Lightning Strike Amazon Guide
Last Updated:February 12, 2025|Changelog
Vaporizing enemies with a vengeance, the Lightning Strike/Charged Strike Amazon is shockingly powerful. She's got a deadly current that decimates foes with lightning speed. Lightning Strike tears through dense packs of mobs, proving more effective than Lightning Fury at dealing with spread out enemies. Her Charged Strike is also even more formidable than that of the Lightning Fury Amazon, her sister build. Bosses, including Uber Bosses, melt before her. This Amazon boasts record-breaking Boss killing speed.
Wielding an Infinity Matriarchal Spear in the late-game, there is practically nothing the Lightning Strike Amazon cannot shred. Having insane -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance allows this build to effortlessly plow through the most Lightning Resistant mobs. This includes Lightning Immune monsters whose Immunity is broken by Crack of the Heavens. She performs the Electric Slide with amazing grace. If you want a little danger and a lot of fun, this lady will lead the way!
This build guide assumes you have a Character at Level 75 before transitioning to it. Check out our Amazon Leveling Guide and our General Leveling Strategies to reach Level 75.
Fun Playstyle ✔
Fastest Boss Killer ✔
Great Density Destroyer ✔
Easy To Learn And Master ✔
Clears All Content In Late-Game ✔
❌ Dangerous Playstyle
❌ Repetitive Skill Usage
❌ Slow Cast Animations
❌ Lack Of Damage Type Diversity
❌ 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. 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.
Gear Changes
To optimize this Sunder Charm you need as much -% Enemy Lightning Resistance as possible. Equip Infinity Matriarchal Spear and Griffon's Eye to accomplish this.
Counteract the negative effect of Crack of the Heavens with Lightning Resistance Charms, Gloves, Boots, and 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, Many Elite Groups, Super Chests, No Immunities
✔ Chaos Sanctuary - High Density, Quick Access, Many Elite Groups, Breakable Immunities, Boss
✔ Worldstone Keep + Throne of Destruction - High Density, Quick Access, Many Elite Groups, Breakable Immunities
✔ Underground Passage + Dark Wood - High Density, Easy Mobility, Quick Access, No Immunities
✔ Pit - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Easy Mobility, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities
Worst
❌ Burial Grounds + Crypt + Mausoleum - Low Density, Trash Mobility, Slow Access, Few Elite Groups, Immunities
❌ Stony Tomb + Rocky Waste - Immunities
❌ Spider Forest + Spider Cavern - Low Density, Immunities
❌ Ancients' Way + Icy Cellar - Trash Mobility, High Physical Damage, High Elemental Damage, Immunities
❌ Stony Field - Low Density, Immunities
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Critical Strike
3. Penetrate
4. Slow Missiles
5. Decoy
Put 3-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade
Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Strike
2. Charged Strike
3. Power Strike
4. Lightning Bolt
5. Valkyrie
Lightning Strike* is your Density Clearing Skill. Each attack with a Javelin or Spear Weapon starts a Lightning Chain that seeks out nearby targets until reaching its maximum number of "hits" (based on its Level). It can seek new targets or double back on previous ones in the process. This Skill deals Lightning Damage each time it passes through an enemy.
Charged Strike* is your Boss/Single Target Skill. It emits Lightning Bolts at the tip of your Javelin or Spear Weapon, dealing concentrated Lightning Damage to an enemy at close range. The number of Bolts is based on its Level.
Jab* is your Back-up Skill for mobs that are Lightning Immune or that have too much Lightning Resistance even after applying Conviction or Lower Resist. It makes you lunge 3 "jabs" in quick succession with a Javelin or Spear Weapon, dealing Physical Damage to an enemy or enemies directly in front of you. Your Character is stuck in the attack animation until the 3 "jabs" have been completed.
* Increased Attack Speed Skills (IAS)
Dodge* provides a chance that you "Dodge" melee attacks while attacking or standing still. This negates any potential Damage from a melee attack completely.
