AoEBearDruidEndgameGuideseason 6

Shifter Pulverize – Druid Build for Diablo 4

Shift your gameplay with this Human-Werebear builder spender.

TheSteveAvatar

TheSteve

WRITER


Updated: Posted:

PulverizeClawBlood HowlEarthen BulwarkPetrifyPoison Creeper


Build Introduction

Smash through the enemies of Sanctuary with the Shifter Pulverize! This is your guide for the balanced and dependable Shifter PulverizePulverize Druid. This build is a basic builder-spender with high volume of Overpower attacks.

This guide covers everything necessary to get started on your PulverizePulverize adventure including Skill Tree points, Paragon, Gearing, and Seasonal updates. The guide will primarily cover Endgame pushing, but will also offer alternative options and in-depth gameplay explanations.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths
  • Consistent gameplay as a Builder-Spender
  • Leveling friendly, low requirements
  • High sustained damage at all target counts
Weaknesses
  • Highest burst can take setup
  • Has some resource management to balance
  • Overpower gaps can be unreliable

To see how this build compares to the other builds on our site, you can check out our build tier lists.

Build Requirements

The following Legendary Aspects are required for build functionality to get started on the Pulverize Druid:

Required Aspects

Skill Tree Points and Skill Bar

Skill Bar Setup for Shifter Pulverize (order does not matter)
Blood Howl Blood Howl Petrify Petrify Poison Creeper Poison Creeper Earthen Bulwark Earthen Bulwark Claw Claw Pulverize Pulverize

Spirit Boons – The Druid Specialization

Druids unlock powerful Spirit Boon passives, giving offerings to the animal spirits to receive their blessing. Once fully unlocked, you can activate the final boon by Spirit Bonding with one of the four animal spirits to take two passives from that row.

Boon NameAnimalEffect
WarinessDeerTake 15% reduced damage from Elites.
Iron FeatherEagleGain 20% Maximum Life.
Avian WrathEagleGain x30% Critical Strike damage.
EnergizeWolfLucky Hit: Dealing damage has up to a 15% chance to restore 30 Spirit.
Obsidian SlamSnakeEvery 10th kill will cause your next Earth Skill to Overpower.

Paragon Board

The following are the preferred Glyphs, Boards, and pathing recommended for making the most of the Shifter Pulverize Druid.

Glyphs have two significant breakpoint increases. At level 15, the glyph grows in radius and gains a special effect. At level 46, the glyph grows to its max radius and gains a strong conditional damage multiplier.

Glyphs are placed as if they are least level 15+ in radius. Pathing should prioritize placing your Glyphs and Legendary Nodes, then filling out the rest of the paths to take the Magic and Rare nodes. Total Boards placed are now limited to a max of 5; the Starter Board and four Class Boards.

Click this link to see the Paragon path in its entirety. Paragon Board images provided by d4builds.gg.

Starting Board

From the Starting board, path up and place the HeadhunterHeadhunter Glyph.

Ancestral Guidance

For the second board, choose Ancestral Guidance, placed against the top of the Starter board, rotated once. Socket the DominateDominate Glyph and take the Ancestral GuidanceAncestral Guidance Legendary Node.

Earthen Devastation

For the third board, choose Earthen Devastation, placed to the left of the Ancestral Guidance Board. Take the Earthen DevastationEarthen Devastation Legendary Node and Socket the Fang and ClawFang and Claw Glyph. The Glyph’s boost to nearby Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies Magic Nodes will significantly boost the Earthen DevastationEarthen Devastation multiplier.

Survival Instincts

For the fourth board, choose Survival Instincts, placed against the top of the Earthen Devastation Board, rotated three times. Socket the EliminatorEliminator Glyph and take the Legendary Node Survival InstinctsSurvival Instincts.

Heightened Malice

For the final board, choose Heightened Malice, placed against the top of the Survival Instincts board, rotated three times. Socket the SpiritSpirit Glyph, and take the Heightened MaliceHeightened Malice Legendary Node.

For a more defensive setup, DominateDominate can be exchanged for UndauntedUndaunted, and SpiritSpirit for TerritorialTerritorial.

