Sorc Help

[Malckiah]

Ok, so I wanted to come on here and whine about how the Sorc's die waaaaay too fast. However, instead I just want to ask what tips or advice you guys have to actually stay alive. No matter what I do I just die and die and die again. Thanks!

[Cylestat]

Ok, so I wanted to come on here and whine about how the Sorc's die waaaaay too fast. However, instead I just want to ask what tips or advice you guys have to actually stay alive. No matter what I do I just die and die and die again. Thanks!

 

Let everyone go in first and then pop out and affliction someone. Run around some when you get hit and make sure you bubble.

[VaeVictis]

Bubble sooner rather than later unless white barred. Bubbling at 10% just means a quick CC to wait out Bastion then dead. ADHD DPS probably won’t wait out a bubble either if they don’t think your a quick kill when it drops.

 

Never be further from LoS than Force Speed can reach. A Sorc in the open is blood in the water.

 

Take bubblestun to help against Maras.

 

DPS Sorcs are in a very bad place and even great ones struggle without support against focus.

[TrixxieTriss]

Ok, so I wanted to come on here and whine about how the Sorc's die waaaaay too fast. However, instead I just want to ask what tips or advice you guys have to actually stay alive. No matter what I do I just die and die and die again. Thanks!

 

Sorc survivability often comes down to positioning and kiting. I play a Lightning Sorc, which is a little more mobile than madness.

 

(LoS = line of sight objects)

(Kiting = moving around those to keep your attackers out of reach or so they can’t get a lock on you. Basically making them chase you)

 

You need to have pretty good situational awareness of where all the Los objects are in you vicinity and have escape routes planned. Never stop moving.

 

You need to work out what you role or game plan is for the map. Sorcs are support classes cause they don’t do enough dps. Being one of those classes means every map can change the role the Sorc plays.

 

Here are some examples -

Hutt Ball : Sorcs are good off heals, good for slowing the enemy, good for pulls and good for quick sprints with the ball.

Yavin : Sorcs aren’t the best guards in the world, but they can delay cappers or hold up a bunch of people. Their speed allows them to rotate quickly between nodes to offer back up.

Hypergates : Sorcs can excel in this map. There is lots of Los (if you don’t get caught in the open). The name of the game is don’t die, get orbs and don’t let your team mates die. (This is one of my favourite maps on my Sorcs)

 

Ok, I digress, but it’s all relevant because Sorc survivability comes down to what role you are trying to play and how much Los you have around.

 

You will never win a stand up fight with any other dps class (unless they are bad). So you have to out think them and wear them down.

 

To stay alive long enough, you have Speed, unnatural preservation, resurgence, expunge and static barrier that can all be used on the run. These are your bread and butter. You also have dark heal to use when you get a chance. Sometimes you will need to stun or cc and then heal yourself right in front of your attacker. Only do this if you make them use their cc break before cc’ing them and then you can heal and scoot before they come out of it.

 

You do have phase walk and Force Barrier too. Phase walk will let you get out of dodge. But remember they can see where you go, so make sure you have some Los between you and them and you are at max range of you phase walk before you activate it. Then you can heal to full with dark heal.

Force Barrier is neither here nor there for me. It’s an antifocus for a tiny window. It won’t save you, it will just delay them killing you. Don’t ever expect it to be the “god” bubble people say it is. A smart enemy will hard swap to another target and wait till it ends and then stun you and kill you. This is why I don’t ever let it run out. I always act before it’s finished as it’s a small chance of escape.

Utility choices can be really important to your survival. I mainly use these ones :

 

Skillful

 

** Sith Defiance - Increases damage reduction by 3%.

 

** Empty Body - Increases all healing received by 5%. Does not affect stolen life.

 

Masterful (there are a few here to chose from, depending on your play style and what you are mostly facing)

 

** Dark Resilience - Reduces the damage taken by the target of your Extrication by 25% for 6 seconds. Additionally increases the healing done by Unnatural Preservation by 30%. (I take this for the 30% increased heal, not the extrication) ** This is a really important one to take. Always take this one.

