As a passionate Dark Souls 3 player with over 3000 hours across multiple characters, I‘ve extensively tested the game‘s most potent mage builds. Sorcerers possess tremendous potential to obliterate PvE bosses and dominate PvP – when crafted correctly.
In this extensive guide, you‘ll discover the optimal stats, gear, spells, and tactics to unlock that potential for yourself. These are the sorcerer builds that have brought me the most success and fun after years of first-hand testing and refinement. Each has unique strengths and synergies to master.
Let‘s begin the path to magical grandeur – your future victims await!
Pure Caster Sorcerer: The Crystal Soul Spear Machine
Focused entirely around Sorceries, this glass cannon build turns you into an engine of destruction – wiping out bosses before they come close and demolishing gank squads in seconds from across the map. Discover how to hyper-optimize your damage potential.
Refined Stat Allocation
Pay close attention to your stat investment if you want to maximize damage as an Int-focused caster:
| Stat | Investment |
|---|---|
| Vigor | Stop at 27 for 1109 HP. Further points give minimal returns compared to damage increases. |
| Attunement | Push to 60 for an enormous 238 FP pool and 4 spell slots. This enables relentless high-damage casting. |
| Endurance | 20 is sufficient for casting with little melee combat. You can divert more points to Int instead. |
| Strength | Level to 16 to wield the Moonlight Greatsword just in case enemies get too close. |
| Dexterity | 10 is fine since you won‘t be swinging weapons much. Raise just enough for casting speed if desired. |
| Intelligence | All spare points here until you hit the cap! 60 first, then 80 later on. This exponentially raises Sorcery damage. |
| Everything Else | Leave at base level. Don‘t waste casts here. |
With 60-80 Intelligence alongside hefty Attunement and capped vigor, you‘ll have the ideal foundation. Now it‘s time to crank your damage potential even further with specialized gear.
Gear and Spell Optimization
Many players stick with starter sorcerer gear without realizing how much additional power is left untapped. Gear choice makes a massive impact. Here are the ideal equipment pieces:
- Weapon: Court Sorcerer‘s Staff +10
- Head: Crown of Dusk
- Chest: Sage‘s Big Hat
- Legs: Antiquated Plain Garb
- Rings: Both Dragon rings, Magic Clutch Ring, Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring
With these equipped and high Intelligence, cast speed will reach its max potential. You‘ll also gain a combined +40% sorcery damage from the Crown, Garb, Rings, and Staff choice.
Note: I advise against the Young Dragon Ring in PvP due to lowered vigor. Lloyd‘s Sword Ring offers superior returns since you shouldn‘t be taking hits. But watch your HP!
For spells, focus on stacking projectile damage supplemented by close-range options:
- Main PvE Spells: Soul Spear, Crystal Soul Spear, Great Heavy Soul Arrow
- Backup PvE Spells: Farron Flashsword, Soul Greatsword
- Bread and Butter PvP: Great Farron Dart, Soul Greatsword
- Situational PvP Spells: Homing Soulmass, Pestilent Mercury
Soul Spear and Crystal Soul Spear form your main artillery against bosses and difficult enemies, shredding them before they ever swing at you. For swarms of weak foes, GHSA offers ample damage in quick succession. Prepare backup slash and sweep spells like Farron Flashsword and Soul Greatsword to catch enemies that slip past your barrage of crystals and spears.
In PvP, Great Farron Dart‘s speed and stagger potential enables relentless pressure. Soul Greatsword roll catches aggressive foes. HSM and Pestilent Mercury have specific niche uses when facing turtles and gank squads.
Together your optimized gear and tiered suite of sorceries enable overwhelming firepower in all scenarios. Yet damage means nothing if actually hitting your target. Success requires mastering delivery.
Spellcasting Domination Tactics
The keys to a master sorcerer are positioning, timing, spacing, and ruthlessness. Here are the essential tactics I‘ve refined through extensive PvP and boss victories:
Footsies and spacing remain critical despite range. Analyze opponent movements to determine exact max casting distances. Use obscured body language to fake them out on your next action. Never be too close or far. Carefully gauge spacing to control the fight. Dart in and out of max range.
