Difference between revisions of "Druid - Condition Druid"

Revision as of 12:37, 30 July 2024

The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Condition damage

Designed for: Open World and Open World General

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Normal

This build was last updated on July 30, 2024 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

Condition Druid poisons and bleeds their enemies to death, trapping them in roots and thorns to ensure their demise. The build revolves around the trait Blood Moon, improving your crowd control with condition damage. The combination of Wilderness Survival and Druid greatly improves its survivability thanks to extra evades and healing, and abundant crowd control will keep enemies in check.

The only disadvantage to this build is low burst damage and very low boon generation, but it can overcome them with its resilience.

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Skill Bar

Shortbow

Dagger/Dagger

Utility

Weapon Variants

Mainhand Axe - replaces Dagger; provides ranged damage and some burst. Default weapon to players without weaponmaster training.
Torch - replaces offhand dagger's evade and soft cc with higher AoE damage.

Skill Variants

Heal

Troll Unguent - very strong overtime self-heal, but no burst healing. It provides even more healing when the pet is alive thanks to Live Vicariously. "We Heal As One!" provides good burst healing healing but less healing over time. Excellent when playing in groups that provide boons so you can copy them to your pet, and possibly copy those affecting it.

Utilities

Spike Trap is your highest damage skill, and highest crowd control, which in turn becomes more damage due to Blood Moon. Never replace it.
Signet of Renewal - pProvides minor healing over time, and can be activated to stunbreak and pull conditions from yourself and allies near you to your pet. Can be replaced but it's always a good idea to have a stunbreak.
Sharpening Stone is a ridiculusly simple skill that provides good damage. Boring but effective. Can be replaced.

Glyph of the Tides - provides extra cc, can be useful to pull enemies together (achieved by casting it during Celestial Avatar). Also deals damage due to Blood Moon.
Muddy Terrain - area soft cc and immobilize, which in turn becomes more damage due to Blood Moon.
"Protect Me!" - good alternative to Signet of Renewal. Provides barrier for extra damage absortion, and protection for damage reduction and minor healing from Rugged Growth.

Pet variants

The best pet for this build is by far and away the Jacaranda. It is somewhat tanky, has self healing and condition cleanse, decent AoE burst damage with Call Lightning but, most importantly, its Beast skill Jacaranda's Embrace is ridiculously strong in this build. Jacaranda's Embrace usually just immobilizes the target, but thanks to Blood Moon, it will also deal damage, and it triggers 5 times. It also inflicts very helpful vulnerability. Feel free to set this skill to autocast if you can't spare the APM for more efficient use.

For your second pet, we suggest Lynx as it deals good condition damage. Swap between Lynx and Jacaranda often to use their strong Beast skills.

Specializations

Equipment

Standard Equipment

This setup uses equipment that is useful in general PVE and very similar to this build's raid/fractal/strike counterpart.

Head
Viper

Shoulders
Viper

Chest
Viper

Hands
Viper

Legs
Viper

Feet
Viper

Backpiece
Viper

Accessory
Viper

Amulet
Viper

Ring
Viper

Shortbow
Viper

Sigil

Dagger
Viper

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

While working on acquiring Viper gear, you could use budget equipment Carrion stat plus Relic of the Aristocracy + Sigil of Superior Sigil of Frailty + Sigil of Superior Sigil of Agony. This achieves worst results but it's a starting point while working on acquiring the correct gear.
Relic of the Fractal provides the best damage, but you can consider other options. Relic of the Cavalier provides good boons and activates multiple times if using skyscale's engage skill. Relic of the Nightmare provides some damage, plus the fear works good with Blood Moon and enemies won't actually fear away because they will be immobilised from Entangle.
For defense, invest in a Jade Core for additional HP and access to Jade Protocols. Trailblazer can be considered for a massive health increase at a slight loss of damage, but isn't generally needed as the build is already resilient by default.

