Flavor of the month druid build?

Just curious to see what other are doing?What amulat and runes are people using?What weapones and sigels?Is ws/nm/durid still the most common?

I was playing Soulbeast lb sword/axe with moderate success. It hits like a truck---can really pressure scourgesbut eh it's just too soft.

I went back to JC Bro Druid build that was popular at the end of last season--staff/sw-wh ws nm

Frustrating part, imo, it doesn't carry. Sure it supports, it does some decent dmg and it LIVES. You shouldn't die in a match.

But there is only so much support you can lend when your team just doesn't match up well with the enemy comp (or dies too easily, Imlooking at you bad condi mesmers or pp thieves)

@EnderzShadow.2506 said:Frustrating part, imo, it doesn't carry. Sure it supports, it does some decent dmg and it LIVES. You shouldn't die in a match.

This is basically why I'm not even PvPing and only WvWing. I might try a berserker ranger or something this season.

Going for my wings a few seasons ago I got myself all the way down to bronze getting the alt profession achievements. I just can't be surrounded by these idiots on a profession that doesn't carry HARD like thief can, the effort to get out of bronze isn't worth it. I think my MMR gradually resets towards average?, but I don't even really want to play with silver players. I know there is a soft reset every season, but it's a downward spiral. If I'm at my normal MMR I get a substantial boost in teammate quality, and otherwise I'm starting off near exactly average, and I can't save a match if anything goes wrong.

Edit: Ok I drunkenly forced myself to powered through 10 matches (MAN that takes a long time!) and got gold 3. I'm a whiner.

Core: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYDbkQFKZx+VwhFoaxQiQ1VwofCfAkszsn6rerXi0nD-jJxHQBK7iAAgnAg42fYklBAA

Druid: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYDbkQFKZx+VwhFoaxykgB/TLqLVnK3lLz1EAecTgSk+cA-jpxHQB+7CA4j9HAwRAYklBU2BB4bPAAA

Not using staff this season for the Druid build, it doesn't carry and I practiced my matchups without Staff until I learned to achieve the same results without it. It requires being a lot more attentive and passive against Mirages/Spellbreakers.

Core is strong. You have to position a little better but you can play basically exactly like a Druid with little to no difference in personal performance. You contribute less to the team though.

I'm still at a toss up between Electric Wyvern and Jacaranda. I couldn't even decide last season lol. Wyvern seems like it has better damage against a moving target and on the Core build the quickness petswap can give it respectable burst, but the Jacaranda AoE nukes hard, which is useful in both 1v1/small fights and team fights, and you can use the AoE defensively in a way, as area denial.

Pretty much what jcbroe said.I just want to add a Soulbeast build: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYD7kQFolFskFwhFglXsMJY592fbytJA84mAOVuLXmrEpPH-jpxHQBib/BldQA+2DAYgXAAAcEAGZZAAWhat i really like of soulbeast is the amount of unblockables, really.I just eat scourges alive, and surprisingly, i beated easily some legendary rank mirage with this build. Good spellbreakers and longbow druids are the hardest matchups, others are pretty beatable.Druid is still our best pick anyway.

I played glassy soul beast most of last season because it is kitten fun. But im in the process of grinding out my legendary so effectness as a little more importent to me this season and at least next season. (Fun is still most inportant)

@"jcbroe.4329" said:Core: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYDbkQFKZx+VwhFoaxQiQ1VwofCfAkszsn6rerXi0nD-jJxHQBK7iAAgnAg42fYklBAA

Druid: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYDbkQFKZx+VwhFoaxykgB/TLqLVnK3lLz1EAecTgSk+cA-jpxHQB+7CA4j9HAwRAYklBU2BB4bPAAA

Not using staff this season for the Druid build, it doesn't carry and I practiced my matchups without Staff until I learned to achieve the same results without it. It requires being a lot more attentive and passive against Mirages/Spellbreakers.

Respect to you-- but while it might not completely carry, the staff is just a beast of a weapon and I don't know how I would play without it specifically in team fights.Being able to put down a barrier (staff 5) during matches to protect my teammates and then use staff 3 to get some direct healing to an area-- and the movement--and the stealth. Shaking my head man :P don't know how you could give it up !

Most Druids run LB/Sw+Wh // Jacaranda/Smokescale nowadays.

Staff is too weak for most encounters now.

I am slightly obsolete in PvP since I've been doing WvW (without staff BTW). I ran staff for my 10 qualifying matches since I didn't want to switch things up too much. And it worked like a breeze until the last 3 matches, of which I lost 2. I wound up at the upper end of gold, so I imagine those 2 lost matches were in platinum, and I just obliterated using staff. I could do no damage to anything.

