Difference between revisions of "Fists of Thunder"

Latest revision as of 13:43, 15 April 2015

Were you looking for the Fists of Thunder legendary gloves?

Fists of Thunder in action, with Lightning damage.

Fists of Thunder (known as Hands of Lightning prior to July 2011) is a Primary Monk skill unlocked at Level 1. The Monk charges his strikes with lightning. Every third strike adds knockback.

Background[edit | edit source]

The Monk charges his strikes with lightning in a three-stage attack that ends with an area of effect blast.

Skill Rune Effects[edit | edit source]

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="Monk">Fists of Thunder</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Thunderclap">Fists of Thunder</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Wind Blast">Fists of Thunder</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Static Charge">Fists of Thunder</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Quickening">Fists of Thunder</skill> <skill class="Monk" rune="Bounding Light">Fists of Thunder</skill>

Skill Design[edit | edit source]

A Monk vs. the Undead.

This skill first appeared at BlizzCon 2010, playable in the demo. It adds lightning damage to the Monk's strikes.

During the beta, all the skills previously known as combos were simplified down so much that only three of them (Fists of Thunder, Deadly Reach, and Crippling Wave) still contain any semblance of combo functionality. These three skills now provide simply an additional effect on every third strike, while the others (Way of the Hundred Fists, Exploding Palm, and Sweeping Wind) now have a single function on every strike. Combos previously consisted of: the normal spell attack on the first strike; a stronger attack on the second; and on the third, an even stronger attack coupled with an additional effect.

Synergies[edit | edit source]

The following Monk passives provide a benefit to Fists of Thunder, runed or not:

Name	Level	Description

<skill class="Monk">Resolve</skill> <skill class="Monk">Combination Strike</skill>

Development[edit | edit source]

Killing Zombies.

Killing Zombies harder.

Fists of Thunder was first shown at BlizzCon 2010, then named Hands of Lightning. Blascid reported on using the skill at BlizzCon:[1]

In the Monks case, with her actual lightning fist skill (I do not remember the name), the first hit would be a claw sweep with lightning damage, the second one granted more lightning damage with more lightning graphics, and the third hit was a lightning blast that created a nice AOE arc. (The third move’s animation {Monk’s move and spell effect} reminded me of how Ryu and Ken’s Hadouken looked in Street Fighter 2 {Sorry, I have not played any more recent than that} if your opponent was right in front of you.)

Flux also wrote about using this skill at BlizzCon. A small excerpt:[2]

The only drawback of Hands of Lightning was the fun factor. It was a fairly plain attack. It looks pretty with the big lightning blasts, but it’s basically just a straight ahead right, left, right combo. It doesn’t hit multiple enemies, it doesn’t debuff them, it doesn’t let you dash across the screen to start hitting, etc. It’s the lowest level combo skill for a reason; it’s just a damn powerful attack to use against a single or a few enemies, and sure, killing them quickly and efficiently is fun. But if I were playing for real, I’d probably respec it to another combo when I had the chance. (Though it might be handy long term for the huge lightning damage.)

Before the July 2011 Press Event (when skill tiers were removed), Hands of Lightning was renamed Fists of Thunder.

Beta[edit | edit source]

The beta started in September 2011, and Fists of Thunder became a level 1 skill. The skill system was once again overhauled for the Beta Patch 13 in February 2012, and Fists of Thunder was classified as a Primary skill (but remained at level 1). For Beta Patch 14, it was buffed a bit.

A male Monk unleashing the third strike.

Previous Versions[edit | edit source]

See Hands of Lightning for the original version of this skill.

Also, see the combos page for additional information on how this and other combo spells used to work.

The three hits of Hands of Lightning, with the big blast on the final hit (from 2010).

Did somebody mention Street Fighter?

Media[edit | edit source]

Fists of Thunder can be seen in action on video here:

You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:

Posing the final strike (from 2010).
Monk using Hands of Lightning (from 2010).
Arcing lightning damage (from 2010).
The three-hit sequence (from 2010).

