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Claws of Thunder Assassin Guide


Kazerk Kazerk! Ah, the sweet sound of electricity in the air! The Claws of Thunder Assassin is an endless symphony of electrocution. Claws of Thunder's flurry of Novas and Charged Bolts flattens virtually every area with any number of Players in the game, while simultaneously providing a free Light show! Dual-wielding Mosaics in Patch 2.6 makes this build deal insane, consistent damage!

This Assassin uses either the Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw Finisher to expend Claws of Thunder and Blades of Ice Charges, dealing Lightning, Cold, and Physical Damage to her targets. This build can vaporize nearly every standard Farming Spot and Terror Zone with the power of Infinity, Griffon's Eye, and Crack of the Heavens.

Compared to the Phoenix Strike Assassin, the Claws of Thunder Assassin deals damage in a slightly reduced Area of Effect (AoE). However, the combination of Claws of Thunder and Blades of Ice still deals similar damage while reducing the need to build up additional Charges, which is preferable for Elite Sniping and fast Terror Zone smashing. It also frees up Skill Points for utility Skills and reduces screen clutter which can make it hard to see (and in many cases cause additional lag/desync). Even though this build is not the best Ladder Starter, a Budget Claws of Thunder Assassin (see Build Variants) can hold its own in certain key Farming Spots such as Arcane Sanctuary. Claws of Thunder makes waves everywhere it goes!

Ideal Standard Setup

Claws of Thunder

Dragon Talon

Dragon Claw

Teleport

This build guide assumes you have a Character at Level 75 before transitioning to it. Check out our Assassin Leveling Guide and our General Leveling Strategies to reach Level 75.

Great Elite Hunter ✔
Satisfying Playstyle
Can Farm Everything
Insane Area Of Effect Damage

❌ Weak Starter
❌ Dangerous Playstyle
❌ Complicated Build Mechanics
❌ Requires GG Gear For Full Potential


Sunder Charm Setup

Patch 2.5 introduced a new way of breaking Immunities: Sunder Charms. Any enemy that would be Immune to your damage type is instead reduced to 95% Resistance, before any other Resistance reductions apply. (e.g. Conviction, Lower Resist) The Charm also reduces YOUR Resistance against the sundered damage type! Check out our post on Sunder Charms to learn more about these new Charms. The following setup uses Crack of the Heavens, allowing you to farm anywhere you want.

Sunder Charm Setup

Gear Changes

To optimize this Sunder Charm you need as much -% Enemy Lightning Resistance as possible. Equip Griffon's Eye, socket 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facets into your gear, and equip Infinity on your Mercenary to accomplish this.

Counteract the negative effect of Crack of the Heavens with Lightning Resistance Small Charms, Lightning Resistance Boots, and Lightning Resistance Jewelry.


Terror Zones

The new Terror Zone mechanic combined with Sunder Charms open up a wide range of farmable areas. The following list highlights the best and worst Terror Zones for this build. With the Sunder Charm Setup, more Terror Zones become accessible. Learn more about Terror Zones here and see how they stack up in our Terror Zone Tier List.

Best

Arcane Sanctuary - High Density, Quick Access, No Immunities, Spectres
Tal Rasha's Tombs - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, Few Immunities
Worldstone Keep + Throne of Destruction - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access
Underground Passage + Dark Wood - Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, No Immunities
Pit - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, Few Immunities

Worst

Ancients Way + Icy Cellar - High Physical Damage, High Elemental Damage, Immunities
Cold Plains + The Cave - Low Density, Immunities
Burial Grounds + Crypt + Mausoleum - Low Density, Trash Mobility, Immunities
Spider Forest + Spider Cavern - Low Density, Few Elite Groups, Immunities
Stony Field - Low Density, Immunities


Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Claw Mastery
2. Burst of Speed
3. Fade (Max Last)
4. Cloak of Shadows
5. Mind Blast
6. Shadow Warrior
7. Death Sentry
8. Tiger Strike
9. Cobra Strike
10. Dragon Claw

Put 3 or more Skill Points into the following Skill:
1. Weapon Block

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Claws of Thunder
2. Phoenix Strike
3. Blades of Ice
4. Dragon Talon
5. Fade

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Damage

Claws of Thunder* is your Primary Charge-up Skill (main source of damage). It is a Lightning Charge-up Skill that grants up to 3 Charges. Charge 1 adds Lightning Damage to your attack, Charge 2 is an AoE Nova, and Charge 3 is an AoE Lightning attack that releases Charged Bolts in all directions.

Blades of Ice* is your Secondary Charge-up Skill (secondary source of damage). It is a Cold Charge-up Skill that grants up to 3 Charges. Charge 1 adds Cold Damage to your attack, Charge 2 makes the Cold Damage from Charge 1 AoE damage, and Charge 3 adds a Freezing effect to your attacks.

Dragon Talon* is your Primary Finishing Move. It Kicks a target multiple times in rapid succession, dealing Physical Damage to them (number of times based on Skill Level). On the Claws of Thunder Assassin, this ability is used to detonate your Claws of Thunder and Blades of Ice Charges. Charging up Tiger Strike makes Dragon Talon stronger as well.

