Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

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scratchdtwo

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Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

Ok folks, I've been playing D2 since 1.08, and I've done most things on here. Finally just fought the Dclone (friend's game so he got the anni), and looking at a long term group of guys to do Ubers on the Ladder. All that aside, I'm bored. I need a new build to play, and I've run out of ideas. Someone joked 'try a useless drood' but I thought, hey yeah let me make a Druid and beat the snot out of things.

Now, there's aren't as many build guides, and the Druid seems like the overlooked class in general, but what are the 'fun' druid builds to play? I only have my Hammerdin on the new ladder, so getting gear will be slow going, but I'm trying to find something that is playable, and not a grush-required before you can play build.

So what's out there, what have you tried, and what did you really enjoy playing in this class?
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

Wind druids are a top tier PvM class, up there with hammerdins and lightning sorcs imo. I didn't really believe it either until I made one, but I tore through hell solo at lvl 70ish and now the char is easily better than my summon necro. I do have good gear that I farmed on my necro though but even without it I think its strong.

anyways the build is 20 cyclone armor, 20 twisters, 20 tornadoes, 20 hurricane, 1 in ravens, wolves, and grizzly, 1 in poison creeper and carrion vine, rest in oak sage... nothing at all in shapeshifting. I use high end gear that I was able to farm with my necro by trading keysets/torches etc, but even with just decent gear that anybody could get I think you'll be really solid.

just for reference I use shako, +3 ele magic ammy, enigma, spirit sword, stormshield, arachs, MF rings, sandstorm treks, trangs gloves... but if you're on a budget enigma is not strictly necessary, I'd probably wear vipermagi instead, jalal's is almost as good as shako and its only like a lem, you could probably get it for pgems on the trading forums, treks arent necessary any decent boots would be fine, trangs gloves are dirt cheap, spirit sword you should be able to just make on your own... you'll be able to gamble a druid or ele skills ammy eventually, and using a different belt than arachs isnt going to kill you. Stormshield is only like a pul at most, and you can get a low dtorch for a pul too. You can use lidless or a spirit shield instead of stormshield but unless you just wait to farm it yourself a spirit shield trades for about as much as a stormshield and I'm a big fan of stormshield.
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

Read the sticky up at top to look through all of the builds, the Ribcracker fury druid is quite fun and pretty cheap too.
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

BAMFSpecialOps said:
Read the sticky up at top to look through all of the builds
Click to expand...

I did! Just more looking for personal experiences from other folks, IE your note on the Ribcracker, and Hypnosx's words on the Wind druid....

Anyone experience with a build is welcome, I'm curious to know if it was FUN!


 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

scratchdtwo said:
Anyone experience with a build is welcome, I'm curious to know if it was FUN!
Click to expand...

As far as the fun factor I like the wind druid alot, but everybody's idea of fun is different. Like I said before, I built my wealth with a summon necro, which was effective but also pretty boring. Yeah you cast alot of curses and use corpse explosion and stuff, but it felt sort of like my minions were doing all the work and I was just walking around. I also made a blizz sorc which I abandoned very quickly because I didn't think being limited to only a handful of MF areas was fun.

Reasons the wind druid is fun for me:
1) Can MF anywhere/solo all of hell - same is true for hammerdins/summon necros, not so much for sorcs (except lightning with infinity), and not so much for any other build in the game really, at least without 50 high runes in your gear

2) Fast paced/high damage - same is true for hammerdins/sorcs, not so much for summon necro

3) Somewhat less typical (i.e. not a hammerdin or sorc) - this is the difference I guess. Its a build that is fun, can do whatever you want, but isn't exactly the same as the other 7 players in the game


 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

Hypnosx said:
Reasons the wind druid is fun for me:
1) Can MF anywhere/solo all of hell - same is true for hammerdins/summon necros, not so much for sorcs (except lightning with infinity), and not so much for any other build in the game really, at least without 50 high runes in your gear
Click to expand...
This is a bit of an overstatement. There aren't many builds that cannot solo Hell without HRs. And without HRs Hammerdins and Windies are really mediocre MF builds.

Most fun druid I played was a Fissure/Tornado hybrid.



 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

FireClaw Bear hardcore build, because I played untwinked HC. Definitely no HRs.

6 shael phase blade gives 6 attacks per second, or 4 fpa. Use with crushing blow.

Depending on party or not party, you can max lycanthropy and put 10 into sage for solo, or vise versa for party. I like the fireclaw bear because it makes use of CB, so it can do bosses, it uses a one handed weapon, so I can have a high resist shield which is almost necessary for untwinked HC, and it's a bear with oak sage, so with 75 resist all and hopefully some DR, I will have enough life to survive an accidental ESFE corpse explosion or what ever and pop a full rejuv.