References[edit | edit source]

BlizzCon 2010 Hands-on Blascid
BlizzCon 2010 Monk Hands-on Report
Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
Silva's Monk Runestone Effects — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
Monk Active Skills — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer primary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer secondary

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer corpses

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer bloodandbone

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer reanimation

Template:Skill navbox Necromancer curses

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Fists of Thunder (known as "Hands of Lightning" prior to July 2011, is a [[Monk]] Tier 1 [[Monk skills|skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|level]] 2. The Monk charges his strikes with [[lightning]] in a three-stage attack.
+* '''''Were you looking for the [[Fists of Thunder (gloves)|Fists of Thunder legendary gloves]]?'''''
-This is a [[combo]] skill, delivering three successive strikes of increasing damage and lightning effect. Combo skills are used to generate [[Spirit]], the Monk's resource.
+[[File:IconFistsThunder.png|left]]
+[[File:Monk-FoT-8.jpg|thumb|350px|Fists of Thunder in action, with [[Lightning]] damage.]]
+'''Fists of Thunder''' (known as [[Hands of Lightning]] prior to July 2011) is a Primary [[Monk skill]] unlocked at [[clvl|Level]] 1. The Monk charges his strikes with [[lightning]]. Every third strike adds [[knockback]].
+<br><br><br>__TOC__
 ==Background==
-{{Skillbox D3
-|portrait= hol.jpg
-<!-- |portrait-width= -->
-|name= Hands of Lightning
-|user= Monk
-|tier= 1
-|clvl= 2
-|description= Charge your attacks with lightning to damage your foes.
-|type= [[AoE]] [[Damage]]/[[Combo]]
-|resource= Generates [[Spirit]]
-|alabaster= Unknown
-|crimson= Unknown
-|golden= Unknown
-|indigo= Unknown
-|obsidian= Unknown
-}}
 The [[Monk]] charges his strikes with lightning in a three-stage attack that ends with an [[area of effect]] blast.
+==Skill Rune Effects==
+{{skill description header}}
+<skill class="Monk">Fists of Thunder</skill>
+<skill class="Monk" rune="Thunderclap">Fists of Thunder</skill>
+<skill class="Monk" rune="Wind Blast">Fists of Thunder</skill>
+<skill class="Monk" rune="Static Charge">Fists of Thunder</skill>
+<skill class="Monk" rune="Quickening">Fists of Thunder</skill>
+<skill class="Monk" rune="Bounding Light">Fists of Thunder</skill>
 ==Skill Design==
-[[Image:hol2.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Welcome to electric avenue.]]
+[[Image:Monk-FoT-6.jpg|200px|thumb|left|A [[Monk]] vs. the Undead.]]
 This [[skill]] first appeared at [[BlizzCon 2010]], playable in the demo. It adds lightning damage to the Monk's strikes.
-The attack has three phases. Each strike deals X% weapon damage as lightning damage, varying by rank and other factors, which may be valuable for later difficulty settings with enemies who are [[resist]]ant to [[physical]] damage. Each strike also has a chance to interrupt the enemy being struck.
+{{Combo history notes}}
-[[Combo]] skills are the cornerstone for Monks. Combos do bonus damage, grant special properties (i.e. lightning damage and interrupt attacks on Hands of Lightning), and build up the [[Spirit]] needed to cast other skills. All combos have three stages, each progressively more powerful and flashier.
+{{clear-left}}
+==Synergies==
+The following [[Monk passives]] provide a benefit to Fists of Thunder, runed or not:
+{{skill description header}}
+<skill class="Monk">Resolve</skill>
+<skill class="Monk">Combination Strike</skill>
-==Skill Rank Table==
+==Development==
-*'''Rank 1:''' Deals 100% weapon damage as lightning damage. Higher than normal chance to interrupt enemy attacks. (A)
+[[Image:Monk-FoT-2.jpg|200px|thumb|Killing [[Zombie]]s.]]
-*'''Rank 2:''' Deals 150% weapon damage as lightning damage. Higher than normal chance to interrupt enemy attacks. (A)
