Diablo Immortal's New Mystic Allies Build Turns Monk Into a Teleporting Army, But There's a Catch

There was a time when being a Monk in Diablo meant punching demons with your bare hands, moving faster than anyone had any right to move, and occasionally summoning a spiritual companion to help with the less agreeable parts of combat. The Monk was a martial artist first and a summoner second. If you wanted an army, you played Necromancer. If you wanted to defeat the Lord of Terror through a complicated sequence of kicks, punches and improbable acrobatics, you played Monk.

Diablo Immortal's October 21 update has decided that perhaps there is no reason to choose between the two.

Patch 5.1.2 introduces six new Legendary Essences for Monk, and together they suggest a rather entertaining approach to combat. Mystic Allies can now teleport the player across the battlefield and summon two untargetable companions, Cyclone Strike can make all three unleash attacks simultaneously, and Mystic Strike can send the entire group charging toward the same unfortunate enemy.

It sounds like the sort of fighting technique that would make even the most experienced demon stop and reconsider its career.

There is, however, a complication. Players testing the new equipment have already raised questions about whether its most interesting defensive and offensive interactions actually work as advertised. In particular, the promised ability to remove enemy buffs may not be performing as expected.

And that turns an interesting new build into an even more interesting experiment.

Mirrored Stinger Gives Mystic Allies an Entirely Different Purpose

The centerpiece of the new Monk equipment is Mirrored Stinger, a Main Hand Legendary Essence that transforms Mystic Allies into a teleportation and summoning ability. Activating it makes the Monk vanish and reappear at a chosen location, where two untargetable allies are summoned to perform Primary Attacks. The Essence also increases Mystic Allies damage by 18%.

That may sound like a relatively small modification, but the implications are more interesting than another damage multiplier.

Traditionally, Mystic Allies has been associated with summoned companions that assist the Monk in combat. Diablo III players will remember how the ability developed from a relatively modest supporting skill into the centerpiece of powerful Inna's Mantra builds, where elemental allies could become the main source of damage. Diablo Immortal has followed a different path, but the underlying attraction remains the same: why should the Monk deliver every punch personally?

Mirrored Stinger takes that philosophy and adds mobility. Instead of treating summoning and movement as separate activities, the Monk relocates across the battlefield and brings two companions along for the fight. The allies cannot be targeted directly, according to Blizzard's description, which is particularly interesting for a class that traditionally relies on positioning, timing and close-range attacks.

It also fits Blizzard's recent approach to Legendary equipment. When we examined the introduction of 60 new Legendary Affixes in August, the most successful ideas were not necessarily those offering the largest numerical bonuses. They were the ones that changed how familiar abilities interacted with one another. A moving Black Hole for Wizard and an undead Bone Beast mount for Necromancer were memorable because they introduced new ways of playing rather than simply making an old skill hit harder.

Mirrored Stinger belongs to that category. It changes the relationship between the Monk, Mystic Allies and the battlefield itself. But the Main Hand Essence is only the beginning.

Six New Monk Essences Create a Coordinated Fighting Style

Blizzard's official Patch 5.1.2 notes detail six new Monk Essences, each occupying a different equipment slot. More importantly, several are designed to cooperate with one another, creating the possibility of a coordinated Mystic Allies build.

Equipment Slot	Legendary Essence	Effect
Main Hand	Mirrored Stinger	Mystic Allies teleports the Monk and summons two untargetable allies that perform Primary Attacks. Mystic Allies damage +18%.
Off-Hand	Repurposed Faith	Mystic Strike increases Skill damage by 28.5% for three seconds.
Chest	Violent Sky Robes	Cyclone Strike makes the Monk and nearby Mystic Allies unleash simultaneous cyclones, damaging enemies, dispelling beneficial effects and increasing damage taken. Cyclone Strike damage +18%.
Legs	Ribs of the Resonant	Mystic Strike sends the Monk and Mystic Allies charging toward a target location, knocking enemies back and shattering armor. Mystic Strike damage +18%.
Head	Fanned Diadem	Each nearby Mystic Ally increases damage by 15.2%, up to a maximum of 31.4%.
Shoulders	Distracting Baubles	Mystic Strike makes the Monk untargetable for 0.65 seconds, with a four-second restriction between activations.

There is a clear design running through these six effects. Mirrored Stinger provides the companions, Fanned Diadem rewards keeping them nearby, and Ribs of the Resonant turns Mystic Strike into a coordinated attack. Repurposed Faith adds a temporary Skill damage increase, while Distracting Baubles offers a brief defensive window during movement.

Then there is Violent Sky Robes, which may be the most ambitious of the entire collection.

Instead of producing only one Cyclone Strike, the Essence allows nearby Mystic Allies to unleash their own simultaneous cyclones. These attacks are supposed to damage enemies, remove beneficial effects and make targets more vulnerable to further damage.

For ordinary PvE farming, that suggests a straightforward attraction: teleport into a group of enemies, bring the allies into position, and unleash several overlapping area attacks. The Monk's traditional strengths of mobility and rapid engagement remain intact, but the companions contribute directly to the offensive sequence.

It is not entirely unlike the summoning philosophy behind the new Druid Raven Swarm build, where one ability coordinates several animal companions. The distinction is that Monk remains personally involved in almost every attack. The companions follow the martial artist's movement rather than replacing it with a separate army.

At least, that is how the equipment appears intended to work.

Players Are Already Questioning Violent Sky Robes

On October 24, a Monk player reported an unexpected problem with Violent Sky Robes after testing it in competitive activities. According to the community report, the Essence did not appear to remove enemy beneficial effects as expected, even when combined with Mirrored Stinger and its new Mystic Allies.

The player tested the interaction in Tower War and subsequently against opponents in a controlled match. The report describes using the additional allies to trigger Cyclone Strike attacks, but observing little of the promised buff removal. A video was also shared to demonstrate the behavior.

This is important because the ability to dispel beneficial effects could be considerably more valuable than its damage bonus, especially in PvP.

Diablo Immortal's competitive combat is filled with temporary shields, defensive effects, movement enhancements and other buffs that can decide whether an opponent survives an encounter. A Monk capable of entering combat, coordinating several cyclones and removing those advantages would potentially serve as a disruptive support fighter rather than simply another source of damage.

But the player report raises two questions. Does the Essence fail to remove certain effects because of a bug, or are there restrictions and triggering conditions that Blizzard's published description does not explain clearly?

We should be careful not to declare the mechanic completely broken on the strength of one report. The October 24 testing provides a specific, reproducible concern, but Blizzard has not established in the cited patch notes that the behavior is a confirmed bug. What it does demonstrate is that players should investigate the actual effect before building an entire PvP strategy around it.

Diablo Immortal has encountered similar complications before. We previously covered the Necromancer's Bone Beast mount interfering with Corpse Lance, an example of a new Legendary mechanic producing unexpected consequences for another ability. And when Blizzard retired older Essences, Fractured Plane continued offering equipment with powers that no longer functioned.

Complex systems are wonderful until two parts of the game disagree about what is supposed to happen.

For anyone experimenting with Violent Sky Robes, the practical advice is simple: test the dispel effect against specific, identifiable enemy buffs rather than assuming every beneficial effect will disappear. Compare the result with and without nearby Mystic Allies, and separate the ability's damage increase from its promised utility. Those are different mechanics, and success with one does not prove that the other is functioning correctly.

How to Build Around Mystic Allies Without Assuming It Is the New Meta

The most obvious starting point is to equip Mirrored Stinger, Fanned Diadem and Ribs of the Resonant together. These three Essences establish the central relationship between teleportation, summoned allies and synchronized movement. Add Repurposed Faith to improve Skill damage after Mystic Strike, and Violent Sky Robes to investigate the Cyclone Strike interaction.

Distracting Baubles provides another defensive option, making the Monk briefly untargetable when using Mystic Strike. The duration is short, only 0.65 seconds, but carefully timed protection can be important when moving directly into dangerous enemy groups. The four-second restriction prevents the effect from becoming permanent protection, so it should be treated as a tactical tool rather than a guarantee of survival.

