Max Block Wind Druid?

[:1]I've got a Wind Druid in progress for PvP.

I'm trying to decide if I should go for max block with a Spirit Monarch (This over stormshield because of 35% FCR)

That requires quite a few points into Dexterity, thus lowering my life. If I don't go for Max block I can leave my Str and Dex where they are and still equip everything, allowing for everything into Vitality.

Max block worries me because of BvC. I've heard that without max block, I really don't stand a chance.

Let me know what you think, Thanks!|||Why not just have a block set up in the stash? That same set up can net you DR, which you'd have to find elsewhere on a Spirit oriented set up.|||Hmm... So, set up a caster vs caster, and a caster vs melee sort've?



Here what I have for gear now:



Helm: Rare Druid Helm (+2 Druid skills, +3 Tornado, odd resists and life socketed with a pruby, but should I Cham it, or just keep a Ravenfrost in stash?)

Armor: Enigma

Shield: Spirit

Gloves: Magefist

Rings: 10% FCR Bitter Turn rare, SoJ or Ravenfrost

Amulet: Mara's

Belt: Arachnid Mesh

Boots: Ethereal Sandstorm Treks

Weapon: HoTo

Weapon switch: CtA



Full inventory of Elemental Skillers, 20/20 Torch and a 19/20 anni, ten 20 life scs (some with resists) I keep some +% lightning resist small charms in stash for use against those pesky Lightning sorcs, amazons and sins. (dueled a FOH/smite Pally yesterday... Thats really annoying because you can't avoid it and they have conviction )



Hopefully this nets me 125% fcr (fastest possible)



For a vs melee what about something like this:



Helm: Um'd Shako (or BerBer Coa?)

Armor: Enigma (maybe Chains of Honor? I'll probably want to keep the teleport though)

Shield: Um'd Stormshield

Gloves: Magefist

Rings: 2x SoJ (Or Dwarf or Wisp or revenfrost, etc...)

Amulet: Mara's

Belt: Arachnid Mesh (Verdungos or Tgods maybe?)

Boots: Ethereal Sandstorm Treks

Weapon: HoTo

Weapon switch: CtA



With Spirit I would need like 260-ish Dexterity to achieve max block. With Stormshield I need 200 (only 160 hard points)



With Stormshiled, is the 25% increase chance to block factored in to the 67% listed? (Information on the arreat summit, hopefully a link there is okay) If its not factored in, then I only need 154 dexterity (only 114 hard points)



EDIT: I think I need a 10%+ FCR ring to hit 125% FCR.



Any PvP Tips (I've read the Wind Druid PvP Guide) When I duel with my Hammerdin its always lighning users and smiters that I can't deal with. My Hammerdin is no way equipped for Duels (no DR gear, no Pcombs or lifers) but I still manage to do okay with everyone except for them (Trapsins, Amazons, Light Sorcs, Smiters/FOH)



Thanks!|||Bad idea to max block with spirit. You gotta invest too much dex to get max block on a spirit (which yields a very low life Windy), plus it doesn't offer any dr at all.

And your vs melee setup is not very good either (btw you NEED teleport from Enigma, that's why this build isn't really good until patch 1.10)

1) you should have more fcr. Use Hoto= 40, crafted ammy= 20, Trang/ Magefist= 20, Spider= 20 = 100% fcr= 11 frame casting rate

2) why would you need so much dr%? it caps at 50. Socket Ber in Stormshield (43%) + Enigma (8%)|||Quote:








Bad idea to max block with spirit. You gotta invest too much dex to get max block on a spirit (which yields a very low life Windy), plus it doesn't offer any dr at all.



And your vs melee setup is not very good either (btw you NEED teleport from Enigma, that's why this build isn't really good until patch 1.10)

1) you should have more fcr. Use Hoto= 40, crafted ammy= 20, Trang/ Magefist= 20, Spider= 20 = 100% fcr= 11 frame casting rate

2) why would you need so much dr%? it caps at 50. Socket Ber in Stormshield (43%) + Enigma (8%)




With my set-up now I have 125% fcr



Hoto = 40%

Magefist = 20%

Arachs = 20%

Bitter Turn ring = 10%

'Spirit' = 35%



I just looked up the tables, and to get a 10frame cast I need 163% Which does not seem possible.



When I use stormshield I'll have to equip another 10 fcr ring to hit 11 frame casting.



I didn't know DR was capped at 50%. I'll just Ber the Stormshield and be good to go.



