4 x Monk - Exploding Palm

I am still missing Hexing Pants to be able to do a Tempest Rush build. I played TR for a little while before going to my current builds, but it wasn't very impressive and I found syncing issues even more so with TR than with other builds.

I don't like Unity. It is kinda weak the way Blizzard implemented it. Unity is only a 15% damage buff in a multibox setup if you don't use mystic ally (because you only have 3 other allies) and then it provides a 5% dmg buff to your other party members affected by your mantra. The problem is that the 5% to allies doesn't stack with multiple monks, which sucks. Test it and you will see only the first monk to activate unity buffs the other monks dps by 5%. Everyone after that doesn't have any effect.

That fact and since I don't run Mystic Ally right now I only use Unity on one monk that is using a party affecting mantra. The other three run the 20% dmg buff that requires the mob to be blind, stunned or frozen. Since I am always casting blind this works out for me.

So, people figured out what will be in patch 2.2. Monk related changes:

1. Raiment of a Thousand Storms
* 2 pieces: [Your Spirit Generators have 25% increased attack speed and 500% increased damage.]
* 4 pieces: [Increases the weapon damage of Dashing Strike to 5000%.]
* 6 pieces: [Dashing Strike spends 50 Spirit, but refunds a Charge when it does.]

2.Inna's Mantra
* 2 pieces: [Increase the passive effect of your Mystic Ally and the base passive effect of your Mantra by 100%.]
* 6 pieces: [Mystic Ally casts Cyclone Strike, Exploding Palm, Lashing Tail Kick, Seven-Sided Strike, and Wave of Light when you do.]

3. Various strings related to new Monk effects
* Mystic Ally casts Cyclone Strike, Exploding Palm, Lashing Tail Kick, Seven-Sided Strike, and Wave of Light when you do.
* Increases the weapon damage of Dashing Strike to [VALUE]%.
* Seven-Sided Strike performs an additional seven strikes.
* Your Spirit Generators reduce your damage taken by [VALUE]% for 3 seconds.
* Increase the passive effect of your Mystic Ally and the base passive effect of your Mantra by [{VALUE1}*100]%.
* Your Spirit Generators have 25% increased attack speed and [VALUE]% increased damage.
* Your Spirit Generators generate [VALUE]% more Spirit.
* Dashing Strike spends [VALUE] Spirit, but refunds a Charge when it does.

Skills:
* Near Death Experience When receiving fatal damage, you instead restore 35% Life and 35% Spirit and are immune to damage and control impairing effects for 2 seconds. / This effect may occur once every 60 seconds.

First impressions:
1. So, seems like 2 set bonus of Inna's Mantra is must have. Plus Crudest Boots (2x Mystic Allies = 16 spirit per second). Unfortunately RRoG requires at least 2 pieces and 3 set bonus (-70 on sweeping wind cost) is useless in combination with Mystic Ally. But there's now 6 set bonus (and before it only had 4 set bonus), so quite possible they remove 3 set and moved it to 4 set bonus.

2. Inna's Mantra 6 piece is awesome with Crudest Boots. It is basically 3x more damage for spenders and right next to the enemy. Combined with 2 piece Inna's Mantra = excellent spirit regen. Not sure if it is as good as Sunwuko 6 piece damage wise, but surely more consistent.

3. Rainment of a Thousand Storms - seems interesting if you're undergeared or don't want to use Mystic Ally. 5000% damage bonus sounds nice + dashing strike does not cause desync. And seems like dashing strike stars spending spirit - I wonder if they'll change current charge mechanic.

4. If they're not changing Sunwuko, then following build is possible:
Inna 5pc: Head + Chest + Belt + Leg + Weapon
Sunwuko 3pc: Gloves + Shoulders + Amulet
+ RRoG
+ Crude Boots
= Triple spender * 500% + Inna's passives


More info here: http://www.diablofans.com/news/48343...-2-2-datamined

I was more excited to to 2 piece new Raiment with 2 piece+ of Inna's and use Depth Diggers and Simplicity's Strength gem with a flying dragon and go full out generator mode. Could use EP for assisting with AoE clear as well. It may not be as good as Inna+Wuko, but I always liked generator focused builds. 600% + 25% attack speed from the new Raiment, 100% from Depth Diggers, and 15% attack speed from Alacrity passive could mean you would be able to hit 4+ attacks per second with generators. Which is way faster than you can spam bells so if the dmg on the gens is high enough it should be able to keep up.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Yelgis

I was more excited to to 2 piece new Raiment with 2 piece+ of Inna's and use Depth Diggers and Simplicity's Strength gem with a flying dragon and go full out generator mode. Could use EP for assisting with AoE clear as well. It may not be as good as Inna+Wuko, but I always liked generator focused builds. 600% + 25% attack speed from the new Raiment, 100% from Depth Diggers, and 15% attack speed from Alacrity passive could mean you would be able to hit 4+ attacks per second with generators. Which is way faster than you can spam bells so if the dmg on the gens is high enough it should be able to keep up.

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Generators with good gear look to be hitting for around 120m (watching modz stream)

3p innas is gone so no taguk stacking anymore.
SWK is now 6 piece and we don't know if 2/4 piece will be moved.

You could theoretically run 2 piece innas, 2 piece generator set, depth diggers and then spec for CDR for perma serenity as well as use the new 2 piece bonus for the restraint set which increases damage done by 150% while on full resources. Damage from EP explosions are still massive so you can run do great AOE with running something like a crippling wave build.

So, there's quickfix for Rainment:

• Raiment of a Thousand Storms
  
  • The damage from the 2-piece bonus should now be multiplicative instead of additive (2/27)

So yes, 2 piece Rainment is excellent choice.

Finally got some time to catch up and gear up my monks. Still running with garbage gear, but at least I have 4 set Sunwuko's now for all. Tried GR34 to get my toxin gem to 25 and did it at first try. Just a couple deaths. Using Fire WoL and not really having spirit issues so far. Haven't seen a single torch yet. EP on a single monk with gungdo gear is more than enough to kill trash. Still a long road ahead. Paragon 220+ now. I really need Cindercoats. Haven't figured out yet what my end build will be, but the current one is working pretty good so far. I'm not sure how I'm gonna fit Taeguk here since I have no slot for Sweeping Wind. Blinding Flash round robin is pretty much a must for higher level GR.

I accidentally saw this stream - http://www.twitch.tv/streamerhouse

Guy runs 4x Monk with some kind of fire tempest build. Seems like build is very efficient and I don't see any synchronization problems at all.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by joes

I accidentally saw this stream - http://www.twitch.tv/streamerhouse

Guy runs 4x Monk with some kind of fire tempest build. Seems like build is very efficient and I don't see any synchronization problems at all.

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http://eu.battle.net/d3/en/profile/I.../hero/54608389

The spec works for t6 and lower tier greater rifts (30 or lower)
He runs mantra of conviction with annihilation as well as the mantra for movespeed from salvation.
Bracers, passives and blind buff party damage for elite kills.

This does not work efficiently sub 1.1m sheet dps with HIGH dps weapons (4.1-4.3k minimum). My toons at 800k sheet dps were struggling with this build to the point where its more efficient to run them through shit with my demon hunter for 90 shards and 2-3 legendies every 4 mins instead.

Looks fun though and it translates well into next patch as well.