The Druid


rift src="http://www.tentonhammer.com/image/view/97292"
style="width: 200px; height: 304px;">
style="width: 200px; height: 60px; text-align: left; margin-left: auto; margin-right: 45px;"
border="1" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="2">
style="font-weight: bold;">Druid
href="http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/93781/"> style="font-weight: bold;">Calling: Cleric

Role:
DPS

Primary Attribute:
WIS




Even though the power of the Rift soul system is the ability to mix and
match them to your hearts content, the simple truth is not all souls
play nice in the sandbox together. The Druid is one of those few
exceptions to the rule however. The Druid works well in any of the
three positions and with any of the other souls, making it extremely
versatile.

Pros


  • At home in any build
  • Passive pet needs minimal managment
  • Excellent survivability
  • Very versatile

Cons


  • Bordeline overly reliant on pet for power
  • Versatility lessens overall power 




Overview


Like so many iterations of druids
before it, the Rift druid
is a jack of all trades. And much like those that came before it, this
Swiss
Army Knife of a class sacrifices a measure of power in exchange for its
versatility.
The Druid is by all definitions a pet class, but unlike other souls
that send
their pets to the frontline of combat, the Farie companion is one that
buffs
and nukes away from danger and is a bit more fragile than its
counterparts in
the other callings. Deep spec druids will find their pets have
increased
survivability and power and will find themselves handling crowd control
and interrupts
more often.


Solo Play



Druids are capable soloists who primarily mix it up in melee, they have
a couple of ranged nukes and they can heal themselves as well as shield
themselves from damage. Factor in their constant companion that employs
a heal over a time and the druid is a hard target to kill. At higher
levels the druid gets a noticeable increase in DPS through the use of
the Satyr pet, but much like the Farie it is fairly squishy and losing
it can cripple the damage output of the caster.

Group Play



While they may not boast maximum damage output, the Druid can be a
welcome addition to any group for their overall utility. AoE root,
sleep and silence are all among the tools employed by druids to help
turn the tide of battle in their allies favor. The farie pet can also
help in healing allies, but it’s mostly a band-aid or top off heal and
not capable of anything substantial.


Pairs Best With


Shaman


The other primary melee dps soul in
the Cleric
calling, the Shaman matches up very well with the druid. Similarity in
playstyle doesn’t end with their means of dealing damage; both also
rely on spell shields to help mitigate incoming damage. Adding the
Shaman gives extra firepower and some nice buffs and an additional
damage shield. If you really want to frustrate opponents simply add the
Purifier as a third soul and for maximum invulnerability.


Warden



While a third DPS soul may sound best on paper, the
reality is that adding a healing soul to the mix is the best use of
your points. The Warden mixes well with the Druid due to its
heal-over-time mechanics which help to minimize overhealing and
maximize uptime to mana conservation. I also enjoy mixing these two
souls as it gives a familiar feel to playing druids in other fantasy
games. Warden HoTs are also excellent for helping heal parties in rift
invasion, PvP and dungeons – further maximizing the overall utility of
the druid.


To read the latest guides, news, and features you can visit our RIFT Game Page.

Last Updated: Mar 29, 2016

Comments