So druid in pvp..

[lightningz.1465]

Hi fellow Rangers

In my pvp experience in season 12, I noticed that druid is kinda being left out by ranger player, my rough estimate is that around 80% of ranger runs soulbeast or core. I think anet a little bit overnerfed druid in previous patches

Is druid still viable? What do you guys usually run for druid? Right know the standard meta mender druid is not fulfilling any role imo, it’s so so side node holder, supbar support (unless you run lingering light i guess), and it’s not roaming class also. What should be the improvement for druid in next patch?

I’m average player (only plat 1 NA) so probably my opinion is invalid, I just want to know you guys opinion on this, and if anyone want to share their build, it’s very much appreciated.

[Josif.2015]

@lightningz.1465 said:Is druid still viable? What do you guys usually run for druid? Right know the standard meta mender druid is not fulfilling any role imo, it’s so so side node holder, supbar support (unless you run lingering light i guess), and it’s not roaming class also. What should be the improvement for druid in next patch?

I’m average player (only plat 1 NA) so probably my opinion is invalid, I just want to know you guys opinion on this, and if anyone want to share their build, it’s very much appreciated.

Druid is still viable. Every support profession, not just Druid were nerfed because of the removal of Magi's amulet from PvP, so all you have left is Mender's amulet. Soulbeast is played because ArenaNet thought it was a good idea to buff Soulbeast to be better than both core and Druid in almost every situation, even though core ranger is still doing good. Most players tend not to play support or even hybrid support so they just play damage because I guess it makes them feel good. Don't be afraid of playing support. About half of guardians I saw in season 12 were core guardians and Firebrands.

Also, your opinion is far from invalid just because you're platinum 1. Average players range between gold 1 and gold 2, gold 3 and above is really good. No matter what your rating is, it doesn't prevent you from asking questions or having an opinion.

[Krispera.5087]

Druid is doing fine, but it needs some oopmh ! You just have better supporters around, like FB and god rezzer Blood Scourge. TBH, it needs more circular skills and bigger radius. Have you seen how big are the supporting AoEs from FB ? Whew !

@"lightningz.1465" said: What do you guys usually run for druid?

I'm not running a meta build, I'm also Plat 1/Gold 3, but didn't play much this season, because I'm busy and I find the meta stale AF. I played with the same build the season before with same results.

It's up to you to put some spices in your build or play a stale boring build. S/W + Staff meta druid build makes me zzz.

@Hoodie.1045 said: No matter what your rating is, it doesn't prevent you from asking questions or having an opinion.

Agree 100%

[Euthymias.7984]

You can play Druid, but beyond some extra mobility or reset potential, its basically a weaker Spellbreaker/Weaver when it comes to stalling sidenodes.You can try to play it as a support, and it can get some mileage if there isnt a Firebrand on your side, but having it gated so behind Astral Force+a lengthy cooldown and being extremely limited in what support it offers, its just not really worth the investment when a better option exists unless you just want to play it.

[Brynioch.1873]

A cooldown revert to atleast 15 seconds or back to 10 on celestial avatar is needed at this point. And a buff to lingering light, maybe trigger at the end of CA and not in the beginning and give the effect also to the pet or give it to allies when transforming into CA once. Right now it is only an outgoing heal increase.

[Pvt Frosty.6973]

I have not played much last season at all, but Druid definitely felt quite fine. Just not the old meta builds.

[jewishjoyride.4693]

Hello old friends. After having a long break from the game, I returned the last week of the season and mostly played this.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQNBjYDbkQF6XxSWwhF4axykg5U5ucZumAwjbCA/TLqL1SOWaA-jJxHQBjsMgyuIAib/BA8EAAA

Despite having try harded and done relatively well in past seasons (specifically one and two), this time I mostly ran around without knowing what I was doing. There's a whole new expansion apparently! With new elite specs! They have all new skills, and tells, and I don't recognize any of it!!!! Fortunately it seems like there are just as many players running Core and HoT specs as anything else, and druid definitely still feels good vs these classes. Overall I was able to win more games than lose, and my rating mostly climbed.

