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Difference between revisions of "Druid - Spirit Support Druid"

(Created page with "{{Build | profession = ranger | specialization = druid | designed for = Conquest | rating = test | focus = support, sustain, mobility | difficulty = 2 }} __TOC__ ==Overview=...")
 
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==Usage==
 
==Usage==
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'''Elite specialization basics'''
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<!--'''Elite specialization basics'''
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* Rangers with the {{Tooltip|Druid}} specialization gain access to {{Skill|Celestial Avatar}} (CA) which uses a resource called Astral Force (AF).  
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* Rangers with the {{Tooltip|Druid}} specialization gain access to {{Skill|Celestial Avatar}} (CA) and Astral Force (AF). You build AF mostly through healing, {{Tooltip|Regeneration}} from '''Command''' skills helps a lot there. Once the bar is full you may enter Celestial Avatar, flipping your weapon skills over to 5 new ones.
 
  
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* Both entering and leaving CA counts as a weapon swap and could even proc {{Trait|Primal Echoes}} while on Staff.
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* You build AF mostly through healing yourself and allies. The amount healed doesn't matter. Consistent sources of healing like {{Tooltip|Regeneration}} and {{Tooltip|Protection}} via {{Trait|Rugged Growth}} are great at building Astral Force.
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* The CD of {{Skill|Celestial Avatar}} can be reduced by healing allies with CA skills. This only works in teamfights, as neither healing yourself or your pet counts for this trait. Always try to exit CA with 10 stacks of {{Trait|Lingering Light}} or close to it.
  
  
 
'''General'''
 
'''General'''
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* Your primary role is to win 1v1s and smaller skirmishes, but you also have the ability to support your team a bit, especially on {{Amulet|Avatar}} amulet.
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* While the build is weak against CC, it does have a few tools to combat it:
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** You gain 1 stack of {{Tooltip|Stability}} whenever you swap pets via {{Trait|Shared Anguish}}. This is your most reactive source of anti-CC in the build, everything else has a cast time. Consider leaving pet swap available to be used for the Stability if you expect to be CC'd a lot.
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** {{Skill|Glyph of Stars}} grants AoE {{Tooltip|Stability}} to nearby allies and it has quite a large radius. Because of the long casttime sometimes it can be hard to use this skill under pressure, in which case you should consider covering it with Stability from a pet swap.
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** Celestial Avatar skill #5 {{Skill|Natural Convergence}} is a channeled ability that has {{Tooltip|Stability}} on it. When you're trying to heal under pressure you should interrupt Natural Convergence right away by moving or by weapon stowing, that way you get to use the Stability to cover other skills.
  
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* Staff is more of a defensive set while GS is where most of the damage comes from.
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* {{Skill|Ancestral Grace}} recharges faster if it heals an ally - '''pets''' also count for this if no allies are nearby.
  
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* CC is a central part of the build.
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* Dodging grants {{Tooltip|Protection}}.
  
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* Interrupting a foe grants {{Trait|Moment of Clarity}} and {{Tooltip|Fury}} from {{Trait|Two-Handed Training}}, which synergizes with {{Trait|Remorseless}} for even more damage on your next hit. The best followup when you have these damage boosts is {{Skill|Maul}} on GS.
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* Smokescale's F2 ability is {{Skill|Smoke Cloud}} which could be used to combo {{Tooltip|Stealth}} for you and your team. Both weapon sets and Celestial Avatar have combo tools for blasting this field.
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* Striking a CC'd enemy {{Tooltip|Immobilize}}s them via {{Trait|Ancient Seeds}}. This can only happen once every 20 seconds. It doesn't have to be you who delivers the strike, the trait will proc even if it's your pet that hits them.
 
  
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* While {{Skill|Glyph of Equality}} is a valuable stun break, it's also a great skill for setting up burst damage - the {{Tooltip|Daze}} is an instant trigger for {{Trait|Ancient Seeds}} and the damage modifier procs from Marksmanship. It's also instant, so could be used even in the middle of casting {{Skill|Maul}} (your pet can still proc the Immob from Ancient Seeds before it lands).
 
  
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* {{Skill|Hilt Bash}} is the perfect setup for {{Skill|Maul}} and even recharges Maul if it was already on CD.
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'''Support'''
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* Using combo fields and finishers is an important part of Support Druid in PvP.
  
