Druid - Support Druid

Part of the current metagame

Our curator decided this build is in the current metagame regardless of rating. The community gave this build a rating, making it top-tier: Great

Focused on: Healing, Condition cleanse and Boon support

Designed for: WvW Zerg

Expansions required:

Difficulty:

Hard

This build was last updated on August 24, 2023 and is up to date for the October 8, 2024 patch.

Overview

Channel the power of the celestial bodies above and the earth below to swing fights in your allies' favor! Druid brings high burst healing and cleanse as well as Immobilize, Stealth and Superspeed

Skill Bar

Staff/Staff

Utility

Variants

Pet

• Brown Bear ⇒ Smokescale - for smoke blasting
• Brown Bear ⇒ Krytan Drakehound - for Immobilize

Weapon

• The Sigil of Superior Sigil of Life staff can be swapped to Axe/Warhorn for Call of the Wild
  • Swapping to a warhorn out of combat to blast with is also a viable option

Utility

• Muddy Terrain

Elite

• Spirit of Nature

Template Code

[&DQQeFxkeBRWhAHkAuwC7ANUSqwG8ALgAtBLtAEIFBQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABWQAA]

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Specializations

Variants

• Invigorating Bond

Variants

• Lingering Light significantly more healing but no Alacrity

Equipment

Head
Minstrel

Shoulders
Minstrel

Chest
Minstrel

Hands
Minstrel

Legs
Minstrel

Feet
Minstrel

Backpiece
Minstrel

Accessory
Minstrel

Accessory
Minstrel

Amulet
Minstrel

Ring
Minstrel

Ring
Minstrel

Staff
Minstrel

Sigil

Sigil

Staff
Minstrel

Sigil

Sigil

Rune
x6

Infusion
x18

Relic

Variants

Relic

• Relic of the Monk - trades cleanse for healing

Sigils

• Sigil of Superior Sigil of Energy ⇒ Sigil of Superior Sigil of Renewal

Consumables

• • personal food option

Usage

General

• As soon as you get the 25 stacks of Sigil of Superior Sigil of Life, swap to the Staff without it
  • Otherwise avoid swapping weapons
• Quick Draw activates when swapping in/out of Celestial Avatar
  • Use Ancestral Grace/Vine Surge first in Staff and Lunar Impact in Celestial Avatar
• Make sure to set your pet to Avoid Combat
  • When blasting stealth stow your pet

Overall Priorities

High

• Healing

Moderate

• Cleansing
• Celestial Shadow

Low

• Immobilize

Surviving

• This build has moderate passive defense
• This build has moderate mobility skill access
• This builds has low active defenses

Active defense priority

• "Protect Me!" - for stunbreaking
• Dodge

Detailed Explanations

Healing

• Target allies for Solar Beam + Astral Wisp
  • Keybinding call/take personal target can be useful to easily target an ally
  • Your commander is typically a good target for these skills
• Keybinding (toggle) snap ground target can be useful for aiming Cosmic Ray and Lunar Impact
• Use Glyph of Unity (Celestial Avatar) just before leaving Celestial Avatar so the effect will persist and quickly refill your Astral Force
• Sublime Conversion has no target cap for allies, use it to give your entire group Regeneration
• Ancestral Grace and Lunar Impact are blasts and can be used on Healing Spring and Sublime Conversion

Healing Skills

• Staff
  • Solar Beam
  • Astral Wisp
  • Ancestral Grace
• Celestial Avatar
  • Cosmic Ray
  • Lunar Impact
  • Rejuvenating Tides
  • Glyph of Unity (Celestial Avatar)
  • Glyph of Alignment (Celestial Avatar)
• Pet
  • Invigorating Bond

Cleansing

• Healing Spring should be dropped when clashing with the opponent or preemptively before an enemy spike
  • Healing Spring begins its cooldown as soon as its dropped, not when it triggers. Precast it when you can do so without wasting it
• Try to hit enemies and allies with Vine Surge on clashes to maximize value
• Seed of Life is instant and can be used while casting other skills

Cleansing Skills

• Healing Spring
• Frost Spirit
• Celestial Avatar - (Druidic Clarity
• Glyph of the Stars
• Seed of Life
• Glyph of Alignment (Celestial Avatar)
• Vine Surge - for Immobilize

Celestial Shadow

• If you don't anticipate needing heavy healing in the next 10s, you can end Celestial Avatar on a push for Superspeed
• Move to isolated player(s) and use end Celestial Avatar to give Stealth and Superspeed

Immobilize

• The most important time to use Immobilize is when your group is spiking, watch out for the following skills:
  • Winds - Winds of Disenchantment
  • Wells - Well of Corruption+Well of Suffering or Gravity Well
  • Traps - Procession of Blades+Test of Faith
  • Shades - Desert Shroud
• Try to hit enemies and allies with Vine Surge on clashes to maximize value
• Natural Convergence is very difficult to use effectively, not casting it is fine

Immobilize Skills

• Muddy Terrain (if applicable)
• Vine Surge
• Glyph of Alignment
• Natural Convergence

Settings

• Under General Options / User Interface check Always show squad health bars and Always show party health bars. These will make it much easier to keep track of who needs your support.
• Also under General Options / User Interface turn on Thick party health bars
  • Thick squad health bars can be used too as a matter of personal preference, but is not recommended for large numbers
• Under Squad Options uncheck View as a grid. This will allow you to keep track of your allies' boons, conditions and health, enabling a better decision-making and skill management.