Now Druid felt really good to play when I was in matches that my team probably was going to win anyway. There were some matches where at a critical moment I got off a rez and turned a fight around, stuff like that. However in matches where my team struggled I didn't feel like I was able to really turn things around either. That could just as easily have been because I was playing druid, or because my mechanical skills are super rusty, or even both. I can't really say.

In any case it's fun to be back. It was fun to play Druid again. Also, as long as Core and HoT specs keep showing up in solo queue, I think Druid will likely always have a place.

[EnderzShadow.2506]

@Euthymias.7984 said:You can play Druid, but beyond some extra mobility or reset potential, its basically a weaker Spellbreaker/Weaver when it comes to stalling sidenodes.You can try to play it as a support, and it can get some mileage if there isnt a Firebrand on your side, but having it gated so behind Astral Force+a lengthy cooldown and being extremely limited in what support it offers, its just not really worth the investment when a better option exists unless you just want to play it.

I haven't done much this season, but the time I have played, my experience was that I couldn't 'hard' carry.

Occasionally I run into a group comp that is heavily melee/bruiser and in that situation, a druid supporting team fights is damn near OP

But all in all, the sheer amount of CC + Spike dmg + immunes that some meta classes bring makes the druid obsolete.

[Shaogin.2679]

I've been playing the usual bunker druid build using the offensive variant with longbow instead of staff and Avatar amulet instead of Menders. Feels great still. I have enough damage to spike people down, enough support to save an ally in need, and enough disengage and mobility to out rotate the enemy.

[Haseo Lopez.6417]

Since I like to have a battle druid build, What do you think of this build? have not yet test it yet tho...

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJATWnEqAtsglsA2CCUtgl9AbpJEAGdNxgewQA+tWX/rXoh6KA-jpBVABX/AAEtMQlHCAA2fQ1jAw0XAAA

[terrorshard.3854]

On Druid, I win when my teams good and I lose when my team isn't as good. I feel like I don't contribute all that much really. It is still good at holding a side node but it can't take it at all.

[Pvt Frosty.6973]

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJATWnEqA1Ci9CCOsActglJBrJA84mAw/0i6T9JIUr+YnQ1zSD-jpxHABKfIAEf/hrLD89DAw/LAAAHBAA

this is what I've been playing. IMO a much better dps variant than soulbeast (much better disengage as well as a much better lockdown with AS)

[EnderzShadow.2506]

@"Pvt Frosty.6973" said:http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJATWnEqA1Ci9CCOsActglJBrJA84mAw/0i6T9JIUr+YnQ1zSD-jpxHABKfIAEf/hrLD89DAw/LAAAHBAA

this is what I've been playing. IMO a much better dps variant than soulbeast (much better disengage as well as a much better lockdown with AS)

looks interesting.Then again I've never seen a new build I didn't like (on paper)

[CETheLucid.3964]

I manage a mender variant of the basic bunker build post-nerf to good effect. Easy hold and +1 potential, pretty terrible at forcing high DPS off, though if you're the better player you'll probably force a reset or manage to attract attention away from mid.

Bunker druid has been viable for the longest time. Even post-nerfs it's still workable. I think most ranger players have gotten sick of it as it was "the" build to run. There weren't really many alternatives.

PoF did indeed open up new more aggressive builds to play and with the removal of the magi amulet, the environment in general is pushing for a more aggressive meta. Which is a good move IMO.

Defensive builds should be viable options for 1v1s or even managing +1's maybe even +2's for a bit, but being able to facetank the entire enemy team might not be so good for the health of the game.

If you were used to doing that kind of thing (guilty as charged), you have to be a little more mindful these days. Druid bunker is still viable but it's not what it used to be.

[Arheundel.6451]

@lightningz.1465 said:Hi fellow Rangers

In my pvp experience in season 12, I noticed that druid is kinda being left out by ranger player, my rough estimate is that around 80% of ranger runs soulbeast or core. I think anet a little bit overnerfed druid in previous patches

Is druid still viable? What do you guys usually run for druid? Right know the standard meta mender druid is not fulfilling any role imo, it’s so so side node holder, supbar support (unless you run lingering light i guess), and it’s not roaming class also. What should be the improvement for druid in next patch?