A sensible experimental combat sequence would be to activate Mystic Allies through Mirrored Stinger, position the companions close enough to benefit from Fanned Diadem, and use Mystic Strike to engage a selected target. Repurposed Faith then provides its temporary Skill damage increase, creating a potential opportunity to follow with Cyclone Strike while the allies are nearby.

That sequence is a starting hypothesis based on the published Essence descriptions, not an established optimal rotation. Its effectiveness will depend on cooldowns, companion behavior, enemy positioning and whether the overlapping cyclones produce the expected results.

For PvE, the obvious tests are monster clearing speed, elite damage and performance against bosses. For PvP, the more interesting questions involve survival, crowd control and whether the new dispel effect offers meaningful advantages against defensive builds.

Players should also remember that acquiring these Essences involves the new Inferno XV equipment system. Blizzard's October update converted existing Loyalty Points into Legacy Loyalty Points, while qualifying Inferno XV equipment can generate points for the new Essence collection. The process follows the same principle we explained in our guide to the previous Inferno XIV Loyalty Point reset.

For returning players, the distinction matters. Existing Loyalty Points have not simply vanished, but unlocking the newest effects requires participating in the current equipment progression system.

There are also opportunities to improve equipment through the ongoing events. As our Long March reward guide explains, the October campaign offers selectable Legendary items and other useful rewards. With the recent improvement to selectable Legendary equipment rewards, obtaining a particular item can be more predictable than relying entirely on random drops. Players should still verify which items are available through each reward before planning their farming around it.

The Monk Has Something More Interesting Than Another Damage Bonus

There is a larger reason these new Essences deserve attention, regardless of whether they eventually become competitive endgame equipment.

Diablo Immortal has spent much of 2026 reconsidering its enormous library of Legendary powers. As we discussed when Blizzard confirmed that older Legendary Essences would continue to be retired, the developers want new equipment to remain meaningful rather than disappear into an ever-expanding collection of increasingly similar effects.

That is a reasonable ambition, but it comes with a responsibility. If players are going to lose access to older build combinations, the replacements should offer something genuinely interesting.

Mirrored Stinger and its supporting Essences at least attempt to do that. They connect teleportation, companions, coordinated attacks and defensive timing into one recognizable fighting style. The Monk is not simply receiving another 18% damage increase, although Blizzard has certainly included a few of those for good measure. The class is being encouraged to move differently and to treat Mystic Allies as active participants in combat.

Whether this becomes a genuinely strong build remains uncertain. The reported Violent Sky Robes problems need further testing, and the damage contribution of the new untargetable allies has yet to establish itself as a reliable improvement over existing alternatives.

But the underlying idea is appealing. The Monk has always been a character defined by speed, positioning and precision. Allowing two spiritual companions to mirror that aggression gives the class another way to express those strengths without turning it into a conventional summoner.

In Diablo III, Mystic Allies eventually became capable of inflicting extraordinary amounts of damage. Diablo Immortal's new approach is more about movement and coordination, at least on paper. It asks the player to fight alongside the allies rather than simply waiting for them to finish the job.

And there is something wonderfully appropriate about a martial artist who has spent years perfecting the discipline of body and spirit finally deciding that one body is simply not enough.

Two spiritual companions, three synchronized attackers and a battlefield full of confused demons. The concept is certainly promising.

Now Blizzard just needs to make sure all those impressive new powers actually work.

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Diablo 3 Season 40 Patterns of Justice Monk Build – Tempest Rush, Gear and Angelic Crucibles

The Monk has always been one of Diablo III's more peculiar heroes. Surrounded by Barbarians swinging enormous axes, Wizards bending reality and Necromancers commanding the dead, the Monk approaches the forces of Hell with a rather old-fashioned proposition: what if we simply kicked everything?

Patterns of Justice takes that philosophy a little further. Instead of patiently exchanging blows with demons, the Monk becomes a constantly moving whirlwind, sweeping through entire groups of enemies while Tempest Rush and Sweeping Wind turn the battlefield into a rather dangerous place to stand.

In Diablo III Season 40, the Patterns of Justice set returns as the Monk's Haedrig's Gift reward. That makes it an especially accessible choice for anyone starting a fresh seasonal character, since the complete six-piece set can be earned through the Season Journey rather than assembled entirely through random drops.

There is another reason to revisit it. Season 40 brings back Light's Calling and its Angelic Crucibles, allowing players to transform Legendary equipment into powerful Sanctified items.

But unlike some of the other classes we've examined recently, Patterns of Justice does not gain a spectacular new attack from its Sanctified Powers. Its real strength is still the remarkable relationship between movement, resource management and carefully timed damage.

And when everything comes together, the result is one of Diablo III's most enjoyable ways of travelling through Sanctuary.

Why Patterns of Justice Works in Season 40

As we covered in our Season 40 Light's Calling overview, completing Chapters II, III and IV of the Season Journey rewards three Haedrig's Gifts. Opening all three on your seasonal Monk provides the complete Patterns of Justice set.

The set was introduced with Diablo III's Patch 2.6.7 in 2019, long after the original Monk had established its identity around Seven-Sided Strike, Wave of Light, Exploding Palm and other familiar abilities.

Patterns of Justice offered something different. It turned Sweeping Wind, previously a supporting ability in many builds, into the foundation of an entire combat style built around Tempest Rush.

The two-piece bonus grants Sweeping Wind the effects of every rune and increases its damage. The four-piece bonus supplies valuable Spirit regeneration and reduces incoming damage while Tempest Rush is active. Finally, the six-piece bonus dramatically increases Tempest Rush damage while Sweeping Wind is running.

The relationship is simple but important. Sweeping Wind keeps the engine running, while Tempest Rush provides the movement and most of the killing power.

Stop maintaining Sweeping Wind, and the entire arrangement becomes considerably less impressive.

Unlike the Season 40 Rathma Necromancer, which concentrates much of its power into repeated Army of the Dead attacks, the Monk delivers sustained damage as it moves through enemies. The difficult part comes when you want to convert that sustained assault into a properly timed burst against tougher opponents.

That is where the Flurry rune becomes important.

Best Patterns of Justice Monk Skills and Passives

For solo Greater Rift progression, the recommended setup focuses on Tempest Rush with Flurry, supported by Sweeping Wind, Blinding Flash and several defensive abilities.

Skill	Rune	Purpose
Tempest Rush	Flurry	Main damage skill, with stacking Cold damage released when channeling ends.
Sweeping Wind	Any rune	Activates the Patterns of Justice bonuses and provides the effects of every Sweeping Wind rune.
Blinding Flash	Faith in the Light	Blinds enemies, activates Cesar's Memento and helps trigger Flurry bursts.
Epiphany	Desert Shroud	Important defensive ability that helps the Monk survive dangerous encounters.
Serenity	Ascension	Temporary immunity for surviving particularly dangerous situations.
Mantra of Salvation	Agility	Additional resistance and Dodge Chance.

The recommended passive abilities are Beacon of Ytar, Harmony, Seize the Initiative and The Guardian's Path. Together they provide Cooldown Reduction, additional toughness and useful combat bonuses.

One important detail is that the Sweeping Wind rune selection is largely irrelevant once you have the two-piece Patterns of Justice bonus. The set automatically grants all five rune effects, including Inner Storm's Spirit regeneration and Master of Wind's freezing effect.

That freezing effect is particularly useful because it can activate Cesar's Memento, one of the most important items in the build.

Tempest Rush should generally remain active as you move through monster packs. With the Flurry rune, continued channeling builds stacks that can be released in a powerful Cold explosion when the channel is interrupted.

For serious Greater Rift pushing, this creates an interesting rhythm. You are not merely spinning through enemies until they disappear. You are gathering monsters, accumulating Flurry stacks and deciding when to release them for maximum effect.

Timing the explosion during the Cold rotation of Convention of Elements can make a substantial difference against elites and Rift Guardians.

Best Gear for Patterns of Justice Tempest Rush Monk

The recommended endgame configuration combines five pieces of Patterns of Justice with two pieces of Captain Crimson's Trimmings. Ring of Royal Grandeur, equipped through Kanai's Cube, allows both set bonuses to function together.