Gear, Stats, Gems and Elixirs

The following are the recommended Legendary Aspects, Gear Affixes, Gems and Elixirs for the Pulverize Druid.

Legendary Aspects

Gear Slots with multiple options are listed in recommended priority. Any slot with an Optional Mythic Unique or Unique Item will include a valid alternative legendary power to use while still leveling and gearing.

SlotGemAspectUnique/Legendary Power
2-Handed MaceGrand RubyGrand RubyShockwave AspectShockwave AspectPulverize creates a shockwave that travels forward, dealing 80-120% of its damage to targets in the path.
HelmGrand SapphireGrand Sapphire(Recommended Mythic) Heir of PerditionHeir of Perdition
(Recommended Unique) Godslayer CrownGodslayer Crown
Aspect of MightAspect of Might
Give in to hatred and earn Lilith’s Favor, increasing your damage dealt by 60%. Slaughter enemies to briefly steal Lilith’s Favor from Nearby allies.
ChestGrand SapphireGrand Sapphire(Recommended Mythic) Shroud of False DeathShroud of False Death
(recommended Unique) Insatiable FuryInsatiable FuryJuggernaut's AspectJuggernaut’s Aspect
If you haven’t attacked in the last 2 seconds, gain Stealth and 40% Movement Speed.
GlovesN/AAspect of the Ursine HorrorAspect of the Ursine HorrorPulverize is now also an Earth Skill. After casting Pulverize, tectonic spikes continue to deal damage over 2 seconds.
PantsGrand SapphireGrand SapphireSkinwalker's AspectSkinwalker’s AspectWhen you use a Shapeshifting Skill that changes your form, Heal for 5-25% of your Maximum Life. If you are at full Life, gain the same amount as Fortify.
BootsN/A(Offensive) Ballistic AspectBallistic Aspect
(Defensive, Unstoppable) Aspect of MetamorphosisAspect of Metamorphosis
When you have Fortify your Earth Skills gain +2 Ranks.
AmuletGrand DiamondGrand DiamondAspect of RetaliationAspect of Retaliation Your Core Skills deal up to 35-75% increased damage based on your amount of Fortify.
Ring 1Grand DiamondGrand Diamond(Recommended Unique)Hunter's ZenithHunter’s Zenith
Aspect of the Changeling's DebtAspect of the Changeling’s Debt
Every 30 seconds you spend in an animal form, your next Core Skill is guaranteed to Overpower and Critically Strike, and deals 30-60% increased damage.

Casting a Shapeshifting Skill reduces this timer by 1 second, or 2 seconds if it changes you to a new animal form.
Ring 2Grand DiamondGrand Diamond(Recommended Mythic) Ring of Starless SkiesRing of Starless Skies
(Convenience Unique)
Airidah's Inexorable WillAiridah’s Inexorable Will
Raw Might AspectRaw Might Aspect
Spending your Primary Resource reduces the Resource cost of your Skills and increases your damage by 10% for 3 seconds, up to 50%.

Use a 2-Handed Mace for Overpower damage.

For the dedicated page for Gear Systems and Itemization Overview, check here.

Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes

Each line of affixes is listed in order of importance. Tempering Manuals and their recommended affixes are provided in the final column. The bolded affixes are the most important targets for Masterworking upgrades. Unique Items cannot be Tempered, but can be Masterworked.  Check the Tempering guide and Masterworking guide for more details about these topics.

Any slot with an Optional Mythic Unique or Unique Item will include a valid alternative legendary power to use while still leveling and gearing.