Dragon Claw* is a Secondary Finishing Move. It is a dual-claw attack that expends 2 charges. On the Claws of Thunder Assassin, this ability is used to more rapidly recover from detonating Claws of Thunder and Blades of Ice Charges than otherwise by using Dragon Talon. However, because this Finisher deals less damage, it is often more effective on Low Player Counts. It naturally grants Attack Rating, but always hits if you have multiple Charges.

Death Sentry* is an Optional Damage Skill that uses Corpse Explosion which causes nearby corpses to explode for a 50/50 mix of Fire and Physical Damage. If there are no bodies to target, it fires off a weak Lightning Bolt if it’s close enough to a target.

Phoenix Strike* is an Optional Damage Skill. It gains up to 3 Charge orbs from successful melee hits. Charge 1 drops a Fiery Meteor, Charge 2 gives a Chain Lightning effect dealing Lightning Damage, and charge 3 releases a circular patterned Cold Damage attack that Freezes Monsters. Unlike with Claws of Thunder or Blades of Ice, Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw only detonates a single Phoenix Strike effect based on the number of Charges. You can choose which Phoenix Strike Charge to use and how; however, It is usually most effective to use Charge 2 of Phoenix Strike (Chain Lightning) on this build for increased AoE.

* Increased Attack Speed Skills (IAS)

Utility

Tiger Strike* is a Physical Damage Charge-up Skill that grants up to 3 Charges with successful strikes. Each Charge adds progressively higher Physical Damage to your Finishing Moves. On the Claws of Thunder Assassin, building up 3 Charges of Tiger Strike mainly helps with the Life and Mana Leech from Cobra Strike.

Cobra Strike* is a Charge-up Skill that grants up to 3 Charges with successful strikes. Each Charge adds progressively higher Life and Mana Leech bonuses to your Finishing Moves.

d2planner-skill]Claw Mastery[/d2planner-skill]* passively provides Attack Rating, additional Damage, and Critical Strike Chance when wielding Claw Weapons.

Weapon Block* passively provides a Chance to Block when dual-wielding Claw Weapons.

Fade* provides you with a large amount of +x All Resistance, Damage Reduction, and Curse Duration Reduction when cast. Each Soft Point grants 1% Damage Reduction. (Soft Points include + to Skills from gear and buffs).

Burst of Speed* provides you with a massive Movement Speed and Attack Speed buff. This increases your mobility, your Tiger Strike, Cobra Strike, Claws of Thunder, Blades of Ice, and Dragon Claw Attack Speed, and the rate at which you lay Death Sentry Traps.

Dragon Flight* is a Finishing Move that Teleports you and your Mercenary to a target and attempts a Kick attack. It naturally grants Attack Rating, but always hits if you have any Charges. This Skill is great for mobility as a pseudo Teleport on a Starter or Budget setup (see Build Variants).

Shadow Warrior* summons a mini-Assassin that mimics your Skills on your Right-Click. On this build it mostly serves as a damage sponge and distraction.

Mind Blast* briefly Stuns your enemies in a small squared shape area around your cursor and has a % Chance To Convert enemies hit. Converted enemies fight alongside you for a short period of time.

Cloak of Shadows* temporarily Blinds enemies around the Assassin. This drastically decreases their aggro range and their Defense. It is an incredibly useful Skill to use when facing dangerous ranged enemies such as Burning Souls and Dark Archers.

* Increased Attack Speed Skills (IAS)
* Faster Cast Rate Skills (FCR)
* Skills that do NOT utilize either FCR or IAS


Attributes

Note: This section provides you with the standard Stat Point allocation. Build Variants may require different allocations!

Strength

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Strength your gear provides when equipped.

Dexterity

Allocate enough Stat Points into Dexterity to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Dexterity your gear provides when equipped.

Vitality

Allocate any remaining Stat Points into Vitality after meeting Strength, Dexterity and Energy requirements.

Energy

Do not allocate any Stat Points into Energy. Mana costs are covered by “x% Mana stolen per hit” on gear, buffs, Charms, and Cobra Strike.


Essentials

Gear Options

While every Stat in the Desirable Stats column is useful for this build, we highlighted the Priority Stats in Teal so you can easily identify the Most Important Stats on them.

Hover over any Item to see a pop-out with the full Item description.

Gear/Base Notes: Any Items with specialized or niche uses have a superscript that refers here.
1) Preferably use Runic Talon or Feral Claw Base Claws (Weapon Speed Modifier of -30 or -20) on your Main-Hand along with Burst of Speed for Charging-up Claws of Thunder and your other Charge-up Skills. This enables you to Charge them up as fast as possible.
2) A Suwayyah Base Claw on the Claws of Thunder Assassin Main-Hand slows Dragon Talon enough for all of your Claws of Thunder Novas to hit (see "Next Hit Delay" under Mechanics)
3) Wizardspike is used for the Faster Cast Rate it provides on Weapon-Swap if Barbarian-granted Battle Orders is available. Stormshield on the Off-Hand Swap can provide Chance to Block and Damage Reduction. With Wizardspike and Spirit Monarch it is possible to achieve the 174% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on your Weapon-Swap.
4) Only use Naj's Puzzler or a Staff of Teleportation on Weapon-Swap for Teleport Charges before acquiring Enigma.
5) Use a Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap to deal additional damage against Bosses and break Lightning Immunity before acquiring an Infinity on the Mercenary.

