When most people consider their builds for the Druid class in Diablo 4, the decision doesn't always factor in the class's unique companions that can add tons of value to your build if used correctly. However, it can be tricky to decide on which aspects, boons, and skills, mesh best when the use of companions is your main focus.
Luckily, you won't have to do it all alone as this guide is here to help, and even give you a good idea of the kind of Druid you might want to try in Season 1. So below we will break down everything you need from the skills and aspects to the paragon points and much more to create the ultimate Druid Companion build in Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 - Best Druid Companion Build Overview
This Druid leveling build focuses on leveraging companions to create a formidable and powerful army with substantial damage output. While the early game may feel slow, once companions are acquired, the build gains tons of momentum, which can help you burn your way through Season 1.
As the name suggests, our primary source of damage in this build comes from the Companions, with Storm Strike being a key ability to use initially, and later we move on to Wolves, Ravens, and Creepers to do tons of additional damage on top of our other elemental skills.
The build emphasizes two Defensive Skills along with Vigilance, granting us passive Damage reduction for added survivability. The choice of Defensive Skills is flexible and dependent on personal preference but let's get into the nitty gritty so you can understand how the build functions in detail.
Diablo 4 - Best Skills and Passives For Druid Companion Build
Below we'll be discussing the core and passive skills that work best with our Companion Druid build, and give you a brief explanation of why they are recommended. It should be noted that these are the mid-end game recommendations, so any skills you choose to pursue on your way to unlocking these during Season 1 are up to personal preference.
| D4 Druid Companion build Skills in S1 | Points Spent |
| Storm Strike | 1 |
| Enhanced Storm Strike | 1 |
| Fierce Storm Strike | 1 |
| Predatory Instinct | 3 |
| Earthen Bulwark | 1 |
| Enhanced Earthen Bulwark | 1 |
| Preserving Earthen Bulwark | 1 |
| Blood Howl | 1 |
| Enhanced Blood Howl | 1 |
| Preserving Blood Howl | 1 |
| Ancestral Fortitude | 3 |
| Vigilance | 3 |
| Wolves | 5 |
| Enhanced Wolves | 1 |
| Brutal Wolves | 1 |
| Poison Creeper | 5 |
| Enhanced Poison Creeper | 1 |
| Brutal Poison Creeper | 1 |
| Ravens | 5 |
| Enhanced Ravens | 1 |
| Brutal Ravens | 1 |
| Call of the Wild | 3 |
| Neurotoxin | 1 |
| Envenom | 3 |
| Defensive Posture | 3 |
| Thick Hide | 3 |
| Natures Resolve | 3 |
| Unrestrained | 2 |
| Bestial Rampage | 1 |
Please note: The optimal Druid companion builds for Diablo 4 Season 1 utilizes all available Skill Points, including the additional two earned per region through renown.
In this build, we have carefully selected skills in collaboration with the invaluable resource, IcyVeins.GG. The primary focus of this setup is to employ Wolves for potent single-target damage while relying on Poison Creeper and Ravens for efficient AoE clearing. For defensive purposes, we rely on Earthen Bulwark, which not only serves as our main defensive ability but also allows us to become Unstoppable, enabling us to escape challenging situations.
If you're not familiar with all the skill names in Diablo 4 or are new to the Druid class, the table provided above will be more comprehensible once we delve into the detailed descriptions of each skill below.
- Storm Strike - Electricity gathers around your weapon, dealing 20% damage to your target and chaining to up to 3 surrounding enemies, dealing 20% less damage each time it chains. You gain a 15% Damage Reduction for 3 seconds after dealing damage with Storm Strike.
- Predatory Instinct - Critical Strike Chance against Close enemies is increased by 2%[+].
- Earthen Bulwark - Rocks surround you for 3 seconds, granting a Barrier that absorbs 45% of your Base Life (746) in damage.
- Blood Howl - Shapeshift into a Werewolf and howl furiously, Healing you for 20.0% of your Maximum Life (332).
- Ancestral Fortitude - Increase your Non-Physical Resistances by 5%.
- Vigilance - You gain a 5% Damage Reduction for 6 seconds after using a Defensive Skill.
- Wolves - Passive: Summon 2 wolf companions that bite enemies for 7% damage. Active: Direct your wolves to focus on an enemy, leaping to them and striking for 110% damage.
- Poison Creeper - Passive: A poison creeper periodically emerges from the ground every 7 seconds and applies 6% Poisoning damage over 6 seconds to an enemy in the area. Active: Vines strangle all surrounding enemies, immobilizing them for 2 seconds and Poisoning them for 45% damage over 2 seconds.
