This blog entry will be used to discuss my wolf druid blueprint as well as answer questions regarding my thought process towards how I play/build them. If this interests you, the reader, by all means keep reading... otherwise stray away from here.

What is a Fraust?

Simply put it is my lycan name... the rest of the details are not for discussion, for this blog is not about me personally...


What is a Scyanyde?

Formerly under the guises of HxBelphegoRxH and HxScyanydExH in past 1.12 ladder seasons, Scyanyde would be considered my trophy wolf whom I've been piecing together for the past several years (sans the first three builds which were promptly given away whenever I would 'quit D2' and go into long hiatuses). Scyanyde has received much praise and gained the respect of duelers over time with his unique playstyle as well as proving that wolf druids are indeed viable in Team PK, whereas other sources would state otherwise. Scy is currently on his fourth 'life' and is far more unique when compared to the typical run-of-the-mill Rabies-Fury hybrids that somewhat frequented the dueling scenes (pub and private games). He will be the subject matter of this particular blog.


Why play a wolf druid?

In any competitive game I would always tend to gravitate towards unorthodox and underrated/low tier characters/classes. I.E.: Venom from the Guilty Gear series, Doctor Doom from Marvel vs. Capcom 2 (he's practically broken in Ultimate in the right hands), Mewtwo from Super Smash Bros. Melee. This mindset would explain why I chose a wolf druid as my first dueler on Diablo II: LoD. It's fun but very challenging to master especially with how the dueling scene has evolved, with FPK characters being amongst the higher tier builds in the game currently. The melee branch of the dueling scene will not be addressed as I don't melee duel at all... did so once when Michael/MemnochTheDevil@jsp requested me to do so but I proceeded to drop after the hasty realization that Fury Druids will always be under Zealots in that regard... never again. That and I'm naturally an evasive player, so standing still gets quite annoying after a while.


Ok, so now that the introduction is out of the way what's the first order of business?

Well we can discuss whatever to be honest... For instance I'll answer whatever questions anyone reading this would happen to have regarding the class in general. However I'll tend not to get into the numbers aspect of this, as I will be focusing on the actual blueprint as well as dueling strats and particular items. Speaking of particular items I'll go on ahead and start with the first one:


What is this Druid Valk you tend to mention once in a while?

Well first let us compare the two:

Here is an '08 Valk helm -->

Now here's the Dudu Valk -->


As the reader can clearly see the Dudu Valk only differs from an '08 Valk in that it lacks +20 FHR, +10 FCR and is class-specific rather than giving +2 to All Skills. The upsides to it being the Visionary mod as well as the +17 to All Resistances. As far as right now the Dudu Valk can only be bested by either an '08 Valk or another Dudu Valk with either a different mod besides All Resistances that isn't Strength/Dexterity or +20 All Res (off the top of my head it may not be possible for such to spawn with Str/Dex, however 2 Open Sockets is most likely impossible on something like this). The Cham rune is a no-brainer as it allows me to hit a specialized 163 FCR swap for my own personal playstyle while maintaining CBF (Cannot Be Frozen).


Wait a minute, I thought wolf druids can't teleport? Why have FCR in the first place?

Technically wolf druids cannot teleport whilst in wolf form (obviously), however by unshifting to human form you can then do so. The shifting frames give invulnerability as long as the initial 'casting' frames are not interrupted, so it is possible to unshift and then proceed to wsg if/when necessary to look for the proper gap to teleport for evasive maneuvers. While stomping a competent opponent is ill-advised, if one can manipulate certain aspects it can be made safe (moreso if you apply Team PK here and your teammates actually know what they're doing and/or cover you adequately... this is why I deem the Wolf/Sin and Wolf/Barb pairings as the best for this build for many reasons, but I'll get into the whole Team PK scenario another time). Please note that tele-stomping and attempting to Fury the opponent is nigh impossible "if they have more than one brain cell" as they will just wsg away, negating your attempt. Rabies and Feral Rage are the preferred choices for such a tactic...

Ideally you'll want to be hitting the 99% and 163% FCR framerates, depending on the matchup and for differing tactics. This will allow you to maintain a steady summon stack as well as having enough speed to move around when relying on purely FRW is not an option (again, Team PK comes to mind here especially if the opposing team is comprised of FPK classes... also to keep up with your own teammates and not to hinder their movement as a whole). Couple this with C/T and it becomes a hassle for certain opponents I.E.: forces Smite-based Paladins to do more work to catch you than vs. a normal hybrid wolf, generally gives you more evasive range. This also helps since inflicting Rabies puts the opponent on a timer and the fact that you have a high FCR swap makes it more problematic for them to offense you (this does not apply for all classes though, some tend to work better under pressure than others).


So what about the Dudu Valk, how does it help your build?

