Condi Druid worth a go?
I’ve only been in the game a short time but it seems metabattle is seen as the holy bible, and thus the entry card into a lot of the group content. There’s a recommended A/T Condi build there, so can’t be that bad. Maybe mix it up with what you know works for you. This is how new metas are made. Don’t follow blindly what others think or say, it has to make sense for you or else the build won’t work optimally anyway.
The main job for a druid is healing & buffing your group, and that no matter what kind of build you play (full healer, LB/S A zerker or condi) you will always be there for your heals and group buffs like Spotter, Grace of the Land, Glyph of Empowerment and Frost Spirit and Druid is also very good on giving a high fury uptime to your subgroup with the tiger pet.
At this moment Condi druid is the highest dps build for a druid. This doesn’t mean that the druid is not healing anymore or buffing the group, that is still the main role of the druid. You just sacrifice some healing power and the staff weapon to achieve more DPS. This is usefull in situations where your group is more experienced with the content and allows your group to clear the content faster. At this moment Condi druid is most viable in wing 1, and is in my opinion outplayed by the zerker or healer variant (depending on the boss) on wing 2 and 3. Due to having no staff and 0 healing power makes this build harder to play of course, and the overall healing is less. This is why most pug-groups ask for a zealot or magi healer, basicly a druid with alot of healing power and a staff to keep everyone alive.
What you have been told is true, going in CA is a dps loss for yourself, but your job is to heal people and buff people, as that increases the group DPS alot more then your own dps when not going in CA.
So the answer to your question is: Condi druid is viable to bring in wing 1, but most pug groups prefer a full healer druid.
Overall not really your question but I really love to play druid, the playstyle in raids feels completely different and unique compared to the other classes of course cause of its job. It might be hard to get used to it but is really alot of fun (even when not playing condi druid )!
i use SB/staff for my druid, it’s very effective for roaming in wvw, trolling the crap out of people in zergs, etc. I enjoy it..however i would not suggest taking it into pve where a mob’s ability to turn on a microscopic dime is possible.
As true as Odin’s spear flies,
There is nowhere to hide.
So the answer to your question is: Condi druid is viable to bring in wing 1, but most pug groups prefer a full healer druid.
Sadly that will kill it for me until such a time as the mentality changes for making groups. But thanks for the reply!
So the answer to your question is: Condi druid is viable to bring in wing 1, but most pug groups prefer a full healer druid.
Sadly that will kill it for me until such a time as the mentality changes for making groups. But thanks for the reply!
it’s more or less because of how the raid is set up, sadly. zerker meta is still king.
As true as Odin’s spear flies,
There is nowhere to hide.
for raids druid is a buffbot. Go as you like as long as you can keep the GoL buff, spotter, spirit of frost and glyph of empowerment healthy.
So the answer to your question is: Condi druid is viable to bring in wing 1, but most pug groups prefer a full healer druid.
Sadly that will kill it for me until such a time as the mentality changes for making groups. But thanks for the reply!
I was just discussing this with some guildies last night. The reason for the situation we agreed is only because druids are somewhat hard to find. So trying to get 2 of them is unlikely. So they go with the 1 and make them load up on healing. It’s just hands down better to have 2 druids though. Druid buffs are simply amazing and you have far better coverage with 2 druids, add on that you can have one or both of them running DPS, in the end you’re likely to gain overall raid dps.
Would I recommend trying to shift to druid? naw, because chances are once you’re in the group they’ll just ask you to go magi and be the full solo healer. But, if you can find a group that has a druid already and you’re the extra, well there’s no good reason they shouldn’t take you and a lot of reasons they should.
I was just discussing this with some guildies last night. The reason for the situation we agreed is only because druids are somewhat hard to find.
that can’t be right, in pve they are majority, and i know that because of the amount of PBSs i see in bloodstone fern.
It can be that players don’t like the role of simplistic buffbot but i’m pretty sure everyone has one druid for all the afk farming
Any suggested build?
Thanks!
I was just discussing this with some guildies last night. The reason for the situation we agreed is only because druids are somewhat hard to find.
that can’t be right, in pve they are majority, and i know that because of the amount of PBSs i see in bloodstone fern.
It can be that players don’t like the role of simplistic buffbot but i’m pretty sure everyone has one druid for all the afk farming
People who randomly hit PBS aren’t going to be raiding (or at least they shouldn’t).
Any suggested build?
Thanks!
There’s your optimized builds.
Here’s what I had started with, not having vipers trinkets. So it’s an option to use in the interim as you build those. Exotic Vipers works fine, but I play mine in fractals so I needed the ascended.
