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Playing as a Druid on Diablo 4 presents many tough choices for developing your build. They can excel at casting, summoning, or melee combat, and many builds use a combination of these abilities. But choosing what skills to use is only a small part of developing your Druid's build.

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The Storm Wolf build is one such Druid who masters both magic and melee. Powerful Werewolf attacks are enhanced with Lightning damage, which often chains to more distant enemies. This guide will go over everything it takes to develop a Storm Wolf Druid, from skills and passives to gear and aspects.

Updated by Aaron Krull on July 31, 2023: Given more time since the game's release, we've discovered more unique items for Druids. These can completely change your Druid's build due to their extremely powerful effects.

Best Storm Wolf Druid Specializations

Diablo 4 a druid checks out the various Spirit Boons while waiting in Tur Dulra

Each class in Diablo 4 has its own unique method of gaining specialized passive buffs. Starting at level 15, Druids can collect Druidic Spirit Offerings. Once the Druid's class quest is completed, spirit offerings can be turned in for powerful Druid Spirit Boons.

Several of the buffs that Druids get from Spirit Boons are pretty general and can be changed depending on the stats you get from gear. But, these are generally the best Spirit Boons and Spirit Bonding for the Storm Wolf build:

Spirit Animal

Spirit Boon

Deer

Wariness — Take 10% reduced damage from Elites.

Eagle — Bonded

Scythe Talons — Gain 5% increased Critical Strike Chance.

Eagle — Bonded

Avian Wrath — Gain 30% Critical Strike Damage.

Wolf

Calamity — Extend the duration of Ultimate Skills by 25%.

Snake

Masochistic — Critical Strikes with Shapeshifting Skills Heal you for 3% Maximum Life.

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Best Storm Wolf Druid Skills

D4 Druid is shown looking over the skill tree after adding another skill point from leveling up

The Storm Wolf build can be challenging to level with, as you'll need to use mainly Werewolf skills. While they do a lot of damage, Werewolves early on are not able to take much damage themselves. It's a good idea to level in a group, or use a handy leveling guide.

The major lightning damage for this build is going to come from Aspects later on, but Hurricane is essential for dealing damage to Distant Enemies and causing Vulnerability. It's also a main source for triggering the passives Electric Shock and Bad Omen, greatly increasing damage output.

When upgrading Werewolf skills, the Storm Wolf build thrives on bonus Critical Strike Chance and Damage. Because Lightning damage in Diablo 4 often chains to additional enemies, it can sometimes be less effective against single targets like Bosses. Stacking Crits helps to round out the Storm Wolf against all enemies.

Type of Skill

Recommended Skills

Basic

  • Claw
    • Enhanced Claw
    • Wild Claw

Core

  • Shred
    • Enhanced Shred
    • Primal Shred
  • Passives: Predatory Instinct; Heart of the Wild; Wild Impulses

Defensive

  • Blood Howl
    • Enhanced Blood Howl
    • Preserving Blood Howl

Companion

  • No summonable Companion Skills
  • Passive: Nature's Reach

Wrath

  • Hurricane
    • Enhanced Hurricane
    • Natural Hurricane
  • Rabies
    • Enhanced Rabies
    • Savage Rabies
  • Passives: Elemental Exposure; Endless Tempest; Charged Atmosphere; Bad Omen; Electric Shock

Ultimate

  • Cataclysm
  • Passives: Defiance; Natural Disaster

Key Passive

  • Lupine Ferocity

There's no need to max out every skill for the Storm Wolf build, especially when it comes to Rabies and some of the passives. You also won't get enough skill points in Diablo 4 to get all the poison damage passives in addition to these. But, further customized builds can certainly use both poison and lightning.

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Best Storm Wolf Druid Aspects

Diablo 4 Druid Aspect for Wildrage, stampede, Alpha, Storm

There are several awesome aspects for the Storm Wolf build. Some of these directly combine Lightning damage with Werewolf abilities, while others just enhance your Lightning itself. Stacking up these effects on your equipment is really how the Storm Wolf build all comes together.

Aspects can only go into certain slots, so we've recommended which slots to use in order to maximize your Aspects. Offensive Aspects provide 2-handed weapons with a 100% power bonus, but if you can find a Unique weapon then those are typically even better.

