What's that smell? Is something burning? Oh never mind, it's just the monsters. Crank up the heat with a Fissure Druid and burn legions of demons to ashes! Because of how Fissure deals damage, the more mobs the merrier! The Fissure Druid, or Fire Druid, performs incredibly well in areas with densely packed monsters such as The Secret Cow Level, Stony Tomb, and Flayer Jungle.
This build has no shortage of firepower with solid Single Target damage from Firestorm and additional Area of Effect (AoE) damage from Armageddon layered on top of Fissure's already massive AoE damage. With the ability to use Firestorm, Molten Boulder, and Volcano while Fissure is on cooldown, this build is a firecracker. Molten Boulder, and Volcano even handle Fire Immune monsters decently well with their Physical Damage.
The Fissure Druid is the most optimal Druid build for Leveling until Nightmare Act 3 where the Wind Druid begins to have an advantage. This build again takes the spotlight upon acquiring Ravenlore or Flickering Flame, Phoenix, and Infinity on the Mercenary. Flame Rift in addition to the aforementioned gear makes monster Fire Immunity a non-issue. Farming Spots such as Ancient Tunnels, Tal Rasha's Tombs, and Icy Cellar, along with several Terror Zones, become highly efficient farms on a well-geared Fire Druid. Even though this build is expensive at its best, it is worth every Rune to have the satisfaction of decimating hordes of enemies with all manners of fiery death and explosions. Few builds vaporize a room packed full of enemies faster than this one!
High Damage Output ✔ Fun To Chain Abilities ✔ Easy To Learn And Master ✔ Destroys Dense Monster Packs ✔
❌ Dangerous Playstyle ❌ Relatively Low Mobility ❌ 1 Primary Damage Type ❌ Requires GG Gear For Full Potential
Sunder Charm Setup
Patch 2.5 introduced a new way of breaking Immunities: Sunder Charms. Any enemy that would be Immune to your damage type is instead reduced to 95% Resistance, before any other Resistance reductions apply. The Charm also reduces YOUR Resistance against the sundered damage type! Check out our post on Sunder Charms to learn more about these new Charms. The following setup uses Flame Rift, allowing you to farm anywhere you want.
Sunder Charm Setup
Sunder Charm Setup
Gear Changes
To optimize this Sunder Charm you need as much -% Enemy Fire Resistance as possible. Equip either Ravenlore or Flickering Flame, Phoenix, and a Gemmed Crystal Sword socketed with -5/x Fire Rainbow Facets to accomplish this. Infinity on the Mercenary makes this setup even more effective.
Counteract the negative effect of Flame Rift with Flickering Flame (Mercenary or Character), Fire Resistance Charms, Boots, or Jewelry.
Terror Zones
The new Terror Zone mechanic combined with Sunder Charms open up a wide range of farmable areas. The following list highlights the best and worst Terror Zones for this build. With the Sunder Charm Setup, more Terror Zones become accessible. Learn more about Terror Zones here and see how they stack up in our Terror Zone Tier List.
Best
✔ The Secret Cow Level - High Density, Easy Mobility, No Immunities ✔ Flayer Jungle + Flayer Dungeon - High Density, Easy Mobility, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, Few Immunities ✔ Rocky Waste + Stony Tomb - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Few Immunities ✔ Tal Rasha's Tombs - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, Breakable Immunities ✔ Ancients' Way + Icy Cellar - High Density, Many Elite Groups, Quick Access, No Immunities
Worst
❌ Chaos Sanctuary - High Physical Damage, High Elemental Damage, Tanky Enemies, Immunities ❌ Travincal - High Elemental Damage, Tanky enemies, Immunities ❌ Act 2 Sewers - Trash Mobility, Immunities ❌ Blood Moor + Den of Evil - Low Density, Few Elite Groups, Immunities ❌ Outer Steppes + Plains of Despair - High Elemental Damage, Tanky Enemies, Immunities
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Oak Sage (Max Last) 2. Raven 3. Summon Spirit Wolf 4. Summon Dire Wolf 5. Summon Grizzly
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Fissure 2. Firestorm 3. Volcano 4. Molten Boulder 5. Armageddon 6. Oak Sage
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Damage
Fissure* is your Primary Damage Skill. It opens volcanic vents beneath a section of ground that deal Fire Damage to monsters as they move through the affected area. Stationary monsters only take periodic damage. Use it against groups of enemies whenever it is off cooldown. Note: This Skill has a 2 second cooldown; other Skills may be cast in the duration. Faster Cast Rate only improves this Skill's cast speed; it does not shorten the interval between casts.