SlotItem OptionsDesirable Stats
WeaponMosaic Runic Talons1
Mosaic Suwayyah2
Plague Runic Talons
Kenshi's Runic Talons of Quickness
Kenshi's Runic Talons
Rare Runic Talons
Natalya's Mark
Bartuc's Cut-Throat (Upgraded)
Jade Talon
Pattern
Strength
50% Chance for finishing moves to not consume charges
20% Chance to cast Level 12 Lower Resist when struck
Level 13-17 Cleansing Aura When Equipped
+x to All Skills
+x to Martial Arts [Assassin Only]
+ to Assassin Skills

+x% Faster Hit Recovery
x% Increased Attack Speed
+x% Faster Block Rate
+x to Attack Rating
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Life stolen per hit
x% Mana stolen per hit
-x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
+x% to Lightning Skill Damage
+x to Claws of Thunder [Assassin Only]
+x to Blades of Ice [Assassin Only]
+x to Dragon Flight [Assassin Only]
+x to Death Sentry [Assassin Only]
+x to Weapon Block [Assassin Only]
+x to Shadow Warrior [Assassin Only]
Socketed [x]
X Resist x%
Off-HandMosaic Runic Talons1
Mosaic Suwayyah2
Plague Runic Talons
Kenshi's Runic Talons of Quickness
Kenshi's Runic Talons
Rare Runic Talons
Natalya's Mark
Bartuc's Cut-Throat (Upgraded)
Jade Talon
Pattern
Strength
Stormshield
Sanctuary
Rhyme
Ancients' Pledge
50% Chance for finishing moves to not consume charges
20% Chance to cast Level 12 Lower Resist when struck
Level 13-17 Cleansing Aura When Equipped
+x to All Skills
+x to Martial Arts [Assassin Only]
+ to Assassin Skills

+x% Faster Hit Recovery
x% Increased Attack Speed
x% Increased Chance of Blocking
+x% Faster Block Rate
+x to Attack Rating
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Life stolen per hit
x% Mana stolen per hit
-x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
+x% to Lightning Skill Damage
+x to Claws of Thunder [Assassin Only]
+x to Blades of Ice [Assassin Only]
+x to Dragon Flight [Assassin Only]
+x to Death Sentry [Assassin Only]
+x to Weapon Block [Assassin Only]
+x to Shadow Warrior [Assassin Only]
Damage Reduced by x%
Cannot Be Frozen
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Socketed [x]
Weapon-SwapCall to Arms
Naj's Puzzler4
Teleport Charge Staff4
Lower Resist Charge Wand5
Wizardspike3
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x to Battle Command
+x to Battle Orders

Level x Lower Resist [x/x Charges]
Level x Teleport [x/x Charges]
Off-Hand-SwapSpirit Monarch
Stormshield3
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x% Faster Block Rate
x% Increased Chance of Blocking
X Resist +x%
Damage Reduced by x%
HelmetsGriffon's Eye (Cham Rune)
Griffon's Eye (5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facet)
Rare Diadem
Kenshi's Diadem of the Magus
Harlequin Crest (Cham Rune)
Andariel's Visage
Crown of Ages
Natalya's Totem
Kira's Guardian
Wisdom
Hearth
Ground
Rockstopper
Bulwark
Tarnhelm
Peasant Crown
Lore
+x to All Skills
+x to Martial Arts [Assassin Only]
+x to Assassin Skills

+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
x% Life stolen per hit
x% Mana stolen per hit
x% Increased Attack Speed
-x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance
+x% to Lightning Skill Damage

+x to Attribute
+x Life
+x Mana
X Resist +x%
Damage Reduced by x%
Cannot Be Frozen
+x to Mana after each Kill
Poison Length Reduced by x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Socketed [x]
Body ArmorEnigma
Chains of Honor
Natalya's Shadow
Hustle
Skullder's Ire
Arkaine's Valor
Duress
Treachery
Smoke
+x to All Skills
+x to Shadow Disciplines [Assassin Only]
+x to Assassin Skills
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
x% Increased Attack Speed
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Life stolen per hit
+x to Teleport

