Are you eager to make the most of Vanguard?s nature-loving nuker, the druid? Our creation guide is just the thing to get you rolling with tips for picking the right class and allocating attributes as well as the lowdown on combat techniques. See what Shayalyn in VG Ten Ton Hammer brought us.

The Vanguard Druid is primarily an arcane damage dealer, although he also brings a lot more to the table. The Druids has  buffs, utility spells, an evac, snares, limited heals, the ability to shape shift and more. The Druid also possesses amazing powers called Wonders and Calamities which can help turn the tide in a battle, turning a losing scenario into a fighting chance.

Intelligence, wisdom, and vitality are the Druid?s primary attributes because a druid lives or dies by her spells. Intelligence increases the potency of her spells while wisdom increases her mana pool. Vitality helps the Druid regenerate energy faster in battle.

Building a good Druid takes some careful planning at the character creation screen and requires you to learn a handful of tactics in the lower levels.

Selecting the Right Race

Druids of all races start with the same attributes, but the choice of race can affect how many points the druid automatically gets placed into its prime attributes.

Starting Attributes

Each character gets 20 attribute points (AP) per level, starting at level 10. 6 of your AP are placed for you automatically–one per attribute (STR, CON, DEX, VIT, INT, WIS). 4 points are assigned to attributes based on your race if you are not a human (humans are kojani, mordebi, qaliathari, and thestran). You can place 10 (14 for humans) wherever you want to within soft caps of 5 per level.Additionally, characters get racial bonuses to their soft caps. These are called preferred stats and allow characters of a race to flesh out in a way that reflects the traits of the race. Non-human races get 4 bonus points to soft caps (usually two or three attributes only) while human races get 6, 1 for each attribute. Thus, a human can be more balanced, while a non-human becomes more specialized.

The table below shows the minimum-maximum attribute score rage at level 50 (before gear and buffs) for the Druid based on the race selected. We?ve highlighted the best results for each of the primary attributes for you. Visit our attributes statistics guide for more information on how to interpret these charts.

Racial Abilities

The other important factor to consider when picking the race for your Druid is racial abilities. With their short durations and long recasts, racial abilities are less important than attributes in the selection process, but they can be used to pick between races that are otherwise equal. The racial abilities are listed below.

Thestran: Inspirational Commands
You will have 3 inspirational commands at your disposal: Inspirational Presence, Inspirational Wisdom, and Inspirational Tactics. Each command is a group buff that will add either 2% to mitigation, a 3% reduction to mana cost of all spells, or a 2% increase in damage. You may only maintain one command at a time, however you may have all 3 effects active at the same time. Recast is instant.

Human Ingenuity: + 10 bonus to all weapon skills, and dodge.
Crafting: +10 Ingenuity
Harvesting: +5 Lumberjacking

Halfling: Pride of the Vael (WAR only)  or Shroud of the Vael (all but WAR)
Pride of the Vael: This ability will add a vast amount of hate to a single target, and apply a buff on the halfling for 30 seconds. All attacks during this time period will count for double aggro. Recast is 15 minutes.

Shroud of the Vael: This ability will remove 99% of aggro from a single target but keep the halfling in combat. Additionally, for 30 seconds afterwards, any spell cast or attack made will have its aggro reduced to 1% of normal as well. Recast is 15 minutes.

Small Race: 2% bonus to evasion
Crafting: +10 Reasoning
Harvesting: +5 Reaping

Lesser Giant: Strength of Torsheim
For the next 30 seconds after this ability is activated, you will increase your max hit points by 50%. Hit point regeneration increases for 60 seconds. Recast is 30 minutes.

Large Race: 2% bonus to mitigation
Crafting: +10 Ingenuity
Harvesting: +5 Lumberjacking

Varanjar: Endless Fortitude
For the next 30 seconds, this ability will cut the cost of all endurance/energy spells by half while increasing your spell and melee damage by 25%. Recast is 30 minutes.

Large Race: 2% bonus to mitigation
Crafting: +10 Problem Solving
Harvesting: +5 Quarrying

Vulmane: Spiritual Bond
This ability will apply an effect to every member in your group, allowing 35% of all damage done by them to return to you in the form of health for 20 seconds. Recast is 15 minutes.

Animal Reflexes: 10% bonus to run speed.
Crafting: +10 Problem Solving
Harvesting: +5 Skinning

Half Elf: Symbol of Jin
This ability will apply a rune to every member of the group for 60 seconds, which will mitigate damage by 15%. Recast is 30 minutes.

Human Ingenuity: + 10 bonus to all weapon skills, and dodge.
Crafting: +10 Finesse
Harvesting: +5 Skinning

Wood Elf: Form of Nature
When this ability is activated, you become and okami and all movement impairing spells will be stripped from you, and for the next 30 seconds your run speed will be greatly increased. You will also be immune to all movement impairing spells during this time. Recast is 30 minutes.

Elven Wisdom: 2% reduction in energy cost
Crafting: +10 Finesse
Harvesting:: +5 Lumberjacking

Mordebi: Curse of the Ancients
This ability stuns the target for 8 seconds, and reduces the aggro range to 0. The target will not assist/aggro while stunned, and the effect does not generate any aggro. Recast is 30 minutes.

Human Ingenuity + 10 bonus to all weapon skills, and dodge.
Crafting: +10 Finesse
Harvesting: +5 Reaping

Varanthari: Desert Skin
For the next 15 seconds after this ability is activated, you will mitigate 35% of all damage, and every mob that attacks you has a 50% chance of being stunned for 2 seconds. Recast is 30 minutes.

