Skill Trees

The Nova Sorceress becomes much smoother once Nova itself and its synergies start receiving significant investment, so the early game is usually best handled with a simpler Sorceress leveling setup. You can progress through the first part of the game with a basic Lightning or Fire caster setup, then transition into Nova once you have enough Skill Points, Mana, and Faster Cast Rate to support constant close-range casting.

After the respec, prioritize Nova first, followed by Charged Bolt and Telekinesis, which are its two main Damage synergies. Lightning Mastery should also be maxed as part of the core offensive package. Take Static Field, Teleport, and Warmth with one Point each as soon as they become useful, but avoid overspending on utility while your main Damage Skills are still incomplete.

Once Nova, Charged Bolt, Telekinesis, and Lightning Mastery are all maxed, start investing the remaining Points into Energy Shield. This is where the Build becomes noticeably more durable, especially once your Mana pool is large enough to support both constant casting and incoming Damage absorption. Keep adding Points to Energy Shield until it is eventually maxed, while leaving Static Field, Teleport, and Warmth at one hard Point unless your final setup gives you a specific reason to do otherwise.

The finished Build revolves around maintaining a large Mana pool, teleporting directly into dense packs, and casting Nova continuously until the area is cleared. As your FCR, Mana sustain, and Energy Shield improve, the character becomes progressively faster and safer, eventually reaching the high-tempo Mapping style that defines endgame Nova Sorceress.

Gear

Infinity in an elite Staff base is the defining Weapon for the standard endgame Nova Sorceress. Self-wielding it provides permanent Conviction and substantial Enemy Lightning Resistance reduction, while a good base with bonuses to Nova or Lightning Mastery pushes Damage even further. Extremely strong Rare or Crafted Staves can compete, but Infinity remains the most natural final choice.

Griffon's Eye is the best Helmet thanks to +Skills, Faster Cast Rate, Lightning Skill Damage, and Enemy Lightning Resistance reduction. A socketed version with a Lightning Rainbow Facet is one of the strongest offensive upgrades available.

For Body Armour, Atma's Wail offers an excellent mix of Faster Hit Recovery, Mana support, and survivability for aggressive Energy Shield gameplay. Ormus' Robes is the more offensive alternative, especially with a useful Nova roll.

Occultist is an excellent Gloves choice because it combines 20% Faster Cast Rate with a large Maximum Mana bonus, both of which are extremely valuable for Energy Shield Nova.

For the Belt, Arachnid Mesh remains the standard option thanks to +1 Skill and Faster Cast Rate. A good FCR corruption is especially useful if you are trying to reach the demanding 200% FCR breakpoint.

Silkweave is one of the best Boots because Mana After Each Kill greatly improves sustain while spamming Nova. Strong Rare Boots are a good alternative when you need Resistances or Faster Hit Recovery instead.

A strong Rare or Crafted Sorceress Amulet with +Skills and Faster Cast Rate is usually the best choice. Mana, Attributes, Resistances, and Mana After Each Kill are all valuable secondary stats, while a Magic +3 Lightning Skills Amulet can provide more raw Damage if your breakpoint is already covered.

For Rings, Stone of Jordan is extremely strong because it provides +1 Skill and a large Maximum Mana bonus. Constricting Loop or strong Rare/Crafted FCR Rings become more important in 200% FCR setups, where jewelry often has to supply a significant portion of the required casting speed.

Charms

For the Nova Sorceress, Lightning Skill Grand Charms are the main offensive choice because Nova scales extremely well with additional Skill Levels. A Sorceress Hellfire Torch and Annihilus should form the foundation of the inventory, followed by Lightning Skillers, ideally with Life or other useful secondary modifiers. 

Use the remaining slots for Mana, Life, Faster Hit Recovery, and Poison Resistance. Mana is especially valuable in an Energy Shield setup, while Poison Resistance deserves extra attention because Poison bypasses the Mana protection provided by Energy Shield and hits Life directly.

Mercenary

For a self-wield Infinity Nova Sorceress, an Act 2 Mercenary with Insight is the most natural support choice. Meditation helps sustain the enormous Mana consumption of repeated Nova casts and Teleports, which is particularly valuable because the Build also relies on Mana as its main defensive resource through Energy Shield. Older and newer Nova discussions repeatedly point to Insight support as an important part of keeping this setup stable.

• Insight (Weapon)
• Vampire Gaze or Andariel's Visage (Helmet)
• Shaftstop, Fortitude, or Innocence (Armour)
• durable Rare/Crafted Gloves (Gloves)
• String of Ears or Verdungo's Hearty Cord (Belt)
• Rare Boots with Resistances and defensive modifiers (Boots)