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* The elite {{Skill|Glyph of the Stars}} is a useful source of {{Tooltip|Stability}} and minor healing. As a Water field you could also combo extra healing with various skills like {{Skill|Swoop}} or {{Skill|Lunar Impact}}. In Celestial Avatar however this flips over to its other version, which is a support tool for reviving allies.
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* {{Skill|Glyph of the Stars}} and {{Skill|Sublime Conversion}} can be excellent sources of healing, but only if you can properly utlize the '''water combo field''' by blasting it for allies or using leap finishers for pesrsonal survivability.
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** The {{Skill|Celestial Avatar}} version of this skill could even be used to '''rez yourself''' if you manage to drop it on your location right before you go into downed state.  
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** Blast finishers (AoE healing): {{Skill|Lunar Impact}} (CA), {{Skill|Call of the Wild}} (Warhorn), Ancestral Grace (Staff).
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** Leap finishers (self-healing): {{Skill|Pounce}} and {{Skill|Serpent's Strike}} (Sword).
  
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* {{Skill|Ancestral Grace}} recharges faster if it heals an ally - pets also count for this. In 1v1s always try to land on top of your pet for CD reduction. Even if you have to use this skill for disengaging you could try swapping pets right before the skill ends, that way your pet should spawn on your new location and be in range of the AoE healing.
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* {{Skill|Astral Wisp}} can be attached to allies if you target them! This maximizes healing uptime and reduces the chance of missing this skill. If there are no allies nearby you could even attach it to your pet, as pets won't dodge it.
  
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* {{Skill|Sublime Conversion}} and Siege Turtle's {{Skill|Hunker Down}} are great '''anti-projectile''' skills that could shut down many ranged specs.
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** Both of these are stationary. Hunker Down spawns on top of your turtle but doesn't follow it, and you can even swap pets without losing it.
  
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'''Pets'''
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* Condition cleansing in the build mostly tied to big CDs, or they're locked behind Celestial Avatar access:
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* Setting your pets to avoid combat and managing them manually would be optimal in order to gain greater control over when they use their opening ability.
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** {{Skill|Frost Spirit}} removes conditions twice after being placed and even pulses boons useful against conditions.
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** {{Skill|Glyph of the Stars}} cleanses conditions with each pulse.
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** Entering CA removes conditions from yourself and nearby allies.
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** {{Skill|Seed of Life}} (CA skill #2) cleanses conditions for allies inside the ring after a short delay. This is your most spammable source of AoE cleansing and has '''no cast time''', therefore it can be used even while CC'd. Using {{Skill|Lunar Impact}} inside Seed of Life is a combo that removes another condition from nearby allies - for this you should cast Lunar Impact first and place Seed of Life in the middle of the cast.
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** Pet special abilities cleanse 2 conditions from you and nearby allies once every 20 seconds via {{Trait|Empathic Bond}}.
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** {{Skill|Vine Surge}} can free allies from all movement impairing conditions. You might want to use this skill before touching your other CDs to increase the chance of your other cleanses removing damaging conditions.
  
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* The first strike Jacaranda does once you swap to it is a heavy AoE with a longer duration, you should always try to land it while the target is Immobilized. Jacaranda itself has its own Immob on F2: {{Skill|Jacaranda's Embrace}}.
 
  
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* Smokescale's first action is to do a Smoke Assault. This skill does good damage while the pet stays glued to the target, which is especially great if they are trying to kite you. The pet will then follow it up with a knockdown.
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'''Reviving allies'''
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* {{Skill|Glyph of the Stars}} revives allies with each tick when used in {{Skill|Celestial Avatar}}.
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** The {{Skill|Celestial Avatar}} version of this skill could even be used to '''rez yourself''' if you manage to drop it on your location right before you go into downed state.  
  
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* Swapping pets procs 2 traits: {{Trait|Clarion Bond}} and {{Trait|Zephyr's Speed}}, making pet swapping itself an extremely powerful part of your kit!
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* Manually reviving an ally procs {{Skill|"Search and Rescue!"}} once every 85 seconds, causing your pet to assist for a faster rez.
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** This gives you an instant trigger for {{Tooltip|Fury}} which (through Marksmanship synergy) makes your next attack deal more damage and be a guaranteed critical strike. Swapping pets as you're about to land a {{Skill|Maul}} is a significant damage boost.
 