Firestorm* is your Single Target Damage Skill. It emits 3 lines of fire in winding paths directly in front of the Druid, dealing Fire Damage over a short duration to any monster caught in their paths. Use it against single targets such as isolated Elites, Bosses, and Ubers; this Skill is also effective against small 2-3 monster groups and can be used while Fissure is on cooldown. Note: This Skill has a 0.6 second cooldown; other Skills may be cast in the duration. Faster Cast Rate only improves this Skill's cast speed; it does not shorten the interval between casts.
Molten Boulder* is a Secondary Damage Skill that is primarily used while Fissure is on cooldown and against groups of Fire Immune monsters. It is your second most effective Area of Effect (AoE) Skill after Fissure. This Skill releases a boulder that slowly bowls over enemies in a straight line from your Druid, continually dealing both Fire and Physical Damage while knocking back any enemies in the process. It also explodes upon impact with an obstacle or "large monster". Note: This Skill has a 1 second cooldown; other Skills may be cast in the duration. Faster Cast Rate only improves this Skill's cast speed; it does not shorten the interval between casts.
Volcano* is a Secondary Damage Skill that can be used while Fissure is on cooldown and against isolated Fire Immune monsters. This Skill summons a volcano that deals both significant Fire and Physical Damage at the exact casting location. It also continually deals somewhat negligible damage in an Area of Effect (AoE) for a duration. Note: This Skill has a 4 second cooldown; other Skills may be cast in the duration. Faster Cast Rate only improves this Skill's cast speed; it does not shorten the interval between casts.
Armageddon* is your Passive Damage Skill. Cast it at any time prior to engaging monsters. Once cast, fiery meteors continually fall in random locations around your Druid in a limited Area of Effect (AoE) for a duration, dealing both immediate Fire and Physical Damage, along with progressive Fire Damage, to any enemy struck by a meteor. This Skill's duration is based on its Level.
Oak Sage* summons a pet Spirit that grants a percentage Life boost to all nearby allied Characters and minions while it is alive. It's own Life and its granted Life percent is based on its Level.
Summon Spirit Wolf* summons pet Spirit Wolves up to a limit of 5 that fight by your side, mainly tanking/blocking incoming damage and Chilling enemies that get too close.
Summon Dire Wolf* summons pet Dire Wolves up to a limit of 3 that fight by your side, mainly tanking/blocking incoming damage.
Summon Grizzly* summons a pet Grizzly Bear that fights by your side, mainly tanking/blocking incoming damage and Knocking Back enemies that get too close.
Raven* summons pet Ravens up to a limit of 5. These Ravens seek out and Blind nearby enemies. Ravens expire after pecking a certain amount of times based on this Skill's Level. It is not possible for monsters to target and kill Ravens. This is an Optional Skill that can provide additional Crowd Control on this build.
Note: This section provides you with the standard Stat Point allocation. Build Variants may require different allocations!
Strength
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Strength your gear provides when equipped.
Dexterity
Allocate enough Stat Points into Dexterity to equip all of your gear. Take into account how much Dexterity your gear provides when equipped.
Vitality
Allocate all remaining Stat Points into Vitality after meeting Strength, Dexterity, and Energy requirements.
Energy
Don't allocate any Stat Points into Energy. This build gets enough Mana from gear, buffs, Charms, and Mana Potions. If Phoenix is equipped, its Redemption Aura fully restores your Mana in most situations.
Essentials
Gear Options
While every Stat in the Desirable Stats column is useful for this build, we highlighted the Priority Stats in Teal so you can easily identify the Most Important Stats on them.
Hover over any Item to see a pop-out with the full Item description.
Gear Notes: Any Items with specialized or niche uses have a superscript that refers here. 1) Use a Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap to break monster Fire Immunity or to lower monster Resistances in general. When combined with Infinity's Conviction Aura, Lower Resist can even be used to take down Baal's Minions of Destruction. 2) Only use Naj's Puzzler, a Staff of Teleportation, or a Teleport Charge Amulet for Teleport Charges if you are not using Enigma. 3) Use Treachery to pre-buff Fade for All Resistances, Curse Length Reduction, and Damage Reduction prior to taking down Uber Bosses.
