As the title says I’m going for a druid pulverize build,but I find Earth Spike to be sorta boring to use. Is this skill required for the build? What else can I use besides this,and that would still be viable for high level content?
Just use Maul. Its fine. Actually I think it gives you more fortify so has a slight advantage even though its not distances and doesn’t quite give you the spirit output.
Yeah I prefer maul honestly its just more fun. Will it cripple me when I’m facing bosses, or it doesn’t matter?
I don’t think it will cripple you in the least. The selling point for Earth Spike (at least for me) is it can be done at range. Overall less clicking/moving. For pure dps concerns I’m sure its fine.
Not really. It’s really just useful when you have Vasily’s to build up fortify and apply slow or maybe stun elites before you pulverize them.
There’s some pulverize variants that use storm strike to shift between human and werebear to proc the shapeshifting passives.
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I don’t think you’ll be better or worse off in mid level content. As Earthspike is just a bit easier to get spirit regen since don’t need to run to them. Basically assume either basic does zero damage and it’s about spirit generation.
If you have good gear with umbral, then you’ll defintely feel the earth spike build going faster to get next pulverize off that resets your spirit to keep pulverizing.
Like everyone else said, you can use Maul. I used maul up until I found Vasily and then switched to Earth Spike and haven’t looked back.
It is much more convenient to use and easier to get spirit. But even more than that, it seems to proc Earthen Maul much more consistently. Also ES works much better to hit bosses in the pulverize sweet spot without having to reposition after using maul. Considering how below average the single target damage gets at higher levels, you need all the help you can get.
I honestly hated Maul. I leveled with Storm Strike and switched to maul when I started using Grizzly Rage…because I had no other choice. As soon as I got vasily, I never looked back (until I finally switched to tornado that is).
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I want to use maul too but it is hard to justify over Earthspike.
Thematically, I want to be melee as a werebear, but practically Earthspike gives you range so it’s easier to position Pulverize for max damage and it can proc Earthen Might.
I really want to see a werebear mirror of Cronestaff, albeit a 2H axe or mace, that turns maul into an earth skill with some additional effect such as also casting Earthspike or not sure how useful that’d be so maybe something else.
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Yeah I tried using maul,but it’s not really viable with bosses,and I just hate earth spike for many reasons. I ended up deleted druid,and just sticking with my rapid flurry rogue. I feel like a damn ninja with that build it’s fun. I’ll wait for poe 2 to play a werebear druid. Earth spike just ruins my immersion.
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Glad you’re enjoying rogue.
Rather than going full bear I made one of my druids into a Cronestaff Trampleslide druid. It’s fun being able to claw and Trample targets in melee range as an alternative to mauling them, since Maul is sadly pretty underwhelming
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Yeah, they should just let maul be lacerate with more damage as a basic. 
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That sounds like a great idea 
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I’m actually very dissapointed at the earth spike aspect…it really should go as fast as attack speed rather than it’s own ‘cool down’.
At first I thought earthspike was cringe to look at but seeing how werewolf tornado animation is ever more cringe and that it’s actually hilarious how it’s like he’s playing air drums it doesn’t bother me as much now. Would’ve been cool if they integrated the ES aspect into Vasily’s. Then we’d have a werebear firing off lurker spines.
Have you tried lightning shred? Many say it handles like a Rogue. And it gave me motion sickness when I first starting running it with how fast I was zooming from mob to mob of monsters lol.