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** The {{Tooltip|Quickness}} has many uses from boosting your damage to making it easier to get your heals off in {{Skill|Celestial Avatar}}.
 
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** {{Tooltip|Superspeed}} is great for creating some breathing room while being chased.
 
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** The lesser Call of the Wild proc could instantly blast combo fields for '''healing''', '''stealth''' or '''cleansing''' while the AoE {{Tooltip|Weakness}} is yet another source of damage mitigation.
 
  
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* Smokescale's F2 ability is {{Skill|Smoke Cloud}} which could be used to combo {{Tooltip|Stealth}} for you and your team. Both weapon sets and Celestial Avatar have combo tools for blasting this field.
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* Consider {{Tooltip|Stealth}}ing downed allies to prevent stomp attempts and to make it harder for enemies to cleave them.
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** It's even possible to stealth yourself while you're downed or sitting in a CC! All you have to do is make Smokescale drop a Smoke Clud and then swap to Jacaranda to proc {{Trait|Clarion Bond}} which is a '''Blast''' finisher. While downed this could prevent you from getting stomped, and makes it harder to focus you while in a CC.
 
  
  

Revision as of 09:23, 17 August 2023

This is a test build. You may comment and rate it.

Focused on: Support, Sustain and Mobility

Designed for: PvP Conquest

Difficulty:
Normal
This build was last updated on August 17, 2023.


Overview

A PvP Druid build made to support allies in teamfights.


Skill Bar

Siege Turtle
Smokescale
Staff
Sword/Warhorn
Utility


Template Code

[&DQQZHyEeBSUlDyUPvAC8ALsAuwCrAasBtBLtAC5CAQsAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADWgBnADIAAA==]
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Specializations

Variants

  • Wellspring improves both your personal and group healing but makes you worse at reviving allies.


Equipment

Staff
Sigil
Sigil
Sword
Warhorn
Sigil
Sigil
Rune
Amulet


Usage

Elite specialization basics

  • Rangers with the Druid Druid specialization gain access to Celestial Avatar (CA) which uses a resource called Astral Force (AF).
  • You build AF mostly through healing yourself and allies. The amount healed doesn't matter. Consistent sources of healing like Regeneration Regeneration and Protection Protection via Rugged Growth are great at building Astral Force.
  • The CD of Celestial Avatar can be reduced by healing allies with CA skills. This only works in teamfights, as neither healing yourself or your pet counts for this trait. Always try to exit CA with 10 stacks of Lingering Light or close to it.


General

  • While the build is weak against CC, it does have a few tools to combat it:
    • You gain 1 stack of Stability Stability whenever you swap pets via Shared Anguish. This is your most reactive source of anti-CC in the build, everything else has a cast time. Consider leaving pet swap available to be used for the Stability if you expect to be CC'd a lot.
    • Glyph of Stars grants AoE Stability Stability to nearby allies and it has quite a large radius. Because of the long casttime sometimes it can be hard to use this skill under pressure, in which case you should consider covering it with Stability from a pet swap.
    • Celestial Avatar skill #5 Natural Convergence is a channeled ability that has Stability Stability on it. When you're trying to heal under pressure you should interrupt Natural Convergence right away by moving or by weapon stowing, that way you get to use the Stability to cover other skills.
  • Ancestral Grace recharges faster if it heals an ally - pets also count for this if no allies are nearby.
  • Smokescale's F2 ability is Smoke Cloud which could be used to combo Stealth Stealth for you and your team. Both weapon sets and Celestial Avatar have combo tools for blasting this field.