Staff is still beast, but I found myself really needing a sword, badly once I got to "real" players. I wanted that evade and I wanted that poison for spellbreakers. And I wanted any kind of damage at all.

My thoughts:

1. Staff + s/w: if youre positive that staying alive is the most important. For example if your team doesnt have a scourge/FB combo (so you'll have to tank out a lot of 1v2's in order to let your teammates come to you)
2. LB + s/w: if you have to pressure and win 1v1's rather than stalling 1v1's. Longbow allows easier decaps, more CC and direct damage for pressuring. Probably best 1v1 build. You might even consider in some cases Avatar amulet instead of Menders on this build.
3. Staff + LB: a bit of a smack in the middle between the other two. A disadvantage of this one is less movement speed (no swiftness) so you have to take Traveler rune. However the escape from staff #3 and the blast finisher makes it more reliable than sword imo. Less survivability but more pressure than #1, but more survivability and less pressure than #2.

All with NM/WS/Druid ofc.

@"Fluffball.8307" said:I am slightly obsolete in PvP since I've been doing WvW (without staff BTW). I ran staff for my 10 qualifying matches since I didn't want to switch things up too much. And it worked like a breeze until the last 3 matches, of which I lost 2. I wound up at the upper end of gold, so I imagine those 2 lost matches were in platinum, and I just obliterated using staff. I could do no damage to anything.

Staff is still beast, but I found myself really needing a sword, badly once I got to "real" players. I wanted that evade and I wanted that poison for spellbreakers. And I wanted any kind of damage at all.

Ran into the same problem with staff dmg.Guess Ill try the bow out, see how that works.

Thanks for the replys guys.

What elites are people using. I see jcbroe has entangle so no stability. Gets corupted anyway i suppose.

People dont use GS?

I've only been using entangle for like... over a year. I can't remember when they ruined SotP, but it's pretty bad now. (By the way, remember when we had THREE of the best elites in the entire game? Now we're done to one that is basically just a small condi clear.)

I use berserker LB/GS in WvW. Not sure how that would translate to PvP, but my gut feeling is the much, much lower stats in PvP means it doesn't hit as hard as s/wh. And WH provides a bunch of neat things.

@Fluffball.8307 said:I've only been using entangle for like... over a year. I can't remember when they ruined SotP, but it's pretty bad now. (By the way, remember when we had THREE of the best elites in the entire game? Now we're done to one that is basically just a small condi clear.)

I use berserker LB/GS in WvW. Not sure how that would translate to PvP, but my gut feeling is the much, much lower stats in PvP means it doesn't hit as hard as s/wh. And WH provides a bunch of neat things.

I'd never use Berserker in spvp. Then again, I wouldn't in WvW either.

But in PvP You can get Berserker stats with Soulbeast+Marauders and hit like A TRUCK.even Paladins Longbow Soulbeast and still melt a scourge.

I was thinking with druid. You probably wouldn't go druid in berserkers, and maul with a healing amulet hits for as much as many profession's autoattacks. Maul in WvW will trigger some defenses if it lands for like 7k.

I dont think i have use zerk in pvp or wvw since maruarder came along. I just cant bring my self to use 3 stat amulats any more.

Before pof came along i was regulary using maruarder druid in pvp (and wvw) when i was sick of bunking. Works well when using earth runes. Since pof it makes more sence to me to use sbeast (or core)if i want to go damage

@Eggyokeo.9705 said:I dont think i have use zerk in pvp or wvw since maruarder came along. I just cant bring my self to use 3 stat amulats any more.

Before pof came along i was regulary using maruarder druid in pvp (and wvw) when i was sick of bunking. Works well when using earth runes. Since pof it makes more sence to me to use sbeast (or core)if i want to go damage

If I had a reliable set of tools (and situations) to knock people off points, I would still bunk.

I think the game of getting on a point, knocking people off and keeping them off is a blast.

But that was another time, a time before scourge and spellbreaker....not to mention a plethora of druid nerfs.

@"jcbroe.4329" said:

Druid: http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYDbkQFKZx+VwhFoaxykgB/TLqLVnK3lLz1EAecTgSk+cA-jpxHQB+7CA4j9HAwRAYklBU2BB4bPAAA

GOTL?

I'm curious. It seems like gotl would be the worst of the 3 traits

Its a fantastic trait these day bascly a buff compaired to what it was. Gets us back on par to the days of might stacking with rampage and bristlback.

Plus its great in a team fight and you can use the jacarander f2 as a sudo acient seeds.

@Eggyokeo.9705 said:What elites are people using. I see jcbroe has entangle so no stability. Gets corupted anyway i suppose.

