Uliana Seven-Sided Strike Monk Speed Farming Variation

Last updated on Jan 08, 2024 at 09:00 by Deadset 30 comments
Build Variations Updated for Season 30, Patch 2.7.7 Main Build Solo Greater Rift Progression Nephalem Rift Farming
1.

Speed Farming

The Uliana Seven-Sided Strike Monk deals with regular Rift farming decently all the way through the highest Torments, making it a viable build for the task. We have solo speed GR rankings and solo speed T16 rankings if you want to know more about which builds are best for speed farming.

Within the limited scope of regular difficulties, the necessary damage and toughness to triumph over the enemy is significantly smaller. Thus, your best course of action is to improve utility and speed.

Active Skills
Left Mouse Button Exploding Palm Icon Exploding Palm Impending Doom Impending Doom Right Mouse Button Cyclone Strike Icon Cyclone Strike Implosion Implosion 1 Epiphany Icon Epiphany Insight Insight 2 Dashing Strike Icon Dashing Strike Quicksilver Quicksilver 3 Seven-Sided Strike Icon Seven-Sided Strike Sustained Attack Sustained Attack 4 Mantra of Conviction Icon Mantra of Conviction Annihilation Annihilation
Passive Skills
2.

Adapting Rotation

When you are speed farming regular rifts, parts of your playstyle will adapt to the lowered challenge and focus more on speed and utility.

When farming, the Uliana Monk beelines directly to the densest fight possible, using a combination of Dashing Strike Dashing Strike Quicksilver Quicksilver and Mantra of Conviction Mantra of Conviction Annihilation Annihilation for mobility. Due to the powers of Madstone Madstone, your Seven-Sided Strike Seven-Sided Strike will apply Exploding Palm Exploding Palm on its own, so you can simply focus on chaining elite kills to keep In-geom In-geom procced for infinite Dashing Strike Dashing Strike mobility. If monsters are spread too far apart, pull them in with Cyclone Strike Cyclone Strike Implosion Implosion and resume the Seven-Sided Strike Seven-Sided Strike devastation. Reapply the powerful Spirit regeneration from of Epiphany Epiphany Insight Insight on cooldown.

3.

Adapting Skills

During regular Rift farm, the timing and density-sensitive, additive damage increase of Assimilation Assimilation is excessive; it can be replaced by the movement speed boost from Mantra of Conviction Mantra of Conviction Annihilation Annihilation (even more useful when grouped up, due to its party-wide nature).

Finalize the speed farming build with a swap of Blinding Speed Blinding Speed to either Quicksilver Quicksilver for the extra charge (in T16 rift farming, since elite kills are easier to chain) or Way of the Falling Star Way of the Falling Star for the sizable increase of post-Dashing Strike Dashing Strike movement speed (in bounties, where greater distance crossed is more important).

In your passive selection, keep Beacon of Ytar Beacon of Ytar for the Cooldown Reduction, and add some upfront damage with Momentum Momentum and Seize the Initiative Seize the Initiative. If you trust your survivability, you can consider dropping Near Death Experience Near Death Experience for some extra movespeed via Fleet Footed Fleet Footed.

4.

Adapting Gear

You will still be taking advantage of the full 6-piece set bonuses of Uliana by wearing 5 pieces plus a Ring of Royal Grandeur Ring of Royal Grandeur in the Cube. However instead of the Cpt. Crimson set, you will be including a Madstone Madstone as your helm and Goldwrap Goldwrap as your belt. Madstone Madstone applies Exploding Palm Exploding Palms so you do not have to do it manually, adding a lot of convenience to a speed farming spec. Goldwrap Goldwrap offers near-invulnerability through its interaction with a socketed Boon of the Hoarder Boon of the Hoarder and an Avarice Band Avarice Band (on your Follower or yourself).

