FraterPerdurabo
08-13-2006, 05:59 PM
The Wind Druid Unleashed, by Frater Perdurabo
Versions:
0.1: Just wanted to paste it here to see what it would look like. Unfinished. I'm just editing it here since my Office is screwing up and I have to write in notepad >.<
0.2: Just have Necromancer and Sorceress strategies to go. Then it'll just be embellishment and minor add-ons (just some explanations to summons in PvP and that kind of stuff). Also, I don't like the layout, so I'm going to change that once it's finished (in volume).
0.3: Should be ready soon ~~ Just a few more additions.
1.0: Huoh, should be ready now. I have written up the bulk, it just needs to be arranged.
1.1: Added some stash contents and PvP strategies, hoping to write something up on TvT soon.
1.2: Completely rewrote strategy vs. Javazon and added a few embellishments (Y)
1.3: Some minor additions to gear, merc, Smiter and Sorc strategies.
2.0: Rewrote and restructured pretty much the entire guide. More focus on PvP now. Not entirely finished yet.
2.1: Minor additions and corrections.
Strengths:
Versatile PvM
Versatile PvP
6000+ life achievable
7000+ unblockable physical damage
3000+ unblockable cold damage (*passive*)
Valuable player in team duels
Weaknesses:
Slow FCR and FHR frames
Tornados hard to aim
Inferior to close up melee and far away ranged
Skills:
20 Cyclone Armor
20 Twister
20 Tornado
20 Hurricane
1 Raven (prerequisite)
1 Summon Spirit Wolf
1 Summon Dire Wolf (prerequisite)
1 Summon Grizzly
1+ Oak Sage (All of your remaining points will go in here, but only go past 1 after you have finished the Elemental Tree)
Optional skills:
1 Poison Creeper
1 Carrion Vine
Some of these skill choices can actually be ignored by proper choice of equipment (I'll go into this later), but it does not really make a difference. At level 90 you will have 102 skill points (12 from quests, 90 from levels). 80 will go to elemental tree, 4-6 to summons, all the rest into Oak Sage.
Stats:
STR: Raise base to ~40
DEX: ~140 or leave at base
VIT: rest
ENE: base
You have the option of going for either max block with Stormshield, or no block at all. The only difference is that with block you can duel BvCs and Bowzons, but you will lose a lot of vitality. Without max block, you will have a better chance versus all other builds, due to extra life. This guide and it’s strategies have been written for a max block Druid, but it isn’t really all that hard to adapt.
Equipment:
The aim of your first set. You will be using this set versus any physical damage based builds.
Level ~50 Tornado (6000k+ unblockable physical damage)
Level ~50 Hurricane (3k unblockable cold damage *passively*)
5000+life with BO and Oak Sage
50%Damage Reduction
Max block
99%FCR
99%FHR
Helmet:
1)A godly rare Druid pelt with a base of +2 Druid skills, and +3 Tornado. Sweet mods that can spawn include +Hurricane, +Cyclone Armor, +Oak, +Grizzly. If you get this with 10% base FHR and 2 sockets, you have your hands on a godly piece of equipment. Shael it. Cons: No +all skills, so no bonus to BO.
2)Magical Druid Pelt. As opposed to Delirium and a rare pelt, it is possible to get +3 Elemental skills, +3 Tornado and +3 Hurricane. This is the most damage orientated item. Once again, base FHR, life and 2 sockets are things to look for. Shael it. Cons: Only adds damage, so no bonus to BO, or summons (unless you have summoning mods on it).
Many people tend to use Shako for a helmet. I am against Shako for many reasons.
1) It does much, MUCH less damage than the alternatives suggested above.
2) Extra life? You will not be hurting for life with this build. There are much more important stats to concentrate on.
3) Extra mana? Your druid will not run out of mana once build is finished.
4) Extra stats? +2 is neglible.
5) 10%DR? You get your DR% from Stormshield “Ber” and Enigma = 51%
Shako is a decent substitute while you are still getting the other helmets, but try to steer away from it. If you need a cheap substitute, make Delirium in a +3 Tornado +mods white Druid helmet. However, even though you will achieve the damage, you will be hurting for FHR, so that is not a viable option for PvP.
Amulet:
Crafted with:
+2 Druid
19%-20% FCR
+mods
This amulet, like the helmet, is on of the key parts of your build. If you cannot get this, consider not making a Wind Druid, because you will be seriously underpowered in PvP. If you manage to get one with nice stats, such as +20 STR, consider going for base STR and using AP/Dusk Enigma.
Weapon:
Heart of the Oak
+All resists, +skills.
No explanation needed. Without this you won’t reach your FCR breakpoint.
Armor:
Enigma
MP/AP/Dusk? The choice of base armor depends on the rest of your equipment. If you have nice +STR bonuses from other pieces of equipment, THAT YOU WILL BE USING CONSTANTLY, go for as high def as possible. The Druid does not get skill bonuses for his armor and is therefore limited to just what he is wearing, which is very low (~2000), low enough for any properly build BvC or Bowzon to hit you. On the other hand, if you do a lot of team dueling with a barb in your team, who has Shout, every little bit helps.
Shield:
Stormshield “Ber”
This + Enigma will give you max DR%, which is a must have when dueling all physical damage based classes. If you do not have quite enough Dexterity for max block, consider using Stormshield “Eld”, but remember that DR% is far more important. Only consider this option, if you have other pieces of equipment that you can socket for DR% (without losing FHR and other vital stats).
Gloves:
Bloodfists
FHR, no alternatives.
Belt:
Arachnid Mesh
+skill and FCR, no alternatives.
Rings:
2xrare ring with:
10%fcr
+xx STR
+xx DEX
Other nice mods to look for would include +life and +resists.
