Crackling Energy can provide an additional source of damage while fighting groups of enemies, especially when a build can trigger it consistently during combat.
Holy Thunder expands on this mechanic by making enemies struck by Crackling Energy more vulnerable to several damage types for a short period.
This guide covers how to craft Holy Thunder, how its Crackling Energy effect works, and which builds can make the most of its bonuses.
How to Get Holy Thunder?
Holy Thunder can be obtained during Season 15 by combining the required Runes with a compatible Common weapon through the Horadric Cube.
A Common Mace or Flail can be used as the base, making it important to choose a weapon type that can be equipped by the intended character.
Once the correct base and Runes are combined, the weapon becomes Holy Thunder and gains the effects provided by the Runeword.
How to Craft Holy Thunder?
To craft Holy Thunder, place a Common Mace or Flail into the Horadric Cube along with the following Runes:
- Eth Rune
- Ral Rune
- Ort Rune
- Tal Rune
The Runes must be combined in the correct Eth + Ral + Ort + Tal order to successfully create Holy Thunder.
Make sure the weapon being used is a compatible Common base before completing the recipe, as other weapon types will not produce the Runeword.
Holy Thunder Effects
Holy Thunder provides several offensive bonuses alongside Lightning Resistance and its Crackling Energy mechanic.
The Mace crafted for this guide received the following effects:
- +124 Weapon Damage
- x50% All Damage Multiplier
- +20.0% Lucky Hit Chance
- +35.0% Lightning Resistance
- +7 to Lightning Storm
- You emit Crackling Energy
Enemies damaged by Crackling Energy take 28% increased Holy, Fire, Lightning, and Physical damage from you for 3 seconds
The exact values on a crafted Holy Thunder can vary, so another version of the Runeword may not have identical numbers.
How Crackling Energy Works With Holy Thunder?
Holy Thunder allows the character to emit Crackling Energy, which can periodically damage enemies while fighting nearby targets.
Any enemy damaged by this Crackling Energy becomes affected by Holy Thunder’s additional effect for three seconds.
During that window, Holy, Fire, Lightning, and Physical damage dealt by the character is increased against the affected enemy.
Using the Increased Damage Effect
The damage increase from Holy Thunder is most useful when Crackling Energy hits an enemy shortly before stronger attacks are used against it.
Because the effect lasts three seconds, continuing to trigger Crackling Energy helps create more opportunities to benefit from the increased damage.
This can be particularly useful against tougher enemies that survive long enough for the additional damage window to have a noticeable impact.
Lucky Hit Chance
Holy Thunder also provides increased Lucky Hit Chance, which can improve the consistency of effects that rely on successful Lucky Hit triggers.
The bonus becomes more useful when several Skills, Aspects, or other equipment effects within the build already depend on Lucky Hit.
This gives the weapon another source of utility without requiring every part of the build to revolve around Crackling Energy.
Lightning Storm and Holy Thunder
The version of Holy Thunder crafted for this guide provides additional ranks to Lightning Storm, giving it particularly strong synergy with Druids using the Skill.
Lightning Storm can benefit from the additional Skill Ranks while also dealing Lightning damage, one of the damage types increased against enemies struck by Crackling Energy.
Combining both effects allows a Lightning Storm build to benefit directly from multiple parts of the Runeword rather than relying only on its general damage bonuses.
Best Classes and Builds for Holy Thunder
Holy Thunder is best suited to characters that can equip its available weapon bases and consistently attack enemies affected by its Crackling Energy.
Lightning builds have an obvious connection to the Runeword, but its effect can also support builds dealing Holy, Fire, or Physical damage.
Druid Lightning Storm builds have especially direct synergy with the version shown here because the Skill benefits from both its additional ranks and the increased Lightning damage against affected enemies.
How to Make the Most of Holy Thunder?
Give Crackling Energy an opportunity to damage enemies before committing the strongest attacks in the build, allowing those attacks to benefit from Holy Thunder’s temporary damage increase.
Maintaining aggressive pressure also makes it easier to take advantage of repeated three-second windows instead of allowing the effect to expire between attacks.
Builds with additional Lucky Hit effects can further capitalize on the weapon by taking advantage of its increased Lucky Hit Chance throughout combat.
Is Holy Thunder Worth Using?
Holy Thunder has greater flexibility than a purely Lightning-focused weapon because its Crackling Energy effect increases four different types of damage against affected enemies.
Its general damage multiplier and Lucky Hit Chance remain useful outside that interaction, while certain versions can provide additional synergy through bonuses such as Lightning Storm ranks.
The Runeword becomes most effective when its Crackling Energy mechanic complements the primary damage type and Skills already being used by the build.
Verdict
Holy Thunder turns Crackling Energy into both an additional source of damage and a way to increase subsequent attacks against affected enemies.
Its support for Holy, Fire, Lightning, and Physical damage gives the Runeword room to function across several different types of builds.
Characters that can repeatedly trigger its effect while taking advantage of its other offensive bonuses can gain the most value from Holy Thunder.