Support

  • Using combo fields and finishers is an important part of Support Druid in PvP.
  • Glyph of the Stars and Sublime Conversion can be excellent sources of healing, but only if you can properly utlize the water combo field by blasting it for allies or using leap finishers for pesrsonal survivability.
    • Blast finishers (AoE healing): Lunar Impact (CA), Call of the Wild (Warhorn), Ancestral Grace (Staff).
    • Leap finishers (self-healing): Pounce and Serpent's Strike (Sword).
  • Astral Wisp can be attached to allies if you target them! This maximizes healing uptime and reduces the chance of missing this skill. If there are no allies nearby you could even attach it to your pet, as pets won't dodge it.
  • Sublime Conversion and Siege Turtle's Hunker Down are great anti-projectile skills that could shut down many ranged specs.
    • Both of these are stationary. Hunker Down spawns on top of your turtle but doesn't follow it, and you can even swap pets without losing it.
  • Condition cleansing in the build mostly tied to big CDs, or they're locked behind Celestial Avatar access:
    • Frost Spirit removes conditions twice after being placed and even pulses boons useful against conditions.
    • Glyph of the Stars cleanses conditions with each pulse.
    • Entering CA removes conditions from yourself and nearby allies.
    • Seed of Life (CA skill #2) cleanses conditions for allies inside the ring after a short delay. This is your most spammable source of AoE cleansing and has no cast time, therefore it can be used even while CC'd. Using Lunar Impact inside Seed of Life is a combo that removes another condition from nearby allies - for this you should cast Lunar Impact first and place Seed of Life in the middle of the cast.
    • Pet special abilities cleanse 2 conditions from you and nearby allies once every 20 seconds via Empathic Bond.
    • Vine Surge can free allies from all movement impairing conditions. You might want to use this skill before touching your other CDs to increase the chance of your other cleanses removing damaging conditions.


Reviving allies

  • Glyph of the Stars revives allies with each tick when used in Celestial Avatar.
    • The Celestial Avatar version of this skill could even be used to rez yourself if you manage to drop it on your location right before you go into downed state.
  • Manually reviving an ally procs "Search and Rescue!" once every 85 seconds, causing your pet to assist for a faster rez.
  • Consider Stealth Stealthing downed allies to prevent stomp attempts and to make it harder for enemies to cleave them.


Celestial Avatar

  • Exiting Celestial Avatar procs Celestial Shadow for AoE Stealth Stealth and Superspeed Superspeed. Oftentimes this could provide more valuable sustain than CA itself - when you're under heavy pressure you may not always get the chance to channel healing skills, but quickly dropping in and out of CA for the Stealth and Superspeed (followed by a mobility skill if possible) should be enough to leave your enemies behind and resustain in safety.
    • Keep in mind that this proc is AoE, you could even use it to help allies escape or prevent downed players from getting stomped.
  • Seed of Life should usually be used on cooldown. This skill is instant and has a very short delay before going off, which means it could be used even while channeling other skills. In fact you should always try to line it up with Lunar Impact for the Blast finisher which cleanses yet another condition for you and nearby allies (drop Seed of Life while casting Lunar Impact).
  • Lunar Impact is a quick and huge heal which also CCs enemies. As a Blast Finisher always try to use it in a combo field. This is usually the first skill druids use upon entering CA because ideally you'd get 2 casts off before dropping out of this form and the CC could buy you time to channel other skill uninterrupted.
  • Rejuvenating Tides is very straightforward, just use it to heal yourself and allies if you're not taking too much damage during the channeling.
  • Natural Convergence is excellent for cleaving enemies. Note: this skill can be used defensively just for the Stability Stability alone. The channeling can be interrupted by moving or weapon stowing, but the Stability Stability will still remain - you can use that to safely cast another skill like Rejuvenating Tides if need be.-->


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Retrieved from "https://metabattle.com/wiki/index.php?title=Build:Druid_-_Spirit_Support_Druid&oldid=12716"


Ratings

This build has a rating of 4 stars based on 1 votes.
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4 stars
Hanz gave this build 4 stars • May 2024
This is the best support druid's ever been in PvP, but it's still not as good as a Core Guard or Tempest. The AoE healing is really strong but overall its toolkit is a bit clunky compared to other specs, or downright inferior. Signet of stone only protects against 1 form of damage, it's not a proper time-out button like Renewed Focus or Obsi Flesh/Earth Shield. Most of the Stability skills have cast times unlike on Guard and do not break stun. Almost every source of healing has a cast time, sometimes both a cast time and a delay, which makes it worse at reacting to spike damage. There are several ways to rez allies and on lower CD than other supports can do, but there's no proper rally skill in the build (Guard, Ele, War can cast 1 skill and get allies back up when it finishes, Ranger can only restore chunks of downed health or handrez faster). I'd say the only real edge it has is stealth, that's something no other support has. It's not bad, just not great. Fun build but if you care about being optimal then there are better choices. May edit: losing Stability from Wilderness Survival rework actually hurt this a bit, as nearly all of the healing skills here have cast times so it's harder not to get ragdolled around now.

Comments

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