Lightning Bolt Druid Build

Druid (Storm + Nature) build using Plague and Lightning Bolt for TQ AE:RA

Introduction

This is a guide for Druid (Storm + Nature) focusing on using Plague and Lightning Bolt. With late game gears, you can achieve 80% cooldown reduction limit to cast these 2 spells only.

Why Plague and Lightning Bolt:

• These 2 spells provide damage (with AOE), CC (stun), debuff (offensive), debuff (defensive) - all you need

Pros:

• Well-rounded character with good offense and defense
  
• AOE is very good (Chain Lightning)
  
• Tanky, especially as a caster
  
• No temporary buff that needs to be refreshed

Cons:

• Gear-dependent
  
• Not the fastest boss killer

Attribute Distribution

Roughly 2:1 for Int and Health, and some points on Dexterity.

With this distribution, you can get 10k+ HP and 1000+ Int late game.

Skill Distribution

Lightning:

• Lightning Bolt tree: max. The focus of the build.
  
• Storm Nimbus tree: max Static Charge
  
• Wisp tree: max Eye of the Storm
  
• Storm Surge: max

Nature:

• Heart of Oak tree: max
  
• Plague tree: max

You can get the all the above skills before level 60.

After that, it's not really important but some options are:

• Sylvan Nymph pet: for some additional damage and the shield buff
  
• Wolf pet: for some additional damage and the total speed buff
  
• Squall tree: for even more debuff

Late Game/End-Game Set-Up/Gears

For late game (Legendary), this is what you should aim for (and you can achieve) in terms of set-up:

All skills: +4

Defense:

• Health: 10k+
  
• Primary resistance: 50 - 60%+, except bleeding maybe 10%+
  
• 50 - 80% stun resistance

Offense:

• Cooldown Reduction: 80% (max). This allows you to cast Plague and Lightning Bolt only.
  
• Int: 1k+

For example, below is what I'm using late game:

• Weapon: Geras' Walking Stick: +attributes +resistances (a lot)
  
• Head: Golden Agris Helmet: +1 skills, -recharge, +damage, +resistance
  
• Chess: Vestment of the Overlord: +2 skills, +attributes, + resistances, +DA
  
• Arms: Archmage's Clasp: -recharge, +attributes
  
• Legs: Boot of Freyja: -recharge, +damage, +resistances (a lot), +DA
  
• Amulet: Torc of the Ancestors: +1 skills, +damage, +resistances (a lot), +DA
  
• Artifact: Tongue of Flame (lesser artifact, very easy to get): +damage, +attributes, +resistance
  
• Rings: there are no great rings unfortunately so I'm just filling in what's missing: 1 green ring (Socrates's ring of Immortality with Demon's blood enchant) and 1 Apollo's Will ring (purely for its pierce/poison resistances and +attributes)

This gives my character:

• 10k+ HP
  
• 1k+ Int
  
• Cooldown Reduction: 80% (max)
  
• Resistances: 80% fire, 50% cold, 80% lightning, 80% pierce, 70% vitality, 60% poison, 12% bleeding, 20% physical, 80% stun
  
• All skills: +4

Farming Spots

Best farming spots are:

• Hydra (Act 1)
  
• Manticore (Act 2)
  
• Fafnir (Act 5)

Tactics

Simply cast Plague -> Lightning Bolt, repeat.

Early/mid game when cooldown reduction is not max yet, use the staff attack to fill in.