Diablo 4 - Blizzard - Druid Art Official
DruidEndgameGuideCompanionseason 13Top

Wolf Companion – Druid Build for Diablo 4 (Season 13)

Master the Beasts of Sanctuary with our Wolf Companion Druid

TheSteveAvatar

TheSteve

WRITER


Updated: S-Tier Build

Cyclone ArmorDebilitating RoarGrizzly RageStone BurstClawWerewolf Pack


Build Introduction

Werewolves, Creepervines, Ravens and Bears, oh my! The Wolf Companion Druid is a pet-focused playstyle that brings your own pack to take out the packs of Hell, overwhelming your enemies with companion tactics!

This Companion build centers on the WolvesWolves companion, casting frequent Feral Dashes, Storm Howls, and free casts of the Active against Distant enemies thanks to the Werewolves Variation. The rest of the Companions still contribute thanks to the Accord of the WildsAccord of the Wilds Unique Item, providing their benefits even without being placed on the Skill Bar.

This is a Grizzly RageGrizzly Rage build that uses the Dire Werebear form for deadly effect.

There are a few ways to fit your playstyle, including push options, and the Aspect of the WildrageAspect of the Wildrage easy cooldown option. Check them out in the Variant Play section.

Just starting on your Druid adventure? Try out the Companion Leveling Build and swap to this one at Level 70.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths
  • Be the Packleader of your zoo.
  • Strong focused damage and moderate aoe on top.
Weaknesses
  • pet behavior is improved but still sometimes has unreliable targeting

Build Requirements

Required Uniques

You can get started on the Wolf Companion Druid at any time, but having Storm's CompanionStorm’s Companion will be a strong bump in damage, and the Storm tag will be important in several interactions, including Paragon and Spirit Boons.

FlickerstepFlickerstep is used to manage Grizzly RageGrizzly Rage cooldown. Ideally, with affixes for Movement Speed and Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown.

Accord of the WildsAccord of the Wilds grants the passive effects of the Companions even without them on the Skill Bar. This includes contributions towards Shepherd's AspectShepherd’s Aspect.

Get more info on the Uniques supporting this build in the Uniques section.

Quick Navigation

This guide covers everything necessary to get started on the WolvesWolves Companion Druid, including Skill Tree points, Paragon, Gearing, and Seasonal updates. Jump to the sections you’re looking for here.

Gearing, Gems, and RunesParagon Board
Rotation and PlaystyleSeason Updates

Skill Bar and Skill Tree Points

Suggested Skill Bar
Cyclone ArmorCyclone ArmorDebilitating RoarDebilitating RoarGrizzly RageGrizzly RageWerewolf PackWerewolf PackClawClawStone BurstStone Burst

We benefit from Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark thanks to the QueQue rune. It does not need to be placed on the Skill Bar.

We benefit from Poison CreeperPoison Creeper and RavensRavens even without them on the Skill bar, thanks to Accord of the WildsAccord of the Wilds. This includes their count contribution to Shepherd's AspectShepherd’s Aspect.

In push content, RavensRavens can replace ClawClaw when being in melee is too punishing. Otherwise, ClawClaw is a useful dash and filler skill.

Stone BurstStone BurstLiving StonesLiving Stones is a high push tech for extra Armor and to trigger the push Talisman setup Song of the Old Mountain. This is generally unused in farm or speed content.

The farm Talisman setup uses Set Nafain’s Bestiary 5-piece bonus, granting all Companion Side Upgrades for free! These extra points can be placed into Cyclone ArmorCyclone Armor when using this set.

Eternal players complete Renown events in each zone for additional Skill Points, while Seasonal Players engage with the Season Journey and Rank for these Skill points.


Druid Class Mechanic – Spirit Boons

Use these Spirit Boons for the Wolf Companion Druid.

Boon NameAnimalEffect
WarinessDeerTake 15% reduced damage from Elites.
Scythe TalonsEagleGain 5% Critical Strike Chance and 15% Lucky Hit.
Avian WrathEagleGain 20% Critical Strike Damage.
Pack LeaderWolfLucky Hit: Critical Strikes have up to a 15% chance to reset the Cooldowns of your Companion Skills.
Calm Before the StormSnakeLucky Hit: Nature Magic Skills have up to a 10% chance to reduce the Cooldown of your Ultimate Skill by 2 seconds.

In hard-hitting push content, use Iron Feather over Scythe Talons.