Avoid* provides a chance that you "Dodge" ranged attacks and/or spells while attacking or standing still. This negates any potential damage from a ranged attack completely.
Evade* provides a chance that you "Dodge" an attack (any) while walking or running. This negates any potential damage from an attack completely.
Valkyrie* creates a Valkyrie Warrior which fights by your side, mainly serving to tank damage. Re-summon her if she dies.
Decoy* creates a replica of your Amazon with increased health at the location of your cursor. It remains in one spot, drawing monster attacks/abilities until it is destroyed or expires.
Slow Missiles* slows and reduces the damage from ranged enemies' attacks/projectiles when cast. This Skill also illuminates nearby enemies.
Critical Strike* adds a % chance to deal double Physical Damage with your attacks. It significantly increases Jab's damage. This chance increases with Skill Level.
Penetrate* grants Attack Rating based on Skill Level. This is particularly important for Jab, but improves the effectiveness of your Mana Leech and Life Leech with all attacks.
* 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
Don't allocate any Stat Points into Energy. This build gets enough Mana from gear, buffs, Charms, and Mana Potions. The “x% Mana stolen per hit” stat on your gear provides reliable Mana sustain.
Essentials
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 Notes: Any Items with specialized or niche uses have a superscript that refers here.
1) Use a Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap to reduce monster Lightning Resistance or break monster Lightning Immunity if you do not have Crack of the Heavens or Infinity equipped.
2) Only use Naj's Puzzler or a Staff of Teleportation for Teleport Charges if you are not using Enigma.
3) Equip Wizardspike and Spirit on Weapon-Swap for fast and safe Teleporting if Barbarian-granted Battle Orders is available.
Slot | Item Options | Desirable Stats |
Weapon | Infinity Matriarchal Spear Infinity Maiden Spear Thunderstroke Ethereal Upgraded Titan's Revenge Upgraded Titan's Revenge Titan's Revenge Lancer's Matriarchal Javelin of Quickness Javelin of Quickness | Level 12 Conviction Aura When Equipped +x to Javelin and Spear Skills [Amazon Only] +x to Amazon Skills +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Increased Attack Speed +x% Enhanced Damage +x% Life stolen per hit -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance +x% Chance of Crushing Blow Prevent Monster Heal +x to Attribute x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items Replenish Quantity Ethereal |
Off-Hand | None Spirit Monarch Stormshield (Ber Rune) Stormshield (5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facet) Jeweler's Monarch of Deflecting (4x 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facets) Gemmed Monarch (4x 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facets) Sanctuary Moser's Blessed Circle Rhyme | None +x to All Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x% Faster Block Rate x% Increased Chance of Blocking -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% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items |
Weapon-Swap | Call to Arms Lower Resist Charge Wand1 Naj's Puzzler2 Teleport Charge Staff2 Harmony Wizardspike3 | Level 10 Vigor Aura When Equipped +x to All Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x to Battle Orders +x to Battle Command +x Mana All Resistances +x Level x Lower Resist [x/x Charges] Level x Teleport [x/x Charges] |
Off-Hand-Swap | Spirit Monarch | +x to All Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate |
