If you’ve spent any significant time in Wraeclast, you know the dopamine hit of watching a stat number climb into the thousands. There is something fundamentally satisfying about Path of Exile’s attribute stacking. You aren't just finding gear; you’re building a god. And when it comes to lightning damage and intelligence, the Hand of Wisdom and Action Furtive Wraps—or HoWA, as the veterans call it—remains the gold standard for players who want to scale damage and defense simultaneously.
It’s an old-school interaction. Honestly, it’s one of the few archetypes that has survived years of power creep and meta shifts without losing its identity.
The core of the build is simple: convert your brainpower into raw lethality. But doing it right? That’s where things get messy. Most people slap on a pair of claws and wonder why they’re dying in yellow maps. You've got to understand the synergy between the flat damage from the claws and the massive evasion-to-energy shield conversion that makes the "Furtive Wraps" base so iconic for this specific niche.
The Math Behind the Madness
Let’s talk about that scaling. Hand of Wisdom and Action is a Breach unique—the upgraded version of Hand of Thought and Motion. It gives you 1 to 10 added lightning damage to attacks per 10 intelligence.
📖 Related: Help the Hag Survivors: What Most People Get Wrong in This Baldur's Gate 3 Quest
Think about that for a second.
If you hit 1,000 Intelligence, which is actually pretty "entry-level" for a dedicated stacker these days, you’re looking at 100 to 1,000 added lightning damage. That’s more flat damage than almost any physical weapon in the game could ever dream of providing. And since the claw also grants 1% increased attack speed per 25 intelligence, you aren't just hitting hard. You’re hitting fast.
But damage is only half the story.
The "Furtive Wraps" base is the secret sauce. While the unique itself is the claw, the archetype traditionally relies on intelligence-stacking defenses. Intelligence naturally gives you % increased Energy Shield. This creates a "vertical" scaling loop. You buy one stat, and it fixes your offense and your survivability at the exact same time. It’s efficient. It’s elegant. It’s also incredibly expensive to min-max if you’re looking for those Tier 1 "All Attributes" and "Intelligence" suffixes on every single piece of rare gear.
Why People Get This Build Wrong
I see it all the time on the forums. A player grabs two HoWA claws, puts on some random ES gear, and wonders why their DPS feels like wet noodles.
Accuracy. That’s the killer.
In Path of Exile, if you're a Dexterity-based character, you get accuracy for free. If you're an Intelligence stacker using claws, your accuracy is going to be trash unless you solve it specifically. You can have 2,000 Intelligence and the theoretical DPS of a minor deity, but if you only have a 70% chance to hit, you’re effectively cutting your damage by a third and making your life-leech (or ES-leech) incredibly unreliable. This is why Shaper's Touch gloves used to be the mandatory pairing for this build—they convert Intelligence into Accuracy.
Without that bridge, the Hand of Wisdom and Action Furtive Wraps combo falls apart.
Then there’s the issue of the "Claw" identity. People think claws mean "Life Gain on Hit." But with HoWA, you are almost certainly an Energy Shield build (Chaos Inoculation). You need to path to Ghost Reaver. You need to understand that your recovery is tied to your damage. If you stop hitting, you stop living. It’s a high-octane playstyle that rewards aggression but punishes anyone who forgets to cap their resistances or forgets to pick up some form of stun immunity.
The Gear Progression: From Budget to Mirror Tier
You can start this build with a few Chaos Orbs. Truly. The claws themselves are rarely the bottleneck in the economy.
- The Budget Phase: Get two claws. Get a Cyclopean Coil belt (it prevents shocks and ignites if your Int is highest). Grab a Discipline aura and just path toward every "30+ Intelligence" node on the tree.
- The Mid-Tier: This is where you look for a "% Increased Intelligence" chest piece or an Astramentis amulet. The Astramentis is the "ol' reliable" of stat stacking. It’s not the best in slot, but it’s 100+ to all stats, which fixes your requirements for gems like Grace or Determination while boosting your HoWA damage.
- The End-Game: This is where the Hand of Wisdom and Action Furtive Wraps synergy becomes a monster. We’re talking about synthesized rings with % Intelligence implicit. We’re talking about a custom-crafted Rare amulet with "1% increased Damage per 15 Intelligence."
It’s worth noting that the "Furtive Wraps" base specifically refers to the Esh-themed unique armor, but in the modern game, many players transition to a high-ES Vaal Regalia or a Saeval's Choice. However, for those playing the classic "Esh's Visage" or similar variants, the interaction between the lightning damage and the protection against chaos damage is a specific niche that still holds up for certain boss-killing setups.
Skill Selection: What Actually Works?
You can’t just use any skill. Since HoWA is a claw, you’re limited.
Spectral Throw is the classic. It feels good, it clears screens, and with enough projectile speed, it’s a dream. But for raw bossing? Molten Strike is still the king. Even after the various nerfs over the years, the way Molten Strike interacts with lightning damage and the sheer number of hits you get per second makes it the best way to scale your recovery via Energy Shield leech.
Wild Strike is the "fun" alternative. It’s colorful, it’s fast, and it converts 100% of your physical damage to an element. Since HoWA provides almost entirely lightning damage, Wild Strike will lean heavily into those lightning procs, creating a chain-lightning effect that clears maps instantly.
The Modern Meta and The Adorned
In the current state of the game (2025-2026), the introduction of "The Adorned" jewel has changed the ceiling for intelligence stackers. If you use magic (blue) jewels with +15 Intelligence and "7% increased Maximum Energy Shield," and you boost those with a high-roll Adorned, your stats go orbital.
We are seeing players hit 3,000 Intelligence.
At that level, the Hand of Wisdom and Action Furtive Wraps isn't just a build. It’s an unstoppable force. You’re looking at 15,000+ Energy Shield and enough damage to phase Uber Maven before she can finish her "Stand Still" voiceline.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Character
If you’re looking to roll this, don’t just dive in at level 1. Leveling as an attribute stacker is a nightmare because the weapons don't have stats until you have the attributes.
- Level as something else: Use a standard lightning spell or a non-stat-scaling claw build until you’re at least level 70 and have about 500 Intelligence ready to go.
- Prioritize the "Utmost Intellect" cluster: This is non-negotiable on the passive tree. The % increase is worth more than the flat points once you pass the 600 Int threshold.
- Check your Accuracy: Seriously. Open your character sheet. If your "Chance to Hit" isn't 100%, go buy a precision aura or a Shaper’s Touch.
- Look for "Split Personalities": If you can afford them, these jewels placed at the end of a long passive path (like in a Large Cluster Jewel socket) can give you +40 or +50 Intelligence each.
- Anoint your Amulet: "Utmost Intellect" is usually the play, but if you need more damage, look for "Tranquility" to make your Energy Shield increases apply to your damage via Transfiguration of Soul.
The Hand of Wisdom and Action Furtive Wraps archetype is a testament to Path of Exile's depth. It’s a build that grows with you. Every single point of Intelligence you find on a piece of gear feels impactful. It’s not just a +1 to a stat; it’s more life, more speed, and more lightning.
Keep an eye on the market for Intelligence-based cluster jewels. They are usually the most expensive part of the transition, but they are the difference between a build that "works" and a build that "deletes the game." Be patient with the gearing process, as attribute stacking is a marathon, not a sprint. Focus on reaching the 1,200 Intelligence milestone first, then start worrying about your crit multi and penetration. Once the foundation is solid, the damage will take care of itself.