Are sorceries more viable in PvE than PvP?

Here's a brief discussion on whether the mage is a viable class for PvP. Personally, I don't think so. But, you choose. Enjoy!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIFPVhhDb04

Personally, it works for me. It's better for me than the pyros.

Though I like it much more as a stealth/OHKO-or-close-to-it build then I do for duels.

Chameleon+Dusk Crown+Bellowing Ring+Red Tear Ring+CSS=Near instant destruction of anyone who is unfortunate enough to get caught by a mage.

All of my builds are Int- Hybrids!
I have one like you, without tranquil but with gmb. Fun to play, used wotg as a finishing move.

Atm i have a Int/Dex (velkas rapier) Build with pyromancie, and im doin pretty well.
In my opinion, if you use crystal homing soulmass as an offense spell, it hits way more often. I cast it, swith spells to great combustion and doin the run 2hit attack, followed with great combustion. If they roll away and swing with their greatsword, the soulmass fires, and hit them off guard.
Got many easy kills.

My experience with the 3 kinds of magic is.
A pure faith-caster, not using 3x stacked WotG/Tranquil! Is o.k. don´t expect that much.
A pure mage, isnt a threat.
A pure pyromancer is a big threat!

So if you play a mage/caster/whatever, do a hybrid! As an example, imagine a fight style mitxed with wotg and great combustion, pretty devastating ...
But one downside, you have to go with 23/28 attunement, to manage all spells.

So in the next days, i test Fire Whip and Surge on my Build..

Btw. which one is better? Chaos fireball or great fireball? It seems the great fireball has more AoE ...

In PVE it's way overpowered. In PVP it's awesome anywhere your opponent will be confined but well separated from you. I sometimes get summoned in New Londo with an invader coming at us on that narrow bridge, that's easy pickin's.

But if your opponent is really used to dodging sorcery it absolutely sucks, especially in an open space.

Sorcery is good for people caught off guard, or new to PvP. Generally, for most seasoned PvPers I think it's a non-issue.

Some dude was using the chameleon spell on me pretty effectively in the burg the other day. He would cast it (usually after casting HCSM first) to break my lock on, and then roll-BS me while disorientated.

http://tinyurl.com/6mjdx23
Funny you should mention spells suck when I just built that for a friend, and he uses it pretty effectively.

WhatDoesThePendantDo? wrote:Personally, it works for me. It's better for me than the pyros.

Though I like it much more as a stealth/OHKO-or-close-to-it build then I do for duels.

Chameleon+Dusk Crown+Bellowing Ring+Red Tear Ring+CSS=Near instant destruction of anyone who is unfortunate enough to get caught by a mage.

Right, but pulling a stealth move is much different than conventional pvp where the invader/host knows your location. What you are describing is a situation wherein you are an invader/host and your location is unknown and you are able to cast a chameleon until the unsuspecting invader/host passes by. I'm talking about 1v1 situations such as in the video.

You say that sorceries work "better for you than pyro." I would love to see some of your casting skills. If this is your PSN, I'll send you an invite so that you can demonstrate this good luck that you have with casting. If it is not your PSN, feel free to send me an invite to PSN, "martyrsbrigade99."

If you are as successful with casting as you say, I'm sure you can spark new interest into the caster build which would be a good thing for the Dark Souls PvP playership. Outside of CMW, or using the MLGS, the mage class seems to be more viable in PvE than in PvP.

Fotitudo wrote:All of my builds are Int- Hybrids!
I have one like you, without tranquil but with gmb. Fun to play, used wotg as a finishing move.

Atm i have a Int/Dex (velkas rapier) Build with pyromancie, and im doin pretty well.
In my opinion, if you use crystal homing soulmass as an offense spell, it hits way more often. I cast it, swith spells to great combustion and doin the run 2hit attack, followed with great combustion. If they roll away and swing with their greatsword, the soulmass fires, and hit them off guard.
Got many easy kills.

My experience with the 3 kinds of magic is.
A pure faith-caster, not using 3x stacked WotG/Tranquil! Is o.k. don´t expect that much.
A pure mage, isnt a threat.
A pure pyromancer is a big threat!

So if you play a mage/caster/whatever, do a hybrid! As an example, imagine a fight style mitxed with wotg and great combustion, pretty devastating ...
But one downside, you have to go with 23/28 attunement, to manage all spells.

So in the next days, i test Fire Whip and Surge on my Build..

Btw. which one is better? Chaos fireball or great fireball? It seems the great fireball has more AoE ...

If you have a mage/pyro build that you say is pretty effective, then I would like to see it. Your build can be featured in the next battle of the build series. This series focuses less on winning/losing and more on build exposure. I've said on several occasions that intel casting is pretty much useless. But if you've created a intelligence hybrid that you say is viable, then send me an invite on PSN asap to, "martyrsbrigade99." In the friend invite, attach a message that mentions "intell/pyro hybrid" and I'll contact you for PvP as soon as I see that we are both online.

With a demonstration of this successful build, I'm sure you'll spark more interest into the mage-hybrid class.

I would love to fight you martyrs, but, unfortunately I'm on Xbox...