It should be self-explanatory: +2 to Druid Skills is obvious, the 30 FRW to have acceptable speed when walking/wsg'ing, 20 FCR for summon stacks and teleport movement. The 10 FHR is a mandatory aspect of the build because, while wolf druids have that amazing TMC-esque framerate, the druids' Human form suffers from a pretty ugly set of frames. Since you'll be in human form during teleport evasion it's mandatory to be hitting 99% FHR at all times, hence all helms must have that particular mod or be forced to use a Shael rune to cover the lack of. Visionary mod is to ensure that tagging Rabies is made easier, despite that little flaw where the game runs a double hit check whenever calculating Rabies AR (once in Human form, once more in Wolf form). Visionary also makes it so you won't need to waste ring/amulet slots with Angelics', which I would deem a waste when compared to other possible options on this build. All Res is blatantly obvious...


What if you ever get an '08 Valk, would you replace the Dudu Valk then?

Yes and no. Yes it would replace it because then I wouldn't need to use the 2x 12 FHR Shapeshift charms in my inventory and be able to gain more Life output. No because it's a cute as fuck helm and I have yet to see another like it with that many mods (I have a 2druid/30frw/20fcr/10fhr in the tomb... yes I use the term 'tomb' because the former term 'vault' has become VASTLY overused).


So that's it huh?

For now yes, this post is already pretty tl:dr so I'll leave it at this and address other matters next time. Feel free to PM any inquiries and I'll see to it that I answer them, otherwise I'll just think aloud in my next post regarding another piece of Scy's blueprint amongst other things.

Chao. =^w^=

This post was edited by FrausT on Aug 29 2014 03:46pm

Anyway I'll read it later and give my input maybe

That was an interesting read

Explain the Team PK aspects of using Wolf Druid. Why would I want to use this over a Wind Druid, or anything else for that matter?

Being a shapeshifter in a Team PK game, you will probably be frowned upon by your peers at first. Your teammates may tell you to get an FPK character if they aren't already available, but the game is probably TPK and not FPK so they can swallow their pride. Most of the time duelers won't know how to interact with a Wolf on their team and go off doing their own thing, which will prove fatal (for you) since utilizing the Wolf player requires precision and well-coordinated tactical response.

The Wolf is considered the opener, and can be used in several ways depending on the classes on both teams as well as skill levels. Your primary goal with the Wolf during Team PK games is to infect as many opponents as possible before you die (and trust me when I say this, you WILL die when facing competant duelers). Of course while doing this you can also act as a decoy and open up their defenses, allowing your teammates to flank and disrupt their strategies. If you decide to go full offense with your Wolf be certain that there's a Trapper or Necro somewhere nearby to increase your chances of infecting them. On the defensive, a Barb or Bowa (Necro and Sin also work here) will serve the Wolf well. Whatever the strat chosen, as long as the Wolf takes down at least 1 of the opposing team and/or infects 2 or more (who will ultimately be downed by your teammates) you've done your job.

You should almost always be going 1 for 1 on a Rabies Druid. Any more kills after that are practically bonuses for your team.

There are a few setups you can use in this environment. Massing Frw is a must as well as having adequate amounts of Rabies damage to compliment the damage output of the rest of your team (between 25-40k is sufficient enough, 50-65k if you really want to make your opponents worry). The great thing about Rabies is, once a target is tagged, the opposition will have to take care NOT to be clumped up together (and from what I've noticed in most Team environments, teammates tend to be within a set distance from each other if not already touching). Rabies will discourage the enemy from staying together and probably cause them to scatter, making them easier targets depending on the scenario. Keep in mind that, while the actual bite is blockable by anything equipped with Max Block, the Rabies Aura is unblockable and will pass on to other targets no matter what as long as they are within close proximity. Rabies also shuts down Life Replenish, so a timed bite during the midgame will be quite problematic for the opposition. There are a couple of other cute tricks behind Rabies which I will cover soon...

To a lesser extent Fury will come into play, though not as often as Rabies. Fury is there if you're in a 1v1 situation and the opponent attempts to stomp you with low-mid Life. If there's more than one opponent on you, you are better off going for the Rabies bite in hopes of taking both down instead of focusing on one and being downed by the other (especially if you're the last one left...which should never happen mind you). Feral Rage will actually come into play more than Fury due to the ability to gain needed Frw to catch up to your targets and your teammates should you shift to defense. Feral'ing stuff like Bone Prisons and summons when they're already infected are viable options, as well as enemies wsg'ing away from you. Keep in mind once again that Fury will whiff anyone wsg'ing, Feral Rage and Rabies will still connect within a set range.

