S-TIER | BUILD MOINE ICE STRIKE MARTIAL ARTIST (@MrRonit) | SAISON 5

Build Video

Build Overview

This Monk Ice Strike build leverages the brand-new Martial Artist ascendancy from Season 0.5 through the Hollow Palm technique: no weapon is required, making it an extremely budget-friendly and accessible league starter. You attack unarmed at breakneck attack speed while unleashing continuous ice explosions across the entire battlefield. The result is one of the best clear speed profiles on a low budget, capable of blasting through Tier 15 maps with ease.

The cornerstone of the build is the Thunderfist gloves. Through the Wave of the Stonefist ascendancy node, these gloves transform and grant the Gelid Palm skill: a permanent buff that projects an icy wind with every unarmed melee hit, dealing cold damage to all nearby enemies. Since Ice Strike strikes multiple times per second, this icy wind triggers constantly, multiplying AoE damage and freeze buildup. One item, and the entire build shifts into a higher gear.

On the resource side, the Oisíns Oath support gem allows mana leech to apply to elemental damage: combined with a small mana leech affix on a ring, it solves virtually all mana issues during mapping. Frozen enemies have their non-negative elemental resistances ignored, and Herald of Ice chains detonations the moment a mob dies frozen. Between ascendancy bells, a perpetual icy wind, and relentless freeze buildup, this Monk is just as deadly against packs as it is against bosses.

Strengths / Weaknesses

Skill Gem Setup by Step

This build offers 3 progression steps from leveling through to the final endgame setup. Select a step to view the corresponding gem setup.

Level 1-14 Level 14 to Endgame Endgame

Level 1-14

9 skills • 19 gemmes

Déferlement de glaceGlacial Cascade

Terre geléeFrozen Locus

Héraut de la glaceHerald of Ice

Bombe de givreFrost Bomb

Grondement de tonnerreFalling Thunder

BondissementPounce

Frappe au bâton de combatQuarterstaff Strike

Frappe de glaceIce Strike

Cloche tempétueuseTempest Bell

Level 14 to Endgame

12 skills • 43 gemmes

Frappe de glaceIce Strike

Cloche tempétueuseTempest Bell

Bâton chargéCharged Staff

Paume fracassanteShattering Palm

Frénésie du combatCombat Frenzy

Héraut de la glaceHerald of Ice

Danseur du ventWind Dancer

Terre geléeFrozen Locus

BondissementPounce

Hollow Focus

Paume meurtrièreKilling Palm

Hollow Resonance

Endgame

12 skills • 62 gemmes

Frappe de glaceIce Strike

Cloche tempétueuseTempest Bell

Bâton chargéCharged Staff

Paume fracassanteShattering Palm

Main de ChayulaHand of Chayula

Héraut de la glaceHerald of Ice

Frénésie du combatCombat Frenzy

Danse fantomatiqueGhost Dance

Danseur du ventWind Dancer

Hollow Focus

Hollow Resonance

Gelid Palm

Recommended Equipment

All equipment targets an evasion + energy shield hybrid for two defensive layers that synergize with Wind Dancer and Ghost Dance. We also look for a chance to gain deflection rating (mitigates 40% of damage) on the Helmet and Body Armour.

• Gloves Thunderfist: the core item. By default they grant flat lightning damage to unarmed attacks; with Wave of the Stonefist they convert into Stonefist gloves (flat cold damage, crit, Onslaught chance, cold resistance) and grant Gelid Palm. The higher the item level, the higher the level of Gelid Palm. Expect to pay 25–30 exalts for a poorly rolled pair that is still excellent, and socket it with a Great Wolf of Claws rune.
• Helmet: resistances, maximum life, and deflection chance. Socket a greater iron rune.
• Body Armour: spirit, resistances, maximum life, and deflection. Socket greater iron runes.
• Amulet: +2 levels to melee skills (crucial), some spirit, maximum energy shield, and plenty of attributes (dexterity, intelligence, strength). Anoint Serrated Edge (affordable) then Overwhelming Strike as a long-term goal.
• Rings: as much flat damage as possible (cold, physical, lightning). One of the two rings MUST have mana leech to work with Oisín’s Oath. Add resistances.
• Belt: ideally three charm slots, plenty of resistances and maximum life.
• Boots: movement speed, resistances, and rarity. Socket a movement rune or a greater iron rune depending on your needs.
• Runic Ward: consider adding runic ward to your gear this Season as a last line of defense.