For players who have just earned Haedrig's Gift, wearing all six Patterns of Justice pieces is an excellent starting point. You can introduce Captain Crimson's Trimmings once you obtain the crafting plans and a Ring of Royal Grandeur.

Equipment Slot	Recommended Item
Helm	Decree of Justice
Shoulders	Mirrors of Justice
Chest	Lamellars of Justice
Gloves	Bazubands of Justice
Pants	Mountains of Justice
Boots	Captain Crimson's Waders
Belt	Captain Crimson's Silk Girdle
Bracers	Cesar's Memento
Amulet	Squirt's Necklace
Ring 1	Convention of Elements
Ring 2	Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac
Main Hand	Won Khim Lau
Off-Hand	Azurewrath

Several items deserve closer attention.

Won Khim Lau is central to the build because it increases Tempest Rush damage and automatically triggers Cyclone Strike. That additional pull helps gather enemies into more manageable groups, allowing your attacks to strike multiple targets rather than chasing them individually.

Cesar's Memento is equally important. It provides a substantial Tempest Rush damage bonus against enemies affected by Blind, Freeze or Stun. Blinding Flash gives you direct control over this interaction, while the freezing effect from Sweeping Wind provides an additional opportunity to activate it.

Azurewrath is recommended as the second weapon because of its Cold damage bonus, which works naturally with the Flurry-focused version of the build.

Convention of Elements brings another damage multiplier into the arrangement, making the timing of Flurry explosions particularly important when pushing higher Greater Rifts.

Meanwhile, Captain Crimson's Trimmings rewards Cooldown Reduction and Resource Cost Reduction with additional offensive and defensive benefits.

This is why equipment optimization matters even after you have collected every required Legendary. Two Monks wearing the same items can perform very differently if one has carefully selected attributes and the other has simply equipped whichever green or orange objects happened to fall on the floor.

Kanai's Cube, Legendary Gems and Stat Priorities

Season 40 returns to the traditional three-slot Kanai's Cube configuration. The additional fourth slot available during Season 39 is no longer part of the seasonal rules, so older guides relying on four Cube powers should not be followed without adjustment.

The recommended Cube powers are:

• Weapon – Balance: Greatly increases Tempest Rush damage and guarantees critical hits when striking three or fewer enemies, making it especially valuable against Rift Guardians.
• Armor – Mantle of Channeling: Increases damage dealt and reduces damage taken while channeling Tempest Rush.
• Jewelry – Ring of Royal Grandeur: Reduces the number of pieces required for set bonuses, allowing the five-piece Patterns of Justice and two-piece Captain Crimson combination.

For Legendary Gems, use Bane of the Trapped, Taeguk and Bane of the Stricken.

Bane of the Trapped provides additional damage against enemies affected by crowd control. Taeguk is a natural fit for Tempest Rush because the Monk spends much of the fight channeling. Bane of the Stricken becomes increasingly valuable during extended battles against Rift Guardians and other enemies with large health pools.

For ordinary socketed gems, use a Diamond in the helmet for Cooldown Reduction and Emeralds in your weapons for Critical Hit Damage. Chest and pants sockets can contain Emeralds for additional Dexterity or Diamonds if survivability is becoming a problem.

When enchanting equipment, prioritize Critical Hit Chance, Critical Hit Damage, Cold Damage, Tempest Rush Damage and Cooldown Reduction where appropriate. Resource Cost Reduction and defensive attributes also deserve attention because of their relationship with Captain Crimson's bonuses.

Do not underestimate toughness. Tempest Rush gives the Monk tremendous mobility, but higher Greater Rifts contain enemies perfectly capable of ending that movement rather suddenly.

Angelic Crucibles in Season 40: Why Monk Is Different

The return of Angelic Crucibles is the defining feature of Season 40. These consumables allow players to Sanctify eligible level-70 Legendary equipment, providing perfected Ancient-level attributes and one randomly selected class-specific power.

For many classes, the correct Sanctified Power is a major component of the finished build.

The Rathma Army of the Dead Necromancer, for example, benefits enormously from the seasonal power that automatically attacks nearby enemies with Army of the Dead.

Patterns of Justice is different.

None of the Monk's three available Sanctified Powers directly improves Tempest Rush or the central Sweeping Wind mechanics. One enhances Wave of Light, another changes the behavior of Way of the Hundred Fists, and the third modifies Seven-Sided Strike.

Those abilities belong to very different approaches to playing Monk.

For the Patterns of Justice build, the main benefit of an Angelic Crucible is therefore the improved quality of the Sanctified equipment itself rather than a spectacular new attack.

Won Khim Lau is an excellent Sanctification candidate. It is an essential weapon whose damage and attributes matter considerably, and obtaining a well-rolled Ancient version through ordinary farming can take time.

Azurewrath is another reasonable choice, especially if your current version has disappointing attributes.

Remember that only one Sanctified item can be equipped at a time. You should also avoid spending every Angelic Crucible chasing a particular Monk power that your build does not meaningfully use.

That might sound less exciting than some of the other Season 40 combinations, but it illustrates an important point about Diablo III's seasonal design. Not every returning mechanic transforms every build in the same way.

Sometimes a very powerful weapon is enough.

How to Play Patterns of Justice in Greater Rifts

Once the equipment is assembled, the basic combat loop is relatively comfortable. The challenge comes from knowing when to interrupt that loop.

Begin by activating Sweeping Wind. Keep it running throughout combat, since the six-piece set depends on it. Activate Epiphany when appropriate for additional protection, then begin channeling Tempest Rush and move through enemies.

Won Khim Lau helps pull nearby monsters together through automatic Cyclone Strike activations, making it easier to concentrate damage against groups rather than spreading it across individual targets.

As you continue channeling Tempest Rush, Flurry stacks accumulate. Against ordinary enemies, you can often continue moving until they are defeated. Against tougher groups, however, the goal is to build a large stack and release it at the right moment.

Watch your Convention of Elements rotation. When the Cold phase approaches, move into position near the enemies you want to hit, apply Blinding Flash and interrupt Tempest Rush to release the accumulated Flurry damage.

Blinding Flash also activates Cesar's Memento and provides the additional damage bonus from Faith in the Light, making it an important part of the burst sequence.

Positioning matters because the Flurry explosion has a relatively limited radius. Releasing a perfectly stacked attack several yards away from the enemies is a particularly frustrating way to discover that mathematics cannot compensate for poor aim.

Use Serenity to survive dangerous moments, and maintain Epiphany as consistently as your Cooldown Reduction allows. Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac helps reduce cooldowns while you spend Spirit, making the build's defensive abilities more readily available.

The main challenge is balancing continuous movement with carefully timed damage. In lower Greater Rifts, you can often charge through enemies without much concern. Higher difficulties demand more precise positioning and better control over Flurry releases.

For regular Nephalem Rifts and farming, a less demanding Tempest Rush rune and more movement-oriented equipment can make the build feel smoother. The Flurry configuration described here is primarily intended for solo Greater Rift progression.

How to Get Patterns of Justice and Start Farming

The most convenient way to begin is through Haedrig's Gift. Complete the relevant Season Journey chapters on your Monk and claim the three rewards to receive the six-piece Patterns of Justice set.

Remember that Haedrig's Gift can only provide one complete class set per season across Hardcore and Non-Hardcore. Do not open the rewards on another class unless you actually want that class's set instead.

Once you have Patterns of Justice, begin farming for Won Khim Lau, Cesar's Memento and Balance. These items make a substantial difference to Tempest Rush damage and should take priority over chasing perfectly rolled versions of less important equipment.

Ring of Royal Grandeur can be obtained from Act I Horadric Caches, while Captain Crimson's Trimmings can be crafted after acquiring the appropriate blacksmith plans.

As your equipment improves, begin leveling your Legendary Gems through Greater Rifts. Continue collecting materials for Kanai's Cube and progressing through the permanent Altar of Rites, which provides useful bonuses for seasonal characters.

Players returning after a long absence should remember that the Altar has become part of Diablo III's permanent seasonal progression. We previously examined how important that system has become when Challenge Rift problems interfered with Altar progression for console players.