Aspect Name

Type and Best Slot

Effect

Stormclaw's Aspect

Offensive: use on Gloves, Amulet, or Ring in case you find the Greatstaff of the Crone (more about Uniques later)

Critical Strikes with Shred deal [20.0-30.0]% of the damage dealt as Lightning Damage to the target and surrounding enemies.

Stormshifter's Aspect

Utility: use only on Boots to allow room for the other Aspects

While Hurricane is active, gain +2 Ranks to your Shapeshifting Skills.

Runeworker's Conduit Aspect

Offensive: use on Gloves, Amulet, or Ring

Critical Strikes with Storm Skills charge the air around you for [1.0-2.0] seconds causing a Lightning Strike to periodically hit an enemy in the area for [X] Lightning damage.

Overcharged Aspect

Offensive: use on Gloves, Amulet, or Ring

Lucky Hit: Up to a [10.0-20.0]% chance when dealing Lightning damage to overload the target for 3 seconds, causing any direct damage you deal to them to pulse [X] additional damage to surrounding enemies.

Aspect of the Unsatiated

Resource: can only be used on a Ring

After killing an enemy with Shred, your next Werewolf Skill generates [20.0-30.0]% more Spirit and deals [20.0-30.0]% increased damage.

Vigorous Aspect

Defensive: use on Pants, in case you find the Unique Helm or Chest detailed below

Gain [10.0-15.0]% Damage Reduction while Shapeshifted into a Werewolf.

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Best Storm Wolf Druid Gear

D4 Druid shown with the special legendary amulet earned from completing Act 1

When it comes to gear for the Storm Wolf build, there are several considerations to make. Besides imbuing equipment with certain Aspects, there are a couple of unique legendary pieces of gear that only Druids can make full use of. Gems can also be upgraded and socketed to enhance your survivability and damage output.

Gear affixes as well should be paid close attention to, as they can greatly contribute to any build's effectiveness. There are many affixes that can aid the Storm Wolf, but some should definitely be prioritized above all the rest:

  • Critical Strike Damage and Chance: This build will have a lot of guaranteed Critical Strikes anyway, so Critical Strike Damage is even more important.
  • Bonus Ranks to Claw, Shred, and Hurricane
  • Damage to Close Enemies
  • Core Skill Damage
  • Dexterity, Willpower

Best Gems

What kinds of gems you use might vary depending on what affixes your gear provides. For example, if you have a particularly low amount of Fire Resistance, then you'll want to socket several Rubies into your jewelry. These are generally the best gems for the Storm Wolf gear:

Equipment Type

Gem

Effect

Weapon

Emerald

Bonus Critical Strike Damage to Vulnerable Enemies

Armor

Skull

Bonus Healing Received

Jewelry

Diamond

Bonus Resistance to All Elements

Best Unique Items

Each class in Diablo 4 has several unique items that can drop from enemies starting at World Tier 3. These are quite a bit rarer than the Aspects, which are found on most pieces of legendary gear, and their effects are typically much more powerful. If you're lucky enough to find one, you may need to rethink which slots you have your current Aspects on.

There are three unique items that are absolutely outstanding for the Storm Wolf Druid.

  • The Greatstaff of the Crone makes Claw a Storm skill and causes it to also cast the Storm Strike skill at 30% of normal damage. This packs on a fair amount of bonus lightning damage, while also providing numerous additional triggers for the various Storm Wolf passives discussed previously.
  • Mad Wolf's Glee is a unique chest armor, which makes Werewolf form your true form and gives +2 Ranks to all Werewolf skills. Being your "true form" simply means that your character will be a Werewolf by default. You'll need to cast a non-Werewolf ability, or remove the armor, to turn back into Human form.
  • Tempest Roar is a unique Druid helm which grants two powerful effects. Storm skills have a 15-25% chance to restore 4 Spirit, but even better all your Storm skills are also Werewolf skills. In addition to being able to cast Storm skills while in Werewolf form, they even benefit from other bonuses to your Werewolf skills as well!

NEXT: Diablo 4: All Classes, Ranked