Gameplay Tips

• Keep Ice Strike up: this is your main skill — prioritize getting it into a six-link and maxing its quality first. You can literally hold it down as you walk through packs.
• Let Gelid Palm do the work: the icy gust triggers multiple times per second on your hits, dramatically speeding up clear and freeze buildup. No need to think about it — it’s always active.
• Make use of the bells: Hollow Focus summons up to three bells that always crit, while Hollow Resonance attaches a portable bell that sends out a shockwave on every critical hit.
• Boss-specific setup: use Hand of Chayula to apply Freezing Mark, Mark of Siphoning, and Elemental Weakness, then stack Shock (+20% increased damage taken) to melt bosses.
• Manage your spirit: if you are short on spirit for Clarity I and Cannibalism I, drop those first before aiming for the extra 55 spirit.
• Prioritize freeze buildup on the tree: it feeds Herald of Ice, generates power charges, and lets you nuke frozen bosses.

Thunderfist Gloves: The Core of the Build

On their own, the utility gloves Thunderfist grant a large amount of flat lightning damage to unarmed attacks, along with critical hit chance, attack speed, and lightning resistance. But it’s their interaction with the Wave of the Stonefist ascendancy node that changes everything: they become Stonefist gloves, trading lightning damage for massive flat cold damage, more crit, a chance to gain Onslaught, and cold resistance.

Most importantly, they replace the skill they normally grant (Crackling Palm) with Gelid Palm. This always-active buff projects an icy wind with every unarmed melee hit, dealing cold damage to all enemies around you while adding even more cold damage and freeze buildup. Since you strike multiple times per second, the proc is nearly permanent — it’s what drives the build’s clear speed. The higher the item level of the gloves, the higher the level of Gelid Palm, so progressively aim for better pairs.

The Martial Artist Ascendancies

The new Martial Artist ascendancy structures the entire build. Hollow Focus (first points) summons a bell roughly every two seconds, up to three at a time, which always crit — hence the use of Concentrated Area, Cooldown Recovery, Supercritical, and Close Combat on it.

Hollow Resonance (second tier) attaches a portable bell to your back that sends out a shockwave with each critical hit: thanks to the bells from Hollow Focus always critting, the shockwave triggers continuously. Wave of the Stonefist (third tier) unlocks the conversion of Thunderfist and Gelid Palm. If you get the gloves early, take Wave of the Stonefist before Hollow Resonance to immediately benefit from the cold conversion.

Managing Mana with Oisín’s Oath

The lineage support Oisín’s Oath is the key to sustain. It allows mana leech to apply to the elemental damage of supported skills, rather than physical damage. Since the build’s damage comes primarily from cold and lightning (and Gelid Palm applies cold), a single mana leech affix on a ring is enough to continuously recover mana. This is what lets you hold down Ice Strike without running dry mid-clear. For bosses, Mark of Siphoning adds a dedicated mana leech source.

Freeze Buildup and Passive Tree

The passive tree focuses above all on freeze buildup. Freezing enemies feeds Herald of Ice, generates power charges via Combat Frenzy and the resonance node, and lets you destroy bosses once they’re frozen solid. The node to prioritize early: frozen enemies have their non-negative elemental resistances ignored — you literally melt everything that’s frozen.

The Conservative Casting node greatly reduces the mana cost of Ice Strike: essential if you want to space out your flask uses. On the defensive side, you pick up an evasion + energy shield cluster, resistances, deflection, Enhanced Reflexes, Bestial Skin, and Spectral Ward (more energy shield from the body armour). At high levels, the crit clusters become excellent thanks to the critical hit chance provided by Hollow Palm.

Skill Tree