Boon dps

Click to Expand

Condition druid can sacrifice damage to provide Alacrity to allies, though this requires a different gear set which might be too expensive for most players given how niche this build is, as Alacrity is almost always covered by healers, such as a heal druid.

Head
Ritualist

Shoulders
Ritualist

Chest
Ritualist

Hands
Ritualist

Legs
Viper

Feet
Ritualist

Backpiece
Ritualist

Accessory
Ritualist

Amulet
Ritualist

Ring
Viper

Shortbow
Ritualist

Sigil

Dagger
Ritualist

Sigil

Rune
x6

Relic

Replace Eclipse with Grace of the Land.
Never play this when solo. This is only worth when playing with a large group of allies that lack Alacrity.

Consumables

Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.

Budget

DPS

Prioritize Flatbread Ascended food.
/
/

Defense

Farming

Prioritize Flatbread Ascended food.
/
(and variants)

Usage

Celestial Avatar

Celestial Avatar is the profession mechanic of the druid. Dealing damage generates Astral Force per hit from Celestial Being, and Natural Mender provides even more Astral Force periodically. This Astral Force fuels your Celestial Avatar transformation.

Usually, Celestial Avatar focuses on healing and boon generation. But in this build, they also deal damage thanks to Eclipse.

Never spend all your Astral Force. You want to enter Celestial Avatar, cast skills 3 to 5 once, then leave. This preservers some Astral Force for your next Celestial Avatar, ensuring you dip in and out off cooldown, which works perfect with Natural Balance.

Damage

The key to this build is the trait Blood Moon. This trait turns all your hard crowd control (such as stun, daze, etc.) and immobilize into sources of bleeding damage. You don't have to think about this trait, except for your shortbow skill Crippling Shot, which will only trigger this trait if you hit from behind or the flank, or the enemy has a defiance bar. All this bleeding damage is amplified by Hidden Barbs.

On top of all the bleeding, you also deal some Poison damage. Poison is usually quite weak since its main advantange is reducing healing received (which is not too relevant in PvE), but the trait Poison Master provides a good damage increase.

Taste for Danger and Ambidexterity further increase your damage, as does Light on your Feet when you dodge or use Quickshot.

Opener

A class's opener can be very important for establishing rotation loops and front-loading damage so that enemies die before they are able to kill you. A simple and very effective opener for Condi Druid in open world follows:

Sharpening Stone
Spike Trap
Poison Volley
Entangle
Crippling Shot
Quick Shot
Weapon Swap
Instinctive Engage
Double Arc
"We Heal As One!" (Copies your boons to your pet)
Stalker's Strike x2
Celestial Avatar
Natural Convergence
Seed of Life
Lunar Impact
Cosmic Ray until Seed of Life is off cooldown
Seed of Life
Cosmic Ray x2
Drop Celestial Avatar
Double Arc

Rotation

Condition Druid has a primarily priority-based rotation depending on the weapon set. While casting Sharpening Stone and Entangle off cooldown, follow this priority:

Shortbow

Celestial Avatar + 5 / 2
Quickshot or Dodge - note, against strong enemies, save this to evade attacks.
Poison Volley
Jacaranda's Embrace
Spike Trap
Crippling Shot

Dagger/Dagger

Celestial Avatar + 5 / 2
Dodge
Instinctive Engage
Double Arc
Crippling Talon
Jacaranda's Embrace
Spike Trap
Stalker's Strike - note, against strong enemies, save this to evade attacks.

In general, you should focus on using Celestial Avatar when it is off cooldown, use 5, 2, and 3, then drop it while executing the rest of your rotation.

Defense

Quick Shot - evade
Celestial Avatar - lots of self-healing, especially with the heal-hybrid variants.

