The Sorcerer is probably one of the best classes to build and level in the early game of Diablo 4. Unlike the Barbarian, Sorcerers have both a strong early game kit and several powerful endgame builds. For this guide, we’ll be going with a Chain Lightning build that will see you tearing through content while leveling all the way through to when you’re ready to transition to an endgame build.
The Best Leveling Build for the Sorcerer Class in Diablo 4
Chain Lightning is one of the most effective leveling tools in the game thanks to its ability to clear packs of enemies incredibly efficiently. The attacks chain between enemies as long as they are within a certain distance of each other. This means they don’t need to be in a small group to be zapped to death; they can be slightly spread out and still take damage from the same attack, which is a feat most classes aren’t capable of. Keep in mind that this build is designed to clear easier enemies fast, so playing on World Tier 1 is recommended all the way through until you need to clear the Capstone Dungeon at level 50.
Aspects
There aren’t any Aspects needed to enable this leveling build. It functions perfectly well without any extra imprints. That being said, some specific Aspects can be incredibly useful. The big caveat here is for Weapons. If you find a new, higher DPS weapon or a 1H and Off-Hand combo that is higher DPS, just swap it out even if it has a nice Aspect on it. The extra DPS is always worth it over Aspects while leveling.
There are several Aspects that you should use to make your leveling experience with Chain Lightning easier if you come across them:
Aspect of Might for damage reduction
Aspect of The Expectant for more damage with your basic attacks
Aspect of Control for more damage against crowd controlled enemies
Edgemasters Aspect for a damage boost
Recharging Aspect is the most important one and the only one worth extracting to use on your best ring the whole way through if you find or already have it. This allows Chain Lightning to generate Mana from its bounces, which is a huge quality of life improvement for the build.
Gearing
While leveling, don’t worry too much about gearing. The upgrades will be constant, so you’ll want to just swap in whichever piece is a higher item level with better stats as you get them. The only thing you do want to keep an eye out for is gear that adds Ranks to Chain Lightning. These gear pieces are higher priority as they can push Chain Lightning past the level 5 we get in the Skill Tree for tons of extra damage.
Gems
For Gems you’ll want Emeralds in your Weapon or Offhand Sockets for extra Crit stats, Rubies in your Armor Sockets for Life stacking and better survivability, and Skulls in your Jewelry Sockets for some good flat Armor stats that will help you reduce damage taken.
Skill Build
Arc Lash will be our very powerful basic attack that will both deal great damage and generate plenty of Mana for us to get out lots of Core skill attacks with Chain Lightning. We also make use of a few defensive skills. Teleport is incredibly useful for getting out of tight situations and repositioning, or even just for jumping from pack to pack to use Arc Lash. Frost Nova deals an AOE freeze and applies the Vulnerable status to enemies, which enables us to deal more damage with our Lightning. Ice Armor grants a solid barrier and, more importantly, helps to further generate mana.
Next, we need something to help with Elites and Bosses as Chain Lightning will have trouble doing this by itself, so we take the Ultimate skill Unstable Currents. This provides a ton of burst damage and will really help with chunking down Elites and Bosses. It has a long cooldown, however, so I’d advise you to only use it in those situations; Chain Lightning will take care of regular enemies just fine. For the full skill tree build, you can find it here—simply click on the second tab labeled Skill Tree.
Enchantments
The Enchantments are nice and simple for this build. Once you have access to them, take the Chain Lightning Enchantment and the Fire Bolt Enchantment. These are good sources of some free extra damage for the build.
That’s the best leveling build for the Sorcerer class in Diablo 4 to help you to blast through the early game. It will give you a comfortable leveling experience right through to the level 50 target and even until you have the right gear for an endgame build you want to transition to. If you’re leveling up a Sorcerer, you should definitely try this build! And if you’re looking for more tips on getting through Diablo 4, make sure to check out our full range of guides.