Slot
Item Options
Desirable Stats
Weapon
Heart of the Oak Flail Gemmed Crystal Sword (6x 5/5 Fire Rainbow Facets) Gemmed Crystal Sword (2x 5/5 Fire Rainbow Facets + 4x Ist Runes) Gemmed Crystal Sword (6x Ist Runes) Phoenix Spirit Earthshaker Leaf
Level 10-15 Redemption Aura When Equipped +x to All Skills +x to Elemental Skills [Druid Only] +x to Fire Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery -x% to Enemy Fire Resistance +x% to Fire Skill Damage +x to Attribute +x Life +x Mana X Resist +x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Off-Hand
Phoenix Jeweler's Monarch of Deflecting (4x 5/5 Fire Rainbow Facets) Gemmed Monarch (4x 5/5 Fire Rainbow Facets) Gemmed Monarch (4x Ist Runes) Stormshield Spirit Moser's Blessed Circle Rhyme Ancients' Pledge
Level 10-15 Redemption Aura When Equipped +x to All Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x% Faster Block Rate x% Increased Chance of Blocking -x% to Enemy Fire Resistance +x% to Fire Skill Damage +x Life +x Mana +x% to Maximum Lightning Resist +x% to Maximum Fire Resist X Resist x% Damage Reduced by x% Cannot Be Frozen x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Weapon-Swap
Call to Arms Lower Resist Charge Wand1 Naj's Puzzler2 Staff of Teleportation2 Harmony
Level 10 Vigor Aura When Equipped +x to All Skills +x to Battle Orders +x to Battle Command Level x Lower Resist [x/x Charges] Level x Teleport [x/x Charges]
Off-Hand-Swap
Spirit Monarch Lidless Wall
+x to All Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate
Helmets
Ravenlore Flickering Flame Gaean Antlers of the Colossus Gaean Antlers of the Colossus Gaean Diadem of the Magus Harlequin Crest Crown of Ages Peasant Crown Tarnhelm Lore Temper Gemmed Mask (3x Perfect Topazes)
Level 4-8 Resist Fire Aura When Equipped +x to All Skills +x to Elemental Skills [Druid Only] +x to Fire Skills +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery -x% to Enemy Fire Resistance +x% to Fire Skill Damage +x to Fissure [Druid Only] +x to Molten Boulder [Druid Only] +x to Firestorm [Druid Only] +x to Volcano [Druid Only] +x to Armageddon [Druid Only] +x to Attribute +x Life +x Mana +x% to Maximum Fire Resist X Resist x% Fire Absorb x% Damage Reduced by x% +x to Mana after each Kill Poison Length Reduced by x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items Socketed [x]
Body Armor
Enigma Skullder's Ire Wealth Gemmed Dusk Shroud (4x Perfect Topazes) Skin of the Vipermagi Chains of Honor Rain Smoke Treachery3
5% Chance to cast Level 15 Fade When Struck +x to All Skills +x to Druid Skills +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x to Teleport +x to Attribute Increased Maximum Life x% +x Mana X Resist x% Damage Reduced by x% Magic Damage Reduced by x +x to Life after each Kill x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Gloves
Magefist Rare Gloves Chance Guards Bloodfist
+x to Fire Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x to Attribute +x Life Regenerate Mana x% X Resist x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Belts
Arachnid Mesh Verdungo's Hearty Cord Thundergod's Vigor Goldwrap Caster Crafted Belt Rare Belt Cobalt Demonhide Sash of the Whale
+x to All Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x to Attribute +x Life +x Mana Increased Maximum Mana x% Regenerate Mana x% +x% to Maximum Lightning Resist X Resist x% +x Lightning Absorb Damage Reduced by x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Boots
War Traveler Aldur's Advance Rare Boots Sandstorm Trek Natalya's Soul Ruby Heavy Boots of Acceleration
+x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x to Attribute +x Life +x Mana X Resist x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Amulets
Caster Crafted Amulet Caster Crafted Amulet Caster Crafted Amulet2 Mara's Kaleidoscope Gaean Amulet of Luck Gaean Amulet of the Apprentice Gaean Amulet of the Whale Gaean Amulet of Teleportation2 Gaean Amulet Teleport Charge Amulet2
+x to All Skills +x to Elemental Skills [Druid Only] +x to Druid Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x to Attribute +x Life +x Mana Regenerate Mana x% X Resist x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items Level x Teleport [x/x Charges]
Rings
The Stone of Jordan Rare Ring Rare Ring Bul-Kathos' Wedding Band Fortuitous Ring of Fortune Nagelring Dwarf Star Wisp Projector
+x to All Skills +x% Faster Cast Rate +x Life +x Mana Increased Maximum Mana x% X Resist x% Lightning Absorb x% Fire Absorb x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Charms
Natural Grand Charm of Vita Natural Grand Charm of Balance Natural Grand Charm of Inertia Natural Grand Charm Shimmering Small Charm of Good Luck Ruby Small Charm of Good Luck Shimmering Small Charm of Vita Ruby Small Charm of Vita Shimmering Small Charm of Balance Small Charm of Good Luck Small Charm of Vita Shimmering Small Charm Resistance Small Charm
+x to Elemental Skills [Druid Only] +x% Faster Run/Walk +x% Faster Hit Recovery +x Life X Resist x% x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items
Monster Fire Immunity is Sundered +x to All Skills +x to Druid Skills +x to All Attributes All Resistances +x +x% to Experience Gained x% Extra Gold from Monsters x% Better Chance of Getting Magic Items Reduces all Vendor Prices x% +x to Light Radius
Farming Spots
The areas below are efficient farming locations that make use of the build’s strengths. Other farming spots might not be as effective due to Immunities or bad layouts.
