The Elder Scrolls Online's Sorcerer class is almost solely devoted to dealing damage, though there are a few spells that buff allies or help to bolster the player's defenses. The class usually relies on Magicka as a resource, though there are some outlier Elder Scrolls Online builds that make the class Stamina-based and even give it the capability to Tank.
For this reason, most of the useful armor sets available for Sorcerers are Light Armor sets, though some Heavy Armor sets also confer good Magicka enhancements too. Any set that allows Sorcerers the ability to cast more spells for more damage will be a shoo-in, though some high-tier sets come with great bonuses for having a full set equipped.
Updated November 23, 2021 by Erik Petrovich: Sorcerers in The Elder Scrolls Online are a class that typically prefer Magicka-based armor sets, but just like every class in the game, they are just as capable of picking up a Two-Handed weapon and Heavy Armor as they are casting spells. The best Sorcerer builds tend to add flat damage or bonuses to Spell Critical, allowing the player to cast more powerful spells with a higher chance to deal huge bursts of DPS. Each armor set has bonuses based on the number of pieces equipped by the player, and some of the best don't require the player to wear all five pieces to still gain huge buffs.
The Bahsei's Mania Set
- Two Item Bonus: Grants 129 Weapon Damage and Spell Damage
- Three Item Bonus: Gives the player Minor Slayer
- Four Item Bonus: Grants 657 Critical Chance
- Full Set Bonus: Adds 129 Weapon Damage and 129 Spell Damage, increases damage to NPCs by up to 15 percent (based on current Magicka)
The Bahsei's Mania set is a Light Armor, Weapon, and Jewelry set that increases damage in multiple ways and increases Critical Chance. Its Full Set bonus is only useful for Magicka-based Sorcerers, but the Two, Three, and Four items equipped bonuses are each powerful for both Stamina and Magicka builds (though Sorcerers tend to go Magicka over Stamina).
This set can be found in the Rockgrove Trial included in the Blackwood DLC, considered by some to be one of the more difficult Trials in recent memory. Thanks to the recent update to Armor Set loot tables that was implemented alongside the Deadlands DLC, players thankfully won't have to run Rockgrove too many times to complete the set.
The Maw of the Infernal Set
- One Item Equipped: Increases Max Magicka by 1096
- Both Items Equipped: Light or Heavy Attacks have a 1/3 chance to spawn a Daedroth every 15 seconds, which breathes fire and scales off of the player's Weapon or Spell Damage.
The Maw of the Infernal armor set is a Monster Set acquired through the Undaunted questline, and only has two pieces in total: a Helmet and a Shoulder piece. With one piece of the set equipped the player gains 1096 Max Magicka, but with both the Sorcerer gains a chance to summon a Daedroth with each Light or Heavy Attack. The Daedroth's attacks deal Fire Damage and it can use three unique abilities.
The beast's damage scales with the player's Weapon or Spell Damage, whichever stat is higher, and can be procced once every 15 seconds. It can take damage for the Sorcerer while summoned and deal out plenty of its own too, and it can be used in ranged builds or close-combat battlemage builds alike. This Monster Set is found in the Banished Cells II dungeon.
The Magnus' Gift Set
- Two Item Bonus: Adds 1096 Max Magicka
- Three Item Bonus: Grants 129 Magicka Recovery
- Four Item Bonus: Adds 129 to Weapon and Spell Damage
- Full Set Bonus: 8% chance to cast Magicka-based abilities for free
The Magnus' Gift set is a craftable set that gives Magicka-based Sorcerers a lot of beneficial passives to work with. It increases Max Magicka, Magicka Recovery, and Weapon and Spell Damage with its low-tier armor bonuses. Its full set bonus is a powerful Magicka-conserving effect that procs more often than it at first might seem.
The Magnus' Gift set is crafted in three locations: Arangana in south Greenshade, Vaewend Ede in north Rivenspire, and Xal haj-ei Shrine in northeast Shadowfen. It requires players to have researched at least four traits on weapons and armor they wish to craft with these set bonuses.
The Plague Doctor Set
- Two Item Bonus: Increases Max Health by 1206
- Three Item Bonus: Increases Max Health by 1206
- Four Item Bonus: Increases Max Health by 1206
- Full Set Bonus: Increases Max Health by 2804
The Plague Doctor armor set is an extremely simple armor set that turns out to be one of the most useful sets for Sorcerers who prefer to get up close and personal. At two, three, and four pieces equipped the player is given 1206 Max Health, and at five total pieces equipped the Sorcerer is given 2804 Max Health – this totals to 6422 Max Health from the set's full bonus.
Though Sorcerers tend to shy away from close combat, being the most fragile class of the six in The Elder Scrolls Online, this set makes melee-oriented builds more viable. Because Sorcerers typically have invested so many points exclusively into Magicka, there's hardly any Skill Points to allocate into Health, and this armor set sets that straight. Pieces to this set are found throughout Shadowfen content.
The Mother's Sorrow Set
- Two Item Bonus: Adds 1096 Max Magicka
- Three Item Bonus: Increases Critical Chance by 657
- Four Item Bonus: Increases Critical Chance by 657
- Full Set Bonus: Increases Critical Chance by 1528
The Mother's Sorrow armor set is widely used across multiple Magicka-based builds in every class, including of course the Sorcerer. With two pieces equipped it grants 1096 Max Magicka to the player, and at three and four items equipped it grants 657 Spell Critical each. When a full set of five pieces is equipped a further 1528 Spell Critical is given to the player, for a total of 2842 extra Spell Critical with the set's full buff.
It might seem like a simple armor set but its huge increase to critical hit chance makes it more than worthwhile, especially when paired with sets that proc off of Critical Hits. The set it put to best use by DPS Sorcerers, but it's also not a bad choice for Support Sorcerers as Spell Critical also increases Critical Healing Chance. The Mother's Sorrow set is found in overland content throughout Deshaan.
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