Wreath of Lightning

Wreath of Lightning

This legendary gem gives you a chance on hit to create a wreath of lightning that bathes surrounding enemies in lightning damage for a few seconds. Since the effect automatically strikes nearby foes, it delivers continuous area damage without any extra button press and harmonizes with almost any melee or hit-heavy playstyle.

The gem is class-independent and fits any build that strikes often and keeps enemies grouped. Higher gem ranks strengthen the effect, and at rank 25 it also unlocks a movement speed bonus. Practical tip: use Wreath of Lightning where you are frequently surrounded by crowds so the recurring area damage applies fully. Keep the effect active through frequent hits and position yourself in the thick of the fray rather than at the edge.

The numbers in the power text

The chance to gain the wreath is 15% per hit. Once active, it deals 1,250.0% weapon damage as Lightning every second to nearby enemies for 3 seconds, so three times that value over the full duration. Because the damage is calculated as weapon damage, it grows directly with your weapon's damage.

What matters in practice

Since the wreath is triggered by hits, your hit frequency decides how often it appears: fast attacks and skills that strike many enemies at once give you more chances at the 15% roll. It damages enemies near you, which is why the gem rewards playstyles that stand in the middle of the pack. Like every legendary gem it goes into a jewelry socket, and Leoric's Crown does nothing to amplify it.

Arianne's obsession

The flavor text tells of the madwoman Arianne, who believed she could cut a gem that would give her a hood of lightning. Weeks later her body was found with no hair left on her head, still clutching the gem.

by eRnstl