- Ravens - Passive: 1 Raven flies above you and periodically attacks your enemies for 13% damage every 5 seconds. Active: The target area is swarmed with ravens, dealing 160% damage over 6 seconds.
- Call of the Wild - Your Companion Skills deal 10%[x] bonus damage.
- Neurotoxin - Poisoned enemies are slowed by 8%.
- Envenom - You and your Companions gain 10%[+] bonus Critical Strike Damage against Poisoned enemies.
- Defensive Posture - Increases the amount of Fortify you gain from all sources by 5%[+].
- Thick Hide - Whenever you are Stunned, Immobilized, or Knocked Down, Fortify for 6.4% Base Life (106).
- Nature's Resolve - 5% chance when struck to Fortify you for 4.4% Base Life (73).
- Unrestrained - Reduce the duration of Control Impairing Effects by 3%. Triple this effect while you have Fortify for over 50% of your Maximum Life.
- Bestial Rampage - After being a Werewolf for 2.5 seconds, gain 25%[+] Attack Speed for 15 seconds. After being a Werebear for 2.5 seconds, deal 30%[x] increased damage for 15 seconds.
Diablo 4 - Best Spirit Boons For Druid Companion Build
Next, we touch on the best Spirit Boons that players can use within the Druids Spirit Animal System that match best with the Companion build. These are essentially separate buffs that the Druid class can gain by making offerings to specific Spirit animals, but for a more detailed explanation, check out our guide on the Druids Spirit Animal System here.
- Packleader (Wolf) - Lucky Hit: Critical Strikes have up to a 20% chance to reset the Cooldowns of your Companion Skills.
- Scythe Talons (Eagle) - Gain 5% increased Critical Strike Chance.
- Overload (Snake) - Lucky Hit: Dealing Lightning damage has up to a 20% chance to cause the target to emit a static discharge, dealing 20% Lightning Damage to nearby enemies.
- Wariness (Stag) - Take 10% reduced damage from Elites.
- Swooping Attacks (Eagle) - Gain 10% Attack Speed.
The initial two boons hold particular significance for this build since they increase critical hit chances, ensuring a more frequent presence of the three Animal Companion summons while minimizing their downtime. Following that, the focus shifts to enhancing survivability and fortifying basic attacks from Storm Strike using the latter two Spirit Boons.
Stats Priority For Diablo 4 Companion Build Druid
Regarding the core attributes essential for the Companion Druid build, prioritize the following stats in descending order of importance:
- Strength - Boosts Armor by +X (1 Strength = 1 Armor).
- Intelligence - Enhances All Resistances by +X.XX% (1 Intelligence = 0.05% All Resist).
- Willpower - Increases Healing Received by +X.XX% (1 Willpower = 0.1% Healing Received).
- Dexterity - Improves Chance to Dodge attacks by +X.XX% (1 Dexterity = 0.025% Chance to Dodge).
In Diablo 4 Season 1, there are several secondary stats and affixes to consider for the Druid Companion build. Look for bonuses such as + Damage Reduction, Damage to Crowd Controlled Enemies, Critical Strike Chance, Vulnerable Damage, and Spirit Cost Reduction for the skills you use.
Remember that these primary stats can be further enhanced through leveling up and equipping new items. Additionally, discovering and interacting with Altars of Lilith will grant a permanent increase in primary stats for all your characters.
Best Diablo 4 Season 1 Druid Companion Build Paragon Legendary Nodes & Glyphs
As you progress through the Paragon Board during Diablo 4 Season 1, you will have the opportunity to incorporate specific Glyphs and quickly level them up. This progression allows you to unlock powerful Legendary Nodes as you advance. For the Companion Druid build, we suggest prioritizing the following Glyphs in a specific order:
- Keeper
- Wilds
- Human
- Guzzler
Here is a list of the Legendary Nodes and their corresponding boards that you should progress through, arranged in order of importance. For a more holistic view, check out the image above outlying how your paragon board should look.
- Lust For Carnage (Pick up the Legendary Node on this board)
- Heightened Malice (Pick up the Legendary Node on this board)
- Inner Beast (Go through the board, not Legendary Node)
Always remember the significance of planning and identifying the specific stats required to obtain additional bonuses. To assist with this, we recommend utilizing the best Paragon Board planner designed for Diablo 4 Season 1.