SlotGearing AffixesTempering Affixes
2 Handed MaceResource Cost Reduction
Willpower
Max Life
Overpower Damage
Werebear AugmentsWerebear Augments – Chance to Cast Pulverize Twice
Earth FinesseEarth Finesse – Earth Critical Strike Chance
Helm – (Recommended Mythic) Heir of PerditionHeir of PerditionCritical Strike Chance
Lucky Hit Chance
Movement Speed
Ranks to Core Skills
Helm – (Recommended Unique) Godslayer CrownGodslayer CrownAll Stats
Maximum Life
Damage to Elites
Cooldown Reduction
Helm – Legendary AspectCooldown Reduction
Max Life
Willpower

Spirit Per Second
Worldly EnduranceWorldly Endurance – Max Life
Nature Magic InnovationNature Magic Innovation – Petrify Duration OR
Worldly FortuneWorldly Fortune – Chance to [Stun/Freeze] Enemies
Chest – (Recommended Mythic) Shroud of False DeathShroud of False DeathAll Stats
Maximum Life
Damage on Next Attack After Entering Stealth
Resource Generation
Chest – (Recommended Unique) Insatiable FuryInsatiable Fury Max Life
Werebear Overpower Damage
Ursine Strength’s Bonuses
Ranks to Iron FurIron Fur
Chest – Legendary AspectWillpower
Max Life
Armor
Spirit Per Second
Worldly EnduranceWorldly Endurance – Max Life
Nature Magic InnovationNature Magic Innovation – Petrify Duration
Gloves – Legendary AspectAttack Speed
Critical Strike Chance
Ranks to PulverizePulverize
Lucky Hit: Chance to make enemies vulnerable
Earth FinesseEarth Finesse – Earth Critical Strike Chance
Nature Magic InnovationNature Magic Innovation – Petrify Duration
Pants – Legendary AspectWillpower
Max Life
Armor
Dodge Chance
Worldly EnduranceWorldly Endurance – Total Armor%
Nature Magic InnovationNature Magic Innovation – Petrify Duration
Boots – Legendary AspectImplicit: Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown By 1.5 Seconds
Movement Speed
Max Life
Resistance to All Elements
Spirit Per Second
Natural MotionNatural Motion – Movement Speed
Nature Magic InnovationNature Magic Innovation – Petrify Duration
AmuletRanks to EnvenomEnvenom
Ranks to QuickshiftQuickshift
Willpower%
Max Life
Earth FinesseEarth Finesse – Earth Critical Strike Chance
Worldly EnduranceWorldly Endurance – Maximum Life
Ring – (Recommended Mythic)Ring of Starless SkiesRing of Starless Skies Attack Speed
Critical Strike Chance
Lucky Hit Chance
Ranks to Core Skills
Ring – (Recommended Unique) Hunter's ZenithHunter’s ZenithWillpower
Ranks to Predatory InstinctPredatory Instinct
Ranks to Heightened SensesHeightened Senses
Ranks to QuickshiftQuickshift
Ring – (Convenience Unique) Airidah's Inexorable WillAiridah’s Inexorable WillWillpower%
Damage to Close Enemies
Lucky Hit Chance
Ultimate Cooldown Reduction
Rings – Legendary AspectCritical Strike Chance
Attack Speed
Maximum Life
Resource Cost Reduction
Earth FinesseEarth Finesse – Earth Critical Strike Chance
Worldly StabilityWorldly Stability – Resource Generation

Armor cap is 1000 for up to 85% Physical Damage Reduction. This is generally reached with either one Armor Gear Affix and one Total Armor% Temper, or using a Juggernaut's AspectJuggernaut’s Aspect.

For information on Legendary Aspects and the updated Codex of Power, see here.

Gems and Runewords

The following are the recommended Gem and Runeword setups for the Pulverize Druid:

Gems

Weapon GemsArmor GemsJewelry Gems
Grand RubyGrand Ruby for Overpower DamageGrand SapphireGrand Sapphire for WillpowerGrand DiamondGrand Diamond for Resistance to all Elements

Runewords

Runewords are a flexible power to help strengthen a build or fill its weaknesses. Two Runes combine for the total Runeword effect:

  • A conditional trigger Rune of Ritual that supplies Offerings when the condition is met.
  • An effect Rune of Invocation that costs Offerings.

Once the Rune of Ritual has supplied enough Offerings, the Rune of Invocation will trigger its effect. Some Runes of Invocation will have overflow effects, where excess Offerings will spillover to empower the triggered effect.

Runewords replace Gems in gear. Up to two sets of Runeword pairs can be placed at a time. Runeword combinations are placed within 2 sockets of the same item e.g. Helm, Chest, Pants or 2-handed Weapon.

