Swift like the wind, dealing powerful blows with sacred might, the monks of Diablo III are a delightful class to dive into. The class combines skill and variety to create a potent powerhouse.
If you’re gearing up for the next big Diablo Season and are eager for monk builds than you are in the right place. We will be going over the top monk builds, what it takes to make them and how best to play them.
Whether you are new to Diablo III or are a veteran eager to dip into another class, we’ve got you covered. Let’s explore the Diablo III monk and the powerful ways to play it.
The Ki Basics of Diablo III Monks
The monk is a class of flow and patience. Landing your hits right, keeping your character in the right place, and maintaining your durable buffs to keep you going long into the fight even without armor.
The monk generates Spirit, a form of resource that you use to unleash devastating attacks and powerful support spells.
The monk relies on the DEX and VIT stats. Because of their bonuses with DEX, they have little need for the armor stat that is on certain items. After these two main stats, ALLRES and CRIT are always good.
Getting acquainted with your monk is a great time. They can be a very rewarding class and can provide a number of roles.
The Season System
As the patches of Diablo III come and go, the seasons of play rotate and shift. As of now, Season 18 is on the rise, and with it new adventures.
If you are unaware, the seasons of Diablo III are optional resets for your characters that allow you to take up the challenge of building and leveling normal or hardcore characters with as much speed and efficiency as you can.
There are many rewards to playing out each season. They can include transmogrification items and the thrill of a leaderboard with all the other Diablo 3 players.
The Pro Gaming Tricks
There are many little details you need to understand if you want to dive hard into seasonal play in Diablo III. For veteran gamers, this section is old news. For new players, listen up.
The first detail is learning the game. It is very recommended that you already have played through a good deal of the game before stepping into seasonal competition.
Knowing how to play your class of choice, where to get certain items, and how to deal with various kinds of enemies all come with a good playthrough of the game.
Next, you have additional benefits such as Kanai’s Cube. Knowing how and when to work the Kanai’s Cube can be a game in itself.
The last major endeavor is whether you want to work with others. Diablo can be a multiplayer experience or a single-player dungeon crawl. Each has its own benefits both in and out of the game.
The Current Powerhouse Monk Builds
For the uninitiated, builds are the combination of gear, skills, and passives that give a certain playstyle. There are a variety of builds for each class and each can have their own advantage in certain areas.
Some builds work best against large hordes of enemies. Some builds do better with bosses. Some builds are even build to have other party members around.
Here we have 7 builds that have all shown promise with the latest Diablo III patches. Find the one that best fits your playstyle!
1. Wave of Light with LoD (Top Tier)
This build focuses on the various bonuses of the Legacy of Dreams, or LoD. The Legacy of Dreams is a legendary gem that rewards you for ignoring set bonuses in exchange for getting extra power out of equipping legendary items.
The Active skills for this build are as follows.
- Wave of Light with Explosive Light
- Cyclone Strike with Implosion
- Ephiphany with Desert Shroud
- Mystic Ally with Air Ally
- Dashing Strike with Blinding Speed
- Mantra of Salvation with Agility
The passive skills for this build are as follows.
- Beacon of Ytar
- Harmony
- Seize the Initiative
- Sixth Sense
The recommended gear is as follows.
- Helm: Tzo Krin’s Gaze
- Shoulders: Lefebvre’s Soliloquy
- Gloves: Magefist
- Chest: Cindercoat
- Belt: The Witching Hour
- Pants: Swamp Land Waders
- Boots: The Crudest Boots
- Bracers: Bindings of the Lesser Gods
- Amulet: The Flavor of Time
- Ring 1: Convention of Elements (or The Wailing Host in early progression)
- Ring 2: Unity (or Litany of the Undaunted in early progression)
- Weapon 1: Kyoshiro’s Blade
- Offhand: Rabid Strike
- Legendary Gem 1: Bane of the Trapped
- Legendary Gem 2: Bane of the Stricken
- Legendary Gem 3: Legacy of Dreams
For Kanai’s Cube, we have the following.
- Weapon Slot: Incense Torch of the Grand Temple
- Armor Slot: Pinto’s Pride
- Jewelry Slot: Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac
This build uses the massive damage boost from the Legacy of Dreams to make your Wave of Light attacks brutal beyond compare.