CC

This build features significant Immobilize from several sources, including Entangle, Crippling Shot, Natural Convergence, and Lunar Impact
Lunar Impact
Concussion Shot
Celestial Avatar

@@ Line 10: / Line 10: @@
 ==Overview==
-A Condition {{Tooltip|Druid}} build for open world. This build features very high evasion, great damage, and the strength of ranger pets like Jacaranda which can tank enemies for you.
+Condition {{Tooltip|Druid}} poisons and bleeds their enemies to death, trapping them in roots and thorns to ensure their demise. The build revolves around the trait {{Trait|Blood Moon}}, improving your crowd control with condition damage. The combination of Wilderness Survival and Druid greatly improves its survivability thanks to extra evades and healing, and abundant crowd control will keep enemies in check.
+The only disadvantage to this build is low burst damage and very low boon generation, but it can overcome them with its resilience.
 ==Template Code==
@@ Line 25: / Line 28: @@
 |weapon3 = Dagger
 |weapon4 = Dagger
-|healing = "We Heal As One!"
+|healing = Troll Unguent
 |utility1 = Spike Trap
 |utility2 = Sharpening Stone
-|utility3 = "Protect Me!"
+|utility3 = Signet of Renewal
 |pet1 = Jacaranda
-|pet2 = White Tiger
+|pet2 = Lynx
 |elite = Entangle
 }}
 ===Weapon Variants===
-* {{Tooltip|Axe|Mainhand Axe}} - higher burst + ranged, replaces {{Tooltip|Dagger}}; use this if you do not have weaponmaster.
+* {{Tooltip|Axe|Mainhand Axe}} - replaces {{Tooltip|Dagger}}; provides ranged damage and some burst. Default weapon to players without [https://wiki.guildwars2.com/wiki/Weaponmaster_Training weaponmaster training].
-* {{Tooltip|Torch}} - higher area damage
+* {{Tooltip|Torch}} - replaces offhand dagger's evade and soft cc with higher AoE damage.
 ===Skill Variants===
-====Heals====
+====Heal====
-* {{Skill|Troll Unguent}} - very strong self-heal
+{{Skill|Troll Unguent}} - very strong overtime self-heal, but no burst healing. It provides even more healing when the pet is alive thanks to {{Trait|Live Vicariously}}.
+{{Skill|"We Heal As One!"}} provides good burst healing healing but less healing over time. Excellent when playing in groups that provide boons so you can copy them to your pet, and possibly copy those affecting it.
+====Utilities====
+{{Skill|Spike Trap}} is your highest damage skill, and highest crowd control, which in turn becomes more damage due to {{Trait|Blood Moon}}. Never replace it.<br>
+{{Skill|Signet of Renewal}} - pProvides minor healing over time, and can be activated to stunbreak and pull conditions from yourself and allies near you to your pet. Can be replaced but it's always a good idea to have a stunbreak.<br>
+{{Skill|Sharpening Stone}} is a ridiculusly simple skill that provides good damage. Boring but effective. Can be replaced.
+* {{Skill|Glyph of the Tides}} - provides extra cc, can be useful to pull enemies together (achieved by casting it during Celestial Avatar). Also deals damage due to {{Trait|Blood Moon}}.
+* {{Skill|Muddy Terrain}} - area soft cc and immobilize, which in turn becomes more damage due to {{Trait|Blood Moon}}.
+* {{Skill|"Protect Me!"}} - good alternative to Signet of Renewal. Provides barrier for extra damage absortion, and protection for damage reduction and minor healing from {{Trait|Rugged Growth}}.
+===Pet variants===