I’m average player (only plat 1 NA) so probably my opinion is invalid, I just want to know you guys opinion on this, and if anyone want to share their build, it’s very much appreciated.

Druid is still amazing : better disengage than soulbeast, better condi management and harder to pin down with that said soulbeast has some great matchups where druid otherwise struggle. I suggest to use druid with staff when you see thieves in enemy team, most play deadeyes and sublime conversion will help against their unblockable spikes. Soulbeast and druid are equal in my eyes, different playstyle...equally effective

[shadowpass.4236]

@Arheundel.6451 said:

@lightningz.1465 said:Hi fellow Rangers

In my pvp experience in season 12, I noticed that druid is kinda being left out by ranger player, my rough estimate is that around 80% of ranger runs soulbeast or core. I think anet a little bit overnerfed druid in previous patches

Is druid still viable? What do you guys usually run for druid? Right know the standard meta mender druid is not fulfilling any role imo, it’s so so side node holder, supbar support (unless you run lingering light i guess), and it’s not roaming class also. What should be the improvement for druid in next patch?

I’m average player (only plat 1 NA) so probably my opinion is invalid, I just want to know you guys opinion on this, and if anyone want to share their build, it’s very much appreciated.

Druid is still amazing : better disengage than soulbeast, better condi management and harder to pin down with that said soulbeast has some great matchups where druid otherwise struggle. I suggest to use druid with

staff

when you see thieves in enemy team, most play deadeyes and

sublime conversion

will help against their unblockable spikes. Soulbeast and druid are equal in my eyes, different playstyle...equally effective

Death's Judgement goes through Sublime Conversion.

[Yannir.4132]

@shadowpass.4236 said:

@Arheundel.6451 said:

@lightningz.1465 said:Hi fellow Rangers

In my pvp experience in season 12, I noticed that druid is kinda being left out by ranger player, my rough estimate is that around 80% of ranger runs soulbeast or core. I think anet a little bit overnerfed druid in previous patches

Is druid still viable? What do you guys usually run for druid? Right know the standard meta mender druid is not fulfilling any role imo, it’s so so side node holder, supbar support (unless you run lingering light i guess), and it’s not roaming class also. What should be the improvement for druid in next patch?

I’m average player (only plat 1 NA) so probably my opinion is invalid, I just want to know you guys opinion on this, and if anyone want to share their build, it’s very much appreciated.

Druid is still amazing : better disengage than soulbeast, better condi management and harder to pin down with that said soulbeast has some great matchups where druid otherwise struggle. I suggest to use druid with

staff

when you see thieves in enemy team, most play deadeyes and

sublime conversion

will help against their unblockable spikes. Soulbeast and druid are equal in my eyes, different playstyle...equally effective

Death's Judgement goes through Sublime Conversion.

Yeah but SC still makes it harder for DE's to generate Malice for those high damage DJ's.

[jewishjoyride.4693]

@"Pvt Frosty.6973" said:http://gw2skills.net/editor/?vNAQJATWnEqA1Ci9CCOsActglJBrJA84mAw/0i6T9JIUr+YnQ1zSD-jpxHABKfIAEf/hrLD89DAw/LAAAHBAA

this is what I've been playing. IMO a much better dps variant than soulbeast (much better disengage as well as a much better lockdown with AS)

It's been so fun coming back to the game after so much time, only to find tons of core builds running around pvp (current iterations of pre HoT builds for guard, engi and ranger at least just off the top of my head), and then to see this build! WS, BM, and Druid were some of the first power builds using Druid that people ran when HoT hit, myself included.

This build reflects what pvp looks like to me these days. It seems much more valuable to run something that helps your team secure kills and build momentum; if you run a build that doesn't do that, then you're just allowing the other team to get kills and roll momentum. Since the season ended I've actually only played core ranger, and while it gives up some of the utility you get from Druid I've personally felt that my contributions have had a greater effect on my teams winning. I'll be giving your build a try though, and some other variations on that trait layout that seem strong (at least in my head).