But there is a caster build in Diablo 2: Resurrected that deals damage on the physical and magical levels. The Wind Druid is a force to be reckoned with, starting off strong and finishing the game even stronger, able to damage enemies regardless of their type and abilities. Building one correctly can be complicated, but this lesser-used build is as strong as any other when it is properly executed.
Updated on December 11th, 2021 by Hodey Johns: Physical casting damage is such a unique advantage that more players than before are interested in the Wild Druid build. The ones who make it to the late game are finding this guide is rather helpful. But getting to late game, especially with a caster, is easier said than done. Players are often dead well before they can even pretend to start up the Runeword list. To help these gamers, a section has been added at the end that details how to level up with this build, and following those steps should make getting to the top a breeze.
Skills
Some classes have skills that are great through the endgame and the Druid has a few of them. The Cyclone Armor will block every element except for poison, freeing the Druid up to invest in damage instead of defense. Twister and Tornado can be cast simultaneously and all do physical damage. In the rare event that a physically immune creature enters the battlefield, Hurricane will deal cold damage.
Our friends over at Icy Veins have a skill calculator (as seen here) for those who would like to customize the skills for themselves!
Attributes
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To equip the Monarch shield with the Spirit Runeword, the Druid is going to need 156 strength. Every other piece of gear has a lower requirement than that. Getting 75% block chance with dexterity will help block errant attacks that the Druid’s summons let slip by. The mana needed to cast these spells will be provided by potions and spells, no need for energy investment. Putting every available attribute in vitality makes the Druid an effective tank despite being a caster.
Equipment
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Anybody familiar with building characters with the best Runewords in the game will recognize several of the items on this list. The Balance on the charms will help Druid players get back to running and casting when they are struck or surrounded. Emerald on the small charms is only necessary until hitting the 75% resistance to poison, remember that Cyclone Armor will prevent the rest of the damage.
Mercenary
Not too many characters can get every possible advantage from the mercenary, but the Desert Mercenary from Act 2 makes for a perfect companion to the Druid. The Defensive variety has a Holy Frost aura that freezes and slows enemies that are resistant to cold damage (Hurricane does not piece this resistance).
Leveling With The Build
It is brutally difficult to survive against the game’s hardest bosses before being able to farm up. That’s well understood and so this guide won’t be any good to those who still need to get the right gear and stats in place. The Wind Druid can absolutely be a leveling build as much as it is a farming build, it just requires a careful investment into stats and skills.
Skill Order
Tempting as it might be to max out one of those skills right away, that’s not a smart move in the long run. Enemies will be able to exploit an unbalanced character, all it takes is one unlucky elite mob roll. To stay well-rounded, get one point into every skill recommended for the build. Then get two points into each one of the four summoning skills. This will help with tanking and damage early on. After that, evenly level up the main skills until they each hit level twenty.
Stat Priorities
The pro tips dictate that players should focus on balancing survival with damage output. Put three points in strength and one point in vitality and dexterity until strength hits 156, enough to equip the heaviest required armor for the Wind Druid. After that, put two points in dexterity and three points in vitality until blocking with the shield reaches 75%. From then all, invest it all into vitality.
Diablo 2: Resurrected was released on September 23rd, 2021, and is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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