Large Race: 2% bonus to mitigation
Crafting: +10 Problem Solving
Harvesting: +5 Quarrying

Level 1-10 Tactics

You?ll find the druid (as with most classes in Vanguard) very solo-capable at levels 1-10. You shouldn?t have to stray far from your starting village to find suitable quests and creatures to fight for each level. While I?ve soloed my druid against yellow con monsters, I find it?s more efficient to stick with white and blue con creatures. Be aware of the dot system when you?re considering the strength of mobs. Unless you?ve got some talent, you?re unlikely to win a fight against a 3-dot con because those monsters are intended for duos and small groups. Experiment at your own risk!

You should progress from level 1-6 quickly, since experience at these levels comes easily. Before you have a more complete spell arsenal, you?ll want to stick to 2-dote white con mobs and lower. It goes without saying that you should be buffed with Barbwood Talisman at all times. At level 1 you?re simply going to blast away with your one direct damage spell, Lightning Strike, until you?ve killed the mob. Starting with as much distance as possible between you and the mob will help minimize the damage you take. Nuke early and often!

At level 2 you gain Piercing Roots. This spell gives you just a bit more lead time before the mob charges at you and tries to bash your head. Again, from as great a distance as you can manage (your spells will gray out when you?re out of range), lead off with Piercing Roots. Once the mob is stuck firmly in place, fire away with Lightning Strike. You stand a good chance of breaking the root with each nuke you cast, but don?t hesitate to blast away. In the first 6 levels of play, you don?t lose experience when you die–might as well experiment to find out what works for you.

At level 4 you?ll receive a damage over time (DoT) and a heal over time (HoT) spell–one to take life, and one to give it. DoTs are most effective when used early in a fight, since they do their damage over a set period of time, so fire this one off right after your root spell. (Yes, this spell can also break a root. You?ve been warned.) Your HoT works best if used the moment you fear you?re going to be taking damage. It won?t heal you fast, but it will buy you some time.

How to Work with Pets

At level 6 you?ll be able to start having fun with your Summon Earth Elemental spell. This spell calls a pet to aid you. You won?t be able to control the pet, it will simply fight on your behalf until either the mob you?re fighting is dead or you are, whichever comes first. Consider your elemental pet a visual DoT. While he looks like a pet, what he really does is add damage over time to your combat.

Your pet does not taunt, but it will distract a mob until you do enough damage to the mob to irritate it. If you want to let your pet take some of the heat the trick is to make sure you don?t out-damage it and generate hate from the mob directed at you. When you cast your pet, it will appear at the location of the mob you?ve selected as your offensive target and immediately get down to business. Unless your pet is taking significant damage let it get in a few good hits before you fire off another spell. If you?re nervous and want to try rooting the mob, go ahead…just be aware that your pet?s damage as well as any spell damage you do can break the root. I tend to lead off wth Venemous Thorns. If the DoT doesn?t pull aggro off your pet, you can wait it out a bit (depending on your pet?s health) or start firing Lightning Strike. Waiting may be a bit safer in some circumstances because it keeps the mob?s aggro off you longer, but at this level I tend to blast away to eliminate the mob quickly. It?s a matter of preference.

If you?re quick, you can make your pet more efficient by chaining mobs. This works best with slightly lower con mobs (dark blues and blues) but I?ve done it with higher level mobs as well. (How much you can handle may change, howeer, as Sigil balances and tweaks the classes.) Let your pet do as much of the damage as possible so that you can conserve some energy for the next mob. Once the first is dead, you have several seconds to secure another one before your pet will vanish. Root another mob in the vicinity and let your pet go to town. If the pet?s health is still good and you have enough energy to burn you may even be able to squeeze in another kill before you need to rest. By doing this, your pet becomes a DoT that lasts through multiple kills. Can?t beat that!

A Word (or Two) on Kiting

Kiting mobs is a technique that requires you to slow or distract the mob so that you?re able to blast away at it without it damaging you. Druids can certainly do some kiting in Vanguard if necessary. Whether it?s the most efficient way of killing mobs remains to be seen, but it?s another option to consider.

You?ll be able to kite at level 8 when you receive Ensnare. This spell reduces your target?s movement by 60% for 30 seconds giving you 30 seconds to take it out (or re-snare it) before it catches you. The trick with kiting is to keep distance between yourself and the mob–it can?t kill you if it can?t hit you. (Unless it?s a spellcaster, in which case you?re best off not kiting.) Basically, you?ll snare, cast DoTs (including your elemental pet, if necessary), and nuke until dead, running away from the mob as necessary. This works best in open areas where there are few roaming mobs.

Mind Your Surroundings

Adds, those monsters that attack you while you?re trying to take out another one, will likely kill a young druid. It?s important to know what monsters are around you at all times. I?ve occasionally gone into Vanguard graphics settings and turned off the grass feature so that I can better see the monsters around me while soloing. You?d be surprised what you?ll trip over in the high grass if you?re not careful.

When you?re soloing, it?s important to take out the aggressive monsters in an area first. Look around and find those that will attack you on site, and those that will only attack if you attack them first. Mobs with red names above their heads will attack you as soon as they notice you.

Despite your best intentions, sometimes situations will come up. Perhaps an aggro mob spawned right on top of you, or you didn?t see that mob hiding behind a tree. Some mobs are social, and will help their friends if they?re in the vicinity. No matter how you acquire an add, always snare it, even if you?re going to end up running away. A snared mob won?t be able to catch up with you and hit you from behind.

Practice Makes Perfect

After a while, you should get the rhythm of kiting and have little problems progressing quickly to level 10. While kiting isn?t necessarily the most exciting way to progress, nor the fastest (grouping should get you where you want to go faster than soloing), it?s great for the player who likes a little alone time, or wants to learn to play his class well before adventuring with a group.