The practical lesson is to improve your seasonal systems alongside your equipment. A complete Patterns of Justice set may get the Monk moving, but Legendary Gems, Cube powers, Altar bonuses and properly rolled items determine how far the character can progress.

Is Patterns of Justice Worth Playing in Season 40?

Patterns of Justice is not the strongest Monk build for every possible endgame situation. Wave of Light and other specialized setups can perform better in demanding Greater Rift environments, especially when they take greater advantage of the returning Sanctified Powers.

But Patterns of Justice has qualities that are difficult to measure on a leaderboard.

It is accessible through Haedrig's Gift, reasonably straightforward to learn and unusually comfortable for players who enjoy constant movement rather than stationary attacks. Its combat loop offers enough complexity to reward experienced players without requiring an elaborate sequence of abilities every time an ordinary monster appears.

And there is something appealing about how thoroughly it embraces the Monk's identity.

Diablo III began with a Monk who could punch, kick, teleport and unleash bursts of spiritual energy. Over the years, the class evolved through increasingly elaborate sets and Legendary combinations, eventually producing a character who can travel through Sanctuary inside a permanent supernatural windstorm.

It is not a subtle development, but Diablo III abandoned subtlety somewhere around the time its heroes began dealing damage in numbers large enough to require scientific notation.

Season 40 does not revolutionize Patterns of Justice. It gives players an accessible opportunity to revisit an established build, improve its equipment through Angelic Crucibles and rediscover a style of Monk gameplay that still feels remarkably good after all these years.

Some Diablo builds are about standing your ground. Others are about carefully managing an army of supernatural servants.

Patterns of Justice offers a different solution.

Keep moving. Keep the wind blowing. And when the right moment arrives, let Flurry do the talking.

Build references: Icy Veins – Patterns of Justice Monk, Season 40; Skills and Runes; Gear, Gems and Kanai's Cube; and Blizzard – Season 40: Light's Calling.

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Deadset's Guide to 2.4.1 - Detailed Beginner/Group/Solo Guides, Personal Impressions and Expectations

You may know me from a youtube guide or two over the past year and a half, or a (hopefully educational and nice) stream that I run at twitch.tv, or even my participation in the State of Sanctuary, all under the nickname Deadset. I have done a similar in-depth exploration for Patch 2.1.2, Patch 2.3, Patch 2.4 and I am back at it for my cross class guides. Below you can find my full impressions of the patch, as well as links to all detailed, full-blown explanations of 2.4.1 builds!

EXCEL SHEET OF ALL GUIDES/VIDEOS

S6 STARTER SET BUILDS

Barbarian: Raekor Furious Charge

Full Video Guide: LINK

Playstyle: If you are looking for a high risk, high reward playstyle, you are probably looking at its best example this patch. Raekor is reworked but remains true to its roots with a fast-paced playstyle that thrives on trash clearing and requires good judment when, what, and how to engage. This is the Barbarian glass cannon, and being a close combat build it requires excellent knowledge of monster progression (which fights are worth your time, which are likely to kill you, etc). If you have it though, the potential for GR clears is sky high.

Personal opinion: I continue to dislike Raekor for all its characteristics since its 2.1 (?) rework. Raekor is the fishing master, the playstyle requires precision and practice, and pushing can be a more frustrating experience than other builds (Unfavorable elites? Bad RG? Run ends!) With Raekor, it becomes all or nothing earlier in GR progression than other builds, but in the right circumstances the ceiling for clears is unrivaled. I guess the slight refocusing to Ancient Spear in 2.4.1 is also nice, you actually feel it chunking the enemy.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR90+ end expect it to reach around 100 when fully optimized.

Crusader: Akkhan/Invoker Thorns

Playstyle and Personal opinion: Since it's a variation of the pure Invoker Thorns build, my opinion of the two is basically the same - please check it out below!

Demon Hunter: Marauder Cluster Arrow

Full Video Guide: LINK

Playstyle: As safe and consistent as an endgame Demon Hunter can get, the Marauder places a solid wall of pets and sentries in the way of monsters, while it safely picks them off from the distance. Resource management nightmares will be largely dealt with through perma-Vengeance Seethe, and the build's arsenal of slows and chills keeps demons at bay, allowing for a beginner-friendly Demon Hunter experience.

Personal opinion: This is as close to a chill Demon Hunter playstyle as you'll get. Even a casual Demon Hunter player will reach GR75+ with relative ease if he plays consistently and gears properly. The set continues to receive buff after buff, making it a breeze to start a season with.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR85+, and expect it to clear slightly above GR90 when fully optimized.

Mystic Ally Inna Monk

Full Video Guide: LINK

Playstyle: How does a summoner Monk sound to you? How about a super safe, relaxed Monk build? How about the two combined? If all those propositions sound good, look no further than the Inna Mystic Ally build. With a straightforward gearing process, simple playstyle and the opportunity to expand into a Mystic Ally-EP hybrid with an even higher potential (and skill ceiling!), the Inna Monk is a great seasonal starting point.

Personal opinion: As a fanboy of pull mechanics, I'm a sucker for Cyclone Strike builds. Any Monk build that takes Cyclone Strike automatically receives +1 in my book. The option to expand the build into MA-EP hybrid is a great example of a modifiable build to suit your needs - the pure pet Monk is simpler, the EP variation has a higher GR ceiling. Either way, I really like the playstyle.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR90+, and expect it to clear slightly above GR95 when fully optimized.

Zunimassa Witch Doctor

Written guide update coming very soon!

Playstyle: The build wields an army of Fetishes at its side, but gets the bulk of its damage done by the Doc shooting Poison Darts alongside his 5 closest summons. You will enjoy the build if you like pet-heavy builds, as well as hammering targets down individually with heavy single target damage.

**Personal opinion: The pet and positioning reliance of the build is really irksome at times, but the build is capable of pulling some very high damage numbers if the circumstances align in your favor.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR80+, and expect it to clear well above GR85 when fully optimized.

DMO Arcane Orbit Wizard

Full Video Guide: LINK

Playstyle: The Arcane Orbit Wizard is a bursty, mobile and relatively safe melee spellcaster. It requires very simple stack management for the amount of damage it can deliver, turning it into one of the most beginner-friendly playstyles.

Personal opinion: Durable, melee range, crowd control heavy, need I say more? It's one of my favorite Wizard playstyles ever since it came out.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR85+ and expect it to clear well above GR90 when fully optimized.

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GROUP BUILDS

Energy Twister with Tal Rasha

Playstyle: The heir to the DMO version of the Twister build, the Tal Rasha version retains much of the playstyle (abuse of corners, stacking mechanics, etc.), but has little more varied rotation, and looks a little flashier - it's Tal's after all. If you hated the build in the past, you're not going to love it now, but its group power is undeniable and expected to dominate much (if not all) of the 2.4.1 group meta.

Barbarian Support

Playstyle: Abandoning his globe spawning role, the Support Barb is mostly a buffs and pulls master, an adept scout, and continues to be the overall leader of the support pack.

Monk Support

Playstyle: Similarly to the Barb, the support Monk ditches globe duties in favor of some skill-dependent healing. He fully retains his DPS guardian role.

Witch Doctor Support

Playstyle: Perhaps closest to his 2.4 form, the Support Doc adds some flavorful Wormwood Locust Swarms, but that's about it.

Personal opinion of the meta: I wasn't really looking forward to Darude Sandstorm and his mighty followers for a 2nd season in a row, but eh.** Expectation of performance of the group: GR120+

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SOLO BUILDS

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BARBARIAN

Leapquake with Might of the Earth

Playstyle: If you are looking for a clean, logical rotation and a more methodical approach to fights, you will enjoy Leapquake a great deal. The build dishes out a lot of crowd control and has a built-in pull to ease the AoE damage Earthquake specializes in. It does not slack in single target either, with Skular's Salvation empowered Boulder Tosses helping smooth out the usual Barbarian disparity of quick rift clear and agonizing slog through the Guardian. If keywords like 'deliberate pace', 'stun-heavy' and 'AoE and single target balance' sound attractive, look into the Leapquake build.