Helmets | Griffon's Eye (5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facet) Griffon's Eye (Cham Rune) Griffon's Eye (Scintillating Jewel of Fervor) Crown of Ages (Cham Rune + Ber Rune) Crown of Ages (2x 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facets) Harlequin Crest Valkyrie Wing Kira's Guardian Rockstopper Peasant Crown Tarnhelm Lore Artisan's Crown (3x Perfect Topazes) Artisan's Crown (Ral Rune, Ort Rune, Thul Rune) Ground | +x to All Skills +x to Amazon Skills +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Increased Attack Speed +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance +x% to Lightning Skill Damage +x to Attribute +x Life +x Mana X Resist x% Lightning Absorb x% Damage Reduced by x% Cannot Be Frozen +x to Mana after each Kill x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items Socketed [x] |
Body Armor | Enigma Chains of Honor Treachery Skullder's Ire Gemmed Dusk Shroud (4x Perfect Topazes) Duriel's Shell Peace Smoke | 5% Chance to cast Level 15 Fade When Struck +x to All Skills +x to Amazon Skills +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Increased Attack Speed +x to Teleport +x to Attribute +x Life X Resist x% Damage Reduced by x% Magic Damage Reduced by x Cannot Be Frozen +x to Life after each Kill x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items |
Gloves | Rare Gloves Lancer's Gloves of Alacrity Death's Hand (2-Piece Death's Set) Sander's Taboo Laying of Hands Coral Gloves of Alacrity | +x to Javelin and Spear Skills [Amazon Only] +x% Increased Attack Speed +x% Mana stolen per hit +x% Life stolen per hit +x to Attribute +x Life X Resist x% Poison Length Reduced by x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items |
Belts | Thundergod's Vigor Arachnid Mesh Verdungo's Hearty Cord Goldwrap Battle Belt Death's Guard Demonhide Sash (2-Piece Death's Set) Rare Belt Credendum Coral Belt of the Squid | +x to All Skills +x% Increased Attack Speed +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x% Life stolen per hit +x to Lightning Strike [Amazon Only] +x to Attribute +x Life Increased Maximum Mana x% +x% to Maximum Lightning Resist X Resist x% +x Lightning Absorb Damage Reduced by x% Cannot Be Frozen x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items |
Boots | War Traveler Rare Boots Rare Boots Aldur's Advance Natalya's Soul Ruby Boots of Acceleration | +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x to Attribute +x Life X Resist x% +x to Mana after each Kill x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items |
Amulets | Highlord's Wrath The Cat's Eye Mara's Kaleidoscope Chromatic Amulet | +x to All Skills +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Increased Attack Speed +x to Attribute X Resist x% |
Rings | Raven Frost Rare Ring Rare Ring Rare Ring Rare Ring Rare Ring The Stone of Jordan Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band Nature's Peace Dwarf Star Nagelring | +x to All Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x to Attack Rating +x% Mana stolen per hit +x% Life stolen per hit Slain Monsters Rest in Peace +x to Attribute +x Life +x Mana Increased Maximum Mana x% X Resist x% Cold Absorb x% Fire Absorb x% Magic Damage Reduced by x Cannot Be Frozen x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items |
Charms | Harpoonist's Grand Charm of Vita Harpoonist's Grand Charm of Balance Harpoonist's Grand Charm of Inertia Harpoonist's Grand Charm Shimmering Grand Charm of Balance Shimmering Grand Charm of Inertia Shimmering Grand Charm Resistance Grand Charm Shimmering Large Charm of Vita Large Charm of Vita Shimmering Small Charm of Good Luck Amber Small Charm of Good Luck Shimmering Small Charm of Vita Amber Small Charm of Vita Shimmering Small Charm of Balance Shimmering Small Charm of Inertia Small Charm of Good Luck Small Charm of Vita Shimmering Small Charm Resistance Small Charm | +x to Javelin and Spear Skills [Amazon Only] +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x Life X Resist x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items |
Unique Charms | Crack of the Heavens Gheed's Fortune Amazon Hellfire Torch Annihilus | Monster Lightning Immunity is Sundered +x to All Skills +x to Amazon 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 |
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 Build Variant.
