There’s less than two weeks to go until the release of Diablo 2: Resurrected, Blizzard’s long-awaited remaster of the action-RPG from 2000. Diablo 2: Resurrected will be a faithful recreation of the original game with improved graphics and controls. This means the game’s seven classes remain unchanged from their original versions, including their skills and abilities.

This continuity enables players to tap into the wealth of character building knowledge that Diablo 2 fans have built up over the past two decades. New players will want to consider trying out a classic Diablo 2 build like the Fury Druid. Also known as the Werewolf Druid, this unusual build maxes out the Druid’s shapeshifting and melee abilities by ignoring his elemental magic. The core of the Fury Druid is fairly straightforward, enabling players to tweak the build to their own preference.

Skills of the Fury Druid in Diablo 2

The Fury Druid is named for the Fury skill in Diablo 2: Resurrected. This is a capstone ability, only available at level 30 of the Shape Shifting tree. Once unlocked it can transform a Werewolf build into a melee powerhouse. Fury allows the Druid to strike up to five times in quick succession, dividing the attacks between multiple foes if possible.

Fury can only be used in Werewolf form. The build relies heavily on the Strength stat, with smaller investments in Dexterity, Vitality, and Energy. Vitality is a surprisingly low priority for a Fury Druid given how often they’ll be in close combat, and this is due to the other core skills of the build.

  • Werewolf: Allows the Diablo 2 Druid to take on the form of a Werewolf, granting them bonuses to Life, Stamina, Attack Speed, and Attack. Lycanthropy: Increases the bonus Life and boosts the duration of Shape Shifting abilities. It’s this skill that enables the Fury Druid to survive in melee combat despite the Druid’s lack of defensive abilities. The boost from Werewolf and Lycanthropy can double or even triple the Druid’s HP. Feral Rage: A power-up skill that is only available in Werewolf form, Feral Rage grants the Diablo 2 Druid class life-steal. Each successive hit will swell a glowing red ball that orbits the Druid, indicating how much they’ve charged the skill. Once the ball is at full-size, the Fury Druid can steal a good amount of health with every strike. Oak Sage, or Heart of Wolverine: These two spirit summons give an Area-of-Effect buff to HP or Attack respectively, and it’s a matter of debate which one is more important for the Fury Druid. Ultimately the decision rests with individual players, though item stats should be the biggest indicator of whether more offense or defense is needed.

Why Play a Fury Druid in Diablo 2: Resurrected?

Because Fury Druids need relatively few skill points in Diablo 2: Resurrected to get their core build running, they’re free to pick up a few extra tricks. This is the point at which players can tweak the build to their own preference, adding a great deal more flexibility than most Diablo 2 builds.

While the Diablo 2 Sorceress-style elemental skills aren’t recommended due to the Druid being unable to cast while transformed, some skills in the Summoning tree are definitely worthwhile. For example, putting a single point into Summon Dire Wolf, Summon Spirit Wolf, and Summon Grizzly gives access to useful minions which can help to distract enemies and soak up damage.

The Fury Druid is most likely to be a hit with players who want to experiment with perfecting an unusual melee build. While the Barbarian and Paladin classes in Diablo 2: Resurrected both offer interesting melee gameplay, the Werewolf Druid has a completely different feel. The combination of low defensive skills, high HP, and life-steal mean the build offers a unique playstyle that can’t be found with any other class.

Diablo 2: Resurrected releases September 23 on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.