Personal opinion: This was one of my 2.4 favorites, and my opinion stands in 2.4.1 - less gimmicky than other builds, solid rotation built in. I love specs that lean on pulls anc CC, so I have some personal bias here, but really - try it out if you haven't!

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR85+ and expect it to clear slightly above GR90 when fully optimized.

Whirlwind with BK/Wastes

Playstyle: If you are looking for a build that feels fast, excels at hit and run tactics, and thrives the more enemies it can lure to chase it, then give the Whirlwind Barb a spin. It is very demanding to perfect gear-wise, and arguably does not reward you for it enough, but WW is always a blast to play.

Personal opinion: Wastes set needs retouching, relying on CC secondaries for some decent damage reduction from APDs is absurd. Up until you hit your toughness ceiling and you start feeling like paper, WW barb is pretty darn cool. Some number upgrades (especially Skull Grasp finally being multiplicative) push the build farther out.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR80+ and expect it to clear slightly above GR85 when fully optimized.

Rend IK and HotA IK

Playstyle: I see these two builds as two sides of the same coin, using the base power of the Immortal King set (perma-Berserk and Ancients) to twist them for their own needs (mobile, DoT based playstyle for Rend, and a static, fight-to-fight playstyle for HotA). If you don't mind playing slightly off the meta and enjoy a decent challenge, both builds will provide plenty of quirks to learn and optimize for.

Personal opinion: The 2.3 darlings are actually bumped up a little with changes to their sets (IK and Wastes sets getting a bump in numbers, the 2.4 Endless Walk set getting added to HotA, etc.) If you don't mind playing a little outside the meta, these builds are still damn fun and different.

Expectation of performance: I have seen both builds clear GR80+ and expect both to clear slightly above GR85 when fully optimized.
Frenzy Thorns // Coming Soon!

Playstyle: -

Personal opinion: This actually exists, and is pretty cool!

Expectation of performance: 95+.

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CRUSADER

Bombardment Legacy of Nightmares Crusader

Playstyle: The Bombardment Crusader continues to be an oddity, with autoaimed volleys making up most of your attacks, having a single hyper-burst moment with a huge downtime, and spending most of the run focusing on survival. The playstyle has its intricacies - cooldown management, toughness issues, picking a proper fight - and would appeal to you if you enjoy setting up a fight and demolishing the enemy in single, spectacular shots.

Personal opinion: I'd definitely play this if I wanted to get on the Crusader leaderboard. It has some decision making as it's not the most durable build around, but that pales in comparison to its damage potential. I can certainly see people not digging the playstyle just based on how detached it feels from the battle, as you only take care of one offensive cooldown, and spend the rest of your attention on positioning and survival.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR90+ and expect it to clear in around GR100 when fully optimized.

Invoker Thorns Crusader

Playstyle: The king of the chill endgame, Invoker Thorns is (to my knowledge) the only build that can go full tank and still clear 80+ with no twitch reflexes, heart stopping situations and instant leave decisions. Do not get me wrong, it will not clear every rift, but it will clear most of what your gear is capable of at a steady, unrelenting pace. If you ever wanted to play a solo build without flashy gimmicks but a true sense of invincibility, pick Invoker Thorns and do not look back.

Personal opinion: I have always enjoyed the Invoker take on the Thornsader, it's a straightforward melee build that doesn't go into full downtime mode on the off cycles of CoE. If you don't mind the lack of flashy, you'll feel right at home. I know I did.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR85+ and expect it to clear slightly above GR90 when fully optimized.

Blessed Hammer Seeker of the Light Crusader

Playstyle: The 2.3 favorite has consistently received slight buffs to keep it from completely falling out. It is no longer reliant on kiting and stutter stepping (phew), and fights at a steadier pace that jumps into a fight and stays in its midst until it's over. If you enjoy slamming into the thick of the fight and mowing enemies with holy power, Hammerdin might just be the guy for you.

Personal opinion: Ever since 2.4, I've been pretty happy with how Hammerdin plays; now they get an additional buff in the form of Johanna's Argument 100% Hammers damage increase, bumping the build up yet again. I don't expect it to compete for the top spot, but you can definitely get some enjoyment out of the build.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR80+ and expect it to clear well above GR85 when fully optimized.

Sweep Attack Rolands Crusader

Playstyle: The Sweep Sader thrives in density due to the Golden Flense mechanics, but can be quite fearless even in the thickest of fights due to his strong control capabilities. If you enjoy near-permanent CC and enemy manipulation, Sweep Sader can be your guy.

Personal opinion: I have always enjoyed the janitor Crusader; then again, any build that vacuums enemies and destroys them in a near-helpless state will earn my seal of approval. He hasn't gained an inch when it comes to single target potential, but the Roland set continues to get an improvement after improvement. If you don't mind a little fishin', you can take this build quite high.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR80+ and expect it to clear well above GR85 when fully optimized.

Condemn Akkhan Crusader

Playstyle: Akkhan remains untouched in the defensive front (very disappointing for Patch 2.4.1), but its damage multipliers remain through the roof. One of its undeniable upsides is that this is one of the more enjoyable, fluid and visually appealing Crusader builds. If you are a fan of consistent AoE clear, crowd control immunity and the general feeling of a vortex of destruction, and you don't plan on pushing the highest of high GR tiers, try Condemn out.

Personal opinion: I still propose the trade of 150% of Akkhan's damage multiplier for a 50% reduction in damage; I don't think Mirinae as a form of sustain will pull you through burst, but it's something at least. Bane of the Stricken takes care of the formerly torturous Rift Guardian clears, and Vacuum never ceased to be one of the most satisfying pulls in the game. Somewhat similar to Raekor, you have to fully accept that elites will only be killed as collateral damage, and keep moving forward.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR80+ and expect it to clear slightly above GR85 when fully optimized.

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DEMON HUNTER

LoN Fan of Knives

Playstyle: Arguably one of the most interesting playstyles in the game, the LoN FoK Hunter relies on the Shi Mizu mechanic to drop to low health, get guaranteed crits, and stay there for the entirety of the run. If you enjoy exotic builds with high skill cap and Leaderboard potential, this is the build for you.

Personal opinion: I love this build for what it is: twisting expectations, going for obscure item interactions, all the good aRPG stuff. Downside is, of course, THUMP THUMP THUMP

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR95+, and expect it to clear around GR100 when fully optimized.

Unhallowed Essence Multishot DH

Playstyle: What do you imagine when you hear Demon Hunter? I personally think of a lone, brooding archer mowing demons down from a distance with a spray of arrows. This is the exact 'archer' fantasy fulfilled: no gimmicks, no pets, no vaulting like a madman.

Personal opinion: UE is on a buff streak, which makes me happy. The playstyle is easy to grasp and execute, and having a small margin of human error when executing mechanics leaves more space for better judgment of combat, positioning, and damage potential. I greatly enjoy Multishot, and so should you! :D

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR90+, and expect it to clear slightly above GR95 when fully optimized.

Rain of Vengeance Natalya DH

Playstyle: This is a high skill cap, mid-range playstyle that balances AoE and single target burst relatively well. With a slew of quality of life upgrades, several number boosts and some synergistic new items, Natalya remains a decently competitive playstyle. If you enjoy a challenging build that rewards you with relative consistency, this is the Demon Hunter build for you.

Personal opinion: Receiving a slight damage bump in 2.4.1, I can hardly talk about mind-blowing Natalya changes. If you are tired of playing the Legacy of Nightmares spec and its endless thump-thump on a flashing screen, you can give good ol' Natalya a spin.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR85+, and expect it to clear around GR90 when fully optimized.

Impale Shadow DH

Playstyle: The Impale DH excels at assassination - sounds cool in theory, but in the AoE reality of Diablo, it plays out less smoothly. Regardless, it is more than capable of taking you to endgame, if not competition, on the strengths of its single target potential - ideally spread through Area Damage.

Personal opinion: In its doubled damage state of 2.4.1, the Impale DH actually plays more smoothly. Try it out if you enjoy seeing targets pop one by one.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR85+, and I expect it to clear around GR90 when fully optimized.