+x to Evade
+x to Attribute
Increased Maximum Life x%
+x Mana
X Resist x%
Damage Reduced by x%
Damage Reduced by x
Magic Damage Reduced by x
+x to Life after each Kill
Poison Length Reduced by x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Socketed [x]
GlovesMagefist
Trang-Oul's Claws
Kenshi's Heavy Gloves of Alacrity
Kenshi's Heavy Gloves of Fortune
Blood Crafted Gloves
Rare Gloves
Sigon's Gage (3-Piece Sigon's Set)
Death's Hand (2-Piece Death's Set)
Dracul's Grasp
Chance Guards
Bloodfist
5% Chance to cast Level 10 Life Tap on striking
+x to Martial Arts [Assassin Only]
+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
x% Increased Attack Speed
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
x% Life stolen per hit
+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist +x%
+x Life after each kill
Poison Length Reduced by x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
BeltsArachnid Mesh
String of Ears
Verdungo's Hearty Cord
Thundergod's Vigor
Goldwrap Battle Belt
Sigon's Wrap (3-Piece Sigon's Set)
Death's Guard Demonhide Sash (2-Piece Death's Set)
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Cast Rate
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
x% Increased Attack Speed
+x to Attribute
+x Life
Increased Maximum Mana x%
X Resist x%
+x% to Maximum Lightning Resist
+x Lightning Absorb
Damage Reduced by x%
Magic Damage Reduced by x
Cannot Be Frozen
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
BootsWar Traveler (Upgraded)
Gore Rider (Upgraded)
Goblin Toe (Double Upgraded)
Rare Boots
Shadow Dancer
Aldur's Advance (Upgraded)
Natalya's Soul (Upgraded)
Sigon's Sabot (3-Piece Sigon's Set)
Kick Damage (UPGRADE YOUR BOOTS!)
+x to Shadow Disciplines [Assassin Only]
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
x% Chance of Crushing Blow
Adds x Damage
+x to Attribute
+x Life
X Resist +x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
AmuletsCaster Crafted Amulet
Caster Crafted Amulet
Caster Crafted Amulet
Mara's Kaleidoscope
Highlord's Wrath
Kenshi's Amulet of the Whale
Kenshi's Amulet of Luck
Kenshi's Amulet
Angelic Wings Amulet (2-Piece Angelic Set)

+x to All Skills
+x to Martial Arts [Assassin Only]
+x to Assassin Skills

+x% Faster Cast Rate
x% Increased Attack Speed
+x to Attack Rating
+x to Attribute
+x Life
+x Mana
X Resist +x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
RingsRare Ring
Rare Ring
Raven Frost
Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band
The Stone of Jordan
Wisp Projector
Fortuitous Ring of Fortune
Nagelring
Dwarf Star
Angelic Halo (2-Piece Angelic Set)
+x to All Skills
+x% Faster Cast Rate

+x to Attack Rating
x% Life stolen per hit
x% Mana stolen per hit
+x to Attribute
+x Life
+x Mana
Increased Maximum Mana x%
X Resist x%
Lightning Absorb x%
Fire Absorb x%
Magic Damage Reduced by x
Cannot Be Frozen
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
CharmsShogukusha's Grand Charm of Vita
Shogukusha's Grand Charm of Balance
Shogukusha's Grand Charm of Inertia
Shogukusha's Grand Charm
Shimmering Grand Charm of Balance
Shimmering Grand Charm
Resistance Grand Charm
Steel Grand Charm of Vita
Shimmering Small Charm of Good Luck
Amber Small Charm of Good Luck
Shimmering Small Charm of Balance
Shimmering Small Charm of Vita
Amber Small Charm of Vita
Small Charm of Good Luck
Small Charm of Vita
Shimmering Small Charm
Resistance Small Charm
+x to Martial Arts [Assassin Only]
+x% Faster Run/Walk
+x% Faster Hit Recovery
+x to Attack Rating
+x Life
X Resist x%
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Unique CharmsCrack of the Heavens
Gheed's Fortune
Assassin Hellfire Torch
Annihilus
Monster Lightning Immunity Is Sundered
+x to All Skills
+x to Assassin Skills
+x to All Attributes
All Resistances +x
+x% to Experience Gained
x% Extra Gold from Monsters
x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Reduces all Vendor Prices x%
+x to Light Radius

Farming Spots

The areas below are efficient farming locations that make use of the build’s strengths. Other farming spots might not be as effective due to Immunities or bad layouts.

Anything that has a in the "Starter" column can be farmed with the Starter or Budget Build Variant.

Act 1

AreaStarterRewards
The CountessRunes
Key of Terror
The PitAll Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
AndarielUniques
Sets
Jewelry
The Secret Cow Level-Runes
Runeword Bases
Charms / Gems / Jewels

Act 2

AreaStarterRewards
Ancient Tunnels-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Arcane Sanctuary
(Specters/Super Chests)
Runes
Charms / Gems / Jewels
Jewelry
SummonerKey of Hate

Act 3

AreaStarterRewards
Arachnid Lair-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Lower KurastRunes
Runeword Bases
Charms / Gems / Jewels
Jewelry
Temple RunsAll Item Types
Max Area Level
MephistoUniques
Sets

Act 4

AreaStarterRewards
River of Flame-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Chaos Sanctuary -All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Diablo-Uniques
Sets

Act 5

AreaStarterRewards
Eldritch the RectifierGearing
Gold
Leveling
Shenk the OverseerGearing
Gold
Leveling
Pindleskin-Gearing
Gold
Leveling
Thresh Socket-Gearing
Gold
Drifter Cavern-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Nihlathak-Key of Destruction
Leveling
Worldstone Keep / Throne of Destruction-All Item Types
Max Area Level
Leveling
Baal / Waves-Uniques
Sets
Max Area Level
Leveling

Mercenary

Your Mercenary serves an incredibly important role to the overall success of your build. They can be a front line tank, provide a pivotal Aura, and/or deal Physical Damage to kill enemies with Immunity to your Skill set.

