Locust Swarm Class: Witch Doctor Required Level: 21 Skill Category: Secondary Active Cost: 300 Mana Unleash a plague of locusts that swarms an enemy, dealing 1040% damage as Poison over 8 seconds. The locusts will jump to additional nearby enemies. Damage Type: Poison Other Stats: An enemy can only be affected by one Locust Swarm at a time. |
Locust Swarm is a secondary Poison Witch Doctor skill.
In-game[]
The Locust Swarm creates a 20 yard-ranged cloud of green insects that affects one enemy (the closest one) in a narrow cone in front of the Witch Doctor. Upon dealing one tick of damage, the locusts spread to one additional enemy within 20 yards, refreshing the duration to full on that target (but not on the old ones). Each enemy can only spread locusts to one additional enemy, and the swarm cannot jump to a target already affected by that specific cast. If there are no suitable targets in range to jump, the locusts will stop spreading.
It is thus a useful skill to use against clustered enemies. Damage per second of the split swarm remains the same, therefore the total damage may be greater than 1040%. The Swarm may not roll Critical Hits, but the damage increases proportionally to Critical Hit Chance / Damage ratio.
While the Locust Swarm deals significantly less damage than Haunt, it can affect more enemies at a time. Multiple Swarms on a single target, however, do not stack. The Swarm also has a very considerable Mana cost, but in most battles, it is enough to cast it once to ensure all enemies present will suffer from it.
Skill Runes[]
- Pestilence: the swarm jumps to two enemies per tick instead of one (unlocked at level 27).
- Devouring Swarm: damage type changes to Cold, and regain 25 Mana per second as long as the original target (first one to be hit) is still under the Locust Swarm effect (unlocked at level 33).
- Cloud of Insects: damage type changes to Physical, and affected enemies deal 25% less damage (unlocked at level 37).
- Diseased Swarm: enemies killed while under the Locust Swarm effect leave behind a cloud of locusts that deal 750% damage as Poison over 3 seconds to enemies who stand in the area (roughly 5 yard radius) (unlocked at level 42).
- Searing Locusts: damage type changes to Fire, damage increases to 1480% over 8 seconds. (unlocked at level 59).
Non-rune enhancements[]
- Hwoj Wrap (Legendary Belt): affected enemies are also Slowed by 60-80%.
- Swamp Land Waders (Legendary Pants): Sacrifice deals 300–400% additional damage against enemies affected by Locust Swarm.
- Bakuli Jungle Wraps (Legendary Belt): Firebats deal 250-300% increased damage against enemies affected by Locust Swarm.
- Vile Hive (Legendary Mojo): adds Pestilence rune to any other and increases damage by 45-60%.
- Ring of Emptiness (Legendary Ring): enemies that suffer from either Haunt and/or Locust Swarm take 250-300% more damage.
- Quetzalcoatl (Legendary Voodoo Mask): halves the duration of Locust Swarm, but doubles the damage per second.
- Wormwood (Legendary Staff): every second, casts Locust Swarm on a random nearby enemy.
- Raiment of the Jade Harvester Set (Set Bonus for 4 items): when casting Locust Swarm, also reduces the remaining cooldown of Soul Harvest by 1 second.
- Raiment of the Jade Harvester Set (Set Bonus for 6 items): Soul Harvest consumes up to 10000 seconds of Locust Swarm and instantly deals the damage of that duration.
- Spirit of Arachyr Set (Set Bonus for 6 items): increases damage by 17500%.
- Zunimassa's Haunt Set (Set Bonus for 6 pieces): pets deal 15000% more damage to enemies damaged by Locust Swarm for 8 seconds, the effect does not stack.
Passives[]
- Creeping Death: increases duration of Locust Swarm to 19800 seconds (with same damage per second).
Primary Skills
Poison Dart • Corpse Spiders • Plague of Toads • Firebomb
Secondary Skills
Grasp of the Dead • Firebats • Haunt • Locust Swarm
Defensive Skills
Summon Zombie Dogs • Horrify • Spirit Walk • Hex
Terror
Soul Harvest • Sacrifice • Mass Confusion
Decay
Zombie Charger • Spirit Barrage • Acid Cloud • Wall of Death • Piranhas
Voodoo
Gargantuan • Big Bad Voodoo • Fetish Army
Passive Skills
Jungle Fortitude • Circle of Life • Spiritual Attunement • Gruesome Feast • Blood Ritual • Bad Medicine
Zombie Handler • Pierce the Veil • Spirit Vessel • Fetish Sycophants • Rush of Essence • Vision Quest
Fierce Loyalty • Grave Injustice • Tribal Rites • Confidence Ritual • Creeping Death • Swampland Attunement • Midnight Feast