Difference between revisions of "Locust Swarm"

Revision as of 04:31, 5 March 2011

Locust Swarm is a Witch Doctor Tier 4 skill unlocked at level 10, which sends forth a torrent of locusts which swarm over and devour anything they meet. The Locusts can chain from target to target, potentially consuming or damaging numerous targets in close proximity.

Background

Diablo III Active Skill [e]

Locust Swarm
Used by:	Witch Doctor
Enabled at:	Clvl 10
Skill Description
A plague of locusts assault enemies dealing X damage per second over X seconds. The locusts will jump to additional nearby targets.
Type:	DoT/AoE
Resource Use:	Costs Mana
Skill Rune Effects
Alabaster rune:	Unknown
Crimson rune:	Unknown
Golden rune:	Unknown
Indigo rune:	Jumps to multiple targets
Obsidian rune:	Unknown

The Witch Doctor sends a locust swarm to literally devour the flesh of his enemies.

Skill Design

A really nice skill against packs of monsters, working like a disease that affects one monster and then the rest of the group. It can spread quite fast, so casting this spell just once is enough, and by the time it is done, you would have used a few other skills. Enemies who are killed by Locust Swarm leave behind a skeleton, a most pleasant visual effect.

Skill Rank Table

Rank 1: Assault nearby foes with a plague of locusts that deals 4.0 damage per second over 2.0 seconds. Cost: 15 mana.
Rank 2: Assault nearby foes with a plague of locusts that deals 4.5 damage per second over 2.5 seconds. Cost: 15 mana. (A)
Rank 3: Assault nearby foes with a plague of locusts that deals 5.0 damage per second over 3.0 seconds. Cost: 15 mana. (A)
Rank 4: Assault nearby foes with a plague of locusts that deals 5.5 damage per second over 3.5 seconds. Cost: 15 mana. (A)
Rank 5: Assault nearby foes with a plague of locusts that deals 6.0 damage per second over 4.0 seconds. Cost: 15 mana. (A)

(A) = Assumed

ACHOOO! Uh, I don't feel so good.

Trait Synergies

No synergies with any of the traits are yet known.

Skill Rune Effects

The known rune effects for Locust Swarm are:

Unknown rune: Rank 2 Mana Regeneration Rune
- Description: Your Locust Swarm regenerates 50% of the damage it deals as mana to you.
- Effect: Turns the swarm blue and channels a tremendous amount of mana back to the Witch Doctor.

Indigo rune: Rank 2 Multi-target Rune
- Description: Locust Swarm now jumps to two targets upon creature death.
- Effect: Splits the swarm, sending two out to enemies after each death. With high level Locust Swarm damage this could essentially clear an entire screen of monsters with a single cast.

Development

Locust Swarm premiered with Diablo III in the WWI 2008 gameplay video as a Tier II skill in the Plague Skill Tree (later renamed the Zombie Skill Tree). The first version of this skill could be cast on Mongrels, enhancing them with poison damage.

By BlizzCon 2009, Locust Swarm had been moved to Tier III in the Voodoo Skill Tree and could no longer be cast on Mongrels (renamed to Zombie Dogs). Flux discussed its utility:[1]

The skill isn’t that damaging, but the way the locusts can spread from target to target makes it fairly amusing to use in large crowds. This one might have long term viability, even if the damage is negligible in the end game, simply as a sort of poisonous AoE attack.

At BlizzCon 2010, Locust Swarm was still in the game (moved down to Tier 4), but wasn't one of the Witch Doctor's starting skills.

Previous Versions

See the Witch Doctor skill archive for more details on previous versions of Locust Swarm and other Witch Doctor skills.

Media

You can find pictures in the Diablo III screenshot and picture gallery:

References

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 ==Background==
-{{Skillbox
+{{Skillbox D3
-|game= Diablo III
 |portrait= Wd-locust-swarm1.jpg
 <!-- |portrait-width= -->
-|active= Active
 |name= Locust Swarm
-|ranks= 5
 |user= Witch Doctor
-|tree= Tier 4
+|tier= 4
+|clvl= 10
 |description= A plague of locusts assault enemies dealing X damage per second over X seconds. The locusts will jump to additional nearby targets.
-|type= DoT
+|type= [[DoT]]/[[AoE]]
-|quantity= Enemies
+|resource= Costs [[Mana]]
-|effect= All Enemies
+|alabaster= Unknown
-|school= [[Poison]]
+|crimson= Unknown
-|resource= [[Mana]]
+|golden= Unknown
-|cost= Unknown
+|indigo= Jumps to multiple targets
-|cast-time= Unknown
+|obsidian= Unknown
-|cooldown= Unknown
-|synergies= Unknown
 }}
 The Witch Doctor sends a locust swarm to literally devour the flesh of his enemies.
@@ Line 44: / Line 40: @@
-==[[Synergies]]==
+==Trait Synergies==
-While various [[Witch Doctor traits]] boost the overall performance of his skills, there are no particular traits that pertain to Locust Swarm.
+* No [[synergies]] with any of the [[trait]]s are yet known.
-==[[Rune|Skill Rune]] Effects==
+==Skill Rune Effects==
+The known [[rune]] effects for Locust Swarm are:
 * Unknown rune: Rank 2 Mana Regeneration Rune
 ** Description: Your Locust Swarm regenerates 50% of the damage it deals as mana to you.
@@ Line 66: / Line 63: @@
 <blockquote>''The skill isn’t that damaging, but the way the locusts can spread from target to target makes it fairly amusing to use in large crowds.  This one might have long term viability, even if the damage is negligible in the end game, simply as a sort of poisonous AoE attack.</blockquote>
+At [[BlizzCon 2010]], Locust Swarm was still in the game (moved down to Tier 4), but wasn't one of the Witch Doctor's starting skills.
 ===Previous Versions===
@@ Line 81: / Line 80: @@
+<!--
+<gallery>
+Image:Diablo_III_Logo.jpg|Skill use 1
+</gallery>
+-->
 ==References==

The Barbarian - Barbarian skills - Barbarian traits - Fury - Barbarian skill archive [e]
Tier One/Clvl 2	Tier Two/Clvl 3	Tier Three/Clvl 6	Tier Four/Clvl 10	Tier Five/Clvl 14	Tier Six/Clvl 20	Tier Seven/Clvl 26
• Bash • Rampage • Cleave	• Ground Stomp • Ignore Pain • War Cry • Weapon Throw	• Frenzy • Revenge • Hammer of the Ancients	• Leap Attack • Sprint • Threatening Shout	• Ancient Spear • Battle Rage • Rend • Seismic Slam	• Furious Charge • Taunt • Whirlwind	• Call of the Ancients • Earthquake • Wrath of the Berserker

The Monk - Monk skills - Auras - Combos - Monk traits - Spirit - Monk skill archive [e]
Tier One/Clvl 2	Tier Two/Clvl 3	Tier Three/Clvl 6	Tier Four/Clvl 10	Tier Five/Clvl 14	Tier Six/Clvl 20	Tier Seven/Clvl 26
• Hands of Lightning • Lashing Tail Kick • Long Reach	• Circle of Wrath • Lethal Decoy • Serenity	• Blinding Flash • Crippling Wave • Holy Aura	• Dashing Strike • Dominate Aura • Way of the Hundred Fists	• Exploding Palm • Inner Sanctuary	• Breath of Heaven • Retribution Aura • Sweeping Wind	• Resist Aura • Seven-Sided Strike • Wave of Light