CondiDruid in raids are very niche. To get to run that you probably have to know the people you raid with? Pugs will more likely ask you for reaper.
CondiDruid in raids are very niche. To get to run that you probably have to know the people you raid with? Pugs will more likely ask you for reaper.
See that’s something I just don’t agree with. My general pugs for raids lack a good amount of healing, not the fault of the healer but healing in 2 places at once is impossible at times. Having a backup in the form of a condi druid would benefit groups greatly. It’s not like enrage timers are usually an issue, it’s more mechanical faults and people dying, which can be remedied pretty well with some additional healing.
CondiDruid in raids are very niche. To get to run that you probably have to know the people you raid with? Pugs will more likely ask you for reaper.
Not necessarily, the best team composition for raids at this moment is a 4-4-2 composition. The first two subgroups have a PS warrior a druid and 2 DPS/utility classes. The 3rd subgroup is the chrono with a revenant.
So to best composition already requires 2 druids. Why 2 druids? Well druid boost the DPS of your subgroup hugely with buffs like Spotter, Frost Spirit, Glyph of Empowerment, Grace of the Land. Even if 2 druids result in overhealing it is worth taking with you.
In wing 1 the healing that is required is not that huge so it is perfectly fine to bring a more healing orientated druid and a condi druid instead of 2 healing orientated druids. This will still give your team all the buffs, does good dps considering it is a druid and healing.
So aslong as you don’t have 2 druids taking a condi druid is better overall dps then adding a condi reaper.
If you play with a 7-2-1 or similar where you are the only druid i wouldn’t recommend using condi druid though it is easily doable on a condi druid aswell and still being able to heal the team up. Though it requires skill of the druid, but also skill of you group which is not always the case.
CondiDruid in raids are very niche. To get to run that you probably have to know the people you raid with? Pugs will more likely ask you for reaper.
Not necessarily, the best team composition for raids at this moment is a 4-4-2 composition. The first two subgroups have a PS warrior a druid and 2 DPS/utility classes. The 3rd subgroup is the chrono with a revenant.
So to best composition already requires 2 druids. Why 2 druids? Well druid boost the DPS of your subgroup hugely with buffs like Spotter, Frost Spirit, Glyph of Empowerment, Grace of the Land. Even if 2 druids result in overhealing it is worth taking with you.
In wing 1 the healing that is required is not that huge so it is perfectly fine to bring a more healing orientated druid and a condi druid instead of 2 healing orientated druids. This will still give your team all the buffs, does good dps considering it is a druid and healing.
So aslong as you don’t have 2 druids taking a condi druid is better overall dps then adding a condi reaper.
If you play with a 7-2-1 or similar where you are the only druid i wouldn’t recommend using condi druid though it is easily doable on a condi druid aswell and still being able to heal the team up. Though it requires skill of the druid, but also skill of you group which is not always the case.
Agree with you. But pugs only want 1 druid in raid, everytime. Only time you’ll get to run 2 druids is in an organized or semi-organized one.
Agree with you. But pugs only want 1 druid in raid, everytime. Only time you’ll get to run 2 druids is in an organized or semi-organized one.
I don’t pug that often recently but everytime I do pugs run in a 4-4-2 setup. I am on EU server so that might be a difference. But ye in a 7-2-1 setup playing a condi druid is a bit harder (but still doable on gorse and sabetha!)
Agree with you. But pugs only want 1 druid in raid, everytime. Only time you’ll get to run 2 druids is in an organized or semi-organized one.
I don’t pug that often recently but everytime I do pugs run in a 4-4-2 setup. I am on EU server so that might be a difference. But ye in a 7-2-1 setup playing a condi druid is a bit harder (but still doable on gorse and sabetha!)
We did just that last night and I ran condi, going off what most folks said here. Red Guard died first and team stayed healed yet at the end when we killed VG of course a pug had to have a go….“Why run vipers, why run 2 druids, etc.?”
Why do people feel the need to be so toxic, and it was mostly a guild run anyways with 2 pugs. This guy refused TS, “didn’t need”, which was fine but then dies on first GC.
Ah well, was still fun and that’s the point!
We did just that last night and I ran condi, going off what most folks said here. Red Guard died first and team stayed healed yet at the end when we killed VG of course a pug had to have a go….“Why run vipers, why run 2 druids, etc.?”
Why do people feel the need to be so toxic, and it was mostly a guild run anyways with 2 pugs. This guy refused TS, “didn’t need”, which was fine but then dies on first GC.
Ah well, was still fun and that’s the point!
Not alot of people are aware of the huge buffs a druid gives to the group, guess you’ll have to accept that at some point :P Glad you had fun playing it though
Agree with you. But pugs only want 1 druid in raid, everytime. Only time you’ll get to run 2 druids is in an organized or semi-organized one.
