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Build Guide

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This is the ultimate crowd control ZDPS build

Highlights:

Ultimate CC - Can pull enemies from 34 yards into tight groups then Stun, Freeze, Blind, and Slow them all = perma CC

Damage Buff - Can provide up to a 195% damage buff for the team depending on configuration

Damage Mitigation - Can provide up to 75% damage reduction for the team as well as 40% extra resist all and a massive LPS increase

Skills

Epiphany / Desert Shroud is vital for the build. You should have enough CDR (cool down reduction) to keep it up 100% of the time...or very close to it

Cyclone Strike. There are two runes you can use for this skill: Implosion or Wall of Wind. I recommend you use Implosion as it provides a bigger pull radius, and this is after all a CC build, and also because we have another skill that will freeze thus making Wall of Wind a bit redundant.

Blinding Flash. There are two runes you can use for this skill and the team composition will largely dictate your choice. Self Reflection provides a longer duration blind (perma-blind) and is best used if you are tanking for stand off characters such as Demon Hunters and Wizards. Soothing Light provides a shorter duration blind, but when this build has so many other CC procs it doesn't hurt us to let blind gap for a second or two. Soothing Light is best used when you are tanking for melee characters such as Barbs and Saders as they will get a huge LPS (life per second) boost from this rune, thus helping keep them in the fight longer and letting them dish the pain.

Exploding Palm / Flesh is Weak. This skill will be used selectively to target elites, the RG, and high health minions. As we are a ZDPS build, we will not get the big, grand explosions as would an offensive monk. Instead, this is used only as a damage buff.

Inner Sanctuary / Forbidden Palace. Inner Sanctuary in and of itself is a great damage mitigator for yourself and melee teammates as anyone within the ground marking enjoys a 55% damage reduction. The Forbidden Palace rune also slows all enemies within the ground marking by 80% and makes them take an additional 30% damage!

Crippling Wave. This skill is vital as both a CC proc as well a spirit generator. Every third hit Crippling Wave, in and of itself will, 'daze' all enemies within 11 yards slowing them by 30% and reducing their attack speed by 20%. There are two runes we can use here. One is the Breaking Wave rune which causes enemies hit to take an additional 10% damage. However, this greatly reduces the attack radius and mostly only effects enemies directly in front of you. Because we are Cyclone Strike 'pulling' all enemies in around us into a tight cluster, I highly recommend using the Breaking Wave rune as it has a much wider attack radius and every third hit freezes all enemies hit for one second (near perma-freeze). This is important not only for the freeze CC but also because this greatly expanded attack radius will give a wider proc radius for our Sledge Fist (discussed below in equipment) thus freezing and stunning all enemies in the attack radius!

***Notice that we do not have a Mantra set as a skill. This is because of the Innas 2 & 4-set bonuses. This is discussed below.

***For the discussion below, the four Mantra passive effects are as follows:

- Mantra of Salvation: You and allies within 60 yards gain 20% increased resistance to all elements

- Mantra of Retribution: You and your allies within 60 yards deal 101% of your weapon damage as Holy to attackers when blocking, dodging, or getting hit

- Mantra of Healing: You and your allies within 60 yards gain 10,728 increased life regen. This heal amount is increased by 30% of your LPS

- Mantra of Conviction: Enemies within 30 yards of you take 10% increased damage

Passives:

Beacon of Ytar. A requirement for perma epiphany.

Sixth Sense & Harmony. Both required for toughness and survivability.

The final passive is a choice between Near Death Experience (respawn in the event of death) and Resolve (20% damage reduction for team). Personally I prefer Resolve as this build is very tough and hard to kill and I find it more important to keep DPS team mates in the fight and dealing damage rather than prevent the occasional death.

Equipment

Inna's 2 and 4-set bonuses are a big part of what makes this a phenomenal ZDPS character, that was only made better with 2.2. The Innas 2-set bonus increases the passive effect of your mantra by 100%. The Innas 4-set bonus gives you and the whole team the base effects of all four mantras. See the synergy here?! 4-set bonus gives all Mantras and 2-set bonus doubles that base effect. See above for a list of Mantras and their base effects. The base effects listed are unbuffed. Double these stats for the Innas 2-set bonus!!

- Innas Chest should have Dex, Vit, 3 sockets, and ideally -11% damage from Elites (includes elite effixes). Diamonds should be socketed for additional resist all

- Innas Helm should have Dex, Vit, Socket, and either Life% or Armor. A diamond must be socketed for CDR

- Innas Belt should have Dex, Vit, Resist All, and either Life% or Armor

Born's set: You are going to run the Born's Furious Wrath sword and the Born's Privilege shoulders for the 3-set bonus...10% CDR plus 15% life.

- Borns sword requires 10% CDR and should also have Dex and Vit. Socket a Amethyst (purple gem) for LPH (life per hit)

- Borns shoulders require 8% CDR and should also have Dex, Vit, and Resist All

Captain Crimson's Set: You are going to run Capt. Crimson's Thrust pants and Capt Crimson's Waders boots for the 3-set bonus...primarily for the 10% CDR but the 10% RCR (resource cost reduction), extra Resist All, and extra LPS are all beneficial for this build.

- Capt Crimson's pants should have Dex, Vit, 2 Sockets, and either Armor or LPS.

