Build Guide
This build has been tested in patch 2.6.1 on the PS4.
The main version of the build works on the synchronicity between the Raiment of a Thousand Storms class armor set and the Shenlong's Spirit class weapon set. The main two damage skills are supported by skills with support effects to the purpose of increasing and maintaining as much constant Spirit generation as possible to prolong the full viable damage bonus from Shenlong's Spirit, mainly used to supplement the used primary skill damage of the build since the damage of Dashing Strike by itself is already significant, aiming to balance out the damage potential between the two for maximum effect.
Raiment of a Thousand Storms by itself is a very streamlined set, the most that the Monk has available. The 2 piece set bonus of a 25% attack speed boost and 100% damage boost to all Spirit Generator primary skills can be useful for other set builds. The 4 piece bonus of a 75 Spirit cost for Dashing Strike when available and refunding a charge when spent, and the 6 piece bonus of a 13,000% damage boost for Dashing Strike for 6 seconds on every use of a Spirit Generator primary skill and subsequent 1300% damage boost to said Spirit Generator primary skill for 6 seconds when using Dashing Strike leaves much less room for use of other main damaging skills however. The key note here is that the 1300% damage boost only applies to said primary skills that generate Spirit, no other skills that are able to generate Spirit via runes or other effects receive the boost.
Shenlong's Spirit is where the overwhelming Spirit generation comes into play. The set grants a 2% damage boost to used Spirit Generator primary skills for every point of Spirit the Monk currently has, thus the higher the Monk's maximum Spirit total, the more powerful the bonus. When reaching maximum Spirit, the Monk then gains an overall 200% damage boost on top of the first boost, the damage increase applying to all of the Monk's outgoing damage, not just Spirit Generator primary skills. However this incurs a loss of normal passive Spirit generation and a loss of 65 Spirit per second until empty. The key to the build then is to maintain as much incoming Spirit generation via supported passive generation and overwhelming attack speed for Spirit Generator primary skills to keep refilling the Monk's Spirit pool and offsetting the depletion.
Way of the Hundred Fists is the Spirit Generator primary skill of choice, as while the initial damage per blow is only at 190% per hit, the Windforce Flurry rune grants an additional 500% Cold element blast that pierces the main target and damages all enemies behind them up to 40 yards, making it a potent range of effect skill as well, the additional 500% damage blast receiving the same damage boost from the 2 and 6 piece bonus of Raiment of a Thousand Storms and from Shenlong's Spirit as the initial three blows of the combo. This in effect makes it a 4 hit combo instead of just 3 hits, and retains a single target damage focus with ranged direction focus as an added benefit, and with all available attack speed bonuses and proccing Flying Dragon in the Cube, the Monk is able to execute just over two full combos in the span of a single second's attack period, moreso with any other supplementary attack speed bonuses on the Monk's armor and weapons.
For Dashing Strike there is some leeway for runes, though Radiance adding 15% attack speed for 4 seconds after use and making the damage proc as Fire damage works to support the build's constant Spirit generation through use of Way of the Hundred Fists that much more effective. A more defensive option would be Blinding Speed for a 40% dodge chance boost for 4 seconds with Cold damage, or Barrage as Physical damage granting an additional 975% damage effect to the last enemy hit over a 2 second window, also boosted by the Raiment of a Thousand Storms and Shenlong Spirit bonuses. This would in effect make Dashing Strike a two hit skill instead of just one hit, albeit one able to still hit multiple targets as the Monk dashes through them.
Mystic Ally grants an elemental clone of the Monk to deal supplemental damage, the Air Ally rune making that Physical damage and granting the Monk passive 4 Spirit per second generation, the activated effect granting 100 Spirit instantly. This is both a passive and active bump to help keep the Monk's Spirit pool near the maximum as much as possible when under the depletion effect of Shenlong's Spirit, prolonging the increased damage bonus as much as possible and also granting the Monk a secondary ally for enemy aggro and blocking.
Sweeping Wind with the Inner Storm rune is effective as both a damage and Spirit generator skill, proccing 315% weapon damage as Holy at 3 stacks and generating 8 Spirit per second as long as it remains at 3 stacks or more. By itself it sits just on the melee damage radius surrounding the Monk, so it is constantly dealing simultaneous damage when using Dashing Strike and Way of the Hundred Fists, and it benefits from the 200% bonus damage effect from Shenlong's Spirit, as well as another 200% boost when in the Holy rotation of Convection of Elements, making it a substantial supplement to the other two main damage dealers while providing Spirit generation utility.
Further utility comes from Breath of Heaven and its two-fold use with the Infused with Light rune. By itself it acts as a quick heavy heal effect for when the Monk is in a tough spot, but the rune effect gives Way of the Hundred Fists an extra 14 Spirit generated per hit for 5 seconds afterwards. Combined with the Monk's staggering attack speed, it can almost instantly refill the Monk's Spirit pool from zero all the way back to maximum, at times completely resetting the Shenlong's Spirit depletion effect. Paired with all the extra supported passive Spirit generation, it is the keystone to keeping the Monk at maximized damage as often as possible and for as long as possible between resets.
Epiphany with the Desert Shroud rune rounds out utility, the skill's basic effects of teleporting to targeted enemies making even use of Way of the Hundred Fists act as a mobility skill like Dashing Strike, and the extra 25 Spirit per second generation effect greatly supplements all the other generation effects of the build when active, the rune granting a 50% damage reduction effect as well for defensive power. While the Insight rune for up to 45 Spirit per second generation is a viable option, the Monk does need some defensive resilience with the build, and Epiphany is by and far the best way to do so.
The passives work to support the Monk's attack speed and damage, Alacrity being a flat 15% speed boost for Way of the Hundred Fists, Seize the Initiative granting another 30% attack speed for 4 seconds against enemies with more than 75% health. Exalted Soul grants another 50 total Spirit to the Monk's Spirit pool, effectively giving the Monk another 100% damage increase as a result, and even grants another 4 Spirit per second effect, and Beacon of Ytar gives a flat 20% cooldown reduction for more frequent uses of Epiphany Breath of Heaven and Mystic Ally. Swapping passives isn't recommended, though adding via a Hellfire Amulet is encouraged.
An alternative version of the build sacrifices the damage bonus of Shenlong's Spirit for more utility, and another for more sheer attack speed. They still highlight the strengths of the Raiment of a Thousand Storms damage bonuses well enough to be viable to use if unable to hunt down both halves of Shenlong's Spirit. Use of Crystal Fist works for another 50% damage reduction when using Dashing Strike, and Jawkbreaker refunds a charge if striking an enemy past 30 or so yards away for more frequent use. The Slanderer and Little Rogue serve as a more base-line boost, the build's high attack speed letting it easily maintain the full 30% boost to damage, Armor and additional attack speed to lend a slight more survivable edge to the build.
While Breath of Heaven is capable of healing nearby party members as well, the build's sheer reliance on mobility makes it ill fitted for group play.
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