djnat
BattleForums Addict
This is an alternative druid build for the richest people of Battle.net. This is a costly build cuz it involves such items as Death's web, and such runes as Sur, Ohm, Zod and Vex.
But I find it viable in hell, cuz it can kill pretty fast and is funny to play. The only disadvantage of this build is that there are a few enemies that can be annoying, like specters that are immunes to physical / poison or souls cuz they are immune to poison and have 90% physical resist, but with the help of your merc and your gear, you will pwn them.
This build makes also use of the "charged items bug" (do you remember the Marrowwalks bug?). In fact, Rabies receives a synergy bonus from Poison creeper, and the unique ring "Carrion wind" (like marrowwalks) has lvl 21 charges of that skill, so it has a very nice bonus (in terms of poison damage) for this build.
But let's come to it.
Stat point allocation
Strength: it depends on your gear. You have to have 156 total str to wear a Stormshield, so 156 is your final goal. Keep in mind that:
- Annihilus gives +10-20 str
- Jalal's mane gives +20 str
- Thundergods gives +20 str
- Mara (if you use it) gives +5 str
Don't waste points if you haven't the correct gear.
Dexterity: max block, it depends on your level. @ level 91, the level in which the build is completed, you need 219 dex to have 75% block with stormshield.
Vitality: all the remaining points. With gear and some charms (if you have them), you should have over 2500 life. With godly charms, you can have over 4k life @ level 90.
Energy: obviously base.
Skill points allocation
This is the easiest part.
MAX Rabies (main attack skill)
MAX Fury (immune to poison / second attacking skill)
MAX Werewolf (attack speed, faster run are required)
MAX Lycantrophy (tons of life and increased shapeshifting duration)
MAX Heart of Wolverine (more ar and more damage to face immunes)
You can max Oak sage if you don't like HoW, but i think that having too much life isn't so useful, with 2,5-3k life you are set imho, more damage / ar will be mose useful when facing immunes.
1 to all prerequisites
Absolutely ZERO points into Poison creeper. If you put a point here, you will loose the damage bonus from your "charged" ring.
Gear
This is the most difficult part.
Helmet: Jalal's mane [Um]
Armor: Bramble (Archon plate is a good armor for this runeword, but Dusk is good too)
Gloves: Trang gloves
Belt: Thundergods
Boots: Gore rider
Ring 1: Carrion wind (9% life leech is max)
Ring 2: 20 dex / good ar Ravenfrost
Amulet: Mara's kaleidoscope (if you love physical damage more than poison, use Highlords for the ds)
Weapon 1: Deaths web [Poison facet]
Shield 1: Stormshield [Um]
Weapon 2: BotD Zerker Axe
Shield 2: Stormshield [Um]
Charms to use:
- Annihilus.
- 7-8 Shapeshifting skillers gc's with life or 7 run.
- Some mono-elemental resist small charms if your gear's not perfect or if you use Highlords instead of Mara and need more fire resistance.
- 18+ life small charms (or if you're very rich, go for max / ar / life charms).
- 2 small charms with 5% fhr / good second mod if you want the next bp (@ 86% fhr).
Hireling
Same hireling as usual. Desert mercenary hired in Nightmare, Offensive, with Might aura. See my other builds to know his gear, or scan Viz's zon guide to find it.
Some data
- You will make more than 35k poison damage over 18,4 seconds using your main weapon switch (Rabies = lvl 37). If your bramble is very good, you can go over 40k poison damage.
- You will have -43% / -55% enemy poison resist (depending on how good your deaths web and facet are).
- You should have, with the final gear / charms, 75 / 80 / 85 / 75 as your resists. With such resistances, you can easily pwn souls and all.
- You will have 35% damage reduction, that is very good cuz you will have high life and will never suffer from physical attackers.
- You will make about 5k avg physical damage per hit, ant you will attack @ 5 fpa (5 attacks per second). With about 15k ar, you will be fine against poison immunes.
Some tactics
- Remember a crucial thing: Rabies is a marvellous skill, cuz when you hit an enemy, he will take the bite and become ill, and he will be contagious for all enemies around him. So this skill can be quite destroying when facing groups of non-immune monsters.
- Once you've "rabied" your enemy, if he's particularly slow to die, switch to zerker and use fury to finish him.
- In bosses fight use rabies: when you hit the boss switch to zerker and continue hitting him till rabies' effect is finished. Then re-use rabies (if he is still alive ) and repeat the switch to zerker. Use this tactic till he dies. One more time, remember that Rabies @ level 37 (the level you should have it with your final gear) lasts 18,4 seconds.