Gift of the Stag can be useful over Wariness for maintaining Stone BurstStone Burst, or when using Aspect of Anger ManagementAspect of Anger Management.

After getting a good FlickerstepFlickerstep, Calm before the Storm can be replaced with Overload, by preference.

Check how the build plays in the Build Mechanics section.

Back to Quick Navigation


Check the following sections for all important Wolf Companion gearing considerations to improve the power of your character in the endgame.

Legendary Aspects

Gear Slots with multiple options are listed in recommended priority. Any slot with a Mythic Unique will include a valid alternative to use while still leveling and gearing. Combine these with the right stat priorities.

SlotAspectUnique/Legendary Power
2-Handed WeaponShepherd's AspectShepherd’s AspectCompanion Skills deal an additional 5-13% damage per Companion you have.
HeadMythic Heir of PerditionHeir of Perdition
Godslayer CrownGodslayer Crown
Succumb to hatred and earn Mother’s Favor, increasing your damage dealt by 80%. Slaughter enemies to briefly steal Mother’s Favor from Nearby allies.
ChestDefensive –Aspect of DisobedienceAspect of Disobedience
Offensive –
Aspect of Anger ManagementAspect of Anger Management
Your Damage over Time grants you 1-1.5% Damage Reduction for 2 seconds, stacking up to 30 times.
GlovesAspect of the StampedeAspect of the StampedeGain 1 additional Companion. In addition, your Companion Skills deal 15-35% bonus damage.
PantsUnique Storm's CompanionStorm’s CompanionYour Wolf Companions are infused with the power of the storm, dealing 80-100% increased Lightning damage and gaining the Storm Howl ability.
BootsFlickerstepFlickerstepEach enemy you Evade through reduces your active Ultimate Cooldown by 2-4 seconds, up to 10 seconds.
AmuletAspect of ReanimationAspect of Reanimation
Kulle TransfigurationOvercharged AspectOvercharged Aspect
Your summons gain increased damage while alive, up to 60-90 (90-135%)
Ring 1Envenomed AspectEnvenomed AspectYou gain 20-40%+ more Critical Strike Damage against Poisoned enemies. Companion Skills gain double this bonus.
Ring 2Accord of the WildsAccord of the WildsYour Companion Skills each gain 1 additional Companion, and deal 40-50% bonus damage. Gain the Passive effects for Ravens, Wolves, and Poison Creeper for free.
Unique CharmMight of the UrsineMight of the UrsineGain 10-13% bonus damage for each stack of Resolve while in Werebear Form. Additionally, you automatically gain 1 Resolve every 1 second while in Werebear form.

Accord of the WildsAccord of the Wilds and Might of the UrsineMight of the Ursine are interchangeable with the ring or Unique Charm slot, and you can wear whichever combination has the best gear affixes.

Overcharged AspectOvercharged Aspect is the preferred Utility Aspect for the Kulle Transfiguration. This frees up the Boot slot for FlickerstepFlickerstep.

Normally, Aspect of Glynn's AnvilAspect of Glynn’s Anvil would be better than Aspect of DisobedienceAspect of Disobedience. However, it is bugged and not giving Damage Reduction.

For more information on Legendary Aspects and the Codex of Power, check the guide here.

Back to Quick Navigation


Stat Priority and Tempering Affixes

Each line of affixes is listed in order of importance, with some alternatives given. The bolded affixes are the most important targets for Greater Affixes and Masterwork Critical Increases. Check the Tempering guide and Masterworking guide for more details about these topics.

SlotGearing AffixesTempering Affixes
2-Handed Weapon Weapon Damage
Willpower
Critical Strike Damage Multiplier
Lightning Damage Multiplier
Maximum Life
Weapon – Critical Strike Chance
Helm – Mythic
Heir of PerditionHeir of Perdition
Critical Strike Chance
Lucky Hit
Movement Speed
Core Skill Ranks
Defensive – Maximum Resolve Stacks
Helm – Unique
Godslayer CrownGodslayer Crown
Willpower
Maximum Life
Armor
Resistance to All Elements
Defensive – Maximum Resolve Stacks
Chest – Legendary Aspect Willpower
Ranks to Defensive Skills
Maximum Life
Armor
All Resistance
Defensive – Maximum Resolve Stacks
GlovesWillpower
Critical Strike Damage Multiplier
Critical Strike Chance
Vulnerable Damage Multiplier
Utility – Lucky Hit Chance
Pants Willpower
Maximum Life
Armor
All Resistance
Defensive – Maximum Resolve Stacks
BootsAttacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown by X seconds.
Willpower
Maximum Life
Movement Speed
Armor
Mobility – Movement Speed
Amulet Critical Strike Damage Multiplier
Critical Strike Chance
Ranks in Nature Magic, Storm, Companion, Werewolf, or Versatile Skills
Vulnerable Damage Multiplier
Ranks in All Skills
Defensive – Maximum Resolve Stacks
Rings – Legendary AspectWillpower
Critical Strike Damage Multiplier
Attack Speed
Critical Strike Chance
Life on Hit
Resource – Cooldown Reduction

