PvP Hurricane Druid Guide - Diablo 2 Guides

Hurricane/Tornado Druid Guide for PvP and PvM

PvP Rank: A Class / PvM Rank: B Class

Introduction

Hurricane/Tornado Druids, also known as Windy Druids, have very high life with Oak Sage, wolf minions to absorb homing projectile attacks, and up to a 2900+ life elemental shield which makes Windy Druids excellent at survival. The 163% faster cast rate Druid build is now recommended for PvP with the addition of The Coven runeword which can add +1 to skills and 20% faster cast rate to a +3 to Tornado Druid Pelt. With 163% faster cast rate you also have the advantage of Teleport stomping and stunning enemies much faster with Tornados. Teleport stomping is done by teleporting directly on top of your opponent and casting Tornados to ensure that your slow moving Tornados connect. Windy Druids are excellent at survival and they're also a great build for PvP fights.

Hurricane/Tornado Druid Skills

Windy Druids have very high life with Oak Sage and Battle Orders which makes points in Vitality highly valuable. Having maxed block is much less important than Vitality on this build especially with a Stormshield which has 35% reduced physical damage taken.

Recommendation: Hurricane Druid

Stats: 156 Strength (enough for equipment), no Dexterity, all remaining points in Vitality, 0 Energy.

Skill Points:

20 Hurricane

20 Tornado

20 Cyclone Armor

20 Twister

20 Oak Sage

1 Summon Dire Wolf

1 Summon Grizzly

All remaining points in Summon Dire Wolf for PvP or Summon Grizzly for PvM.

Hurricane/Tornado Druid Gear

Weapon

Heart of the Oak (Ko Vex Pul Thul) - Gives +3 to all skills, 40% faster cast rate, 10 dexterity, replenish life + 20, 15% increased maximum mana, and level 4 Oak Sage charges.

Shield (163% Faster Cast Rate Setup)

Spirit Monarch Shield (Tal Thul Ort Amn) - Gives +2 to all skills, 35% faster cast rate, 55% faster hit recovery, vitality, magic absorb, 35% cold resistance, 35% lightning resistance, and 35% poison resistances.

Budget Shield (99% Faster Cast Rate Setup)

Stormshield (Um'd) - Gives high block, 60% cold resistance, 25% lightning resistance, and 35% reduced physical damage taken.

Weapon Switch

Call to Arms (Amn Ral Mal Ist Ohm) - Gives up to +7 to Battle Orders with a Spirit Monarch (Tal Thul Ort Amn) for +2 to all skills.

Helmet (163% Faster Cast Rate Setup)

The new Coven (Ist Ral Io) runeword is recommended in a +3 to Tornado Druid Pelt for an additional +1 to all skills, 20% faster cast rate, +3 to Tornado, and up to 40% increased magic find. A rare circlet can also have great modifiers with 20% faster cast rate.

Budget Helmet (99% Faster Cast Rate Setup)

Jalal's Mane (Um'd) - Gives +2 to Druid Skills, +2 to Shape Shifting Skills, 30% faster hit recovery, all resistances +30%, 20 to strength, 20 to energy, and 20% increased attack rating. This option also has a socket for more damage or more resistances.

Body

Enigma (Jah Ith Ber) - Gives +2 to all skills, 45% faster run walk, high strength per level, 5% to maximum life, 8% reduced physical damage taken, Teleport, and magic find. This armor is primarily used for Teleport and is an important item for this build.

Gloves

Trang-Oul's Gloves - Gives 20% faster cast rate, 25% increased poison damage, and 30% cold resistance.

Belt

Arachnid Mesh - Gives +1 to all skills, 20% faster cast rate, and 5% increased mana.

Feet (Default)

Ethereal Sandstorm Trek - These boots give 20% faster run walk, 20% faster hit recovery, up to 15 strength, up to 15 vitality, up to 70% poison resistance, and they repairs durability which allows them to be ethereal for higher defense and lower requirements.

Feet (Budget)

Waterwalk - Gives 20% faster run walk, up to 65 life, 15 dexterity, 100 defense vs missiles, and 5% to maximum fire resistance.

Feet Vs. Magic Builds

Horazon's Legacy - Gives 30% faster run walk, strength, dexterity, cannot be frozen, and up to 30% magic resistance.