Act 1
Area | Starter | Rewards | ||
The Countess | ✔ | Runes Key of Terror | ||
The Pit | ✔ | All Item Types Max Area Level Leveling |
Act 2
Area | Starter | Rewards | ||
Arcane Sanctuary (Specters/Super Chests) | ✔ | Runes Charms / Gems / Jewels Jewelry | ||
Summoner | ✔ | Key of Hate |
Act 3
Area | Starter | Rewards | ||
Ruined Temple | ✔ | All Item Types Max Area Level | ||
Travincal | - | Gearing Runes Charms / Gems / Jewels Gold | ||
Mephisto | ✔ | Uniques Sets |
Act 4
Area | Starter | Rewards | ||
Chaos Sanctuary | - | All Item Types Max Area Level Leveling | ||
Diablo | - | Uniques Sets Leveling |
Act 5
Area | Starter | Rewards | ||
Eldritch the Rectifier | ✔ | Gearing Gold Leveling | ||
Shenk the Overseer | ✔ | Gearing 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 |
Ubers
This build is capable of farming Uber Tristram and the Mini Ubers before (See the "Ubers" Build Variant):
Area | Rewards | ||
Lilith | Diablo's Horn | ||
Duriel | Baal's Eye | ||
Izual | Mephisto's Brain | ||
Mephisto, Diablo, Baal | Hellfire Torch |
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 1 Rogue Mercenary
Her Arrow Skill options are Fire (using Exploding Arrow and Fire Arrow) and Cold (using Freezing Arrow and Cold Arrow). Both options alternate between their 2 Skills, dealing AoE damage with Exploding Arrow and Freezing Arrow respectively. Freezing Arrow additionally Freezes enemies, providing a great deal of Crowd Control. An Act 1 Mercenary also casts Inner Sight, which lowers the Defense of affected enemies. She can be equipped with a Bow, a Body Armor and a Helmet.
Faith, Freezing Arrow
Equip the Rogue with Faith to benefit from Fanaticism (Level 12-15). This Aura increases your Attack Speed and Physical Damage depending on its Level. An Act 1 Cold Mercenary is used for Crowd Control.
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. Mercenary Types and Gear Options at each Gear Level perform equally well in different situations; choose based on Farming Spots and/or personal preference.
Gear Level | Early-Game | Mid-Game | End-Game |
Mercenary Type | Act 2 Holy Freeze | Act 2 Holy Freeze | Act 1 Cold |
Weapon | Insight Hustle | Insight Hustle | Faith Matriarchal Bow Infinity |
Body Armor | Smoke Lionheart Hustle Skin of the Flayed One Goldskin Rockfleece Gemmed Dusk Shroud | Treachery Duress Shaftstop The Gladiator's Bane Duriel's Shell Guardian Angel | Shaftstop Fortitude Treachery Chains of Honor Duress |
Helmet | Bulwark Undead Crown The Face of Horror Gemmed Mask Temper Ground Cure | Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest Guillaume's Face Vampire Gaze Crown of Thieves Stealskull Kira's Guardian Rockstopper Cure | Vampire Gaze 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.
General
- Before starting your Magic Find/Experience run, cast Valkyrie. Recast Valkyrie as necessary to reposition it to your side and draw monster aggro.
- If you have Harmony equipped on Weapon-Swap, use it for faster travel.
- Cast Decoy and/or Slow Missiles when faced with dangerous ranged enemies.
For High Mob Density Farming:
- When encountering high mob density or Elite Packs, use Lightning Strike on the closest mob until most nearby monsters are dead. Finish off any stragglers with Charged Strike before moving on.
For Bosses:
- Make short work of Act Bosses, Uber Bosses, Diablo Clone, and isolated Elites by poking them down with Charged Strike. Position yourself in the 3, 6, 9 or 12 o’clock position to hit them with as many Lightning Bolts as possible.
- Use a Lower Resist Charge Wand to cast Lower Resist on Bosses to reduce their Lightning Resistance if you don't have a Crack of the Heavens or Infinity Matriarchal Spear equipped.
Immunities
- Crack of the Heavens sets all Immune to Lightning monsters to 95% Lightning Resistance, allowing any sources of -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance to take effect (including Conviction Aura from Infinity at 1/5th effectiveness).
