Hi everyone! I'm Gray, a long-time Dark Blood player, and pretty much the only class I've ever properly played has been Sorcerer. I also PvP'ed a heck of a lot with Sorcerer, back when Dark Blood was around about a year or so ago. Hopefully this guide will shed some light on why Sorcerer can be so damn good in PvP, and help you decide how to build your own Sorcerer in the future.

As of the time of writing this, I'm still in the process of leveling to 40 again, however. But, most things seem to be the same with only one or two differences, so I'll probably be updating this guide regularly and making small changes in the future, as I figure out everything again myself. I'll also include my own full build when I finally hit 40, but for the time being, I'll mostly be explaining good abilities to invest in, and my own play-style with Sorcerer in PvP.

Also. Sorcerer's focusing on PvP can still perform very well in PvE too! But we skip some of the passives which make PvE easier, in return for ones that are better in PvP. With good gear and potions, PvE is still just as good.

I'll update this section when I hit 40 and mess around with things a little bit, for now enjoy this picture of a dog!

Note: Ignore the levels on the spell icons! These were just screenshots taken from in-game and aren't a representation of what you should only take.

Note: Ignore the levels on the spell icons! These were just screenshots taken from in-game and aren't a representation of what you should only take.

A lot of the passives work a lot differently in PvP, than they do in PvE, and are usually a lot stronger. They can give you a big advantage in any PvP fight, if you invest points into them, and should definitely be considered when you're spending your AP.

On the other hand, buff's such as minor healing have a 1 minute cooldown, and only last for 5 seconds. In a 3 minute PvP match, this is pretty much useless, not to mention that you're forced to stand still whenever you cast one of them, meaning your opponent has the perfect chance to catch you in a combo.

With that said, passives which are worth investing points into are...


This passive gives you a ton of health in PvP, and is definitely worth putting some points into. At max rank, it gives an extra 2408 health in the arena. This is actually quite a significant amount, especially because as a Mage class, our health pool is already quite low.


Not as great as it might first appear to be. With 10 points, you get 632 mana and 134 magical defence. For a start, that amount of magical defence doesn't have an impact on anything, and 632 mana is maybe 2-3 extra spell casts per fight.

If you have spare AP after taking everything else that you might want in your build, and really want that extra mana, you could maybe choose to sink a few AP into this. But for what you get, it really isn't all that worth it.


Unfortunately, without actually knowing the % Damage Reduction per point of armor, it's impossible to know just exactly what you're getting out of this passive... So I did a bit of testing with a friend instead, using dual skill tree's (one with Robe Mastery taken, and one without) and with 12 points into this passive, I was getting another 1200 armor in the Arena. However, the difference in damage I was receiving wasn't even noticeable, so for now I personally believe this passive isn't worth putting any points into.

You already receive a pretty decent armor buff in the arena anyway, as stats are balanced out a little, so I recommend you use your AP elsewhere.


I never noticed how good this was until recently... With 6 points, you're receiving 102 extra magical attack in the arena. Now considering that as a Sorcerer, many of the spells that we use, have ridiculous scaling (Dark Impact hits for 500%+ magical damage), or hit multiple times over (Down Ice Ball hits 5 times, for 200% magical damage each hit), 102 extra magical damage is huge. That's another 500 - 1000+ damage to some of your spells, depending on which one it is.

Staff Mastery is good. Take it.


With 5 points into this passive, all of your spells cost 5% less mana. It's not as much as it would seem, but you're saving maybe 20-30 mana on some of your more costly spells, and as a Sorcerer, every little bit of mana counts.

Sorcerer also has four link passives which are essential, especially in PvP. Each one only costs 1 AP each, and lets you immediately perform another action after casting any of the related spells.

Always put a point into...


And...

I cannot stress this enough. This spell is incredible for Sorcerer's in PvP. It has range, it has AoE, it has high damage, it interrupts, it freezes and always knocks down the opponent. From level 3 onwards, every 2 levels you put into this spell gives it another ice shard, increasing it's coverage by a large amount.

Offensive usage in PvP: You can often use this spell to catch your opponent from a distance in a fight. If enough of the ice shards hit, they'll be knocked down, allowing you to move in and follow up with an ability which can harm enemies on the ground, such as Magic Fountain or Rising Spine.

Defensive usage in PvP: Some classes are a bit harder to catch off guard, though, or your opponent might be playing very aggressively and trying to catch you in a combo. In this situation, save your Ice Shot and wait for an opportunity to counter attack. Ice Shot is hands down your best defence in a close range situation if you can land it right. The second your opponent commits to close range combat, such as jumping towards you, trying to grab you etc., let the Ice Shot's loose and cancel their combo or stop it before it even begins, then follow up with your own abilities.

Note: Watch out for abilities with invincible windows, such as the grab Thief's and Crusaders have, however! If you face one of these classes, and you need to cancel their combo, you need to time Ice Shot perfectly. If you can see you are about to be grabbed, cast Ice Shot as the enemy grab goes off, if you do it right, the result should be your enemy will dash towards you (invincible), and then be hit by the ice shards at the back of your Ice Shot, interrupting the rest of their combo.

