[PoE 2] BEST Skill for Martial Artist Build in 0.5? - Monk League Starter Showcase - Path of Exile 2
Summary
- Whirling Assault is identified as the most meta-compliant and versatile skill for the Martial Artist ascendancy, offering excellent AOE, coverage, and synergy with “bells.”
- Ice Strike + Shattering Palm serves as a strong alternative, providing excellent clearing capabilities and freezing mechanics, though it offers less synergy with the Martial Artist ascendancy compared to Whirling Assault.
- Finisher Skills: Options like Fallen Thunder, Flicker Strike, and Gathering Storm are effective for bossing or clearing, often used in combination with primary attacks.
- Niche Builds: Variations involving Tempest Flurry + Staggering Palm, Primal/Wyvern-based skills, and Mace-based builds with Facebreakers are viable but generally more situational.
1. Whirling Assault (The Meta Choice)
Whirling Assault is considered the premier skill for the Martial Artist. It provides massive Area of Effect (AOE) and excellent screen coverage. Its synergy with the new Martial Artist ascendancies allows for effective interaction with bells, making it highly efficient for both bossing and general map clearing. Despite adjustments to quality bonuses (shifting from attack speed to increased attack speed), the skill remains robust.
2. Ice Strike + Shattering Palm
This combination functions by using Shattering Palm to close distances to monsters, followed by Ice Strike to freeze and detonate the shards generated by Shattering Palm.
- Strengths: Excellent clearing and survivability, especially when paired with the “Way of the Mountain” for increased immobilization.
- Drawbacks: Less synergy with the Martial Artist ascendancy compared to Whirling Assault; specifically, it is harder to hit random bells. Additionally, its reliance on cold damage makes it difficult to incorporate “Trinity” for added damage.
3. Finisher Skills: Fallen Thunder, Flicker Strike, and Gathering Storm
These skills are frequently used as finishers to complement primary attacks:
- Fallen Thunder: Serves as a “big bonk” ability. It is best used as a combo tool (e.g., following an Ice Strike or Tempest Flurry) to clear remaining monsters. It can also be played as a primary skill if the player generates charges via crits from skills like Killing Palm.
- Flicker Strike: A high-mobility option that teleports the player to monsters. While powerful in dense maps, it can cause inventory management issues due to the need to backtrack for loot and may introduce more lag than other options.
- Gathering Storm: Updated in 0.5 with specific interactions with bells, this skill is a strong candidate for bossing. It can potentially replace Flicker Strike or Fallen Thunder as a finisher.
4. Niche Combinations and Variants
- Tempest Flurry + Staggering Palm: A revival of a previous meta combination often used with “Hollow Palm.” If sufficient speed can be achieved in 0.5, this build may return as a “Hyper Speed” archetype.
- Primal/Wyvern Skills: Skills such as Oil Barrage, Rand, Wing Blast, or Devour are viable. While potentially better suited for other monk ascendancies (like Dragon Monk/Invoker), they remain playable on a Martial Artist.
- Mace Skills with Facebreakers: Utilizing new Facebreaker gloves allows for the use of Mace skills (e.g., Bone Shatter, Earth Shatter, Sunder). While potentially slower than staff-based variants, these offer unique playstyles for those interested in mace-specific mechanics.