The following are Runeword combination options for the Pulverize Druid, placed in 2-Handed Weapon and one Armor slot:

Runeword CombinationRuneword Effects
Tam XanMoniMoni – Cast a Skill after moving. Gain: 25 Offering
WatWat Requires: 100 Offering Cooldown: 1 Second. Evoke the Necromancer’s Horrid Decrepify, Slowing enemies, reducing their damage, and letting you Execute them.
Bac OhmXolXol – Gain: 150 Offering. Evoke power from another Class
YomYom – 500 Offering Cooldown: 5 Seconds. Evoke the Druid’s Petrify, Stunning enemies and restoring 100 Spirit.

Horrid DecrepifyHorrid Decrepify is an efficient trigger for Xol. Periodic casts of PetrifyPetrify will be a strong Stun, Critical Strike Damage multiplier and Spirit Generator. Tempering for PetrifyPetrify Duration will mean significant uptime on Petrify.

Other combinations can also situationally work well; adjust to the content you are running. These can include:

  • (Offering Efficiency) other Ritual options such as Lith for Stand Still, Bac for Move, Tam for Cast Core Skill, or Feo for get Crowd Controlled may trigger more often.
  • (Gathering) Kry rune for VortexVortex can be a strong quality of life increase.
  • (Spirit Management) PocLum in combination can give strong Spirit Refund.

Elixirs, Incense and Health Potions

The Alchemist offers helpful consumables at the cost of foraged materials found throughout Sanctuary.

  • Craft the highest available Elixir of PrecisionElixir of Precision for Critical Strike Chance and Critical Strike Damage.
  • If mats are available, craft Chorus of WarChorus of War.
  • Remember to upgrade your potion as you level, increasing the instant healing of the potion!

Unique Items

The following Uniques are recommended for the Pulverize Druid:

  • (Recommended) Insatiable FuryInsatiable Fury gives Skill ranks to all Werebear Skills, including PulverizePulverize, and the ranks to Iron FurIron Fur are a welcome defensive boost.
  • (Recommended) Godslayer CrownGodslayer Crown is an effective grouping tool and strong damage multiplier. Crowd Control Lucky Hits from Tempers, Raw Might AspectRaw Might Aspect, Raging PulverizeRaging Pulverize, Immobilize from Poison CreeperPoison Creeper and Utility Tempers for Crowd Control can trigger the effect.
  • (Recommended) Hunter's ZenithHunter’s Zenith – This is a ring with strong gear affix ranks to several skill passives and a strong rate of Critical Overpowers for PulverizePulverize. It will need to be well rolled to compete with an alternative Legendary Aspect ring.
  • (Convenience Unique) Airidah's Inexorable WillAiridah’s Inexorable Will – This ring yoinks Distant enemies dealing physical damage to them, and groups them. Between native casts of PetrifyPetrify and Runeword casts, this effect will trigger often. May be a mild damage topend loss to other options.
  • (Optional Early Gearing) Banished Lord's TalismanBanished Lord’s Talisman can be a usable Amulet while still hunting for a strong Amulet with EnvenomEnvenom and other strong affixes.

Mythic Unique Items

  • (Recommended) Heir of PerditionHeir of Perdition has Strong Gear Affixes and a steady damage multiplier. The multiplier can be stolen occasionally from others that also use this helm for a higher damage multiplier.
  • (Recommended) Shroud of False DeathShroud of False Death gives +1 rank to all Skill Passives which means several bonuses to Damage Multipliers, Damage Reductions, Resistances, Fortify, Healing and Critical Strike Chance.
  • (Recommended) Ring of Starless SkiesRing of Starless Skies is a powerful Resource Cost Reduction tool and damage multiplier, with strong Gear Affixes.
  • (Optional Defensive) DoombringerDoombringer– Druids can now use swords! DoombringerDoombringer is a chonky Damage Reduction and Max Health item. The Max Health% is a nice damage offset since it will boost our Overpowers. It may be a valid choice when pushing dangerous content where dying is punished, such as Infernal Hordes or high Pit. To use this item:
    • Move Shockwave AspectShockwave Aspect to Amulet.
    • Move Aspect of RetaliationAspect of Retaliation to Totem.
    • On the Totem, look for Willpower, Critical Strike Chance, and Max Life. Temper (Mastercrafted) Chance for Pulverize to Cast Twice and Earth Critical Strike Chance.
    • Mastercraft Damage Reduction or Max Life on the DoombringerDoombringer.