It depends on the kind of druid you're running. The only options are the Healing Tree, Strength of the Pack, and Entangle. I run with Strength of the Pack because I also run a shout druid that shares buffs. This can make you and your pet very powerful as far as damage and survivability. It used to be that the Healing Tree/Spirit was the elite to take in PvP, but they nerfed it pretty hard because of its ability to rez you three times in a pinch. As far as Entangle? I'm not a fan, but it can lock opponents well if you time it right with other CC abilities.

Hope this helped.

@EnderzShadow.2506 said:

@"jcbroe.4329" said:

Druid:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYDbkQFKZx+VwhFoaxykgB/TLqLVnK3lLz1EAecTgSk+cA-jpxHQB+7CA4j9HAwRAYklBU2BB4bPAAA

Yeah, exactly what @Eggyokeo.9705 said.

Ancient Seeds long cooldown is hard to take advantage of now, and in 1v1 situations, most classes can just get right out of the roots.

Lingering Lights ICD is too long and it's a trait that works better with staff since with the LB Sword/Warhorn setup, the only time you'd proc it on allies is in CF or with Water Runes.

GotL stacks lots of might very fast, and you can basically double your burst damage coming out of CF, while consistently stacking might on the pet and maintaining it, which is very important for winning fights. It also has the bonus of being the option most beneficial to teammates.

That being said, the other options still work. If you're particularly worried about boon corruption, then for LB Ancient Seeds > Lingering Light and the reverse for staff.

Dam. No one run greatsword xD. I guess im the only one.

@jcbroe.4329 said:

@EnderzShadow.2506 said:

@jcbroe.4329 said:

Druid:

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYDbkQFKZx+VwhFoaxykgB/TLqLVnK3lLz1EAecTgSk+cA-jpxHQB+7CA4j9HAwRAYklBU2BB4bPAAA

Good to know. I didn't doubt you had reasons but I didn't know what they were.

Btw, I manned up, dropped the staff and ran with the longbow--I still felt strong enough to provide healing and more importantly rezzing downs.Felt MUCH stronger focusing targets in midFelt MUCH stronger in the 1v1's (taking back home, far etc)

Is there any advantage to running dagger over warhorn?

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJAWRnUqA1CiNsA+rActgl/A7JN8DOawn126dd51tACAl490A-jpxHABA8AA++IAo8FA4i9HkvMg/HCAA

You wont get away with mistake alot like the meta druid. Use your mobility to your advantage. Now your dps will be suck. But if you can synergize your trait with pet and weapon, your dps will be up there.

The only passive will be from 2h training. So you will have to use your own judment to keep your self alive. Use your mobility to survive and set up burst.

Tips just incase people dont know ranger really well.

This is a burst build. Start with staff and smoke scale. Use vine surge to immob your target. Use wisp to close the gap then switch to gs and switch to gazelle use gs 2 maul then a milli second later use f2. Do it right you will hit 10k from pet + 4k from gs maul.( you can set up with protect me, just use it just before someone hit you so they get taunt). This hit like a truck, because you will apply 20 stack of vulnariblity+25% damage boost from remorseless+50% damage boost to pet+10% from loud whistle+3 stack of might. Now this will make pet unblockable so use it right.

Because you run mender, you still can be the secondary support when needed.You can use your mobility and stealth to quickly decap too.

Now this build isnt build for 1v1 nor fight in team fight nor for decap or support. It is a do all build.

This build can do everything, read the map and fight, use your support side when needed, use that burst side when needed, and stealth side when needed.

If you find it hard to survive, switch from 2h training on beast master to natural healing and ancient seed from druid line to lingering light. If that not enough use magi amulet, until you get use to the build.

Astral wisp will hit for 3 to 5k if you proc remorseless then switch to g2 use gs 3 to swoop in, this will hit for 4k, and you will get heal for 6k per second from astral wisp. You can do this with gs 4 throw and swoop in or just switch to staff and use astral wisp.

You can hit high too with the last gs chain, just pop one of your signet to proc remorseless just before the last gs chain hit. But only use it when you need to use it to defend your self, you know you wont need it later.

With the sigil on your gs you can remove 2 boon so time it right when they have protecrion.

And watchout. Even a thief can kill you if you dont be careful.

Oh and. Go maurauder with scholar runes.If youre good enough. Your dps is insane with them.

Im 12th on EU leaderboard last season with this build. Didnt even tryhard either. I play to have fun. I may tryhard if they balance the pof spec right those. I hope.

@Eggyokeo.9705 said:Just curious to see what other are doing?What amulat and runes are people using?What weapones and sigels?Is ws/nm/durid still the most common?