You all seem to approach the issue in a wrong way.
Its all “how to get more storm stacks, how maintain them”, but the real question is “do you really need them?”
What are the stacks good for? Bolts from mealstrom dont need stacks, bolts from tornado dont need stacks, thunder strikes dont need stacks, tempest strike with storm breaker attacks around 25314794 times a second, creating a stack everytime and expending it at the same moment, generating bolts.
Stack stacking is stuck in past, when the goal was to have 50 stacks and generate bolts from that.
Its either that and going full in on stacks using gathering storm directly, or ignoring them altogether. I chose to ignore them and I have no issues so far, but going halfway seems to be defeating the point
I believe we already said why we want storm stacks. This:
plus this:
More Storm Bolts and higher damage
That’s the point. We were exploring options of getting storm stacks without the need for the Storm Breaker weapon. This weapon sucks, there are better options.
The discussion is pretty interesting Because it validates my impression: I need ALOT of +skill for Gathering Storm. This is the one and only skill where I fell I need more Points. Currently, I reduced the bonuses for Storm bolt a bit to get the node where the crows generate stacks. I would LOVE to get more Crows for that and increase the frequency but then I cannot get the node where Storm bolts do more damage that way.
Ahhh decisions, decisions…so far, the build is fun and I like the visuals. Damage is OK, but I only do story for now at around level 50. The Rift beasts and nemesis seem to be a bit overtuned at times and they are VERY spongy. But I only got rag tag equip and the passives aren’t that optimal.
So far, pretty fun but would not recommend for hardcore
Hi all, i started a build like that, and just found this topic.
I am not very far, just in normal monolith, but i have already the feeling that both dmg and defense are not really good. Of course my stuff is average as best… but usually normal mono seems “easy” even with such stuff anyway… so i fear the worst.
I tried with and without tornado+glove… maybe a bit better with.
I use the storm breaker, i think the leech on it play a big part on my defense.
So guys if you give up on storm breaker ? going dual wield i guess ? but with what ?
and how to boost defense enough on this build ?
Anyone got a build guide/video/planner to share please ?
(if possible without too much high end optimized stuff)
Well, if you don’t optimize, you’re going to struggle.
We discussed giving up on storm breaker and I mentioned 2H alternatives, it’s in this topic. Sword or Scepter + Tempest Maw for dual wielding.
Dr3adful - a content creator - made a very relevant video showcasing his struggles. It was because his version of this build was absolute dogshit.
He didn’t spec into Tempest Weapon in Gathering Storm, despite using Storm Bolts as main damage skill and wielding weapons with +melee damage.
He didn’t spec Warcry and Gathering Storm into Generating Maelstrom and getting Storm Bolt crit chance from it.
He used Thunder Tempest on his Tempest Strike, but didn’t use “spell damage with tempest strike” helmet affix.
But he still reached Abberoth with it. With purple gear, a shitty yellow dagger and purple axe off-hand, and with his storm bolts dealing no damage. So if his very bad build can reach Abberoth, you can too
I’d just started to use a scepte (with T7 ligthing leech affix) and tempest maw, damage increased by a lot, and survavibility is same or even better.
about ““spell damage with tempest strike helmet affix.”
I understand it as the spell damage bonus is only applied to tempest strike spell.
if yes there is shared spell/lightning dmg affix that maybe seems better.
Good idea!
Only that apparently Aftershocks do not convert to Lightning like EQ does, so you would be dealing Physical damage with them. Could be overcome by using “Spell damage” everywhere you can.
OR
Gathering Storm does have a Physical conversion too.
Correct, it is only applied to Tempest Strike, but Tempest Strike is proccing two spells:
Thunder Tempest (if you are using it - like Dr3ead did and like OP’s post intended)
Storm Bolt (if you have Sky Opener)
If the affix did not apply to spells procced by Tempest Strike skill tree, the affix would probably be quite useless. Luckily this is easy to test on Target Dummies in Champion’s Gate, simply remove/equip the helmet with this affix.