Act 2 Desert Mercenary

The Act 2 Desert Mercenary is hired from Greiz. He can be equipped with a Spear or a Polearm, a Body Armor and a Helmet. 
Every Act 2 Mercenary has access to an Aura and uses Jab as his base Attack. The Aura activates once the Mercenary has engaged in combat and remains active between traveling to and from town. The Auras available are based on what difficulty you hire the Mercenary from.

Might Infinity

Infinity, Might

Use a Desert Mercenary with Might Aura to deal with enemies that are Immune to your main damage source. Equip him with Infinity to reduce enemy Resistances and Defense with its Conviction Aura, drastically boosting damage and Chance to Hit. This Aura is also capable of breaking monster Immunities, including Lightning.

Mercenary Gear Options

Your Mercenary needs maximum Resistances, Life Leech, a high damage Weapon, and high Defense and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive reliably. Cannot Be Frozen is also a great stat for maintaining Mercenary DPS and leech. Ethereal gear is preferred since it doesn't lose durability. Gear Options at each Gear Level perform equally well in different situations; choose based on Farming Spots and/or personal preference.

SlotEarly-GameMid-GameEnd-Game
WeaponInsightInsightInfinity
Body ArmorSmoke
Hustle
Lionheart
Skin of the Flayed One
Goldskin
Rockfleece
Gemmed Dusk Shroud
Venom Ward
Treachery
Duress
Shaftstop
The Gladiator's Bane
Duriel's Shell
Guardian Angel
Fortitude
Treachery
Chains of Honor
HelmetBulwark
Undead Crown
The Face of Horror
Gemmed Mask
Cure
Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest
Guillaume's Face
Vampire Gaze
Crown of Thieves
Stealskull
Kira's Guardian
Rockstopper
Andariel's Visage
Andariel's Visage
Guillaume's Face
Guillaume's Face

The Mercenary is hard to keep alive until you have the minimum gear recommended in this guide. Remember you can drag Healing Potions onto the portrait, or shift + 1/2/3/4 to directly feed them a Healing Potion from your Belt. The Mercenary also gains bonus Resistances from Thawing Potions and Antidote Potions.

If your Mercenary dies in battle, you can revive them from any of the Mercenary NPCs in each Act. This does come with an increasing cost, capping at 50,000 Gold. Keep that in mind and decide if the Mercenary is currently worth the cost.

Playstyle

General

  • Before each Magic Find/Experience run, cast Burst of Speed and Shadow Warrior on your Weapon-Swap with more + to Skills. Refresh Re-summon your Shadow if it dies.
  • Use Dragon Flight to jump directly into Elite Packs. Dragon Flight is a great source of mobility before acquiring Enigma.
  • Attack with Claws of Thunder to gain Charges that enable you to discharge Lightning Damage AoE abilities (Charge 2 - Nova, Charge 3 Charged Bolt).
  • Attack with Blades of Ice to gain Charges that enable you to discharge Area of Effect (AoE) Cold Damage.
  • Optional: Attack with Cobra Strike to gain Charges that provide you with significant Life and Mana Leech.
  • Optional: Attack with Tiger Strike to gain Charges that provide you with a significant Physical damage bonus. Maintaining these Charges significantly improves your Life and Mana sustain from Cobra Strike.
  • Upon reaching 3 Charges (max) of all of your desired Charge-up Skills, cast Fade and use either Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw against Elites or Bosses. If not using Mosaics, recharge Claws of Thunder at minimum before using these Finishers again.
  • Dual-wielding Mosaics enables you to perpetually and simultaneously maintain the 3 Charge maximum for Cobra Strike, Tiger Strike, Blades of Ice, and Claws of Thunder, so long as you continue to use Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw within a certain time frame.
  • A maxed out Dragon Talon is much better at dealing with mobs in High Player Count games (/Players5-8 in Single Player), whereas a maxed out Dragon Claw is much more responsive for the quick killing of Elite monsters in Low Player Count (/Players1-3).

High Monster Density

  • Lead with 1-3 Death Sentry Traps prior to using your Martial abilities. When there are corpses, the Corpse Explosions produced by Death Sentry deal significant damage to surrounding mobs in a large Area of Effect. It is especially effective in High Player Count games.
  • Optional: Obtain 2 Charges of Phoenix Strike in addition to your other Martial abilities for improved performance against ultra-high monster density. It is not always efficient do this, however, as it increases the time you have to spend charging up abilities and does not add too much damage on this build.

Optional Utility

  • Cast Cloak of Shadows to temporarily Blind dangerous ranged enemies as needed (Dark Archers, Burning Souls, etc.).
  • You can also use Mind Blast to Stun and Convert nearby threats.
  • Strategically re-summoning Shadow Warrior in front of scary mobs is an effective survival tactic.

Immunities

  • For Lightning Immune Monsters: Crack of the Heavens sets all Immune to Lightning monsters to 95% Lightning Resistance, allowing any sources of -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance (including Lower Resist or the Conviction Aura from Infinity) to take full effect.
  • Before acquiring Infinity on the Mercenary, use a Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap to reduce monster Lightning Resistance and to break most Lightning Immunity.
  • Blades of Ice destroys Lightning Immune monsters with its AoE Cold Damage.
  • Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw with fully-charged Tiger Strike can also comfortably deal with monsters that are Immune to Lightning.