Your Oak will be a key component to the survival rate of your team (unless there happens to be a Windy alongside you, though 2x Oak will also suffice). Preferrably you'll want to have a maxed Oak prior to participating in Team PK. Depending on the matchup you'll want to have a decent amount of Fcr to be able to resummon your pets without too much hassle (primarily Vs. Trappers, Necros and Bowas). The Ravens are key when you have teammates capable of producing Fhr stun by themselves, allowing you to close the gap and infect. A cute strat would be namelocking an opposing Bowa and summon Ravens over their head to mess with their Dodge/Fhr animations. Wolves are your obvious meat shield as well as Grizzly, though keep in mind that the Grizzly also has it's share of cheap tricks when utilized properly. Poison Creeper helps to negate any Life Rep the opponent happens to be packing when not afflicted by Rabies (since East is a bunch of Life Rep whores, myself included). Cyke Armor won't come into play much since trying to recast mid-match is near-suicide (it does take an FoH bolt so it's kind of a saving grace on occasion), unless there's no one around or you have enough Fcr to get away when using specified Teleshifter setups...and speaking of which...

The Teleshifter variants are not for everyone, you have to have the instincts to know WHEN and WHERE to initiate an unshift>wsg>teleport>reshift chain. Under no circumstance do I recommend trying to stomp an opponent if they are capable of taking advantage of you being close while having a few frames to strike during your reshift animation (or if there are others nearby). Teleshifting is a means of movement when you need to get away and regroup with your teammates, or to escape certain forms of stunlocking via wsg Teleport (pride repping aside of course, not to mention C/T). If you decide to use one of these setups it would be wise to make certain that you have max resistances on your swap (you can also opt to add Dex to have a decent amount of Max Block with Spirit, though this usually isn't required). For the most part in Team PK you won't need to have CtA since there should either be a Barb or a character with CtA/Spirit to give you BO/BC, so you have the choice of either a Rabies Flash Weapon or HotO/Wizzy alongside Spirit Monarch (or JMoD/block shield). With a Teleshifter setup on, your Rabies damage will remain at a desired level (25-40k depending on whether you opt for 99 or 163 Fcr) while having adequate Fcr rates to get away with a few things.

There's much more to be discussed, such as Stun options for Teleshifter (Volcano, Twister, Hurricane, Armageddon) but those are very specialized and require an acute presence of mind when planning on using them. I'll cover those another time.

I'll also get into duo Team Synergy some time later after they've been refined.

Why would you use a Safety Craft Shield when Stormshield is clearly better and JMoD is the preferred flash switch shield?

For starters I want to clear up that the Safety Shield is never used alongside my primary 1-hander, rather it replaces JMoD as a flash swap shield when I'm not using Spirit Monarch. It's clear that Safety Craft Shields suck when compared to Stormshield, meanwhile they beat JMoD's in regards to having more useful mods while losing 2 sockets for Poison Facets (lose +10/-10 psn for mass life/magic res/etc on swap for survivability while still having 30fbr/20icb? sure why not!). Of course JMoD would be considerably better than craft shield IF I was using a normal Rabies-Fury hybrid... but this isn't the case especially considering certain classes will wreck the wolf druid when it has it's flash swap out (possibly losing necessary resists to tank while escaping).

I tend to use different swap combos dependent on matchups and character classes present in-game as well as the desired Fcr output I need:

-DWeb + Spirit (99fcr)
-DWeb + 10/-10 Craft Shield (99fcr or non-teleshifter)
-Hoto/Wizzy + Spirit (163fcr)
-Hoto/Wizzy + 10/-10 Craft Shield (99fcr)

I used to use dual Stormshield at one point in time, but it seemed pretty redundant despite having adequate DR on both swaps. That and 5/-5 isn't that much of a damage improvement for Rabies as opposed to 10/-10 and 20/-20.



So at the cost of 2x socket slots (in comparison to JMoD) and a slight blow to Rabies damage, I get Life/Mag Res/PLR. Sure, let me be able to tank an extra spear/hammer while C/T tele'ing and maintaining a higher life pool while BO'd. Lets have some more Plr when approaching opponents capable of ranged psn damage. Though at this time I would be lacking 25plr to hit the 75plr GM limit (pref. in a helm, I already have 25plr from boot slot).

The craft shield is also there for style points, and strays from the normal gear a wolf druid would tend to use otherwise...

What are the perks for having Rabies on your team?

As stated above Rabies is a means of disruption on a few scales, negating Life Replenish as well as discouraging your opponents from being too close to each other without fear of spreading it. Of course unlike traditional poison damage, Rabies will kill you when you reach 1 Life. However the circumstance behind the victim actually dying will take a bit of explaining, because unless you're well-aware of the technical aspects of the skill you will be wondering to yourself why your opponent didn't die when they hit 1 Life (your opponent will also be wondering how they've survived if they too are not aware of such aspects).