- Before you have access to Crack of the Heavens and/or Infinity Matriarchal Spear, purchase a Lower Resist Charge Wand from Nightmare Drognan and equip it on your Weapon-Swap. Use Lower Resist to reduce enemy Resistances or break Immunities. Recharge this Wand using Gold at a repair vendor or the Chipped Gem + Ort Rune Horadric Cube Recipe.
- Monsters still Lightning Immune while affected by Lower Resist or Conviction can be killed using Jab or by your Mercenary. However, in many cases, skipping these mobs is best.
- Always skip Unique monsters that are both Lightning and Physical Immune.
Late-Game
- Before starting your Magic Find/Experience run, first cast Battle Command 2 times and then Battle Orders once using Call to Arms. Refresh these buffs as soon as they expire (approx. every 2-3 minutes).
- Use Teleport from Enigma to travel to your Farming Spot or between Elite Packs and pockets of high mob density. Teleport outpaces running despite the fact that Amazons have the worst Faster Cast Rate Breakpoints in the game.
- Wield Infinity Matriarchal Spear for as much -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance as possible.
Optimal Loot/Experience Farming Strategies
- The Pit with 3-8 Players in the Game or /Players7 on Single Player - The densely packed low Life monsters in this Max Level Area are quickly vaporized by a Lightning Strike Amazon. Even the Lightning Immune Dark Archers melt with Infinity Matriarchal Spear equipped. See the "Mobility" Build Variant for the most optimal Pit farming setup.
- Chaos Sanctuary with 3-8 Players in the Game or /Players3-8 on Single Player - Infinity Matriarchal Spear allows this build to melt this choice Max Level Area that has high Lightning Resistance/Lightning Immunity.
- Worldstone Keep/Throne of Destruction/Baal with 3-8 Players in the Game or /Players3-8 on Single Player - This lady kills Baal in a split second. His Waves are also flattened with little effort. She takes full advantage of WSK/Throne's high monster density for loot and Experience as well.
- Ubers - The Lightning Strike Amazon is currently the fastest Uber Boss killer in the game. Full power Charged Strike with insanely high -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance makes the Ubers (including Uber Mephisto) look like a joke (see the "Ubers" Build Variant).
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 the 68% FCR Breakpoint for Enigma Teleport cast speed on Weapon-Swap on the Standard Build. You don't need FCR if you are not using Enigma. Note: FCR only controls the animation speed of the Character, and not any internal Cooldowns spells have.
Frames | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
FCR | 0 | 7 | 14 | 22 | 32 | 48 | 68 | 99 | 152 |
Increased Attack Speed (IAS)
Increased Attack Speed speeds up your attack animations. Weapon Bases have different IAS Breakpoints. Values for recommended weapon options are provided below. Consult the d2planner for other bases.
Infinity Matriarchal Spear/Maiden Spear
Frames | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Lightning Strike IAS | 0 | 9 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 75 | 86 | 125 |
Lightning Strike IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism) | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | 15 | 20 | 37 |
Frames | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 10 | 9 |
Charged Strike IAS | 0 | 9 | 18 | 30 | 48 | 75 | 86 | 125 |
Charged Strike IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism) | - | - | - | 0 | 2 | 15 | 20 | 37 |
Titan's Revenge/Thunderstroke/Other Javelin Bases
Frames | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Lightning Strike IAS | 0 | 10 | 26 | 42 | 50 | 95 | 142 |
Lightning Strike IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism) | - | - | - | 0 | 3 | 24 | 44 |
Frames | 11 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
Charged Strike IAS | 0 | 10 | 26 | 42 | 50 | 95 | 142 |
Charged Strike IAS (Level 15 Fanaticism) | - | - | - | 0 | 3 | 24 | 44 |
Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)
Faster Hit Recovery increases survivability. Aim for at least the 32% FHR Breakpoint.
