Need a build critiqued please

[thinkzalot]

Hi there! I am a fairly new D2 player (8 years after the game was released!!!), and plunged right in with a Necro summoner. However, I am really entranced (particularly from a more RP perspective) by druids.

Could you please give constructive feedback and suggestions/ comments/ thoughts on my build.

Just to note - I am not a power-gamer, but I do want to build a character that is viable to solo hell/be useful for helping my friends in normal and nightmare when they get stuck.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Summoning Skills:

Raven - 1 (Pre-req)
Spirit Wolf - 5 (Just to help with early levels)
Dire Wolf - 20 (Main utility summons)
Grizzly - 20 (Boss tank)

Poison Vine 1 (Main Vine)
Carrion Vine 1 (Mainly for Nilathak)

Oak Spirit 1 (Prereq)
Heart of Wolverine 1 (Main spirit, hopefully boosted by +skills)

Shape Shifting:

Werebear 1 (For minor health buff, boosted by +skills, kinda for "Oh crap I'm getting pasted" moments)

Elemental:

Arctic Blast - 1 (Pre-req)
Cyclone Armor - 1 (Minor buff bosted by + skills)
Twister - 20 (Main personal attack - I hate depending ONLY on summons)
Tornado - 1 (Pre Req)
Hurricane - 20 (passive damage buff - nice for helping my friends in tomb runs, and decent damage over time)

Total Points: 94, all points after this will go into Heart of Wolverine

Merc: Can't decide between Holy Freeze merc, Might Merc, or Defiance merc. Will see as time passes. Suggestions welcomed!

Thanks in advance for your help and advice!

D

[KellKheraptis]

The elemental skills won't have enough of a synergy to be hell viable. You might take a look at the Town Dump Werebear build, it's a good hybrid of a Summoning build, and totally viable anywhere in the game (and cheap too!). Also, if you're into the elemental/shapeshifting hybrid with a couple summons on hand for support, look into the Earthshifter Fury guide. Either of them might give you ideas on how to solidify your skillset.

[Queen Mebd]

I second Kell's recommendation to take a look a the Town Dump WereBear (http://forums.diabloii.net/showthread.php?t=590115&highlight=guide). I was going to say before reading down a post if you're thinking of going for werebear for the health boost, you might as well invest in shockwave (which the Town Dump does as well). If you do end up going the werebear + summons route, I'd think a Might-granting merc would be the way to go, you'll have plenty of crowd control via shockwave.

[PacoQuerak]

Fire hunter i would think could be pretty good. I know my fire claws druid can kill many enemies with fissure in hell.

[thinkzalot]

Thanks for all your feedback!

D