 

** Suppression - Activating Cloud Mind grants Suppression, which increases damage reduction by 25% for 6 seconds.

(Can add some extra damage reduction if you are a more defensive player)

 

** Corrupted Flesh - Reduces the damage taken from all periodic effects by 15%. (This can be good if you find every match there are heaps of dot specs about. Otherwise don’t bother)

 

** Conspiring Force Targets affected by your Affliction are slowed by 30% for its duration. (This is a more aggressive one to take. You can use it to slow attackers chasing you or slow those trying to escape you). I take this one most of the time.

 

Heroic (I would only use these)

 

** Emersion - Force Speed grants Emersion, removing all movement impairing effects and granting immunity to them for the duration. (This is a must for kiting)

 

** Backlash - Static Barriers you place on yourself erupt in a flash of light when they end, blinding up to 8 nearby enemies for 3 seconds. This effect breaks from direct damage. (People say this is a cheesy utility, but it’s great having an extra stun) I always take this because you can reapply static barrier as Force Barrier drops. Then escape when they hit you.

 

** Haunted Dreams - If your Whirlwind breaks early from damage, the target is stunned for 2 seconds. In addition, Whirlwind activates instantly. (This is defensive, but can be used aggressively too. Lots of people take this)

 

Legendary

 

** Force Mobility - Thundering Blast, Innervate, and Force Leach may be activated while moving. (Allows you to stay mobile. Staying still is a good way to die as a Sorc)

 

** Unnatural Vigor - Unnatural Preservation increases your damage reduction by 15% for 6 seconds. Additionally, reduces the cooldown of Unnatural Preservation by 5 seconds. (This one ties in with the earlier utility Dark Resilience)

 

All of those utilities I use will keep you alive if you don’t panic. Unnatural preservation to heal you and can be used every 25secs with these choices and reduces damage by 15% for 6 secs each time.

Keep static barrier up at all times. It lasts for 30secs and has a 20sec reapply window.

I have both natural preservation and static barrier bound to my mouse thumb buttons. I basically spam them both every 20secs while I’m moving. It can eat into your dps output, but its situational and depends on your role and map or if you are being focused.

I may not always have the highest dps compared to another sorc, but I will always have higher self healing and I’m a pain to kill. Most of the time they give up and I can go back to damage.

 

Anyway, that’s my take on staying alive. I know others with a more aggressive play style might suggest other methods to get higher dps as well.

Edited August 30, 2018 by TrixxieTriss

[Malckiah]

Sorc survivability often comes down to positioning and kiting. I play a Lightning Sorc, which is a little more mobile than madness.

 

(LoS = line of sight objects)

(Kiting = moving around those to keep your attackers out of reach or so they can’t get a lock on you. Basically making them chase you)

 

You need to have pretty good situational awareness of where all the Los objects are in you vicinity and have escape routes planned. Never stop moving.

 

You need to work out what you role or game plan is for the map. Sorcs are support classes cause they don’t do enough dps. Being one of those classes means every map can change the role the Sorc plays.

 

Here are some examples -

Hutt Ball : Sorcs are good off heals, good for slowing the enemy, good for pulls and good for quick sprints with the ball.

Yavin : Sorcs aren’t the best guards in the world, but they can delay cappers or hold up a bunch of people. Their speed allows them to rotate quickly between nodes to offer back up.

Hypergates : Sorcs can excel in this map. There is lots of Los (if you don’t get caught in the open). The name of the game is don’t die, get orbs and don’t let your team mates die. (This is one of my favourite maps on my Sorcs)

 

Ok, I digress, but it’s all relevant because Sorc survivability comes down to what role you are trying to play and how much Los you have around.

 

You will never win a stand up fight with any other dps class (unless they are bad). So you have to out think them and wear them down.

 

To stay alive long enough, you have Speed, unnatural preservation, resurgence, expunge and static barrier that can all be used on the run. These are your bread and butter. You also have dark heal to use when you get a chance. Sometimes you will need to stun or cc and then heal yourself right in front of your attacker. Only do this if you make them use their cc break before cc’ing them and then you can heal and scoot before they come out of it.

 

You do have phase walk and Force Barrier too. Phase walk will let you get out of dodge. But remember they can see where you go, so make sure you have some Los between you and them and you are at max range of you phase walk before you activate it. Then you can heal to full with dark heal.