Storm's CompanionStorm’s Companion gives Wolves the Storm and Nature Magic tags, and makes Wolves deal Lightning Damage. This means Lightning Damage Multipliers are effective, as well as Nature and Storm tag Skill Ranks. The Nature Magic tag is best for this build for Amulet and Charm, as it also boosts Cyclone Armor and Earthen Bulwark.

High Critical Strike Chance and Lucky Hit help with Pack Leader resets on your WolvesWolves.

FlickerstepFlickerstep will perform best when it has the Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown and Movement Speed affixes.

Might of the UrsineMight of the Ursine boosts damage by the number of Resolve Stacks you have. Living StonesLiving Stones gives Armor per Resolve while active. Defensive Tempers can increase your Resolve Stack Maximum, boosting both of these to incredible strength.

For the dedicated page on Gear Systems and Itemization Overview, check the guide here.

Back to Quick Navigation


Uniques and Mythic Uniques

The Wolf Companion Druid can benefit from several Unique and Mythic Unique Items.

Uniques

  • (Before Mythic) Godslayer CrownGodslayer Crown is a useful way to gather enemies. Your Wolves’ Feral Dash is a Stun that works as a trigger. Drops from Andariel.
  • Storm's CompanionStorm’s Companion has powerful gearing affixes and gives werewolves the Storm Tag. The increase to Ranks in WolvesWolves, Wolves Attack Speed, and Additional Chance to trigger Pack Leader all scale the build. Drops from Andariel.
  • FlickerstepFlickerstep will help manage Grizzly RageGrizzly Rage downtime while in high push content, where things live long enough to Evade through them. Make sure to have Movement Speed and Attacks Reduce Evade’s Cooldown gear affixes on them, ideally. There is no dedicated boss with this item. Instead, use the Horadric cube Common to Unique recipe to fish for it. You can gamble boots at the obol vendor and then remove affixes on magic and rare items until they are Common.
  • Accord of the WildsAccord of the Wilds gives extra Companions, Companion Damage, and lets us receive the passive effects of Poison CreeperPoison Creeper and RavensRavens without them on the Skill Bar, making room for other investments. Drops from Beast in the Ice.
  • Might of the UrsineMight of the Ursine is our Unique Charm choice. We stay in Werebear form with this playstyle, so can benefit from the multiplier. Each stack of Resolve gives damage. We gain extra resolve from Defensive Tempers, and generate tempers from the Unique Ring itself, RavensRavens and Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark. Drops from Harbinger of Hatred.

Mythic Uniques

  • Heir of PerditionHeir of Perdition is a strong multiplier with even stronger Gear Affixes. The Critical Strike and Lucky Hit chance both boost our chance for Pack Leader Resets.

Back to Quick Navigation


Gems and Runewords

Gems

The following are the recommended Gem and Runeword setups for the Wolf Companion Druid.

Weapon GemsArmor GemsJewelry Gems
Flawless Horadric TopazFlawless Horadric Topaz for Lightning Damage MultiplierFlawless Horadric SapphireFlawless Horadric Sapphire for WIllpowerFlawless Horadric DiamondFlawless Horadric Diamond x2 for All Resistance
Flawless Horadric RubyFlawless Horadric Ruby for Fire Resistance

Best drop location for gems is Seer’s Reach dungeon, northeast of Temis.

Use the Horadric Cube to turn Grand Gems -> Horadric Gems -> Flawless Horadric Gems.

Most of the dangerous one-shots are fire or lightning damage. Swap in more Rubies or Topazes if necessary.

Runewords

Use these Runeword combinations for the Wolf Companion Druid, placed in the 2-Handed Weapon and into one Armor slot.