Boots:
Shadow Dancers +25 DEX
Use these in order to achieve max block and FHR. You will always be using these when dueling Bowzons, BvCs and Fury Druids.
Weapon + Shield on switch:
Call to Arms with Spirit Monarch, for BO
Your second set. You will be using this set versus any character that does unblockable, elemental or magical damage.
Level ~50 Tornado (~7000k unblockable physical damage)
Level ~50 Hurricane (3k unblockable cold damage *passively*)
5000+life with BO and Oak Sage
163%FCR
99%FHR
Helmet:
Rare Druid circlet:
An example would be:
+2 Druid skills (vital, obvious)
20%FCR (vital)
+life
+resists
+2 sockets (just to put the cherry on top of the cake)
Mine has a 7%FHR/9DEX/9STR Jewel. Just use the sockets to make up for whatever you are lacking.
Amulet:
Crafted with:
+2 Druid
19%-20% FCR
+mods
Required for FCR breakpoint.
Weapon:
Heart of the Oak
+All resists, +skills.
No explanation needed. Without this you won’t reach your FCR breakpoint.
Shield:
Spirit Monarch
+skills +resists +FHR +FCR
Get at least 33%FCR, you will need it for the 163%FCR breakpoint.
Gloves:
Trang’s/Magefists
Required for the FCR breakpoint. A matter of personal preference. I prefer Trang’s.
Belt:
Arachnid Mesh
+skill and FCR, no alternatives, needed to reach the FCR breakpoint.
Boots:
Sandstorm Treks/Shadow Dancers
Sandstorm Treks are better here for their extra VIT, but use Dancers if you cannot reach your FHR breakpoint, since they give an extra 10%.
Ring 1:
Stone of Jordan
+skill +mana
Ring 2:
rare ring with:
10%fcr
Other nice mods to look for would include +life and +resists. 10%FCR required in order to reach the breakpoint.
DEFAULT INVENTORY:
Annihilus Stats > Resists > Experience. 20 stats is very important.
Druid Torch Stats > Resists once again. Get a perfect one, because they are so cheap.
9xElemskillers If you are rich, get them with life. If you are poor, get them with STR, DEX and FRW. FHR is not required on skillers.
4xSC with 5%FHR +mods. Best would be 5%FHR/11 fire resist, since your fire resist will be lower than others.
7xSC +5 all resists +xx life.
OPTIONAL STASH CONTENTS (BM?):
Doom Berserker Axe: I have seen some Druids that use Doom as their main weapon for dueling, so I decided to try it myself. Doom gives you 2 things:
Holy Freeze: This makes your enemies IAS and FHR breakpoints slower. Can be useful versus some characters (especially Smiters), but you will lose a lot of FCR, and will therefore have to use complete FCR equipment (Circlet, Amulet, 2xRing, Arach, Trang’s) and you will seriously be hurting for FHR. It won’t be of much use vs. Casters, since you will have to give up on the 163%FCR breakpoint. I tried using Doom for a while, but then ended up going back for HOTO.
-%enemy cold resist: The -%cr on Doom makes your Hurricane extremely effective, especially against those that play really defensively and have concentrated on DR% instead of cold resist. Very useful, however not so useful vs people with Ravens or stacked cold resists. If getting Doom, definately get one with high -%cr, other stats don't matter.
Dwarf Star
Wisp Projector 20% absorb
Raven Frost
These are for you if you don't mind absorbing. Just remember that in Good Mannered dueling you are only allowed 1 absorb per resistance, and in HELL ONLY. Absorbing is not allowed in Nightmare. Also, some people claim that Druids are not allowed to absorb at all, because of Cyclone Armor. Just clarify the rules with your opponents before you start, in order to avoid confusion later on.
Thundergod's also counts as 1 element, so you are not allowed to wear Thundergod's and Wisp Projector at the same time (not that I would recommend it anyway).
Mercenary, if doing any PvM:
Act2 mercenary with either Defiance or Holy Freeze. I would go for Holy Freeze, since the Druid has such low defense that Defiance really won't boost it much. What's handy about Holy Freeze is that it also slows down cold immunes. Hurricane won't do that.
Helmet:
The helmet does not really make a difference, so the choice is yours. However, I would go for either:
eVampire Gaze (nice leech and DR%)
or
eGiant Skull 2sox (sockets, more defense, knockback)
Weapon:
eReaper's Toll “Amn”
Armor:
eStone with high defense
or
eShaftstop UMed
Don't bother with any of the expensive runewords, such as Infinity, Pride, or Fortitude. The purpose of your mercenary is to be a good tank, while you do the killing. Reaper's “Amn” gives 21% life leech, so your will only die because of Iron Maiden. The other reason that you need Reaper's Toll for, is Decrepify. The Venom Lords in Chaos Sanctuary have high physical resistance, especially Infector of Souls and he often spawns with Physical Immunity. Reaper's has a 33% chance of casting Decrepify on strike, and Decrepify removes Physical Immunity, meaning that you will get the opportunity to take him out.
Druid PvP concepts:
Wolves: Meat shield. Use Spirit Wolf instead of Dire Wolf, because you get more of them. Read below when dueling each build on how to use them.
Bear: Meat shield used in other duels, usually Druid vs Druid, but can be very useful when dueling other chars as well, namely because of Knockback. If you do not absolutely need your Wolves, go for the Bear.
Ravens: Don’t do any damage, but they can send your opponent into his block frame, which is very useful.
Run/Walk: If you are running, your block will drop to 1/3, i.e. if you normally have 75% block, it will drop down to 25%, so it’s absolutely vital that you do not run in duels in which you are meant to be blocking. Running is fine when dueling anyone with unblockable damage.
PvP 1on1 strategies
I haven't actually dueled every single build out there (mostly because they suck and people don't make them for PvP), so don't ask me for advice against them. As soon as I learn anything new, I'll post it here.
