*** WARNING ***

It was brought to my attention that the folks at The Amazon Basin claimed that the Sorceress Masteries no longer worked with Ranged attacks in 1.10. Mikeandroe and I did some testing in PvP and PvM to verify their claims. Unfortunately, they appear to be correct. This means that the KukoSorc as originally conceived is no longer viable. However, I’m not going to ask Deichsela to remove it as Blizzard might change it back in a later patch, some people might be playing a patch prior to 1.10, and, finally, there are some interesting ideas among the suggested tweaks for 1.10.

For those of you who relied on this guide to make a KukoSorc for 1.10, please accept my apologies. Finally, thanks to Mikeandroe for helping me test even though it was bad news.

*** END OF WARNING ***

My KukoSorc could clear 1.09 Hell Bloody Hills on a Players 8 setting as quickly as any character I had built (including my LF Zon). Here’s the original:

THE KUKOSORC FAMILY

The KukoSorc Tri-Elementalist is a 1.09 build. Don't stop reading at this point. I will be including ideas on how to update this build for 1.10, as well as other weapons that would work well with the concept. As for what that concept is, imagine for a moment a Fireball Sorceress. Now imagine that her Fireballs can also include Physical, Lightning, Cold, and Poison damage. Further imagine that these Fireballs can Pierce and cost no Mana.

This is the idea behind the KukoSorc Tri-Elementalist. This build takes advantage of the fact that Fire Mastery and Lightning Mastery apply to ALL Fire and Lightning sources that a Sorceress uses. It also uses the fact that the Kuko Shakaku fires Explosive Arrows which automatically hit (no longer valid in 1.10).

There have been some notes added at the end of this guide that I strongly encourage everybody interested in making a similar build to read.

My KukoSorc could clear 1.09 Hell Bloody Hills on a Players 8 setting as quickly as any character I had built (including my LF Zon). Here's the original:


THE KUKOSORC TRI-ELEMENTALIST (1.09)

(Note: This build is distinct from Bloodshrike's Crushblow Archer builds. You can use gear with Crushing Blow, but it is not necessary.)

SKILLS:

Cold Tree:

1 pt - Frozen Armor
1 pt - Pre-reqs for Frozen Orb
1 pt - Cold Mastery
Max - Frozen Orb

Lightning Tree:

1 pt - Pre-reqs for Energy Shield
1+ pts - Energy Shield
Max - Lightning Mastery
Max - Static Field (Dump points here until you are happy with the range of S.F.)

Fire Tree:

1+ pts - Warmth
Max - Fire Mastery

STATS:

STR - Enough to use gear
DEX - Enough to use gear
VIT - Everything else
NRG - Enough to maintain Energy Shield and cast Frozen Orb

At level 80 with gear here are the stats on mine:

STR - 112
DEX - 68
VIT - 197
NRG - 184

GEAR:

I will tell you the gear that mine uses and suggest alternatives in some instances. This gear is not necessarily optimal but it works.

Weapon 1: Kuko Shakaku socketed with Shael rune (the bow is required; you can put something else in it if you feel like it)
Weapon 2: Occulus, Lidless Wall with Um rune (when you are only using Frozen Orb)
Helm: Harlequin's Crest with Um rune (clearly the best helm available)
Amulet: Mara's Kaleidoscope
Armor: Skin of the Vipermagi with a Resist All jewel
Belt: Razortail (not strictly necessary, but the additional Piercing is handy)
Ring 1: Dwarf Star
Ring 2: Magic ring with +4 Replenish life, +15 Resist all
Boots: WarTraveler (These can easily be replaced with other boots like Infernostride or Gore Riders)
Gloves: Cleglaws (Knockback and Slow), Lavagout (IAS, Fire Damage, %chance to cast Enchant)
Charms: As much Lightning and Fire damage as possible, use Poison, Cold, Resist All and other to taste

MERCENARY:

I recommend the Act II Holy Freeze mercenary. I like the following gear:

Helm: Guillaume's Face
Armor: High end "Smoke" armor
Weapon: "Honor" in an elite polearm or spear





KUKOSORC MODIFICATIONS FOR 1.10

SKILLS:

The Cold Tree should stay the same, although you might want to move some points out of Frozen Orb into the other trees.

The Lightning Tree could use additional points in Telekinesis as a synergy for Energy Shield and some points could be removed from Static Field.

The Fire Tree should have Enchant maxed for the additional Fire damage and attack rating. Warmth can also be pumped as desired to synergize Enchant and help Energy Shield.


GEAR:

For the most part I will leave it to the reader to figure out tweaking the design, but I will make a couple of suggestions.

Weapon: Kuko Shakaku (obviously). The reason I'm commenting here is to warn the reader that upgrading to elite will give it a DEX requirement of 188.
Armor: Both "Gloom"(%chance to cast Dim Vision) and "Duress" appear to be useful and inexpensive runewords. You can look at them here: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/runewords.shtml
Belt: Arachnid Mesh and Nosferatu's Coil are useful (Slow among other properties). You can look at them here: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/runewords.shtml
Gloves: Since you will be using Enchant in 1.10, I would be cautious about using Lavagout since I don't know how the 2 Enchants will interact (see Notes at the end).

