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Inna Shenlong EP AKA Fiat Monk (Group Setup)

by last updated Mar 18, 2017 ( Patch 2.4.3 )
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Skills

  • Way of the Hundred Fists Assimilation
  • Cyclone Strike Soothing Breeze
  • Mantra of Conviction Overawe
  • Mystic Ally Air Ally
  • Exploding Palm Impending Doom
  • Epiphany Desert Shroud
  • Beacon of Ytar
  • Harmony
  • Seize the Initiative
  • Near Death Experience

Items

More Details

  • Legendary Gems

    • Bane of the Powerful
    • Bane of the Trapped
    • Gogok of Swiftness

Kanai's Cube

  • The Fist of Az'Turrasq
  • Spirit Guards
  • Ring of Royal Grandeur

This is a theory craft regarding replacing the Inna weapon with the Shenlong set and is intended for use with a group.


Here's a link to a D3planner with the rolls.


At first this might look like a really bad option, but let's look at the advantages of using each of the setups.


An Inna weapon setup:

Higher Mystic ally damage

Higher weapon damage

No need to use RoRG alternatively use a different legendary in a different slot

Only need to find 1 good weapon instead of 2.


A Shenlong setup:

Higher attack speed

More AD

Higher mainstat total

An extra item to augment

Same weapons as for a gen monk build

Benefits more percentually from the damage roll on the rings

The set bonus


So what's important here is how the damage of EP works. Here is my source from Davlok's post. The way it works is that it alternates between your main-hand and your off-hand, snapshotting the weapon that was used on application. So generally you want to use a 2-handed weapon to have the biggest possible damage output when the EP explodes. However, let's do the math:


Inna rolls with a weapon damage range of 3150-4587 giving it an average weapon damage of 3868.5


The shenlong weapons roll with a weapon range of 1901-2565 giving it an average weapon damage of 2233.


However, what this doesn't account for is the set bonus from Shenlong which makes all your damage deal 2.5x more damage when you activate it. This pretty much gives the Shenlong set a weapon damage of 5582.5, which is about 44% higher than Inna.


This means that for a group setup the Shenlong setup would not only give you a higher attack speed , it also gives you more damage to your EP explosions.

Paragon Priorities

Core

Primary Stat
Vitality
Movement Speed
Maximum Resource

Offense

Attack Speed
Cooldown Reduction
Critical Hit Chance
Critical Hit Damage

Defense

Life
Armor
Resist All
Life Regeneration

Utility

Area Damage
Resource Cost Reduction
Life on Hit
Gold Find

Build Guide

The gameplay will be pretty much the same as for a normal EP Inna setup, the only big differences are the Shenlong and that you don't kill any of the mobs yourself. This setup requires you to play in a group with a second DPS, preferably a high single target DPS, such as Gen monk, Impale DH or MH Wizard.

I have not tested this in game and do not know if it will be better to play around your CoE cycle or if it will be better to play around the 2nd players CoE cycle. One interesting thing is if you play with a Cold gen monk you will both be on the same cycle.

The general gameplay is as follow:

1. Use WoTH to gain assimilation stacks.

2. Use Cyclone Strike every 5s to keep your shoulder's up.

3a. If you play around your 2nd DPS' CoE cycle just try and keep as many EP's up as possible at any time. If you can manage to get an overlap with the wiz or DH that's great.

3b.If you play around your CoE then you start to put out as many EP's as you can starting at lightning. Then when you reach Cold your second DPS will begin to deal damage and hopefully hit one of the mobs with an EP on them already to spread it as fast as possible.

4. As soon as you're about to reach the CoE cycle you're playing around activate your mystic allies to instantly activate your Shenlong set.

5. Hopefully the whole screen will explode by now.

I think the best second DPS for this setup will either be a Cold Generator monk or a MH Zodiac Wiz. This because it will allow the group to play around your CoE and always get the huge AoE damage that you get with EP.

Also, the skills and the gear is not entirely optimized, the cube armor slot is fairly free and it's possible to get a better build. I'm for example thinking about lowering the AD somewhat and maybe add in some IAS, it all comes down to the breakpoints which I have not looked at. There's also some interesting things you can do with the skills. The mantra is fairly free to pick whatever with since you want a Sup monk with you anyways. The low uptime on epiphany leaves it open to maybe go with Inner Sanctuary Temple of Protection and let your Barb be free to roam the rift and pull mobs without the constant need to return within the time limit of IP (as long as you survive without the damage reduction it gives). Or else you could maybe replace Epiphany with Dashing Strike, it's really up to you I think and down to personal preference.

I don't know how high this build would be viable, but it seems like a fun replacement for the WD where both DPS are needed to deal damage throughout the rift. This is probably what I will end up playing in group during the next season given that it all works out in the end and I didn't miss something obvious that would make this build not work.