Bowzon:
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit wolves, so they will find it hard to namelock you or get you with strafe.
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Bowzons can make short work of any build without max block. Multiple Shot with Knockback is a pain, but you should be able to take them pretty easily. If the Amazon has low FHR, she is a piece of cake. If she has decent FHR, just keep Tornadoing her. If she has not reached the vital breakpoints, you will beat her easily, because she will go into Dodge and Avoid animations too often. Some Bowzons can be extremely difficult (amazing equipment). The idea is to play defensively against them. Don’t attack, wait for them to get to you. A good idea is to find a house and wait in that. Also, if you get into serious trouble, Teleport back to the house for recasts.
Javazon:
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak ONLY
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Charged Strike on these guys can be extremely lethal, namely, it can kill you in 1 hit. The idea to teleport around them in circles. Their javelins are extremely easy to avoid in such a fashion. Once in a while, take the opportunity and spam a few Tornados. Try to avoiding teleing on top of them, hit them from afar instead. Once you get the hang of this, it's quite easy.
Bow/Java Hybrid:
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
These can be very difficult. Once you get close to them, make sure you avoid their Javelins. It’s important not to get hit, since you do not want to waste time on recasting. They usually will try to run farther away from you and use the bow again. Try not to let that happen. The key to beating these is experience.
Whirlwind Assassin.
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
These guys are easy, basically weaker versions of a WW barbarian. The annoying thing is that they use dual claw block, which also blocks elemental damage. Just tele near (not on top) them and spam Tornados. If they are dumb enough to Whirlwind into your Tornado, they are dead meat in a matter of hits. CAREFUL! Some of them hit you a few times, until they activate Open Wounds, then play defensive. This actually makes them slightly more difficult, but just keep teleporting after them and attacking with Tornados. In the end, you should prevail.
Trapsin (Can also be a Trap + WW hybrid)
Use: Set 2
Alternatively: Doom
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 163/99 (99/99 with alternative setup Doom)
This is the most difficult build for the Wind Druid to beat. Playing offensive won't work out. As soon as you Teleport near enough that her traps will start shooting at you, she will start spamming Mind Blast. FHR does not really matter here, since even though when the druid recovers, his cast rate frames are too slow for him to tele away. The only way that I have been able to beat good Trapsins is by playing defensive. Literally meaning, teleporting around randomly and spamming Tornados, hoping that the Trapsin will tele on them. However, I duel to have fun, and doing that I find very lame and unenjoyable, so I refrain from it. Some Druids use the runeword Doom against Trapsins, because it will slow down their IAS, and they will become targets when recasting traps. If you go for Doom, remember, that you will have to make up for the lost FCR and FHR.
Kicksin
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + Bear
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
This build is a joke in PvP. The kicks will knock you back, but will not Stun you, which will be advantageous to you. A few Tornados and down they go.
BVA/BVC Barbarian
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak and Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Now this is the easy build. Summon Wolves. Most of them will Leap (so you go into Knockback) and then tele onto you and Whirlwind. When they Leap, spam a few tornados and tele away. Usually, they will appear next to you, just as you are about to tele away, so you should be able to escape before they will manage to WW you. Repeat. Let them be on the offensive. Now, if you do not manage to escape in time, they will WW straight through you. DO NOT BE AFRAID! As you tele, the wolves will tele on top of you, meaning that they will take most of the WW. Combined with max block, the barbarian only has very little chance of hitting you. Still it's not worth it taking chances, so try to get hit as little as possible. Do not fear their poison, it will only last 0.4 seconds (noobs use poison SCs, but those shall be extremely ineffective against you). If you get hit by Open Wounds, do not panic; just keep playing in the same fashion.
Occasionally, they will make a big leap. Here's your chance, tele close to where he is about to land, and spam Tornados there. Barbarians are actually your targets, when they are in WW, so if they are about to make a long one, teleport just out of reach and spam Tornados, without them being able to hit you. Usually, when you stay close to them, the noober ones will WW straight away, without teleing. Just keep your distance and spam Tornados.
Many Barbarians, if low on health, will keep Whirlwinding in the same direction, away from you. What they think is that since they are low on health, you will tele on top of them, to finish off. Do *NOT* do that. If they get a lucky WW, they can completely turn the tables against you. Instead, tele over them and start attacking from the other direction.
BVA/BVC Barbarian high life leech.
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak and 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Because of high life leech, they will replenish A LOT of life from your summons. This I find the most difficult barb build. The duels will last a long time and during that time, they replenish a lot of health. Play very defensively. You may even risk of using no other summons besides Oak, but I would not recommend that. Beat them with experience, if they are more experienced, good luck, because you will need it.
BVC Barbarian with 2xDoom
Use: Set 1
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99 (99%FHR may be difficult to achieve. Try skillers with 12%FHR and 5%FHR SCs)
These guys are incredibly difficult. They will drastically slow your FBR and FHR rates (FCR remains untouched), so even if you block one hit, they will hit you with the next. Key is not to get hit, play very defensively, and mayhap use Doom yourself.
Wind Druid
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + Bear (optionally, you can also summon Poison Creeper, if you have invested in it, but I don't think that it really makes a difference)
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
These duels are actually very boring. They basically consist of both of you teleing around, trying to predict where the other person is going to tele and spamming in that area. You can try namelocking the other druid, but it may all go horribly wrong if you tele into his tornados. If you see him standing still and spamming, just tele behind him and let it rip, but against more skilled opponents, this won't happen. Alternatively, you could use Doom, but you may be hurting on FHR then yourself, since you are no longer using Spirit.