+The best pet for this build is by far and away the {{Tooltip|Jacaranda}}. It is somewhat tanky, has self healing and condition cleanse, decent AoE burst damage with Call Lightning but, most importantly, its Beast skill {{Skill|Jacaranda's Embrace}} is ridiculously strong in this build. Jacaranda's Embrace usually just {{Tooltip|Immobilize|immobilizes}} the target, but thanks to {{Trait|Blood Moon}}, it will also deal damage, and it triggers 5 times. It also inflicts very helpful {{Tooltip|vulnerability}}. Feel free to set this skill to autocast if you can't spare the APM for more efficient use.
+For your second pet, we suggest {{Tooltip|Lynx}} as it deals good condition damage. Swap between Lynx and Jacaranda often to use their strong Beast skills.
-====Utilities====
-* {{Skill|Glyph of the Tides}} - extra CC
-* {{Skill|Quickening Zephyr}} - quickness uptime + stunbreak
 ==Specializations==
@@ Line 50: / Line 64: @@
 {{Specialization|Skirmishing|top|bot|mid}}
 {{Specialization|Druid|bot|bot|bot}}
 ==Equipment==
 ===Standard Equipment===
-This setup uses equipment that is useful in general PVE.
+This setup uses equipment that is useful in general PVE and very similar to this build's raid/fractal/strike counterpart.
 {{PvE equipment
 | weight = Medium
 | stats = Viper
-| rune = Superior Rune of the Krait
+| rune = Superior Rune of the Trapper
 | rune-qt = 6
 | weapon1 = Shortbow
@@ Line 63: / Line 78: @@
 | weapon3 = Dagger
 | weapon4 = Dagger
-| sigil1 = Superior Sigil of Bursting
+| sigil1 = Superior Sigil of Agony
 | sigil2 = Superior Sigil of Earth
-| sigil3 = Superior Sigil of Bursting
+| sigil3 = Superior Sigil of Agony
-| sigil4 = Superior Sigil of Earth
+| sigil4 = Superior Sigil of Geomancy
-| accessory1 = Grieving
-| accessory2 = Grieving
-| backpiece = Grieving
 | relic = Relic of the Fractal
 }}
-* If using full {{Tooltip|Viper}}, take {{Trait|Vicious Quarry}} or {{Trait|Quick Draw}}
+* While working on acquiring {{Tooltip|Viper}} gear, you could use budget equipment {{Tooltip|Carrion}} stat plus {{Relic|Relic of the Aristocracy}} + {{Sigil|Superior Sigil of Frailty}} + {{Sigil|Superior Sigil of Agony}}. This achieves worst results but it's a starting point while working on acquiring the correct gear.
+* {{Relic|Relic of the Fractal}} provides the best damage, but you can consider other options. {{Tooltip|Relic of the Cavalier}} provides good boons and activates multiple times if using skyscale's engage skill. {{Relic|Relic of the Nightmare}} provides some damage, plus the fear works good with {{Trait|Blood Moon}} and enemies won't actually fear away because they will be immobilised from {{Skill|Entangle}}.
-===Budget Equipment===
+* For defense, invest in a Jade Core for additional HP and access to Jade Protocols. {{Tooltip|Trailblazer}} can be considered for a massive health increase at a slight loss of damage, but isn't generally needed as the build is already resilient by default.
-This gearset uses cheap equipment but is only useful in open world.
+===Boon dps===
+{{Collapse start|Click to Expand}}
+Condition druid can sacrifice damage to provide {{Tooltip|Alacrity}} to allies, though this requires a different gear set which might be too expensive for most players given how niche this build is, as Alacrity is almost always covered by healers, such as a heal druid.
 {{PvE equipment
 | weight = Medium
-| stats = Carrion
+| stats = Ritualist
-| rune = Superior Rune of the Krait
+| rune = Superior Rune of the Trapper
 | rune-qt = 6
 | weapon1 = Shortbow
@@ Line 85: / Line 99: @@
 | weapon3 = Dagger
 | weapon4 = Dagger
-| sigil1 = Superior Sigil of Frailty
+| sigil1 = Superior Sigil of Agony
-| sigil2 = Superior Sigil of Agony
+| sigil2 = Superior Sigil of Earth
-| sigil3 = Superior Sigil of Frailty
+| sigil3 = Superior Sigil of Agony
-| sigil4 = Superior Sigil of Agony
+| sigil4 = Superior Sigil of Geomancy
-| relic = Relic of the Aristocracy
+| relic = Relic of the Fractal