Best Gems For Druid Companion Build in Diablo 4
In Diablo 4, Gems can be equipped on various gear pieces, such as weapons, armor, or jewelry like necklaces. The effects provided by Gems depend on where you place them. Below, we have listed the best placements for each Gem to optimize the Companion Druid build in Diablo 4 Season 1:
- Weapon: Royal Topaz - Use Royal Topaz for enhancing Basic Skill Damage.
- Armor: Royal Ruby - Place a Royal Ruby on your armor for increased +#% Maximum Life.
As for your Jewelry, we typically recommend using Royal Diamonds. However, with the introduction of Diablo 4 Season 1, it has become crucial to include Malignant Hearts in the Ring and Amulet slots. If you're unsure about what Malignant Hearts are, don't worry, as we'll explain them in the following part of this guide.
Best Malignant Hearts For Druid Companion in Diablo 4 S1
Diablo 4 Season 1 introduces an exciting new questline that challenges players to track down Malignant Monsters scattered throughout the world of Sanctuary. Defeating these creatures rewards players with Caged Hearts, which can be inserted into Jewelry sockets to grant powerful abilities capable of transforming their character's build. If acquiring Malignant Hearts through regular means becomes challenging, players also have the option to craft them.
Here are the abilities granted by some of these Malignant Hearts:
- Moonrage (Vicious, Offensive): When you eliminate foes, there is a 5% chance of summoning a Wolf Companion to fight alongside you for 20-30 seconds. Additionally, you gain a +3 bonus to Wolves.
- Revenge (Brutal, Defensive): 10-20% of the damage you receive is suppressed. When you use a Defensive, Subterfuge, or a Macabre skill, all the suppressed damage is amplified by 250% and explodes, dealing 1360-2040 Fire damage to nearby enemies.
- The Barber (Wrathful, Super): Critical Strikes and all subsequent damage within 2.0-4.0 seconds are absorbed by your target. Afterward, the absorbed damage is unleashed upon surrounding enemies. The stored damage increases by 10% per second.
These Malignant Hearts offer exciting opportunities to enhance your character's capabilities and create unique and powerful builds.
Best Legendary Aspects/Items For Diablo 4 Druid Companion build in Season 1
In this section, we will discuss the main Aspects you should aim to obtain either by gathering item drops, clearing, and farming Dungeons or via the Occultist merchant and the Codex of Power. So let's dive in and discuss which ones work best with the Companion Druid build in Diablo 4 Season 1.
| Item Slot | Best Companion Druid Legendary Aspect/Power |
| Helm | Harlequin Crest |
| Chest | Nighthowler’s Aspect |
| Gloves | Aspect of the Stampede or Aspect of the Alpha |
| Pants | Aspect of the Wildrage |
| Boots | Skinwalker’s Aspect |
| Weapon | Rapid Aspect |
| Amulet | Storm’s Companion |
| Ring 1 | Exploiter’s Aspect |
| Ring 2 | Aspect of the Stampede or Aspect of the Alpha |
|
Offhand |
Overcharged Aspect |
Lastly, it is recommended to try out various combinations and see how they suit your playstyle. With a range of aspects available, make sure to check our comprehensive list of Legendary Aspects and Abilities for the Companion Druid build in Diablo 4.
Best Unique Items For Druid Companion build in Diablo 4 Season 1
Diablo 4's Unique items present an incredible opportunity to enhance your character significantly. Equipping these extraordinary finds can completely transform your playstyle. Besides possessing powerful attributes like other items, Unique items offer enhanced itemization and often come with distinctive effects that cannot be obtained through any other gear.
For the Druid build in Season 1 of Diablo 4, the recommended Unique Items not only focus on bolstering your companion skills but also aim to improve overall survivability and damage output. Here are the top Unique Items for the Druid build in Season 1:
- The Grandfather (Super Unique)
- Storm's Companion (Ideal Recommendation)
- Vasily's Prayer
However, there are also exceedingly rare and potent Unique items known as uber/super items that players can acquire if they are exceptionally fortunate. If you can obtain any of the items listed above, incorporate them into your build immediately!
Additionally, Season 1 introduces two new Unique items for Druids to utilize: the Fleshrender Mace and the Ahavarion, Spear of Lycander Staff. While both of these items have potential uses for our build, we cannot provide a definitive recommendation until we have more time to experiment with them and observe how they affect the meta. Rest assured, once we have more experience, we will update this section with our recommendations.
So there you have it, the best outline for creating the ultimate Companion Druid build in Diablo 4, especially for those considering the Druid as main their class in Season 1. As always, feel free to play around with the specifics as you see fit, especially given the flexibility of the Druid build, and of course, enjoy unleashing the power of nature and beasts as you tear through Diablo 4.
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