Overview
This is a Monk that never stops moving. The build pairs Flicker Strike with Falling Thunder, spending power charges to deal high lightning damage while blinking across the screen. The trick is keeping the charge economy fed: Shattering Palm generates the fuel, and the minions it spawns build combo at a rapid pace that then feeds back into the same skills.
The engine is a specific link chain — Shattering Palm linked with Living Lightning Culmination and Alith’s Chimes, where Alith’s Chimes converts built-up combo into a chance for power charges. Several other, less reliable charge sources plus a high retention chance mean the build rarely runs dry, so Flicker keeps firing.
As a 0.5 update, it stays loyal to the Martial Artist ascendancy, which the creator argues remains the best home for power-charge play until a stronger charge-generation tech shows up.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Extremely fast, dash-through-the-map clear speed via Flicker Strike
- Cheap to start: the key uniques (Alith’s Chimes, Forgotten Warden) are dirt cheap and not strictly required
- Falling Thunder scales cleanly with maximum power charges and crit
- Chaos Inoculation + near-instant ES recharge gives a strong defensive base
Cons
- Boss damage is variable and gear-dependent (penetration, max charges, gem levels, crit)
- Poor ES recovery when caught mid-combat — durability is the build’s blind spot
- Combo/charge chain is fiddly to set up correctly (the Living Lightning + Shattering Palm link is easy to get wrong)
Key Skills
- Flicker Strike — mobility and clear, spends power charges
- Falling Thunder — main damage payload, scales with max power charges and crit
- Shattering Palm — power-charge and combo generation via its lightning minions
- Living Lightning Culmination + Alith’s Chimes — the combo-to-charge conversion that powers the loop
Gear & Anointments
Weapon is a charge staff to enable Mantra of Destruction and staff scaling. Defensively the build goes Chaos Inoculation on energy shield, leaning on the near-zero ES recharge delay, then layers evasion and deflection rating on top. Uniques are optional but recommended: Alith’s Chimes and Forgotten Warden patch the durability blind spot cheaply. Rares can be as expensive or as budget as you like — “good enough” rolls work fine. Specific uniques and passive/anoint choices to be confirmed against the source video.
Credits & Source
Build credited to Odealo. See the source video for the full build’s gameplay footage + voice commentary: Flicker Strike Martial Artist Patch 0.5 Update - Path of Exile 2 Build Guide.