All guides · Martial Artist
Martial Artist League-Start Build Guide
The Martial Artist is a new Monk ascendancy in 0.5 that plays around unarmed damage and the Tempest Bell. It is one of the strongest league starters this patch: no gear dependency early, fast campaign clear, and a ceiling that scales well into the endgame.
- Why it works this league
- Key mechanics to know
- Passive and item priorities
- Campaign route
- Common mistakes
Why it works this league
Most league-start builds need a decent weapon to feel good. The Martial Artist sidesteps this: unarmed damage scales from your own levels and passive tree rather than a weapon, so you cruise through the campaign with almost no gear pressure. That is the core reason it is a comfortable start even if you have little currency.
Key mechanics to know
Tempest Bell
The Tempest Bell is your main burst tool. It is placed and then struck by your attacks, releasing damage in waves. In 0.5 you can stack up to three bells, which changes how you burst: place, strike, and re-place on cooldown for sustained uptime.
Passive and item priorities
For a league start, take unarmed and bell-related nodes first, then defences that let you stand in melee. Resistance and life on gear matter more than damage early, because the ascendancy already carries your damage.
Once you reach maps, layer in attack speed and any sources that scale "unarmed" or "empty hand" bonuses. The build has a clear upgrade path from cheap league-start gear to high-end pieces, which is exactly what you want over a full league.
Campaign route
Unlock the bell as soon as it is available and use it on bosses. In act one, focus on getting resists up and grabbing the first unarmed nodes. From act three onward you can push through the map quickly, only slowing for major bosses. If you hit a wall, it is usually a defence issue, not a damage issue.
Common mistakes
Three mistakes cost players the most time. First, ignoring defence in favour of damage leads to repeated deaths in the campaign. Second, forgetting to re-place the bell during long fights. Third, over-investing in weapons early when your unarmed scaling is already enough.