- Capt Crimson's boots should have Dex, Vit, Armor or Resist All, and % Movement Speed

St. Archew's Gage (hands). Either legacy or 2.2 will work as both provide an absorb shield for damage mitigation. Rolls should be Dex, Vit, Resist All, and ideally Armor. If you don't have St Archew's hands, Stone Gauntlets are the second best option as they 'immobilize' on hit.

Strongarm Bracers. These are vital for the build as a damage buff. Cyclone Strike procs the 'knockback damage' so as long as you see an animation when you cast Cyclone Strike, i.e. the enemy gets pulled towards you or bounces on cast, then knockback is applied. Note however the RGs (rift guardians) and some elites and minions cannot be pulled or knocked back. If you don;t have Strongarms, then Spirit Guards are your second choice as they are a phenomenal defensive bracer. Bracer rolls should be Dex, Vit, Resist All, and ideally Armor.

Sledge Fist. This weapons rolls with up to a 50% chance to stun on hit. With the wide area, 360 degree Crippling Wave/Tsunami attack, this will more or less stun-lock all enemies within a wide radius around you. If you don't have a Sledge Fist, an Azurewrath with its (up to) 25% chance to freeze is second best in slot. Rolls as follows: 10% CDR is a requirement; Dex, Vit, and either LPH or RCR.

Ammy: Best in slot is a Star of Azkaranth because you will be pulling enemies tightly around you and thus will be unable to move, enemy on-death explosions (fire balls) will be one of your biggest threats. As the Star is the rarest item in the game, and immunity ammy will work. Alternatively, the Overwhelming Desire ammy, with its chance to charm and affix in which charmed enemies (only those charmed by this affix) take an additional 35% damage, is a strong contender for damage buff ammy. Rolls should be as follows: Dex, Socket, CDR, Vit.

Rings:

Ring of Royal Grandeur is required. Rolls = Dex, Socket, CDR

Second ring choice is either:

- Oculus Ring. This ring is both defensive and offensive. Furthermore, wether it is a bug or by design, it procs on team mates as well so it may possibly be one of the most power multiplayer rings in the game (see video here for explanation: YouTube). Offensively, it offers up to a 40% damage buff. Defensively it offers up to -16% damage from elites!

- Rogars Huge Stone. This ring can up to double your LPS; the closer to death you get, the more LPS increase you get. This is a phenominal defensive Ring.

Legendary Gems:

- Esoteric Alteration (defensive)

- Molten Wildebeests Gizzard (defensive and massive LPS boost which is important for team buff skills)

- Gem of efficatious Toxin (the lvl25 affix for this gem provides a 10% damage buff for the team. However, if your equipment isn;t fully optimized or your other gems higher levels, you may need to swap this out for a defensive gem...either the Moratorium or the Mutilation Guard.

Note on equipment stats. If you are not aware, effects on damage/DPS aside:

- Strength and Dexterity both have a 1/1 effect on armor, i.e. 1 pt of str/dex equals 1 pt armor.

- Intelligence has a 10/1 effect on Resist All, i.e. 10 pts of intel equals 1 pt of Resist All.

I mention this because, since we do not care about primary stat effect on DPS, strength and dex gear is interchangeable for this ZDPS build. Furthermore, you can consider equipping some gear with Int if you are low on Resist All.

Paragon Points

Core - Movement Speed max at 25% > Vit up to 50 > rest into Dex

Offense - CDR > Attack Speed

Defense - Resist All > Life & Armor lvl evenly > LPS

Utility - RCR > LPH > Area Damage

How to Employ The Build

You will hold down or Num Lock Epiphany for Perma-Epiphany. You are a tank for your team. Try to lead them and run to the middle a a wide area of enemies then 'pull' (Cyclone Strike) them in on you. Once pulled, hold down or repeatedly cast Blinding Flash, Inner Sanctuary, and Crippling Wave to perma-CC the mob. Recast Cyclone Strike within 5 seconds to ensure Strongarm damage stays proc'd. One tip is to try to bottleneck enemies so that they cannot get past you. If they try, your Cyclone Strike and CC skills will cluster and CC lock them thus providing a wide standoff and safe zone for your teammates. Selectively target the RG, elites, and high HP minions with Exploding Palm. Rinse, Repeat, and most importantly, Have Fun~

Highlight totals

Crowd Control Effects:

- Stun = Sledge Fist hits

- Freeze = Crippling Wave/Tsunami

- Slow = Inner Sanctuary/Forbidden Palace

- Slow = Crippling Wave

- Blind = Blinding Flash

Damage Buffs:

- Exploding Palm/Flash is Weak = 20%

- Inner Sanctuary/Forbidden Palace = 30%

- Gem of Efficacious Toxin = 10%

- Strong Arm Bracers = 30%

- Mantra of Conviction = 20%

+ Mantra of Retribution = 202% Weapon Damage on proc

***optional

- Oculus Ring = 40%

- Overwhelming Desire = 35%

- Crippling Wave/Breaking Wave = 10%

Damage Mitigation / Team Protection:

- Inner Sanctuary = -55%

- Resolve = -20%

- Mantra of Salvation = +40% Resist All

- Mantra of Healing = +21,456 increased life regen, further increased by 60% of your LPS

- Blinding Flash/Soothing Light = 26,821 increased life regen, further increased by 90% of your LPS

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