Anything that has a ✔ in the "Starter" column can be farmed with the Starter Build Variant.
This build is capable of farming Uber Tristram and the Mini Ubers before (See the "Ubers" Build Variant):
Area
Rewards
Lilith
Diablo's Horn
Duriel
Baal's Eye
Izual
Mephisto's Brain
Mephisto, Diablo, Baal
Hellfire Torch
Mercenary
Your Mercenary serves an incredibly important role to the overall success of your build. They can be a front line tank, provide a pivotal Aura, and/or deal Physical Damage to kill enemies with Immunity to your Skill set.
Act 2 Desert Mercenary
The Act 2 Desert Mercenary is hired from Greiz. He can be equipped with a Spear or a Polearm, a Body Armor and a Helmet. Every Act 2 Mercenary has access to an Aura and uses Jab as his base Attack. The Aura activates once the Mercenary has engaged in combat and remains active between traveling to and from town. The Auras available are based on what difficulty you hire the Mercenary from.
Might Infinity
Might Infinity
Infinity, Might
Use a Desert Mercenary with Might Aura to deal with enemies that are Immune to your main damage source. Equip him with Infinity to reduce enemy Resistances and Defense with its Conviction Aura, drastically boosting damage. This Aura is also capable of breaking monster Immunities, including Fire.
Alternatively, equip him with The Reaper's Toll to boost the Physical Damage of Molten Boulder, Volcano, and Armageddon. While this approach is generally not as effective as equipping the Mercenary with Infinity, it works well versus Fire Immunity.
Mercenary Gear Options
Your Mercenary needs maximum Resistances, Life Leech, a high damage Weapon, and high Defense and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive reliably. Cannot Be Frozen is also a great stat for maintaining Mercenary DPS and leech. Ethereal gear is preferred since it doesn't lose durability. Mercenary Types and Gear Options at each Gear Level perform equally well in different situations; choose based on Farming Spots and/or personal preference.
Gear Level
Early-Game
Mid-Game
End-Game
Mercenary Type
Act 2 Might or Act 5 Bash/Frenzy
Act 2 Might or Act 5 Bash/Frenzy
Act 2 Might/Defiance or Act 3 Lightning
Weapon
Insight Lawbringer(s)
The Reaper's Toll Lawbringers
Infinity The Reaper's Toll Crescent Moon
Body Armor
Smoke Lionheart Hustle Skin of the Flayed One Goldskin Rockfleece Gemmed Dusk Shroud Venom Ward
Treachery Duress Shaftstop The Gladiator's Bane Duriel's Shell Guardian Angel
Fortitude Chains of Honor Treachery Duress Shaftstop
Helmet
Bulwark Undead Crown The Face of Horror Gemmed Mask Temper Ground Cure
Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest Guillaume's Face Vampire Gaze Crown of Thieves Stealskull Kira's Guardian Rockstopper Cure
Flickering Flame Andariel's Visage Andariel's Visage Guillaume's Face Guillaume's Face Griffon's Eye
Shield
N/A
N/A
Spirit Monarch
The Mercenary is hard to keep alive until you have the minimum gear recommended in this guide. Remember you can drag Healing Potions onto the portrait, or shift + 1/2/3/4 to directly feed them a Healing Potion from your Belt. The Mercenary also gains bonus Resistances from Thawing Potions and Antidote Potions.
If your Mercenary dies in battle, you can revive them from any of the Mercenary NPCs in each Act. This does come with an increasing cost, capping at 50,000 Gold. Keep that in mind and decide if the Mercenary is currently worth the cost.
Playstyle
General
Before starting your Magic Find/Experience run, cast Summon Grizzly, Summon Spirit Wolf (5x), Summon Dire Wolf (3x), and Oak Sage anywhere inside or outside of town. Recast your Summons whenever they die.
Cast Armageddon upon entering your Farming Spot prior to encountering any monsters. Recast Armageddon whenever it expires.
Gather/group nearby monsters as much as possible to utilize the Area of Effect (AoE) of your abilities. High mob density is preferred on this build.
