Mastering Tempest Strike: A Primalist's Guide to Elemental Burst and Shapeshift Synergy in Last Epoch
What Is Tempest Strike?
Tempest Strike is a Primalist skill that delivers a melee attack with a chance to unleash additional elemental effects:
Lightning Strike: Deals lightning damage in an area.
Ice Thorns: Fires a cone of ice projectiles.
Earth Spikes: Triggers earth damage in a line.
This makes Tempest Strike a hybrid melee-caster tool with strong elemental theming. While initially RNG-dependent, its skill tree allows for scaling the proc chances and increasing the damage of each element.
Key Strengths
High Elemental Burst: Each swing can potentially unleash multiple elemental effects.
Versatile Scaling: Can scale with elemental damage, melee, spell, or elemental penetration.
Shapeshift Synergy: Works well with Spriggan and Werebear forms.
AoE Coverage: Excellent crowd control in monolith and arena farming.
Skill Tree Breakdown
Recommended Tempest Strike Specialization
Focus on enhancing elemental damage, increasing proc chances, and utility.
Core Nodes:
Storm’s Aid: Increases the chance for all three elemental procs.
Nature’s Wrath: Converts Tempest Strike to a Spell, allowing synergy with spell damage and mana efficiency.
Elemental Barrage: Boosts elemental damage per effect triggered.
Force of Nature: Adds increased chance to trigger all three procs on each hit.
Optional Utility Nodes:
Stormcaller’s Precision: Improves critical strike chance for elemental procs.
Fury of the Wild: Adds chance to bleed or poison, depending on your scaling direction.
Synergy with Shapeshift Forms
The real power of Tempest Strike lies in combining it with Primalist’s Druid Mastery, particularly via Shapeshifting into Werebear or Spriggan.
Werebear Form
Why It Works: Tempest Strike can be cast through Werebear using the Swipe skill, particularly if you’ve specialized it to cast Tempest Strike via nodes like Rampaging Swipe.
Passive Synergies: Werebear’s nodes increase melee and elemental damage while offering mobility and tankiness.
Key Skill Synergy:
Rampage: Close distance rapidly.
Maul: Add crowd control or stun.
Spriggan Form
Why It Works: Spriggan Form supports a spell-heavy approach. Since Tempest Strike can be converted into a Spell (via Nature’s Wrath), this allows you to scale with spell damage, elemental penetration, and Last Epoch gold for sale mana efficiency.
Key Skill Synergy:
Thorn Shield: Adds survivability and retaliatory damage.
Summon Vines: Boosts passive DoT and screen control.
Passive Tree Synergies
Primalist Tree
Tempest Bond: Increases elemental damage when under effects of Tempest Strike.
Wisdom of the Wild: Boosts mana regeneration and spell damage.
Druid Tree (Recommended Mastery)
Natural Attunement: Boosts elemental resistance and spell damage.
Ursine Strength: Adds flat melee damage (if not converted to spell).
Savage Form: Adds bonuses while in Werebear or Spriggan form.
Elder Branch: Adds global elemental and healing effectiveness.
Beastmaster (Alternate Mastery Option)
While less ideal than Druid for spell-focused Tempest Strike, Beastmaster offers superior companion synergy.
Savage Hunters: Boost companion damage.
Aspect of the Boar: Provides defenses while attacking.
Gearing and Stats Priority
Core Stats
Elemental Damage (Increased & Added)
Melee or Spell Damage (Depending on Tempest Strike build)
Elemental Penetration
Critical Strike Chance and Multiplier
Mana Regeneration (Spriggan)
Health and Endurance
Weapon Choices
One-Handed Staff or Sceptre for spell-focused builds
Two-Handed Mace or Axe for melee hybrid builds
Key Uniques
Stormcarved Testament: Increases proc chance and elemental penetration.
Shattered Chain of the Spriggan: Grants mana regen and synergy with Spriggan Form.
Tempest Maw: Boosts damage when all three elemental effects are active.
Idol Affixes
+% Tempest Strike Proc Chance
Increased Elemental Damage while Shapeshifted
Health Regen or Mana Efficiency depending on form
Recommended Skill Loadout
Druid + Tempest Strike Core Build
Tempest Strike (Main Damage)
Werebear Form OR Spriggan Form (Shapeshift Core)
Maul or Swipe (Mobility + AoE)
Thorn Shield (Defense)
Summon Vines or Fury Leap (Crowd Control / Movement)
Monolith and Arena Performance
Monolith
Clear Speed: Excellent. Procs from Tempest Strike clear mobs quickly.
Survivability: High in Werebear, moderate in Spriggan.
Bossing: Sustain elemental DoT and burst via procs. Use shapeshift to avoid boss mechanics.
Arena
Crowd Control: Excellent with elemental knockbacks and slows.
Scaling: Can scale well into higher tiers with good mana management and health regen.
Threats: Avoid enemies with elemental resistance or mana drain effects.
Tips for Mastery and Playstyle
Tempo Matters: Tempest Strike rewards a consistent attack rhythm. Use skills like Fury Leap or Rampage to maintain uptime.
Form Switching: Don’t hesitate to shift between Werebear and Spriggan based on fight dynamics.
Know Your Scaling: Choose spell or melee focus early and tailor gear accordingly.
Practice Rotation: Use Tempest Strike between movement skills and defensives for high uptime.
Manage Resources: Spriggan builds need mana regen; Werebear needs health leech and endurance.
Conclusion
Tempest Strike has evolved into a powerful skill with deep synergy potential, especially for players who enjoy complex builds involving elemental scaling and shapeshifting. Whether you prefer to tank in Werebear Form or blast away in Spriggan Form, mastering this skill means embracing flexibility, learning timing, and optimizing every node and piece of gear.
With the right build, Tempest Strike becomes more than just a melee swing—it becomes a devastating elemental storm.
So gear up, shape the storm, and let nature strike through you!
———— May-22-2025 PST ————