This is a build I’ve been working on for a little bit now after I found myself with the complete Stormserpent set.
While it’s a blue set, the full set bonus allows you to convert 100% piercing to lightning damage which I figured could make for a pretty effective DW trickster running Savagery and a few of the passives of the dual blades tree.
I also happened to have the Belgothian Sheers modified conduit of Night Whispers so quickly found myself throwing this build together with what I had and a few items I had to trade for.
Currently I don’t have these pants or boots (obviously) but I do have some pretty similar equivalents that still allow me to cap resistances - I just don’t get the same level of OA as these provide - the reason I haven’t used these in the GT link is because I can’t remember what I actually have an I’m at work xD
I’m running through Ultimate currently and have yet to die or find the build struggling, since it has decent ADCtH and the amount of chained lightning is pretty hilarious and awesome as well as providing excellent crowd control.
That being said, I don’t think DPS is optimal and I don’t know how I can improve it.
Currently DPS is 66k single target before RR with max crits around 100k but I feel like it can do better.
Looking for any opinions or reworks of the build that fit the core concept of using Stormserpent to convert piercing to lightning as a pure lightning build.
Boots are possible to get, but the pants are … well pray to RNGesus
Wouldn’t two stormhearts be better? Crystallium have armor piercing, so that piercing damage can not be converted by the stromserpent set.
Gloves you can do better, you need more attack speed (Light defender’s?)
I would grab Circle of Slaughter for the Fumble
Raging Tempest 12/12 heart of the wild 10/10
the WPS skills you can get so that they give 20% proc chance
Get one point each in phantasmal armor and anatomy of murder
Get some points in veil of shadows for speed and OA shred on monsters
Rings… try get some with flat lightning damage. Or Coven Storm seals, they gives attack speed, DA and also +2 heart of the wild so you save some skill points there.
So I am using Crystallum for the 50% reduced stun (caps it), Storm Touched and the fact the chain lightning proc is 100% on crit - also better attack speed.
Don’t have Light’s defender gloves but will see if I can track em down and try them out - does knock 3 points out of savagery so I need to re-invest to cap it.
For CoS, Phantasmal Armor and Anatomy of Murder where would you recommend removing points?
I thought maybe the other Glyph ring - gives flat Lightning and an alright proc - but Storm Witch gives a nice amount of OA. Coven Sky Seal gives % OA and DA but no attack speed - also without the ring attack speed is 200% although that’s only when Ghoulish hunger is up so maybe that’s not an accurate figure.
I like these changes though, this is what it looks like with your suggestions:
I would put dual blades back at 1 point, extend nightblade mastery bar to 50 and get execution. Weird to see a dw nightblade build not take it, it’s so good. Blade spirits are also an excellent devotion proc machine at only 1 point.
Actually could Belgothian Sigil be a better option?
Since I convert 100% piercing to Lighting, the flat piercing it technically flat lightning and then I get more attack speed AND a hand proc that gives me additional chance at much more attack speed:
What benefit does Execution have though? Also don’t really need an additional devotion proc since wind devils serve a similar purpose while providing lots of RR.
Dual Blades is handy for the Physical res and flat damage it provides IMO
Ultos amulet perhaps, extra phys > lightning and 2 part set bonus, I don’t think the conduit is really that good here.
Seal of blades is fine, but perhaps use components that add phys > lightning as well, that’s a lot of dps gain.
Edit: execution is like a cadence hit, tons of damage.
Edit 2: I see that in devotion you don’t have widow, this is fairly essential for a lightning build.
Is this closer to what you had in mind?
I think I’ve made all the suggested changes - dropped belgothian completely to invest in Execution and cap pierce res.
Not sure why I didn’t have widow, think I was prioritising ADCtH from Toad which was probably unnecessary.
Will see how only 1 Seal of Blades goes - changed to Seal of Skies for additional Lightning and physical conversion.
Edit: Although Belgothian does give stun and does decent weapon damage, so maybe it’s worth having for the 20% WPS to do a bigger chunk of damage?
I was listing some stuff when I realised malawiglenn wrote them all and more.
Devo: no need for empty throne and that last point in Ultos => take jackal for AS and phys res.
Only reason I was using those was to cap Chaos Res really - although swapping a couple of augments gets me back there, I can get Jackal and keep the final point in Ultos for the 15% chaos res since I’m not sure where else to get that.
I think double crystallum is overall better than crystallum + stormheart, you get more as and better base as, the proc is also slightly more reliable.
I also like the 2 storm witch option better since it synergies with itself and gives you back the oa you’d loose from switching the stormheart.
Also you definitely don’t need to invest that much in ring of steel and the pb line, dual blades and execution are definitely better places to put extra points, ring can stay as a 1 pointer since most your damage will come from savagery anyways.
Also consider a +1 to all skills relic and/or amulet, less synergy with your stuff but you’re kinda point starved so it may work.
So I thought the same about the base AS, and 2 Storm Witch’s are fun for the proc and alright stats.
Ring of Steel with the conversion is VERY strong, like crazy high damage and that’s on a build without the extra crit damage from circle of slaughter.
Pneumatic Burst is almost essential for DA and total speed, there’s only one point in Elemental Awakening, it just has a lot of bonuses.
Eye of the Storm is the best Lightning relic hands down so not going to swap that out, and Ultos gem brings my bonuses up a big chunk due to set bonus.
Double Crystallum and Storm Witch gives me pretty great OA and are a lot of fun to use, but I lose a stack of DA doing this.
Whether or not I invest more in Dual Blades needs to be tested - I can pull out (giggity) of RoS and move points into it, but RoS is such a massive burst of damage…
It does allow me to cap AS if I use a consecrated wrapping on hands - just need to stack up Savagery and I’m at 200% without Ghoulish hunger - Nice!
I still think I might stay with 2 Seal of Blades for the flat lightning, ADCtH and additional armor.
I don’t think the 50% lightning from the Seal of Skies is really going to make much of difference, not as much as ADCtH will!
Thanks for all your help guys, I’m gonna make these changes tonight and see how it performs, lemme know if you want some screenshots of the ingame stats
What a coincidence, I’ve theorycrafted almost exactly the same build. Is it end game viable? Grava, MQ, shard 50+?
Here is mine. https://www.grimtools.com/calc/q2ml6J5N
Slightly different itemization, plus I’ve added shadow strike because there are bosses you can’t facetank safely.
I’ve posted build like that for budget purpose. You obviously will have better items, but you can steal devotions and skill distribution https://www.grimtools.com/calc/b28j4jLZ