Frames | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 |
FHR | 0 | 6 | 13 | 20 | 32 | 52 | 86 | 174 | 600 |
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 Lightning Strike Amazon can become Hardcore viable with key changes to your 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: A setup using Crown of Ages socketed with Cham Rune and Ber Rune, Verdungo's Hearty Cord, and Enigma achieves 46% Damage Reduction. You can still achieve decent Damage Reduction using Crown of Ages socketed with 2x 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facets or Harlequin Crest in the Helmet slot if you prefer to have more Damage or Magic Find respectively.
- 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 the best Helmet option for stacking Resistances; it also enables you to reach the 52% and 86% Faster Hit Recovery Breakpoints. Gloves, Boots, Charms, and Jewelry are also ideal sources of Resistances.
See the "Hardcore" Build Variant below for additional suggestions and visuals.
Build Variants
Setup
The Starter variant of the Lightning Strike Amazon 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. Titan's Revenge and Thunderstroke are great starter weapons on this build. Prioritize Increased Attack Speed, Resistances, Faster Run/Walk, + to Skills, Life, and the Cannot Be Frozen stat on your gear. Achieving the 95% Increased Attack Speed (IAS) Breakpoint for both Lightning Strike and Charged Strike is ideal, while 50% IAS is recommended at minimum. Depending on the farm, use a Lower Resist Charge Wand, Teleport Charge Staff, or Harmony on Weapon-Swap (or a combination thereof). Follow the Amazon Leveling Guide to get your Amazon to Level 75.
Mercenary
The Starter Lightning Strike Amazon uses an Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary with Insight for Crowd Control and Mana Regeneration. You can also put a Hustle on your Mercenary for its Fanaticism Aura. Mercenaries require Resistances, Life Leech, and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive. Smoke is a cheap Body Armor option for Resistances, while Bulwark is the cheapest Helmet that provides Life Leech and Damage Reduction.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Critical Strike
3. Penetrate
4. Dodge
5. Avoid
6. Evade
7. Slow Missiles
8. Decoy
Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Strike
2. Charged Strike
3. Power Strike
4. Lightning Bolt
5. Valkyrie
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
This is the Standard Best in Slot (BiS) Lightning Strike Amazon 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, and mobility. The insane amount of -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance on this setup enables her to farm areas such as Chaos Sanctuary and Travincal with ease. Even areas like the Mausoleum and Maggot Lair become possible on this build. This is even more so the case if you use Crack of the Heavens. Unlike with a Mercenary Infinity, Infinity Matriarchal Spear's -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance stat applies to your damage. Swapping in Arachnid Mesh and Lancer's Gloves of Alacrity optimizes this variant for Act Boss killing. The Standard Build achieves maximum Attack Speed for Lightning Strike and Charged Strike, and the 68% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap for Teleport mobility.
Mercenary
The Standard Lightning Strike Amazon uses an Act 1 Cold Mercenary with Faith, Shaftstop, and Vampire Gaze. The Fanaticism Aura from Faith allows this build to reach maximum Attack Speed.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Critical Strike
3. Penetrate
4. Slow Missiles
5. Decoy
Put 3-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade
Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Strike
2. Charged Strike
3. Power Strike
4. Lightning Bolt
5. Valkyrie
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
This variant achieves the 99% Faster Cast Rate (FCR) Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap for high Teleport cast speed at the expense of some Damage. This setup excels at Teleporting to the Throne of Destruction (Baal) and farming areas which require long distance travel. The Mobility Lightning Strike Amazon uses Arachnid Mesh, 2x 10% Faster Cast Rate Rings, and Griffon's Eye socketed with a Cham Rune to maintain the Cannot Be Frozen stat. Crack of the Heavens enables this build to crush Lightning Immunes even harder than it does already. Just like the Standard Build, the Mobility variant achieves maximum Attack Speed for Lightning Strike and Charged Strike.
