Season 9 of Diablo 4 puts a spotlight on the Druid with the Companion build emerging as the go-to setup. Suppose you love commanding nature’s beasts and shapeshifting into ferocious creatures. In that case, this build offers a solid mix of pet summons and shapeshift power that fits both campaign players and those racing to endgame.
The Druid, a fan favorite since Diablo 2, blends minion control and elemental magic, with the ability to become a werewolf or werebear. Season 9 introduces Horadric Powers, replacing Boss Powers, and the Companion Druid build takes full advantage of these new mechanics.
Core Skills for the Companion Druid
The heart of this build is the Spirit Wolves skill, supported by other summons like Ravens and offensive abilities such as Shred. Players will want to allocate points carefully and pick upgrades that boost their pets’ damage and survivability.
Here’s a quick rundown of the Active Skills recommended for this build, including points and key upgrades:
| Skill | Points | Upgrades |
|---|---|---|
| Maul | 1 | Enhanced |
| Shred | 1 | Enhanced, Primal |
| Blood Howl | 1 | Enhanced, Preserving |
| Roar | 1 | Enhanced, Inate |
| Wolf Pack | 5 | Enhanced, Ferocious |
| Ravens | 5 | Enhanced, Savage |
| Petrify | 5 | Enhanced, Supreme |
Passive Skills build a strong foundation, boosting survivability and pet effectiveness. Key passives include Predatory Instincts, Iron Fur, and the all-important One With Nature, which is essential for this build’s synergy.
| Skill | Points |
|---|---|
| Predatory Instincts | 1 |
| Iron Fur | 3 |
| Backlash | 3 |
| Ancestral Fortitude | 1 |
| Vigilance | 3 |
| Feral Aptitude | 3 |
| Humanity | 3 |
| Call of the Wild | 3 |
| Neurotoxin | 1 |
| Envenom | 3 |
| Natural Disaster | 3 |
| Defensive Posture | 3 |
| Catastrophe | 3 |
| Quickshift | 3 |
| Heightened Senses | 3 |
| One With Nature | (Key Passive) |
Spirit Boons and Paragon Board
Activating Spirit Boons requires completing the Druid’s quest at level 15. The Companion build benefits most from these Boons:
- Deer Spirit: Wariness
- Eagle Spirit: Avian Wrath
- Wolf Spirit: Packleader
- Snake Spirit: Masochistic
Eagle Spirit should be your bonded power, paired with the Iron Feather skill for extra mobility.
Once you hit level 60, the Paragon Board opens up, letting you pick nodes that boost stats and class-specific Glyphs. Prioritize Glyphs like Wilds, Spirit, Headhunter, Keeper, and Earth and Sky to maximize your build’s potential.
Mercenaries That Complement the Build
Mercenaries arrived with the Vessel of Hatred expansion and provide helpful backup. For the Companion Druid, Subo is the mercenary of choice, offering ranged attacks and significant hit buffs with skills like Seeker, Ready At Hand, and Opening Fire.
Raheir makes a strong reinforcement mercenary, especially when will casts Crater on every attack. This stuns and gathers enemies, setting them up perfectly for your pets to swarm.
Horadric Powers and Gear to Target
Season 9’s Horadric Powers replace the older Boss Powers and are central to this build’s strength. Aim for these:
- Catalyst: Celestial Surge (bind to Wolves)
- Infusion: Nebulous Extract
- Arcana: Musky Essence, Bloody Charm, Fractured Core
Tracking down these powers can take some time, but they’re worth hunting.
As for equipment, the build benefits from a mix of specific items and Aspects. Some notable gear includes:
| Item | Aspect | Type | How to Get | Sockets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Harlequin Crest | – | Helm | Farm Duriel | NaguKry Runeword |
| Shroud of False Death | Shroud of False Death | Armor | Farm Echo of Varshan | 2x Grand Sapphires |
| Runic Gloves of the Stampede | Stampede | Gloves | Random drops | – |
| Storm’s Companion | – | Pants | Farm The Beast in the Ice for the Aspect Pants are random drops |
2x Grand Sapphires |
| Runic Cleats of Metamorphosis | Metamorphosis | Boots | Random drops | – |
| Shepherd’s War Crest | Shepherd’s | Weapon | Aspect found in Bloodsoaked Crag in Dry Steppes Weapon is a random drop |
YulCeh Runeword |
| – | – | Offhand | – | – |
| Ocelot’s Eye of the Alpha Furor | Alpha | Amulet | Both Amulet and Aspect are random drops | Grand Diamond |
| Moonrage Soulwatch Hoop | Moonrage | Ring | Both Amulet and Aspect are random drops | Grand Diamond |
| Ring of Starless Skies | – | Ring | Random drop | Perfect Skull |
