Diablo III- Skills Article LXVII: The Monk, Primary Skill- Deadly Reach

Deadly Reach: Punches and kicks that project their effect a short distance (7-12 yards) in the direction you attack for 110% weapon damage.  Every third attack has a reach of 25 yards instead.  Generates 6 Spirit.

If not for the third-strike effect on Fists of Thunder, this would be the Monk’s first true area of effect attack.  Truly, this one doesn’t quite work like other area of effects- it’s not round, and it doesn’t extend in a line to the edge of the screen.  It’s most useful for hitting multiple foes clumped together in a line- which doesn’t happen as often as you would think.  It can be very nice for reaching past melee demons to hit the archers and spellcasters behind them with every third hit, though.  Other than that, it’s pretty unremarkable.

Piercing Trident: Punches and kicks that project their effect a short distance (7-12 yards) in the direction you attack for 110% weapon damage.  Every second attack strikes in a ‘V’ formation, reaching out in two directions.  Every third attack has a reach of 25 yards and strikes in a three-pronged spread formation.  Generates 6 Spirit.

If you need to do damage to a large cluster of demons and can only reach the one in front, this is a fairly nice rune to have.  It’s really difficult to aim the extra attacks, and in the case of the second strike of each chain to aim the attack period, thanks to the way the spread works.  Generally speaking, you should avoid facing single or small group targets with this, and don’t really rely on the extra ‘branches’ of the attacks to actually hit anything, instead consider it a convenient bonus when they do.  You’ll be and feel better off about it.

Keen Eye: Punches and kicks that project their effect a short distance (7-12 yards) in the direction you attack for 110% weapon damage.  Every third attack has a reach of 25 yards instead and increases your Armor by 50% for 4 seconds.  This increase does not stack with itself.  Generates 6 Spirit.

This is much more overall useful than Piercing Trident, and compares favorably to Lightning Flash in terms of defensive utility- with the caveat that where Lightning Flash has a more modest effect, Keen Eye’s boost doesn’t take effect until and unless you hit something with a ‘third attack’.  Definitely favorable in a party when mass combat happens, though.

Scattered Blows: Punches and kicks that project their effect a short distance (7-12 yards) in the direction you attack for 110% weapon damage.  Every third attack will instead strike up to six enemies within 15 yards for 175% weapon damage as Lightning damage .  Generates 6 Spirit.

A much better way of striking multiple foes with Deadly Reach than the first rune, Piercing Trident, Scattered Blows triggers the extra targets less often, but vastly more reliably- and usually in larger number as well.  The damage isn’t anything to sneeze at either, and can easily take out enemies you weren’t even trying to hit.  Quite nice in mass combat.

Strike from Beyond: Punches and kicks that project their effect a short distance (7-12 yards) in the direction you attack for 110% weapon damage.  Every third attack has a reach of 25 yards instead.  Generates 6 Spirit.  When you score a critical hit with this attack, you generate 10 Spirit.

I cannot claim to understand the existence of this rune.  Fists of Thunder is clearly the Primary Skill for a Monk who wants to generate a lot of Spirit, and if more is needed, it has a rune for Spirit generation.  Strike from Beyond tends to hit more enemies per strike, but it’s slower and doesnt’ strike enough additional foes on a regular basis to make it sensible to have it compete with Fists of Thunder for Spirit generation.  Unless you’re absolutely in love with Deadly Reach and need Spirit extremely badly, don’t bother with this rune.

Foresight: Punches and kicks that project their effect a short distance (7-12 yards) in the direction you attack for 110% weapon damage.  Every third attack has a reach of 25 yards instead and increases your attack damage by 18% for 30 seconds.  This increase does not stack with itself.  Generates 6 Spirit.

This form of Deadly Reach is, quite simply, deadly useful.  Put together with high-damage skills, it will leave your enemies wondering where their teeth went.  Since the damage does not stack, it does not really help to run through multiple cycles of Foresight in succession unless you really need the Spirit more than anything else.  Unless that’s the case, you’re best served to instead whip out your other skills and kill everything with them.