Runeword CombinationRuneword Effects
Nagu CehNaguNagu – Gain: 100 Offering. Maintain at least 1 active Summon for 5 seconds, gaining Offering for each up to 6 Summons.
CehCeh – Requires: 100 Offering, Overflow: Summon Multiple Wolves. Cooldown: 1 second. Summon a Spirit Wolf to attack enemies for 8 seconds.
Igni QueIgniIgni – Gain: 25 Offering. Stores Offering every 0.3 seconds. Cast a Non-Basic Skill to gain the stored Offering. (Up to 500 Offering).
QueQue – Requires: 300 Offering. Overflow: Increased Duration. Cooldown: 1 second.
Evoke the Druid’s Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark, granting yourself a Barrier.

Runewords use a conditional Rune of Ritual to generate Offering. The Rune of Invocation consumes the Offering to trigger its effect. Runes replace Gems in gear with two sockets. Up to two sets of Runeword Pairs can be placed at a time.

QueQue will periodically cast Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark for Barrier, Fortify, Unstoppable, and Resolve. This also frees up a slot on our Skill Bar.

CehCeh will periodically summon Spirit Wolves to assist you in combat, applying Chill, Vulnerable, and adding to Shepherd's AspectShepherd’s Aspect count. They are Unhindered, passing through enemies and the player. They won’t do high damage like your WolvesWolves, but they’re good boys anyway.

Back to Quick Navigation


Paragon Board

The following are the preferred Glyphs, Boards, and pathing recommended for making the most of the Wolf Companion Druid.

The road to max Paragon is long. The above Paragon tabs show the following.

  • The first tab is a Starter setup around Paragon 200. This pathing is stricter to grab all Legendary nodes, essential rare nodes, and to fill in glyph areas. This uses the Constricting TendrilsConstricting Tendrils board for the extra Lucky Hit while still gearing, to help out with Pack Leader Resets
  • The second tab is the Final setup, which takes Survival InstinctsSurvival InstinctsKeeperKeeper for more total toughness for high push content.

Best pathing is generally to rush Legendary Nodes for the powerful effects and multipliers -> complete Glyph areas to minimum secondary bonus activation -> grab important defensive Rare Nodes -> fill in Glyph areas, then complete the rest of the Rare and Magic nodes.

Back to Quick Navigation


Season Mechanics

There are no specific seasonal mechanics in season 13. Instead, the Lord of Hatred DLC and all of its features are available to explore. This includes:

  • War Plans
  • New Skill Trees
  • Talisman Sets
  • The Horadric Cube
  • Echoing Hatred

Enjoy the expansion!


Talisman

Lord of Hatred introduces Talisman sets. The Talisman is a Seal and the Charms placed within. Charms have general affixes from a limited pool and can have Set bonuses, which grant significant power.

For farm and non-push content, use this setup:

  • Seal Bonus +1 Charm Slot for 6 total Charm slots. This allows for a full 5-set and Unique Charm.
  • 5/5 Nafain’s Bestiary Talisman Set
  • Unique Charm for Might of the UrsineMight of the Ursine

BEAR COMPANIONS! Nafain’s Bestiary is the Companion Talisman set. We receive:

  • Bear Companions that frequently roar, increasing Companion damage.
  • The Bears split damage taken, casting Debilitating RoarDebilitating Roar and healing when injured.
  • We receive extra Companions of all types.
  • We receive all Companion Side Upgrades for free, allowing us to move any invested Skill Points.

For high push content, use this setup:

  • Seal Bonus: +1 Charm slot for 6 total Charm slots.
  • 5/5 Song of the Old Mountain Talisman Set.
  • Unique Charm for Might of the UrsineMight of the Ursine.

Song of the Old Mountain is a force multiplier set that loads damage events into an absorb, which then explodes for large damage. Travertine BulwarkTravertine Bulwark and Living StonesLiving Stones are our Earth triggers to start the sequence. Bear 🐻 in mind that this can slow down kill speed in farm content, but can do incredible damage in multitarget and push content where enemies can group and live longer.

Ideal affixes for the Seal, Seal Bonuses, and Charms include the following in order of priority:

  • Ranks to Nature Magic, Werewolf, Companion, or Storm Skills. Nature Magic is the best category to try to Reroll Set Charm to, as it also boosts both Earthen Bulwark and Cyclone Armor.
  • All Stats. All Stats is important for Paragon Secondary Bonus nodes. Have at least one here if you do not have any All Stats on transfigure bonuses.
  • Critical Strike Chance, if needed.