Mercenaries

Once unlocked, Mercenaries are followers that aid the Player in combat. A main mercenary is chosen to fight alongside you, granting strong buffs or perks, and a secondary Mercenary is chosen to periodically Reinforce you under a chosen Opportunity condition. As you build Rapport with your Mercenary, you gain more access to their Skills and Perks.

The following Mercenary options are recommended for the Pulverize Druid:

Main Mercenary – Varyana, the Berserker

Reinforcement – Raheir, the Shieldbearer

  • Reinforcement Ability – CraterCrater

Hysteria and Bloodlust will both give strong Attack Speed bonuses.

For a Spirit Management setup, try Raheir’s Iron Wolf's CallIron Wolf’s Call for periodic free casts of Stone BurstStone Burst, or Aldkin’s Ember's GiftEmber’s Gift for Spirit Per Second while in Storm of Fire.

Rotation and Playstyle

  1. Blood HowlBlood Howl to increase Attack Speed and upkeep Werewolf Shapeshifting buffs such as Heightened SensesHeightened Senses.
  2. Poison CreeperPoison Creeper to Immobilize and apply Poison.
  3. PetrifyPetrify to apply Stun and a heavy Critical Strike Damage multiplier.
  4. PulverizePulverize your enemies.
  5. ClawClaw as filler for Spirit.

Use Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark defensively and as sources of Unstoppable to break Crowd-Control effects.

Check out the advanced Build Mechanics section for a more in-depth description on how the build works, what synergies exist, and what to look out for.

Season 6: Season of Hatred Rising

The following list details the important changes in the Season 6 Patch Updates that are specific to the Pulverize Druid. For general Season 6 information, check out our Season 6 Hub.

Itemization:

  • New items including Shroud of False DeathShroud of False Death and Heir of PerditionHeir of Perdition.
  • Hunter's ZenithHunter’s Zenith – New Effect – Every 30 seconds you spend in an animal form, your next Core Skill is guaranteed to Overpower and Critically Strike and deals 30-60% increased damage. Casting Shapeshifting Skills reduces this timer by 1 second, or 2 seconds if you change to a new animal form
  • Wildheart HungerWildheart Hunger no longer usable with Ursine StrengthUrsine Strength – New Effect – Shapeshifting into a new animal form increases the value of your Bestial Rampage bonuses by 2.0-5.0%, up to 20-50%. This bonus decays by 2% per second.
  • Werebear AugmentsWerebear Augments now includes Chance for Pulverize to Strike Twice.
  • Aspect of RetaliationAspect of Retaliation increased to 35-75%.
  • Shockwave AspectShockwave Aspect increased to 80-120%.
  • Aspect of the Ursine HorrorAspect of the Ursine Horror – Tectonic spikes damage increased from 60-100% to 120-200% of Weapon Damage.
  • PetrifyPetrify – New Effect – Generates 100 Spirit. Encase all Nearby enemies in stone, Stunning them for 4 seconds.
  • Prime PetrifyPrime Petrify – New Effect – You deal 30%[x] increased Critical Strike Damage to enemies affected by Petrify. Against Bosses the Critical Strike Damage bonus is increased to 50%[x] and its duration is increased to 7 seconds. Bonus Critical Strike Damage now applies to damage done by your Companions.
  • Ancestral GuidanceAncestral Guidance increased from 30% to 40%.