All of the Fissure Druid's Damage Skills (except for Armageddon) have cooldowns. Use other Damage Skills or kite while waiting for a Skill or Skills to come off cooldown.
For Monster Packs:
Cast Fissure directly on top of as many monsters as possible. While Fissure is on cooldown, use Molten Boulder (usually preferred) or Volcano. Alternate between Fissure and Molten Boulder/Volcano until most monsters in an area are dead.
Move strategically so that as many monsters as possible pass through the area affected by Fissure. Use Teleport for this if possible.
For Isolated Targets:
Repeatedly cast Firestorm directly in front of high value, isolated targets such as Elite Monsters, Act Bosses, and Ubers until they are dead. Molten Boulder can be used to snipe Elites in Low Player Count (see the "Mobility" Build Variant), but is ineffective against Act Bosses/Ubers.
You can additionally use Volcano directly on top of your target whenever it is off cooldown.
Fissure is typically ineffective against isolated, stationary targets.
Immunities
Flame Rift sets allImmune to Fire monsters to 95% Fire Resistance, allowing any sources of -x% to Enemy Fire Resistance to take effect (including Conviction Aura from Infinity and Lower Resist at 1/5th effectiveness).
Before obtaining Flame Rift and/or Infinity, you should purchase a Lower Resist Charge Wand from Nightmare Drognan and either equip it on your Weapon-Swap or keep it in your inventory/Horadric Cube. Use Lower Resist to reduce enemies' Fire Resistance or to break Immunity to Fire if necessary. Recharge this Wand as needed using Gold or the Chipped Gem + Ort RuneHoradric CubeRecipe.
Volcano and Molten Boulder can also be used to reliably kill monsters that are Immune to Fire - both do a decent amount of Physical Damage. Volcano works best if cast directly on top of a single target, whereas Molten Boulder is most effective against groups of enemies. The Reaper's Toll on your Mercenary can increase the effectiveness of these Skills with its Decrepify proc. These monsters can also be killed by your Mercenary directly with his Jab attack.
If a Unique mob happens to possess both Physical and "unbreakable" Fire Immunity simultaneously, or is simply highly resistant to both, it is always best to skip said mob.
Late-Game
Before starting your Magic Find/Experience run, first buff yourself with Battle Command from Call to Arms. Next, cast Summon Grizzly, Summon Spirit Wolf (5x), Summon Dire Wolf (3x), and Oak Sage on whichever weapon loadout has the most + to Skills. Finally, recast Battle Command and then cast Battle Orders. Refresh these Call to Arms buffs whenever they expire (approx. every 2-3 minutes).
Use Teleport from Enigma to travel to your Farming Spot or to monster packs.
Also use Teleport to reposition your Mercenary close to the enemies you are targeting to benefit from the Conviction Aura provided by his Infinity.
Optimal Loot/Experience Farming Strategies
Stony Tomb - This Max Level Area is an excellent Farming Spot for Fissure Druids of all gear levels (see the "Starter" Build Variant). While mob density varies quite a bit in this area, hosting 0 naturally Fire Immune monsters is very attractive for this build. Mobs in this area also typically have relatively low Life.
The Secret Cow Level - The mechanics of Fissure take full advantage of the densely-packed Hell Bovines found therein. These legions of "Cows" are a great source of Runes, Charms, Jewels, Jewelry, Gems, and RunewordBases. Farming this area is optimal in High Player Count games or /Players5-7 in Single Player if you have solid gear.
Ancient Tunnels - This is one of the best Farming Spots for a fully-geared Fissure Druid. To optimally farm this Max Level Area in Low Player Count games or /Players1-3 in Single Player, check out the "Magic Find" Build Variant. To optimally farm this area in High Player Count or /Players5-7 in Single Player, check out the "Damage" Build Variant.
Icy Cellar - This easily accessible Max Level Area typically sports high mob density and has 0 possible Fire Immune monster spawns. As a bonus, there are also no Fire Immune monsters on the way there in Ancients' Way. The only drawback of this area is that it can be extremely dangerous. Make sure you are well-geared!
Tal Rasha's Tombs - These areas' consistent high mob density is attractive for a geared Fissure Druid. Since these areas are often packed to the brim with low Life monsters (including Apparitions), this farm can even outcompete The Secret Cow Level as a source of Runes, Charms, Jewels, Jewelry, Gems, and RunewordBases in many cases. Farming this area is optimal in High Player Count games or /Players5-7 in Single Player if you have solid gear.