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MONK

SSS Uliana Monk

Playstyle: This is the most visually impressive Monk playstyle, using two iconic effects - Exploding Palm and Seven-Sided Strike - in a devastating whole-screen combo. The playstyle retains most of its characteristics: scales well with density, and takes advantage of snapshot mechanics. If you like a playstyle that rewards metagame knowledge and you like to research interactions of mechanics to get the most out of your build, try Uliana.

Personal opinion: This build is fun, but I don't have a taste for the wonky mechanics to snapshot Mythic Rhythm. The coolness factor of the build is undeniable though, seeing a Seven-Sided Strike detonate an entire screen's worth of Exploding Palms will never get old.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR90+, and expect it to clear slightly above GR95 when fully optimized.

Shenlong Inna/Raiment Monk

Playstyle: On a surface look, the Generator Monk can seem too simplisic. There's more to it beneath the hood however, with Attack Speed vs. pure Damage considerations, and plently of tinkering for those who enjoy it. But even if you don't - if you enjoy consistency, durability, straightforward cooldown management, and solid-feeling melee builds, you can get great mileage out of this build.

Personal opinion: This remains a solid playstyle, and the primary skill buffs (Simplicity's Strength & Depth Diggers becoming multiplicative) do it a lot of good. If you wanna punch things to death and don't have a whole week to fish for your GR solo attempts, this is a great build to go for.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR90+, and expect it to clear slightly above GR95 when fully optimized.

SWK Wave of Light Monk

Playstyle: This is the unique take on a ranged Monk, using Wave of Light's AoE potential, Tzo Krin's Gaze ranged mechanic, and the Pinto's Pride bracer superslow effect into a surprisingly effective combo. If you are the type of player to go for the exotic, unorthodox build, or simply want to try a ranged Monk, try out the Wave of Light SWK.

Personal opinion: This playstyle is growing to be pretty badass, having its damage doubled and still retaining its characteristic distance. Kyoshiro's belt is still a pain to work around, but the set multipliers are well worth the hassle. I highly recommend checking it out.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR85+, and expect it to clear well above GR95 when fully optimized.

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WITCH DOCTOR

Helltooth Gargantuan Witch Doctor

Playstyle: Regardless if you're a fan of pet builds, a DoT/curse afficionado, or enjoy a little of each, the Helltooth Gargantuan build is a prime example of the best of both worlds. The build relies on the overpowering strength of the Gargantuan summons from the Helltooth set, augmented by your own entrapping Wall of Death debuffs. A very flavorful, and top tier, Witch Doctor build.

**Personal opinion: You will either love it or hate it, depending on how you feel about pets doing the damage for you. Personally, I'm a big fan, but it is worrisome that the build overshadows the others by so much.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR90+, and expect it to clear well above GR95 when fully optimized.

Jade Harvester Witch Doctor

Playstyle: One of the more intricate melee spellcaster playstyles, Jade Harvester specializes in the application of DoTs and their nuke-like consumption. The set has received a significant upgrade to its survivability and damage potential, and it is no longer the perma-Spirit Walk reliant build you might remember. If you are looking for a high skill cap, nuke-oriented playstyle that relies a lot on player assessment of combat, the Jade Harvester might be the playstyle for you.

Personal opinion: Once you get past some pre-conceived notions about Witch Doctors, you can really get in a groove with Jade. I appreciate a build that causes you to re-learn a class and its combat playstyle, even if it doesn't turn out to be the top tier WD build.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR85+, and expect it to clear well above GR90 when fully optimized.

Firebats LoN Witch Doctor and Carnevil LoN Witch Doctor

Playstyle: Both playstyles take advantage of the inborn durability of the Legacy of Nightmares setup, creating a visually impressive and fun AoE build for the Firebats build, and a single target, pet-reliant specialist for the Carnevil build. If you don't mind farming builds that are slightly harder to gear for, you can find something cool in both playstyles.

Personal opinion: Both builds are quite fun, durable and consistent. They require less things to keep track of than most set builds (less stacks/effects to keep track of), which is always a plus. Ancient items can be a pain to farm though.

Expectation of performance: I have seen both build clear GR85+, and expect them to clear well above GR90 when fully optimized.

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WIZARD

Archon Wizard

Playstyle: Fitting its name, this Wizard spec strives to enter and remain in Archon form as long as it can. It's a master of demolishing elites - especially in its Firebird variation - but possesses a well-rounded skill kit for most situations, making it the ideal soloing build.

Personal opinion: With the option to go for the safer Vyr set or the all-out Firebird variation, Archon builds have turned surprisingly adaptable to player's needs. The lack of skill differentiation between the two specs is unfortunate, but its GR climbing power cannot be denied.

Expectation of performance: I have seen this build clear GR95+, and expect it to clear above GR100 when fully optimized.

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Closing Words

So what's next?

I will be posting a similar thread on both the US and EU general forums, and I will be doing gearchecks / answering questions there as well, so drop by if you're interested! I will be adding links to this thread once the bnet threads are live.

I hope you enjoy the guides, and they are of future use to you in Season 6. Thank you for reading and good hunting!

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Patch 2.06 【Monk Raimend Set 】DS only T6 Solo Demonstration

Just a quick video showing a pure Dashing Strike Build to proc the 6 set Raimend (Lightening Set), certainly a very different playstyle, 5m30s Rift Clear.

 

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Fire Monk Build

Hey guys! A while ago i posted a lightning monk build that utilizes best your items with +lighting dmg. Today i want to show you a similar build but for fire damage.

As always if you want to a watch a 4 minute video showcasing this build you can find it on this link:

 

And if you dont want to watch it i will list here all the skills, passives and paragon levels:

Active Skills:

Spirit Generator:

Deadly Reach - Strike From Beyond

Main Spirit Spender:

Lashing Tail Kick - Vulture Claw Kick

Vulture Claw Kick turns the damage into fire, causing it to scale with your +Fire Damage items, and hit all enemies in 360 degrees around you

Movement Skill

Dashing Strike - Barrage

Sustained Damage

Mystic Ally - Fire Ally

Damage/Survivability

Epiphany - Inner Fire

Mantra

Mantra of Retribution - Transgression

Passive Skills:

One With Everything

Exalted Soul

Seize the Initiative

Transcendance/Unity

For my Paragon levels:
Core: I go for Movement speed until capped at 25% then Dexterity/Vitality
Offense: CHC/CHD >Attack Speed
Defense: All Resistances > Armor/Life %
Utility: Area Damage/Life on Hit (Dependent on your current survivability)

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In the Diablo III, the two essential factors to farm is the qualified viability and stable output capacity. The Monk never lack of ability to survive, we have the best defense skills in all classes. While, due to the limitation of its output capacity, we can only depend on defense to survive. So, we are glad to share this build to make sure we not only have the stable defense ability, but also have excellent DPS. The core idea of this build is reducing the CD.


Seven-Sided Strike - Fulminating Onslaught

According to my personal test, the runes of Seven-Sided Strike increased 27% after patch 2.04. To reducing the CD of Severn strike can directly increase the attack efficiency. As the main output skill, this skill can play important role in dodging and attacking.


Exploding Palm - The Flesh is Weak

It can provide 20% damage buff. You can release it unlimited when the fists can recovery spirit. Meanwhile, Exploding Palm can get physical damage buff and elites damage buff form Mantra of Conviction. Besides, the 50% monster life damage buff decides it would be the crazy reaper in D3!



Breath of Heaven - Circle of Scorn

Breath of Heaven is the amazing defense skill for Monk, while less people fall in love with it. The crazy output ability and self-recovery ability are amplified under the help of Eye of Peshkov which is the necessary skill to farm in Diablo 3. From the video you can notice, i didn’t use blood bottle over 4 times, all depend on Breath of Heaven.


Epiphany - Desert Shroud

Infuse yourself with sand, reducing damage taken by 50% can support you farm in T5 and increase the death rate.


Mythic Rhythm and Beacon of Ytar

There is no doubt that Beacon of Ytar can reduce 25% CD is very important for this build and the Mythic Rhythm has damage buff for Exploding Palm, Seven-Sided Strike, Breath of Heaven and Way of the Hundred Fists.