What can we do to change this mentality?
Agree with you. But pugs only want 1 druid in raid, everytime. Only time you’ll get to run 2 druids is in an organized or semi-organized one.
What can we do to change this mentality?
Nothing needed to be done, lately most PuG groups are finally switching to use 4-4-2.
When you encounter those toxic players that still oppose having two druids, try explaining them about the extra buffs you can provide, wont always work though, some players are too stubborn to listen. Funny thing is that even when both Druids are running full healing gear, you will still get better DPS than the old 7-2-1 and some alternate comps.
But, Condi Druid is only very effective for Wing 1, Berserker is usually the way to go for the last 2 wings (and full healing for Matt, unless you have a Healing Tempest), so keep that in mind…
I’m still pugging pretty often in all wings, and I think more and more ppl come to see that 2 druids are very viable, if not meta.
So in short Joxer, to answer your initial question, I say yes when pugging.
And definitely if you’re going to join a (semi)experienced raiding guild.
PS: But especially when pugging, healing ranger will be more in demand
(edited by Bast Bow.2958)
Agree with you. But pugs only want 1 druid in raid, everytime. Only time you’ll get to run 2 druids is in an organized or semi-organized one.
What can we do to change this mentality?
I don’t know. Wish i could answer you that. I love playing my ranger/druid but people are kinda toxic about it and hating. >_<
#Lovetodruids
Agree with you. But pugs only want 1 druid in raid, everytime. Only time you’ll get to run 2 druids is in an organized or semi-organized one.
What can we do to change this mentality?
Nothing because nothing is there to be done.
i still can’t see why a 10% dps increase to 4 guys +the druid can make up for the 40k dps lost when you not bring another tempest.
because when the druid is buffing with the avatar is does 0 dps, just saying…
Agree with you. But pugs only want 1 druid in raid, everytime. Only time you’ll get to run 2 druids is in an organized or semi-organized one.
What can we do to change this mentality?
Nothing because nothing is there to be done.
i still can’t see why a 10% dps increase to 4 guys +the druid can make up for the 40k dps lost when you not bring another tempest.
because when the druid is buffing with the avatar is does 0 dps, just saying…
First, that 40k is quite the generous Tempest addition, that’s not what you will see most often, but either way it requires Druid buffs to get!
Druid is about a 20% damage addition, that’s from: 7% crit chance spotter, ~7% extra damage on Frost Spirit, ~6% damage GotL(you’ll get up to 15% so in burst situations even more). So a druid’s buffs are equal to ~80% of another person (very rough estimate as it depends on which 4 are getting the buffs) and can do ~40-50% of the Tempests damage. Overall it’s safe to say the net effect is a gain or at least not a loss in damage while also gaining an increase in sustain for the group.
There’s a reason guilds use this setup. The only good reason for PUGs not to that I’ve heard is lack of druids to pull into the group. But, I know if I could play a secondary healer condi druid role, I’d love it, but I am just not huge on the main healer play style (I’ll still do it if needed though).
PvP and WvW a trapper druid is a ton of fun to play. Not sure if you only PvE but something to think about if you enjoy other game modes
I don’t PvE so won’t speculate how trapper druid does in that part of the game.
As Ranger I went full zerk, fun style but a tad slow on the LB end. After turning druid and testing a lot of things out, a condi trap survival build is hellagood in PvE. I don’t PvP so no clue there. axe/torch and staff mainly for mobility or forced range. Swapping out traps with spirit and empowerment for group support when it seems natural to do so (enough people). Running SK,WS,DR spec.
But seriously, it turned the whole druid around for me. It’s very good in the HoT zone at least.
(edited by Corvinus.8634)
In my normal monday group we always run 1 full heal + 1 dmg (condi in wing 1 and power in 2+3).
The extra healing makes it safe and GotL etc. makes the dmg.
For my tuesday run we sometimes have a hard time getting a 2’nd and therefore sometimes end up with only 1 druid
My exp is that the 2 druid is really good. But that you dont put a random on the druid. You need someone who can play his/her class. And not just someone who AA. That might (only might) work on condi reaper or something similar. Since you “only” loose dmg. But in a 4-4-2 settup you need both druids to do some healing and not just ak. Or you have 4 dead people.
In that way the 7-2-1 settup is abit safer, since all will be healed here (at a loss of dmg). Where the 4-4-2 settup have the 2 druids focus heal the group they are placed in first.
All of this said. If I can pick, always 2 druids. And when I pug (generally late at night) I attempt to always have 2 of them (even gladly 2 full heals).