+[[Image:Monk-FoT-3.jpg|200px|thumb|Killing [[Zombie]]s <i>harder</i>.]]
-*'''Rank 3:''' Deals 200% weapon damage as lightning damage. Higher than normal chance to interrupt enemy attacks. (A)
+'''Fists of Thunder''' was first shown at [[BlizzCon 2010]], then named [[Hands of Lightning]]. Blascid reported on using the skill at BlizzCon:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzcon-2010-hand-on-blascid/]
-*'''Rank 4:''' Deals 250% weapon damage as lightning damage. Higher than normal chance to interrupt enemy attacks. (A)
-*'''Rank 5:''' Deals 300% weapon damage as lightning damage. Higher than normal chance to interrupt enemy attacks.
-(A) = Assumed
+<blockquote>''In the Monks case, with her actual lightning fist skill (I do not remember the name), the first hit would be a claw sweep with lightning damage, the second one granted more lightning damage with more lightning graphics, and the third hit was a lightning blast that created a nice AOE arc. (The third move’s animation {Monk’s move and spell effect} reminded me of how Ryu and Ken’s Hadouken looked in Street Fighter 2 {Sorry, I have not played any more recent than that} if your opponent was right in front of you.)</blockquote>
+[[Flux]] also wrote about using this skill at BlizzCon. A small excerpt:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvm-report-monk/]
+<blockquote>''The only drawback of Hands of Lightning was the fun factor. It was a fairly plain attack. It looks pretty with the big lightning blasts, but it’s basically just a straight ahead right, left, right combo. It doesn’t hit multiple enemies, it doesn’t debuff them, it doesn’t let you dash across the screen to start hitting, etc. It’s the lowest level combo skill for a reason; it’s just a damn powerful attack to use against a single or a few enemies, and sure, killing them quickly and efficiently is fun. But if I were playing for real, I’d probably respec it to another combo when I had the chance. (Though it might be handy long term for the huge lightning damage.)</blockquote>
-==Trait Synergies==
+Before the [[July 2011 Press Event]] (when skill tiers were removed), [[Hands of Lightning]] was renamed Fists of Thunder.
-Various [[Monk traits]] augment this skill. (Since most Monk skills depend on base weapon damage and probably attack speed, traits which enhance those, and not the skill specifically, are also listed here.)
-* [[Precision]]: Increase melee damage for each point in dexterity.
-* [[Intimidation (trait)|Intimidation]]: Increases damage done and reduces vendor costs.
-* [[Cruelty (trait)|Cruelty]]: Increases chance of critical strikes.
-* [[Weak Spot (trait)|Weak Spot]]: Increases critical strike damage.
-* [[Rapid Strikes]]: Increases attack speed.
-* [[Frenzied Attacks (trait)|Frenzied Attacks]]: Increases chance of critical strikes as well as their damage.
-'''Note:''' The current [[trait]] list is very out-of-date and will no doubt be overhauled before game release.
-==Skill Rune Effects==
+===Beta===
-* No [[rune]] effects for Hands of Lightning are known.
+The [[beta]] started in September 2011, and Fists of Thunder became a level 1 skill. The skill system was once again overhauled for the [[Beta Patch 13]] in February 2012, and Fists of Thunder was classified as a Primary skill (but remained at level 1). For [[Beta Patch 14]], it was [[buff]]ed a bit.
-[[File:Lightning-hands1.jpg|center|frame|A male Monk poses while delivering the third and final hit.]]
+[[File:Monk-FoT-4.jpg|center|thumb|600px|A male [[Monk]] unleashing the third strike.]]
-==Development==
+===Previous Versions===
-'''Hands of Lightning''' was first shown at [[BlizzCon 2010]]. Blascid reported on using the skill at BlizzCon:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzcon-2010-hand-on-blascid/]
+See [[Hands of Lightning]] for the original version of this skill.