Force Barrier is neither here nor there for me. It’s an antifocus for a tiny window. It won’t save you, it will just delay them killing you. Don’t ever expect it to be the “god” bubble people say it is. A smart enemy will hard swap to another target and wait till it ends and then stun you and kill you. This is why I don’t ever let it run out. I always act before it’s finished as it’s a small chance of escape.

Utility choices can be really important to your survival. I mainly use these ones :

 

Skillful

 

** Sith Defiance - Increases damage reduction by 3%.

 

** Empty Body - Increases all healing received by 5%. Does not affect stolen life.

 

Masterful (there are a few here to chose from, depending on your play style and what you are mostly facing)

 

** Dark Resilience - Reduces the damage taken by the target of your Extrication by 25% for 6 seconds. Additionally increases the healing done by Unnatural Preservation by 30%. (I take this for the 30% increased heal, not the extrication) ** This is a really important one to take. Always take this one.

 

** Suppression - Activating Cloud Mind grants Suppression, which increases damage reduction by 25% for 6 seconds.

(Can add some extra damage reduction if you are a more defensive player)

 

** Corrupted Flesh - Reduces the damage taken from all periodic effects by 15%. (This can be good if you find every match there are heaps of dot specs about. Otherwise don’t bother)

 

** Conspiring Force Targets affected by your Affliction are slowed by 30% for its duration. (This is a more aggressive one to take. You can use it to slow attackers chasing you or slow those trying to escape you). I take this one most of the time.

 

Heroic (I would only use these)

 

** Emersion - Force Speed grants Emersion, removing all movement impairing effects and granting immunity to them for the duration. (This is a must for kiting)

 

** Backlash - Static Barriers you place on yourself erupt in a flash of light when they end, blinding up to 8 nearby enemies for 3 seconds. This effect breaks from direct damage. (People say this is a cheesy utility, but it’s great having an extra stun) I always take this because you can reapply static barrier as Force Barrier drops. Then escape when they hit you.

 

** Haunted Dreams - If your Whirlwind breaks early from damage, the target is stunned for 2 seconds. In addition, Whirlwind activates instantly. (This is defensive, but can be used aggressively too. Lots of people take this)

 

Legendary

 

** Force Mobility - Thundering Blast, Innervate, and Force Leach may be activated while moving. (Allows you to stay mobile. Staying still is a good way to die as a Sorc)

 

** Unnatural Vigor - Unnatural Preservation increases your damage reduction by 15% for 6 seconds. Additionally, reduces the cooldown of Unnatural Preservation by 5 seconds. (This one ties in with the earlier utility Dark Resilience)

 

All of those utilities I use will keep you alive if you don’t panic. Unnatural preservation to heal you and can be used every 25secs with these choices and reduces damage by 15% for 6 secs each time.

Keep static barrier up at all times. It lasts for 30secs and has a 20sec reapply window.

I have both natural preservation and static barrier bound to my mouse thumb buttons. I basically spam them both every 20secs while I’m moving. It can eat into your dps output, but its situational and depends on your role and map or if you are being focused.

I may not always have the highest dps compared to another sorc, but I will always have higher self healing and I’m a pain to kill. Most of the time they give up and I can go back to damage.

 

Anyway, that’s my take on staying alive. I know others with a more aggressive play style might suggest other methods to get higher dps as well.

 

Thank you very much for your post!

[ace_boogie]

Aside from the advice some already posted, just know that if a dps thinks you are vulnerable they will sit on you for the whole match. And even if you learn to kite, there’s always gonna be that one jugg/Mara/sin who will make it their life’s mission to kill you.

 

When people say “learn to kite so good and eventually they’ll leave you alone.” just know that will almost never happen. I’ve kited for basically entire matches never dying once and ended with over 3 million damage taken. Some people are relentless, and it’s extremely annoying but that’s all in the game of playing sorc.

 

If you are dps, unless the other team is Superbad expect to take about 1.2-1.5 million in damage, and about 3x that if you’re a healer.