Werewolf with Fury/Werebear
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Easy. These guys are weaker, inept versions of a Barbarian. A few Tornados and down they go. They have a really small chance of hitting you, because of max block. If you are fighting a Fury Werewolf, he will keep switching targets all the time (because of Spirit Wolves), meaning that you are free to Tornado him to death. Nothing to these duels, about as easy as kicksins.
Hammerdin
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
The key to these duels is patience. You do not need your max block/damage reduction equipment, since Hammer damage is magical (hence the name). Now as you know, a hammer hits an opponent, deals damage to it, and keeps on going until it's time is finished. This is not the case in these duels. When a Spirit Wolf is hit by a hammer, it will absorb the hammer. Now, having 5 Spirit Wolves literally means that you can take 5 hammers without receiving any damage whatsoever. Your summons will tele with you, so you can tele next to a Hammerdin, take 5 hammers (use that time productively) and tele away again.
The really easy ones will just stand around, spamming hammers. Do not run at them, just tele next to them and in 2-3 Tornados they should be dead. Be careful, even though the hammerdin is dead, his hammers are still about, so tele away safely, or just sit tight at his corpse.
Most Hammerdins will spam a few hammers, then tele, spam a few more hammers, repeat. While they are teleing, they are your prey. Just as he has swapped locations, tele next to him and Tornado him to death. If he has 75%FCR and crap FHR, you can just pound him to death. if he has 125%FCR, good FHR and high DR, you will have to be more careful. Spam a few, tele away, replenish lost Wolves and Oak, and tele in again.
The key to dueling Hammerdins is keeping an eye on your summons. If you have 1-2 Wolves left, be ready to get to a safe place and recast. If they chase you, use it to your advantage.
Essentially, Hammerdin vs. Wind Druid duels are decided by the person who attacks first. I recommend playing defensively and let the Hammerdin attack (which they don’t usually do), but try to keep it GM.
Zealer
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Easy. A few Tornados and most of them will go down. They will not be able to hit you effectively because of multiple targets and max block. Nothing to these duels. If you want practice, find a game called something like "Zeal Duel" and get them all to ally against you. Even in a 7on1 situation, you should prevail. Just tele around and take them out one by one.
Smiter
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Unlike to most classes, Smiters are pretty easy with a Wind Druid. Just stay at a distance and spam Tornados. If they are dumb enough to charge through your Tornados, they will die an instant death. If they actually get close to you, both of you have a 50/50 chance of winning (if both at equal health), so avoid such situations and just pick them off at range, or when they are attacking. I would recommend teleing around in circles, while they charge at you. Make sure you do not stand in one location for longer than is absolutely necessary (just spam a few tornados and tele away), because they may have desynched, in which case you will be easy prey.
Some BM Smiters use Life Tap. If you get cursed, just tele far away and unsummon your minions, then avoid him until Life Tap goes away. If you are into clan/private duels, it won't be a problem, since Life Tap is BM.
FoH
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Easy. Many use Stone/CoH instead of Enigma, so they are an easy target. Just remember to recast Cyclone armor after each hit, then tele up to them and Tornado them to death. An easy duel.
Bonemancer
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak + 5 Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Once you get the idea of these guys, they are pretty easy. Basically, if the necro gets a chance to target you with his bone spirit, he has a good chance of killing you, if you don't intercept him immediately. All you have to do is have as many minions as possible, that way they will be the targets of Bone Spirit. Necros will counter your minions with Teeth. Teeth do very little damage, barely enough to take your minions out. Just namelock the necro when he is teleing around and Tornado him to death. Quite easy once you get the hang of it, just make sure that you recast minions often enough. If the necro has low resists or FHR, he is dead meat.
Some Necros will use Bone Spear instead of Bone Spirit vs. Wind Druid, because they don’t have to get rid of the summons. It’s easily avoided, even if they have namelocked you, so you use the opportunity and take them out. Tornado does more damage than Bone Spear, so in 1v1 melee you will prevail.
Regular Cold/Lightning/Fire sorceresses (without ES)
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
These aren't usually too difficult. The best way to take them down is to namelock, wait for a good opportunity, then tele right next to them and spam away. If they don't have ES, you sometimes even deal massive damage to them with Hurricane. Be careful of their high damage and avoid whatever they shoot. Recast Cyclone Armor *after every single hit that you take*. Especially lightning sorcs can deal huge damage in one hit, that will completely drain your Cyclone Armor and do some damage as well. It helps if you have 75 resist to the element that you are countering, but it's not vital.
It is not advisable to summon wolves when dueling against sorceresses. Light sorcs can use it against you (Chain Lightning) and Fire sorcs do splash damage. Just stick to your Oak and recast it whenever it dies. I actually prefer using the Grizzly, he can tank a hit or two and does Knockback.
NOTE: Occasionally, people duel sorcs with absorb gear. In Europe, the generally accepted Good Mannered dueling means that you either duel in Hell, and 1 absorb item per element is allowed, or you duel in Nightmare and no absorb is allowed. If you want (and you are duelling in Hell), you can change one SoJ for a Raven, Dwarf or Wisp, but I do not usually find it necessary. Many people say that absorbing is BM for Druids overall.
Cold/Lightning/Fire sorc with Energy Shield
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Incredibly tough. With a high level Energy Shield, maxed out Telekinesis and good damage, these guys can tank more Tornados than you can tank their element, so it's not advisable to go up against them in such a fashion. These are duels that you should avoid in public games. Sure, it's BM to drink health potions during a duel, but for ES sorcs, mana is the same as health, and then can just keep drinking, refilling their shields. It's quite pointless.
When duelling in leagues and in private games, where you have regulations against such things, namelock, spam a few Tornados, tele away and recast immediately. Eventually you should be able to wear them down.
