06-11-2012, 07:22 AM
I don't think this build is super innovative, but I thought I'd share what has been working well for me thus far in Inferno (which is being able to clear Act 1 fairly easily). I played around with a number of skill builds early on and settled on this one for being a very consistent, reasonably effective build for my monk.
My Build
The build works primarily by debuffing enemies (via 25% less damage from Resolve and 20% less damage from Crippling Wave) and AoEing them down at melee range. Against knockbackable enemies or enemies that flee or hide behind the lines I use the Fists of Thunder (Thunderclap rune) to teleport after them and blow them up thanks to the knockback that doubles as an effective stun against most normal things. I frequently use either or both of these methods to fight, as necessary.
The build also provides a constant source of healing via Mantra of Healing and two active healing spells, Breath of Heaven and Serenity (with Peaceful Repose).
Skill by skill breakdown
Crippling Wave - Concussion
This skill helps reduce incoming damage and it also can hit enemies on all sides of you, so it works great as a point-blank AoE attack.
Fists of Thunder - Thunderclap
This attack can keep many normal enemies knockback-locked assuming you have a fast enough attack speed. Fists of Thunder, Thunderclap, also does a ton of damage so if you're not getting directly attacked I use this as the primary damage dealer. Finally, it's also very useful against things that run away (Treasure Goblins, I'm looking at you) so it definitely pulls its weight.
Breath of Heaven - Blazing Wrath
Obviously, a low-cost, on-demand heal is the primary incentive to use this skill. I like this particular rune because this build is somewhat low on the offensive side of things. The bonus damage is very handy for burning down things.
Serenity - Peaceful Repose
This skill doubles as a panic-button invulnerability skill and a heal. In Inferno, there are plenty of boss modifiers out there that can lead you into bad situations, so it's important to have your outs.
Sweeping Wind - Master of Wind
This skill primarily serves as a method to hit everything with Resolve when it gets too close. It also adds some damage and can blow up boxes and other nearby things, too, adding to its convenience factor. I picked this rune because I like to try and chain it from group to group and 6 seconds just feels like it's not enough time to keep it up in between.
Mantra of Healing - Time of Need
This skill adds some much-needed constant health regeneration as well as a solid boost to resistances. Combined with the right type of gearing and the One with Everything passive, you can boost your resistances fairly high, greatly helping to mitigate damage further.
Resolve
This passive cuts damage from enemies. With the various delivery methods in this spec to make sure most enemies are debuffed, this definitely pulls its weight.
Seize the Initiative
I like this because it helps boost armor which increases survivability. Every little bit helps in Inferno and this ends up being pretty substantial (~1k armor or more if you have a lot of dexterity on gear).
One with Everything
This is fantastic when combined with the Auction House (or selective gear choices for things you find) to allow you to stack one resistance really high and reap huge benefits.
My Build
The build works primarily by debuffing enemies (via 25% less damage from Resolve and 20% less damage from Crippling Wave) and AoEing them down at melee range. Against knockbackable enemies or enemies that flee or hide behind the lines I use the Fists of Thunder (Thunderclap rune) to teleport after them and blow them up thanks to the knockback that doubles as an effective stun against most normal things. I frequently use either or both of these methods to fight, as necessary.
The build also provides a constant source of healing via Mantra of Healing and two active healing spells, Breath of Heaven and Serenity (with Peaceful Repose).
Skill by skill breakdown
Crippling Wave - Concussion
This skill helps reduce incoming damage and it also can hit enemies on all sides of you, so it works great as a point-blank AoE attack.
Fists of Thunder - Thunderclap
This attack can keep many normal enemies knockback-locked assuming you have a fast enough attack speed. Fists of Thunder, Thunderclap, also does a ton of damage so if you're not getting directly attacked I use this as the primary damage dealer. Finally, it's also very useful against things that run away (Treasure Goblins, I'm looking at you) so it definitely pulls its weight.
Breath of Heaven - Blazing Wrath
Obviously, a low-cost, on-demand heal is the primary incentive to use this skill. I like this particular rune because this build is somewhat low on the offensive side of things. The bonus damage is very handy for burning down things.
Serenity - Peaceful Repose
This skill doubles as a panic-button invulnerability skill and a heal. In Inferno, there are plenty of boss modifiers out there that can lead you into bad situations, so it's important to have your outs.
Sweeping Wind - Master of Wind
This skill primarily serves as a method to hit everything with Resolve when it gets too close. It also adds some damage and can blow up boxes and other nearby things, too, adding to its convenience factor. I picked this rune because I like to try and chain it from group to group and 6 seconds just feels like it's not enough time to keep it up in between.
Mantra of Healing - Time of Need
This skill adds some much-needed constant health regeneration as well as a solid boost to resistances. Combined with the right type of gearing and the One with Everything passive, you can boost your resistances fairly high, greatly helping to mitigate damage further.
Resolve
This passive cuts damage from enemies. With the various delivery methods in this spec to make sure most enemies are debuffed, this definitely pulls its weight.
Seize the Initiative
I like this because it helps boost armor which increases survivability. Every little bit helps in Inferno and this ends up being pretty substantial (~1k armor or more if you have a lot of dexterity on gear).
One with Everything
This is fantastic when combined with the Auction House (or selective gear choices for things you find) to allow you to stack one resistance really high and reap huge benefits.
-TheDragoon