Hi Guys,
I need your opinion - I am trying for the first time to play a Druid as Shapeshifter because always playing Hurricane Druid got on my nerves.

Anyway - I am really struggling right now which weapon I should use.

1) Beast (BA)
2) Grief (PB)
3) Botd (2-hand or BA)

Right now I am using a pretty nice Botd Eth War Pike with 237 to 1292 dmg and I am pretty fine with it.
Going through several guides I am reading, that they recommend grief pb or even Beast BA.

Mostly I am doing PVE runs (Diablo, Baal) right now, but I am planning to try some ubers, too.


My full build here:
Jalals Umed
Fortitude 1209 deff
HighLords
Botd Eth War Pike
Dracs 7% 15str
Raven 220/15
string of ears
BK5
Gores

So please give me your honest opinion which weapon is for my plans (PVE) the best in your eyes and why?
Also feel free to discuss my equipment - I am happy for imporvement recommendations

disclaimer: this wont be a full solution, but at least some useful feedback

whereas a beast BA looks cool in the frist place (fana aura, huh), it is not that good for fury druid, because of the way fury works: the skills gives high %ed, so you will need a weapon with high base dmg. this basically limits you to eth weapons (since the 1.5 modifier for being eth is added to base) only - or grief ofc. grief PB will work. without a doubt. any PvM melee build can use a grief PB recently talked to some guy ingame who beat the game with a necro using grief PB and only curses for skills...
however, druids have more options. blizzard decided that shape druids should have some affinity towards axes (2H!) and poleaxes. this means that you will attack faster with a GPA than with a BA. i dont like the war pike approach, since the attack speed is horrific, rather go for botd/death runeword in an eth poleaxe or 2H axe. botd BA is only useful when you really want to equip a shield (in this case make sure, you get at least some amount of fbr)


EDIT: rest of the gear looks fine for PvM, my shaper uses similar stuff

This post was edited by PiXi31415 on May 15 2022 11:54am

The best 2 Hander is The Tomb Reaver, which is only one weapon that can reach 4 frames attacks. Put 2 x shael and something (I put eth) if non-eth. Put 2 shael and Zod if eth.

Vs Ubers, Ribcracker is the only option imo.

You gotta check your attack rating. You might need Metalgrid or even angelics.

Eth tomb reavers 2*40/15+zod or Botd GT
HL amu
LoH gloves
Gore riders
jalals / Cerberus / guillaumes
SoE or Dungo

SS life skillers and max ar life charms

Stack up up charges of feral rage for good leech before u use fury

Youll rape everything in 1 fury

Is this for D2l or D2r?

D2R

D2r, there’s a lot of options. Idk where is a good calculator but once you find one all these work:

Grief/Phoenix
Upped Zodded Eth ribby
Eth Tomb probably with LoLoZod
Ebotd Thunder Maul is highest dmg but hard to hit 3 frames.
So many others.

Most of these will hit 3 frames.

Old 4 frames is really closer to 5 frames and new 3 frames is close to 4 frames.

This post was edited by Tarisus on May 18 2022 07:45pm

eth up rib cracker works best imo for pvm
its nice to have a one hand setup too
also you dont need dracs just use LoH and try to get some more LL than just SoE
keep feral rage fully charged and LL is as good as life tap

D2R IAS Calculator https://warren1001.github.io/IAS_Calculator/24/

D2 LoD IAS Calculator
https://warren1001.github.io/IAS_Calculator/experimental/

Basically D2R Grief in a PB is insanely easy to hit max frames with just a level 38 werewolf and 18% IAS from somewhere else.

Ribcracker is great for ubers because if the CB but not great outside of that.

Phoenix and Grief for PVM is insanely busted.

Grief, Phoenix, 15% IAs Jalals, CoH, Angelic ring and ammy and a raven, Gore's, Dracss and Nofs Coil will be the most dps you can do while keeping your resis capped. You can probably throw fort on but it's overkill

For ubers swap out the IAS Jalals for a Cham'd Cerebus and ditch a raven for another angelic. Swap out the grief and Phoenix for an Eth Ribcracker, swap Gore's for goblin toes and then change your belt up for TGoDS for Meph and Night smoke for baal

This is not the case in LoD sadly...