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Diablo 3 Reaper of Souls - Monk Epiphany Skill

  Here's the latest description I can find for it:

Epiphany
Cooldown: 120 seconds

You have an Epiphany, restoring all of your Spirit, reducing the Spirit cost of your skills by 50% and enabling your melee attacks to instantly dash to your target for 20 seconds.

Desert Shroud: Infuse yourself with sand, reducing damage taken by 50% and increasing your damage by 3% for each enemy within 15 yards.

Soothing Mist: Imbue yourself with water, instantly resetting your Defensive cooldowns and reducing their cooldown durations by 50%. Using a Defensive ability also cleanses negative effects off of allies within 30 yards.

Windwalker: Each enemy killed during your Epiphany increases your Attack Speed by 3% for the remaining duration of Epiphany.

Inner Fire: Engulf yourself in flames, burning enemies within 10 yards for 250% weapon damage as Fire and causing your attacks to assault enemies in front of you for 330% weapon damage as Fire.

Ascension: Charge yourself with Lightning, increasing your movement speed by 10% and causing your next attack after moving 10 yards to Stun enemies for 1.5 seconds.

So this is the monk's equivalent of WotB - same cooldown, lasts 20 seconds instead of 15 so the uptime percentage is a bit better. I wonder if it also gives immunity to crowd control effects.

I'm looking forward to seeing Windwalker in action. I hope that works similar to Archon where you get the effect for group kills as well or we'll see a lot of solo monks.

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[Monk][Video]If any of you high end guys are bored of the same old grind, give this a try. Run MP7/MP8 using a LpSS build.

If you are tired of the same old grind and looking for something to keep you on your toes, try running a LpSS build. Ive never used LpSS so I figured, "eh -why not". Turns out, its actually pretty fun.

It is by no means efficient but I was able to farm pretty successfully on MP7 and took out Ghom on MP8 (see video). Sadly, my EHP for this build is in the toilet at 397K - LpSS Monk so that limits its usefulness but I kind of like the play style and the need to think about what Im doing - especially against RD packs!

I am always looking for ways to improve my current game-play so if you guys have any suggestions on what could improve this build, Id love to hear them :)

Video: 

In case you are wondering, the LpSS gear cost a combined total of 20M

Just swapped to a new Inna's and equipped one of the rings from my standard build. That bumped my AR up by ~80 and my DPS by about 30K. Just facetanked MP9 Ghom!! d3up link has been updated!

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Monk: Mantra of Evasions: Backlash ... somethings you may not know but probably should.

I just wanted to take a moment to discuss a skill that most Monks are familiar with to some extent – Mantra of Evasion’s: Backlash. This is one of those skills that some of us used when we were coming up in the ranks. I say some because it became available at lvl 50, 15 levels after its more popular cousin – MoC: Overawe. As you know, Overawe has been a gold standard among Monks for a long time. So much so that Backlash is rarely seen in builds anymore. I am going to try to change that.

So what do we know about Backlash? Well, the tool tip says it’s associated with dodge and that successfully dodging an incoming attack results in a chance to create a burst of flame dealing 35% weapons damage. Pretty strait forward – a nice little skill but not much utility, or is there?

The tool tip is correct in that you do get a flame equal to 35% of weapons damage. What it fails to mention is that 35% is based on an attack speed of “1”. If you increase AS that percentage also increases. For example, at an AS of 2.4 that percentage is 84. Ok, that’s gem #1. Gem #2 is the fact that when Backlash procs, it also procs LS. So how do you know when Backlash procs? You can see an orange ring radiate out from under your Monk. Gem #3 deals with the fact that Backlash can also crit. I know, it sounds bizarre but it’s the truth. Now, the difference between a “backlash crit” and a “normal crit” is the fact that Backlash uses your weapons damage as the base value. A normal crit will use your stat sheet as the base value. To make sure I wasn’t seeing things, I had previously set game play options as such:

Options: 

I made a short video in which I went into MP1 and sought out a RD pack. The goal was to capture those crits and to see if backlash could handle a MP1 RD pack on its own. I basically just sat there. Now my Templar was with me so it is logical to assume that he was doing a little bit of damage as well. FYI, my Templar does a whopping 388 points of damage so it’s safe to say that his contribution was negligible.

Templar: 

Backlash Video:

As you can clearly see, backlash procs LS and it can crit. It is for these reasons that I have started using it on my MP10 runs in Keeps 2 and CoTA. We can talk more about that if you’d like but the true purpose of this post is to bring Backlash out of the darkness and maybe back into some specialized builds. It may not seem like Backlash has a place in MP10 but when it comes to dense packs /areas it outperforms Overawe in my opinion.

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[Monk] Wave of Light - spammable build, working very well for me (fast ML6 as geared).

This build replaces spirit building attacks as the main source of damage with Wave of Light. It is focused on gaining spirit fast, and having high spirit reserves for spamming Wave of Light (Bells). Once I got used to it, and figured out how to use it well, I clear most trash and elite packs with Wave of Light, only using Fists of Thunder to gain spirit.

It adds the benefits of high crit percentage / speed (cyclone spawn) by also filling a 250 spirit pool in a couple of seconds. This allows 6-7 bells to be dropped in succession, each one hitting for ~900% damage.

Thoughts / Comments welcome, I'd love to hear from other monks that try this out.

Active Skills

• Fists of Thunder - Quickening 15 spirit per crit
• Sweeping Wind - Cyclone the usual cyclone spawn
• Breath of Heaven - Blazing Wrath Optional, I like the easy extra damage
• Serenity - Ascension The oh-crap power
• Wave of Light - Empowered Wave The damage with this build is impressive - Empowered Wave is important to keep the spirit costs low 
• Mantra of Conviction - Overawe for obvious +damage

Passive Skills

• One With Everything Unless you have the resist not to need it
• Seize the Initiative Unless you have the armor not to need it

Exalted Soul This increases the spirit pool by 100, it is key to using Wave of Light as often as possible

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Monk buffs (or how to quadruple (or more!) your sheet DPS]

I've read a ton of different threads, here and elsewhere, about monks and their different skills, and it seems that the vast majority of monks stick to the tried and trusted FoT/SW build with Breath of Heaven Blazing Wrath & Blinding Flash, along with Resolve, StI & OWE passives.

I wanted to share a variation on that build that I've been running for a while that allows you to put out absolutely disgusting DPS.

Everyone is familiar with Overawe. How can you turn down 48% extra dps? What a lot of monks don't realize is that you can get nearly that much again with the use of the Combination Strike passive.

For those not familiar with it, combination adds 8% dps for each spirit generator you use, and it keeps that buff provided you keep attacking. You don't even need to cycle the different attacks so you can continue to spam FoT like normal, while enjoying the extra damage combo strike provides.

My "cookie cutter" FoT build has always used combination strike & deadly reach in place of either resolve or fleet footed and Breath of Heaven. Let's face it, that heal from BoH is a joke, and while 15% extra dps is nice, with those two skills you get +34% With the buff to plague damage, deadly reach is also great for being able to dish out damage without having to step in that green goo.

Yesterday I turned it up a notch and added Way of the Hundred Fists with Blazing Fists rune into the rotation. This gives +5% move speed and +5% attack speed per crit and can stack 3 times, so +15% MS +15% IAS with 3 stacks.

So what does all that mean in terms of DPS output? For 99% of monks, Fists of Thunder is going to be your main attack & damage dealer, so I'm going to focus on FoT damage in particular.

It should be noted that I have a Won Khim Lau that adds 22% to my FoT damage, and also an Inna's helm that adds another 10% so my base sheet dps of 150k is already buffed to around 200k just from those two items, even though it doesn't show up on sheet dps. (worth every piece of gold spent!)