 

Now eventually you WILL get good enough that for most matches you’ll end with 1-2 deaths, but you are a soft target. And you will be treated as such

[Wimbleton]

Your HP level will make you a consistent target as a poorly geared Sorc. They are almost always bad at the game and farmable.

 

You have to become an expert escape artist. As soon as you are touched you need to **** of dodge. Just repeat this over and over and in the small windows where you aren't being attacked, kill something.

[TrixxieTriss]

Aside from the advice some already posted, just know that if a dps thinks you are vulnerable they will sit on you for the whole match. And even if you learn to kite, there’s always gonna be that one jugg/Mara/sin who will make it their life’s mission to kill you.

 

When people say “learn to kite so good and eventually they’ll leave you alone.” just know that will almost never happen. I’ve kited for basically entire matches never dying once and ended with over 3 million damage taken. Some people are relentless, and it’s extremely annoying but that’s all in the game of playing sorc.

 

If you are dps, unless the other team is Superbad expect to take about 1.2-1.5 million in damage, and about 3x that if you’re a healer.

 

Now eventually you WILL get good enough that for most matches you’ll end with 1-2 deaths, but you are a soft target. And you will be treated as such

 

Some will of course get fixated on you. Especially if there are 2 working in a team. That can’t be helped and it happens to every class, not just Sorcs.

Knowing when and how to disengage to make them “leave you alone” is hard to teach or learn. It comes from years of experience and even then, if you have someone out for you all match and they have some amount of skill, they will probably get you a few times.

 

I rarely die at all in 8v8 objective pvp. If I do, it won’t be more than 1-2 times (and that is without a healer). I actually feel like I’ve failed if I die in Hypergates.

But you are correct about how much damage you take. Sometimes I take nearly as much or more damage than the healers do. 1 mil is the least I usually take (unless they are bad). Average would be in the 1.5 - 2 mil range.

 

Sorcs are a soft target only because they have no dps deterrent. If they had some really dps burst (lightning spec), I’m sure they would be left alone a lot more.

[TrixxieTriss]

Your HP level will make you a consistent target as a poorly geared Sorc. They are almost always bad at the game and farmable.

 

You have to become an expert escape artist. As soon as you are touched you need to **** of dodge. Just repeat this over and over and in the small windows where you aren't being attacked, kill something.

 

Sad, but true analysis of the class. If you can gear up heavily, it’s a lot easier to stay alive. If you are under geared, the challenge is harder than on most other classes.

 

I know I’m going to get derided for this next opinion, but here goes. If you are under geared on a Sorc, below 242, you aren’t going to do a lot of damage. So adding a versatile stim isn’t really going to help that much. Which is why I use a fortitude stim in those cases. I know, I’m bad etc etc, but it really does help with survivability when you have **** gear on. Which means you actually do more dps in the long run because you aren’t dead as much. Of course most of that dps won’t kill anything and it wouldn’t with the versatile stim either.

[BlissDivine]

Ok, so I wanted to come on here and whine about how the Sorc's die waaaaay too fast. However, instead I just want to ask what tips or advice you guys have to actually stay alive. No matter what I do I just die and die and die again. Thanks!

 

I have videos on how to play sorc:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE8QfbkkhOb9ndWnvdn6InA

 

I would say if you are dying a lot on sorc it's your positioning and strafe kiting that need to be improved.

[Benets]

Change the class, BIOCRAP made since start, like it's their project, Sage/sorc worst and usless.

 

I'm quittin again cos, time pass and nothing changes, looks like a work of incompetent DEVs.

 

Only goes as sage/sorc if you're healer

[TrixxieTriss]

Change the class, BIOCRAP made since start, like it's their project, Sage/sorc worst and usless.

 

I'm quittin again cos, time pass and nothing changes, looks like a work of incompetent DEVs.

 

Only goes as sage/sorc if you're healer

 

It’s sad. My Sorc has been my preferred main since launch and I had to put her on the shelf for other classes if I wanted to kill anything in the last 18 months (after 5.0). Bioware even gave Lightning a small nerf to their defences and still no buff to dps, even though they gave madness one (I guess Keith plays madness).

 

You could try out another class for a bit. There are 7 more and with 3 specs each, that’s a choice of 21 possibilities