Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred has finally arrived, introducing the highly anticipated Spiritborn class, the new region of Nahantu, as well as many new systems and additions to the endgame. Vessel of Hatred also brings many balancing changes and a whole new leveling system, with a brand new cap of level 60. To fully dive into all this new content, however, you'll need to advance to the later stages of the game. In this guide, we're here to help you do just that by showcasing the best Druid builds for leveling and progressing to the new Torment difficulty in the endgame.
We've chosen these builds based on their early-game effectiveness, balancing damage output and survivability, as well as how fun and engaging they are to play. Here's our list of recommended Druid builds for Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred.
| Table of Contents | ||
| Stone Burst | Companion | Pulverize |
| Lightning Storm | ||
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Stone Burst is the brand new skill that was added to the Druid in the new Vessel of Hatred expansion. It is a large channeled AoE explotion that will allow you to blow up everything on your screen. It does amazing damage and it has some great synergies with your other abilities, with the only drawback being that you have to stay in one spot and channel it. While it is not as amazing of a skill as some of the options for the other classes, the Druid has always been a slow starter, which makes Stone Burst automatically one of the best choices while leveling. If you are looking for something new to try out in Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred, make sure to check out the Stone Burst Druid build!
| Pros | Cons |
| Amazing AoE clear | Requires Channeling |
| Not reliant on gear | Low mobility |
| Can be resource starved |
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It seems like every single season we get new buffs to minions in Diablo 4 and the Vessel of Hatred expansion is no different. With all of these changes over the past year, the Companion Druid has finally become competitive with the rest of the leveling builds in the game. If you enjoy a playstyle that lets you move around the battlefield while your minions take care of the heavy lifting, this build is definitely worth a try. It’s easy to play, fun, and particularly suited for players with disabilities. The combination of buffs and increased support from Legendaries and Aspects gives you room to experiment with your minions, allowing you to fine-tune the balance between damage and survivability.
Druid companions are continuing to receive buffs in Diablo 4 Vessel of Hatred, so if you enjoy the summoner playstyle during leveling, make sure to try it out in the new expansion!
| Pros | Cons |
| Amazing AoE clear | Lucky Hit centered |
| Good ST damage | Low mobility |
| Not reliant on gear | Resource starved |
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The Pulverize Druid build has been a go-to choice for leveling over the past few seasons, and it will continue to remain a fan favorite in Vessel of Hatred. Visually, it's one of the most striking builds in the game, transforming into a massive bear, stomping the ground, and sending enemies flying across the battlefield. However, the key challenge for this build has always been the same: to reach its full potential, you’ll need the Shockwave Aspect, which is a random drop and can't be added to your codex from a dungeon. For the smoothest leveling experience, we recommend starting with one of the other builds on this list, then switching to Pulverize if the Shockwave Aspect drops for you.
In Vessel of Hatred, the Pulverize Druid build is better than ever, with a small damage buff coming to the Shockwave Aspect, as well as a new runeword that allows the skill to have a chance to deal double damage.
| Pros | Cons |
| Amazing AoE clear | Key Aspect required |
| Fun to play | Low mobility |
| Really tanky | Resource starved |
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One of the most effective ways to level up a Druid in Vessel of Hatred is by trying out the Lightning Storm skill. This ability summons a storm that periodically strikes nearby enemies, and while it’s active, you can also make use of other skills like Storm Strike and Hurricane to boost your damage output even further. This build excels in AoE clear while allowing you to remain mobile, as a significant portion of your damage is dealt passively around you. Staying on the move is advisable since this build doesn't offer the same level of survivability as some other Druid options on this list. If you’re looking for a visually striking build that doesn’t demand too many actions per minute, Lightning Storm could be the perfect fit for you.
There are no big changes coming to the Lightning Storm build in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred. We continue to recommend this build, as the Druid has a limited amount of choices during the leveling process!
| Pros | Cons |
| Good AoE clear | Low ST damage |
| Fun to play | Low mobility |
| Not gear dependent | Can be resource starved |
And those were all of our recommendations for the best Druid leveling builds in Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred. If you are looking to reach the endgame as fast as possible, make sure to pick any one of these options, as they are the easiest to get running while providing you with a lot of mobility, damage, and survivability. For more Diablo 4: Vessel of Hatred news and guides, make sure to check out the rest of our website!
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