In Diablo 4, the Sorceress dominated the 2nd season of the game with the Charged Bolts build. After nerfs, the build has never been as strong as it was back then, but that might change in season 7.
What kind of build is this? In season 2, many players played the Sorceress with the Charged Bolts build. It was the first really strong build for the class and could take down tough bosses like Uber Lilith in 10 seconds.
The build revolves around the titular Charged Bolts spell. To achieve this, you build the character so that the Charged Bolts circle around your character instead of flying away from you.
However, after the 2nd season, the build was nerfed and is now “only” in A-tier of the best builds for endgame in Diablo 4, while it was previously ranked in S-tier. However, this could change with the next season.
In the following video, you can learn how to collect the teachings of Akarat.
New buffs for old builds
What changes with the next season? The patch notes for the PTR of season 7 in Diablo 4 already show the changes that the developers have in mind. Alongside various buffs and nerfs, the Charged Bolts build is mainly affected by changes that make the build stronger.
In particular, the new unique focus “Okun’s Catalyst” causes the build to become more powerful. Okun’s Catalyst ensures that the Charged Bolts surround you and that you can summon them while moving. As long as you have enough mana and keep moving, it should feel almost exactly like it did in season 2. You can find all the uniques available in season 7 in our overview.
Additionally, Blizzard has revised the damage bonuses that affect the Charged Bolts skill. As a result, the skill not only deals much more damage than before but also pulls enemies towards you, which was one of the weaknesses of the build. Thus, the weaknesses of the build are reduced, and you get more damage on top of that.
Anyone who now has some defensive options like shields should, like in season 2, be able to take down bosses and groups of enemies without major problems.
Will the build destroy everything again? Not all changes in the PTR will be fully carried over to season 7, which could start in January. However, the build and especially the new unique item that enables it again will likely make a comeback.
Whether the class will reach S-tier again with this build remains to be seen. But especially now, where the Spiritborn is being heavily nerfed, it’s possible. What happens with the new class in season 7 has already been addressed by the developers of Diablo 4: Blizzard is heavily nerfing the strongest class in Diablo 4, saying: “It’s better for the health of the game”