All credit goes to FraterPerdurabo
Versions:
0.1: Just wanted to paste it here to see what it would look like. Unfinished. I'm just editing it here since my Office is screwing up and I have to write in notepad >.<
0.2: Just have Necromancer and Sorceress strategies to go. Then it'll just be embellishment and minor add-ons (just some explanations to summons in PvP and that kind of stuff). Also, I don't like the layout, so I'm going to change that once it's finished (in volume).
0.3: Should be ready soon ~~ Just a few more additions.
1.0: Huoh, should be ready now. I have written up the bulk, it just needs to be arranged.
1.1: Added some stash contents and PvP strategies, hoping to write something up on TvT soon.
1.2: Completely rewrote strategy vs. Javazon and added a few embellishments (Y)
1.3: Some minor additions to gear, merc, Smiter and Sorc strategies.
2.0: Rewrote and restructured pretty much the entire guide. More focus on PvP now. Not entirely finished yet.
2.1: Minor additions and corrections.
Strengths:
Versatile PvM
Versatile PvP
6000+ life achievable
7000+ unblockable physical damage
3000+ unblockable cold damage (*passive*)
Valuable player in team duels
Weaknesses:
Slow FCR and FHR frames
Tornados hard to aim
Inferior to close up melee and far away ranged
Skills:
20 Cyclone Armor
20 Twister
20 Tornado
20 Hurricane
1 Raven (prerequisite)
1 Summon Spirit Wolf
1 Summon Dire Wolf (prerequisite)
1 Summon Grizzly
1+ Oak Sage (All of your remaining points will go in here, but only go past 1 after you have finished the Elemental Tree)
Optional skills:
1 Poison Creeper
1 Carrion Vine
Some of these skill choices can actually be ignored by proper choice of equipment (I'll go into this later), but it does not really make a difference. At level 90 you will have 102 skill points (12 from quests, 90 from levels). 80 will go to elemental tree, 4-6 to summons, all the rest into Oak Sage.
Stats:
STR: Raise base to ~40
DEX: ~140 or leave at base
VIT: rest
ENE: base
You have the option of going for either max block with Stormshield, or no block at all. The only difference is that with block you can duel BvCs and Bowzons, but you will lose a lot of vitality. Without max block, you will have a better chance versus all other builds, due to extra life. This guide and it’s strategies have been written for a max block Druid, but it isn’t really all that hard to adapt.
Equipment:
The aim of your first set. You will be using this set versus any physical damage based builds.
Level ~50 Tornado (6000k+ unblockable physical damage)
Level ~50 Hurricane (3k unblockable cold damage *passively*)
5000+life with BO and Oak Sage
50%Damage Reduction
Max block
99%FCR
99%FHR
Helmet:
1)A godly rare Druid pelt with a base of +2 Druid skills, and +3 Tornado. Sweet mods that can spawn include +Hurricane, +Cyclone Armor, +Oak, +Grizzly. If you get this with 10% base FHR and 2 sockets, you have your hands on a godly piece of equipment. Shael it. Cons: No +all skills, so no bonus to BO.
2)Magical Druid Pelt. As opposed to Delirium and a rare pelt, it is possible to get +3 Elemental skills, +3 Tornado and +3 Hurricane. This is the most damage orientated item. Once again, base FHR, life and 2 sockets are things to look for. Shael it. Cons: Only adds damage, so no bonus to BO, or summons (unless you have summoning mods on it).
Many people tend to use Shako for a helmet. I am against Shako for many reasons.
1) It does much, MUCH less damage than the alternatives suggested above.
2) Extra life? You will not be hurting for life with this build. There are much more important stats to concentrate on.
3) Extra mana? Your druid will not run out of mana once build is finished.
4) Extra stats? +2 is neglible.
5) 10%DR? You get your DR% from Stormshield “Ber” and Enigma = 51%
Shako is a decent substitute while you are still getting the other helmets, but try to steer away from it. If you need a cheap substitute, make Delirium in a +3 Tornado +mods white Druid helmet. However, even though you will achieve the damage, you will be hurting for FHR, so that is not a viable option for PvP.
Amulet:
Crafted with:
+2 Druid
19%-20% FCR
+mods
This amulet, like the helmet, is on of the key parts of your build. If you cannot get this, consider not making a Wind Druid, because you will be seriously underpowered in PvP. If you manage to get one with nice stats, such as +20 STR, consider going for base STR and using AP/Dusk Enigma.
Weapon:
Heart of the Oak
+All resists, +skills.
No explanation needed. Without this you won’t reach your FCR breakpoint.
Armor:
Enigma
MP/AP/Dusk? The choice of base armor depends on the rest of your equipment. If you have nice +STR bonuses from other pieces of equipment, THAT YOU WILL BE USING CONSTANTLY, go for as high def as possible. The Druid does not get skill bonuses for his armor and is therefore limited to just what he is wearing, which is very low (~2000), low enough for any properly build BvC or Bowzon to hit you. On the other hand, if you do a lot of team dueling with a barb in your team, who has Shout, every little bit helps.
Shield:
Stormshield “Ber”
This + Enigma will give you max DR%, which is a must have when dueling all physical damage based classes. If you do not have quite enough Dexterity for max block, consider using Stormshield “Eld”, but remember that DR% is far more important. Only consider this option, if you have other pieces of equipment that you can socket for DR% (without losing FHR and other vital stats).
Gloves:
Bloodfists
FHR, no alternatives.
Belt:
Arachnid Mesh
+skill and FCR, no alternatives.
Rings:
2xrare ring with:
10%fcr
+xx STR
+xx DEX
Other nice mods to look for would include +life and +resists.
Boots:
Shadow Dancers +25 DEX
Use these in order to achieve max block and FHR. You will always be using these when dueling Bowzons, BvCs and Fury Druids.