Your passive help you endure massive punishment as you focus fire down the biggest threats in the area. As you build up your spirit, slamming down massive Wave of Light after Wave of Light makes your DPS brutal.
The toughness of this build, combined with the massive amount of cooldown reduction, makes you a constant force of destruction that will be near impossible to take down.
2. Shenlong Generator with Crippling Wave (Top Tier)
Using the Shenlong raiment monk set, this build allows you to push rapid Spirit generation into raw damage. The sustained brutality of this build allows a control-heavy playstyle.
The Active skills for this build are as follows.
- Way of the Hundred Fists with Assimilation
- Breath of Heaven with Infused with Light
- Mantra of Salvation with Agility
- Crippling Wave with Mangle
- Dashing Strike with Radiance
- Serenity with Ascension
The Passive skills for this build are as follows.
- Harmony
- Alacrity
- Seize the Initiative
- Exalted Soul
The recommended gear is as follows.
- Helm: Mask of the Searing Sky
- Shoulders: Mantle of the Upside-Down Sinners
- Gloves: Fists of Thunder
- Chest: Heart of the Crashing Wave
- Belt: String of Ears
- Pants: Scales of the Dancing Serpent
- Boots: Eight-Demon Boots
- Bracers: Spirit Guards
- Amulet: The Traveler’s Pledge
- Ring 1: The Compass Rose
- Ring 2: Unity
- Weapon: Shenlong’s Fist of Legend
- Offhand: Shenlong’s Relentless Assault
- Legendary Gem 1: Bane of the Trapped
- Legendary Gem 2: Simplicity’s Strength
- Legendary Gem 3: Bane of the Stricken
For Kanai’s Cube, we have the following.
- Weapon Slot: Flying Dragon
- Armor Slot: Depth Diggers
- Jewelry Slot: Convention of Elements
This build has a strong focus on speed farming and pure damage, making it a solid choice for grinding all the way into the higher torments.
Using a massive amount of Spirit Generation into payoffs like Way of the Hundred Fists and Crippling Wave lets you pour out the damage to massive hordes. This makes it great for speeding through all but the hardiest of chaff.
3. Support Build with Inna (Top Tier)
This build is a pure support Monk that allows you to keep your team safe, healthy, and buffed as they clear out the waves of enemies and bosses. If you prefer a responsive route and being part of a more cohesive whole, this build has potential.
The Active skills for this build are as follows.
- Crippling Wave with Tsunami
- Epiphany with Soothing Mist
- Inner Sanctuary with Temple of Protection
- Blinding Flash with Crippling Light
- Cyclone Strike with Implosion
- Mantra of Healing with Time of Need
The Passive skills for this build are as follows.
- Near-Death Experience
- Beacon of Ytar
- Resolve
- Unity
The recommended gear is as follows.
- Helm: Leoric’s Crown
- Shoulders: Lefebvre’s Soliloquy
- Gloves: Inna’s Hold
- Chest: Inna’s Vast Expanse
- Belt: Inna’s Favor
- Pants: Inna’s Temperance
- Boots: Illusory Boots
- Bracers: Strongarm Bracers
- Amulet: The Flavor of Time
- Ring 1: Oculus Ring
- Ring 2: Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac
- Weapon: The Slanderer
- Offhand: Little Rogue
- Legendary Gem 1: Gogok of Swiftness
- Legendary Gem 2: Iceblink
- Legendary Gem 3: Gem of Efficacious Toxin
For Kanai’s Cube, we have the following.
- Weapon Slot: Flying Dragon
- Armor Slot: Spirit Guards
- Jewelry Slot: Band of the Rue Chambers
This build has an obvious connection with a good and coordinated party. If you have no interest in multiplayer focus, you can skip this one. If you prefer being the glue that holds a party together, look no further.
You start strong Mantra of Healing and Epiphany to heal your party members. You add in some crowd control in Crippling Wave and Blinding Flash. You finish off with damage reduction in Inner Sanctuary combined with Resolve and Unity.
This is a popular build for many parties and works well with almost every class combination. What it lacks in damages, it gives in sustainability to the party.
Your friends will live to deal out even more damage with this build. They become the DPS you lack.