-<blockquote>''In the Monks case, with her actual lightning fist skill (I do not remember the name), the first hit would be a claw sweep with lightning damage, the second one granted more lightning damage with more lightning graphics, and the third hit was a lightning blast that created a nice AOE arc. (The third move’s animation {Monk’s move and spell effect} reminded me of how Ryu and Ken’s Hadouken looked in Street Fighter 2 {Sorry, I have not played any more recent than that) if your opponent was right in front of you.)</blockquote>
+Also, see the [[combos]] page for additional information on how this and other combo spells used to work.
-[[Flux]] also wrote about using this skill at Blizzcon. A small excerpt:[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvm-report-monk/]
+[[File:Lightning-fists-sequence1.jpg|center|thumb|700px|The three hits of [[Hands of Lightning]], with the big blast on the final hit (from 2010).]]
+[[Image:Monk_FoT_1.jpg|200px|thumb|Did somebody mention Street Fighter?]]
-<blockquote>''The only drawback of Hands of Lightning was the fun factor. It was a fairly plain attack. It looks pretty with the big lightning blasts, but it’s basically just a straight ahead right, left, right combo. It doesn’t hit multiple enemies, it doesn’t debuff them, it doesn’t let you dash across the screen to start hitting, etc. It’s the lowest level combo skill for a reason; it’s just a damn powerful attack to use against a single or a few enemies, and sure, killing them quickly and efficiently is fun. But if I were playing for real, I’d probably respec it to another combo when I had the chance. (Though it might be handy long term for the huge lightning damage.)</blockquote>
-[[File:Lightning-fists-sequence1.jpg|center|thumb|700px|Compilation image showing the three hits of Hands of Lightning, with the big blast on the final hit.]]
@@ Line 81: / Line 68: @@
 -->
 ==Media==
+Fists of Thunder can be seen in action on video here:
+* [[Gameplay: July 2011]]
+* [[Skill Animations Videos#Monk Video|Video: August 2011 Monk Skill Animations]]
 You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/ Diablo III screenshots and pictures]
-* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=Hands+of+Lightning&cat=all '''Hands of Lightning''' specific gallery contents]
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/gallery/search.php?keywords=Fists+of+Thunder&cat=all '''Fists of Thunder''' specific gallery contents]
 <gallery>
-Image:hol.jpg|Monk using Hands of Lightning.
+Image:Lightning-hands1.jpg|Posing the final strike (from 2010).
-Image:hol2.jpg|Arcing lightning damage.
+Image:hol.jpg|Monk using Hands of Lightning (from 2010).
-Image:Lightning-fists-sequence1.jpg|The three-hit sequence.
+Image:hol2.jpg|Arcing lightning damage (from 2010).
+Image:Lightning-fists-sequence1.jpg|The three-hit sequence (from 2010).
 </gallery>
-<!--
-==Related Articles==
-''Articles that are related, but not emphasised enough in any other section, or articles that just need further attention.''
--->
 ==References==
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/blizzcon-2010-hand-on-blascid/ BlizzCon 2010 Hands-on Blascid]
 * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/hands-on-from-blizzcon-mega-pvm-report-monk/ BlizzCon 2010 Monk Hands-on Report]
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] — IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
+* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8008273#post8008273 Silva's Monk Runestone Effects] — IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
+* [http://us.battle.net/d3/en/class/monk/active/ Monk Active Skills] — Blizzard's Official Diablo III Site
+{{Skill navbox Diablo III|Monk|primary}}
-{{Slave navbox Diablo III|Monk}}
+[[category:Active skills]]
-[[category:Monk skill archive]]
+[[category:Monk skills]]
-[[category:Archives]]
+[[category:Monk active skills]]

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