Weapon + Shield on switch:
Call to Arms with Spirit Monarch, for BO
Your second set. You will be using this set versus any character that does unblockable, elemental or magical damage.
Level ~50 Tornado (~7000k unblockable physical damage)
Level ~50 Hurricane (3k unblockable cold damage *passively*)
5000+life with BO and Oak Sage
163%FCR
99%FHR
Helmet:
Rare Druid circlet:
An example would be:
+2 Druid skills (vital, obvious)
20%FCR (vital)
+life
+resists
+2 sockets (just to put the cherry on top of the cake)
Mine has a 7%FHR/9DEX/9STR Jewel. Just use the sockets to make up for whatever you are lacking.
Amulet:
Crafted with:
+2 Druid
19%-20% FCR
+mods
Required for FCR breakpoint.
Weapon:
Heart of the Oak
+All resists, +skills.
No explanation needed. Without this you won’t reach your FCR breakpoint.
Shield:
Spirit Monarch
+skills +resists +FHR +FCR
Get at least 33%FCR, you will need it for the 163%FCR breakpoint.
Gloves:
Trang’s/Magefists
Required for the FCR breakpoint. A matter of personal preference. I prefer Trang’s.
Belt:
Arachnid Mesh
+skill and FCR, no alternatives, needed to reach the FCR breakpoint.
Boots:
Sandstorm Treks/Shadow Dancers
Sandstorm Treks are better here for their extra VIT, but use Dancers if you cannot reach your FHR breakpoint, since they give an extra 10%.
Ring 1:
Stone of Jordan
+skill +mana
Ring 2:
rare ring with:
10%fcr
Other nice mods to look for would include +life and +resists. 10%FCR required in order to reach the breakpoint.
DEFAULT INVENTORY:
Annihilus Stats > Resists > Experience. 20 stats is very important.
Druid Torch Stats > Resists once again. Get a perfect one, because they are so cheap.
9xElemskillers If you are rich, get them with life. If you are poor, get them with STR, DEX and FRW. FHR is not required on skillers.
4xSC with 5%FHR +mods. Best would be 5%FHR/11 fire resist, since your fire resist will be lower than others.
7xSC +5 all resists +xx life.
OPTIONAL STASH CONTENTS (BM?):
Doom Berserker Axe: I have seen some Druids that use Doom as their main weapon for dueling, so I decided to try it myself. Doom gives you 2 things:
Holy Freeze: This makes your enemies IAS and FHR breakpoints slower. Can be useful versus some characters (especially Smiters), but you will lose a lot of FCR, and will therefore have to use complete FCR equipment (Circlet, Amulet, 2xRing, Arach, Trang’s) and you will seriously be hurting for FHR. It won’t be of much use vs. Casters, since you will have to give up on the 163%FCR breakpoint. I tried using Doom for a while, but then ended up going back for HOTO.
-%enemy cold resist: The -%cr on Doom makes your Hurricane extremely effective, especially against those that play really defensively and have concentrated on DR% instead of cold resist. Very useful, however not so useful vs people with Ravens or stacked cold resists. If getting Doom, definately get one with high -%cr, other stats don't matter.
Dwarf Star
Wisp Projector 20% absorb
Raven Frost
These are for you if you don't mind absorbing. Just remember that in Good Mannered dueling you are only allowed 1 absorb per resistance, and in HELL ONLY. Absorbing is not allowed in Nightmare. Also, some people claim that Druids are not allowed to absorb at all, because of Cyclone Armor. Just clarify the rules with your opponents before you start, in order to avoid confusion later on.
Thundergod's also counts as 1 element, so you are not allowed to wear Thundergod's and Wisp Projector at the same time (not that I would recommend it anyway).
Mercenary, if doing any PvM:
Act2 mercenary with either Defiance or Holy Freeze. I would go for Holy Freeze, since the Druid has such low defense that Defiance really won't boost it much. What's handy about Holy Freeze is that it also slows down cold immunes. Hurricane won't do that.
Helmet:
The helmet does not really make a difference, so the choice is yours. However, I would go for either:
eVampire Gaze (nice leech and DR%)
or
eGiant Skull 2sox (sockets, more defense, knockback)
Weapon:
eReaper's Toll “Amn”
Armor:
eStone with high defense
or
eShaftstop UMed
Don't bother with any of the expensive runewords, such as Infinity, Pride, or Fortitude. The purpose of your mercenary is to be a good tank, while you do the killing. Reaper's “Amn” gives 21% life leech, so your will only die because of Iron Maiden. The other reason that you need Reaper's Toll for, is Decrepify. The Venom Lords in Chaos Sanctuary have high physical resistance, especially Infector of Souls and he often spawns with Physical Immunity. Reaper's has a 33% chance of casting Decrepify on strike, and Decrepify removes Physical Immunity, meaning that you will get the opportunity to take him out.
Druid PvP concepts:
Wolves: Meat shield. Use Spirit Wolf instead of Dire Wolf, because you get more of them. Read below when dueling each build on how to use them.
Bear: Meat shield used in other duels, usually Druid vs Druid, but can be very useful when dueling other chars as well, namely because of Knockback. If you do not absolutely need your Wolves, go for the Bear.
Ravens: Don’t do any damage, but they can send your opponent into his block frame, which is very useful.
Run/Walk: If you are running, your block will drop to 1/3, i.e. if you normally have 75% block, it will drop down to 25%, so it’s absolutely vital that you do not run in duels in which you are meant to be blocking. Running is fine when dueling anyone with unblockable damage.
PvP 1on1 strategies
I haven't actually dueled every single build out there (mostly because they suck and people don't make them for PvP), so don't ask me for advice against them. As soon as I learn anything new, I'll post it here.
Bowzon:
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit wolves, so they will find it hard to namelock you or get you with strafe.
