Monk Top 5 Builds Guide

1st. Patterns of Justice Set  (Tempest Rush)

The Patterns of Justice set was majorly improved way back in Season 28 which made it the top Monk build and it's still ranked first place.​

​

Legendary Gems

Bane of the Trapped

Increases damage against enemies under the effect of crowd controlling effects and gives a 30% slow aura.

Taeguk

Gives increased damage when using a channeling skill and 2% increased armor stacking up to 10 times.

Bane of the Stricken

Enemies receive a stacking damage taken increase and your damage against bosses is increased by 25%.

​

Skills & Passives

Skills

Blinding Flash - Faith in the Light (Rune)

Tempest Rush - Flurry (Rune)

Epiphany - Desert Shroud (Rune)

Sweeping Wind - Master of the Wind (Rune)

Mystic Ally - Fire Ally (Rune)

Mantra of Salvation - Agility (Rune)

 

Passives

The Guardian's Path​

Harmony

Momentum

Near Death Experience

​

Equipment

Set: Patterns of Justice

(2) Set Bonus:

Sweeping Wind gains the effect of every Sweeping Wind rune and your movement speed is also increased by 5% for each stack of Sweeping Wind that you have.

(4) Set Bonus:

Attacking with Tempest Rush reduces your damage taken by 50% and increases your Spirit regeneration by 50.

(6) Set Bonus:

Hitting with Tempest Rush increases the size of Sweeping Wind and increases its damage by 20,000%.

​

Weapon: Won Khim Lau

Tempest Rush now activates Cyclone Strike and both skills now deal 600% increased damage.

Weapon: Vengeful Wind

Increases the maximum stacks of Sweeping Wind to 10 and Sweeping Wind's damage is increased by 800%.

Bracers: Cesar's Memento

Enemies take 800% increased damage from Tempest Rush for 5 seconds after being blinded, frozen, or stunned.

Belt: Kyoshiro's Soul Belt

Gain two stacks of Sweeping Wind for every second that Sweeping Wind hasn't dealt damage.

Ring: Ring of Royal Grandeur

You require one less set item to complete sets ( with a minimum of two set items).

Ring 2: Convention of Elements

Rotates elemental damage types and gives an occasional 200% damage increase for 4 seconds.

Amulet: Hellfire Amulet

Gives a passive skill from the character class that creates the amulet.

​​

Potion

Bottomless Potion of the Leech

With the very fast attack speed of this build this life on hit potion helps you to survive.

​

Helm Socket

Flawless Royal Diamond

A Flawless Royal Diamond reduces cooldowns which is important for Epiphany and Blinding Flash.

​

Powers

Weapon: Balance

Tempest Rush deals 600% increased damage and has a 100% critical hit chance when it hits 3 or less targets.

Armor: Aquila Cuirass

Gain 50% reduced damage taken when you're above 90% primary resources.

Ring/Amulet: Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac

Reduces a cooldown by one second when you attack with a primary resource spending skill.

Seasonal: Lefebvre's Soliloqy

Cyclone Strike now gives 50% reduced damage taken for 5 seconds.

​

Item Stat Priority

Helm: Dexterity > Socket > % Damage to Tempest Rush > Vitality

Body: Sockets > Dexterity > Vitality > Life Percent

Hands: Dexterity > Vitality > Critical Hit Chance > Critical Hit Damage

Shoulders: Dexterity > Vitality > Area Damage > Cooldown Reduction

Legs: Sockets > Dexterity > Vitality > Armor

Waist: Dexterity > Vitality > Armor > Life Percent

Bracers: Dexterity > Vitality > Critical Hit Chance > Life Per Hit

Feet: Dexterity > Vitality > Movement Speed > % Damage to Tempest Rush

Amulet: Socket > Dexterity > Critical Hit Damage > Critical Hit Chance

Rings: Socket > Critical Hit Chance > Dexterity > Vitality

Note: You should raise the priority of defensive stats like Vitality and life recovery if you have low paragons.

​

Patterns of Justice Tips​

1. Flurry stacks from Tempest Rush should be released with Blinding Flash. You should also apply Blinding Flash on cooldown when fighting for the 800% damage increase on the Cesar's Memento bracers.

2. The defensive Harmony passive is more consistent than the Guardian's Path passive but provides less toughness. You should also look for secondary resistances on items when using the defensive Harmony passive because Harmony adds your secondary resistances to your all resistances.​

3. Once you have enough Paragon levels to improve your survivability as a melee class you should switch your more defensive passives to offensive passives for the final push for Greater Rift rankings.

