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. There are two variations of the build depending on whether you want to gear for the 99% faster cast rate breakpoint or the 163% faster cast rate breakpoint. With 163% faster cast rate you have the advantage of Teleport stomping and stunning enemies with Tornados faster and with 99% faster cast rate you can use a +5 Tornado Druid Pelt and Stormshield for 35% physical damage taken reduction. Teleport stomping is done by Teleporting directly on top of your opponent and casting Tornados to ensure that all of your slow moving Tornados connect. The 99% faster cast rate setup is better in PvM and it has the advantage of being easier to gear for. The 163% faster cast rate variation is a better setup for PvP because there are more fights where the faster cast rate is important than fights where the reduced physical damage taken is needed. Overall Windy Druids are excellent at survival and a great class to play in both PvM and 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 from Dexterity is less important than Vitality especially when you use 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 (99% Faster Cast Rate Setup)

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

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.

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 (99% Faster Cast Rate Setup)

A +2 to Druid Skills +3 to Tornado Druid Pelt with other great modifiers should be used with the 99% faster cast rate setup.

Helmet (163% Faster Cast Rate Setup)

A +2 Druid Skills Circlet, Diadem, or Tiara with 20% faster cast rate should be used with the 163% faster cast rate setup.

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 is a great starter helmet that you can use with the 99% faster cast rate setup.

Body

Enigma (Jah Ith Ber) - Gives +2 to all skills, 45% faster run walk, high strength per level, 5% to maximum life, 8% physical damage taken reduction, Teleport, and high magic find. This armor is primarily used for Teleport and is a required 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 (Without the budget Jalal's Mane helmet)

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

Feet (When using the budget Jalal's Mane helmet)

Waterwalk - Gives up to 20% faster run walk, 65 life, 15 dexterity, 100 defense vs missiles, and 5% to maximum fire 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 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 two faster cast rate rings instead or you can look for a Caster Amulet with 19% faster cast rate without the +2 to Druid Skills.

Rings

Bul-Kathos's Wedding Band / Faster Cast Rate Ring - Two 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 163% faster cast rate version of this build.

Rings 2 (Absorb)

You can switch one Bul-Kathos's Wedding Band to a Raven Frost when fighting cold builds, to a Dwarf Star for 15% fire absorb and 40 life when fighting fire builds, and to a Wisp Projector which gives up to 20% lightning absorb when fighting lightning builds.

Charms

Hellfire Torch for +3 Druid skills, Annihilus for +1 to skills, one Elemental Skill Grand Charm with 12% faster hit recovery, and 8 Elemental Grand Charms with life. Your small charms should be life and resistance small charms to over stack your resistances.

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 and defenses of enemies.

Mercenary Armor

Ethereal Fortitude (El Sol Dol Lo) - 300% enhanced damage, 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 use a 30% fire resistance jewel with another great modifiers which is a better option.

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 usually a good idea to make passes on opponents, Teleport stomp them, cast Tornados, and then Teleport away and rebuff. Recasting Cyclone Armor is considered bad manners in PvP but Oak Sage and Dire Wolf can be recast every time you Teleporting away from your opponent.

Hurricane Druid Leveling Items

An Ancient's Pledge Large Shield (Ral Ort Tal) is great to switch to 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 magic damage taken reduced by 15, and up to all resistances +35%. And Smoke (Nef Lum) is a strong budget runeword body armor option that can be used at 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 also check out the most popular crafted items here Crafting Guide.