StaticAspect of Piercing Static. Use the Evade TeleportTeleport foremost and often, as the Cooldown is quickly reduced. Get into a rhythm of Telestomping a group of enemies from a distance to engage, spamming Charged Bolts, and then moving on to the next pack to repeat.

Frost NovaFrost Nova freezes entire packs of enemies to activate HoarfrostHoarfrost and applies Vulnerable with Mystical Frost NovaMystical Frost Nova.

Ice ArmorIce Armor activates Snowveiled AspectSnowveiled Aspect for another source of Unstoppable and an increase in Armor. Shimmering Ice ArmorShimmering Ice Armor and Icy VeilIcy Veil help reduce the Cooldown on Ice Armor.

Unstable CurrentsUnstable Currents has a 25% chance of double casting Charged BoltsCharged Bolts while providing Attack Speed with Prime Unstable CurrentsPrime Unstable Currents.

Damage Rotation

Use the following rotation to optimize DPS.

  1. Engage in combat by casting TeleportTeleport into the midst of enemies (or near the boss for single-target encounters).
  2. (Optional) Activate Unstable CurrentsUnstable Currents against tough elites and bosses.
  3. Cast Frost NovaFrost Nova to Freeze all surrounding enemies.
  4. Spam Charged BoltsCharged Bolts to deal damage.
  5. Activate Ice ArmorIce Armor or Flame ShieldFlame Shield for protection and Unstoppable when needed.

Telestomp with Raiment of the Infinite

Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite allows the Charged Bolts Sorcerer to use 2 sources of TeleportTeleport offensively. Teleporting on top of enemies to Stun and group them up is called “Telestomping”. This playstyle can quickly clear groups of enemies and keep them Crowd Controlled (CC) for safety, perfect for speed-farming Helltides, Nightmare Dungeons, and The Pit!

The Telestomp Charged Bolts Sorcerer is the default version of the build in this guide. Make sure you are utilizing the following setup.

  • Equip Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite to enable Telestomps. Target-farm Raiment of the Infinite from Varshan or Lord Zir for the best chances of it dropping.
  • Equip TeleportTeleport in an Enchantment Slot.
  • Equip Boots with the implicit effect, Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown, which work with the Evade Teleport. Prioritize the Ranks of TeleportTeleport affix.

Meteorstomp with Starfall Coronet

Meteorstomp is a variant build that supplements the Telestomp setup. A hybrid MeteorMeteor setup with Starfall CoronetStarfall Coronet supplements Charged BoltsCharged Bolts with additional damage. Compared to the pure Charged Bolts build that is the default setup in this guide, Meteorstomp Charged Bolts has a similar performance. Charged Bolts already excels at Area of Effect damage and deals high damage.

Make the following changes to the default setup in this build guide to play the Meteorstomp Charged Bolts Sorcerer.

Tempering and Masterworking

The Season 4 update (Patch 1.4.0) introduces a rework for itemization. Tempering and Masterworking brings the biggest change to itemization since the release of Diablo 4, so make sure you understand the new systems explained in this section.

The amount of affixes on items has been changed to reflect its 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 by imprinting a Legendary Aspect from the Codex of Power will not add a third affix. Therefore, Legendary Items are superior to lower rarity items for a min-maxed character.

Greater Affixes are a newly added mechanic that increases the value of an affix by 50%. Ancestral Legendary Items and Unique Items can now drop with up to 4 Greater Affixes! Search for items with your preferred Greater Affixes to upgrade with Tempering and Masterworking.

Tempering and Masterworking is an important system, even mandatory in the endgame, for character progression. You are able to add 2 additional affixes on any Rare Item or Legendary Item, exclusive to the Tempering System. An Ancestral Legendary Item can have up to 5 total affixes! Unfortunately, Unique Items cannot be tempered to add affixes.

Masterworking uses new crafting materials found in The Pit to further enhance the stats of an item. These upgrades can be applied on an Ancestral Legendary Item that has its Tempering Slots filled out. Unique Items can be upgraded with Masterworking right away, as tempering does not apply to them. Each item has 12 upgrade slots. On upgrade Ranks 4, 8, and 12, a random affix is increased in value by 25%. Every other upgrade Rank applies a 5% increase to all affixes on an item. Attempt to apply the bonus 25% upgrade to your preferred affix multiple times by resetting the Masterworking Ranks to repeat the process.

Obol Gambling

Obol gambling is a great way to potentially find item upgrades or items missing from your build. Use Obols on your target equipment for a chance to receive Greater Affixes. Check out the new tool from Icy Veins for gambling Obols in the link below.

Obol Gambling Optimization Tool

Changelog

  • May 15th, 2024: Priority Affixes updated with game changes made since the Season 4 PTR.
  • May 14th, 2024: Guide updated for Season 4 (Patch 1.4.0)
  • February 1st, 2024: Video guide added.
  • January 28th, 2024
    • Guide reworked to require Raiment of the InfiniteRaiment of the Infinite, as Telestomp is necessary for Charged BoltsCharged Bolts to be effective at clearing groups of enemies.
    • Meteorstomp Charged Bolts Sorcerer Build Variant section added.
    • Seneschal Construct Companion Powers section updated.
  • January 22nd, 2024: Guide updated for Season 3 (Patch 1.3.0).
    • Seneschal Construct Companion Powers section added.
    • Barrier Generation updated in the Stat Priority List due to the ProtectionProtection passive bug fix.
  • November 15th, 2023: Paragon Board images added.
  • November 9th, 2023: Tal Rasha's Iridescent LoopTal Rasha’s Iridescent Loop added to Unique Item section.
  • November 1st, 2023: Resistances added to Stat Priority List and Gem sections.
  • October 29th, 2023: Paragon video added.
  • October 26th, 2023:
  • October 17th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 2 (Patch 1.2.0).
  • July 18th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1.
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