Skills and Stats

  • Paragon Boards are now limited to 5 boards; the Starter Board and up to four Class Boards.
  • Several Paragon Boards have shifted their nodes around.
  • New Skill Passives including BacklashBacklash and Feral AptitudeFeral Aptitude.
  • Ursine StrengthUrsine Strength:
    • Damage bonus while Healthy reduced from 30% to 15%.
    • Maximum Health bonus increased from 20% to 30%.
    • Overpower damage bonus increased from 30% to 45%.
  • QuickshiftQuickshift – New Effect – Shapeshifting into a new animal form grants 1/2/3% increased damage, up to 6/12/18%. This bonus is lost after 3 seconds in Human form.
  • Heightened SensesHeightened Senses – New Effect – When Shapeshifting, Werebear grants 3/6/9% Damage Reduction and Werewolf grants 2/4/6% Movement Speed. Both bonuses persist as long as you are in either animal form and are doubled while both are active. They are lost after 3 seconds in Human form.
  • Bestial RampageBestial Rampage – New Effect – When Shapeshifting, Werebear grants 30% increases damage and Werewolf grants 20% Attack Speed. Both bonuses persist as long as you are in either animal form, but are lost after 3 seconds in Human form.

Bug Fixes:

  • Fixed an issue where Insatiable Fury could grant fewer Skill Ranks than displayed on its tooltip.
  • Fixed an issue where damage bonus from the Dark Dance Aspect was displayed as multiplicative instead of additive in the tooltip.

Advanced Information

It is time to get started on your Pulverize journey!

Or see below for further information on how the build works, as well as further explanations for Paragon, Gearing, and Gameplay, and available playstyle options.

Build Mechanics

PulverizePulverize is our primary, high-damage Skill. Two Legendary Aspects modify the Skill:

ClawClaw is used for Poison application, Werewolf buff upkeep like QuickshiftQuickshift, and to increase the cooldown rate on Hunter's ZenithHunter’s Zenith. Other Basic Skills can function with this build as well. For example, Wind ShearWind Shear could be used to enable a more ranged playstyle.

Periodic Overpowered attacks will deal massive damage to enemies. We get Overpowers from several sources:

  • Enhanced PulverizeEnhanced Pulverize grants an Overpower every 12 seconds while Healthy. Healthy means Life is above 80%.
  • Spirit Boon Obsidian Slam causes Earth Skills to Overpower after killing 10 enemies.
  • ProvocationProvocation gives Overpowers as you remain in Bear Form. Some uptime is lost while casting any non-Werebear skills. This is a buff to watch, as it can be triggered on any non-defensive Skill. Try to only use it on PulverizePulverize.
  • Hunter's ZenithHunter’s Zenith will give periodic casts of Core Overpower Criticals.
  • If used, Banished Lord's TalismanBanished Lord’s Talisman grants Core Skill Overpowers after spending Spirit.
  • If used, Blood Boiling AspectBlood Boiling Aspect will Overpower a Skill every 20 seconds. Try to only use this effect on PulverizePulverize.
  • If used, Xan rune can periodically give Critical Overpowers. Just be careful to only use this on PulverizePulverize.
  • A natural 3% chance for any non-channeled Skill to Overpower.

There’s several damage multipliers to Overpower, including Raging PulverizeRaging Pulverize and Ursine StrengthUrsine Strength. Max Life and Fortify amount scales the Overpower strikes further. We get Max Life from Gear and Paragon, and Fortify from SafeguardSafeguard and Skinwalker's AspectSkinwalker’s Aspect.

Our Supporting Skills are Blood HowlBlood Howl, Poison CreeperPoison Creeper, and Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark:

  • Blood HowlBlood Howl gives Attack Speed and is also the method to refresh Werewolf buffs like Heightened SensesHeightened Senses.
  • Poison CreeperPoison Creeper periodically poisons enemies, and the active Skill use Immobilizes and Poisons enemies in a wide area.
  • Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark is another defensive layer, also applying Unstoppable.

This build uses PetrifyPetrify as its Ultimate Skill. It is a welcome Crowd Control, Spirit Generator, and heavy Critical Strike Damage multiplier.

The Key Passive for this build is Ursine StrengthUrsine Strength, for the consistent damage multiplier, Overpower damage, and Max life.

Bestial RampageBestial Rampage can potentially be more total output in combination with Wildheart HungerWildheart Hunger, but requires constant shapeshifting between Werebear and Werewolf to maintain the bonuses. This can be a disruptive combination.