A progression-oriented combo like Convention of Elements Convention of Elements and the Endless Walk set will be too slow, defensive and timing-dependent for farming purposes. Convention of Elements Convention of Elements is best replaced by a Cold damage Stone of Jordan Stone of Jordan which offers a smaller, but constant elemental damage bonus (instead of CoE's cyclical). It also adds a constant Elite damage increase on top. Note that SoJ is recommended for solo farming, since your Follower can wear Avarice Band Avarice Band and "Emanate" its valuable pickup radius effect to you as if you wore it yourself. When group farming, equip the Avarice yourself in SoJ's place. Your other ring should be Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac Obsidian Ring of the Zodiac for the Cooldown Reduction, and your amulet should be either Squirt's Necklace Squirt's Necklace (solo), or The Flavor of Time The Flavor of Time (groups).

Finally, you should swap one of the dedicated Seven-Sided Strike Seven-Sided Strike legendary weapons for In-geom In-geom during regular Rifts, as the cooldown reduction procs of the latter will ensure your near-limitless mobility and damage potential as long as you maintain elite killing streaks. Our general recommendation is to swap Lion's Claw Lion's Claw and keep a The Fist of Az'Turrasq The Fist of Az'Turrasq plus In-geom In-geom combo.

Slot Pieces Stat Priority
Head
  1. Dexterity
  2. Socket
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Exploding Palm Damage %
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Crowd Control Reduction (Secondary Stat)
Shoulders
  1. Dexterity
  2. Cooldown Reduction
  3. Area Damage
  4. All Resistance (guaranteed; can roll to RCR)
  5. Pickup Radius (Secondary Stat)
  6. Health Globe Healing Bonus (Secondary Stat)
Torso
  1. Dexterity
  2. 3 Sockets
  3. Vitality
  4. Reduced damage from Elites
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat))
  6. Melee or Missile Damage Reduction (Secondary Stat)
Wrists
  1. Dexterity
  2. Critical Hit Chance
  3. Cold Damage %
  4. Vitality
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
Hands
  1. Dexterity
  2. Dexterity (replaced by Area Damage at High Paragons)
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Critical Hit Damage
  5. Cooldown Reduction
  6. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  7. Pickup Radius (Secondary Stat)
Waist
  1. Dexterity
  2. Vitality
  3. Life %
  4. Life Regeneration
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat)
Legs
  1. Dexterity
  2. 2 Sockets
  3. Vitality
  4. Life Regeneration
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat)
Feet
  1. Dexterity
  2. Exploding Palm Damage %
  3. Vitality
  4. Life Regeneration
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Health Globe Healing Bonus (Secondary Stat)
Amulet
  1. Socket (guaranteed)
  2. Critical Hit Damage
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Cold Damage %
  5. Physical or Lightning Resistance (Secondary Stat)
  6. Melee or Missile Damage Reduction (Secondary Stat)
Ring #1
  1. Socket
  2. Critical Hit Damage
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Cooldown Reduction or Area Damage
Ring #2
  1. Socket
  2. Critical Hit Damage
  3. Critical Hit Chance
  4. Cooldown Reduction or Area Damage
Weapon #1
  1. High Weapon Damage
  2. Dexterity
  3. Socket (preferably from Ramaladni's Gift Ramaladni's Gift)
  4. Cooldown Reduction
  5. Area Damage
  6. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat if LpH not present)
Weapon #2
  1. High Weapon Damage
  2. Dexterity
  3. Socket (preferably from Ramaladni's Gift Ramaladni's Gift)
  4. Cooldown Reduction
  5. Area Damage
  6. Life per Kill (Secondary Stat if LpH not present)

To help you with farming the gear you need for your builds, we have two very useful guides that you can access by clicking the links below: a Salvage Guide to help you quickly check whether or not you can safely salvage a piece of gear and a Legendary Farming Guide to help you efficiently farm legendaries and set items.

4.1.

Altar of Rites

The former Season 28 theme, the Altar of Rites, has been revised and re-added to Diablo 3 as a permanent character progression mechanic. — For virtually all builds and players of all skill levels — from casual to advanced — we recommend progressing through the Altar tree using the path outlined below. The suggested path is geared towards maximum quality of life first, then amplifying damage, and then mopping up the tree with defensive and edge case utility nodes.

Note that while they require reaching them with a Seal, Legendary Potion Powers are not part of the Seal cost system; Potions unlock with a separate resource called Primordial Ashes, obtained from salvaging Legendary or Set items of Primal (red bordered) quality. Upgrade them as soon as possible, and in the order shown below (courtesy of Caleko's Altar of Rites planner).

