Lets dispel one myth. Living Lightning is a considerably worse proc generator than Wicked Wind, and should really only be used if you have some substantially good Weapons, Sources, or Helms without APoC that will make a big difference in your DPS, or you don't have the APoC gear at all.
Living Lightning executes between 5 and 6 attacks per cast when passing over a stationary mob with a normal hitbox size (that is anything below the size of Demonic Temors and Colossal Golgors). It has a proc chance of 0.2, meaning an adjusted proc chance of 1.0 to 1.2 per cast per target. Wicked Wind has with a totally inappropriate 1.0 attack speed weapon and no attack speed on gear, 12 ticks, and a coefficient of 0.125 meaning an adjusted proc chance of 1.5 per cast per target. Looking just at base weapon speeds this goes up to 1.875 using a slow 1.2 attacks per second weapon, 2.25 for a 1.4 speed weapon, and 3.25 at 2.0 attacks per second.
For any resonable attack speed and crit chance wicked wind spam will generate close to a factor of three more procs per second than living lightning spam. Only use living lightning if you have to give up some massive stats to get the two 8+ APoC sources to run wicked wind, or you just can't get the sources at your current progression level. I don't mind talking about how to optimize living lightning, but please don't pretend its a viable alternative to wicked wind in any circumstances other than the above. it just isn't.
Thanks for this analysis. I was getting interested in just how effective it was in those types of builds but hadn't had a chance to actually try it. I suspected WW would come out on top but I wasn't completely sure.
WW is the optimal choice, but like mentioned, Living Lightning is the best alternative to those who don't run APoC. I've used WW/SC when either were the best depending on the patch when I did gear with APoC. Now without APoC, I can only cast three or so WW before running out of MP. Living Lightning makes CM-stunlock viable as long as you have the crit chance and IAS to do so.
I have been running LL for a while now and like it much more than WW. Simply because it walks thru so many targets. You can walk it through melee mobs out to ranged, and you don't have to worry about things running out of your WW/ETs. When you run into a mob you need to dance around (desecrate, arcane, chains etc.) I have a dramatically easier time keeping CM procs going with LL than ET, it's not even a contest. I just hold down LL and teleport around keeping constant LLs walking everywhere.
I also like the fact you can use LL to kite for particularly tough packs in late MPs, just teleport away and spam LL back towards the mobs as they walk thru it constantly resetting EB and Tele. Tele in, nova, blast, continue to kite. at just 1.8 APS and 48% crit, I am getting near instant resets, so really see little benefit in using WW at this point.
Only exception is single mobs, but I am able to perma-freeze uber bosses with LL at about a 80% consistently, which Loroese proved is fairly consistent with ET anyways for bosses. Especially since each Uber has 1 teleporter and usually 3 other characters in your run causing the mobs to constantly be moving out of ur ET anyway.
This is just my personal experience. But I am a firm believer in LL.
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I have been running LL for a while now and like it much more than WW. Simply because it walks thru so many targets. You can walk it through melee mobs out to ranged, and you don't have to worry about things running out of your WW/ETs. When you run into a mob you need to dance around (desecrate, arcane, chains etc.) I have a dramatically easier time keeping CM procs going with LL than ET, it's not even a contest. I just hold down LL and teleport around keeping constant LLs walking everywhere.
I also like the fact you can use LL to kite for particularly tough packs in late MPs, just teleport away and spam LL back towards the mobs as they walk thru it constantly resetting EB and Tele. Tele in, nova, blast, continue to kite. at just 1.8 APS and 48% crit, I am getting near instant resets, so really see little benefit in using WW at this point.
Only exception is single mobs, but I am able to perma-freeze uber bosses with LL at about a 80% consistently, which Loroese proved is fairly consistent with ET anyways for bosses. Especially since each Uber has 1 teleporter and usually 3 other characters in your run causing the mobs to constantly be moving out of ur ET anyway.
This is just my personal experience. But I am a firm believer in LL.