Druid for OW

[Adversed.2897]

Hey,

I'm a new player trying to understand professions better to pick a main. I'm more  PvE player that appreciates the challenge of group content while also being able to solo when I'm simply not feeling social.

 

I like the attrition playstyle for harder solo content, like champions and don't mind if it takes a little longer than the meta to down a boss. Eventually I'd like to have the option to solo dungeons.

 

I know Ranger has other specs that do better damage, but how is Druid? Is it capable of fulfilling what I'm looking for? How challenging would it be for rotation and gear acquisition?

 

Yes, I know mesmer would be the top choice for what I'm asking, but I'm really trying to understand all professions better.

[Zyreva.1078]

Can druid solo stuff? Yes. Is it very good at soloing stuff?. Not really.

In general it's fairly easy to solo with a selfish condi/cele druid build, but the dmg is still significantly lower than that of pretty much any other elite spec in the game. Which doesn't only mean it takes longer to kill stuff, but it also might make certain encounters more difficult - because there will be more incoming pressure (especially in dungeons/vs packs of trash mobs that other specs can burst down much faster).

I also don't think that soloing on druid helps a lot at understanding it's role and playstyle in grp content, and you'd have to swap builds anyway, so why not swap to another spec for solo play? Swapping traits and skills is just a matter of a single button press (with templates set up) and if you use cele gear, you can use it for both support and solo. Might just have to swap weapons.

[Gibson.4036]

Metabattle has a nice section on builds designed to survive soloing OW group content.

Their community suggests Soulbeast out of the Ranger specs.

https://metabattle.com/wiki/Build:Soulbeast_-_Condition_Skirmisher

[Joncal.9623]

It’s viable but I wouldn’t call it anything fun or groundbreaking. I use it myself on certain fights. 
 

do note that if you want to play as Druid to wield/dps with the staff you’ll be let down. The short bow is your go to weapon. And because of your traps you’ll be playing in melee a lot. 
 

https://guildjen.com/druid-open-world-build/

I’d recommend going for sharpened edges over the trappers expertise traits to be fair. The CDs on snekk and fire trap are low enough already. 

Edited March 26, 2023 by Joncal.9623

[Bigpapasmurf.5623]

As a DPS and Condi Druid main if you are going druid, only condi trapper is the way to go. Condi clears mobs at a decent rate (not better tan some other builds however fast enough for me).

[Dithnir.4593]

I've been trying this build: http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?POwAUdjlVwWYUsPWJWeP3tsRMH-zRZYVRNDNoj3gwDjuUIsC8nmA8pBqA-e
 

The thinking was, in OW and even in pug fractals, you're with groups of people that occasionally need some support, heals, condi removal.. Condi is generally not so good in organised fractals, but in the more chaotic pugs, damage is a bit less rotation reliant, and the cele stats and dodge roll buffs from Wilderness Survival give you some leeway when things aren't smooth, not to mention dodging also gives LoyF buffs. The rez of Glyph of Stars can make a big difference on occasion though you might consider Entablge for soloing and more frequent proc of the Krait runes.

Positioning makes a big difference to the build, and I have always been too lazy to make the effort, so I'm using this to force me to get better at it for better dps.

I've gone Jacaranda because it helps boost the vuln condi for increasing dmg for everyone around you.

[ventress.4879]

If you really want to solo stuff I would either use Poison Master Soulbeast or Fervent Force Untamed. 

If you run either with Celestial you can really survive the most brutal fights. 

If you where in a party and wanted to keep them all alive then Druid could work; Stuff like Legendary bounties. 

Edited April 29, 2023 by ventress.4879

[InsaneQR.7412]

Honestly for attrition playstyle Untamed is probably best. It has good survivability, can dish out good amounts of conditions and has good CC against breakbars.

If your really want to have an OW druid i can recommend Condition druid with Spearmarshal stats. It allows for somewhat ok condi damage and keeps your healing online if you need it for instances content.

[Zyreva.1078]

3 hours ago, InsaneQR.7412 said:

If your really want to have an OW druid i can recommend Condition druid with Spearmarshal stats. It allows for somewhat ok condi damage and keeps your healing online if you need it for instances content.

Marshal's (which i guess is what you are talking about, spearmarshal stats do not exist) is worse than cele in pretty much every regard.

