Arc

Thunderlord — Storm Caller (Hunter)

Overload-stunning add-clear + Bolt Charge storm engine

✓ Manifest Arc · Heavy · 450 RPM · Overload

Weapon: Thunderlord (Machine Gun · Heavy · Arc) · Subclass: Arcstrider · Role: Overload-stunning add-clear + Bolt Charge storm engine Sandbox: 9.7.0 · Created 2026-06-16

Hold the trigger and the gun gets louder. Kills call lightning from the sky; each strike stacks Bolt Charge and partially reloads the mag (catalyst). On Arc Hunter that loop never has to stop: Geomag turns the Bolt Charge you're already drowning in into free recharge, the catalyst feeds the mag, and every jolt and spark you make is a feed for the next strike. It's a Heavy primary you fire like an add-clear and it stuns Overload on its own.

The weapon

Reign Havoc (intrinsic, verbatim): Final blows with this weapon generate stunning lightning strikes from above. Lightning strikes grant a stack of Bolt Charge. Strong against [Disruption] Overload Champions.

Catalyst — Return Stroke (verbatim): Causing a lightning strike with this weapon partially reloads the magazine from reserves.

So: kill → lightning strike → (a) it stuns Overload Champions on its own, no archetype dependence; (b) it grants a stack of Bolt Charge; (c) catalyst refills the mag from reserves. In a pack that ramps to a chain — each kill triggers a strike, each strike refunds rounds and a Bolt Charge stack, and the gun's spin-up means the longer you hold the trigger the faster it kills the next thing. The build's job is to turn the Bolt Charge byproduct from "occasional discharge" into the actual ability economy.

Loadout

Slot	Pick	Why
Subclass	Arcstrider	Native Bolt Charge / jolt / amplified web that Thunderlord plugs straight into.
Super	Gathering Storm	Stick the spear, it jolts the whole pack → jolted kills feed Flow State + Spark of Ions; or Storm's Edge for tighter add-clear.
Class ability	Marksman's Dodge	Full reload between strikes; arms Lethal Current's next melee.
Melee	Combination Blow / Disorienting Blow	Arc melee jolts (via Lethal Current) → jolted-kill feeds → amplified.
Grenade	Arcbolt Grenade	Chains + jolts a pack; jolted kills → Ionic Traces → Bolt Charge (Spark of Ions).
Aspect 1	Flow State	Defeating a jolted target → amplified (≈15% DR + faster reload/handling); Thunderlord makes jolted kills constantly.
Aspect 2	Lethal Current	Post-dodge melee jolts + aftershock; melee hits jolt → more jolted kills for Flow State and Bolt Charge.

Fragments

Spark of Ions jolted kill / Bolt-Charge kill → Ionic Trace
Spark of Discharge Arc weapon kills → Ionic Traces; collecting one → +1 Bolt Charge
Spark of Amplitude amplified rapid kills → Orbs
Spark of Resistance (DR while surrounded, +10 Melee). Swap in Spark of Frequency (+reload on melee) for harder content**

Exotic armour: Geomag Stabilizers (Leg Armor) — Close Enough: "Sprinting while near max Bolt Charge will grant stacks over time." Thunderlord keeps you pinned near max Bolt Charge, so sprinting between targets tops it off for free — the discharge loop self-sustains and you never sit idle waiting on stacks.

Other two weapon slots:

Kinetic primary: any Voltshot or jolting Arc Special isn't possible in this slot, so run a reliable add-clearer (Kinetic SMG / Pulse) to build kills while Thunderlord ammo regenerates. Anything that makes Orbs feeds the loop.
Special: a Strand or Arc Special for the slot Thunderlord's Heavy ammo can't cover — a Voltshot Arc Special (e.g. an SMG) doubles down on jolt, giving Flow State / Spark of Ions a second source when Thunderlord is dry.

Why this works (the mechanics)

Thunderlord's strikes ARE a Bolt Charge generator, and Arc Hunter is the only class built to spend Bolt Charge from gunfire. Every kill = a strike = a Bolt Charge stack. Hit max and it discharges as a jolting lightning strike — which makes more jolted kills, which Flow State turns into amplified. The gun seeds its own subclass loop.
The catalyst closes the ammo problem. Return Stroke partially reloads from reserves on every strike, so a kill-chain barely drains the mag. A Heavy weapon that reloads itself off kills behaves like a primary in add-dense rooms — which is exactly where it stacks Bolt Charge fastest.
Overload is handled intrinsically — no archetype tax. Reign Havoc carries bespoke "Strong against Overload Champions" on the weapon, independent of Anti-Champion 2.0 archetype rules. You don't spend a frame slot or a subclass verb on Overload; Thunderlord just stuns it while you cover Barrier/Unstoppable on the other two weapons.
Flow State makes the jolt loop pay survivability. Jolted kills (Thunderlord strikes, Arcbolt, Lethal Current melee) → amplified → ≈15% DR + faster reload and handling on the gun that wants to keep firing. The DR is gated behind the thing you're already doing nonstop.
Geomag removes the only dead time. Bolt Charge normally needs generation to climb; this build is already saturated, so Geomag's "sprint near max → stacks over time" means traversal between packs tops the meter instead of idling it. You arrive at the next room pre-charged.
Two Ionic Trace sources keep abilities full. Spark of Discharge (Arc weapon kills) and Spark of Ions (jolted / Bolt-Charge kills) both spawn Traces; collecting a Trace via Spark of Discharge also grants +1 Bolt Charge — a third Bolt Charge feed and a steady drip of melee/grenade/dodge energy.