Paragon

The Paragon Board is a progression system unlocked at Level 60, giving player power through Common stat Nodes, Magic affix Nodes, Rare leveled Glyphs, and Legendary board-exclusive Nodes. For general paragon board information, check the guide here. Paragon Points are earned from leveling, Renown and Altars of Lilith.

The recommended Paragon boards with images for the Shifter Pulverize Druid are listed above. The following section goes over some explanations and descriptions for the pathing process for the Shifter Pulverize Druid.

Broadly speaking, decisions for pathing through the Druid paragon board are divided into three categories:

  • Damage – The paragon boards provide a significant amount of Damage Multipliers and Additives. This includes:
  • Defense – The paragon boards help reach goals on Damage Reduction, Armor and Resistances. This includes:
    • Damage Reduction is improved from nodes like BulwarkBulwark and Nature-bornNature-born.
    • Resistance Nodes increase resistance against non-physical attacks.
    • Armor goals are reached with the help of Armor nodes like SpearheadSpearhead.
  • Build Functionality – The paragon boards improve Spirit Generation for the build from a few sources, including:
    • Various Max Spirit and Spirit on kill Magic and Rare nodes on the Ancestral GuidanceAncestral Guidance board.
    • Intelligence nodes increase Spirit Generation.

Spirit Generation

This build is a Basic Attack and Spender alternating build; cast your Basic Skill, cast your PulverizePulverize. Spirit is managed from a variety of sources:

  1. Resource Cost Reduction on 2-handed weapon, and Spirit Generation Tempers on Rings.
  2. The Inner BeastInner Beast Legendary Node grants discounts on Spirit cost.
  3. Paragon Nodes in Ancestral GuidanceAncestral Guidance for Spirit on Kill and Max Spirit.
  4. The Wolf’s Spirit Boon Energize.
  5. Casts of ClawClaw.

This is generally sufficient in the Endgame to maintain the Spirit balance for an Alternator playstyle. However, if these are insufficient sources while leveling and gearing, consider using one or more of the following supplementary options:

Gauntlet Optimization

The Gauntlet is disabled for season 6 while the meta settles with the introduction of the Spiritborn and all other system updates. You can still check out the Pulverize Shred Druid here:

Changelog

  • 27 September, 2024: Updated for Season 6. Changes to Paragon, Skill Tree, Skill Bar, and recommended Uniques.
  • 7 August, 2024: Updated for post-launch of season 5. Small changes to weapon type and optional unique item recommendations.
  • 5 August, 2024: Updated for Patch 1.5.0 and Season of the Infernal Hordes.
  • 17 June, 2024: Updated for mid-season patch 1.4.3.
  • May 15, 2024: Small changes in gear affixes to adjust for season launch changes from PTR.
  • May 6, 2024: Guide reworked for the significant 1.4.0 changes to gearing and for season 4 speculative changes. Format changed to frontload basic build information and offer extra information and options afterwards. Paragon Board redesigned for better Damage Reduction and output.
  • February 5, 2024: Significant changes to recommended Gear Affixes, Skill Tree, and Paragon tree, to optimize for better total damage, Max Life, Resistance, and Armor. Added separate Bossing and non-Bossing options to Construct Stone recommendations.
  • January 26, 2024: Adjustments to Construct Stone recommendations. Adjustments to Legendary Power and Unique recommendations.
  • January 22, 2024: Initial review and reevaluation for Season 3 and 1.3.0 balance changes has begun.
  • December 7, 2023: Updates to paragon board for Abattoir of Zir.
  • October 18, 2023: Update to Vampiric Power recommendations, Boon options and various tooltip updates.
  • October 16, 2023: Initial review and reevaluation has begun to update the guide for Season 2 and 1.2.0 balance changes.
  • August 7th, 2023: Added Patch 1.1.1 section and checked guide for accuracy.
  • July 25th, 2023: Restructured Introduction.
  • July 23rd, 2023: Included Malignant Heart recommendations in the Gems section.
  • July 19th, 2023: Guide updated for Season 1 and 1.1 balance changes.
ARPG Vault Logo

Have feedback or questions about our guides? Join our ARPG Discord community and let us know!