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Lightning Fury Amazon Guide

Season 8

Last Updated:October 10, 2024|Change Log

The Lightning Fury/Charged Strike Amazon, aka “Javazon, is the most powerful and versatile Amazon build from mid-Nightmare onwards. The Javazon effortlessly plows through densely packed mobs with Lightning Fury, while simultaneously boasting unrivaled single target Damage with Charged Strike. From Cow culling to Boss melting, this lady is a meat grinder. She really puts on a show with Lightning Bolts scattering across the screen!

The Javazon primarily deals Lightning Damage with some Physical Damage mixed in. Lightning Immunity tends to be the easiest Immunity to break with Conviction Aura from an Infinity-equipped Mercenary. Along with Crack of the Heavens, Infinity allows this build to destroy absolutely everything. This positions the Lightning Fury Amazon as an ultimate powerhouse in the late-game. However, because most Hell areas contain Lightning Immune monsters, farming options are limited without Crack of the Heavens or Infinity. In spite of this, this build is among the strongest starting options due to Lightning Fury's insane clear speed.

Ideal Standard Setup
Ideal Standard Setup


Lightning Fury


Charged Strike


Jab


Teleport

This build guide assumes you have a Character at Level 75 before transitioning to it. It follows the progression of our Amazon Leveling Guide and our General Leveling Strategies to reach Level 75.

Top Boss Killer ✔
Easy To Learn And Master ✔
Top-Tier Density Destroyer ✔
Clears All Content In Late-Game ✔

❌ Repetitive Skill Usage
❌ Slow Cast Animations
❌ Lack Of Damage Type Diversity
❌ Requires GG Gear For Full Potential

Sunder Charm Setup

Patch 2.5 introduced a new way of breaking Immunities: Sunder Charms. Any enemy that would be Immune to your damage type is instead reduced to 95% Resistance, before any other Resistance reductions apply. The Charm also reduces YOUR Resistance against the sundered damage type! Check out our post on Sunder Charms to learn more about these new Charms. The following setup uses Crack of the Heavens, allowing you to farm anywhere you want.

Sunder Charm Setup
Sunder Charm Setup

Gear Changes

To optimize this Sunder Charm you need as much -% Enemy Lightning Resistance as possible. Equip Thunderstroke and Griffon's Eye to accomplish this. Infinity on your Mercenary makes this setup even more effective. Achieve the 99% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint using the rest of your gear.

Counteract the negative effect of Crack of the Heavens with Lightning Resistance Charms, Gloves, Boots, or Jewelry.

Terror Zones

The new Terror Zone mechanic combined with Sunder Charms open up a wide range of farmable areas. The following list highlights the best and worst Terror Zones for this build. With the Sunder Charm Setup, more Terror Zones become accessible. Learn more about Terror Zones here and see how they stack up in our Terror Zone Tier List.

Best

The Secret Cow Level - High Density, No Immunities
Pit - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities
Arcane Sanctuary - No Immunities, Quick Access, Super Chests
Halls of Anguish + Halls of Pain + Halls of Vaught - High Density, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities
Worldstone Keep + Throne of Destruction - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities

Worst

Stony Field - Immunities, Low Density
Spider Forest + Spider Cavern - Immunities, Trash Mobility, Few Elite Groups
Rocky Waste + Stony Tomb - Immunities, Trash Mobility, Slow Access, High Elemental Damage
Cold Plains + The Cave - Immunities, Low Density, Trash Mobility
Burial Grounds + Crypt + Mausoleum - Immunities, Low Density, Trash Mobility, Slow Access

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Pierce
3. Dodge
4. Avoid
5. Evade
6. Slow Missiles
7. Decoy
8. Valkyrie

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Fury
2. Charged Strike
3. Lightning Strike
4. Power Strike
5. Lightning Bolt

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Damage

Utility

Attributes

Note: This section provides you with the standard Stat Point allocation. Build Variants may require different allocations!

Strength

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Strength your gear provides when equipped.

Dexterity

Allocate enough Stat Points into Dexterity to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Dexterity your gear provides when equipped.