Flayer Jungle - This is an excellent Farming Spot for Fissure Druids of all gear levels (see the "Starter" Build Variant). This area sports insanely high mob density in most cases with only occasional Fire Immune Flayer Shamans sprinkled throughout. The higher the Player Count the better!
Breakpoints
Breakpoints in Diablo 2 are the minimum values required to reduce the frames of an action. Below are the important breakpoints considered for this build. For more information on the mechanics involved, check out our in-depth Resource: Breakpoints.
Faster Cast Rate (FCR)
Faster Cast Rate speeds up your casting animation for spells. Aim for the 99% FCR Breakpoint on your main weapon loadout on the Standard Build. Note: FCR only controls the animation speed of the Character, and not any internal Cooldowns spells have (such as Firestorm, Fissure, Molten Boulder, and Volcano).
Frames
18
17
16
15
14
13
12
11
10
FCR
0
4
10
19
30
46
68
99
163
Faster Hit Recovery (FHR)
Faster Hit Recovery increases survivability. Aim for at least the 29% FHR Breakpoint. The Standard Build achieves the 42% FHR Breakpoint.
Frames
14
13
12
11
10
9
8
7
6
5
4
FHR
0
3
7
13
19
29
42
63
99
174
456
Faster Block Rate (FBR)
Faster Block Rate is not required for survivability on this build, but the 32% and 52% FBR Breakpoints can be utilized with Stormshield on the Hardcore Build Variant.
The Fissure Druid can become Hardcore viable with key changes to Gear, Stat Point allocation, and Skills. Review the changes below before building this character in Hardcore, as some of these changes differ significantly from the Standard Build.
Gear Changes
Damage Reduction: Equipping Stormshield is the surest way to keep a HardcoreFissure Druid alive, especially given the Druid's less than ideal Faster Hit Recovery and Faster Cast RateBreakpoints. With 35% Damage Reduction and Increased Chance of Blocking there is no better choice. However, either Crown of Ages or Harlequin Crest can also be used to shore up your Damage Reduction if you are willing to forgo a decent amount of damage. Even Verdungo's Hearty Cord can be used if you are willing to forgo a Faster Cate RateBreakpoint. While it is possible to increase your Damage Reduction using one or more of these alternatives, continuing to use Phoenix Monarch over Stormshield is not recommended (dangerous).
Phoenix Phase Blade instead of Phoenix Monarch: Using a weapon Phoenix allows you to maintain your Life/Mana sustain from Redemption Aura while using Stormshield. It additionally allows you to maintain the -28% to Enemy Fire Resistance stat.
Maximum Life: Because Oak Sage scales so well with Life, it is highly recommended to use as many Life-granting Charms as possible on a Hardcore Fissure Druid.
Stacking Resistances: Stack your Fire/Lightning/Cold Resistances beyond their default maximum values of 75 each (175 total in Hell). Stacking 85 additional Resistances in Hell completely negates the Conviction Aura of any Elite Boss or the Oblivion Knight's Lower ResistCurse. Beware of encountering both at the same time! Consider the primary damage type(s) of the monsters in the area you want to farm. Boots, Jewelry, and Charms are ideal sources of Resistances on this build.
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear Stormshield.
Allocate enough Stat Points into Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%) while having Stormshield equipped.
Allocate all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Skill Point Changes
Max out Oak Sage before putting additional Skill Points into Armageddon (more than 1) for as much Life as possible. This also greatly improves the survivability of your Oak Sage. See the "Hardcore" Build Variant below for additional suggestions and visuals.
Build Variants
Starter
Standard
Magic Find
Damage
Mobility
Ubers
Hardcore
Setup
The Starter variant of the Fissure Druid meets the minimum gear requirements for farming the Starter ✔ tagged areas in the "Farming Spots" section above. These areas can be Solo-farmed by this setup (/Players1 on Single Player) in both Nightmare and Hell difficulty. Most of this gear can be acquired by early Nightmare with a standard progression. Follow the Druid Leveling Guide, which uses Fissure until Act 3Nightmare, for more information on how to acquire these items. Prioritize Resistances, + to Skills, Life, and Magic Find stats on your gear. Use a Staff of Teleportation on Weapon-Swap to reposition. You can also use a Harmony for faster travel. Keep a Lower Resist Charge Wand in your inventory and/or Horadric Cube to break monster Fire Immunity/lower monster Fire Resistances if necessary.
