I play Monk raids in Diablo Immortal and I’ll tell you what works. I’ve led raid groups, tested builds, and adjusted gear up to 2025. This isn’t theory — it’s practical advice from someone who’s spent nights wiping then fixing the problem (yes, I rage sometimes, honestly!).
Monk is fast, fragile, and brutally effective when you know how to position and time your cooldowns. You’ll be primary DPS or key support depending on gear and team. I’ll explain why each choice matters, not just what to press.
🏮 Core skills I use
Seven-Sided Strike, Mystic Allies, Cyclone Strike. That’s the baseline for raid fights I care about. Why these? Because Seven-Sided gives burst and short invulnerability—useful during big telegraphs. Mystic Allies keeps damage ticking while you handle mechanics. Cyclone Strike groups adds so your team doesn’t die to cluttered spawns.
Sometimes I swap in Dashing Strike for mobility or Wave of Light for sustained burst. It depends on the boss (there are exceptions). Don’t lock a slot; one flexible skill wins more runs than rigid pride.
⚔️ Rotations & combos — practical
Start with Mystic Allies, position, then Seven-Sided for opener. After that, weave primary attacks and Cyclone when adds spawn. Practice the timing until it’s reflexive.
I’ve noticed animation canceling raises DPS a lot (practice in normal raids). Queue abilities during cast end frames to avoid wasted time. Why? Because every half-second saved across a 10-minute fight multiplies your damage output.
| Phase | Main Action | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Open | Mystic Allies → Seven-Sided | Secure early uptime and invul frames |
| Sustain | Primary → Cyclone | Keep DPS while controlling adds |
| Burst | Seven-Sided → Full Combo | Exploit damage windows |
| Emergency | Reposition / defensive | Survive to deal damage later |
🛡️ Positioning & survival
Stay at boss flanks or behind. Most bosses cleave forward. Move after each cast. Don’t wait to get hit—move first. This rule alone saves runs.
Recognize tells. You should be watching animations more than your health bar. Why? Because reacting to telegraphs prevents being one-shot and keeps uptime high. Use Seven-Sided as a lifesaver sometimes, but don’t rely on it every time—your DPS suffers if you do.
“Positioning wins fights more often than perfect gear.” — my raid leader, who’s annoyingly right.
💎 Gems & why they matter
Berserker’s Eye + Bottled Hope + a single-target gem (Chip of Stoned Flesh or equivalent) is my default. Berserker’s rewards avoiding damage; that ties directly to why flanking matters. Bottled Hope keeps consistent buff uptime without overly complex rotations.
Counterpoint: some players swear Berserker’s is overrated in chaotic fights. I disagree most of the time, but it depends on your team comp and encounter—so test it.
- Single-target: Eye / Bottled / Chip
- Add-heavy: Eye / Phoenix Ashes / Blood-Soaked Jade
📊 Gear & set priorities
Set bonuses trump single high-stat items until you finish a useful set. A completed 4-piece that boosts your core skills will out-DPS mismatched high stats. Mix sets only when a boss’ mechanics demand mobility over pure damage.
| Set | Focus |
|---|---|
| Issatar Imbued (example) | Damage through ability use |
| Vithu’s Urges (example) | Mobility / repositioning |
🎯 Boss-specific notes (short)
Vitaath: avoid spreading ice patches; teleport out of bad ground.
Countess: break line of sight during charm; Cyclone clears clones.
Chaos Herald: predict teleports and stay mobile (movement stats help).
// Quick scripts of a strategy (read like notes)
Phase1: Open, set allies
Phase2: Move on telegraphs, use Seven-Sided defensively
Phase3: Cyclone for adds, keep boss focus
Practical tips
Practice rotations in lower content before raids. I’ve wiped with shiny builds because I didn’t practice positioning (embarrassing, true). Between us: runs feel better when everyone knows one simple plan.
One odd insight: sometimes reducing raw crit gear and adding mobility wins fights. It’s counterintuitive, but in high-movement encounters uptime matters more than a bigger crit every now and then.
- Avoid one-shots first (highest priority).
- Keep damage position second.
- Use Cyclone to handle adds.
There are exceptions and it depends on your niche. Patch notes in 2025 shifted some numbers, so don’t assume unchanged values—check the official patch on the day you run a new raid. I update my builds after major balance changes (yes, weekly if I must).
Want one blunt, controversial take? Bottled Hope is sometimes better than people admit — especially with disciplined rotations. Fight me? 😉
Final note: mastery comes from repetition, not copy-pasting a build. Try variations, ask smarter players, and keep a calm voice in voice chat (don’t be that person). Now go test a run—start easy, then push the hard stuff. You’ll get there.