Vitality

Allocate any remaining Stat Points into Vitality after meeting Strength, Dexterity and Energy requirements.

Energy

Do not allocate any Stat Points into Energy. Mana costs are covered by “x% Mana stolen per hit” and "Mana after each Kill" on your gear; they are also covered by Mana from gear, buffs, Charms, Mana Potions, and Redemption Aura provided by Phoenix on Weapon-Swap.

Essentials

Gear Options

Farming Spots

Mercenary

Playstyle

Breakpoints

Hardcore

Build Variants

Starter
Budget
Standard
Mobility/Magic Find
Boss Killing
Ubers
Hardcore

Setup

In almost every regard, the Starter variant of the Lightning Fury Amazon is what you end up with by following the Amazon Leveling Guide. This setup meets the minimum gear requirements for farming the Starter tagged areas in the "Farming Spots" section above. These areas can be Solo-farmed by this setup (/Players1 on Single Player) in both Nightmare and Hell difficulty. The Starter build can even farm The Secret Cow Level with 3 Players in the game (/Players3). Prioritize Increased Attack Speed, Resistances, Faster Run/Walk, + to Skills, Life, and the Cannot Be Frozen stat on your gear. Achieving the 52% Increased Attack Speed (IAS) Breakpoint for Lightning Fury is ideal, while 30% IAS is needed at minimum. Depending on the farm, use a Lower Resist Charge Wand, Teleport Charge Staff, or Harmony on Weapon-Swap (or a combination thereof).

Mercenary

The Starter Lightning Fury Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Insight for Mana Regeneration. This helps with Lightning Fury's high Mana cost. Mercenaries require Resistances, Life Leech, and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive. Smoke is a cheap Body Armor option for Resistances, while Bulwark is the cheapest Helmet that provides Life Leech and Damage Reduction.

Skills

Allocate enough Skill Points into Pierce to achieve 82% Chance to Pierce. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Pierce
3. Dodge
4. Avoid
5. Evade
6. Slow Missiles
7. Decoy
8. Valkyrie

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Fury
2. Charged Strike
3. Lightning Strike
4. Power Strike
5. Lightning Bolt

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality. You can also choose to allocate enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%) with Rhyme.

Setup

The Budget Lightning Fury Amazon achieves solid results with gear that is much easier to acquire than the gear on the Standard Build. This setup can farm the Starter tagged areas in the "Farming Spots" section above faster than the Starter one; it can also farm them on higher Player Count. These lower-end gear options still provide solid Attack Speed, Damage, Faster Run/Walk, Resistances, Damage Reduction, Life/Attributes, and the Cannot Be Frozen stat. Razortail allows this setup to achieve 100% Chance to Pierce. Just as with the Starter Build, use a Lower Resist Charge Wand, Teleport Charge Staff, or Harmony on Weapon-Swap (or a combination thereof) depending on the farm. If you have them available, use Crack of the Heavens and Thunderstroke to kill Lightning Immunes. The Budget variant achieves the 89% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint for Lightning Fury.

Mercenary

Because Infinity is a luxury your Budget Lightning Fury Amazon cannot afford, use an Insight on an Act 2 Might Mercenary for Mana Regeneration. Also use Treachery and Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest for the tank stats they provide. This Mercenary is better at surviving and dealing damage than the Starter one.

Skills

Achieve Level 9 Pierce with Razortail equipped. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Pierce
3. Dodge
4. Avoid
5. Evade
6. Slow Missiles
7. Decoy
8. Valkyrie

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Fury
2. Charged Strike
3. Lightning Strike
4. Power Strike
5. Lightning Bolt

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

This is the Standard Best in Slot (BiS) Lightning Fury Amazon featured in the beginning of the guide. It is the balanced "jack-of-all-trades" version, capable of performing the most tasks well. This variant is the point of comparison for all other variants. It carefully balances Damage, Magic Find, and mobility. This is also the ideal setup for the Javazon's best Farming Spot: The Secret Cow Level. 100% Chance to Pierce made possible by Razortail maximizes the effectiveness of Lightning Fury for slaughtering dense herds of Hell Bovines (Cows). Use Crack of the Heavens and Thunderstroke to destroy Lightning Immunes. The Standard Build achieves the 52% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint for Lightning Fury and the 68% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint for Teleport mobility.

