New Elemental/Werebear Druid build!?!?

[XXLNoob]

Hi, at first I never played a Druid before, but I will try to suggest a totally new build for one.
I read om some other threads that the Unique Thunder Maul - Earthshifter is CRAP, with this build I'll give it a try to make it little bit useful.

This is the Equipment needed:
Weapon: Earthshifter
Armor: Aldurs Deception
Helmet: Jalals Mane
Gloves: Mage Fist
Boots: Aldurs Advance
Belt: Don't know maybe Thunder Gods/Verdungos/String of Ears
Amu: Highlords Wrath
Rings: Bul Kathos Wedding Band/Ravenfrost

Skills:
20 - Armageddon, Volcano, Molten Boulder, Firestorm,
~10 Fire Claws
1 - PreRequests for Armageddon, PreRequests for Fire Claws
1 - Point in Shockwave and 1 in Oak Sage/Heart of the Wolverin

Charms:
Either Shapeshifting or Elemental Skills

I will try this build out, I suppose there's a lot to improve, but maybe it turns out as a great PvP build when a more expirienced Druid player give it a try.
Just think about it Stunning the opponent attacking with a 300% ED Thunder Maul while your level 40-45 Armageddon hits your opponent.

Thanks for any answers and suggestions to improve this build.

[Forcefeedback]

I think the damage done by fireclaws won't be that good(not much more than 5K with 10 shapeshifting charms) and if you use a earthshifter to apply it it will also be really slow, somewhere around 13 frames. In 13 frames an opponent might get 3 attacks off, each one of them has a chance to put your character into hit recovery thus nullifying your attack.

To reliably stun someone(shockwave can be blocked IIRC) you have to have some fcr in your equipment.

I'm not convinced that you need the fireclaws part of the build and there already are shockgeddon bears. Without the earthshifter and maxed fireclaws there might be a way to make it work...

[Uzziah]

I read om some other threads that the Unique Thunder Maul - Earthshifter is CRAP, with this build I'll give it a try to make it little bit useful.


Earthshifter is only crap if you do not know how to abuse the heck out of it for its affixes.

I offer this for a trio equipment

Earthshifter (from diabloii.net)
+(250-300)% Enhanced Damage
25% Chance to cast level 14 Eruption on striking
33% Chance of Crushing Blow
+10% Increased Attack Speed
Level 14 Volcano (30 Charges)
+7 to Elemental Skills (Druid Only)
10% Faster Cast Rate

Stone runeword
+60% Faster Hit Recovery
+220-260% Enhanced Defense
+300 Defense Vs. Missile
+16 To Strength
+16 To Vitality
+10 To Energy
All Resistances +15
Level 16 Molten Boulder (80 Charges)
Level 16 Clay Golem (16 Charges)

Hellmouth
Adds 15-72 Fire Damage
Absorbs 15 Fire Damage
+150-200% Enhanced Defense
+15 Increased Durability
2% Chance of casting slvl 4 Meteor On Striking
4% Chance of casting slvl 12 Firestorm On Striking

What you will notice is that they all have charges or ctc and they all interact with each other. Lets look at the first main interaction 14 slvl volcano and ctc slvl 14 fissure. That has a initial interaction of ~340-370 damage from a ctc item, now lets look at placing 20 in firestorm. The damage jumps to 655-706 for a ctc item that really good damage.

For the second interaction you can look at the ctc slvl 12 firestorm and the stone armor you will deal 240-280 damage every time it goes off just by itself. You can up this damage by finding a ring with fissure charges.

The downside is your relying on ctc items to give damage and they still will apply the cast delays. The fire/rabies druid is based on the "charged items feature/bug" so using them gives you the advantage.

Lastly using these items together. You save alot of skill points that can be placed in rabies or other skills for more damaging inital attacks such as fireclaws.

[lextalionis]

Earthshifter is only crap if you do not know how to abuse the heck out of it for its affixes.

What you will notice is that they all have charges or ctc and they all interact with each other. Lets look at the first main interaction 14 slvl volcano and ctc slvl 14 fissure. That has a initial interaction of ~340-370 damage from a ctc item, now lets look at placing 20 in firestorm. The damage jumps to 655-706 for a ctc item that really good damage.

For the second interaction you can look at the ctc slvl 12 firestorm and the stone armor you will deal 240-280 damage every time it goes off just by itself. You can up this damage by finding a ring with fissure charges.

The downside is your relying on ctc items to give damage and they still will apply the cast delays. The fire/rabies druid is based on the "charged items feature/bug" so using them gives you the advantage. .

First problem-- Not being able to put hard points into MB, Fissure, Volcano. Prevent you from putting points into Armmeggedon. Which I don't know how to get charges of at a high level.

Attack Speed is a real problem with your "idea". -- Getting that ThunderMaul to a decent attack speed is very troublesome. With all those Fire Claws synergies present it would be great to attack with that skill only your attacks will be molassass slow.

Answers to this problem what attack skill are we using?
Fury is a very fast attack. This might help, but this will still be pretty slow with big slow hammer. -- With a high level of WW, I got Earthsh&*&ter down to 7fpa.

Paladin

Zeal???? Why do you have to keep this on a Druid??? You dont'. Throw those items on a Paladin. You attack with zeal and have access to Conviction, Fantasism...

Barbarian

Mace Mastery, Frenzy (Yah, you have to charge it with two weapons on weapon switch don't you?) WW this could be interesting.


Assassin

This is probably the winner... DTalon, can kick at 7/3/3/3/3 speed. BoS can help you get there if you don't enough IAS. This should set off these druid spells often. BFury is another option if you don't want to get close to the bad guys.

[Abroz]

I would say go for it, you never know what will happen with it. Your build might be very underpowered, but who wants D2 to always be a cakewalk? Just have fun.

To the scoffers:
A build doesnt have to be uber-godly to work. This is a computer game, let people play how they want, dont knock their ideas because their gear doesnt have the best frames per attack or whatever.