Lightning Conduit
Elementalist Build

Updated for Patch 3.26

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The Lightning Conduit is a very powerful combo Spell that consumes Shock on your Enemies to deal a massive amount of Damage. It can't Shock by itself, which means you will have to use a second Skill to apply it. It is nearly impossible to effectively automate it - the passive sources of Shock, such as Shocked Ground or Skitterbots, have a significant Cooldown on reapplying that effect. The best option for that is Orb of Storms. It creates a stationary Orb that periodically strikes nearby Enemies with Lightning Bolt, but it also triggers every time you cast a Lightning Spell in its proximity. It is slightly faster than Lightning Conduit, meaning it will always apply Shock just before the Conduit consumes it to deal Damage. The Cast Speed is always a useful modifier for Casters, but here it is especially important. It smoothens out the two-button rotation, and you can't use the Spell Echo Support, as the additional Repeat does not trigger Orb of Storm's extra Strike, and thus Lightning Conduit will have no Shock to Consume. 

The recently updated Elementalist Ascendency is a must-pick for this Skill. The Shaper of Storms now always applies at least 25% Shock with any Hit, which can very easily be scaled up to 65% with Effect of Lightning or Non-Damaging Ailments, which means over 300% More Damage for the Lightning Conduit. Of course, the Shock itself also increases the Damage taken by Enemies by 65%. The updated Liege of the Primordial also became a much more efficient route to scale your Damage. It now requires just 2 Ascendency Points instead of 4 to get the full benefits, making it much easier to approach. On top of that, the base Golem Effects are considerably stronger, and have additional bonuses such as Mana Regeneration or Global Defenses. 

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1. Gameplay

Use Orb of Storms to Shock nearby Enemies, and consume it with the Lightning Conduit. The Orb can strike over 30 times, so you don't have to refresh it very often against Bosses. To move around, use Shield Charge or Frostblink. They can also be used to Shock weaker Enemies, which saves you some time during Clearing Maps. To empower your Damage against Bosses, you should put down the Sigil of Power and apply Assassin's Mark. 

2. Build's PROS & CONS

3. Leveling tips

The leveling process is very easy and straightforward. The Lightning Conduit unlocks at level 28, but it also requires the Shaper of Storms Notable. We recommend leveling up to that point with Lightning Tendrils, which you will unlock at the very first visit in town. Even though the final Build uses Chaos Innoculation Keystone, during the Campaign, you should invest only in the maximum Life. The Energy Shield is heavily dependent on your Items and requires plenty of investments to be effective. 

Bandits:

Kill all three bandits to get one additional Passive Skill Point, or kill Alira to help with Gearing. 

Leveling Skill Trees:
31 Points Passive Tree
Pick up increases for the Lightning Spell Damage. You will also need maximum Life and a bit of Mana sustain. 

69 Points Passive Tree
Get extra Golems and start investing in Critical Strike Chance. A bit of extra maximum Life and Spell Suppression will greatly help with survivability. 

4. Final Skill Tree, Ascendancy Points, and Pantheon

Final Skill Tree:

110 Points Final Passive Tree (doesn't include Cluster or Unique Jewels)
120 Points Path of Building (PoB) link

Ascendancy points:

Preferably in that order:

1. Shaper of Storms 
2. Liege of Primordial
3. Mastermind of Discord
4. Heart of Destruction

Pantheon:

Major God: Soul of the Brine King: You cannot be Stunned if you've been Stunned or Blocked a Stunning Hit in the past 2 seconds

Minor God: Soul of Ralakesh: 25% reduced Physical Damage over Time taken while moving, Moving while Bleeding doesn't cause you to take extra Damage

5. Final Gems links

[DPS] Lightning Conduit Setup
	Lightning Conduit - consumes the Shock effect on all Enemies within radius to deal a massive amount of Damage based on the Shock Effect. It deals no Damage if there are no Shocks at all.
	Elemental Focus Support - This spell can't inflict Shock by default, so the downside of Elemental Focus is not that impactful. However, it will hinder your Clear Speed as you won't be able to Freeze and Shatter Enemies, so it can be replaced by Innervate Support for easier content.
	Arcane Surge Support
	Inspiration Support
	Increased Critical Damage Support
	Added Lightning Damage Support

[Utility] Orb of Storms Setup
	Orb of Storms - strikes nearby Enemies with Chaining Bolts that inflict heavy Shock. It triggers additional Bolts when you use Lightning Conduit within its proximity.
	Increased Critical Strikes Support - your Critical Strikes inflict stronger Ailments thanks to the Critical Strike Mastery.
	Chain Support
	Unbound Ailments Support