-| variant = y
+| legs = Viper
+| backpack = Viper
+| ring1 = Viper
+| ring2 = Viper
 }}
+* Replace {{Trait|Eclipse}} with {{Trait|Grace of the Land}}.
+* Never play this when solo. This is only worth when playing with a large group of allies that lack Alacrity.
+{{Collapse end}}
-===Variant Equipment===
-====Relics====
-There are many good relics for general play in open world and others that may be specific to this build. Swap based on preference.
-* {{Tooltip|Relic of the Cavalier}} - dps/defense; use with Skyscale's Fire Field for stacking boons.
-* {{Tooltip|Relic of Speed}} - mobility
-* {{Tooltip|Relic of the Adventurer}} - defense
-====Defense====
-* Invest in a Jade Core for additional HP and access to Jade Protocols.
-* {{Tooltip|Trailblazer}} + {{Tooltip|Dire}} - luxury gear; significant increase to defense and a minor damage loss
-* {{Tooltip|Celestial}} + {{Tooltip|Seraph}}/{{Tooltip|Plaguedoctor}} - luxury gear; significant increase to defense and healing at a moderate damage loss
-* {{Sigil|Superior Sigil of Energy}} - more evades
-====Budget====
-* This build features a budget {{Tooltip|Carrion}} variant.
-* {{Sigil|Superior Sigil of Corruption}} - replaces {{Sigil|Superior Sigil of Bursting}}; you must also include one on all of your underwater weapons to prevent losing stacks.
-<br>
 ==Consumables==
 Budget consumables are acceptable for use in open world.
+===Budget===
+* {{Food|Koi Cake}}
 ===DPS===
 * Prioritize '''Flatbread''' Ascended food.
@@ Line 129: / Line 133: @@
 * {{Food|Peppermint Omnomberry Bar}}
 * {{Utility|Sharpening Skull}} (and variants)
-<br>
 ==Usage==
+===Celestial Avatar===
+Celestial Avatar is the profession mechanic of the druid. Dealing damage generates Astral Force per hit from {{Trait|Celestial Being}}, and {{Trait|Natural Mender}} provides even more Astral Force periodically. This Astral Force fuels your Celestial Avatar transformation.
+Usually, Celestial Avatar focuses on healing and boon generation. But in this build, they also deal damage thanks to {{Trait|Eclipse}}.
+Never spend all your Astral Force. You want to enter Celestial Avatar, cast skills 3 to 5 once, then leave. This preservers some Astral Force for your next Celestial Avatar, ensuring you dip in and out off cooldown, which works perfect with {{Trait|Natural Balance}}.
 ===Damage===
+The key to this build is the trait {{Trait|Blood Moon}}. This trait turns all your hard crowd control (such as {{Tooltip|stun}}, {{Tooltip|daze}}, etc.) and {{Tooltip|immobilize}} into sources of {{Tooltip|bleeding}} damage. You don't have to think about this trait, except for your shortbow skill {{Skill|Crippling Shot}}, which will only trigger this trait if you hit from behind or the flank, or the enemy has a defiance bar. All this bleeding damage is amplified by {{Trait|Hidden Barbs}}.
+On top of all the bleeding, you also deal some {{Tooltip|Poison}} damage. Poison is usually quite weak since its main advantange is reducing healing received (which is not too relevant in PvE), but the trait {{Trait|Poison Master}} provides a good damage increase.
+{{Trait|Taste for Danger}} and {{Trait|Ambidexterity}} further increase your damage, as does {{Trait|Light on your Feet}} when you dodge or use {{Skill|Quickshot}}.
 ====Opener====
 A class's opener can be very important for establishing rotation loops and front-loading damage so that enemies die before they are able to kill you. A simple and very effective opener for Condi Druid in open world follows:

Difference between revisions of "Druid - Condition Druid"

Revision as of 12:37, 30 July 2024

Contents

Overview

Template Code