Depending on how balance goes in the preview, I’m seeing a lot more ways to add to the team as a Druid for content (old and new), especially where bosses may spawn adds (with or without break bars). Just theory-crafting speculation. Feel free to add more if you see some!
Glyph of Equality (Utility)
2 second AOE Daze. Dropping Steady Focus for Moment of Clarity with Verdant Etching so Glyph cooldowns are reduced and cleanse conditions on allies is PBAOE Deep Freeze on a 32s cooldown. Not too shabby. As someone that also plays a Necro (and soon a Reaper), “Chilled to the Bone!” is looking jealous. But why even compare? Let’s chain them together!
Ancient Seeds (Trait)
With new AI having mobs shift around, stacking may become difficult, so with good pulls from Guardian GS or Mesmer Temporal Curtains, using the above Glyph of Equality daze with Ancient Seeds can keep things rooted to burst down.
Can be further enhanced chaining it with Entangled and/or Vine Surge. Can also be a plus to drop Entangled for another elite just because it’s a trait. To go even further, we will be able to pop in Celestial Form, use Glyph of Tides for an AOE Pull instead of a knockback to chain our own Daze. Might be very useful if we are given scenarios to take advantage of it.
Glyph of Empowerment (Utility)
It’s 10% more damage for 5s. Duration is short, but for burst zerker teams, this Glyph with Frost Spirit let’s the Druid bring 17.5% damage boost for the group. With a PS Warrior and Ele Fury uptime, we’ll have a better place when used in coordinated bursts.
A Different Way to Handle Projectiles
Sublime Conversion on Staff is unique. Instead of Projectile reflect or destruction, it converts missiles into bolts that heal yourself and allies. With Quickdraw, we’ll only have a 2s downtime between casting it. With Whirling Defense (assuming S/A setup), there’s 2 ways to deal with projectiles, and depending on how the fight goes, we can adept on the fly with a weapon swap.
Breaking the Break Bar
Druids will be gaining a large sum of dazes, even little things such as Primal Echoes to get an AOE daze swapping to staff adds a bit to getting those break bar enemies stunned. Seriously, we will have SO MUCH DAZE.
New Pets
I posted this in another thread, and the best part, it’s not exclusive to the Druid. Rangers & Druids alike will be getting access to a Smokefield via Smokescale pet, a Lightning Field via Electric Wyvern, and yet another Fire Field (AOE mind you) via the Flame Wyvern. For Sinister Rangers, the Flame Wyvern will definitely be slotted seeing how pets are getting some BASE CONDITION DAMAGE added to them!
Electric Drakes have an on-demand charge + Lightning Field afterwards, good for setting up bursts or just breaking down break bars. The “knock up” is similar to Spike Trap, but with a 30s cooldown instead of 45 second Spike Trap, and it’s gets shorter when taking Beastmastery.
Need pets that won’t die to AOE, than use the F2 from the Smokescales or Flame Wyvern so they have complete immunity. Sadly, those 2 pets seem to overshadow most of the other pets, let alone pet families in PVE, but we’ll have more options.
Cheers!
Will update once Path of Fire releases.
(edited by Wondrouswall.7169)