Altar of Rites Planner

You can read more on the Altar of Rites, Seals and Legendary Potion Powers in our dedicated Altar of Rites Mechanics guide.

5.

Adapting Gems

Bane of the Trapped Bane of the Trapped astill brings excellent damage multiplication value to the build in speed farming.

In regular Rift farming, Bane of the Stricken Bane of the Stricken is best replaced by Boon of the Hoarder Boon of the Hoarder, whose interaction with Goldwrap Goldwrap and Avarice Band Avarice Band will keep you rich, safe and sped up throughout the rift.

Molten Wildebeest's Gizzard Molten Wildebeest's Gizzard is suggested in the third slot simply for the upkeep of Squirt's Necklace Squirt's Necklace bonuses; if you dislike playing with that amulet, you can viably alternate to Bane of the Powerful Bane of the Powerful here.

5.1.

Season 30 Soul Shards

In Season 30, your helm and weapon sockets will be taken over by the supremely powerful Soul Shards. For this variant, we recommend the following:

  • HelmFragment of Destruction with "When you apply a Mark of Destruction, you increase your movement speed by 5%" as its Rank 3 power. For optimization benefits, aim for Strength or Melee/Ranged Damage Reduction on its Rank 2 roll.
  • WeaponStain of Sin with "You gain an additional Rift Progress Orb when you kill an elite pack" as its Rank 3 power. For optimization benefits, aim for Skills % Increase (according to the element of your chosen Frenzy rune) or Weapon Damage Increase on its Rank 2 roll.
Slot Gems
Jewelry
Helm
Torso and Pants
Weapon

For more information about gems, please refer to our guide on gems.

6.

Adapting Kanai's Cube

The Flow of Eternity The Flow of Eternity is still a necessary part of a Seven-Sided Strike setup, taking up the weapon slot in the Cube.

To make up the loss of the cooldown reduction from the Cpt. Crimson set from progression, you should be using Leoric's Crown Leoric's Crown in the armor slot of the Cube. This legendary power will double the effectiveness of the gem socketed in your helm (Flawless Royal Diamond Flawless Royal Diamond with its CDR, in this case).

Lastly, in order to maintain the valuable 6-piece bonus of Uliana while using utility legendaries, you will need to cube a Ring of Royal Grandeur Ring of Royal Grandeur in the jewelry slot.

The Kanai's Cube can be used for much more than simply extracting Legendary powers from items. Please refer to our Kanai's Cube guide for more information.

7.

Follower

The recommended follower for this build during standard rift farming for keys is the Enchantress due to her numerous utility bonuses, allowing you to smooth out your speed runs even further.

For more information regarding followers, we advise you to read our Follower Guide, which contains detailed advice for choosing the skills and the gear of your follower.

8.

Legendary Potion

Your recommended potion is Bottomless Potion of the Tower Bottomless Potion of the Tower, whose Armor-increasing properties complement the naturally high All Resistances stat of Monks (due to Harmony Harmony) for optimal survivability.

9.

Changelog

  • 08 Jan. 2024: Revised guide for the permanent addition of the Altar of Rites, and added Season-specific Soul Shard recommendations.
  • 13 Sep. 2023: Added Season 29 Paragon Cap and Gearing recommendations.
  • 22 Feb. 2023: Added Season 28 Altar of Rites recommendations.
  • 26 Aug. 2022: Added Season 27 Angelic Crucible recommendations.
  • 14 Apr. 2022: Guide reviewed for Season 26.
  • 08 Dec. 2021: Minor gear revision; added Season 25 Soul Shard recommendations.
  • 21 Jul. 2021: Added Ethereal weapon recommendation for Season 24.
  • 01 Apr. 2021: Minor gearing revisions and added a follower recommendation.
  • 16 Nov. 2020: Added S22 Cube recommendation.
  • 01 Jul. 2020: No changes required for Season 21.
  • 12 Mar. 2020: No changes necessary for Season 20.
  • 21 Nov. 2019: Major revision to the guide to include the Sage's set and utility jewelry.
  • 23 Aug. 2019: Flavor of Time is now the recommended amulet.
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