Mercenaries

Mercenaries are followers who aid the Player. A main mercenary is chosen to fight alongside you, granting strong buffs or perks, and a secondary Mercenary is chosen to periodically Reinforce you.

The following Mercenary options are recommended for the Wolf Companion Druid:

Main Mercenary – Raheir, the Shieldbearer

Reinforcement – Aldkin, the Cursed Child

Raheir will grant a notable increase to Armor and a small damage bonus, taunting enemies occasionally. Other setups are viable, such as Subo’s Cover FireCover Fire for Critical Strike Damage and minimap marking quality of life.

Back to Quick Navigation


Build Mechanics

Rotation

  • Enter Werebear form with Debilitating RoarDebilitating Roar or ClawClaw (Werebear).
  • Maintain Debilitating RoarDebilitating Roar for Max Life and to apply debuffs.
  • (Push only) Maintain a Living StonesLiving Stones Stone Burst for armor and Earth Talisman Set.
  • Grizzly RageGrizzly Rage to enter Dire Werebear form, granting significant damage and bonuses.
  • Keep WolvesWolves on cooldown, cast on priority enemies.
  • Evade through enemies to trigger FlickerstepFlickerstep Cooldown Reduction on Grizzly RageGrizzly Rage.
  • ClawClaw as filler to help trigger Pack Leader resets on WolvesWolves, or as a Dash to move to the next pack.

Cyclone ArmorCyclone Armor can be used to drag in enemies as needed.

Skills, Support, and Synergies

The primary source of damage for the Wolf Companion build is WolvesWolves.

WolvesWolves are Companions that are out and active; they attack and can be attacked, and tank for you. Their Active Skill Feral Dash grants them Unstoppable and makes them leap onto your target for high damage. Each active Wolf makes a separate attack.

When using Storm's CompanionStorm’s Companion, your Wolves gain the Nature Magic and Storm tag, deal Lightning Damage, and benefit from related bonuses like ThunderstruckThunderstruck. They also gain the Storm Howl ability, frequently howling a midrange area of effect of Lightning Damage. In Lord of Hatred, that damage scales up with Wolves’ damage, so it actually does work now!

With the Werewolf PackWerewolf Pack Variation, your wolves become werewolves, gaining the Werewolf tag. This tag is useful to access benefits like Lust for CarnageLust for Carnage.

Werewolf PackWerewolf Pack will occasionally cast their Feral Dash on distant enemies without being commanded, doing full damage. They will not gain unstoppable on these hits.

Companions inherit all your Stats. For example, your Attack Speed bonuses or Critical Strike Chance will directly improve your Companions’ Attack Speed and Critical Strike Chance.

Unless using Aspect of the WildrageAspect of the Wildrage, we rely on Spirit Boon Pack Leader for cooldown resets of WolvesWolves. This means gearing for Critical Strike Chance and Lucky Hit is significant.

Summon Count

Base WolvesWolves start with two Wolf Companions.

Spirit Wolves summoned from the CehCeh Rune also count for the total Shepherd's AspectShepherd’s Aspect. These are also Summons and will scale with some Companion modifiers.

Once complete, your build should have:

  • 6 Companion Werewolves
  • 5 Companion Poison Creepers
  • 8 Companion Ravens
  • 4 Talisman Bears
  • 6-10 CehCeh Spirit Wolves

Shepherd's AspectShepherd’s Aspect increases Companion damage for every active Companion!

Supporting Skills

Cyclone ArmorCyclone Armor gives a large boost to All Resistance and with the Reversal Variation, can be used to cluster enemies together.

Stone BurstStone Burst is a maintenance skill for extra Armor per Resolve and to help trigger the Song of the Old Mountain talisman set when used. In general, non-push and speed farm content, this will not need to be maintained. Spirit is maintained with Lust for CarnageLust for Carnage, Gift of the Stag spirit boon if needed, and ClawClaw, when used.

Debilitating RoarDebilitating Roar gives Maximum Life and places a reduced damage dealt debuff on enemies. Our bear companions will also occasionally cast this when Injured.

RavensRavens and Poison CreeperPoison Creeper are available from our Accord of the Wilds unique item, and do not need to be present on the Skill Bar. Along with boosting our Shepherd's AspectShepherd’s Aspect, we will gain all side upgrade benefits, including extra Fortify, Vulnerable application, and periodic Resolve stacks.

