02-06-2025, 07:53 PM
Druid has been out for a hot minute, and I've been playing a few different varieties of Druid. Both in PVE (Tier 2 Rematches vs Alraune/Goblins/etc), Events, And PVP. The Wildshape side of Druid is obscenely strong, to the point that I would probably say a Druid's best weapon option is actually Axes due to the nature of Crit Mod on things that get ele-attack, or use more than 100% SWA scaling. This isn't really the focus of this though.
The Plant Side (and by extension, Spell side) is VERY lacking. The plants are all lackluster, with huge wind ups before they bloom that leaves a super telegraphed attack that you would EXPECT to be strong for how much wind up is involved, but they end up being lackluster.
Burning Bush
An Aquamancer's Water Tentacle does More Damage, Can Slow/Immobilize, and all-around is better supported by other abilities in the class than Burning Bush.
Devil Vines
These little bastards deserve a Special place in hell. A 35% damage redux parry on Phys 50% of the time is fantastic. And with the plant itself self-propagating, it actually really lends itself to getting everywhere. The problem lies in a few things. Namely that if you use Mass Brighten on them, no tile near them (if they are near the center) will be valid. Which will completely self-terminate the devil Vines and end their propagation. So Devil Vines are killed by one interaction within the class that it WANTS to use..
And then.. Druidic Tending comes into play with these little fuckers. They WILL EAT. ALL OF YOUR QUICKNESS AND INVIGORATION TARGETS. WITHOUT EXECEPTION. Oh you wanted to mass > listblume > invigorate? Sorry. There were devil vines in the SW of your AoE, and they just ate them instead. It is incredibly frustrating to use Druidic Tending if Devil Vines are anywhere in play. This ability, alone, completely kills synergy within the class itself.
Mortefiore
I am actually relatively OK with this ability? If nothing else, I would love for an interaction with this to turn all tiles adjacent to a Mortefiore'd target into Plant Tiles. It's not really a Plant Druid skill though, so. Kind of just a side tangent.
Listblume
This one is hard to judge. Mostly because of the sheer amount of Shaitans running around. Beyond this, though. Listblume has the strongest (possible) charm in the game at a whopping level 50 if the Listblume is Invigorated. The range is fantastic, the effect is fantastic. The only gripe I have with this is using it on Duelists (or anyone who can benefit from the Crit Momentum) will generally put the druid at a disadvantage momentum wise. But. I am also fine with this, so. Shrugsies.
"What do you mean there are other plants"
"Oh fuck. I forgot the Spell Plan-"
Fulgur of Flight / Fulgurbloom Sapling
So this one is kind of hard to talk about, since it's tied to an ability that has a FIVE ROUND cooldown. And not nearly as usable as the other. It.. The Fulgurbloom Sapling Sure Does Exist. It creates level 30 static tiles when placed. Level 40 if Spirited. Level 50 if Invigorated. Which is a lot of damage in certain circumstances! The problem is that it's tied to Fulgur of Flight. Which is generally your 'oh shit' button, and not a button you throw out every five seconds. Also the 'Oh Shit' button has a 15% / 20% wind weakness (It's a pierce? So.. Idk.) tied to it, so you never actually see Fulgurbloom Sapling coming out in basically every single usage that you might want to.
Also??? The placing of the Fulgurbloom Sapling is??? weird???? Sometimes it doesn't place it in the dead center of the AoE, where you would think it should be placed. I straight up don't know what to do with that.
Geo of Drought / Bristleblade Sapling
This has a 3 round cooldown. Specifically exists to spite Aquamancer. Fire Pierce. The Bristlblade sapling can actually hit pretty hard if spirited + invigorated, with it's Bloom effect being 350 damage (armor ignoring. Not protection ignoring)... and uh... then it does Fuck All after that. Dealing a whopping 70 damage to targets in 2 range. It does get benefits from Aero Shift, but. Again. You will RARELY see this plant come into play for the actual plant and not for the "I want Geo of Drought".
Also it's 3 rounds cooldown on Geo of Drought. Then 3 rounds to bloom. You have SO LONG to just. Walk Away from this plant.
Nature's Bounty
Also known as The Really Bad, plant. 25% FP to 1 target IF they eat it after 3 turns. And for an extra 1m, you can also give out 25% HP to 1 target, if they eat it after 3 turns. The rider effects of Druidic Tending are really good! But. I'll be completely honest here. I have this skill. I have literally never used it, because of just how much work is needed to be put into this for an absolute abysmal amount of return.
Special Mention
Canto of Nature
This makes you think it's a 1m skill. But it's actually a 3m skill that refunds 2m. And ALSO requires an instrument... and ALSO is very much unable to be used in most cases because you don't often have 1m left over. Really, the main problem here is that it requires an instrument.
---
I'm really not sure HOW to improve upon Plant Druid, but I think a major thing that should change is four fold.
Druidic Tending no longer has a limitation to how many plants it can effect. If this limitation really needs to exist, then make it Invig/Quickness Rank Times 2.
Devil Vines now self propagate Invig/Quickness that has been cast upon them. Meaning that any that spawn from one that HAS it, will also spawn with Invig/Quickness.
Bloom Timer is no longer tied to Round Start. This has always been weird, and made Druids with higher Cel than your opponent be Just Kind Of Worse, since Low-Cel Druids can instant-throw stuff out that people can't interact with/avoid. I would suggest the Fuse Timer function that was given to Explosion, so that Fast and Slow Druids are equal in their power with that regard.
Nature's Conduit now gives 0.5 skill slots per Druid skill equipped. Alternatively, Nature's Conduit gives 0.5 skill slots per Plant, Animal Companion, and Wild Shape ability equipped.