​

2nd. Inna's Mantra Set (Mystic Ally)

Inna's Mantra Monk is still very strong after major changes to the build in a previous season with 10 Mystic Allies to help take the damage for you and access to all four Mantras for group play.

​​

Legendary Gems

Enforcer

Increases the damage of all of your pets and decreases their damage taken by 90%.

Pain Enhancer​

Critical hits make enemies Bleed. You gain 3% increased attack speed for each Bleeding enemy within 20 yards.

Bane of the Powerful

Gain a 20% damage buff after killing an elite and 15% increased damage/reduced damage taken against elites.

​

Skills & Passives

Skills

Fist of Thunder - Quickening (Rune)

Cyclone Strike - Implosion (Rune)

Epiphany - Desert Shroud (Rune)

Dashing Strike - Blinding Speed (Rune)

Mystic Ally - Fire Ally (Rune)

Mantra of Salvation - Agility (Rune)

 

Passives

The Guardian's Path​

Harmony

Beacon of Ytar

Near Death Experience

​

Equipment

Set: Inna's Mantra

(2) Set Bonus:

Increases the passive effect of your Mystic Ally skill and the base effect of your Mantras by 100%.

(4) Set Bonus:

​Gain the base effect of all four mantras at all times and you gain a 5% damage taken reduction for each Mystic Ally you have out. Your Mystic Allies also no longer take damage.

(6) Set Bonus:

Gain the passive abilities of five runed Mystic Allies at all times. Attacking enemies also creates your chosen Mystic Ally for 15 seconds, up to 10 Mystic Allies. The damage of your Mystic Allies is also increased by 900% for each Mystic Ally you have out.

Set: Aughild's Authority

(2) Set Bonus:

Increases your damage dealt by 30% and reduces your damage taken by 15%.

(3) Set Bonus:

Increases your damage dealt against elites by 30% and reduces your damage taken from elites by 30%.

​

Weapon: Shenlong's Fist of Legends

When reaching maximum Spirit your damage is increased by 350% and your Spirit is drained over time.

Weapon: Shenlong's Relentless Assault

When reaching maximum Spirit your damage is increased by 350% and your Spirit is drained over time.

Feet: The Crudest Boots

Mystic Ally now summons two Mystic Allies and your Mystic Allies' damage is increased by 200%.

Ring: Ring of Royal Grandeur

You require one less set item to complete sets (with a minimum of two set items).

Ring 2: The Compass Rose

Set: While standing still gain up to 100% increased damage and while moving gain up to 50% damage reduction.

Amulet: The Traveler's Pledge

Set: While standing still gain up to 100% increased damage and while moving gain up to 50% damage reduction.

​

Potion

Bottomless Potion of the Leech

With the very fast attack speed of this build this life on hit potion helps you to survive.

​

Helm Socket

Flawless Royal Diamond

A Flawless Royal Diamond reduces cooldowns and is important for your Mystic Ally and Epiphany cooldowns.

​

Powers

Weapon: The Furnace

Increases your damage dealt to elites by 50%.

Armor: Bindings of the Lesser Gods

Enemies hit by your Cyclone Strike take 200% increased damage from your Mystic Allies for 5 seconds. Split Fire Allies also gain 3 times this bonus.

Ring/Amulet: Convention of Elements

Rotates elemental damage types and gives an occasional 200% damage increase for 4 seconds.

​

Item Stat Priority

Helm: Dexterity > Socket > Critical Hit Chance > Vitality

Body: Sockets > Dexterity > Vitality > % Damage to Mystic Ally

Hands: Dexterity > Vitality > Critical Hit Chance > Critical Hit Damage

Shoulders: Dexterity > Vitality > Cooldown Reduction > % Damage to Mystic Ally

Legs: Sockets > Dexterity > Vitality > Armor

Waist: Dexterity > Vitality > Armor > Life Percent

Bracers: Dexterity > Vitality > Critical Hit Chance > Fire Damage Percent

Feet: Dexterity > Vitality > Armor > Life Regeneration

Amulet: Socket > Dexterity > Critical Hit Damage > Critical Hit Chance

Rings: Socket > Critical Hit Chance > Dexterity > Vitality

 

Inna's Mantra Tips​​

1. This Monk set gives all four mantras at once making it a strong multi-player support option.

2. Use Cyclone Strike when fighting for the 600% increased Fire Ally damage from Bindings of the Lesser Gods and then use your Spirit generator to trigger the Shenlong's Spirit two set bonus.

3. You should look for secondary resistances on items when using the Harmony passive which adds your secondary resistances to your all resistances.

4. To improve your damage as a melee class you should switch your defensive passives to more offensive passives for the final push for Greater Rift rankings.

