The arrival of the Druid class in Path of Exile 2, patch 0.4 The Last of the Druids, marks a game-changing addition for both new and veteran players. With its highly anticipated shape-shifting mechanics and a blend of elemental and melee combat, the Druid introduces a wealth of new playstyles and build opportunities. This guide will provide a thorough look at the Druid’s capabilities, the top leveling and endgame builds, and key mechanics to help you enjoy the fresh gameplay of this transformative class.
POE 2 0.4 Best Druid Builds
The Druid stands out as Path of Exile 2's first hybrid strength and intelligence class, combining robust melee attacks with potent spellcasting. The character harnesses the wild's essence, shifting between human and three animal forms: Bear, Wolf, and Wyvern, each bringing its own playstyle and elemental affinity. As a human, the Druid can wield magical staves and summon nature's fury with spells like volcano and thunderstorm, setting up persistent effects before shapeshifting.
A new weapon type, the animal talisman, is central to the Druid’s design. Equipping a talisman determines the animal form and its basic attack: Bear (maul), Wolf (rake), or Wyvern (rend). Swapping between forms is instant and fluid, allowing players to weave together spells, attacks, and transformations mid-combat. The Druid can allocate passive points specific to forms, further personalizing their approach for human or shapeshifted states.
The class also introduces powerful synergies. For example, human-cast volcanoes can be slammed by Bear form for explosive damage, and thunderstorms can drench enemies to boost freeze or shock effects for Wolf and Wyvern forms. Shape-shifting, persistent spells, and animal companions all blend into a versatile toolkit, offering countless possibilities for creative builds.
Shaman and Oracle, Which is the Better Druid Ascendancy?
The Druid offers two initial ascendancies: Shaman and Oracle, each with unique mechanics and build paths:
Shaman Ascendancy
Shaman focuses on rage and elemental fury. Every two rage increases spell damage, and the Shaman can generate rage continuously, spending it to empower spells and attacks. This ascendancy enables you to combine nature’s elemental force with spellcasting, unifying animalistic and magical skills. Shaman also enhances runes and idols with extra modifiers, opening up further build customization. The Bringer of the Apocalypse skill from this ascendancy lets you become a walking disaster, raining elemental storms around you after enough elemental damage is dealt.
Oracle Ascendancy
Oracle is all about foresight and tactical advantage. You gain visions of your future self using specific skills, and if you follow those paths, your skills will deal much more damage. During boss fights, Oracle can duplicate a boss, so your damage hits both the duplicate and the original, effectively doubling your single-target output for a period. The Oracle also adds over 130 passive nodes to the Druid section of the tree, offering heavy specialization—such as reduced spirit reservation, improved minion efficiency, or even a chance to avoid death.
Which to choose?
Shaman is a natural fit for those who want to maximize rage, elemental synergy, and aggressive hybrid playstyles. It’s perfect if you want to blend melee, spells, and elemental effects. On the other hand, Oracle is ideal for advanced customization, exploiting skill duplication, minion builds, or high-damage strategies that revolve around foresight and unique passives. Both ascendancies have unique modifiers unavailable to other classes.
Bear, Wolf, Wyvern: Which is the Best Form for Druid?
Each of the Druid’s three animal forms brings a unique approach to combat:
Bear Form
Bear form is a walking calamity tank, generating rage and endurance charges. Its playstyle revolves around heavy slam skills, massive AoE, and fire-based damage. Walking Calamity, one of its signature abilities, brings down meteors and firestorms, amplifying rage and area damage even further. Bear can socket warcries such as Infernal Cry into Ferocious Roar, causing enemies to explode on death and adding even more control and AoE.
Bear excels in melee brawler builds, especially for players who enjoy a slower, heavy-hitting, and resilient approach. It also synergizes well with spell totems and slam totems for hybrid strategies.
Wolf Form
Wolf form is all about speed, attack mobility, and cold damage. Lunar Assault freezes enemies, then follow-up swipes knock ice shards off targets, which then explode. The wolf’s mark system enables summoning a wolf pack for extra damage, and Cross Slash allows you to consume marks for a backward leap and burst. Lunar Blessing transforms you into an arctic werewolf, granting movement and attack speed, cold damage, and buffs for your wolf minions.
Wolf form appeals to those who love swift, agile combat and cold-based explosions. It’s ideal for mapping and clear speed, with the added benefit of minion support through summoned wolves.
Wyvern Form
Wyvern, inspired by dragon-like creatures, is a lightning-focused melee/ranged hybrid. Power charges are core to this form: Wing Blast, Devour, and other attacks build charges for potent burst attacks. Wyvern offers breath attacks, such as Rolling Magma and Oil Barrage, which can interact with volcanoes or drench foes in oil for further ignites. Flame Breath lets you fly and rain fire for several seconds. The Wyvern excels in both melee and ranged combat, and synergizes well with elemental effects like shock and ignite.
