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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ECMO3" data-source="post: 9408759" data-attributes="member: 7030563">You actually have to look at it by level.If you consider the best subclasses I think Sorcerer is stronger than Wizard at most tier 1 levels.   For exampleA 1st level Wizard with a 16 intelligence can get up to 2 rituals in their book in addition to what spells they prepare, plus Arcane recovery for an extra slot, but a 1st level sorcerer gets more Cantrips (at least one and possibly two) and a subclass ability that is pretty darn good, usually substantially better than a 1st level spell slot.   Strength of the Grave for example on a Shadow Sorcerer is extremely good at 1st level, arguably OP at this level and this is one of their two subclass abilities.  Getting Healing Word and Guidance as a DS is also pretty awesome at 1st level.  I don't think any Wizards with point buy are generally the equal of these two subclasses.At 2nd level is where the Wizard can be better than a Sorcerer.  The sorcerer gets flexible casting here, but does not have metamagic, a Wizard gets a subclass ability, which with a good subclass choice makes up for the lack of one at first level.  At this level the best Wizard subclass abilities are still not the equal of the best sorcerer subclass abilities, but combined with Rituals they probably make up the ground and more than cover the gap if you are playing for example a War Magic, Divination, Abjuration or Enchantment Wizard.  Not as much if you are playing most other Wizard subclasses.At 3rd and 4th level though the Sorc has metamagic and is ahead again because of what this brings to the table, even when compared to the best Wizard subclasses.I would disagree there because a high level spell is limited by slots and if cast with metamagic substantially enhances this very few uses available.Twin Spell in particular gives you essentially double the combat power of your high level spells and you can trade your low level slots to do that every time you cast a high level spell if you want.Add in subtle spell, heightened spell or empowered spell all of which make those high level slots more effective.The Wizard does have more 9th level spell variety than any Sorcerer except Divine Soul, but the best Wizard spells of 9th level are available to Sorcerers and Sorcerers are more effective using them because of metamagic.Again flexible casting makes up for this.A Warlock can cast 3 5th level spells per short rest.  A Sorcerer at this level who optimizes for 5th level spells can cast 8 5th level spells per day (plus one 6th level spell).  I would say that is generally going to outrun the Warlock, especially since the Sorcerer is more flexible (Sorc can use 4 5th level slots before the first short rest and none before the 2nd).  The same sorcerer can also flex this to other levels and cast 31 1st level spells or cast 12 fireballs and still have 4 sorcery points left over or a combination using metamagic.Eldritch Blast is the most powerful combat cantrip in the game and does give the 11th level Warlock an at-will damage option that the Sorcerer does not generally have, but that does not make up for the leveled spell diversity the Sorcerer does have, especially when Quickened spell comes into play, where the Sorcerer can cast a leveled spell and double dip with a Cantrip or even a twinned cantrip on top of a quickened spell.  For example an 11th level Warlock using his bonus and action can go Hex-EB/AB and dole out 3d10+3d6+15 (42), but must burn a 5th level slot at some point to do that (maybe early in the day).  An 11th level Sorcerer can spend 3 sorcery points (quicken spell, twin spell) and throw three Firebolts on their turn for 9d10 (49.5).</blockquote>

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