Upon an opponent being bitten you'll notice that red swirling aura around their character. That would be the tell-tale sign of Rabies' infliction, but there's more to it than just that. While the poison will work as a poison normally would, keep in mind that that Rabies aura is considered exactly that: an aura. The way it works is it'll actually kill at 1 Life as long as the afflicted enemy is on the Wolf Druid's map (or the Wolf Druid happens to be on theirs, either or). What this typically means is... Let's say an enemy Trapper gets bitten, now the normal mental response would be to kill the Wolf Druid as quickly as possible before they die (unless, of course, they're confident that they'll survive it's entire duration). Said Trapper decides to lame out the match and play super defensive, meanwhile staying off the Druids' map. They hit 1 Life but still have the red aura around them. Now at any point in time if the Druid reappears on their map, and that red aura is still on them while they're 1-Lifed, they literally die on the spot. Note that this only works while Rabies duration is still in effect, once that timer runs out they won't die even if you enter that radius again.. You'll have to bite them again to finish them off (or bite one of their teammates and have them possibly do the job for you).

Another aspect of Rabies is space control, and I don't mean space control in the normal sense. Once your opponent is aware of how Rabies works they'll soon realize that being anywhere near the Wolf Druid whilst infected will pose a problem, even moreso if the Wolf just so happens to be around his teammates for adequate coverage. You're practically risking an offensive on the Wolf, meanwhile opening yourself up to being hit by traps/spears/spirits/nados/etc. in the process... all the while that Rabies timer is ticking down, increasing your chance of dying to just that. This is one of the reasons why a Wolf Druid alongside a defensive-based team works extremely well in the right circumstances.


This next portion may seem BM to some, but I'd like to look at it as a tactic that your team can take advantage of. If and when the Wolf Druid dies in the moor (or whatever area the duels are happening) what this does is close off a portion of the map for the duration of Rabies on any of the opponents. I.E.: You infect 3 opposing members of the enemy team, you just so happen to die but you don't hit ESC to return to town (leaving your corpse, and yourself, in the area)... Any opponent that appears on your map (you appearing on theirs via that nice X) when they're 1-Lifed will still kill them as if you were still alive.

This next one is kinda wonky: When you die and hit ESC to get back to town and you head to the bridge like anyone else would normally do to watch the remainder of the match, it IS possible for Rabies-infected opponents to die if they appear near the front of town where the Druid is standing. Now this is where it gets weird, because through testing this will not work on any opponent who was directly bitten by the Wolf Druid. They will hit 1-Life normally but not die unless the Druid steps past the linedef between town and the moor. I'll explain this using the screenshot below, so try to use your imagination here:



Ignoring the comedy via messages you can clearly see the Wolf Druid is towned, meanwhile Blankey apparently takes a turn for the worse when entering that area and dies upon having me show up on his map. In this circumstance he was never directly bitten by me, though I did happen to bite someone else on the opposing team. This is where the wonkiness comes in (and I'll have to test this when I have the time) but what possibly happened here for him to die was that the Rabies was passed, thus somehow bypassing the restriction of a player to die via Rabies while the Wolf is towned/beyond a linedef where Rabies wouldn't function as normal. When I tested this on a solo opponent: biting them then getting pk'd, running back to the entrance while Rabies duration was still in effect.. The test opponent never died (and this was done multiple times). This also falls under the seemingly BM tactic of closing off an area of the dueling zone... still though, it's quite hilarious.


Are there other ways of making sure I don't get infected by Rabies?

Besides keeping distance from your infected teammates (and their summons: I had one instance where I bit a Zon's Valkyrie... which in turn infected a BvC, which then infected the Zon itself later on) you'll need to mind your summon stacks, and walk out of them if they're infected. I.E.: A Wind Druids' summon stack is compromised, Wind Druid walks/runs away from the stack without teleporting and resummons said summon stack thus negating the possibility of self-infection. Of course one can just play super-defensive and apply the proper spacing necessary to keep the Wolf Druid out for the entirety of the match... That always works too, as long as an infected teammate doesn't come along and ruin the plan.


Knowing this now, I'll just never let you anywhere near me once I'm Rabies'd...

And that's why I opt for Teleshifter swaps... try getting away from me when I have 163 Fcr on deck + increased teleport range via C/T. ^^

Against a normal walking (non-teleporting) Wolf Druid however... Yeah you can pretty much stay off their map for the entire duration of Rabies, then rep some of that life back before going at them again. No amount of FRW (even with Feral Rage buff) will catch up to an opposing Necro, for instance.

This post was edited by FrausT on Sep 5 2014 06:58am

TROLL BUILD IS TROLL.

I love it. So does Larry/Grahf the FLOORED.

!