Time soul mass detonations mid-combat when your foe is distracted dodging crystals. Force them to deal with compound threats. Coordinate follow ups for pressure.
Free-aim rather than locking on across open terrain. Lead targets to hit moving foes.
Punish every estus chug, whiffed attack, or blocked spell. Make them pay maximally. Be relentless.
Chip down turtling shields with Farron Dart then immediately Soul Greatsword as they drop their guard to heal. Force a reaction into big damage.
Obscure casting animations using terrain and the lock-on system to fake out opponents. Never be predictable.
With obsessive spacing, reactive timing, punishing mindsets, and relentless pressure backed up by extreme firepower – you will be able to systematically dominate both PvE and PvP encounters as this refined caster build. Fearsome indeed.
Now let‘s explore twisted alternatives…
Sinister Dark Sorceries: Embrace Your Inner Corruption
While traditional Soul Sorceries rely solely on Intelligence, dark spells scale with both Int and Faith – opening new build routes for those with a heart of darkness. Delve into forbidden magic and leave felled spirits in your wake.
Balancing Dual-Stat Investment
Creating an effective Dark Sorcerer requires spreading investment across Int and Faith rather than one main stat. Use these guidelines:
| Stat | Investment |
|---|---|
| Vigor | 30-35 |
| Attunement | 50-60 |
| Endurance | 15-20 |
| Strength | 12 (minimum to wield catalysts) |
| Dexterity | 14-18 (some casting speed) |
| Intelligence | 45-50 |
| Faith | 45-50 |
Attunement should again be maxed out first for a deep mana pool to enable sustained casting. Stop at 30-35 vigor for 1k-1.2k HP then divert everything into Intelligence and Faith equally rather than one alone. Your dark spells scale strongly with both in tandem. I achieved my best damage at 45/45 and 50/50 between the two. Consider using Prisoner‘s Chain to reallocate spare levels if needed.
Embrace the Void: Hexes and Corruption
The unique R1 attacks of the Izalith Staff suit dark sorceries well. It can fire an arc of projectiles or a linear dark beam. For support I recommend the Murky Longstaff, a light backup that also scales with both Int and Faith. Your spell loadout depends on intended damage type:
| Purpose | Spells |
|---|---|
| Primary Damage | Affinity, Deep Soul, Great Deep Soul, Dark Edge |
| Chipping / Pressure | Black Fire Orb, Black Flame |
| PvP Debuffs | Twisted Wall of Light, Black Serpent |
Affinity‘s tracking homing skulls are essential against mobile foes while Great Deep Soul hits brutally hard. Black Orb and Flame allow steady pressure that breaks shield turtles. Maintain Twisted Wall to counter enemy buffs and spells in PvP. Serpent can force foes into Affinity or combo setups.
Aside from spells, the blindfold mask boosts dark damage by a whopping 15%: absolutely vital to push your sinister powers further. The dark clutch ring increases both Sorcery and Miracle damage too.
With the right balance of intelligence and faith alongside sinister specialized gear, these corrupted magics gain tremendous stopping power. Lethal despite their eccentric nature. Now to wield them effectively…
Tactical and Theatrical Casting
Dark spells have unorthodox properties that lend themselves to an unconventional fighting style. The psychological aspect matters just as much as mystical elements. Some tactical pointers:
- Use Black Serpent to apply pressure and herd foes into Affinity‘s projectile path
- Cast repeatedly at range before swapping to Great Deep Soul for massive damage when they finally reach you
- Allow Affinity to approach targets before manually detonating the skulls with R1 for optimal damage
- Conceal casts and trap with Twisted Wall to counter direct attacks and projectiles
Equally important is the theatrical element – channeling your inner villain. Use gear like the Black Witch Hat and Vilhelm‘s Armor to roleplay an ominous outcast sorcerer. Adopt twisted emotes like Path of the Dragon. Apply tactics with slow deliberate movements as if carefully conducting a wicked ritual.
Embrace sinister creativity! Bad guy personas sow confusion and make reading attacks harder. Lean into the style and dark theatrics.
Though unconventional, a cohesive combination of deceitful tactics and theatrical elements can enable you to fully leverage these unique dark spells for psychological advantage.