4. Wave of Light with Sunwuko or Inna (High Tier)
Similar to the Wave of Light build with Legacy of Dreams, this build focuses more on the traditional monk bonuses. This is a great alternative build if you cannot get the Legacy of Dreams and the gear to support it.
The Active skills for this build are as follows.
- Crippling Wave with Tsunami
- Wave of Light with Explosive Light
- Dashing Strike with Blinding Speed
- Sweeping Wind with Inner Storm
- Mystic Ally with Air Ally
- Mantra of Salvation with Agility
The Passive skills for this build are as follows.
- Seize the Initiative
- Sixth Sense
- Harmony
- The Guardian’s Path
The recommended gear for this build is as follows.
- Helm: Tzo Krin’s Gaze
- Shoulders: Sunwuko’s Balance
- Gloves: Sunwuko’s Paws
- Chest: Sunwuko’s Soul
- Belt: The Witching Hour
- Pants: Sunwuko’s Leggings
- Boots: The Crudest Boots
- Bracers: Pinto’s Pride
- Amulet: Sunwuko’s Shines
- Ring 1: Focus
- Ring 2: Restraint
- Weapon: Kyoshiro’s Blade
- Offhand: Vengeful Wind
- Legendary Gem 1: Bane of the Trapped
- Legendary Gem 2: Zei’s Stone of Vengeance
- Legendary Gem 3: Bane of the Stricken
For Kanai’s Cube, we have the following.
- Weapon Slot: Incense Torch of the Grand Temple
- Armor Slot: Spirit Guards
- Jewelry Slot: Ring of Royal Grandeur
This build takes the bonuses from the Sunwuko set and uses it to power the Wave of Light instead of the Legacy of Dreams gem. This requires a bit more setup as you need to start stacking and abusing Sweeping Wind.
The playstyle will have a similar feel to the LoD version, except instead of near-constant batterings of Wave of Light, you have a swarm of Sweeping Wind that leads to devastating Wave of Light barrages.
5. Lashing Tail Kick (High Tier)
Using the same Legacy of Dreams trick as the first build, this build instead focuses its spirit generation onto Lashing Tail Kick, dealing brutal physical damage.
This build has a lot more burst damage, sacrificing consistency for a higher-end in DPS overall.
The Active skills for this build are as follows.
- Crippling Wave with Rising Tide
- Lashing Tail Kick with Vulture Claw Kick
- Cyclone Strike with Implosion
- Dashing Strike with Radiance
- Epiphany with Desert Shroud
- Mantra of Salvation with Agility
The Passive skills for this build are as follows.
- Determination
- Harmony
- Beacon of Ytar
- Seize the Initiative
The recommended gear for this build is as follows.
- Helm: Gyana Na Kashu
- Shoulders: Lefebvre’s Soliloquy
- Gloves: Magefist
- Chest: Cindercoat
- Belt: The Witching Hour
- Pants: Swamp Land Waders
- Boots: Rivera Dancers
- Bracers: Bindings of the Lesser Gods
- Amulet: The Flavor of Time
- Ring 1: Convention of Elements (or The Wailing Host in early progression)
- Ring 2: Unity (or Litany of the Undaunted in early progression)
- Weapon 1: Scarbringer
- Offhand: Rabid Strike
- Legendary Gem 1: Bane of the Trapped
- Legendary Gem 2: Bane of the Stricken
- Legendary Gem 3: Legacy of Dreams
For Kanai’s Cube, we have the following.
- Weapon Slot: Flying Dragon
- Armor Slot: Spirit Guards
- Jewelry Slot: Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac
This build may lack a bit of speed due to the burst damage nature of its benefits. Even still, with the great durability of the monk and the high-end damage, you can take on even the toughest enemies and win.
The higher AoE damage can also help to clear out hordes than the traditional Wave of Light build. This can make this build a bit more versatile for certain times in the season.
Guides, Gaming, and More
Perfecting the various Monk builds of Diablo III takes a lot of grinding, patience, and skill. Getting the most out of each Diablo III season will require you to adapt and plan out your build of choice.
When you need more tips and tricks for Diablo III and many other games, we at Strident Gamer have got you covered. We have a host of articles to choose from, why not branch out and learn a bit on Dark Souls?