Mercenary
Equip a Starter Fissure Druid Mercenary with an Insight in any Base to boost your Mana Regeneration. Mercenaries require Resistances, Life Leech, and/or Damage Reduction to stay alive. Early-game Helmet/Body Armor options for these stats include, but are not limited to, Bulwark, Undead Crown, Rockstopper, Smoke, Treachery, Duriel's Shell, or simply Helmet and Body Armor Bases socketed with Ral Runes, Ort Runes, and Thul Runes.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Oak Sage (Max Last) 2. Raven 3. Summon Spirit Wolf 4. Summon Dire Wolf 5. Summon Grizzly
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Fissure 2. Firestorm 3. Volcano 4. Molten Boulder 5. Armageddon 6. Oak Sage
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
This is the Standard Best in Slot (BiS) Fissure Druid featured in the beginning of the guide. It is the balanced "jack-of-all-trades" version, capable of performing the most tasks well. This variant is the point of comparison for all other variants. It carefully balances Damage, Magic Find, and Teleport mobility. A Flickering Flame in an ideal Base is also great for this build. Flame Rift enables this build to crush monsters that are Immune to Fire. This setup achieves the 99% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint.
Mercenary
The Standard Fissure Druid uses an Act 2 MightMercenary with Infinity for -85% to Enemy Fire Resistance from its Conviction Aura. Flickering Flame provides you with Resist Fire Aura to help you counter Flame Rift. Fortitude provides damage and survivability.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Oak Sage (Max Last) 2. Raven 3. Summon Spirit Wolf 4. Summon Dire Wolf 5. Summon Grizzly
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Fissure 2. Firestorm 3. Volcano 4. Molten Boulder 5. Armageddon 6. Oak Sage
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
This variant stacks as much Magic Find as possible for high Solo (/Players1 on Single Player) Ancient Tunnels, Stony Tomb, and Icy Cellar farming efficiency. Magic Find Charms and a Gemmed Crystal Sword socketed with Ist Runes and -5/x% Fire Rainbow Facets are the keys to this build. Since the above are compact areas often located close to their respective Waypoints (especially with optimal saved maps in Single Player), Teleport mobility is a secondary concern. Several easily accessible Terror Zones are also optimal for this setup. Flame Rift enables this build to crush monsters that are Immune to Fire. The Magic Find version of the Fissure Druid achieves the 68% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on its main weapon loadout and 99% Faster Cast Rate on Weapon-Swap. Target Elite Packs for best results!
Mercenary
The Magic Find Fissure Druid uses an Act 2 MightMercenary with Infinity for -85% to Enemy Fire Resistance. Fortitude and Andariel's Visage socketed with a Ruby Jewel of Fervor maximize this Mercenary's damage and survivability.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Oak Sage (Max Last) 2. Raven 3. Summon Spirit Wolf 4. Summon Dire Wolf 5. Summon Grizzly
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Fissure 2. Firestorm 3. Volcano 4. Molten Boulder 5. Armageddon 6. Oak Sage
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
This variant is designed to deal as much Damage as possible against monsters with high Fire Resistance or broken Immunity to Fire (using Flame Rift and/or Infinity). This setup is especially effective in High Player Count games. Ancient Tunnels, Tal Rasha's Tombs, Worldstone Keep and several Terror Zones are great farming areas for this build. The Damage variant of the Fissure Druid sacrifices Teleport mobility for as much -x% to Enemy Fire Resistance as possible. This build aims for the or 68% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on its main weapon loadout and 99% Faster Cast Rate on Weapon-Swap. A Gemmed Crystal Sword socketed with 6x -5/x% Fire Facets, in combination with the standard Ravenlore and Phoenix, is the key to this setup.
Mercenary
Just as with the Standard Build, the Damage Fissure Druid uses an Act 2 MightMercenary with Infinity, Fortitude, and Flickering Flame.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Oak Sage (Max Last) 2. Raven 3. Summon Spirit Wolf 4. Summon Dire Wolf 5. Summon Grizzly
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Fissure 2. Firestorm 3. Volcano 4. Molten Boulder 5. Armageddon 6. Oak Sage
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
This variant achieves the 163% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint for high Teleport mobility at the expense of -x% to Enemy Fire Resistance and sustain. It is best at using Molten Boulder to snipe Elite Bosses at a rapid pace in Solo-gameplay or /Players1-3 on Single Player. This setup also works well in High Player Count in Farming Spots with few or no Lightning Immunes by using an Act 3 Mercenary with Static Field. The Mobility build is also somewhat less expensive than the Standard Build, not requiring Phoenix nor Infinity. Spirit and a 20% Faster Cast Rate Circlet are the keys to this setup.
Mercenary
The Mobility Fire Druid uses an Act 3 Lightning/Static FieldMercenary with Crescent Moon, Griffon's Eye, Shaftstop, and Spirit for a strong combination of -x% to Enemy Lightning Resistance, Faster Cast Rate, and survivability. Teleport often for him to cast Static Field as much as possible. Note: You can also use the Standard Act 2 Might Mercenary with Infinity in combination with Flame Rift for more power, especially against Fire Resistant/Immune mobs.