Windy druid was boring for me, I hated how the tornados go 'random' directions, I have to position more or less perfectly at a fairly close range for them to be consistent. Not as good for untwinked HC as many other builds.

With high equipment I see windy druids all the time on bnet, nigma-ing around. Whatever, it's like a hammerdin, so boring.
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

my first druid is a single player feral rage/fury wolf. lvl 77 atm. Good if you like rolling round at high speeds hitting things... I've found all the stuff for it untwinked, struggling with resists in Hell but he's surviving without too much hassle. Still don't have a very good weapon though... damage is still high with HoW and Fury, plus fast attack. Good times, would recommend him for a first timer druid like myself :thumbup:
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

If you make a wind druid you can use most of the equipment of your hammerdin - hoto, enigma, arachs, soj/bk.. Dont know if you'll like this build much, its pretty much similar to hammerdins I think. I do like it better tho, hammerdins are way too boring for me.
Or make a melee druid, as has been suggested already :P
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

My ribcracker fury druid completely destroys hell and it's pretty fun to play with pretty cheap equipment (except a couple pieces, but they can easily be subbed with cheap stuff until you can afford better without too much trouble)

I have alot more fun on it than my light sorc...
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

My summoner/shifter druid is level 61 and can kill Baal almost as fast as my 79 frenzy barb can.

So far I've got 20 in Heart of Wolverine, 20 in grizzly, 8 in dire wolf, 3 in spirit wolf, 1 in lycanthropy and werewolf, 1 in carrion vine, 1 in shockwave, 1 in bite, and 1 in each pre-req. I'm going to max dire wolf than start pouring the rest of my points into shape shifting.

It's a fun build.
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

I appreciate the replys folks. I've been looking into the Wind Druid, tried messing around with one last night (only to lvl 12) and yes, it is just like another caster/hdin type of playstyle. I may look at the melee trees, it seems like a decent idea, and any chance to use more CB on a char is a good time: Just found Guillaume's Face & Whitstan's Guard on some recent Baal runs, so this could be a good thing for a new druid build =)
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

Ribcracker/Gores takes pretty good care of all the CB needed for a melee build(if you use ribby that is)
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

Windy:
PvM: The only cookiecutter druid class. Although a bit slow in the beginning
PvP: Among the best
Ubers: Nah

Ribcracker fury druid:
PvM: Not too shabby. Certainly viable as long as you have a solution to PIs
PvP: Most often combined with rabies, and you also need lots of frw
Ubers: The best druid for the job. Not as good as a paladin, but gets it done fast enough
 
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Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

Try the town dump werebear (see guide) for a new experience. You will be spamming Shockwaves and mauling away while your wolves and ravens do quite some damage as well. It is not a cookie-cutter character, but a lot of fun to build and play.
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

GAH, so now it's just down to FireClaw or Town Dump... hit lvl 15 and that Maul action is way fun. Shockwave was a fun skill to use, I may very well go that route. Plus having Dire Wolves is just... FUN (standing back in Maggot Lair with 2 normal wolves in front, Zero sparks make it through to hit me :thumbup: )

I'm relatively untwinked (Sig Shield, Artic Belt) but I do have a Coldkill waiting for me to lvl up. Just the downside for not being twinked, SLOW swinging bear. That animation really messes with you.

May have to go Town Dump with this one. I can just see spam flooding the Throne Room with shockwaves as the mobs pop in :yes:
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

For untwinked early on fireclaw, steel, tir+el, gives +25% ias.
If you're using fireclaw, you will swing incredbly fast in a scimitar, but you won't have any life leech.
If you're using maul/normal attack, this is not the correct route. Trying a very fast two handed weapon will get you good attack speed with good damage, but you won't be able to have a shield with diamonds in it for resists.

Example:
A bonesnap does ridiculous damage but swings incredibly slowly. Good for bosses/mini bosses, but bad for mobs, especially act 4 bugs and grotesques.
 
Re: Hit the D2 WALL! Need a Druid Build!

Just made it to Ancients... 22 atm and itching to hit 25 for some baal runs. I completely forgot about making Steel, that should tide me over until I get high enough to use the sanders I found. Just made that Stealth word as well, not bad for R/W and FHR this early on.

This looks like a decent build, this town dump. Insane Dire Wolves with HoW, Might Merc (hopefully I can make some polearm runeword), and just Maul Maul Maul....
 
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