Stats & mods

Weapons 150+ → Health 100+ → Class. Weapons stat for PvE add-clear damage on a gun that lives on bodyshots; Class to keep Marksman's Dodge (reload + Lethal Current arming) on a short leash. Mods:

Helmet: Ashes to Assets (Super on ability kills) · Harmonic/Arc Siphon (Orbs from Arc kills — Thunderlord floods these).
Arms: Heavy Ammo Finder / Scavenger to keep reserves topped (the catalyst spends reserves to refill the mag — keep the tank full).
Chest: Arc Resistance ×1–2 under the amplified DR layer.
Legs (Geomag): Machine Gun Scavenger + Arc Weapon Surge ×2 (≈+17% Arc weapon damage onto Thunderlord) · Orbs of Restoration.
Class item: Powerful Attraction (dodge vacuums Orbs) + Bomber/Outreach.
Pursue an Arc archetype roll (Grenadier / Gunner favouring Weapons + Class). Spirit of the Coyote class item (extra dodge charge) doubles Lethal Current arming if you chase an exotic class item; optional, not a driver.

Where it shines

Match Game / add-dense GMs & Nightfalls: intrinsic Overload stun + self- reloading Heavy + amplified DR = a gun that clears rooms and answers a champion type without a build tax. Cover Barrier/Unstoppable on the primary/Special archetypes; Thunderlord owns Overload.
Patrol / Onslaught / wave content: the kill→strike→Bolt-Charge→strike chain is at its best with bodies everywhere; Geomag tops Bolt Charge as you reposition.
Single-target / boss: weakest case. It's add-clear and champion control, not a DPS Heavy — pair with a burst Heavy isn't possible (one Heavy), so lean on Gathering Storm + Special for priority damage.
Champion coverage: Overload — intrinsic to Thunderlord. Barrier and Unstoppable must come from your Kinetic/Special archetype frames (Anti-Champion 2.0). Jolt + blind from the Arc kit also soft-controls champion ability spam.

Verify notes

Exotic perk + catalyst quoted verbatim from `docs/encyclopedia/exotics.md` (line 335) and `docs/encyclopedia/catalysts.md` (line 146). Element (Arc), ammo (Heavy / Machine Gun), and the intrinsic Overload stun are all stated in the perk text — no fabrication.
Geomag Stabilizers text verbatim from `exotics.md` (line 164): "Sprinting while near max Bolt Charge will grant stacks over time." The synergy (Thunderlord keeps you near max) is inference from stated mechanics, not a manifest number.
Aspects (Flow State, Lethal Current) and fragments (Spark of Ions, Discharge, Amplitude, Resistance) verified verbatim against `docs/encyclopedia/aspects.md` and `fragments.md`. Arcstrider aspect legality cross-checked vs `docs/knowledge/subclasses_and_aspects.md` §6 (Flow State, Lethal Current, Tempest Strike, Ascension are the four Arc-Hunter aspects).
Bolt Charge behaviour (stacks → max → jolting discharge) from `subclasses_and_aspects.md` line 66; the exact stack cap, per-strike Bolt Charge gain, catalyst reload %, and amplified DR (≈15%) are behaviour, not numbers — confirm in-game.
Artifact garnish (optional): Tablet of Ruin's Dielectric (Arc-debuffed kills → Bolt Charge) and Flashover (max Bolt Charge → amplified) both amplify this loop — verified in `docs/encyclopedia/artifact.md` (lines 50, 183). Whether that artifact is equipped is the player's call; the build stands on the weapon + subclass alone.
Set bonuses: none required (house rule — garnish, never a driver). An Arc / Bolt-Charge-leaning set is flavour only; rolls/stats come first.

Mod selection (masterworked — full allocation)

Piece	Mod · cost	What it does
Helmet (7/10)	Arc Siphon 3e	Rapid Arc weapon final blows create an Orb of Power.
	Heavy Ammo Finder 1e	Increases the effect of all contributions towards the Heavy ammo meter.
	Ashes to Assets 3e	Gain bonus Super energy on grenade kills.
Arms (6/10)	Utility Kickstart 3e fill	When your class ability energy is fully expended, your Armor Charge is consumed and you gain class ability energy for each Armor Charge used.
	Momentum Transfer 2e fill	Causing damage with a grenade reduces your melee cooldown.
	Fastball 1e fill	Increases grenade throw distance.
Chest (5/10)	Arc Resistance 1e	Reduces incoming Arc damage from combatants.
	Concussive Dampener 3e fill	Reduces incoming area-of-effect damage from combatants.
	Sniper Damage Resistance 1e fill	Reduces incoming damage from combatants that are at long range.
Legs (3/10)	Arc Weapon Surge 1e	Your Arc weapons gain a small bonus to damage while you have any Armor Charge. Your Armor Charge now decays over time.
	Orbs of Restoration 1e	Picking up an Orb of Power grants a small amount of energy to your ability with the least energy.
	Arc Weapon Surge 1e fill	Your Arc weapons gain a small bonus to damage while you have any Armor Charge. Your Armor Charge now decays over time.
Class Item (4/10)	Outreach 1e	Reduces melee cooldown when using your class ability.
	Bomber 1e	Reduces grenade cooldown when using your class ability.
	Powerful Attraction 2e	Automatically collects nearby Orbs of Power when you activate your class ability.

All 15 sockets used, 10 energy per masterworked piece; costs from the manifest. Core mods are the build's engine; fill mods are strong defaults — swap freely (chest resists should match the activity's damage types). Flex/loadout-dependent: not a driver.