Lightning Storm suffers from ill-explained snapshot mechanics, and does not update dynamically with buffs received or updated during the channel and does not lucky hit at all during the channel. You can either attempt to make use of snapshotting buffs like expectant aspect and edgemasters, but never lucky hit, or spam-click what is supposed to be a channeled spell with no snapshots so that you can benefit from all lucky hit mechanics/fresh buffs. Either way, this results in the spell being weak and strange to use, and is to its detriment.
While Unique item support would not fix channeling mechanical issues, it could bring LS into the meta. An oft-floated idea in the druid discord would be to design a unique that gives Lightning Storm unstoppable while channeled, which would reduce reliance on Grizzly Rage and increase build variety in druid endgame. It would also have the positive side effect of encouraging channeling over spamming the spell, though Blizzard would likely need to make the channels behave dynamically (like all channels in WoW)
As a result of the channeled spell weaknesses, Lightning Storm sees little endgame use, with even existing builds being limited to tempest roar grizzly rage, making:
Cataclysm/full Storm LS builds
and especially Human LS builds (or really any human caster druid build)
fall very short of Stormwolf, the stronger tornado-based cousin of existing tempest roar LS builds.
Lightning Storm itself, and storm/cataclysm builds and especially Human builds could really use some support through unique items or patching.
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I agree that human form is extremely underpowered compared to the shape-shifting forms. It needs help on a large scale.
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In the beginning I was thinking Lighting Storm is going to be a channel skill suited for a tanky battemage playstyle like certain Templar builds in PoE but nope, it’s a whole lot of nothing. The damage coefficient is BAD and the risk of standing there and channeling is too big. A stand still channel spell better have big damage payoffs and should have a few layers of defensive mechanics in the build or the skill itself (if possible).
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The cost per second and randomness of strikes makes it feel lacking tbh, it’s quite quick to drain resource pool, with little way of regaining that pool.
I guess with spirit cost reduction it could become viable (I’ve got mine sitting at 14 at the moment, that’s with the 9% increased cost + 15% damage for core, as I have a few spirit cost reducers), I tend to rely on procs from pulverise though, good fun seeing lightning storm go off when that drops, though it’s a 50/50 split between storm and nado.
If the cost could be reduced to say, 9 per second, I’d be tempted to run it, but dropping more cost reducers is unlikely with the number of gear traits I’m seeing.
They could reduce the cost any amount, and it will never be good since channeled spells currently cannot proc anything =( The best I’ve been able to do with it is focus snapshotting edgemasters and expectant, and hope i dont get interrupted. In large groups i can channel for 12-20 seconds straight, but it’s too weak for that to be as cool as it sounds in even midlevel NM keys
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Can’t you get a super high crit chance on it though? Seems super viable on a high crit build. Am I wrong?
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With all current druid uniques pushing forms, it’s viable with tempest roar in place of (but weaker than) tornadoes. In human builds, you’re very limited. I don’t think its complete inability to lucky hit or receive any buffs when channeled is intended.
Your only options are to go all-in on snapshotting and avoid all lucky hit effects (of which a normal storm build would have several)
or to spam-click the channeled spell without snapshot buffs, which is the current play in tempest roar builds.
So, viable in a basic sense? yeah. but for pushing nightmare keys? not really, unless used as a non-channeled spell in a werewolf build. Hoping to see Blizzard help us actually channel (hold) our channeled spells
The other option is they place it as a 6 second ability with CD, with the advancement pips allowing for its duration to extend by 2 seconds instead of 4 (or add it into the hurricane and cataclysm duration +25% pip). Bump cost up to fit the new tool tip. Maybe play it similar to hydra? Only one up at a time?
The funniest part is that channeling actually casts SLOWER than just SPAMMING single pings.
Hilarious.
Im running full storm and i know i am seriously under powered. But i refuse to follow everyone else and run warewolf or carebear builds, im going to hold out until blizzard get thier act together and give us some aspects, uniques and buffs that help the build.
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i tried twice lightning storm always with overchared and lightning dancer it feels great with high mob density but in my experience it falls of in single target damage unless i spam the skill instead of channel it, but the spirit cost and the lack of refunding resource since i hit 1 dude i end up with 0 spirit maybe i do something wrong.
also some people tried it as a “cast while channeling” skill with natures fury but it only procs when you cast the skill people reported it like a bug, i dont know if it is, but it would be amazing to use it as a cast while channeling skill
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Yea and it doesn’t scale with attack speed other than blood howl. pretty sure its bugged
I’m also running full human storm build, i’ve pushed it as far as i can by ignoring lucky hit (since it cant) and snapshotting 3 different buffs (soon to be 4 once i reach ancestral gidance legendary node). I’m running mid-30 NM dungeons at level 75 and I think it’ll probably fall off at ~50 at best
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do you have problems with bosses?
A little slow on bosses, but not really, never died to one. The dmg is kinda good and i can see it getting better but surviving can be tough. I run both Earthen Bulwark and Trample for unstoppable since I can’t run perma-grizzly rage like the popular builds.
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I think I have played most of the primary builds in the game now and the Human Stormcaster wielding a mighty Axe is honestly my favorite one. It combines melee lightning attacks with Lightning Storm which feels really nice.
Problem is, its just not that viable without going Werewolf and the Lightning Storm ability is finicky to manage when dealing with bosses.
Give me a unique Lighting Axe - thanks in advance!
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I’ve levelled my LS druid from 1-100. In pure human form. I have managed to solo and complete, without dying, a NM tier 67 dungeon. I agree with everything the OP has mentioned and or discussed. Every unique and many aspects favour synergies with storm/wolf and earth/bear. Nothing gives incentive to try a pure human caster version which is what I wanted to do. I intentionally stayed away from the meta. I built my own paragon board and to be honest I’m kind of happy with how high I managed to get without min maxing gear. I’ve managed to get most of my skills i.e earthen bulwark, hurricane near 100% uptime, including cataclysm, which is huge.
That being said. At higher tiers without pigeonholing you into a werewolf or werebear type build, the human version also suffers with their basic skills. I WANT to love wind shear I really do. I like it but damn it just doesn’t provide any benefit like earth spike or storm strike in the way of utility. If the hit box of the attack was bigger it might be better. And storm strike being in melee range even with its 25% damage reduction means nothing if you get snapped from a ranged attack if you need to attempt to build up spirit due to unlucky procs. I feel that the ranged basic attacks need some sort of damage mitigation baked in as well. The aspect of might just takes up a slot that could potentially be used for something else.
That aside, I feel like yes, LS has the potential in human version to be great. But as it currently stands with its mechanic it isn’t. The aspects with it ie. lightning dancers for example - the damage at higher tiers just doesn’t cut it. They need to buff numbers or do something. Runeworkers’ conduit is another example where the damage is just too insignificant at higher tier dungeons. The build itself is fine and feels comfortable soloing up to and including around NM tier 55-60. Even some of the tiers in early 60s are ok depending of the affixes. But at a certain point due to the nature of LS’s mechanics it just doesn’t feel competitive at all compared to any werewolf or werebear build.
Hopefully the seasons will see some new aspects or legendaries specific for human versions of this build come to light…peace!.
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