Grizzly RageGrizzly Rage is our Ultimate Skill. WolvesWolves is a Versatile Skill, and can be used with Cornered Beast Variation, stacking damage multipliers when dealing or taking damage. With so many Companions, this reaches max stacks quickly. Calm before the Storm Spirit Boon and Evading through enemies with FlickerstepFlickerstep reduce the cooldown of Grizzly Rage.

With QueQue, we gain access to Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark without placing it on the Skill Bar. Earthen Bulwark provides Fortify, periodic Unstoppable, Barrier, and Resolve. 18 ranks is sufficient to fully cap Earthen Bulwark. If you have extra ranks from Charms or Amulet in Nature Magic Skills, you can move these ranks elsewhere, like to Cyclone Armor or Debilitating Roar.

ClawClaw is your filler to fish for more Pack Leader resets between casts of WolvesWolves, and a handy DashDash for mobility. In push, Lightning ClawLightning Claw can also be a valid option to help with more Calm Before the Storm Spirit Boon triggers, as that variation makes Claw a Storm Skill.

Buff Check

Here’s a breakdown of where we are getting what essential buffs!

PowerSource
BarrierEarthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark
BerserkingGrizzly RageGrizzly Rage
Crowd ControlWolvesWolves Stun Side Upgrade
CehCeh Wolves Chill and Freeze
FerocityClawClaw Ferocity Side Upgrade
If used, Great Storm AspectGreat Storm Aspect
FortifyEarthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark – Fortify and Healing
Poison CreeperPoison Creeper Fortify
OverpowerEarthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark Overpower
PoisoningPoison CreeperPoison Creeper
Constricting TendrilsConstricting Tendrils, when used.
ResolveEarthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark – Travertine Bulwark
RavensRavens – Resolve
Might of the UrsineMight of the Ursine
UnstoppableIf used, Earthen BulwarkEarthen Bulwark – Upstoppable
If used, Raheir Mercenary
VulnerableOvercharged AspectOvercharged Aspect
RavensRavens Vulnerable
CehCeh Wolves apply Vulnerable on dash
Weaken

Variant Play

Here are a few options or notes on other playstyles!

Push Options

Here are a few considerations and options when pushing the highest content.

Stone BurstStone Burst tech

  • The armor per Resolve upgrade on Stone Burst is an incredible Toughness booster, since we already take max resolve boosts for Might of the UrsineMight of the Ursine. Living StonesLiving Stones lets us benefit from this armor and freely cast instead of channeling a stone burst, making it a viable strategy. Upkeep a Living Stones every few seconds for the toughness boost.
  • This heavy Armor maintenance gameplay allows some tradeoffs, like more damage on gear instead of Life or a Defensive Aspect.
  • This gameplay can be disruptive, so it is only recommended for high push content.

Song of the Old Mountain Talisman Set is the stronger set in high-density push content, when enemies live long enough to benefit. The set loads damage into an absorb, and then erupts that damage to close enemies. We trigger the fossilize 2 piece with Travertine BulwarkTravertine Bulwark and Living StonesLiving Stones. This set can slow down or disrupt flow in the lower farm or speed content, however.

RavensRavens – When being in melee is too spicy, we swap out ClawClaw for RavensRavens on the Skill Bar as a filler skill to help reset our WolvesWolves.

The final paragon setup uses Survival InstinctsSurvival Instincts over Constricting TendrilsConstricting Tendrils. This is for the incredible Max Life boost from Battleworn HideBattleworn Hide. The lucky hit from the Constricting Tendrils board will be friendlier when still gearing, allowing more Pack Leader resets, so it remains in the Starter paragon tab setup.

Wildrage Aspect

Aspect of the WildrageAspect of the Wildrage is updated as a *Resource* Aspect, directly reducing the cooldown of Companion Skills. We have the option to put this onto the Amulet to reduce Wolves cooldown all the way to 0.5 seconds, making it spammable without having to fish for Pack Leader resets.

This is, of course, a potential damage loss because we have to move our Offensive Aspect off an amulet. However, this option can shine in early gearing when we still are not Critical Strike Chance capped, or be beneficial for a more stress-free farm. The damage difference is probably about half a Torment, so your highest torment will still be farmable. To play this style:

How About Ravens and Creeper?

Do not worry, I have considered our other Companion buddies!

