Is it possible to make a decent shapeshifter?

[TarnishedHope]

I'm not putting a Shapeshifter down, I'm just stating the truth.

While Shapeshifter can truly dominate in general PvM (beats zealot/frenzy/smite, and possibly the best melee PvM character), their potentials in PvP is greatly limited. It is possibly to make a PvP SS, but it's definately too expansive for newcomers. (out of the few weapons that hit max frame for SS, which one is cheap and affordable?)

When I first made my SS druids, I was under the impression that enigma's-tele-would-work-in-were-forms. I was greatly disappointed. Yes, it is unfair for weredruids, and should be changed. But for now, in contrast to what many have said, they are not the great/awesome PvP character.

Oh, and I must add, a godly smiter will not win against a godly BvC barb. BvC barbs can slap on a widowmaker and nag those smiters into chasing them. :hide:

[pipi-owner]

sure dats fine
but the truth HURTS!.. so bad...

melee duels vs melee duels plz.. no point mentionin barb wit widowmaker (lol i did dat).. even i consider that to be low.. cus it means you cant beat them with a REAL melee duel (yea he was nking people.. :O stupid arrogant smiters)

cheers

[aznbboi16]

Honestly? Shapeshifters are niche duelers, much like zealots. They can't compete with much besides other low-mid tier melee classes. Yes, a lot of the druid forum members claim they can "pwn" sorcs, ww barbs, smiters and other upper echelon duelers. In reality, any equally skilled/geared sorc, ww barb and smiter would have no problem winning the majority of the duels. Just about any teleporting ranged character can slaughter shapeshifters. In pubs, shapeshifters just don't cut it most of the time.

If we're talking about private league play with rules, then they can be much more viable depending on the rules. I recall Fury/Rabies being one of the top duelers in Clan-Honor, but in pubs any decent caster can beat them down.

[xpumafangx]

tarinshed Your not saying alot of truth actly, I hope your not one of those phineox sheild users. I will also try to get a hold of you when ladder ends.

When you smack on the widow maker your no longer doing melee vs melee. And ya its the only thing that gives the barbs "the win."

Good werewolfs don't name lock, they shift fury. Also they are one of the only good melee builds that can do 15k phy damage. barbs that teleport are not a big deal when it comes to melee vs melee dueling. Hellninjacommando said the one thing that says it all when it comes to playing as a werewolf, "Hit first, and hit harder." The 2 tatics I use vs wirlwind are simple. I shift fury and let them ww me. I get more hits in on them then they would me. I use a range 5 weapon, 15k max damage, and 5fps fury. Even when they have more then 10k life I am able to beat them in 1 fury. Also when they die mid ww they're attacks stop hitting. Then after the ww is over they truely die in game.

Now if I really need to try to kill them I use corners. No matter what they try to do I will out range they're attack with that.

Out running teleport isnt very hard to do. But only if you have the right charms. Its sad that blizzard stop letting 5% faster runwalk small charms be made any more. I own 80 of them. I do own a harmony bow I use on my merc. But I would rather own a harmony demon crossbow. So I could use it as a weapon and have a good attack speed. Yes I can even dysech run.

Dueling as a werewolf is more about the skills of the player, tatics used mainly, and less about the items being used. Yes you do need great items. But even with those you can become a easy target. The biggest problem I have as dueling as a werewolf is to duel vs slow users. The second a clay golem hits me or I hit them and they don't die. Is the second I loose.

[aznbboi16]

...
It's a real shame none of you guys are on west. You obviously aren't dueling competent barbs if you can kill them with a 2 hand weapon. Any max block barb can easily out-tank a druid, especially a 2 hand druid. And after a barb dies mid whirl, their attacks do continue to hit until they stop and actually die.

Obviously you aren't dueling competent teleporters either, because teleport is much faster than running, plain and simple. If you have a race from one end of the Blood moor to another, a fast teleporting sorc will get there faster than a vigor charging hammerdin, which is faster than you could probably run. That isn't even taking terrain into account.

[TarnishedHope]

I'm not going to make senseless arguements with you. I have a couple of friends on USWest NL with good BvC / BvB. PM me your account name, and I'll tell them to duel you. If you are on USWest Ladder, then I'll do it myself.