Now it's your time for comments / suggestions.
But I find it viable in hell, cuz it can kill pretty fast and is funny to play. The only disadvantage of this build is that there are a few enemies that can be annoying, like specters that are immunes to physical / poison or souls cuz they are immune to poison and have 90% physical resist, but with the help of your merc and your gear, you will pwn them.
This build makes also use of the "charged items bug" (do you remember the Marrowwalks bug?). In fact, Rabies receives a synergy bonus from Poison creeper, and the unique ring "Carrion wind" (like marrowwalks) has lvl 21 charges of that skill, so it has a very nice bonus (in terms of poison damage) for this build.
But let's come to it.
Stat point allocation
Strength: it depends on your gear. You have to have 156 total str to wear a Stormshield, so 156 is your final goal. Keep in mind that:
- Annihilus gives +10-20 str
- Jalal's mane gives +20 str
- Thundergods gives +20 str
- Mara (if you use it) gives +5 str
Don't waste points if you haven't the correct gear.
Dexterity: max block, it depends on your level. @ level 91, the level in which the build is completed, you need 219 dex to have 75% block with stormshield.
Vitality: all the remaining points. With gear and some charms (if you have them), you should have over 2500 life. With godly charms, you can have over 4k life @ level 90.
Energy: obviously base.
Skill points allocation
This is the easiest part.
MAX Rabies (main attack skill)
MAX Fury (immune to poison / second attacking skill)
MAX Werewolf (attack speed, faster run are required)
MAX Lycantrophy (tons of life and increased shapeshifting duration)
MAX Heart of Wolverine (more ar and more damage to face immunes)
You can max Oak sage if you don't like HoW, but i think that having too much life isn't so useful, with 2,5-3k life you are set imho, more damage / ar will be mose useful when facing immunes.
1 to all prerequisites
Absolutely ZERO points into Poison creeper. If you put a point here, you will loose the damage bonus from your "charged" ring.
Gear
This is the most difficult part.
Helmet: Jalal's mane [Um]
Armor: Bramble (Archon plate is a good armor for this runeword, but Dusk is good too)
Gloves: Trang gloves
Belt: Thundergods
Boots: Gore rider
Ring 1: Carrion wind (9% life leech is max)
Ring 2: 20 dex / good ar Ravenfrost
Amulet: Mara's kaleidoscope (if you love physical damage more than poison, use Highlords for the ds)
Weapon 1: Deaths web [Poison facet]
Shield 1: Stormshield [Um]
Weapon 2: BotD Zerker Axe
Shield 2: Stormshield [Um]
Charms to use:
- Annihilus.
- 7-8 Shapeshifting skillers gc's with life or 7 run.
- Some mono-elemental resist small charms if your gear's not perfect or if you use Highlords instead of Mara and need more fire resistance.
- 18+ life small charms (or if you're very rich, go for max / ar / life charms).
- 2 small charms with 5% fhr / good second mod if you want the next bp (@ 86% fhr).
Hireling
Same hireling as usual. Desert mercenary hired in Nightmare, Offensive, with Might aura. See my other builds to know his gear, or scan Viz's zon guide to find it.
Some data
- You will make more than 35k poison damage over 18,4 seconds using your main weapon switch (Rabies = lvl 37). If your bramble is very good, you can go over 40k poison damage.
- You will have -43% / -55% enemy poison resist (depending on how good your deaths web and facet are).
- You should have, with the final gear / charms, 75 / 80 / 85 / 75 as your resists. With such resistances, you can easily pwn souls and all.
- You will have 35% damage reduction, that is very good cuz you will have high life and will never suffer from physical attackers.
- You will make about 5k avg physical damage per hit, ant you will attack @ 5 fpa (5 attacks per second). With about 15k ar, you will be fine against poison immunes.
Some tactics
- Remember a crucial thing: Rabies is a marvellous skill, cuz when you hit an enemy, he will take the bite and become ill, and he will be contagious for all enemies around him. So this skill can be quite destroying when facing groups of non-immune monsters.
- Once you've "rabied" your enemy, if he's particularly slow to die, switch to zerker and use fury to finish him.
- In bosses fight use rabies: when you hit the boss switch to zerker and continue hitting him till rabies' effect is finished. Then re-use rabies (if he is still alive
) and repeat the switch to zerker. Use this tactic till he dies. One more time, remember that Rabies @ level 37 (the level you should have it with your final gear) lasts 18,4 seconds.Now it's your time for comments / suggestions.