Some opponents might also try to bait your abilities, especially your Ice Shot, by faking going in, and then dodge out of the way. Ice Shot has a 15 second cooldown, so you definitely want to avoid wasting it.[/b]


This spell is probably much better used to catch your opponent, than Ice Shot. It sends a projectile through the floor in a straight line, which then returns to you through the air, damaging anything it hits. If you land this ability perfectly (the projectile jumps up behind your opponent, instead of just touching them), it will also drag your opponent close to your feet, allowing you to follow up with abilities which do damage on the ground, such as Rising Spine or Magic Fountain.

Another great thing about this spell is, it blinds your opponent and decreases his attack speed. At level 1, the debuff lasts for 3 seconds in PvP. Every level put into this spell increases the duration and the attack speed reduction. The blind can really mess with your opponents minds, especially if you level this spell up to make it last for a long time. Depending on your preferences, you might want to put more points into this spell, however the mana cost can become steep at higher levels.

You can also use Dark Impact defensively in a similar way to Ice Shot, however it does a much poorer job and is better off being used to catch your opponent.



This is actually a mage ability, and is often overlooked. However in PvP it can be very powerful - Especially against melee classes.

Magic Mirror essentially creates a barrier which slowly travels across the floor, with a large hitbox which prevents the opponent from moving through it. However, it doesn't stop projectiles - So don't stand behind it expecting to be completely safe!

Good ways to use it include running up and down close to it if your opponent is on the other side of the barrier, as this means they have to try and go around it. If they do attempt to run past it, try and hit them with a spell to knock them down. You can also throw your own abilities through the barrier, which might catch them off guard.

Another good way to use Magic Mirror is if you're just finishing off a combo. Back off quickly once you've finished casting everything, and then place the mirror between you and your opponent before he stands up, preventing them from jumping up and charging straight into you.

Note: This ability doesn't scale at all in PvP (although in PvE the cooldown is reduced), so only put one point into it. The cool down is extremely low anyway, at 5 seconds.



This is a great mage ability, and it's a very powerful AoE once you invest 7 levels into it. It creates thorns in a circle around you when you cast it, which can juggle the enemy in the air multiple times if they get caught in it. This ability works great on Sorcerer's, as it can also lift the enemy off of the ground, and into the air, making it possible to hit them with your other spells, such as Down Ice Ball, Lightning Bolt or Fire Bomb.



You only really need to choose one of the two, out of Ice Ball and Fire Ball, when playing Sorcerer. In PvP, Ice Ball is the better choice of the two in my own opinion, although you can certainly take Fire Ball instead. However, Ice Ball slows the enemy by a large amount for every level put into it, and also has a really low mana cost. It's great for harassing the enemy from a distance until you're ready to cast something else, or if everything else is on cooldown.



This spell is only half decent by itself, as it can be difficult to land it properly if the enemy is running about. But, It can do a ton of damage if every icicle hits the enemy. Cast this on someone when they're unable to move, and they'll instantly lose a chunk of their HP, especially if you've put a few levels into it.

Note: Whilst you might consider casting this on someone immediately after you've knocked them down, you can deal a lot more damage by using it in a short combo. Magic Fountain > Rising Spine > Then Down Ice Ball when the enemy is bouncing in the air.

On the other hand, this spell is great at knocking the enemy down again, if they use a ground recovery move. If your opponent has an ability which lets them jump back on their feet, and you're confident they're about to use it, try moving a bit closer and then letting Down Ice Ball loose. The worst result is they take damage, the best result is you make them waste their recovery and knock them straight back down again.

This spell is actually really good, but mostly only if your enemy is knocked down. When they are knocked down, it can be used to do free damage before you throw them back onto the floor again. If you go to do Rising Spines when the enemy is on the floor, always try to cast Magic Fountain before hand if you have it up, especially if the enemy has already been knocked down for a while. The result will be even more damage to your opponent, and they won't stand up just as you start casting Rising Spine either, which could cause it to miss them completely.

It's also possible to use Magic Fountain to counter attack an enemy, as for the brief window that it takes for the animation to play, you're invincible. If they walk into the small circle, you'll lift them into the air like normal, and dump them on the floor. However, I've found this to be unreliable even with practice, and so I almost always save Magic Fountain for when my enemy is already knocked down now.



I used to think this spell was a joke. It's not. This spell has won me arena matches I would have otherwise lost plenty of times, although at other times it can be next to useless. Either way, if you can put distance between you and your enemy so you have time to cast this - do it.

The pixie basically just flies around, and every now and then it randomly decides to attack a nearby enemy. If you get caught in your enemies combo, and you've put your faith in the pixie before hand, it might actually attack your enemy, breaking his combo, and giving you time to either counterattack or run away and recover. If you do anything in PvP, believe in the pixie.



This spell takes a second or so to charge fully, at which point it can unleash a huge lighting bolt which can be controlled my attempting to move up or down. It does heavy damage, but in PvP, is often predictable, easily dodged, and actually makes you vulnerable as you can't move whilst you cast it.

That being said, it's still a good spell when used right. If you're going to cast it by itself, outside of a combo, try to do it along with Magic Mirror. As your opponent attempts to move around the mirror, force him to either back off, or take a huge chunk of damage as he gets hit. Never use this when your enemy can easily dodge behind you though.

It can also be cast when your enemy is being juggled in the air by Rising Spine, which is probably the best time to use it in a combo. Overall, Lightning Bolt is useful, but when you should cast it is very situational.

I'm actually planning on writing this section of the guide in a day or three, but for now I hope this very detailed image summarises things at least a little bit!

WIP!