Vaal Lightning Strike

For the non-Vaal counterpart, see Lightning Strike.

Vaal Lightning Strike (often referred to as VLS) is a vaal melee attack with the secondary effect of launching projectiles periodically from the target struck or from the ground if no enemy is hit. These projectiles deal lightning damage based on the player's weapon damage.

Skill functions and interactions

• The pulse rate of the lightning beams produced by Vaal Lightning Strike's orbs can be modified by increases to attack speed such as Faster Attacks.

Gem level progression

Level				Damage Effectiveness	Attack Damage	# Projectiles	Lightning Damage	Exp.	Total Exp.
1	12	21	14	105%	105%	4	N/A	0	0
2	15	25	17	108%	108.1%	4	N/A	15249	15249
3	19	30	21	111%	111.1%	4	N/A	41517	56766
4	23	35	24	114%	114.2%	4	N/A	81983	138749
5	27	41	28	117%	117.2%	4	N/A	147968	286717
6	31	46	32	120%	120.3%	6	N/A	250557	537274
7	35	51	36	123%	123.3%	6	N/A	405086	942360
8	38	55	38	126%	126.4%	6	N/A	447718	1390078
9	41	59	41	129%	129.4%	6	N/A	615318	2005396
10	44	63	44	133%	132.5%	6	N/A	834639	2840035
11	47	67	47	136%	135.5%	6	N/A	1570760	4410795
12	50	71	49	139%	138.6%	6	N/A	1633987	6044782
13	53	75	52	142%	141.6%	6	N/A	2151030	8195812
14	56	79	55	145%	144.7%	6	N/A	2812189	11008001
15	59	83	58	148%	147.7%	6	N/A	5099360	16107361
16	62	87	60	151%	150.8%	8	N/A	9400731	25508092
17	64	90	62	154%	153.8%	8	N/A	15273366	40781458
18	66	92	64	157%	156.9%	8	N/A	26286582	67068040
19	68	95	66	160%	159.9%	8	N/A	62890590	129958630
20	70	98	68	163%	163%	8	N/A	212046017	342004647
21	72	100	70	166%	166.1%	8	N/A	N/A	N/A
22	74	N/A	N/A	169%	169.1%	8	N/A	N/A	N/A
23	76	N/A	N/A	172%	172.2%	8	N/A	N/A	N/A
24	78	N/A	N/A	175%	175.2%	8	N/A	N/A	N/A
25	80	N/A	N/A	178%	178.3%	8	N/A	N/A	N/A
26	82	N/A	N/A	181%	181.3%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
27	84	N/A	N/A	184%	184.4%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
28	86	N/A	N/A	187%	187.4%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
29	88	N/A	N/A	191%	190.5%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
30	90	N/A	N/A	194%	193.5%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
31	91	N/A	N/A	195%	195.1%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
32	92	N/A	N/A	197%	196.6%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
33	93	N/A	N/A	198%	198.1%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
34	94	N/A	N/A	200%	199.6%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
35	95	N/A	N/A	201%	201.2%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
36	96	N/A	N/A	203%	202.7%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
37	97	N/A	N/A	204%	204.2%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
38	98	N/A	N/A	206%	205.7%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
39	99	N/A	N/A	207%	207.3%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A
40	100	N/A	N/A	209%	208.8%	10	N/A	N/A	N/A

Version history

Version	Changes
3.15.0	Now deals 163% of Base Damage, and has 163% Effectiveness of Added Damage at gem level 20 (previously 130%).
3.14.0	Now deals 105% of base Attack Damage at gem level 1 (previously 80%) and 130% of base Attack Damage at gem level 20 (previously 98%). Now has a base duration of 6 seconds (previously 8). Now stores 2 uses (previously 1). Now has a Soul Gain Prevention duration of 8 seconds (previously 10).
3.7.0	Now adds 1 to 13 lightning damage to attacks at gem level 1, up to 9 to 179 at gem level 20. Now gains 1% increased projectile speed and 1% increased damage per 1% gem quality (previously gained 1% increased lightning damage per 1% gem quality).
2.1.0	It is now a Dexterity Gem
1.1.0d	Vaal Skill soul counts were initially balanced for Merciless difficulty, where there are more monsters. We want them to be easier to use in Normal and Cruel difficulty. We have halved the number of souls required for each skill. In Cruel difficulty, skills require 50% more souls to uses. In Merciless difficulty, they require 100% more (which is the same as before the patch).
1.1.0	Introduced to the game.