I wanna know what your favorite druid build is. Not in terms of DPS but on how it handles, how it fulfills the fantasy of a Druid, and how fun it is to use. I think my Top 3 would be:
Pulverize - Straight forward to use and fun to see it wipe out wave after wave of monsters. Hilarious seeing it do air drums when attacking with earth spike. It’s also a walking tank with all it’s sources of fortify and unstoppable.
Storm/Claw - Another straight forward build since you literally just need to hold the claw button down to profit. Zooming around with shred is fun too. Surprisingly tanky with all the self heal it has and it’s only let down by heavy CC. It really fulfills the werewolf fantasy.
Trample-Landslide - Another fun build for me but kind of stressful to use since you need to be constantly popping off your skills when they get reset, sometimes I just tunnel vision on my skill bar instead of watching my character. However, it’s hilarious to see groups of monsters get shredded just because you passed by them.
I just started playing HC druid. I died with 3 or 4 different build. The one I am still on is human storm with passive that will also cast earth skill at same time with 30% chance. Very fun for me now but will probably hit a wall after 50.
I’ve been fortunately enough to find TR relatively early. I haven plenty of rings from other mains so the gear early is pretty decent to be able to test and try out builds.
I personally like Pulverize best as a druid flavor. Specifically versus Tornado I just don’t feel as in control of the spell even with the seeking tornado aspect. And ‘choas’ doesn’t seem to be central to druid fantasy wise.
The only thing I wish different was that I had one more aspect slot so that way I could use poison creeper landslide aspect, trample landslide aspect, landside second cast aspect, and retaliation aspect with using 2H shockwave. I find I’m just one short while running unique helm and chest. This is the most fun play style combo.
I also like lightning wolf thematically, but for the pace of play I’d just go rogue instead.
I’ll be that guy. Playing bulwark. Really like it. One shots everything late game and the rapid explosions are super satisfying. I like shred to. Mobility skills that do damage are super fun.
Is Physical Shred different than lightning Shred? If yes, what are the difference in aspects?
No judgement here.
I think there’s a Pulverize variant that uses those aspects however you will be sacrificing grizzly rage for it since you want to proc your shapeshifting passives too.
S1 is my first go at Druid and have been working toward the Poison Creeper-Trample-Landslide build the whole time. I’ve been fortunate to find several items with the Trample procs Lanslide and the Aftershock aspects, so I’ve been able to level with those two for most of the way since early teens to now level 70.
It is really satisfying watching landslides just murder mobs. Downside is keeping a close eye for CD resets of skills. Lately, I have been trying to work in a little of the exploding Bulwark thing, but have not gone all in on Barrier generation yet.
Next, I am hoping to get lucky enough to find a Crone staff and try that with this build.
I’ll let you know when I figure all that out, but I imagine the important ones will be the same defensively. Probably won’t be using Tempest Roar or Hurricane. Currently using but am debating about Stormclaw’s Aspect since I think it sometimes interferes with Waxing Gibbous. Giving up that AoE will be hard, since I’ve had it so long I don’t know how it would function without it.
Haven’t had much time to really play or try and put this all together since season start, so I’m lagging behind. If I manage to put together something halfway decent with it I’ll let you know.
Edit - I think my biggest problem with it so far is how costly Shred is in general. Even with some Spirit Cost Reduction, Lust for Carnage, and the Spirit on Kill nodes I can only go a few times before I have to Basic a dozen times to refill. The malignant heart that sometimes refills the gauge has made it less annoying, but it is still very much so.
I can’t wait for the Druid focused patch. I am keeping my fingers crossed for something to alleviate my irritation.
Yeah, that’s my point, the last ascect would be unseating either grizzly rage or retaliation or something else that is more powerful to pulverize itself so you’re just shy one aspect slow (using 2H for Pulv aspect) to fully support the secondary skill aspects and get full synergy.
Shifter/Pulverize build is a lot of fun. It just beats down everything and is tanky and doesn’t rely on ultimate. High crit high damage. Base 400% crit 50% chance in warebear. Hits for 1.8m and up with pulverize. Lots of fun to play.
I have 67% barrier generation and it’s plenty. Crit Damage is super important. I have 200% crit damage and when buffed 200% more damage to earth skills. If the bulwark crits it basically one shots everything in single player.
Also, check your barrier vs your max life. If they are the same you’ve over capped your barrier and need more max life on gear or with paragon.
I am surprised by the consensus about refitting current builds. Personally I take one build and I might swap a skill or two out but if I want to try another build I’ll start a new character.
So currently I’m a (75) pulverise druid variant. Because I play so much team nightmare pushing (in a party full of glass cannons) I’m very defensively orientated in gear rolls and paragon board. I also run creeper as my third skill as it’s really useful for
(a) freezing a large group of enemies chasing you before attempting a revival, and
(b) keeping enemies centralised which is what my party likes, not pushing them away from area effect damage like trample does.
PS. Modern thinking seems to be rubies + emeralds for armour and weapons but let me tell you I’m 100% into sapphires+more sapphires!
Pulverize Natures fury is my favorite build. With the right aspects and skills, you become a walking natural disaster.
Im constantly casting skills for free and reducing my cooldowns at the same time whilst completely destroying the battlefield.
The build almost encompasses everything the druid is except for no wolf and companion skills. I had so much fun with it, that i almost always use natures fury on every build.
Easy to equip (no % atk spd neccessary), easy to play and with Mad Wolf’s Glee + Tempest Roar + Hurricane Aspect on shoes and +4 Lightning Storm on gloves very high skill level.
Advantage:
Deletes everything in AoE through direct damage fast (doing 145 mobs with 100 Druid)
Needs no line of sight after seeing an area the first time
Huge range - even beyond the visible screen area
Can cast ultra fast with 2-handed weapon (with 80% dmg fortify aspect) after ramping up the cast area to max (just mash the button as fast as you can )
I think Topaz for armour are the most underestimated gems. Playing hardcore without any skill that makes me unstoppable. Got 3 Topaz in my armour, giving me 30% damage reduction when crowdcontrolled. Saved my life countless times, together with the damage reduction when injured.
Played trampleslide over and over, but kept dying. Tried a boulder build for fun. Now level 89 and still going strong. Boulder gives a lot of crowdcontrol, and therefore survivability.
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