I’d like to use storm bolt as main damage, but there is so many skill that didn"t fully match (damage type, melee vs spell, trigger, different stack), it is like to try to resolve an equation.
I’d just found some possible solution:
by droping tempest strike to become full bolt physical caster !
GS as main attack, it can become storm bolt casting spell by using a staff , and convert to phys.
Maelstrom already spell, and can be convert to phys… proc bolt too.
War cry already phys, with spell phys bonus, and proc maelstrom stack.
Tornado phys, but it will be proc as fire from unique glove (only issue i can see for now) and proc bolt too…
Last slot is quite free, i’d like fury leap that can also proc some bolt, and spec it allow us to have it with shorter cooldown.
So i started a planner like that: https://www.lastepochtools.com/planner/ApXrNnxA
(edit: i forget to update the body armor… and not sure what to take…)
does it make sense ? or i am totally wrong ?
(edit2: issue found , no more leech … )
Only the glove proc is converted to fire, but it’d still be buffed by % spell damage. Though if the storm bolts are the main damage source then that’s not really an issue.
Anyone managed to make the TS/Stormbreaker combo work in combination with the Maelstroms? An issue i often encountered is the mana consumption from proccing bolts from Maelstrom (no mana regen from hit like TS).
PS: I would love to test myself but with 2 babies I only have time for theorycrafting builds like this XD
I haven’t read through the whole topic so someone might have already suggested it but the search for “friend” didn’t show any results here, so probably not. Anyways, there’s a node in Gathering Storm called Friends of the Tempest which makes your minions’ lightning skills grant you a Storm Stack if you have 1-15 Storm Stacks. This means you have to hit something with Gathering Storm once after that your minions can take over Storm Stack generation and you can expend them with the Sky Opener node in Tempest Strike. Crows are lightning minions but a much better choice is dual wielding two Tempest Maws because the Storm Sprites it summons use a lightning skill that grants a Storm Stack. Storm Totem’s lightning strikes also grant you Storm Stacks. I’ve tried this with 240% attack speed + all the attack speed nodes from Tempest Strike tree I didn’t run out of Storm Stacks.
So the idea is spec Friends of the Tempest and all the Storm Bolt boosting nodes in Gathering Storm along with Tempest weapon that gives you spell damage based on the melee damage on your axes. Spec Sky Opener in Tempest Strike, remove all tempests except Wind Tempest, spec Ceaseless Typhoon to cast Tornado with Wind Tempest, spec Tornado to cast Storm Bolts, increased duration and movement speed and grab Storm Totem, spec it to give movement speed as well and you’re done.
You hit a mob with Gathering Storm once then summon Storm Totem which will summon 8 Storm Sprites that gives you Storm Stacks like crazy then you can just whack away with Tempest Strike that will expend a Storm Stack on every hit, it will trigger a Storm Bolt with 40% chance form your passive tree and will cast Tornadoes that also cast Storm Bolts. Tornado and Storm Totem gives you 50% movement speed, so you’re pretty fast as well.
You can choose spell damage leeched as health blessing in The Black Sun to give you sustain.
It’s a fun build but it’s a bit squishy on higher corruption.
Edit: I’ve respecced my shaman to this, here’s my version: https://www.lastepochtools.com/planner/oYYOL53o
It has single T7 legendaries, so nothing extraordinary, I’ve run a couple echos at 300ish corruption, it melts everything, mana is bit of an issue from time to time, but if you start to run out of mana just whack a bit with Gathering Storm as it gives 10 mana/attack. I’ve stacked attunement a bit (around 100 attunement) and specced into mana regen/attunement, it helps but most likely a T7 mana on potion use experimental belt would be the solution.
It uses the new primordial chest that doubles the stats on idols and gives base crit. I’ve settled with Rule of the Simoon gloves because the Tornado it procs uses the Tornado tree so it casts Storm Bolts and can proc of itself, so once it gets going you will always have some tornadoes around.