Mercenary

The Standard Lightning Fury Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Infinity for -85% to Enemy Lightning Resistance from its Conviction Aura. Fortitude and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor maximize this Mercenary's damage and survivability.

Skills

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Pierce
3. Dodge
4. Avoid
5. Evade
6. Slow Missiles
7. Decoy
8. Valkyrie

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Fury
2. Charged Strike
3. Lightning Strike
4. Power Strike
5. Lightning Bolt

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

This variant achieves the 99% Faster Cast Rate (FCR) Breakpoint for high Teleport cast speed. It also prioritizes Magic Find (MF) wherever possible. This setup excels at Teleporting to the Throne of Destruction (Baal) and farming areas which require long distance travel. Farming Spots such as The Pit, Arcane Sanctuary, Nihlathak, and Worldstone Keep are highly efficient on any Player Count. The Mobility/Magic Find Lightning Fury Amazon uses Arachnid Mesh and a Caster Crafted Amulet with at least 9% FCR or 19% FCR. It also stacks its inventory full of Magic Find Charms. Chance to Pierce, Attack Speed, and Damage are sacrificed for FCR and MF. You can also use a setup with Crack of the Heavens, Thunderstroke, Highlord's Wrath, Griffon's Eye socketed with a Cham Rune, and an extra 10% FCR Ring to destroy Lightning Immunes and achieve 52% IAS while not losing Attack Speed. This increases the frequency of repair trips, however. This build achieves the 30% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint for Lightning Fury and at least 82% Chance to Pierce.

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, the Mobility/Magic Find Lightning Fury Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Infinity, Fortitude, and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor.

Skills

You can choose to allocate additional Skill Points into Pierce for a higher Chance to Pierce without Razortail. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Pierce
3. Dodge
4. Avoid
5. Evade
6. Slow Missiles
7. Decoy
8. Valkyrie

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Fury
2. Charged Strike
3. Lightning Strike
4. Power Strike
5. Lightning Bolt

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength and Dexterity to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

This variant is designed to kill Act Bosses (like Baal), Mini Ubers (like Lilith), and Diablo Clone as fast as possible using Charged Strike. It is also the best setup for killing Uber Diablo and Uber Baal. Killing Uber Mephisto requires the "Ubers" variant, however. The Boss Killing Lightning Fury Amazon stacks as much -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance and + to Skills as possible. It also achieves the 50% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint for Charged Strike and the 68% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on Weapon-Swap for Teleport mobility. Thunderstroke, Griffon's Eye socketed with a 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facet, and Jeweler's Monarch of Deflecting socketed with 4x 5/5 Lightning Rainbow Facets are the core of this setup. You can use a Gemmed Monarch, Stormshield, or even a Spirit if you have not acquired the ultra-rare Jeweler's Monarch of Deflecting. Use a Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap to further increase your damage.

Mercenary

The Boss Killing Lightning Fury Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with an Infinity Mancatcher for fastest Attack Speed. This Base allows the Mercenary to proc Crushing Blow as often as possible. Treachery and Vampire Gaze socketed with a Scintillating Jewel of Fervor are used for high Attack Speed and survivability.

Skills

Because Charged Strike damage is the priority, max Lightning Fury last. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Pierce
3. Dodge
4. Avoid
5. Evade
6. Slow Missiles
7. Decoy
8. Valkyrie

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Charged Strike
2. Lightning Strike
3. Power Strike
4. Lightning Bolt
5. Lightning Fury

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

The Ubers variant specializes in defeating the Uber Bosses, particularly Uber Mephisto, using Charged Strike. -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance, + to Skills, Damage Reduction, Resistances, and Life are priority stats on this setup. Use Stormshield if you have not acquired the ultra-rare Jeweler's Monarch of Deflecting. Thundergod's Vigor and stacking Lightning Resistance allows this build to tank Uber Mephisto. Pre-buff Fade with Treachery prior to engaging the Ubers for massive boosts to Resistances and Damage Reduction. Using a Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap and Infinity on an Act 2 Mercenary enables you to maximize your damage output against all Uber Bosses except Uber Mephisto. The Ubers Lightning Fury Amazon achieves the 50% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint for Charged Strike.