[UTILITY] Aura Setup
	Grace - a very useful defensive Aura that grants you tons of Evasion Rating.
	Discipline - another important defensive Aura, this one grants you extra Energy Shield. Keep in mind the Vaal Discipline can't be used due to the Ghost Reaver Keystone.
	Tempest Shield - improves your Spell Block Chance and makes you immune to Shock.
	Herald of Ice - Shattering an Enemy creates a Cold explosion that can finish the rest of the monster pack, or inflict Shock for the Lightning Conduit. You can also use the Arctic Armour for extra defense.
	Enlighten Support

[UTILITY] Golem Setup
	Summon Flame Golem - improves your Damage and Area of Effect.
	Summon Stone Golem - grants you a lot of Life Regeneration, which will be converted into Energy Shield Regeneration.
	Summon Lightning Golem - massively improves your Cast Speed and Mana Regeneration.
	Summon Ice Golem - improves your Critical Strike Chance. At later stages, it becomes redundant and should be replaced with a defensive option.
	Summon Stone Golem of Safeguarding - absorbs a large amount of incoming Melee Damage.

[UTILITY] Movement Setup
	Frostblink - an instant teleport that also creates Chilling Ground that slows down nearby Enemies.
	Shield Charge - a fast Charge towards the targeted location. You can also use Frostblink of Wintry Blast if you have high enough Cast Speed.
	Faster Attacks Support - improves the Attack Speed of your Shield Charge. Use Faster Casting Support if you use the Frostblink variant instead.

[UTILITY] Optional Utility Setups
	Assassin's Mark - a Mark that improves your Critical Strikes against the target and allows you to generate Power Charges.
	Sigil of Power -  creates a Sigil on the ground that improves as you keep spending Mana while inside it. It will improve your Damage and weaken the Enemies.

6. Gear Setup

The Spell Caster setups are quite typical and full of Rare Items. You will need bonuses for Gem Levels, increases to your Spell Damage and Critical Strikes, as well as Cast Speed and flat Lightning Damage. There are no mandatory Unique Items here, although the extra Quality from the Ashes of the Stars provides both Damage for the Lightning Conduit, as well as the extra Utility for your Golems, Shield Charge, and Orb of Storms. For defense, you will use a mix of pure Energy Shield items and hybrid Energy Shield and Evasion bases. Doing so will allow you to retain a high amount of Energy Shield and Evade Chance while also nearly capping the Spell Suppression Chance. 

(Helmet) Rare ES Helmet - your Helmet should be a pure ES base to maximize the benefits of the Energy Shield Mastery. It can still provide a bit of Spell Suppression via the Crafting Bench.

Min. requirements: +350 to Energy Shield 40% total Elemental Resistance Optional affixes: #% of Physical Damage from Hits taken as Chaos Damage (Eater) 8% increased Cast Speed (Exarch) #% chance to Suppress Spell Damage

(Weapon) Rare Wand -  you will want increases to Lightning or Spell Damage, added Flat Lightning Damage for Spells, extra Gem Levels, Cast Speed, and Critical Strike Chance and Multiplier.

Min. requirements: 80% increased Spell Damage 25% increased Cast Speed 80% increased Spell Critical Strike Chance Optional affixes: Adds # to # Lightning Damage to Spells +1 to Level of all Lightning Spell Skill Gems % to Global Critical Strike Multiplier % chance to deal Double Damage

(Off-hand) Rare ES Shield - you should balance the offensive and defensive modifiers to your preferences here. It can provide you tons of Energy Shield, Block Chance, and Spell Suppression, but it can also grant a lot of Damage via Gem Levels, Spell Damage, and Critical Strike Chance for Spells.

Min. requirements: +350 to Energy Shield Optional affixes: % increased Spell Damage % increased Spell Critical Strike Chance +1 to Level of all Lightning Spell Skill Gems % chance to deal Double Damage % increased Chance to Block % chance to Suppress Spell Damage

(Body Armour) Rare ES/Evasion Body Armour - here you will need a high amount of Energy Shield and Evasion Rating, but the Spell Suppression is also important. It can also grant you Frenzy Charges, improve your Block Chance, and shift Physical Damage to be taken as Chaos Damage, for which you are immune.