MERCENARY:

Same except for gear ideas:

Helm: Guillaume's is still excellent
Armor: Any of the new runewords
Weapon: "Honor" would still work, but a "Crescent Moon", a Bonehew with 2 Amns, or The Reaper's Toll would be better. For the last two, look here: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/elite/upolearms.shtml





OTHER WEAPONS FOR THE KUKOSORC CONCEPT


(Note: FPA information is from the following site: http://diablo2.ingame.de/tips/calcs/weaponspeed.php?lang=english )

I will be starting the breakpoints with the IAS on the weapon already included.

First I'm going to give you the information for Kuko Shakaku, which can be found here: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/exceptional/ubows.shtml

0 IAS = 16 FPA
10 IAS = 15 FPA
20 IAS = 14 FPA
30 IAS = 13 FPA
45 IAS = 12 FPA
65 IAS = 11 FPA

The advantages of Kuko are the 50% pierce, the additional Fire damage which is amplified by Fire Mastery, and the Explosive Arrows which include all Fire damage in the radius effect.


GIMMERSHRED: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/elite/uthrowing.shtml

As soon as I saw this after the patch I started drooling. Here's the breakpoint information:

30 IAS = 17 FPA
40 IAS = 16 FPA
50 IAS = 15 FPA
70 IAS = 14 FPA
95 IAS = 13 FPA

Gimmershred can be used both thrown and melee, does massive Elemental damage, and allows you to use a shield. Also, since it does massive Cold damage, the player can consider omitting Frozen Orb and place a wand with Lower Resist charges on the second weapon slot.


HELLRACK: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/elite/ucrossbows.shtml

20 IAS = 18 FPA
30 IAS = 17 FPA
40 IAS = 16 FPA
50 IAS = 15 FPA
70 IAS = 14 FPA
95 IAS = 13 FPA

Hellrack has a high STR requirement of 163 but look at the advantages: Excellent Fire, Cold, and Lightning damage, 2 sockets, huge attack rating bonus, good Physical damage, and 150 charges of level 18 Immolation Arrow. Ask yourself this: "Does Fire Mastery work on Immolation Arrow?"


DEMON'S ARCH: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/elite/ujavelins.shtml

30 IAS = 17 FPA
40 IAS = 16 FPA
50 IAS = 15 FPA
70 IAS = 14 FPA
95 IAS = 13 FPA

Demon's Arch has pretty much the same advantages as Gimmershred. It doesn't do Cold damage, but it does replenish quantity, does more Physical damage, and can be used 2 levels earlier.


"HAND OF JUSTICE" BOW: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/runewords.shtml

Based on STR and DEX requirements as well as speed it looks like either a blade bow or a great bow is the way to go: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/elite/bows.shtml

30 IAS = 12 FPA
45 IAS = 11 FPA
75 IAS = 10 FPA

"Hand of Justice" has good Physical damage, excellent speed, Ignore Target Defense, Hit Blinds Target, and Hit Freezes Target +3. In addition it has a level 16 Holy Fire aura and -20% to enemy Fire resistance. How does Fire Mastery work with Holy Fire?


DEMON MACHINE: http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/items/exceptional/ucrossbows.shtml

0 IAS = 12 FPA
10 IAS = 11 FPA

Demon Machine only needs 10 IAS to hit the last breakpoint. It doesn't include the extra Fire damage of Kuko Shakaku, but it does have higher Pierce (66% vs. 50%), higher Physical damage, a huge bonus to attack rating, and adds 321 to Defense.




NOTES:

- I commented earlier that I didn't know how the %chance to cast Enchant from Lavagouts would interact with the KukoSorc's own Enchant. It appears that the lower level Enchant will reset the timer on the higher level one but will not otherwise affect the higher one. Thanks to Hcsawhat for his comments.

- Explosive Arrows and Pierce make a very handy combination. A single monster will be hit by a single explosion. If you have three monsters in a row, the first will be hit by two explosions, the middle by three explosions, and the third by two explosions. Anybody who has seen a Lightning Fury Amazon in action understands the concept.

- In 1.09, Explosive Arrows would always hit. In 1.10, it appears that, while the arrow itself no longer automatically hits, the explosion does. Also, it appears that the Fire damage is included in the explosion and included again if the arrow actually hits. In other words, it is possible to have double Fire damage. Thanks to Posterboy for testing.

- Ilkori suggested I make a few clarifications. Frozen Orb is included to have a third form of damage as the Physical damage from the arrow usually isn't that much and I don't like depending on my Henchidiot for the third type. The reason for the other set of gear is to cause more damage when using Frozen Orb. In 1.10, Energy Shield takes damage before anything else, like resistances, applies. As a result, casters who are using it frequently find themselves without any Mana. This shouldn't be a problem for the KukoSorc as she is almost never depends on her Mana to kill things. She can therefore afford to use Energy Shield.

- Also, as you know, ranged attacks became much more annoying in 1.10. I didn't have to worry about them in 1.09 so I could get by with a non-existent Defense. Bumping up your armor is important.

- Barbarosa pointed out that I didn't include Demon Machine in my list of alternate weapons and it is now included.


ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS:

Many different people have contributed to this guide over the years. I would like to thank Bloodshrike and EvilTeletubby for encouraging me to write up this build back in 1.09 and TwistedWounds for posting the original build on his website. I would like to thank Hcsawhat, Posterboy, Ilkori, and Barbarosa for their comments which ended up in the Notes section. Finally, I would like to thank Deichsela for agreeing to post this modified guide on his website.