23 hours ago, Dithnir.4593 said:

I've been trying this build: http://en.gw2skills.net/editor/?POwAUdjlVwWYUsPWJWeP3tsRMH-zRZYVRNDNoj3gwDjuUIsC8nmA8pBqA-e

The problem with a build like that is that it trades important boons - that can increase everyones dmg and survivability! - for a minuscule personal dmg gain. Now i get it, spirits suck in open world, but the moment other players are arround they can still provide much more value than those selfish utility skills. Also you are giving up quite a bit of dmg by taking the trap trait and then not even using the better dps traps (flame/viper). A cele nm/spirit build with sharpened edges (and AC) might actually deal very similar if not more dmg, while buffing the entire grp simultaneously.

Not using staff and full heal gear is perfectly fine on druid, but ultimatively is still is primarily a support spec (in PvE) and there is a limit to how much of that support you can trade off for dmg and still retain a good build.

Edited April 29, 2023 by Zyreva.1078

[InsaneQR.7412]

12 minutes ago, Zyreva.1078 said:

Marshal's (which i guess is what you are talking about, spearmarshal stats do not exist) is worse than cele in pretty much every regard.

The problem with a build like that is that it trades important boons - that can increase everyones dmg and survivability! - for a minuscule personal dmg gain. Now i get it, spirits suck in open world, but the moment other players are arround they can still provide much more value than those selfish utility skills. Also you are giving up quite a bit of dmg by taking the trap trait and then not even using the better dps traps (flame/viper). A cele nm/spirit build with sharpened edges (and AC) might actually deal very similar if not more dmg, while buffing the entire grp simultaneously.

Not using staff and full heal gear is perfectly fine on druid, but ultimatively is still is primarily a support spec (in PvE) and there is a limit to how much of that support you can trade off for dmg and still retain a good build.

Yeah thats fair. Cele is probably better than magshal stats. Marshal is very cheap to get though, so its a start if OP is new.

Honestly one could just run skirmishing and WS when running openworld and just switch out skirmishing with NM plus 1-2 skills with spirits. 

 

 

[Batalix.2873]

I played celestial condi druid for quite some time and it works well enough for a lot of OW content.

 

I personally like the utility of the glyphs, plus the survivability added by verdant etching. And when you move into group events it's not difficult to switch things up with alacrity spirits.

 

It's not a zoomy or complicated build on its own but I still think hitting CA is one of the coolest transformations in the game.

 

If you like the flavor, play it. All these people directing toward X just because "it's better" have their own priorities, but personally I think fun factor and job fantasy are far more important. No amount of power increase would make me enjoy Soulbeast when I want to play Druid for at least some of my PvE experience. Thankfully, every espec is viable with core supplementation.

Edited May 10, 2023 by Batalix.2873

[Hashberry.4510]

I enjoy a power druid in OW, leveraging the stun and immobilize talents and glyphs along with the marks talents. Easy farming a map.

[Ruisenior.6342]

With druid you will be unkilleable soloing stuff, it just will take more time than other specs but with the ammount of sustain you will carry, nothing will be a challenge for you. 

Like others stated, celestial gear is the way to go. If you bought some expansions you will have a booster and you can get for free all the celestial exotic gear from there (Note that if u want to lvl up without the booster to get the grasp of the game, which i recommend, later you can use it just for the gear because crafting celestial gear will take you some time and sources).

Druid plays like core ranger with the addition of celestial avatar form, which morfs you into a powerfull healer character.

Shortbow for dps and staff for utility/healing is the way to go and you can carry an aditional set of weapons to increase your dps and swap it for the staff when healing/utility isnt required, this secondary set will be axe+torch.

Edited May 17, 2023 by Ruisenior.6342

[Zhaid Zhem.6508]

Natural strike (+33% movement speed) + ancient seeds are fun traits, the extra healing with Troll Unguent is nice too, for OW.
I play this build : http://gw2skills.net/editor/?POwAUd/lFwoYWsP2JW+OnNfA-zRJYmhVCCPAA-e Conditions spam in aoe will vaporize any pack of mobs.

Otherwise the celestial form and all other traits are a bit pointless for OW. Druid  OW is just a LI build, which is okai; but you can do better with Untamed or Soulbeast.