Wyvern is perfect for players who want versatility, combining melee, spellcasting, and ranged attacks. It’s especially strong for those who enjoy stacking power charges and unleashing elemental devastation.
Which is best?
Bear is suited for those who want a tanky, fire-damage, AoE playstyle.
Wolf shines for mobility, freezing, and summoning minions.
Wyvern stands out for players who prefer hybrid melee/ranged, lightning/fire attacks, and power charge mechanics.
Many top builds combine these forms, swapping between them to take advantage of their respective strengths for different situations.
PoE 2 Best Druid Starter Builds For Leveling
For leveling, Druids benefit from builds that are simple to gear, have strong early-game damage, and scale well with available passives and gems. Here are some of the most effective starter builds:
1. Bear Slam & Volcano Hybrid
Start as a Bear, focusing on maul for rage generation and Furious Slam for AoE. Use the Volcano spell in human form to set up persistent damage zones, then shift back to Bear to slam the volcano for extra projectile bursts. Passive points should enhance rage generation, fire damage, and slam effects. This combination provides excellent clear and bossing potential early on, with strong defenses from endurance charges.
Leveling Tips:
Prioritize gear with life, armor, and fire damage.
Use Ferocious Roar with war cry gems for crowd control and bonus damage.
Transition into spell totem support as you progress for added versatility.
2. Wolf Cold Strike & Pack Minions
Wolf form’s Lunar Assault and Cross Slash offer fast, high-damage clears. Mark enemies with Pounce, summon wolf minions, and freeze groups with cold-based attacks. Passive points should support attack speed, cold damage, and minion bonuses. This build is ideal for players who want to move quickly through acts, with minions providing extra safety and single-target damage.
Leveling Tips:
Gear for attack speed, cold damage, and movement speed.
Use Thunderstorm to drench enemies and increase freeze chance.
Keep your wolf pack strong by marking new targets and using Cross Slash on bosses.
3. Wyvern Lightning Caster
Start with Wyvern form and focus on generating power charges with Devour and Wing Blast. Use lightning-infused attacks for AoE, and add Rolling Magma and Thunderstorm in human form to pre-damage packs. This build is great for those who enjoy spellcasting and elemental explosions, with power charges fueling both survivability and offense.
Leveling Tips:
Seek gear with lightning damage, cast speed, and life.
Use Herald of Thunder for extra clear.
Channel flame breath against tough enemies, making full use of rage and power charges.
PoE 2 Best Druid Builds for Endgame
Once you reach the endgame, Druid builds can be further refined with the ascendancies, unique items, and advanced passive synergies. Here are the standout endgame builds:
1. Elemental Bear Slam
Ascendancy: Shaman
Core Mechanics: Stack rage and endurance charges for empowered slams. Utilize Ferocious Roar with socketed warcries like Infernal Cry to add explodes-on-death and armor break. Walking Calamity provides a firestorm aura while generating more rage.
Endgame Strengths: Tankiness, exceptional area clear, and reliable single-target damage through empowered slams. Synergizes well with volcanoes and spell totems for automated extra damage.
2. Wolf Pack Minion Oracle
Ascendancy: Oracle (or Shaman for rage synergy)
Core Mechanics: Specialize in cold conversion and freeze stacking. Lunar Assault and Cross Slash enable constant crowd control, while Pounce and mark mechanics summon a persistent wolf pack. Use thunderstorm to drench enemies, increasing freeze build-up.
Endgame Strengths: High mobility, explosive AoE with Herald of Ice, and strong boss damage from wolf minions and cross slash combos. Oracle’s skill duplication can further boost damage.
3. Wyvern Power Charge Caster
Ascendancy: Shaman
Core Mechanics: Devour for power charge generation, spent on lightning-infused melee and breath attacks. Oil Barrage and Rolling Magma add ranged firepower, while flame breath converts physical to fire for massive ignite potential. Pair with thunderstorm to increase shock chance.
Endgame Strengths: Flexible between melee and ranged, excellent for both clear speed and bosses. Power charge scaling with Shaman ascendancy provides high spell and attack damage. Can automate spell casting with totems.
4. Hybrid Totem-Nature Caster
Ascendancy: Shaman or Oracle
Core Mechanics: Focus on spell totems casting volcanoes or thunderstorms. Generate endurance or power charges via animal forms to fuel totems. Use entangle and thunderstorm to boost plant damage and crowd control.
Endgame Strengths: Safe, ranged gameplay with automated spell damage, strong area denial, and versatile support for party play.
5. Nature Spell Druid (Human Form)
Ascendancy: Either Shaman for spell power or Oracle for passive expansion and unique defenses.
Core Mechanics: Stay primarily in human form, using spells like Volcano, Thunderstorm, and Entangle. Supplement with spell totems that automate spellcasting, and utilize advanced supports for persistent AoE effects.
Strengths: Ranged safety, strong AoE, flexible playstyle.
Endgame Scaling: Prioritize spell damage, area effect, and spell totem duration.