​

3rd. Monkey King's Garb Set (Tempest Rush)

The Monkey King's Garb Set also known as the Sunwoko's Set is in third place for the top Monk builds and it's easily capable of clearing higher tier Greater Rifts.

​

Legendary Gems

Bane of the Trapped

Increases damage against enemies under the effect of crowd controlling effects and gives a 30% slow aura.

Taeguk

Gives increased damage and increased armor when a skill is channeled stacking up to 10 times.

Bane of the Stricken

Enemies receive a stacking damage taken increase and your damage against bosses is increased by 25%.

​

Skills & Passives

Skills

Fist of Thunder - Quickening (Rune)

Tempest Rush - Flurry (Rune)

Blinding Flash - Replenishing Light (Rune)

Sweeping Wind - Inner Storm (Rune)

Epiphany - Desert Shroud (Rune)

Mantra of Salvation - Agility (Rune)

 

Passives

The Guardian's Path​

Harmony

Exalted Soul

Near Death Experience

​

Equipment

Set: Monkey King's Garb (Sunwuko's)

(2) Set Bonus:

Your damage taken is reduced by 50% while Sweeping Wind is active.

(4) Set Bonus:

Every second your Sweeping Wind spawns a decoy that explodes for 1000% weapon damage for each stack of Sweeping Wind that you have.

(6) Set Bonus:

Tempest Rush has its damage increased by 1500% for each stack of Sweeping Wind that you have.

Set: Captain Crimson's Trimmings

(2) Set Bonus:

Regenerates 6000 life per second and reduces your cooldowns by 20% and resource costs by 20%.

(3) Set Bonus:

Damage dealt is now increased by a percentage of your cooldown reduction and damage taken is now reduced by a percentage of your resource cost reduction.

​

Weapon: Won Khim Lau

Tempest Rush now activates Cyclone Strike and both skills deal 600% increased damage.

Weapon: Vengeful Wind

Increases maximum Sweeping Wind stacks to 10 and Sweeping Wind now deals 800% increased damage.

Shoulders: Mantle of Channeling

When channeling a skill you deal 25% increased damage and take 25% reduced damage.

Bracers: Cesar's Memento

Enemies take 800% increased damage from Tempest Rush for 5 seconds after being blinded, frozen, or stunned.

Ring: Ring of Royal Grandeur

You require one less set item to complete sets (with a minimum of two set items).

Ring 2: Convention of Elements

Rotates elemental damage types and gives an occasional 200% damage increase for 4 seconds.

Amulet: Sunwuko's Shines

Helps complete the Monkey King's Garb (Sunwoko's) Set.

​

Potion

Bottomless Potion of the Leech

With the very fast attack speed of this build this life on hit potion helps you to survive.

​

Helm Socket

Flawless Royal Topaz

Give resource cost reduction and increased toughness with the Captain Crimson's Trimmings set equipped.

​

Powers

Weapon: Balance

Tempest Rush now deals 600% increased damage and always scores critical hits on three or fewer targets.

Armor: Kyoshiro's Soul

Gain two stacks of Sweeping Wind for every second that Sweeping Wind hasn't dealt damage.

Ring/Amulet: The Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac

A cooldown is reduced by one second every time you use a resource spending attack.

Seasonal: Lefebvre's Soliloqy

Cyclone Strike now gives 50% reduced damage taken for 5 seconds.

 

Item Stat Priority

Helm: Dexterity > Socket > Critical Hit Chance > Vitality

Body: Sockets > Dexterity > Vitality > Life Percent

Hands: Dexterity > Vitality > Critical Hit Chance > Critical Hit Damage

Shoulders: Dexterity > Vitality > Resource Cost Reduction > Life Percent

Legs: Sockets > Dexterity > Vitality > Armor

Waist: Dexterity > Vitality > Life % > Armor

Bracers: Dexterity > Vitality > Critical Hit Chance > Cold Damage Percent

Feet: Dexterity > Vitality > % Tempest Rush Damage > Armor

Amulet: Socket > Critical Hit Damage > Dexterity > Critical Hit Chance

Rings: Socket > Resource Cost Reduction > Critical Hit Chance > Dexterity

 

Monkey King's Garb (Sunwuko) Tips​​

1. Flurry stacks from Tempest Rush should be released with Blinding Flash. You should also apply Blinding Flash on cooldown when fighting for the 800% damage increase from the Cesar's Memento bracers.

2. You should look for secondary resistances on items when using the defensive Harmony passive because Harmony adds your secondary resistances to your all resistances.

3. Once you have enough Paragons to easily survive as a melee class you should switch your defensive passives to offensive passives for the final push for Greater Rift rankings.