Late-Game

  • Before each Magic Find/Experience run, first cast Battle Command 2 times and then Battle Orders once using Call to Arms.
  • Use Enigma Teleport to travel to your Farming Spot and between Elite Packs. "Telestomp" Elite Packs into a follow-up Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw.

Breakpoints

Breakpoints in Diablo 2 are the minimum values required to reduce the frames of an action. Below are the important breakpoints considered for this build. For more information on the mechanics involved, check out our in-depth Resource: Breakpoints.

Faster Cast Rate (FCR)

Faster Cast Rate speeds up your casting animation for spells. Aim for at least the 102% FCR Breakpoint on the Standard Build for Enigma Teleport casting speed. Note: FCR only controls the animation speed of the Character, and not any internal Cooldowns spells have.

Frames161514131211109
FCR0816274265102174

Increased Attack Speed (IAS)

Increased Attack Speed speeds up your attack animations. Weapon bases have different IAS breakpoints. Values for recommended weapon options provided below. Consult the d2planner for other bases.
Note: Optimal IAS Breakpoints depend on whether you are using Fade and Dragon Talon, or Burst of Speed when building up Charges or using Dragon Claw.

Mosaic Suwayyah Main-Hand (Dragon Talon + Fade)

Frames543
Dragon Talon with Kicks 1-6 Gear IAS-1923
Frames11109
Dragon Talon with Kick 7 Gear IAS0519

Mosaic Runic Talons Main-Hand (Building up Charges or using Dragon Claw with Burst of Speed)

Frames111010
Claws of Thunder Gear IAS (Level 14 BoS)01422
Frames111010
Dragon Claw Gear IAS
(Level 19 BoS)
01018

Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)

Faster Hit Recovery increases survivability. Aim for the 27% FHR Breakpoint on the Standard Build.

Frames9876543
FHR0715274886200

Hardcore

For all Hardcore gameplay, your primary focus is increasing your Resistances, Damage Reduction, Chance to Block and Maximum Life. This can mean sacrificing overall power level for a more secure playstyle.

The Claws of Thunder Assassin can become Hardcore viable with key changes to Gear. Review the changes below before building this character in Hardcore, as some of these changes differ significantly from the Standard Build.

Gear Changes

  • Damage Reduction: There are several gear options for achieving a high amount of % Damage Reduction on a Hardcore Claws of Thunder Assassin. Verdungo's Hearty Cord and Enigma used together with Fade is optimal for dual-wielding Mosaics and maintaining maximum DPS. Crown of Ages is a strong option as well.
  • Stacking Resistances: Stack your Fire/Lightning/Cold Resistances beyond the default maximum values of 75 each (175 total in Hell). Stacking 85 additional Resistances in Hell completely negates the Conviction Aura of any Elite Boss or the Oblivion Knight's Lower Resist Curse. Beware of encountering both at the same time! Consider the primary damage type(s) of the monsters in the area you want to farm. Crown of Ages is an excellent Helmet option for Resistances. Chains of Honor is a possible Body Armor option if you are willing to forgo Enigma. Um Runes socketed into gear, Jewelry, Charms, and Boots are also ideal sources of Resistances.
  • Faster Hit Recovery: Achieve a decent Faster Hit Recovery Breakpoint with your Boots, Belt, Charms, and potentially Crown of Ages.
  • Lightning Absorb: Equip Thundergod's Vigor when farming or Teleporting through an area where Burning Souls are able to spawn such as Worldstone Keep/Throne of Destruction.

    See the "Hardcore" Build Variant below for additional suggestions and visuals.

Build Variants

Starter

Setup

The Starter variant of the Claws of Thunder Assassin meets the minimum gear requirements for farming the Starter tagged areas in the "Farming Spots" section above. These areas can be Solo-farmed by this setup (/Players1 on Single Player) in both Nightmare and Hell difficulty. Prioritize + to Skills, Resistances, Attack Rating, Cannot Be Frozen, and Life/Attributes on your gear. Pattern Claws provide you with decent survivability and damage if made in a + to Claws of Thunder Base. Strength Claws are also great for early-game Boss killing due to their Crushing Blow stat. A Staff of Teleportation on Weapon-Swap allows you to travel short distances (Dragon Flight allows you to use monsters to reposition). A Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap can help increase your damage against most mobs. Follow the Assassin Leveling Guide to get your Assassin to Level 75.

Mercenary

A Starter Claws of Thunder Assassin uses an Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary with Insight for Crowd Control and Mana Regeneration. Mercenaries require Resistances, Life Leech, and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive. Smoke is a cheap Body Armor option for much needed Resistances. Bulwark is the cheapest Helmet that provides Life Leech and Damage Reduction.

