To capitalise on the CDR and Electrocute skill modifiers more than 1 Stormrender?
They are still from builders like you that have posted successful builds in the past. I think I can trust their word when they say that Raka’Jax is fine. Moreover, I think this would start to devolve into another debate on what you consider a “good build” and what others do, as evidenced by:
So, I think we can just stop the discussion here.
Off-hand will offer ± same CD to PS and very valuable global CDR that will outweigh second Electrocute mod.
So you can trust their word and not trust mine? 
Well, you can wait to hear from @Nery himself about that.
What if Stormrend got flat Electrocute instead of it’s current flat Lightning damage? Don’t forget as well that it hits with both hands so using an off hand loses you 320% weapon damage every 1.8 seconds or so.
I trust someone who has actually played a build on it and can actually report on how it fares 
. If you want to convince me that Raka’Jax is really bad and what Nery/Weyu said is false, actually try a build using it and tell me how it fares at farming Legendaries in Crucible, Shattered Realm or against Nemeses/Roguelike Bosses/Lokarr in campaign.
Good point. However, given low base of one hander it still doesn’t look it’s gonna stand up to a caster’s off-hands perks. Because with DW Stormrender spec you are basically forced into melee playstyle with a squishy build (low as, Lightning damage problems with ADTCH) or you can choose to play a caster but then you gonna have no Energy regeneration, no global CDR and not even casting speed from an off-hand.
When you have as much experience with min-maxing and playing different specs some things are obvious, like Raka’Jax being sub-par to basically every other alternative no matter how you look at it. But I understand if you don’t believe me because I haven’t tried it myself. Let’s just wait for Nery to say something.
Didn’t know you and @mad_lee will have that much interest in my testings. So I tried RakaJax Vindicator first in 1.1.4.0 or 1.1.3.2 I think and two weeks ago revised the version. Both times build was using Light Defender, different support items and similar devotions with Korvaak.
Results: build was slightly better before Strom Box nerfs, cause it was important part of the damage. Now is OK, less success in Crucible, still decent clear rate. Times are around 6:25-6:30 on average. Build with Ultos or SR set won’t be better in terms of damage. Stormreaver with same items/devotions will perform way better both offensively and defensively. Stormreaver boost Savagery as spam and Totems. RakaJax have electrocute damage and I was using ofc PS on cooldown, which is pretty underwhelming. Totems are weaker as well, no CD boost from Off-Hand and mod from Stromreaver. Also tried build in SR, it’s not really suited for SR 75/76 farming, too inconsistent.
Conclusion: RakaJax Vindicator is good build, not because of the weapon but despite of it, Vindicator is strong class for lightning damage. Stormreaver version and scepter/off hand will be better and they have similar styles, except for PS, which isn’t adding much being on CD. RakaJax needs CDR to compete and not attack speed, there’s already good 2H ranged weapon fro PS spam, RakaJax should be good for PS on CD.
Stormrend is in similar situation. PS spam, with low attack speed works better than CD version, which was the original intent, tested by several people. So few possible solutions:
Buff weapon global CDR and PS damage and make CDR version more appealing.
Add attack speed as well and leave to players to decide what version they prefer.
Leave it as it is.
Also Stun Jacks CD version is weaker than Spark of Ultos. There’s the option of making Stormrend weapon for Stun Jacks spam+PS on cooldown for instance.
And finally +skills to Nightblade and Inquisitor are weird, being weapon for Elementalist. I suggest +1 to both classes and omit Inquisitor. Or at least +1 one of the two and +1 Nightblade.
That was very concluding, thanks for that input!
Could one argue that Stormrend is much easier to get (farmable from totems) compared to random drop M Spark of Ultos hence it would make perfectly sense that is just a “baby version”?
Most of these Totem “specific” items are kinda “meme” anyway so I would not bother too much with such items being “top tier” or not. They can be seen as stepping stone items, nothing more
Then why - as illustrated by Banana in op - spam Stormrend PS is the only Stormrend PS that matters?
It was discussed. It just got crushed under the heavy pages of your “All Builds Are Created Equal” philosophical treaties. 