Our next build retains the flexibility for direct melee combat while still unleashing magical chaos…
Battlemage: Hybrid Power, Unlimited Possibilities
Veteran journeymen know that adaptability is key to survival. When pure sorceries alone can‘t overcome an obstacle, the Battlemage stands ready with steel and crystal in hand – blending the physical and mystical into a synthesis greater than the sum of its parts.
Pillar Distribution Between Magic and Might
Rather than specializing as a pure caster, Battlemage builds distribute investment between melee combat potency and spellcasting power:
| Stat | Investment |
|---|---|
| Vigor | 40-50 |
| Attunement | 30-40 |
| Endurance | 30-35 |
| Strength | 16-40 |
| Dexterity | 40-60 |
| Intelligence | 45-60 |
With heavier weapons and armor in your arsenal, higher vigor and endurance take priority. Offensive stats depend on your preference between Strength and Dex for melee weapons alongside 45-60 Intelligence for potent spells. Find the balance suited to your playstyle.
I lean towards a quality build using the Moonlight Greatsword, the Profaned Greatsword, and a simple Longsword – all upgraded to their fullest forms. This enables fluid transitions between heavier two-handed power attacks and quick slashes while retaining Intelligence scaling. Test various melee / catalyst combinations to discover your favorites.
Hybrid Gear and Spell Sets
The very nature of Battlemage builds revolves around seamless blending of magic and melee. Your equipment enables this fusion:
- Weapons: Catalyst Staff, Enchanted Melee Weapons
- Armor: Havel‘s Ring, Magic Clutch Ring, Bellowing Dragoncrest Ring
- Spells: Crystal Magic Weapon, Farron Flashsword, Soul Greatsword, Homing Soulmass
Keep a catalyst like the Court Sorcerer‘s Staff equipped in your left hand for ranged casting while a sword, axe, spear, etc. suits your right to handle close quarters combat. Havel‘s Ring increases your equip load to accommodate heavier armor pieces should you desire poise to withstand trades.
The Magic Clutch, Dragoncrest, and Crown / Hood boost spell damage as usual. I keep Crystal Magic Weapon slotted to enchant my Moonlight Greatsword before large encounters for overpowered scaling. Farron Flashsword lets you transition smoothly into melee should gaps close while Soul Greatsword provides wide arc coverage. Homing Soulmass buys you space while swinging swords and axes to continue applying pressure.
This core toolkit unlocks tremendous interplay between ranged and meleedamage whether sustained casting, empowering weapons mid-fight with CMW, or weaving between the two fighting styles in a single encounter. Experiment with catalysts, spells, and gear that enhance flexibility.
Battlemage Mindsets: Adaptability and Control
The key mentality shift from pure casting is recognizing melee viability. Lean fully into physicality when necessary rather than remaining rigid. Some pointers:
- Get over fear of close combat. Embrace it equally to expand your power.
- Interiorize mid-fight weapon swapping as second nature
- Use HSM explosions for breathing room to re-establish range or drink Estus
- When low on FP, don‘t be afraid to leverage melee alone in a pinch
Battlemage veterans wield an almost preternatural situational awareness during combat. Analyze distances, opponent weapon reach, terrain, friendly phantom support, mobility levels and other variables to recognize optimal fighting choice in each moment.
Against nimble opponents stay at range bombarding them with sorceries through constant repositioning. Use Farron Flashsword if they slip your barrage. Against slow ultra weapons or shield turtles, charge straight in swinging your enchanted Moonlight Greatsword two-handed and weave back out once they retaliate.
Adapt to each threat. Control the flow using all abilities in your arsenal rather than rigidly fixating on a single style. Mastery transcends labels – you are simply a whirlwind of bad intentions towards any who stand before you.
Concluding Thoughts
And there concludes my deep dive into Dark Souls 3‘s most formidable Sorcerer builds honed over years of play. We explored extreme glass-cannons, sinister dark hexers, and flexible battlemages. While mastering the core spells and stats of each takes practice, the journey will unleash mystical power beyond your wildest imaginings.
May the moonlight guide your nights of magical chaos! If you have any other favorite sorcery build variants, please share them in discussions below. I‘m always seeking new inspiration on this path of luminescence and steel. Now let us cleanse these lands of darkness as one!