Ravens

This season, I have put a hold on updating for RavensRavens. The general nerfs to Lucky Hit mean a Ravens-focused build is not as strong as Wolves, and worse, it plays stuttery. It is probably a little over a full Torment behind.

We all miss SavagerySavagery when Ravens was a Core skill. As well, Wildrage Aspect tech is insufficient to reduce the cooldown to something spammable, as the base Ravens cooldown is too high. However, if you’re interested in trying, make the following Changes:

Poison Creeper

Creeper is in an interesting position; Aspect of the WildrageAspect of the Wildrage Aspect amulet tech *does* work on it, giving it potential for spam. In lower content, that works pretty great with its Germinate Variation, which we get for free thanks to the Creeper Unique Item Greenwalker's OathGreenwalker’s Oath. It is a bit of a meme build.

Unfortunately, its damage did not scale well, so it fell behind. If you are looking for a Poisonous Damage over Time build, check out the Rabies Lacerate Druid; it is looking A tier!

Other Talisman Sets?

Song of the Old Mountain is a strong push option, loading up damage into a bursting absorb. The absorb can be disruptive in lower content, slowing down speed farm, but can cause incredible damage when pushing, when things live longer. We trigger this set with Travertine BulwarkTravertine Bulwark and Stone BurstStone Burst Living StonesLiving Stones.

Wolves, as a Storm, Companion, and Versatile Skill mean that other Talisman sets are available to use. The Den Mother Werebear 2 set might is a strong easily ramped buff, however the 5 set does not boost Companion damage. The Storm set can give Cyclone Armor off the bar, allowing another Skill to be actively placed. Feel free to try them all out as you get them.

Bear in mind that removing Nafain’s Bestiary Set means you need to take Skill Points to invest into the Companion Side Upgrades again.


Season Updates

Wolves are looking great this season, and a lot of their weaknesses have been fixed. Their Storm's CompanionStorm’s Companion Storm Howl finally scales in damage, so they have legitimate AoE cleave.

Wolves’ behavior has improved in general, and the bugginess of them getting stuck or not attacking things like Tower Pylons should be fixed. They still may run off occasionally, especially when they have a Distant target to autocast their Feral Dash.

With a dedicated Talisman Set specifically for Companions, we have quite the pack ready to go, and a good amount of options to look for.

For a full breakdown on how gameplay has changed, check out the Build Mechanics section!

I suggest having an Aspect of the WildrageAspect of the Wildrage Amulet on hand for when you want to do more casual farming content. It is a lot less work when your Wolves have a 0.5s cooldown.

Known Bugs:

Check the Patch Notes for a full list of updates. It is a lot. For general Season 13 information, check out our Season 13 Hub.


Changelog

  • 7 May, 2026: Skill tree redone to have Stone Burst available. Talisman section updated, explaining push with Earth set vs Companion set. Paragon rearranged for a starter-friendly setup and a final push setup. Updates to Variant Play to explain the push options. Ideal affixes on gear updated to reflect these other changes.
  • 5 May, 2026: Added Push Options in Variant Play. Updated info based on findings about talisman sets.
  • 3 May, 2026: Added Mythic Seal setup recommendation in the Talisman Section. Adjusted aspect recommendations for new information on Envenomed Aspect – see Known Bugs.
  • 2 May, 2026: Added best drop locations for Unique items in the Unique section.
  • 1 May, 2026: Post-launch learnings added. Spirit Boon preferences updated, mechanics and buffs sections clarified for better explanations, options and listings. Skill Rank priorities on charms adjusted. Known Bugs added.
  • 29 April, 2025: Updated for Season 13 and Lord of Hatred. Rewrites to basically all sections. Options for Wildrage, Werewolf Form, and Ravens are included.
  • 24 March, 2026: Updated for 2.6.1 Bug Fixes.
  • 13 March, 2026: Updated gear recommendations to use the updated Godslayer CrownGodslayer Crown. Updated recommended Bloody Affixes given known bugs for willpower% per killstreak tier. CehCeh is functioning since today’s hotfix.
  • 8 March, 2026: Updated for Season 12 and Patch 2.6. Updates to Mercenary and Gearing Recommendations. Updated Paragon board with buffs to paragon nodes.
  • 6 December, 2025: Updated for Season 11 and Patch 2.5.
  • 6 October, 2025: Minor updates to Spirit Recommendations under Chaos Perks and some Chaos Armor suggestions.
ARPG Vault Logo

Have feedback or questions about our guides? Join our ARPG Discord community and let us know!