S-TIER | BUILD DRUIDE LIGHTNING WARP SHAMAN (@ccs) | SAISON 5

Build Video

Build Overview

This druid Lightning Warp build pushes the mana stacking mechanic to its absolute limit by combining it with the low-life technique on the Druid’s Shaman ascendancy. The core idea revolves around two Cast on Critical triggers — one tied to the amulet, one to the spirit gem — turning every keypress into a chain reaction that can clear the screen instantly.

While exploring, a single press of Ball Lightning is enough: the critical hit simultaneously triggers both Cast on Critical setups, launching Lightning Warp toward the nearest callable monster (or toward the ball itself) and firing off a lightning-charged Arc. The whole combo cascades from a single keypress, making this one of the fastest mapping builds of patch 0.5.

On the defensive side, mana stacking takes over: with more than 10,000 mana (up to 20,000 for min-maxed setups), the Shaman ascendancy far outscales classic energy shield, life, or armour scaling — all while running with almost no elemental resistance whatsoever.

Strengths / Weaknesses

Skill Gem Setup by Step

This build offers 2 progression variants (Variant 1, Variant 2). Choose a variant, then a step to see the corresponding gem setup.

Variant 1 Variant 2

Set 1

Set 1

Set 1

11 skills • 51 gemmes

The Stars AnswerThe Stars Answer

Déclenchement lors de CritiquesCast on Critical

Runic ReprieveRunic Reprieve

Déclenchement lors de CritiquesCast on Critical

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

Boule de foudreBall Lightning

Remnants of KalguurRemnants of Kalguur

ArchimageArchmage

Armure arctiqueArctic Armour

Reliquats de ManaMana Remnants

Téléportation foudroyanteLightning Warp

Set 1

11 skills • 56 gemmes

The Stars AnswerThe Stars Answer

Déclenchement lors de CritiquesCast on Critical

Runic ReprieveRunic Reprieve

Déclenchement lors de CritiquesCast on Critical

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

ÉtincelleSpark

Remnants of KalguurRemnants of Kalguur

ArchimageArchmage

Armure arctiqueArctic Armour

Reliquats de ManaMana Remnants

Téléportation foudroyanteLightning Warp

Recommended Equipment

• Amulet: Cast on Critical (ideally level 20 via a Perfect Flux, on an uncorrupted, unsanctified amulet)
• Focus: Rathpith Globe (unique), with the additional maximum life cost on spell cast (offset by a bit of Life Drain)
• Wand: Runeseeker’s Call (unique, 7 rune sockets) — aim for 186% total calling threshold to be able to target any white monster
• Helmet: Myris Uxor (unique) with a bonded rune recovering maximum mana with every relic picked up — this is what explains why the build survives without resistances
• Body Armour: maximum energy shield + a bit of all resistances, mana runes
• Gloves: Arcane Surge on critical hit + maximum energy shield
• Boots: energy shield, a bit of chaos resistance, intelligence and movement speed
• Rings: a mana ring + Kalandra’s Touch (unique)
• Charms: Rite of Passage and Nascent Hope (uniques)
• Jewels: prioritize critical + Soul Drain on kill (2-3 jewels are enough), one Megalomaniac jewel for extra damage
• Flask: a classic instant-recovery life flask is more than enough thanks to mana stacking

Gameplay Tips

• While mapping (exploration): a single press of Ball Lightning is enough — let the Lightning Warp + Arc chain trigger automatically
• Against a regular boss: same technique, one press of Ball Lightning triggers the whole chain onto the target
• One-shot boss technique: channel Runic Reprieve near the boss, and let it hit you — Arctic Armour then reflects a blow capable of one-shotting any map boss (excluding major bosses)
• Keep your mana above 90% so you never lose the damage bonus from Zenith II tied to low-life
• Keep picking up remnants continuously (mana and ward): this is what sustains your mana regeneration and your survival without resistances
• The call threshold must be at least 186% to correctly target white monsters with Lightning Warp

The Double Cast on Critical Combo

The core of the build relies on two separate Cast on Critical gems: one linked in the amulet, the other in the spirit gem. The first carries Lightning Warp — not the manual version, this one only triggers via the critical hit — which lets you automatically teleport to callable white monsters as soon as the 186% call threshold is reached. The second carries Arc, which chains to more targets and deals up to three times more damage thanks to lightning conflux.

In practice, a single press of Ball Lightning triggers both Cast on Critical setups simultaneously: the first teleports to the ball or a nearby monster while dealing area damage, while the second casts Arc charged by the lightning conflux generated by the first teleport. The whole thing then repeats in a cascade, making the build playable with a single click both while mapping and against bosses.

Mana Stacking and Low-Life Technique: The Ultimate Defense

Mana stacking remains the best offensive and defensive scaling of patch 0.4, and patch 0.5 hasn’t changed that. On the defensive side, exceeding 10,000 mana with sufficient recovery outperforms any build built around energy shield, life, or armour. On the offensive side, the dedicated mana focus and the Archmage buff bring damage that no other scaling comes close to.

The low-life technique complements mana stacking by adding 30% extra damage via Execute III as well as a critical damage bonus via Zenith II — as long as you keep your mana above 90%. The result: the author is currently running insane 200% Delirious maps with almost no elemental resistances, without ever dying.

Why Choose the Shaman Ascendancy for This Druid Lightning Warp Build

Any class can stack mana, but the Druid’s Shaman ascendancy stacks it far more than the others thanks to its ascendancy skill that applies the bonded bonus of equipped runes. Some runes grant extra mana, others grant mana recovery — which makes Shaman the simplest ascendancy for building a mana stacking build.

With equivalent gear, the author notes having tested the Infernalist Witch version first: it only stacks 7,000 mana (already enough for all content), whereas Shaman easily exceeds 10,000, even 20,000 for the most min-maxed setups. The bonded rune worn on the helmet, which recovers 3% of maximum mana on every remnant picked up, is the key element behind the build’s survival without any elemental resistance.

The One-Shot Boss Combo: Runic Reprieve + Arctic Armour

Against a boss, the standard technique remains pressing Ball Lightning once to trigger the whole chain. But the author offers a fun alternative trick: channel Runic Reprieve near the boss and let it hit you. As long as Runic Reprieve blocks the damage by consuming ward, the boss hitting you triggers Arctic Armour, capable of dealing nearly 7 million damage in a single critical hit — enough to one-shot any map boss (excluding major bosses).

Infernalist Witch Variant and Gem Alternatives

An Infernalist Witch version of the same build exists for players who prefer that class: in this case, it’s recommended to replace the second Cast on Critical with a Cast on Elemental Ailment, which doesn’t carry the 20% damage penalty specific to Cast on Critical.

The planner also offers a configuration variant tested by the author, using Comet and Spark fused with cold and fire instead of Arc and Ball Lightning. This alternative works just as well, but the author prefers the Arc + Ball Lightning combo for mapping speed.

Skill Tree