Crack of the Heavens breaks Uber Mephisto's Lightning Immunity, allowing you to deal more damage to him. Use Lightning Resistance Charms to counteract its negative effect.

Mercenary

The Ubers Lightning Fury Amazon uses an Act 5 Frenzy Mercenary with 2x Plagues for their Lower Resist proc. This high Level Lower Resist breaks Uber Mephisto's Lightning Immunity. Vampire Gaze and Treachery make him tanky while avoiding high Defense.
Note: The Mercenary is notoriously hard to keep alive when facing Uber Bosses. Don't count on him always being alive.

Skills

Charged Strike damage and survivability are the focuses of this variant. Max Charged Strike and all of its Synergies. Allocate all remaining Skill Points into the Passive and Magic Skill Tree. Additional Skill Points into Dodge, Avoid, Evade, and Valkyrie improve your survivability. Lightning Fury is not used to kill the Ubers. Do not put Skill Points into Lightning Fury, Critical Strike, Penetrate, or Pierce.

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Setup

For the Hardcore mode variant, aim for 50% Damage Reduction and maximum Chance to Block (75%) to guard against taking extreme amounts of Physical Damage. Additionally, overcap Resistances beyond the natural cap of 75% if possible to counteract hostile Conviction or Lower Resist. If you choose to use Crack of the Heavens to destroy Lightning Immunes, use Lightning Resistance Charms to counteract its negative effect. This setup achieves the 52% Increased Attack Speed Breakpoint for Lightning Fury, the 48% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on its main weapon loadout for Teleport mobility, and at least 82% Chance to Pierce. Consult the "Hardcore" section for more detailed information.

Mercenary

Just as with the Standard Build, the Lightning Fury Amazon uses an Act 2 Might Mercenary with Infinity, Fortitude, and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor. A Defiance Mercenary may be preferred for the Defense boost. You can also use a Holy Freeze Mercenary for Crowd Control.

Skills

You can choose to allocate additional Skill Points into Pierce for a higher Chance to Pierce without Razortail. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.

Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills:
1. Jab
2. Pierce
3. Dodge
4. Avoid
5. Evade
6. Slow Missiles
7. Decoy
8. Valkyrie

Max out the following Skills in this order:
1. Lightning Fury
2. Charged Strike
3. Lightning Strike
4. Power Strike
5. Lightning Bolt

Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression

Attributes

Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and enough into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.

Video Guide

Video Guide by DarkHumility

Mechanics

Teleport

Lightning Fury

Charged Strike

Jab

Summary

  • The Lightning Fury Amazon or Javazon is the overall strongest Amazon build in both the early and late-game, destroying both high-density mobs and Bosses alike. Take advantage of high mob density areas with Lightning Fury and evaporate Bosses with Charged Strike.
  • Hell can be obliterated with Lightning Damage after obtaining Crack of the Heavens and equipping Infinity on your Mercenary.
  • Building a Javazon requires a fine balance between Increased Attack Speed, Faster Cast Rate, +x to Skills, -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance, Magic Find, Life/Mana sustain, and survivability stats.
  • The Lightning Fury Amazon is the #1 The Secret Cow Level farmer and one of the fastest Baal killers. Take advantage of these Farming Spots to get maximum value from this build.
  • Remember to Repair and/or swap out your Javelins!

We hope you enjoy this build! Get Cow tipping for Ber Runes. Dominate Terror Zones and Baal Runs alike! Nothing can stand between you and your loot on a Lightning Fury/Charged Strike Amazon.

Good luck!

Credits

Written by DarkHumility
Reviewed by Teo1904 and Lexyu

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