Feet Vs. Fire Builds

Hotspur - These boots should be switched to when fighting fire builds for +15% to Maximum Fire Resistance, 15 life, and 45% fire resistance. Hotspur can be Up'd to Demonhide Boots in the Horadric Cube using a Perfect Diamond, Shael rune, and Tal rune. Hotspur can then be Up'd a second time to Wyrmhide Boots using a Perfect Diamond, Lem rune, and Ko rune.

Amulet

Caster Amulet - Look for +2 to Druid Skills, 19%-20% faster cast rate, resistances, and life. If you can't afford this amulet yet you can use a Mara's Kaleidoscope amulet with two faster cast rate rings instead.

Rings

Bul-Kathos's Wedding Band / Faster Cast Rate Ring - Bul-Kathos's Wedding Band rings should be used for the 99% faster cast rate version of this build which each give +1 to all skills and life per level. You should use one Bul-Kathos's Wedding Band and one 10% faster cast rate ring with all resistances and life instead for the recommended 163% faster cast rate version of this build.

Rings 2 (Absorb)

Switch to one Raven Frost when fighting cold damage builds, switch to a Dwarf Star for 15% fire absorb and 40 life when fighting fire damage builds, and switch to a Wisp Projector for 20% lightning absorb when fighting lightning damage builds.

Charms

Hellfire Torch for +3 Druid Skills, Annihilus for +1 to all skills, one +1 Elemental Skill grand charm with 12% faster hit recovery, and 8 +1 Elemental Skill grand charms with life. You should also use life and resistance small charms.

Mercenary Type

Act 2 Holy Freeze Mercenary

Mercenary Weapon

Ethereal Infinity (Ber Mal Ber Ist) - Infinity gives a level 12 Conviction aura which lowers the resistances of enemies.

Mercenary Armor

Ethereal Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) - 300% enhanced damage, up to all resistances +30, high life per level, 5% to maximum lightning resistances, and a 20% chance to cast level 15 Chilling Armor when struck.

Mercenary Helmet

Ethereal Andariel's Visage (Ral'd) - Gives +2 to all skills, 10% life leech, -30% fire resistance, and 30 strength. Ral gives 30% fire resistance but you can eventually upgrade to a 30% fire resistance jewel with 15% increased attack speed.

Budget Mercenary Weapon

Ethereal Insight (Ral Tir Tal Sol) - Gives up to level 17 Meditation which provides very high mana regeneration.

Budget Mercenary Armor

Duriel's Shell - Gives all resistances +20%, cold resistance +50%, 15 strength, life per level, and cannot be frozen.

Budget Mercenary Helmet

Tal Rasha's Helmet - Gives 10% life stolen per hit, all resistances +15%, and 60 life.

Note: Ethereal items don't lose durability on mercenaries.

Hurricane Druid Strategy

Faster cast rate is very important in PvP on this build because it allows you to cast Tornados faster which can lock opponents into their faster hit recovery animation. Hurricane Druids cast slow moving Tornados as their primary source of damage which means it's usually best to Teleport on top of your opponents to cast Tornados on them. In PvP it's a good idea to make passes on opponents, Teleport stomp them, cast Tornados, and then Teleport away and rebuff. Recasting Cyclone Armor is sometimes considered bad manners in PvP but Oak Sage and Dire Wolf should be recast every time you Teleport away from your opponent.

Hurricane Druid Leveling Items

An Ancient's Pledge Large Shield (Ral Ort Tal) is great once you reach level 21 for high all resistances. A Spirit Crystal Sword (Tal Thul Ort Amn) can be also used at level 25 for +2 to all skills, up to 35% faster cast rate, 55% faster hit recovery, vitality, mana, and magic absorb. The Skin of the Vipermagi body armor can be switched to at level 29 for +1 to all skills, 30% faster cast rate, up to all resistances +35%, and reduced magic damage taken. Smoke (Nef Lum) is another strong starter body armor option that can be used as early as level 37 for 20% faster hit recovery and an easy all resistances +50%.

And that's all for the PvP Hurricane Druid Guide. You can check out more guides in the menu at the top of this page. Good luck!