Let's run through the damage calculations step by step, as shown on d3up (use it, love it!):

My base FoT:TC dmg: 427k (includes +32% from gear)

• Add 48% from Overawe: 582k
• Add 18% from Deadly Reach: 640k
• Add 15% IAS from 3 stack WotHF: 700k
• Add 24% (8% x 3) from Combo strike: 786k
• Add 3% crit chance from Scoundrel: 820k

Here's a screenshot I grabbed from d3up as proof that this is legit: 

So I've gone from base sheet DPS of 150k up to 820k. This is just FoT damage too...you've still got sweeping wind hitting for 200-300k dps on top of that, so easily over a million dps all up.

Here's my strategy going into fights:

Start with Deadly Reach to get that +18% bonus going. I'll usually cast SW around this time since it doesn't matter too much when you cast it now with the removal of snapshotting (though if anyone has evidence to the contrary I'm all ears)

I'll follow that up with WotHF and Overawe then start with the FoT spam. The handy thing about WotHF skill is that it's buff appears on your bar so you can tell how many stacks you have and how long until they expire. Coincidentally, that expiry time is 3 seconds, so right about the time you need to refresh overawe to keep the +48% bonus anyway.

So, refresh overawe & WotHF at the same time, then continue to hold down FoT as per normal. Use Deadly Reach every 20-30 seconds to keep that buff up, and you're golden.

Sorry this ended up getting a little long-winded, but hopefully this gets the information out there about how powerful our buffs can be, and encourages some of you to mix it up a bit.

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[Monk] Using a shield to boot the power of your Tempest Rush!

Ok, so by now most of us monks are familiar with how Tempest Rush works and that you need a good amount of spirit generation to keep it up. Some of us chose to gear swap to take advantage of the sweeping wind bonus by having one set of gear to maximize the SW snapshot and another set to maximize the other component: Crit Chance. It is that component that I want to discuss.

Before I get to deep into this I must credit reddit user, Calc. He was the one who first introduced me to using a shield with a TR build via using a sword and board setup. In fact I will credit most of this build to his insight. My addition is in the area of what a shield or more accurately, a specific affix found on a shield, can do for you.

Now conventional wisdom says you’d be crazy to use anything other than a 2H weapon due to spirit usage being tied to attack speed. However, it is possible and because of the shield portion of that equation, you can get some CRAZY damage. This won’t be seen on your stat sheet but you will definitely notice it when playing.

Shields offer the obvious ability of damage mitigation but they also are one of the best sources for crit chance, in that they roll up to 10% for that affix. Now for the good part – one of the recent patches, 1.05 I believe, introduced the ability for shields to roll affix’s specific to monks. In this case I am referring to + % crit chance for Tempest Rush. This affix can roll up to 8% so theoretically, a shield can give a TR monk (must be in a rush for it to work) a crit chance percentage of 18. That’s huge and results in even more options in the area of gear customization.

Shield examples: 

Now we all know that the most sought after of the spirit regen amulets is the Xeph. The problem is, these amulets with any type of crit chance included are wicked expensive. However, if you had a shield with the aforementioned affix’s then theoretically, you could get a Xeph ammy without crit and not suffer to much in the area of DPS while reaping the benefit of the spirit regen.

Speaking of spirit regen – as you can imagine running a sword and board setup results in a higher AS value. Through the use of various pieces of gear I have managed to get just shy of what I need for a continuous rush. If I gave up my Leorics it could be done but I rather like the increase exp I get so for now I am fine with it.

Spirit Breakdown: 

So in the end, I end up with 50.5% Crit chance. Add to that the +8% that I get from my shield while TR ing. Granted, I have an Xeph ammy with 6.5 % crit chance but even if I didn’t, I would still have 52% crit chance.

Stat sheet:

Anyway, that’s about it. Have fun and happy holidays! Oh and here is my current post snapshot profile for reference:

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[Monk] How to TR/SW gear switch properly, (60m+ XP/hr) and an innovative new use for diabos.

Just to start, let me say that it's been very hard to figure out just how SW's snapshot works, and I've had to do a lot of experimenting myself to really figure out the specifics, as there are a lot of conflicting reports online. I've deluded myself into thinking one thing works for a period of time, only to discover later that SW's snapshot was negating my whole strategy, (swapping to a Maximus to gain the +Fire Skill damage is inneffective, as is Flying Dragon's 2x Attack Speed). After a couple weeks of trial and error, I think I've finally gotten it figured out.

The best way to snapshot your SW is to maximize Crit Damage, Dex, Base Weapon Damage, and +SW damage (or the corresponding +elemental skill damage) before you cast sweeping wind, as these stats are all included in the snapshot. Life Steal is also included, so if you need extra survivability, you'll need to have LS on your Skorn (though you probably wont need it). Attack Speed and Crit Chance need not be snapshotted, as your SW damage will increase as you increase those stats even after you cast SW.

That being said, here is how I gear swap:
I am currently switching 5 pieces of gear. My Ammy, Gloves, Helm, one Ring, and my Weapon. My starting Amulet and Ring have +Damage, high +Crit Damage, and Dex. My gloves have High +Crit Damage and Dex. My Weapon is a 1440 DPS skorn with 200% Crit Damage and no IAS. My Helm is a random rare Helm with +12% SW damage and high Dex.

After getting DR/Foresight bonus, I cast Blinding Flash/Faith in the Light and then SW/Fire Storm, and switch into High Crit Chance Ammy, Gloves, and Hellfire Ring (you can't swap in your SOJ without losing the +SW damage). I switch my helm to Inna's Radiance with a Radiant Star Ruby, 6.0 Crit Chance, and 2+ Spirit Regen, and, this is key, and I believe a new innovation, a Diabo with +2.45 Spirit Regen. making my post-swap gear grant a massive 6.4 Spirit Regen.
Of course, I also use a Templar for more spirit regen, and he wears a Leroic's Signet and a Hellfire Ring for the bonus XP.

The beauty of all of this Spirit Regen on gear is that I don't need to use MoH/Circular Breathing OR SW/Inner Storm to maintain my Spirit during TR. I use all 3 Passive Spirit Regenerators, and that is good for all the Spirit I need. I even have enough to pop MoC/Overawe before I run through Hulking Phasebeasts and Elites, allowing me to one shot even the largest white monsters and kill Elite packs in about 2-3 seconds, with a Blinding Flash to keep them stunned and inside my Fire Storm. I still need to use a skill slot on Serenity to keep myself from getting frozen after the pack dies or getting ganked by Reflect Damage.

The run I use is modified to allow me to never have to refresh SW. Start at Azmodan, work backwards all the way through the towers and craters, go through Seigebreaker's zone, and continue all the way to the Fields of Slaughter, clearing the zone and making your way to the waypoint. From here, I go to the Keep Depths level 3 and work my way back up to town. From there, I use the door to get to Skycrown Battlements, and work my way to the end of Stonefort where my run ends. This method allows me to NEVER have to take a town portal, which is awesome because, barring a lag spike, I never lose SW and never have to do a second gear swap.

Here are some potential improvements that I haven't tested out yet but spark my interest:
(1) Use a leoric's signet on yourself instead of the SOJ, and make up the lost spirit regen with Circular Breathing. You'll take a DPS drop but the bonus XP could certainly be worth having to double back every once in a while to finish off mobs.
(2) Use Circular Breathing to allow yourself to get IAS on your gloves, ammy, and hellfire ring without making TR cost too much. This might just cancel out the bonus damage from Overawe, but it might be slightly better or worse.
(3) Use a +Spirit Regen Inna's Reach to complete the 4-piece set, and swap out Inna's Favor for a legacy Hellcat Waistguard. This is ridiculously expensive, but I think it would be optimal if you can afford it, as it would certainly let you skip the SOJ and equip a Leoric's signet, or just let you skip Exalted Soul and allow you to equip Fleet Footed, which could help you just as much as the bonus XP if your SW damage is high enough to still one-shot white mobs.

Tempest Rush is one of the most fun skills in the game, and I've blown a lot of gold theorycrafting and trying out fringe builds just so I can run around at super speed. The only caveat I have is that after a few weeks, you'll never want to slog around at 24% move speed with FOT/Thunderclap equipped ever again. Have fun, and happy rushing!

My build, post-gear switch right now. As you probably know, this is unreliable because at any time things might change, and I'm always experimenting:

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