Skills

Allocate 1 Skill Point into Dragon Flight for increased mobility on a Starter Claws of Thunder Assassin. Also, do not bother with maxing Blades of Ice or maintaining its Charges. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Claw Mastery
2. Burst of Speed
3. Fade (Max Last)
4. Cloak of Shadows
5. Mind Blast
6. Shadow Warrior
7. Death Sentry
8. Tiger Strike
9. Cobra Strike
10. Dragon Claw
11. Dragon Flight

Put 3 or more Skill Points into the following Skill:
1. Weapon Block

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Claws of Thunder
2. Phoenix Strike
3. Dragon Talon
4. Fade

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Budget

Setup

The Budget Claws of Thunder Assassin achieves solid results with gear that is much easier to acquire than the gear on the Standard Build. This variant can farm almost every Farming Spot the Standard Build can on a lower Player Count. This build makes use of several lower-end gear options that still provide solid Damage, Attack Rating, Resistances, Damage Reduction, and the Cannot Be Frozen stat. Full Natalya's Set with Upgraded Natalya's Soul provides many of these needed stats. 1-2 Mosaics maintains high effectiveness on this setup. Naj's Puzzler provides you with extra mobility. If you can acquire Crack of the Heavens you can kill Immune to Lightning mobs.

Mercenary

A Budget Claws of Thunder Assassin uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Insight for Damage and Mana Regeneration. Treachery and Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest are relatively cheap options for improving this Mercenary's damage and survivability..

Skills

Allocate 1 Skill Point into Dragon Flight for increased mobility on a Budget Claws of Thunder Assassin. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Claw Mastery
2. Burst of Speed
3. Fade (Max Last)
4. Cloak of Shadows
5. Mind Blast
6. Shadow Warrior
7. Death Sentry
8. Tiger Strike
9. Cobra Strike
10. Dragon Claw
11. Dragon Flight

Put 3 or more Skill Points into the following Skill:
1. Weapon Block

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Claws of Thunder
2. Phoenix Strike
3. Blades of Ice
4. Dragon Talon
5. Fade

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Standard

Setup

This is the Standard Best in Slot (BiS) Dragon Tail Assassin featured in the beginning of the guide. It is the balanced "jack-of-all-trades" version, capable of performing the most tasks well. This variant is the point of comparison for all other variants. It carefully balances Damage, Magic Find, Defensive Stats, and Teleport mobility. Dual-wielding Mosaics allows you to continually use Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw Finishers without losing Claws of Thunder Charges. Crack of the Heavens allows this build to smash Immune to Lightning mobs. This setup reaches the 102% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint for casting Teleport on its main weapon loadout.

Mercenary

The Standard Claws of Thunder Assassin uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Infinity for -85% to Enemy Lightning Resistance and reduced monster Defense from its Conviction Aura. Fortitude and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor maximize this Mercenary's damage and survivability.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Claw Mastery
2. Burst of Speed
3. Fade (Max Last)
4. Cloak of Shadows
5. Mind Blast
6. Shadow Warrior
7. Death Sentry
8. Tiger Strike
9. Cobra Strike
10. Dragon Claw

Put 3 or more Skill Points into the following Skill:
1. Weapon Block

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Claws of Thunder
2. Phoenix Strike
3. Blades of Ice
4. Dragon Talon
5. Fade

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Magic Find

Setup

This variant stacks as much Magic Find as possible for Elite Pack targeting efficiency. Magic Find Charms and Harlequin Crest are the keys to this build. This setup is designed to quickly farm areas in Low Player Count (/Players1-3 in Single Player) using Dragon Claw and Burst of Speed for quick recovery. Crack of the Heavens enables this build to crush monsters that are Immune to Lightning. The Magic Find version of the Claws of Thunder Assassin achieves the 65% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on its main weapon loadout, and the 102% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap.

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, the Magic Find Claws of Thunder Assassin uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Infinity, Fortitude, and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor.

Skills

Max out Dragon Claw instead of Dragon Talon for quicker kills in Low Player Count. 1-Point Dragon Flight can also make for quick kills. Since Burst of Speed is used on this variant instead of Fade, put additional points into it for maximum Dragon Claw Attack Speed. Additionally, do not bother with Death Sentry on this Low Player Count approach. Allocate all remaining Skill Points into Shadow Warrior for a stronger tank. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Hardcore

Setup

For the Hardcore mode variant, aim for high Damage Reduction and Chance to Block (Weapon Block) to guard against taking extreme amounts of Physical Damage. Additionally, overcap Resistances beyond the natural cap of 75% if possible to counteract hostile Conviction or Lower Resist (Fade helps achieve this). If you choose to use Crack of the Heavens, stack additional Lightning Resistance to counteract its negative effect. This setup reaches the 65% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on its main weapon loadout, and the 102% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap. Consult the "Hardcore" section for more detailed information.

Mercenary

The Hardcore Claws of Thunder Assassin uses an Act 2 Defiance Mercenary for increased Defense. And just like the Standard Build, equip him with Infinity, Fortitude, and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Claw Mastery
2. Burst of Speed
3. Fade (Max Last)
4. Cloak of Shadows
5. Mind Blast
6. Shadow Warrior
7. Death Sentry
8. Tiger Strike
9. Cobra Strike
10. Dragon Claw

Put 3 or more Skill Points into the following Skill:
1. Weapon Block

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Claws of Thunder
2. Phoenix Strike
3. Blades of Ice
4. Dragon Talon
5. Fade

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.