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Bowzons can make short work of any build without max block. Multiple Shot with Knockback is a pain, but you should be able to take them pretty easily. If the Amazon has low FHR, she is a piece of cake. If she has decent FHR, just keep Tornadoing her. If she has not reached the vital breakpoints, you will beat her easily, because she will go into Dodge and Avoid animations too often. Some Bowzons can be extremely difficult (amazing equipment). The idea is to play defensively against them. Don’t attack, wait for them to get to you. A good idea is to find a house and wait in that. Also, if you get into serious trouble, Teleport back to the house for recasts.
Javazon:
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak ONLY
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Charged Strike on these guys can be extremely lethal, namely, it can kill you in 1 hit. The idea to teleport around them in circles. Their javelins are extremely easy to avoid in such a fashion. Once in a while, take the opportunity and spam a few Tornados. Try to avoiding teleing on top of them, hit them from afar instead. Once you get the hang of this, it's quite easy.
Bow/Java Hybrid:
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
These can be very difficult. Once you get close to them, make sure you avoid their Javelins. It’s important not to get hit, since you do not want to waste time on recasting. They usually will try to run farther away from you and use the bow again. Try not to let that happen. The key to beating these is experience.
Whirlwind Assassin.
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
These guys are easy, basically weaker versions of a WW barbarian. The annoying thing is that they use dual claw block, which also blocks elemental damage. Just tele near (not on top) them and spam Tornados. If they are dumb enough to Whirlwind into your Tornado, they are dead meat in a matter of hits. CAREFUL! Some of them hit you a few times, until they activate Open Wounds, then play defensive. This actually makes them slightly more difficult, but just keep teleporting after them and attacking with Tornados. In the end, you should prevail.
Trapsin (Can also be a Trap + WW hybrid)
Use: Set 2
Alternatively: Doom
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 163/99 (99/99 with alternative setup Doom)
This is the most difficult build for the Wind Druid to beat. Playing offensive won't work out. As soon as you Teleport near enough that her traps will start shooting at you, she will start spamming Mind Blast. FHR does not really matter here, since even though when the druid recovers, his cast rate frames are too slow for him to tele away. The only way that I have been able to beat good Trapsins is by playing defensive. Literally meaning, teleporting around randomly and spamming Tornados, hoping that the Trapsin will tele on them. However, I duel to have fun, and doing that I find very lame and unenjoyable, so I refrain from it. Some Druids use the runeword Doom against Trapsins, because it will slow down their IAS, and they will become targets when recasting traps. If you go for Doom, remember, that you will have to make up for the lost FCR and FHR.
Kicksin
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + Bear
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
This build is a joke in PvP. The kicks will knock you back, but will not Stun you, which will be advantageous to you. A few Tornados and down they go.
BVA/BVC Barbarian
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak and Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Now this is the easy build. Summon Wolves. Most of them will Leap (so you go into Knockback) and then tele onto you and Whirlwind. When they Leap, spam a few tornados and tele away. Usually, they will appear next to you, just as you are about to tele away, so you should be able to escape before they will manage to WW you. Repeat. Let them be on the offensive. Now, if you do not manage to escape in time, they will WW straight through you. DO NOT BE AFRAID! As you tele, the wolves will tele on top of you, meaning that they will take most of the WW. Combined with max block, the barbarian only has very little chance of hitting you. Still it's not worth it taking chances, so try to get hit as little as possible. Do not fear their poison, it will only last 0.4 seconds (noobs use poison SCs, but those shall be extremely ineffective against you). If you get hit by Open Wounds, do not panic; just keep playing in the same fashion.
Occasionally, they will make a big leap. Here's your chance, tele close to where he is about to land, and spam Tornados there. Barbarians are actually your targets, when they are in WW, so if they are about to make a long one, teleport just out of reach and spam Tornados, without them being able to hit you. Usually, when you stay close to them, the noober ones will WW straight away, without teleing. Just keep your distance and spam Tornados.
Many Barbarians, if low on health, will keep Whirlwinding in the same direction, away from you. What they think is that since they are low on health, you will tele on top of them, to finish off. Do *NOT* do that. If they get a lucky WW, they can completely turn the tables against you. Instead, tele over them and start attacking from the other direction.
BVA/BVC Barbarian high life leech.
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak and 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Because of high life leech, they will replenish A LOT of life from your summons. This I find the most difficult barb build. The duels will last a long time and during that time, they replenish a lot of health. Play very defensively. You may even risk of using no other summons besides Oak, but I would not recommend that. Beat them with experience, if they are more experienced, good luck, because you will need it.
BVC Barbarian with 2xDoom
Use: Set 1
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99 (99%FHR may be difficult to achieve. Try skillers with 12%FHR and 5%FHR SCs)
These guys are incredibly difficult. They will drastically slow your FBR and FHR rates (FCR remains untouched), so even if you block one hit, they will hit you with the next. Key is not to get hit, play very defensively, and mayhap use Doom yourself.
Wind Druid
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + Bear (optionally, you can also summon Poison Creeper, if you have invested in it, but I don't think that it really makes a difference)
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
These duels are actually very boring. They basically consist of both of you teleing around, trying to predict where the other person is going to tele and spamming in that area. You can try namelocking the other druid, but it may all go horribly wrong if you tele into his tornados. If you see him standing still and spamming, just tele behind him and let it rip, but against more skilled opponents, this won't happen. Alternatively, you could use Doom, but you may be hurting on FHR then yourself, since you are no longer using Spirit.
Werewolf with Fury/Werebear
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Easy. These guys are weaker, inept versions of a Barbarian. A few Tornados and down they go. They have a really small chance of hitting you, because of max block. If you are fighting a Fury Werewolf, he will keep switching targets all the time (because of Spirit Wolves), meaning that you are free to Tornado him to death. Nothing to these duels, about as easy as kicksins.
