Keitaro

May a Moderator add this to the druide strategy list?

A Rabies Druide is great for PvP battles, but does not quite show its powers in PvM.
The Guide is build with perfect items stats, and if you dont get them perfect you shoud set the missing strenght to the base stat.
The main strategy is to make a sucsessive hit at the foe, then run and avoid from them.
Unless the foe has max poison resistance and huge amount of life, you pretty much OHKO them. (One Hit Knock Out)
Hint: If your foe has a hireling or a summoning creature then aim at them, cause they pass by their master plenty of times, and rabies will affect them too.
There ain`t so much more to say then to give you the build.


Stats:

Strenght: 31
Dexterity: 80, more if you have big problems hitting your foe.
Vitality: All the rest of your points.
Energy: 0


Skills:

20 Rabies
20 Poison Creeper
20 Werewolf
20 Lycanthropy
20 Oak Sage
01 Raven
01 Summon Spirit Wolf
07 Summon Dire Wolf


Gear:

Helm:
Jalal`s Mane socketed with a Um Rune

1Weapon:
Plague Bearer socketed with a 5/5 Poison Facet

1Shield:
Sanctuary Troll Nest

2Weapon:
CtA Flail

2Shield:
Lidless Wall socketed with a Um Rune

Armour:
Bramble Archon Plate

Gloves:
Trang-Oul`s Claw

Belt:
Bugged Siggard`s Stealth

Boots:
1Etheral Sandstorm Trek
2Natalya`s Soul (add 15 more strenght in base stat)

Amulet:
Mara`s Kaleidoscope

1Ring:
Raven Frost

2Ring:
Bul-Kathos` Wedding Band
Stone of Jordan


Inventory:
1 Annihilus small charm
9 5% Resist all, 20 Life small charms
10 Shape Shifting grand charms with life if you can get it


You may notice that you need to be at high level to wear you full eqipment, and the strenght is just enought to wear them all.

Rapta111

If you want a shifting druid made for PvP, you will want LOTS and LOTS of speed... Otherwise you will likely be killed before you reach the enemy player.

Keitaro

If you shoud get that problem, then change your 5% resist all, 20 life small charms to faster run/walk small charms with 20 life.

Rapta111

Yes, just what I was thinking...

And you might want to switch the Jalal's to a Cerebrus, since it has better mods for a shifter druid. Also, you might want to upgrade the Plague Bearer.

Keitaro

Jalal`s is better becuse of it offers more bonus, and the only thing good Cerebus` offer is the bonus to attack rating.
Why shoud I upgrade the plague bearer i wonder? Please tell me..:
The only reason you shoud use it is because of the 5+ rabies skill, and the weapon don`t get much more dmg when upgraded.

Skippy

Whut is a Plague Bearer . and with my rabie druid i was missing the enemy when it was like a pally or a Barb because there defense was so high.

maybee i should switch my sojs and maras to angelics?

Keitaro

http://www.battle.net/diablo2exp/ite.../uswords.shtml <--- you find it there.

if you diddent hit them, make them run to you because then they only have like 1/3 of their block.
If not, you shoud add more dexterity and more skills in Werewolf skill.

Rapta111

First of all, it is really easy to upgrade it, and will get you double the amount of physical damage which you may want for poison immunes. And monsters don't suffer from the block penalty when moving. Only YOU do.

Keitaro

Well, the dmg on that type of sword dont change much if you take a look at the differense in dmg they to.
Anyway, if you read the topic you may notice that it says PvP, and in the guide I also sayd that Rabies aint good in PvM.:

Skippy

- thnxz for the advice i am going to try it.

ken2520

i dont get it... u would need 129 skills to max it out... thats impossible..... the max u can have is lik 117 or somehting... and notice that ppl use a 6 socket phase blade with 6 shaels...

Keitaro

The total amount of skills you can have at level 99 is 100 skill points.
Even though a phase blade with 6 shaels is pretty fast, is reduse your med my (i guess 10K).
You only need 1 hit, so speed aint that important.

Rapta111

Wrong. The total amount of skill points you can have at level 99 is 98 without skill quests, and 110 with all skill quests. And it takes a total of EXACTLY 110 points to finish that druid. Obviously, if that was too many points, I would have easily identified the flaw.

Keitaro

You dont say.
Well, i know it is 110 skill points you can get trough the game, and you probably would just make your druide about lvl 80-90.
This shoud be enough to max Rabies, Poison Creeper, Werewolf and Lycantrophy.
After these four main skills you start building your Oak Sage up, and if you manage to complete it, you can go on to the other skills. (require high level)
The summon wolfs are just a bonus of flesh shield if you get high level.:)

Rapta111

Why not make it bear instead? It tanks much better than wolves IMO.

smirk_zero

i made a aight rabies druid once... they suck pretty badly..

i really hate them all

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Keitaro

Then you either "play bad" or just have bad eqipment.

Bolong

i think bear has slower atk speed & run/walk than wolves...

smirk_zero

nah i had good equiptment.. and i practices duling for ages..
i killed a few ppl including a few good ww barbs.. but at the end of the day.. they jst arent good enough..

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Bolong

ya i think it still depends on how u or ur opponent duel, ur stuffs, ur oponent stuffs,...

anyway, w/c is better for melee druids, oak sage or wolverine(the one that gives dmg)??