Video Guide

Video Guide by DarkHumility

Mechanics

Next Hit Delay

You might be overwhelmed with the pure Area of Effect (AoE) you seem to get when Claws of Thunder charges are going off at the speed of almost 8 kicks per second with 2x Mosaics equipped. Be aware that not all the damage you "see" on the screen actually applies due to Next Hit Delay.

The 2nd and 3rd charge of Claws of Thunder applies a 4 Frame (0.12s) Next Hit Delay. Until the NHD runs out, no other NHD-projectiles deal damage to mobs. Instead, they simply pass through the target affected. This means a decent portion of your Claws of Thunder damage goes to waste if you are not using 4 Frame Dragon Talon. A Suwayyah Claw Base in your main-hand is optimal for this reason.

All that being said - It is still best to have all charges up to deal as much AoE damage as possible!

Death Sentry

Death Sentry is in the unique situation in which it combines 2 Skills (Lightning Sentry and Corpse Explosion). Both Skill effects have certain conditions in which they occur and use up remaining shots from the maximum shot count. This means that a Death Sentry with a maximum of 7 Shots can use, for example, 5 x Lightning and 2x Corpse Explosion).

  • Base amount of available shots is 5, which can be increased by putting Skill Points into Fire Blast. Every 3rd Skill Point, Death Sentry gain +1 shot to a maximum of 11 (with Fire Blast Base Skill Level 18).

The Lightning Sentry part will only be used, if there are no corpses in the sentries' awareness range (10 2/3 yards).

  • The lightning beam behaves exactly as Lightning Sentry:
    • Monsters are pierced.
    • Travels in a straight line.
    • Every monster on the travel path takes Lightning Damage.
  • Death Sentry shoots at a rate of 31 Frames per cast (Every 1.24 seconds) before they expire. This rate cannot be influenced.

The Corpse Explosion is used when there are corpses within its Awareness Range (10 2/3 yards) with the following mechanics:

  • Death Sentry shoots at a rate of 31 Frames per cast (Every 1.24 seconds) before they expire. This rate cannot be influenced.
  • The Corpse Explosion is weaker than its Necromancer counterpart, dealing only 40 - 80% of the monster's regular base Life.
  • Damage does not increase with higher player count.
  • Its damage is split into 50% Physical Damage and 50% Fire Damage.
  • When the corpse's Monster Level > Character Level the damage is multiplied by Character Level / Monster Level.
  • Within the Area of Effect, the damage is always afflicted. It cannot be blocked by any means.

Teleport

  • Teleport instantly moves you to a selected square on the visible screen in which you can stand. The game tries to to place you within a small radius around your cursor even if it would be impeded normally.
  • Teleport is not obstructed by walls or other impediments but can fail if your cursor is not completely passed those impediments when cast. Your Mercenary and Shadow Warrior or Shadow Master travel with you.
  • Summons in large quantities can become “stuck” in position after Teleporting. Move/walk away from that position to give them the chance to spread out.
  • You can “extend” the visible screen by opening UI-windows like the Inventory or the Character screen. Continuously cast Teleport and drag your mouse to the edge of your screen.
  • The Mana cost of Teleport decreases with additional Skill Levels down to 1 Mana per cast.
  • You can use “ESC” to open the menu in Single Player to pause the game after a Teleport to determine if you are safe.
  • Teleport casting speed is affected by the Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint that you achieve with your gear.

Summary

  • Maintain 3 Charges of Claws of Thunder at all times to deal maximum damage with Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw. Dual-wielding Mosaics enables you to perpetually maintain the 3 Claws of Thunder and 3 Blades of Ice Charge maximum while only using Dragon Talon or Dragon Claw.
  • Use Burst of Speed and a fast Claw Base on your main-hand to quickly build up Charges with your Charge-up Skills.
  • Dragon Flight into monster packs before acquiring Enigma.
  • Blades of Ice and your Dragon Talon Finisher enable you to deal with most Lightning Immunities. With Crack of the Heavens, Griffon's Eye, and Infinity on the Mercenary, you can handle them with the Claws of Thunder damage alone.
  • The Claws of Thunder Assassin has several Defensive Skills that make it possible to survive without amazing gear. Weapon Block grants Block Chance while dual-wielding Claw Weapons (no Shield). Shadow Warrior distracts enemies and absorbs damage. Cobra Strike grants incredible Life/Mana sustain. Fade provides incredible Curse Duration Reduction, Damage Reduction, and Resistances. Cloak of Shadows and Mind Blast situationally mitigate the damage you take. Abuse these abilities to the fullest!
  • This build excels at sniping Elites with any number of Players in the game (Player Count) and in any Farming Spot (including Terror Zones) with a full build. Claws of Thunder is also great at density destroying, dealing crazy damage in a large Area of Effect (AoE). Fry monsters to your heart's content!

We hope you enjoy this build! Novas and Charged Bolts make such a sweet symphony. Electricity is in the air. Electricity is all you need.

Good luck!


Credits

Written by DarkHumility
Reviewed by Teo1904


Changelog

Feb 15th 2023
Added in Patch 2.6