PoE 2 Monk Guide: Infinite Whirling Assault Martial Artist Build

The Martial Artist is the Monk’s new ascendancy added in patch 0.5 “Return of the Ancients” of Path of Exile 2. Built around rapid combo generation, aggressive melee pressure, and explosive bell interactions, this ascendancy delivers fast-paced gameplay with strong defensive layering through Evasion, Energy Shield, and Power Charge scaling.

While this core setup was popular for the Invoker ascendancy before patch 0.5, the Martial Artist now does this specific build better than any other choice. The Whirling Assault build handles both mapping and boss killing smoothly.  In this guide, I will break down everything you need to get this build running!

Whirling Assault Martial Artist Build

Let me start by explaining why this particular setup is worth running for the Monk in patch 0.5. The build is centered around Whirling Assault as the primary skill which works exceptionally well with the Martial Artist archetype and pairs naturally with a wide range of supporting skills.

The first major reason to run this setup is the synergy between Whirling Assault and Trinity. Combining the two produces a significant damage boost that elevates the build well above standard Monk setups. On top of that Whirling Assault interacts directly with Bells, pushing the damage output even further without requiring much additional investment.

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Power Charge generation received meaningful improvements in patch 0.5 which opens up another layer of the build. Falling Thunder combined with Charged Staff allows you to generate and spend charges consistently throughout a fight without the awkward downtime that held similar setups back in previous patches.

Herald of Ice rounds out the clear speed side of the build by triggering satisfying explosions across the entire screen as you move through packs.

For boss situations the setup shifts slightly. A combination of Tempest Bell from the Martial Artist nodes, Mantra of Destruction and Falling Thunder with Culmination II is what you lean on to melt single targets quickly.

Finally, the build takes advantage of the free charges it naturally accumulates by running Rend in the second weapon slot. Swapping to it when you need a burst of single target pressure grants a 50% damage buff that makes a very noticeable difference in tougher encounters.

Ascendancy Skills

For Ascendancy Skills, you want to unlock them in the following order: Hollow Focus Technique first, then Way of the Stonefist, followed by Hollow Resonance Technique and finally Runic Meridians.

Hollow Focus Technique is the priority pickup because it starts spawning spectral Bells around you automatically. These Bells always register as Critical Strikes when hit, which lets you use Killing Palm on them to instantly generate Power Charges. Those charges then fuel Charged Staff and Falling Thunder for both clearing and boss damage. It is a noticeable upgrade the moment you pick it up.

Way of the Stonefist comes next. It transforms your gloves into Fists of Stone which scale defensively as you level and convert glove affixes into stronger offensive bonuses. The exact value varies depending on your current gloves but it is strong enough at any stage to prioritise early.

If you are struggling with resistances or survivability during the campaign, grab Runic Meridians at this point instead. It grants five additional Rune sockets which instantly helps with resistance capping and gear flexibility.

You can then pick up Way of the Stonefist at the third slot without losing much. Hollow Resonance Technique rounds out the four picks by attaching a permanent Bell to your back that erupts with AoE damage every time you land a Critical Strike, adding a second source of automated damage on top of Hollow Focus with zero extra input required.

Gear

Here are my main gear recommendations for this build. They will serve you pretty well through the early endgame, and you can tweak things later as you like once you get more comfortable with the setup.

Quarterstaff

For the Quarterstaff you want to go with either a double or triple elemental version. Your prefixes should contain two or three flat elemental damage stats. Fire and Cold are the priority elements to look for. The final prefix can be another elemental damage stat or simply “Increased Elemental Damage with Attacks” if you cannot find the ideal rolls.

Gloves

Gloves are particularly important for this build since Way of the Stonefist converts your glove modifiers into stronger bonuses. The ideal setup is “Flat Physical Damage to Attacks” as one prefix alongside two “Flat Elemental Damage to Attacks” rolls covering Cold, Fire and Lightning.

Way of the Stonefist will then grant you bonus damage as Extra for each of those elemental types. Getting Arcane Surge on crit is also a high priority since it is a Desecrated Modifier that converts into Power Charge generation on Critical Strikes.

This makes maintaining your Power Charges significantly easier throughout a fight and removes a lot of the micromanagement that held similar setups back previously.

Body Armor

Go with a Hybrid Sleek Jacket that has the highest base Evasion and Energy Shield values you can find. Deflection as a suffix is recommended on the body armor if possible. If you cannot get it here, make sure you have it on your boots instead. Fill the remaining slots with resistances.

Boots

Movement speed is the top priority here. Aim for 35% movement speed as your baseline before worrying about anything else. Once you have that locked in focus on getting the highest combined Evasion and Energy Shield total you can find. Stack as many resistances as possible in the remaining affixes and grab Deflection here if you did not manage to get it on your body armor.

Amulet

The Amulet slot is important for Spirit management in this build. You need at least 50 Spirit on your Amulet to run all your auras comfortably. If you cannot reach that threshold yet, drop “Herald of Ash” until you have enough Spirit to support it.

The Absent Amulet base is a strong option here as it can roll Spirit as an implicit. Beyond Spirit, prioritize “Level of All Melee Skills” as a top affix, since it directly increases your damage across the whole build.

Global Defenses, increased Maximum Energy Shield and Critical Hit Chance are also valuable stats to look for on the remaining affixes, alongside any needed resistances and attributes.

The instilled “Subterfuge Mask” received nerfs in patch 0.5 but it still provides meaningful upside and remains a usable option if you have one.

Rings

Focus on getting as much flat damage to attacks as possible across both ring slots.” Flat Physical or Elemental Damage to Attacks” are the best stats you can have here.

Mana Leech on at least one ring is worth having to keep your mana situation feeling comfortable during longer fights. Fill the remaining affixes with resistances to cap where needed.

Belt

Shavronne’s Satchel is the recommended belt for this build and the best option for Chaos Inoculation or Energy Shield based setups. When combined with an “Instant Recovery Life Flask” or “Olroth’s Resolve”, it allows you to regenerate your Energy Shield through flask spam.

One important thing to note is that Shavronne’s Satchel only works with an Instant Recovery modifier on your flask. Standard flasks do nothing here so make sure your flask has the right modifier before building around it. Headhunter is another strong option but given the cost it is only realistic to chase in the later stages of the endgame.

Skill Gems

Refer to the image below for the full Skill Gem setup. Unlock them from left to right as shown in the image and prioritize them in that exact order.

That’s It

If you want a build that feels good from the very first zone and stays strong all the way through endgame, this is a solid choice. You do not need expensive gear to get started, and it never hits a sudden wall where you have to farm for hours just to keep up.

The Whirling Assault Martial Artist just works and patch 0.5 made it even better, and it is worth your time if you are looking for a reliable character to push through maps and bosses.