Skills
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Oak Sage (Max Last) 2. Raven 3. Summon Spirit Wolf 4. Summon Dire Wolf 5. Summon Grizzly
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Fissure 2. Firestorm 3. Volcano 4. Molten Boulder 5. Armageddon 6. Oak Sage
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
The Ubers variant is made possible by Flame Rift. It specializes in defeating the Uber Bosses, including mini-Ubers such as Lilith. It mainly uses Firestorm for this purpose. -x% to Enemy Fire Resistance, + to Skills, Damage Reduction, Resistances, and Life are priority stats on this setup. Swapping to Thundergod's Vigor and stacking Lightning Resistance allows this build to tank Uber Mephisto. Pre-buff Fade with Treachery prior to engaging the Ubers for massive boosts to Resistances and Damage Reduction. Use a Lower Resist Charge Wand on Weapon-Swap to further reduce their Fire Resistance.
Mercenary
The Ubers Fissure Druid uses an Act 2 MightMercenary with Infinity for -85% to Enemy Fire Resistance. Flickering Flame provides you with Resist Fire Aura to help you counter Flame Rift. It also uses Chains of Honor to have Life Leech for better survivability with Flickering Flame equipped.
Skills
Max out Oak Sage instead of Volcano for increased survivability. Put additional points into Summon Dire Wolf for more Summon Grizzly Life if you have any left over. The rest is the same as the Standard Build.
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Oak Sage (Max 5th) 2. Raven 3. Summon Spirit Wolf 4. Summon Dire Wolf (Max Last) 5. Summon Grizzly
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Firestorm 2. Molten Boulder 3. Fissure 4. Armageddon 5. Oak Sage 6. Summon Dire Wolf
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear. Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Setup
For the Hardcore mode variant, aim for high Damage Reduction and maximum Chance to Block (75%) to guard against taking extreme amounts of Physical Damage. Additionally, overcap Resistances beyond the natural cap of 75% to counteract hostile Conviction or Lower Resist. If using Flame Rift, use Fire Resistance Charms, Boots, or Jewelry to counteract its negative effect. This setup achieves the 68% Faster Cast Rate Breakpoint on its safe, main weapon loadout. Consult the “Hardcore" section for more detailed information.
Mercenary
The Hardcore Fissure Druid uses an Act 2 MightMercenary with Infinity for -85% to Enemy Fire Resistance. Flickering Flame provides you with Resist Fire Aura to help you counter Flame Rift. It also uses Chains of Honor to have Life Leech for better survivability with Flickering Flame equipped. Note: Don’t use a Holy Freeze Mercenary for improved safety, as it reduces the rate of damage done to monsters passing over a Fissure area. However, using a Defiance Mercenary is a possible way to increase your survivability.
Skills
Max out Oak Sage before putting additional Skill Points into Armageddon (more than 1) for as much Life as possible.
Put 1 Skill Point into each of the following Skills: 1. Raven 2. Summon Spirit Wolf 3. Summon Dire Wolf 4. Summon Grizzly 5. Armageddon (Max Last)
Max out the following Skills in this order: 1. Fissure 2. Firestorm 3. Volcano 4. Molten Boulder 5. Oak Sage 6. Armageddon
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Use the Scroll Bar to see Skill Point Progression
Attributes
Allocate enough Stat Points into Strength to wear your gear and Dexterity to achieve maximum Chance to Block (75%). Put all remaining Stat Points into Vitality.
Video Guide
Video Guide by DarkHumility
Summary
In the late-game, the gear combination of Flame Rift, Infinity, Ravenlore, and Phoenix vaporizes Immune to Fire mobs. Molten Boulder and Volcano also do a decent job of clearing Fire Immune enemies before acquiring these items.
Seek out high mob density to take maximum advantage of Fissure's Area of Effect (AoE) damage.
All of a Fire Druid’s Damage Skills (besides Armageddon) have cooldowns. Make sure to use your other Damage Skills while a Skill(s) is on cooldown. In most situations, it is particularly effective to use Molten Boulder while Fissure is on cooldown.
A fully kitted out Fissure Druid flattens everything, including every Terror Zone. Even on High Player Count, or /Players5-8 on Single Player, everything burns!
We hope you enjoy this build! Making Hell Bovine hamburgers has never been more fun! The more monsters the merrier! Roast them over an open fire...cook em' well-done!
Good luck!
Credits
Written by DarkHumility Reviewed by Teo1904 and Lexyu