Ball Lightning

Lightning pen is mandatory. No discussion here. There are just too many monsters with high lightning resists. This also applies to rares/bosses that in general ignore curses (12% effectiveness?)

Leaving this aside - if you like me build BL as AOE skill then AOE is also mandatory.

Knockback can be dropped however this a) reduces EFFECTIVE dps from extra hits b) removes defensive quality of this setup. It is very easy to underestimate just how important this is.

My video of Dark Forest Oak being slapped around should be proof enough that knockback + BL + AOE is a very defensively powerful setup (even if it isnt 100% reliable due to few bosses being knockback-proof)

I know that this is unpopular but faster casting and echo are better candidates to remove if one has to remove a gem

my setup:


there is also another setup with slow proj + aoe + faster casting but im unfamiliar with it

a note on knockback: fending is an option but its location is such that it pretty much should be avoided (AOE nodes are the most important). Other option is Projectile Weakness curse that not only provides knockback but also significant MORE multiplier.

not that it matters, but i managed 100% knockback chance to beat myself. remembering curse on hit's quality effect. pretty lame but counts, but thats not important. fending isn't important but it was a nice little nudge and distance boost. with only +1 gems, knockback chance is 70% (from 45 + 25).

goal gem 6 links: slow proj, knockback, light pen, CoCS/echo, molten strike/spectral throw/added chaos
5 link would be without echo and use life leech unless using CI. i'd prefer inc AoE but... eh? at this point.

20 units/sec speed of travel (rounded up), then if all passives: 18 radius (rounded down).
distance traveled between each burst 4 = 20 / 5 (rate divided by interval). base knockback distance is also 4 units. average of 3.5 number of hits for 5 hits a second will knockback, so 4 *3.5 = 14 average distance pushed in a second.
14 < 18, spell will hit 4.5 times in its radius if no knockback (and foe is stationary and not in face of caster) [radius / distance traveled per hit] or 18 / 4.
both echo and (lv 19+1) inc AoE will ensure foes stay way and always in range. spell will hit 6 times in its radius maximum under the somewhat unrealistic condition via using inc AoE. echo would be probability of .3 *.3 = .09 or 9% chance of not being pushed back. however there is delay on echo's part equal to casting differences.

i don't care about damage but the above links is relatively best =p

and how that math looks like with 104% inc aoe and 48% knockback? mark listed radius as '16' units

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sidtherat wrote:

This also applies to rares/bosses that in general ignore curses (12% effectiveness?)

Right, curses aren't too effective on some enemies, rogue exiles have curse effect reduced by 50%, map bosses by 60% and for act bosses it's 70%. Penetration be very mandatory.

I think Mark said radius is 12.

Ball Lightning have a Bug :

"area of effect damage" passive nodes do nothing.

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play2013 wrote:

Ball Lightning have a Bug :

"area of effect damage" passive nodes do nothing.

that is normal, because it is not AoE damage. it is a projectile that shoots foes during its life in a range. AoE radius is used because thats what most skills use for range.

BL + knockback is nothing to do.

Cast when Damage Taken + Frost Wall is better.

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play2013 wrote:

BL + knockback is nothing to do.

Cast when Damage Taken + Frost Wall is better.

what you do is you claim that 'planes cant fly!'

YOU cannot make BL work, others CAN do that. it is a problem on YOUR side. YOU cannot make it work - start from learning how this skill work. in short - LEARN TO PLAY. whining is not going to change anything.

teach us pls

Having alot of fun so far with Ball Lightning. This is the first time in like 8 months (Maybe more) that I've stuck with a character passed level 40.


My Shadow is level 59 and currently using Ball Lightning with Life Leech, Slower Projectiles, Lightning Penetration, and Increased AoE. Once I get enough %lightning life leech on my gear, I will switch Life Leech out for Knockback (To try it out) or I might try getting another blue socket and throwing in a spell echo.

Seems to be killing stuff efficiently enough right now. Im in Act 2 Merciless and stuff is dying pretty fast. I dont really have any issues with the skill right no per se, but I think it would've been alot better if I started from either the Marauder/Templar start. This way, I could've got the Fending Passive and obtained a 100% knockback rate. I will stick with my shadow though and see where it takes me. I'm going to try a crit build with BL eventually when I get enough currency.

(Notable Passives: EB for High Mana Sustain. Im using Discipline and Clarity at the moment with Purity of Lightning Available when I need it. Might try out going MoM if my mana pool can handle it.)