Min. requirements: +500 to Energy Shield +1800 to Evasion Rating 20% chance to Suppress Spell Damage Optional affixes: % increased Chance to Block Elemental Resistance % of Physical Damage from Hits taken as Chaos Damage (Eater) Gain a Frenzy Charge every 15 seconds (Exarch)

(Belt) Rare Belt - there are plenty of options here. You can use the Stygian Vise to get an additional Abyss Jewel or Crystal Belt for a solid amount of flat Energy Shield. For its modifiers, it can provide even more Energy Shield, Strength, cover lacking Resistance, and improve your Flasks, depending on what your Build needs the most at the given moment.

Optional affixes: Regenerate 150 Energy Shield per second while a Rare or Unique Enemy is Nearby +# to maximum Energy Shield #% increased maximum Energy Shield (Crusader Influence) #% Elemental Resistance +# to Strength #% increased Flask Charges gained #% increased Flask Effect Duration

(Gloves) Rare ES/Eva Gloves - another defensive piece, look for high Energy Shield, Spell Suppression, and Elemental Resistance. Use Eldritch Influence to get Unnerve and Lightning Exposure. The Exposure will be overwritten by your Mercenary, but it is still useful for Clearing and Mana Sustain.

Min. requirements: +100 to Energy Shield +70% to Elemental Resistances +10% chance to Suppress Spell Damage Optional affixes: 15% chance to Unnerve Enemies for 4 seconds on Hit (Exarch) Inflict Lightning Exposure on Hit, applying -11% to Lightning Resistance (Eater) +# to Dexterity

(Boots) Rare Boots - those are quite similar to your Gloves, but provide even less Energy Shield, as you will have to sacrifice one Prefix to get Movement Speed.

Min. requirements: +100 to Energy Shield +70% to Elemental Resistances +25% increased Movement Speed +10% chance to Suppress Spell Damage Optional affixes: #% increased Action Speed (Exarch) #% chance to Avoid Bleeding (Eater) +# to Dexterity

(Amulet) Ashes of the Stars - the Quality bonus on the Lightning Conduit significantly improves your Damage based on the Shock you inflict. It will also improve the effect of your Golems and speed up your Shield Charge.

+(10-16) to all Attributes (5-10)% increased Experience Gain of Gems +1 to Level of all Skill Gems +(20-30)% to Quality of all Skill Gems

(Amulet) Rare Amulet - at first, getting Gear with Suppression while capping Resistance and fulfilling Attribute Requirements will be hard. Use a Rare Amulet to help solve those problems.

Min. requirements: +70% to Elemental Resistances +1 to Level of all Lightning Skill Gems Optional affixes: +# to Dexterity +# to Strength

(Ring) Rare Ring - the Energy Shield modifiers on your Rings are not impressive unless you add the Crusader Influence. We recommend buying a Ring with Fractured Cast Speed and using Essence of Scorn until you get one high Resistance or Attribute, and craft the Mana Cost Reduction.

Min. requirements: +60% to Elemental Resistances 15% increased Cast Speed Optional affixes: Attributes #% increased Mana Regeneration Rate % increased maximum Energy Shield (Crusader Influence) Non-Channelling Skills have -(7-6) to Total Mana Cost % to Global Critical Strike Multiplier

(Jewel) Large Cluster Jewels - you can opt for the pure Damage Notables, but if you can't reliably inflict 65% Shock, you should get Notables that boost the effects of your Non-Damaging Ailments.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Disorienting Display 1 Added Passive Skill is Inspired Oppression 1 Added Passive Skill is Overshock 1 Added Passive Skill is Prismatic Heart 1 Added Passive Skill is Stormrider

(Jewel) Medium Cluster Jewels - here you should significantly improve your Critical Strikes and get a chance to deal Double Damage. You could also improve your Shocks here, but it is better done elsewhere.

Recommended affixes: 1 Added Passive Skill is Basics of Pain 1 Added Passive Skill is Pressure Points

(Jewel) Watcher's Eye - look for offensive modifiers for Wrath and Zealotry, but do not neglect the powerful defensive bonuses of the Grace Aura. Elemental Penetration is weak for this Setup.

Recommended affixes: (70-100)% increased Critical Strike Chance while affected by Wrath (40-60)% increased Lightning Damage while affected by Wrath (10-15)% increased Cast Speed while affected by Zealotry Consecrated Ground you create while affected by Zealotry causes enemies to take (8-10)% increased Damage (100-120)% increased Critical Strike Chance against Enemies on Consecrated Ground while affected by Zealotry +(5-8)% chance to Evade Attack Hits while affected by Grace +(12-15)% chance to Suppress Spell Damage while affected by Grace

(Jewel) Brutal Restraint - this Jewel adds certain modifiers to nearby Notables. The bonuses are random, but they always grant tons of Dexterity, which is useful to fulfill the requirements.