Switching to widow isn't melee anymore? True. Smiters/zealots standing in one place to tank def.? I can simply ignore them and sit there just like they are, and if they start moving, they = dead.

1st, the damage is nerfed in PvP, so you won't be able to one fury kill good barbs. 2nd, even with longer range, I can simply tele. on you and WW. 3rd, ever heard of DR? 4th, a 2handed-druid? You are giving up max block, which mean you'll lose AUTO to any BvB with a SS on. 5th, please don't think of other players as pure idiots. They, just like you, have their tactics and will not stupidly fall for everything you are planning.

When they onto you and shift/triangle WW you, not every shot of your fury is going to hit. MB/high def.(which won't matter, assuming all werewolves have hi AR)/DR/WW means you aren't going to be hitting much.

If you don't use a shield, any legit werewolves druid will instantly die to triangle WW with Grief + Beast (or Doom). If a BvC really wants to short you out, they can easily slap on 2 Doom Zerker and GG.

[LordCinos]

So... how about a good shapeshifter guide? :/

[RareBear]

Im a very big ss druid fan (maul bear my all time fave), I just duel melee only. I dont waste my time against casters/runners. Some ppl can but I just dont.
Just chase them, on and on, they run and tele away, I really dont do well against them, so I dont even bother trying. I have my time for melee dueling. But what gets very annoying is when casters join melee only dueling games.

[pipi-owner]

exactly.. DUELING is about skills..
and yes u can argue that tele requires skills.. however.. RUNNING away in a duel (tactical retreat..strategic manourver..heard em all) means you cant handle em.. simplely the truth...

y bliz make sorc so weak then? .. cus SORCS ARENT MEANT TO PK!! :O
really?!?! (im sure some will aruge that way) first they are woman.. wen is a woman goin to REALLY beat down a black dude... a arnold with a pony tail..werewolves...
SORCS ARE MEANT TO TELE TO MF/RUSH(norm)/RUNS..
(dont quote me on that one )

i am on west.. and i have seen great barbs (not the ****ty tele ones wit **** ar)...who uses DUAL axes.. they are RAP*D everything.. ele druids..smiters.. w/e... bt a bite from rabies n he'll be running to town...and flames "shame.. i didnt loose.. u cant beat me.." or something like poison aint meleee...
theres always a way to beat a char..

GREAT tele?.. its NOT great tele.. its called great cable + video card.. dats $$$ not skills..

be fair to ss druids as they get the LEAST amount of runewords available to them..DONT have aura boost (fana dont even speed em up..:O) bo shout (sure.. oak yea.. but it dies in 1 hit..) or crazy def/res/unblockable stun attack/tele...

jst think about it..

cheerz
PpZ

[aznbboi16]

exactly.. DUELING is about skills..
and yes u can argue that tele requires skills.. however.. RUNNING away in a duel (tactical retreat..strategic manourver..heard em all) means you cant handle em.. simplely the truth...

y bliz make sorc so weak then? .. cus SORCS ARENT MEANT TO PK!! :O
really?!?! (im sure some will aruge that way) first they are woman.. wen is a woman goin to REALLY beat down a black dude... a arnold with a pony tail..werewolves...
SORCS ARE MEANT TO TELE TO MF/RUSH(norm)/RUNS..
(dont quote me on that one )

i am on west.. and i have seen great barbs (not the ****ty tele ones wit **** ar)...who uses DUAL axes.. they are RAP*D everything.. ele druids..smiters.. w/e... bt a bite from rabies n he'll be running to town...and flames "shame.. i didnt loose.. u cant beat me.." or something like poison aint meleee...
theres always a way to beat a char..

GREAT tele?.. its NOT great tele.. its called great cable + video card.. dats $$$ not skills..

be fair to ss druids as they get the LEAST amount of runewords available to them..DONT have aura boost (fana dont even speed em up..:O) bo shout (sure.. oak yea.. but it dies in 1 hit..) or crazy def/res/unblockable stun attack/tele...

jst think about it..

cheerz
PpZ

...What the...?

Anyways, because a caster won't tank a melee character doesn't mean they're weak. It means they're smart. I'm guessing you're one of those people in a game that complains when a caster teleports away and you cry "runner"?

PM me your account or something and I'll show you how a real dueler duels.