The Plant Side (and by extension, Spell side) is VERY lacking. The plants are all lackluster, with huge wind ups before they bloom that leaves a super telegraphed attack that you would EXPECT to be strong for how much wind up is involved, but they end up being lackluster.
Burning Bush
An Aquamancer's Water Tentacle does More Damage, Can Slow/Immobilize, and all-around is better supported by other abilities in the class than Burning Bush.
- Burning Bush isn't an autohit (and doesnt even use your weapon's hit)
- Burning Bush lasts LESS time than Water Tentacle
- Burning Bush has an initial AoE attack, but after that it's a tiny area which it strikes.
- Just??? Does less damage than Water Tentacle? (100% fire attack +25 vs 140% water attack)
Devil Vines
These little bastards deserve a Special place in hell. A 35% damage redux parry on Phys 50% of the time is fantastic. And with the plant itself self-propagating, it actually really lends itself to getting everywhere. The problem lies in a few things. Namely that if you use Mass Brighten on them, no tile near them (if they are near the center) will be valid. Which will completely self-terminate the devil Vines and end their propagation. So Devil Vines are killed by one interaction within the class that it WANTS to use..
And then.. Druidic Tending comes into play with these little fuckers. They WILL EAT. ALL OF YOUR QUICKNESS AND INVIGORATION TARGETS. WITHOUT EXECEPTION. Oh you wanted to mass > listblume > invigorate? Sorry. There were devil vines in the SW of your AoE, and they just ate them instead. It is incredibly frustrating to use Druidic Tending if Devil Vines are anywhere in play. This ability, alone, completely kills synergy within the class itself.
Mortefiore
I am actually relatively OK with this ability? If nothing else, I would love for an interaction with this to turn all tiles adjacent to a Mortefiore'd target into Plant Tiles. It's not really a Plant Druid skill though, so. Kind of just a side tangent.
Listblume
This one is hard to judge. Mostly because of the sheer amount of Shaitans running around. Beyond this, though. Listblume has the strongest (possible) charm in the game at a whopping level 50 if the Listblume is Invigorated. The range is fantastic, the effect is fantastic. The only gripe I have with this is using it on Duelists (or anyone who can benefit from the Crit Momentum) will generally put the druid at a disadvantage momentum wise. But. I am also fine with this, so. Shrugsies.
"What do you mean there are other plants"
"Oh fuck. I forgot the Spell Plan-"
Fulgur of Flight / Fulgurbloom Sapling
So this one is kind of hard to talk about, since it's tied to an ability that has a FIVE ROUND cooldown. And not nearly as usable as the other. It.. The Fulgurbloom Sapling Sure Does Exist. It creates level 30 static tiles when placed. Level 40 if Spirited. Level 50 if Invigorated. Which is a lot of damage in certain circumstances! The problem is that it's tied to Fulgur of Flight. Which is generally your 'oh shit' button, and not a button you throw out every five seconds. Also the 'Oh Shit' button has a 15% / 20% wind weakness (It's a pierce? So.. Idk.) tied to it, so you never actually see Fulgurbloom Sapling coming out in basically every single usage that you might want to.
Also??? The placing of the Fulgurbloom Sapling is??? weird???? Sometimes it doesn't place it in the dead center of the AoE, where you would think it should be placed. I straight up don't know what to do with that.
Geo of Drought / Bristleblade Sapling
This has a 3 round cooldown. Specifically exists to spite Aquamancer. Fire Pierce. The Bristlblade sapling can actually hit pretty hard if spirited + invigorated, with it's Bloom effect being 350 damage (armor ignoring. Not protection ignoring)... and uh... then it does Fuck All after that. Dealing a whopping 70 damage to targets in 2 range. It does get benefits from Aero Shift, but. Again. You will RARELY see this plant come into play for the actual plant and not for the "I want Geo of Drought".
Also it's 3 rounds cooldown on Geo of Drought. Then 3 rounds to bloom. You have SO LONG to just. Walk Away from this plant.
Nature's Bounty
Also known as The Really Bad, plant. 25% FP to 1 target IF they eat it after 3 turns. And for an extra 1m, you can also give out 25% HP to 1 target, if they eat it after 3 turns. The rider effects of Druidic Tending are really good! But. I'll be completely honest here. I have this skill. I have literally never used it, because of just how much work is needed to be put into this for an absolute abysmal amount of return.
Special Mention
Canto of Nature
This makes you think it's a 1m skill. But it's actually a 3m skill that refunds 2m. And ALSO requires an instrument... and ALSO is very much unable to be used in most cases because you don't often have 1m left over. Really, the main problem here is that it requires an instrument.
---
I'm really not sure HOW to improve upon Plant Druid, but I think a major thing that should change is four fold.
Druidic Tending no longer has a limitation to how many plants it can effect. If this limitation really needs to exist, then make it Invig/Quickness Rank Times 2.
Devil Vines now self propagate Invig/Quickness that has been cast upon them. Meaning that any that spawn from one that HAS it, will also spawn with Invig/Quickness.
Bloom Timer is no longer tied to Round Start. This has always been weird, and made Druids with higher Cel than your opponent be Just Kind Of Worse, since Low-Cel Druids can instant-throw stuff out that people can't interact with/avoid. I would suggest the Fuse Timer function that was given to Explosion, so that Fast and Slow Druids are equal in their power with that regard.
Nature's Conduit now gives 0.5 skill slots per Druid skill equipped. Alternatively, Nature's Conduit gives 0.5 skill slots per Plant, Animal Companion, and Wild Shape ability equipped.
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