Words of wisdom, my friend! Did you max Totems or Maelstrom? EDIT: Totems, sorry, I overlooked that part.
Define “matters” in this scenario. I have said and advocated more than once that if cooldown Primal Strike with it is underperforming then that playstyle should be buffed, not Thunderous Strike.
Because my initial comment of…
…was argued against and I presented my thought process otherwise?
Yup Totems are at 26/16. I originally had 26/16 box and 22/12 Tether as well as 21/12 Storm Surge. You advise me to change some Box points into Maelstorm, but that doesn’t improve the build, nor it decrease the performance, was the same.
This weapon introduces a whole new playstyle - 1H Thunderous Strike. In a game where playstyles are a subject of balance people always expect brand new things to be competitive.
Spite is even easier to get. It didn’t prevent it to be very strong.
If i may ask of everyone, let’s stick to the original topic. As title suggests, it’s about Stormrend as (possible) part of 1H lightning melee. Regardless of what anyone thinks about viability of cooldown PS using Stormrend, cooldown PS alone doesn’t make a melee build, even with lowered cooldown.
If you don’t think Stormrend should be a part of lightning melee, you’ve been heard. If you think it already is, please, present a strong build based around the weapon to support your arguments.
just curious,
why does it have to be PS alone to validate the build? CD builds, with very few exceptions are the generally good due to the sum of their parts. Should a CD PS build be very good only using PS?
Hm?
I’m saying that having cooldown PS in your rotation doesn’t make your build melee.
If you manage to make a Stormrend build with cooldown PS, cooldown Stun Jacks and other spells, good for you, but it won’t be melee and it won’t tell anything about the issues lightning melee has.
Maybe someone has a good Stormrend build with cd PS and Savagery? Or even, god forbid, cd PS and default attack?
Ofc it doesn’t mean that.
it’s in the stats that it’s not inteded to be just pure melee, unless you want to mess around to mess around with spam.
But at face value it’s a hybrid not pure melee. We have full Ultos for that and even he dips into other support skills as well, but it’s more on the melee side.
i’d never make PS/Savagery, well not again, i tried with stormserpent and it was terribad. But it’s not what the weapon really wants from the player
It’s an axe with big base dmg, +1 to Nightblade and a mod to a melee Shaman skill. Supposedly it supports Trickster. Which not melee Trickster is going to use this weapon over other strong lightning items?
But again, if you think this weapon is not for melee, you’ve been heard. The title of the topic doesn’t say “Stormrend is crap, why is it in the game?”
You guys have a very odd way of looking at melee.
If you don’t AA with it it’s just another caster. Black or white. It’s a mixed bag and perhaps you haven’t tried everything yet.
Not sure what you even want from it. It feels like you simply want it to be something it isn’t. Can’t explain this whole discussion otherwise.
sounds ominous
I have this build. At first glance DPS looks shitty. But it has 4 DW nukes - Primal Strike, Sudden Strike (rune on medal), Execution and Amarasta’s Quick Cut. It can do SR 65-66 OK. It can kill Grava in SR in reasonable time as well. Depends on whether you want more and this is not enough for you. I am satisfied with Stormrend as is for the PS part. I would not be against adding AS on it so that it can be better used with spam PS as well.
For the last time, i’m not “you guys”.
If you ask me, melee is when the main dmg is done by melee skills, plain and simple. I want the weapon to be good. I’ve tried to explain why it isn’t and provided soom proofs. I’ll wait for you to make a good Stormrend build, melee or not. Or anyone else. I haven’t seen one yet.
Now, please, stop going off topic.
So did I, and that is why I suggested buffs in testing. It got a DoT mod which I guess makes sense on a CD skill. What I would have liked it to get is another -0.1 Cd at least. It’s not the end of the world but it would just be nice.
As for the Trickster side of builds with this weapon, on a personal not i’d like cold>lightning to be more accessible so maybe that will come in the future, who knows…
Is talking about Stormrend not on topic…?
Or am I supposed to talk about it in some other way that you agree with
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