S-TIER | BUILD MOINE FLICKER STRIKE MARTIAL ARTIST (@Ez4JnK) | SAISON 5

Build Video

Build Overview

This Martial Artist Monk build revolves around Flicker Strike, the teleportation skill that automatically chains between enemies. The result is one of the fastest playstyles in Path of Exile 2: with an attack speed of around 0.37 seconds and nearly 100% movement speed on the map, the character blazes through monster packs in a fraction of a second. It is a clear machine designed to erase content while in permanent motion.

This version is an optimized iteration of the build: the scaling is now entirely physical (flat physical + increased + a little fire for consistency), which has proven more stable than lightning or elemental damage in terms of average DPS. The helmet shifts to pure evasion (62% and above while moving) and crit is pushed to 100% critical chance on Flicker Strike thanks to the new quarterstaff and the critical bonus nodes on the tree.

The core of the build rests on the synergy between the Bells, which trigger offensive buffs, and the ascendancy node Way of the Mountain, which makes the character both more resilient and more dangerous. A significant portion of incoming damage is also redirected to mana before life, which compensates for the natural fragility of a full evasion build and allows aggressive play without collapsing.

Strengths / Weaknesses

Skill Gem Setup by Step

This build offers 4 progression steps from leveling to the final build. Select a step to see the corresponding gem setup.

MAPPING V2 BOSSING V2 MAPPING BOSSING

MAPPING V2

17 skills • 84 gemmes

Frappe au bâton de combatQuarterstaff Strike

DéchirureRend

Hollow FocusHollow Focus

Hollow ResonanceHollow Resonance

TrinitéTrinity

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

Héraut de la cendreHerald of Ash

Héraut du tonnerreHerald of Thunder

Mantra de destructionMantra of Destruction

Téléportation foudroyanteLightning Warp

Marque du tireur d'éliteSniper's Mark

Assaut tourbillonnantWhirling Assault

Danseur du ventWind Dancer

Frappe fulguranteFlicker Strike

Bâton chargéCharged Staff

Paume meurtrièreKilling Palm

Évocation de RavageurReaper's Invocation

BOSSING V2

17 skills • 84 gemmes

Frappe au bâton de combatQuarterstaff Strike

DéchirureRend

Hollow FocusHollow Focus

Hollow ResonanceHollow Resonance

TrinitéTrinity

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

Héraut de la cendreHerald of Ash

Héraut du tonnerreHerald of Thunder

Mantra de destructionMantra of Destruction

Téléportation foudroyanteLightning Warp

Marque du tireur d'éliteSniper's Mark

Assaut tourbillonnantWhirling Assault

Danseur du ventWind Dancer

Frappe fulguranteFlicker Strike

Bâton chargéCharged Staff

Paume meurtrièreKilling Palm

Évocation de RavageurReaper's Invocation

MAPPING

17 skills • 84 gemmes

Frappe au bâton de combatQuarterstaff Strike

DéchirureRend

Hollow FocusHollow Focus

Hollow ResonanceHollow Resonance

TrinitéTrinity

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

Héraut de la cendreHerald of Ash

Héraut du tonnerreHerald of Thunder

Mantra de destructionMantra of Destruction

Téléportation foudroyanteLightning Warp

Marque du tireur d'éliteSniper's Mark

Assaut tourbillonnantWhirling Assault

Danseur du ventWind Dancer

Frappe fulguranteFlicker Strike

Bâton chargéCharged Staff

Paume meurtrièreKilling Palm

Évocation de RavageurReaper's Invocation

BOSSING

17 skills • 84 gemmes

Frappe au bâton de combatQuarterstaff Strike

DéchirureRend

Hollow FocusHollow Focus

Hollow ResonanceHollow Resonance

TrinitéTrinity

Régulation des chargesCharge Regulation

Héraut de la cendreHerald of Ash

Héraut du tonnerreHerald of Thunder

Mantra de destructionMantra of Destruction

Téléportation foudroyanteLightning Warp

Marque du tireur d'éliteSniper's Mark

Assaut tourbillonnantWhirling Assault

Danseur du ventWind Dancer

Frappe fulguranteFlicker Strike

Bâton chargéCharged Staff

Paume meurtrièreKilling Palm

Évocation de RavageurReaper's Invocation

Recommended Equipment

The interactive grid below details the exact equipment per step. Here are the key priorities from the latest optimization:

• Helmet: rare full evasion piece (62% and above while moving) — the build’s main defensive priority
• Quarterstaff: a rare full physical quarterstaff — flat physical, increased physical damage and a little flat fire (fire is more consistent than lightning, better average DPS)
• Gloves: rare with attack speed, to get a 30% chance to gain Assault (huge movement speed and attack speed boost)
• Boots: Powertread (unique) — the build’s unique armor piece
• Charms: Rite of Passage and Nascent Hope (uniques), complemented by a magic charm — they compensate for resistances and maintain charges
• Rings: an Unset Ring (gem slot) and a rare Breach Ring, ideally with « increased arrows »; the second ring can evolve into another strong Breach Ring depending on your finds
• weapon set 2: Amor Mandragora (unique talisman), used as a complement to the quarterstaff depending on the situation
• Jewels: a resonance jewel that frees up talent points, and a jewel with « increased arrows + legendary power » that returns up to 5 talent points

Gameplay Tips

• Maintain Way of the Mountain: stack it up to 30 by hitting mobs (or your Bells) to permanently benefit from the completion bonus (damage reduction ignored below 30% life, +15% damage, higher stun threshold)
• Manage mana: as long as your mana is not low (below 35%), you gain 15% attack speed — a key point for sustained DPS
• Close Combat I over Momentum on Flicker: less raw damage but much more consistent, since enemies are right next to you most of the time
• Boss setup: replace Ambrosia with Ancestral Call I, Concentrated Zone with Perpetual Charge and Elemental Armament I with Skirmish, and abuse the Bells to stack buffs before the damage phase

Way of the Mountain: the defensive and offensive key

This is the central addition of this version of the build. Way of the Mountain activates when you immobilize an enemy — and since this build immobilizes almost permanently, the bonus is active almost all the time. The gauge rises up to 30 stacks, the threshold at which you unlock the completion bonus Mountain Teaching.

This bonus is huge: it makes you ignore damage reduction when a hit would normally deal less than 30% of your life, increases your stun threshold (you are harder to stun) and grants 15% more damage. The practical advantage: you activate it simply by hitting monsters, but also by striking your Bells — which allows you to have it ready for the boss phase.

Why physical scaling over elemental

The author compared the different damage orientations on the simulator (PoB): flat lightning, flat fire plus elemental damage on attacks, and pure physical. The conclusion is clear: pure physical offers the best average DPS. The optimal staff therefore combines flat physical damage, increased physical damage and a bit of flat fire.

Fire is preferred over lightning for a matter of consistency: lightning has a very wide damage range (thus very random), while fire is more constant. On a build that attacks extremely fast, this consistency translates into a much more reliable feel and sustained DPS.

The role of Bells in the build

Bells are indispensable and have never been removed from the setup, despite the many optimization tests. They serve a dual role: they deal area damage that blows up packs, and above all they act as buff triggers. By striking the Bells, you activate on the fly the key effects of the build — Way of the Mountain, crit bonus and others — which makes them particularly valuable during boss fights, where you stack buffs before the damage phase.

Surviving on evasion: redirecting damage to mana

A full evasion build is naturally fragile. The solution adopted here consists of redirecting a portion of damage taken to mana before life. The Great Wolf’s Will rune sends 15% of damage into mana, and an additional talent point adds 8% — roughly 23% of damage absorbed by mana before even touching the life bar.

Since mana is very well managed by the overall setup, this mechanic makes the character much more resilient than a classic evasion build. We round it off with a Wind Dancer linked to a life drain: when the effect breaks, you recover a bit of health, a welcome safety net in tense situations.

Skill Tree