Core Skills and Synergies
Earthquake
The Earthquake skill is one of the most powerful abilities in the Druid's arsenal for high damage, especially in endgame content. It creates a massive shockwave that hits all enemies in the area, dealing substantial Earth damage. When combined with the Tornado skill, you can trigger massive AoE damage while keeping enemies locked down. Look for Diablo 4 Items that boost Earth damage to maximize this skill's effectiveness.
Landslide
Landslide allows the Druid to smash the ground with colossal force, dealing enormous damage and applying additional Earth-based damage over time. This ability works best when you have increased Crit Chance and Damage for physical-based skills. It’s especially useful against large bosses or elite mobs, ensuring consistent, high damage output. Equip Diablo 4 items with Crit Damage and Physical Damage bonuses to increase your overall effectiveness.
Tornado
Tornado is essential for keeping enemies controlled and grouped up, allowing you to unleash your massive AoE damage. With the Storm focus of this build, the Tornado doesn’t just act as a tool for CC—it also synergizes well with Earthquake, allowing you to maximize the damage to those caught inside the storm. Additionally, the Tornado gives you mobility, helping you move through the battlefield quickly while keeping enemies at bay. Be sure to gear up with items that increase Storm damage for added potency.
Briar Patch
Briar Patch serves as both a defensive and offensive skill. It creates thorny barriers around you that deal damage to enemies who get too close, and this damage scales with the Earth abilities. It’s an excellent choice for crowd control in close combat scenarios and can help keep your health up by preventing enemies from overwhelming you. Look for Diablo 4 items that grant defensive bonuses like thorns damage and damage reduction.
Cyclone Armor
Cyclone Armor grants both offensive and defensive bonuses, enhancing your Storm power. It boosts Lightning Resistance and increases your damage dealt when enemies are affected by your Earthquake or Tornado abilities. This makes it an ideal skill for tough, endgame bosses like Uber Lilith, ensuring that you can take hits while dealing continuous damage. Equip items that enhance Lightning Resistance and damage output.
Gear and Stat Priorities
As you approach the higher levels in Season 9, you’ll need to focus on gear that amplifies your Earth and Storm abilities. Here’s what to focus on when crafting your endgame Druid build:
Weapon Choices
For an Earth and Storm Druid, a Two-Handed Staff or a Maul are ideal. These weapons provide a good balance between high Base Damage and the necessary Resource Generation to keep your skills active. Look for Diablo 4 items with Increased Earth Damage or Lightning Damage. Crit Chance and Crit Damage are also key attributes, especially when paired with the Landslide and Earthquake combo.
Armor
Prioritize Armor pieces that increase your Elemental Resistances, particularly Lightning and Poison. You will also want Cooldown Reduction to keep your major abilities like Earthquake and Cyclone Armor available more often. Equip Item Sets that boost Earth or Storm damage for the most synergy. Focus on Diablo 4 items that grant defensive stats like Resistances and armor bonuses.
Aspects
To maximize your build's effectiveness, equip Legendary Aspects that specifically benefit the synergy between your Earth and Storm abilities. The Aspect of the Tempest (for increased Lightning Damage) and Aspect of the Storm (which makes your Tornado increase damage) are essential for increasing your overall DPS. Consider using Aspect of Ancestral Force, which increases your Landslide damage based on the number of enemies around you. Equip these Aspects on your Legendary items to increase your damage potential.
Rings and Amulets
Look for rings that boost your Crit Chance and Crit Damage, with an emphasis on Storm Damage or Earth Damage. Your Amulet should also have these stats, as well as Cooldown Reduction for your abilities, allowing you to stay active in combat and deal consistent damage. Items that enhance cooldowns and damage types are crucial for staying competitive in endgame encounters.
Playstyle and Strategy
The key to mastering this build is managing your Earth and Storm abilities in tandem. Start by casting Cyclone Armor for your defensive buffs. From there, use Tornado to pull enemies into a group and apply additional pressure. Earthquake should be used when you’re surrounded or when facing large groups to maximize your AoE damage. Be sure to select best S9 items that reduce cooldowns for more frequent use of these powerful skills.
Against bosses, the strategy is to use Landslide and Earthquake in quick succession to apply massive damage. Briar Patch is great for preventing damage from adds or other enemies, allowing you to focus all your attent.