Mercenary
Just as with the Standard Build, the Mobility Lightning Strike Amazon uses an Act 1 Cold Mercenary with Faith, Shaftstop, and Vampire Gaze.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Critical Strike
3. Penetrate
4. Slow Missiles
5. Decoy
Put 3-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade
Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Strike
2. Charged Strike
3. Power Strike
4. Lightning Bolt
5. Valkyrie
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
The Ubers variant specializes in defeating the Uber Bosses, particularly Uber Mephisto, using Charged Strike. The Standard Build is slightly faster at killing the Mini Ubers, Uber Diablo, and Uber Baal. -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance, + to Skills, Damage Reduction, Resistances, and Life are priority stats on this setup. Thundergod's Vigor and stacking Lightning Resistance allows this build to tank Uber Mephisto. Pre-buff Fade with Treachery prior to engaging the Ubers for massive boosts to Resistances and Damage Reduction. You can use a Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap on this setup if you don't want to rely on your Mercenary to proc it. The Ubers Lightning Strike Amazon achieves the 48% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint for Charged Strike.
Crack of the Heavens breaks Uber Mephisto's Lightning Immunity, allowing you to deal more damage to him. Use Lightning Resist Charms to counteract its negative effect.
Mercenary
The Ubers Lightning Strike Amazon uses an Act 5 Frenzy Mercenary with 2x Plagues for their Lower Resist proc. This high Level Lower Resist breaks Uber Mephisto's Lightning Immunity. Vampire Gaze and Treachery make him tanky while avoiding high Defense.
Note: The Mercenary is notoriously hard to keep alive when facing Uber Bosses. Don't count on it always being alive.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Critical Strike
3. Penetrate
4. Slow Missiles
5. Decoy
Put 3-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade
Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Strike
2. Charged Strike
3. Power Strike
4. Lightning Bolt
5. Valkyrie
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
For the Hardcore mode variant, aim for solid Damage Reduction 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. If you choose to use Crack of the Heavens, use Lightning Resist Charms to counteract the negative effect. This setup achieves maximum Attack Speed for Lightning Strike and Charged Strike, and the 48% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap for Teleport mobility. Consult the "Hardcore" section for more detailed information.
Mercenary
Just as with the Standard Build, the Hardcore Lightning Strike Amazon uses an Act 1 Cold Mercenary with Faith, Shaftstop, and Vampire Gaze.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Critical Strike
3. Penetrate
4. Slow Missiles
5. Decoy
Put 3-5 Skill Points into the following Skills:
1. Dodge
2. Avoid
3. Evade
Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Strike
2. Charged Strike
3. Power Strike
4. Lightning Bolt
5. Valkyrie
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Video Guide
Summary
- Equipping Infinity Matriarchal Spear is what makes this build powerful and unique. Unlike using Infinity on the Mercenary, both the Conviction Aura and -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance apply to your own damage.
- Use Lightning Strike to shred groups of monsters and Charged Strike to decimate Act Bosses, Uber Bosses, Diablo Clone, and other single targets. Jab is handy for killing unbreakable Lightning Immune mobs.
- Dodge, Avoid, and Evade make this build deceptively tanky, even without a Shield. Smart use of Valkyrie, Decoy, and Slow Missiles can further reduce the damage you take.
- Use Titan's Revenge or Thunderstroke for decent effectiveness before acquiring Infinity Matriarchal Spear.
- The Lightning Strike Amazon is the fastest Boss killer in the game. Kill Diablo, Baal, and Uber Bosses to make the most of her insane Charged Strike.
- There is nothing the Lightning Strike Amazon cannot farm while wielding Infinity Matriarchal Spear and using Crack of the Heavens. Take her for a spin in the Mausoleum!
We hope you enjoy this build! Nothing can stand in her way...not even Lightning Immunes. Melt bosses like regular mobs and everything else along the way!
Good luck!
Credits
Written by DarkHumility
Reviewed by Teo1904