But if you happen to have any Xbox fans that want a fight this here is my GT: DiogenesSinope7

Sorry im on Xbox too, i know it was an mistake, maybe ill buy it and of the year for my PS3.

If you want i can send you a message with my current build.
One thing i have to say, one thing is really important, poise! Its way more important on a melee build! - But you dont have to stack as high as you can! The 40 poise which the wolf ring gives you is just enough!
Normally im a guy who dislike the poise system, so i startet with a 0 poise char, it was pretty funny and i fell more confortable with the 25% roll, first because of the astethics and yes! i can dodge better with it!
But if someone interrupt you, while you´re casting, it hurts twice! Especially when your opponent cancels your great combustion/great fireball ...and kills you with a katana stunlock ..

So in my opionion, wolf ring and bellowing are standart on my build. Maybe ill swich the wolf for hornet (Velkas Rapier, for very hard hitting parrys) or something else like leo, clothanry (?).

Like i said, i test fire surge and fire whip in the next days. Have no experience with these 2 spells.

I find pyro works better than sorcery. I'm on xbox, and need to make a 120sl contender... but when that's done I'll be down for a battle, ...although I'm no champion of pyromancy, nor of ovp. haha

The major benefit of having high int,imo, is having acces to the MLGS and CMW. CSS's do seem to be mainly luck based, ive seen a video of yours where you take full dmg from a soul spear that is clearly not even close to hitting you. This happens to me a lot, its really the only time they hit me. I usually send a msg saying "lag spear ftw!" lol. That pisses them off, cause to them they finally landed a hit with it.


The most successful mages ive run into incorporate chameleon(to break lock on) and spells like twop. They are usually really good at dodging and canceling cast attempts. Pyro is clearly easier and more effective, imo. Mages in pve are extremely powerful though, almost too much so.

I've not used sorcery in a PvP situation in quite some time, but playing against it in PvP, it only seems to catch me when it's 2v1.

Maybe I just never play against skilled sorcerers, but I can roll away from any single on of their spells unless there's a sunbro there to keep me nailed down.

I have an hypermode int/faith hybrid. With sorcery alone its.............difficult. Hcsm is great if you're good at getting it to trigger when you want it to, which is difficult especially as pure int, and css is devastating if it hits. I cast hcsm lock off, then force them to dodge with a 800 damage wog, hcsm triggers as they exit the roll and they die before they can dodge.

Over all I'd say, like everything else, sorcery viable in good hands, but generally less useful than faith or pyromancy in most pvp situations.

Forum Pirate wrote:
Over all I'd say, like everything else, sorcery viable in good hands, but generally less useful than faith or pyromancy in most pvp situations.

You´re absolutely right, i always play a hybrid build. I startet with a Int/Faith build, because i found the idea awesome, if you low on health, cast hcsm and then cast great heal. Which doesn´t work as an darkwraith invader ....
Great heal is one of the best miracles, especially in pvp. Everyone thinks you cast twop, so they run away and you have full health, without doing a d*ckmove.
With 2 css, 1 hcsm, 1 gmb/gh and 2 wotg, it was pretty powerful.

But in my opionion, pyromancy improves EVERY build, you just have to level your pyrohand and then your more dangerous.
So, Int/Pyro which i currently playing, which is a lot of fun! But like every casting build, if i dont spam GC, a hyperaggressive Katana/Rapier player has an free win against me ... or i get an lucky parry ...
And like i said, play homing crystal soulmass offensive! I cast it and rush my opponent, sometimes i get 3 orbs, while he´s swinging his weapon. For about 700 dmg.

One thing ill try will be a faith / pyro hybrid! Also with high dexterity!
http://mugenmonkey.com/darksouls/?b=Y2xlcmljLDQwLDIzLDMwLDE2LDQ1LDExLDgsNDAsMCw2LDI3LDEwLDYsMjIsMjAsMTUzLDQ4LDExNCwxMjksbm9ybWFsLG5vcm1hbCxub3JtYWwsbm9ybWFsLDAsNDYsNDYsMzAsMjcsMjcsMzcsMCwwLDAsMCwwLDAsMCx3b29kZW4sd29vZGVuLHdvb2Rlbix3b29kZW4=

- im not the fan of crown of dusk, and buffing. its just how i imagine the build.
Chaos blade for high damage without buffing! Or the lifehunt scythe.
Sadly faith dont have a dex/fth weapon like velkas rapier ...

For my casters, I take every boost I can get. I pvp at sl 80 most of the time, so my casters never break 1k hp, I need to be killing in 2 hits.

My int/faith is 120, but I have 8 vitality so again, I need the boost.

So then you have an glass-cannon, so you need every boost.

I fought against a player which the maiden robe, have no idea what rings or weapons ( in the offhand) he´s using. He 2 handed only his buffed richards rapier, which totally destroyed me.

And he only take 180 damage from my moonlight greatsword +5 with 44 int! That was so impressive! And seriously i don´t miss the crown of dusk. My damage output is in my eyes awesome.

In PvE i destroyed, i mean DESTROYED! the 4 Kings on NG+ with my Character, without using CoD, just to name an example