Is there a way you can see to hit 10 frame casting? Even with another 10 FCR ring and a 20 FCR Amulet, I'm 8 FCR short of the 163%. Can I get FCR from a Druid Helm?



EDIT: I'm curious as to how important faster hit recovery is.|||Quote:








I just looked up the tables, and to get a 10frame cast I need 163% Which does not seem possible.



Is there a way you can see to hit 10 frame casting? Even with another 10 FCR ring and a 20 FCR Amulet, I'm 8 FCR short of the 163%. Can I get FCR from a Druid Helm?




Unless you want to use a 20 fcr circ your only option, provided that you have an amulet with at least 18% fcr is to use wizzard spike/suicide branch.

There's your missing fcr.

There are no pelts with fcr - you could use a regular circ with 2 druid skills 20 fcr and adds. Most, i believe, go for wizzy/branch setup while still wearing a 5 nado pelt.

Perhaps things have changed since i've last played a windy though so wait for more opinions |||Ive played a windy for a long time. Started out as mb and eventually switched to full vita. If u are mb u MUST hit 99fcr/99fhr, if full vita then u MUST hit 163fcr/99fhr. I cant emphasize this enough. And also, do not try to hit maxblock with spirit shield. Its not doable without taking a massive cut in your life.

My old max block setup: 99/99 and 50dr

Helm: 5nado

Ammy: 2 druid/18fcr

Rings: Ravens+10fcr ring

Armor: Enigma

Weapon: Spirit 35fcr

Shield: Stormshield Bered

Belt: Arachs

Gloves: Trangs

Boots: Treks

2x ele/fhr GCs, lifers

Around 5.5k life after BO(if i remember correctly)

Heres the setup for 163/99. which im using currently using

Helm: 5nado/Berber-ed Crown of Ages in stash for 39dr

Ammy: 2druid/18 fcr

Weapon: Suicide branch 20/15-ed

Shield: Spirit 35fcr

Armor: Enigma

Rings: 2x 10fcr rings

Belt :Arachs

Gloves: Trangs

Boots: Treks

9xLifers

7k+ life after BO

The biggest reason why you will go MB on a druid is for BvCs. However, when a barb wws u while ur full minion stack is up the wolves will take the hitchecks for you. You cannot tank a good barb no matter you are MB or non MB. Hence the way to duel BvCs( or any other melee class) is to play defensive. Let them do the chasing while you tele and spam nadoes. You need to keep tele-ing to refresh your minion stack. And in the event where he catches you, tele away and resummon your minions. Do not stay at one spot and let your minions scatter.

With a mb setup u will need still to have a 163/99 setup for casters. However you will have alot less life vs casters.

If you are new to windies(and can get a full set of ele lifers), my advice is to go maxblock first, as it will make duels vs physical chars much more forgiving. However as you get better, switch to 163fcr and full vita with COA in stash for dr. If you cannot get full lifers, i suggest to go full vita, as you will have very low life due to heavy dex investment.

Personally i dont like mb now as much as i used to on druid. Max fcr in my opinion, is still the most important element on casters. You cannot maintain max fcr on a druid with maxblock unlike necros. And with COA you can get respectable dr vs physicals anyway. With higher fcr, its also easier to maintain minions, which help you block ww etc, and also helps you pin stomped targets in fhr lock easier. Returns from vita/boable life investments is also hugely magnified due to oak sage. Hence i feel that in the long run a full vita windy is much more worth it than a maxblock windy.|||I have a full inventory of elemental Charms, but only a few have life on them. I figured that if I build up for max block with a ber'd stormshield, I will only need ~90 hard points into Dexterity.

Then I can easily switch between the two set-ups (FCR for vs Casters, and MB for vs BvC or other of the type) Using a Wizardspike on the caster set-up (for the extra +75 all resist) Granted, I'll be losing the +3 from hoto, and even the +1 from Suicide, but I think the resists will be more beneficial vs casters. I'll try to get Elemental lifers to replace what I have now, but it will take some time and the elementals should get me by okay.

Is it difficult to find a +2 druid, 18+ FCR ammy? I just need that and the 10 FCR ring. Until then I'll be using Max block set-up I guess, or just PvM to find said ring/amulet.

What do you summon? A Grizzly, 3 dire wolves, or 5 spirit wolves? Do you bother with Ravens?|||pvp most of the time you will use 5 wolves|||Should I even bother putting points up to Bear?

What about werewolf and werebear?