Hammerdin
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
The key to these duels is patience. You do not need your max block/damage reduction equipment, since Hammer damage is magical (hence the name). Now as you know, a hammer hits an opponent, deals damage to it, and keeps on going until it's time is finished. This is not the case in these duels. When a Spirit Wolf is hit by a hammer, it will absorb the hammer. Now, having 5 Spirit Wolves literally means that you can take 5 hammers without receiving any damage whatsoever. Your summons will tele with you, so you can tele next to a Hammerdin, take 5 hammers (use that time productively) and tele away again.
The really easy ones will just stand around, spamming hammers. Do not run at them, just tele next to them and in 2-3 Tornados they should be dead. Be careful, even though the hammerdin is dead, his hammers are still about, so tele away safely, or just sit tight at his corpse.
Most Hammerdins will spam a few hammers, then tele, spam a few more hammers, repeat. While they are teleing, they are your prey. Just as he has swapped locations, tele next to him and Tornado him to death. If he has 75%FCR and crap FHR, you can just pound him to death. if he has 125%FCR, good FHR and high DR, you will have to be more careful. Spam a few, tele away, replenish lost Wolves and Oak, and tele in again.
The key to dueling Hammerdins is keeping an eye on your summons. If you have 1-2 Wolves left, be ready to get to a safe place and recast. If they chase you, use it to your advantage.
Essentially, Hammerdin vs. Wind Druid duels are decided by the person who attacks first. I recommend playing defensively and let the Hammerdin attack (which they don’t usually do), but try to keep it GM.
Zealer
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Walk
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Easy. A few Tornados and most of them will go down. They will not be able to hit you effectively because of multiple targets and max block. Nothing to these duels. If you want practice, find a game called something like "Zeal Duel" and get them all to ally against you. Even in a 7on1 situation, you should prevail. Just tele around and take them out one by one.
Smiter
Use: Set 1
Summon: Oak + 5 Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Unlike to most classes, Smiters are pretty easy with a Wind Druid. Just stay at a distance and spam Tornados. If they are dumb enough to charge through your Tornados, they will die an instant death. If they actually get close to you, both of you have a 50/50 chance of winning (if both at equal health), so avoid such situations and just pick them off at range, or when they are attacking. I would recommend teleing around in circles, while they charge at you. Make sure you do not stand in one location for longer than is absolutely necessary (just spam a few tornados and tele away), because they may have desynched, in which case you will be easy prey.
Some BM Smiters use Life Tap. If you get cursed, just tele far away and unsummon your minions, then avoid him until Life Tap goes away. If you are into clan/private duels, it won't be a problem, since Life Tap is BM.
FoH
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak + 5 Spirit Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Easy. Many use Stone/CoH instead of Enigma, so they are an easy target. Just remember to recast Cyclone armor after each hit, then tele up to them and Tornado them to death. An easy duel.
Bonemancer
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak + 5 Wolves
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Once you get the idea of these guys, they are pretty easy. Basically, if the necro gets a chance to target you with his bone spirit, he has a good chance of killing you, if you don't intercept him immediately. All you have to do is have as many minions as possible, that way they will be the targets of Bone Spirit. Necros will counter your minions with Teeth. Teeth do very little damage, barely enough to take your minions out. Just namelock the necro when he is teleing around and Tornado him to death. Quite easy once you get the hang of it, just make sure that you recast minions often enough. If the necro has low resists or FHR, he is dead meat.
Some Necros will use Bone Spear instead of Bone Spirit vs. Wind Druid, because they don’t have to get rid of the summons. It’s easily avoided, even if they have namelocked you, so you use the opportunity and take them out. Tornado does more damage than Bone Spear, so in 1v1 melee you will prevail.
Regular Cold/Lightning/Fire sorceresses (without ES)
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
These aren't usually too difficult. The best way to take them down is to namelock, wait for a good opportunity, then tele right next to them and spam away. If they don't have ES, you sometimes even deal massive damage to them with Hurricane. Be careful of their high damage and avoid whatever they shoot. Recast Cyclone Armor *after every single hit that you take*. Especially lightning sorcs can deal huge damage in one hit, that will completely drain your Cyclone Armor and do some damage as well. It helps if you have 75 resist to the element that you are countering, but it's not vital.
It is not advisable to summon wolves when dueling against sorceresses. Light sorcs can use it against you (Chain Lightning) and Fire sorcs do splash damage. Just stick to your Oak and recast it whenever it dies. I actually prefer using the Grizzly, he can tank a hit or two and does Knockback.
NOTE: Occasionally, people duel sorcs with absorb gear. In Europe, the generally accepted Good Mannered dueling means that you either duel in Hell, and 1 absorb item per element is allowed, or you duel in Nightmare and no absorb is allowed. If you want (and you are duelling in Hell), you can change one SoJ for a Raven, Dwarf or Wisp, but I do not usually find it necessary. Many people say that absorbing is BM for Druids overall.
Cold/Lightning/Fire sorc with Energy Shield
Use: Set 2
Summon: Oak
Run/Walk: Run
FHR/FCR: 99/99
Incredibly tough. With a high level Energy Shield, maxed out Telekinesis and good damage, these guys can tank more Tornados than you can tank their element, so it's not advisable to go up against them in such a fashion. These are duels that you should avoid in public games. Sure, it's BM to drink health potions during a duel, but for ES sorcs, mana is the same as health, and then can just keep drinking, refilling their shields. It's quite pointless.
When duelling in leagues and in private games, where you have regulations against such things, namelock, spam a few Tornados, tele away and recast immediately. Eventually you should be able to wear them down.
All credit goes to FraterPerdurabo