Denoted service of (500-8000) dekhara in the akhara of (Asenath-Balbala-Nasima) Passives in radius are Conquered by the Maraketh Historic

(Flask) Oriath's End - This flask massively improves your Clear Speed by creating explosions. It should be one of your first purchases to make the Build more enjoyable, but it is not necessary for functionality.

(20-40)% increased Charge Recovery Enemies you Kill during Effect have a (20-30)% chance to Explode, dealing a tenth of their maximum Life as Damage of a Random Element

(Flask) Bottled Faith - a very powerful offensive Flask that massively increases your Critical Strike Chance and Damage against Enemies standing on the Consecrated Ground.

(30-15)% reduced Duration Consecrated Ground created by this Flask has Tripled Radius Consecrated Ground created during Effect applies (7-10)% increased Damage taken to Enemies (100-150)% increased Critical Strike Chance against Enemies on Consecrated Ground during Effect

Suggested Flasks: Quartz Flask with Curse Effect Reduction modifier Jade Flask with an increased Evasion Rating modifier Diamond Flask with an increased Critical Strike modifier Quicksilver Flask with an increased Movement Speed modifier

6. Mercenary Setup

In the Mercenaries of Trarthus League, the Mercenaries became an essential part of every Build. They require a bit of investment to stay alive in the hardest content, but it is definitely worth the effort. The Lightning Builds benefit the most out of all Archetypes, as you can trivialise the Doryani's Prototype to get massive bonuses without dealing with the downsides of this Armour. You also get the Lucky Hit Chance, which is very valuable for the wide range of Lightning Damage. 

The Mercenary of choice is the Fallen Reverend, as it can give you both offensive Auras. 

[UTILITY] Mercenary Setup Fallen Reverend
	Wrath - an offensive Aura that improves your Lightning Damage with Spells.
	Zealotry -  another offensive Aura, it grants you Damage and Critical Strike Chance. If you can't find both of them at once, choose the one with matching Watcher's Eye modifiers.

(Helmet) Volls Devotion - provides a massive amount of Life Regeneration, but you have to avoid using Corrupted Items.

+(260-300) to Armour +(26-32)% to Fire Resistance +(8-16)% to Chaos Resistance 20% increased Light Radius (8-12)% increased Maximum Life if no Equipped Items are Corrupted Regenerate 400 Life per second if no Equipped Items are Corrupted

(Body Armour) Doryani's Prototype - with this Armour your Mercenary will overwrite Enemy Lightning Resistances with his own, which you can bring down up to -200%. Thanks to the hidden Damage Reduction of the Mercenaries, it doesn't put them at risk of dying to Lightning Damage at all.

(150-200)% increased Armour and Energy Shield +(60-90) to maximum Life Deal no Non-Lightning Damage Armour also applies to Lightning Damage taken from Hits Lightning Resistance does not affect Lightning Damage taken Nearby Enemies have Lightning Resistance equal to yours

(Amulet) Perquil's Toe - this Amulet makes your Hits Lucky, which is very powerful for the Lightning Archetypes.

(12-20)% increased Rarity of Items found +(40-50) to Dexterity (5-8)% increased Movement Speed Lightning Damage of Enemies Hitting you is Lucky Nearby Allies' Damage with Hits is Lucky

(Belt) Immortal Flesh - another powerful source of Life Regeneration. It also lowers all Elemental Resistances, which in this case is a benefit as it will contribute towards the Doryani's Prototype.

+(25-40) to maximum Life +(75-100) to maximum Life Regenerate (200-350) Life per second Regenerate (8-10) Mana per second -(25-15)% to all Elemental Resistances -(50-40) Physical Damage taken from Attack Hits 40% increased Armour while not Ignited, Frozen or Shocked

(Rings) Rare Rings - with the special Mirrored Jewellery, you can lower the Mercenary's Resistance down to -200%. Achieving that amount will be expensive; you should start with lower rolls to ensure your Mercenary can stay alive.

Min. requirements: -30% to Lightning Resistance Optional affixes: Fire, Cold, and Chaos Resistance Maximum Life

If you have any other build requests please leave that in the comments below. We are always open to suggestions and constructive feedback.

Pictures used in this article are the intellectual property of Grinding Gear Games.