D2R Season 9: Maul Druid Build Guide

Ben Author

Created - 13.12.2024 Updated - 16.12.2024

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Are you one of those people who like to go against the grain and choose the path less taken? More specifically, are you a Diablo II: Resurrected enjoyer who likes to play in Hardcore just for the fun of it? If so, you’ll want to stick around for a while and listen!

In this article, we are going to talk to you about a particular build that can take on the game’s challenging content without even breaking a sweat! When built right, this D2R character is virtually unkillable!

Have we got your attention yet? If so, let’s venture forth! This is our ultimate build guide for the D2R Maul Druid in Season 9!

Why Choose the Maul Druid?

The D2R Maul Werebear build is an incredible character to play in Hardcore. Why? It boasts the highest amount of HP among the builds in Diablo II: Resurrected Season 9. This build can easily achieve more than 3,500 HP with the right gear. In fact, if you have the endgame items that we will suggest later on, you might even reach upwards of 5,000 HP!

This build excels at crushing opponents and mauling them out of Sanctuary! True enough, Maul is going to be your primary damage dealer. When used, you attack the enemy and gain charges (or stacks) that increase your damage and attack speed with successive hits.

Upon striking an enemy successfully, you will see a green ball that surrounds your character. This tells you that you’re under the effects of increased damage and attack speed provided by your primary skill.

Although you do not see how many charges you have at the moment, you will have some idea as to how many stacks you have accumulated judging by the size and the glow of the ball. In other words, the said indicator gets progressively bigger and shinier the more you attack your foes.

It is important to note that this Maul Druid D2R build can only hit one target at a time due to the nature of its main damage dealer. This means that it might not be the most effective at eliminating monsters in a wide area. However, it does excel at fighting the Uber Bosses in the game.

Speaking of which, Uber Bosses cannot even put a dent in your HP simply because you have impenetrable defenses while in Werebear Form. So even if you are not a map blaster like the D2R Wind Druid, you’re still able to enjoy the game by playing a very tanky Uber Boss farmer.

Playstyle

Always make sure that before you head out to farm D2R Uber Bosses, you have all of your pets summoned on the battlefield. If you have CTA and Spirit, switch to them first and then summon your minions to enhance their buffs and capabilities.

Now, you will be in Werebear Form for the majority of the time because Maul can only be used while you’re in this state. However, you have to switch to Werewolf every three minutes only for the sake of acquiring the “Mark of the Wolf” buff from your endgame helmet.

While in Werewolf Form, utilize Feral Rage to proc Mark of the Wolf in a short span of time. This skill is also good for survivability because of its considerable damage output and life leech per attack.

Shockwave should be utilized to stun enemies. Since you only spend one point to get it, the said skill will not be effective at clearing map monsters. Shockwave is handy in situations where you need to stun monsters to recover life or run away.

Keep an eye out on your pets, especially the Oak Sage and Heart of the Wolverine. Resummon the Grizzly Bear if you want a reliable minion that can distract enemies, allowing you to escape unscathed.

Stats

Strength: 200 to 300 points

Dexterity: Depends on gear

Vitality: Spend the rest of the points here

Energy: None

Unlike most D2R builds that only allocate STR to satisfy the attribute requirements on gear, the Maul Druid actually benefits from a lot of strength. This is because the said attribute can boost the damage of melee weapons, so it’s only fitting that it gets more STR than usual.

That said, the number of points you put on strength depends on whether you want a larger health pool or not. We’ve found that 300 is the highest without compromising HP too much. Still, the decision is yours.

The Diablo II: Resurrected Maul Druid is billed as a tanky character that hits hard. That’s why after sorting out STR, the rest of the points should be allocated to vitality to increase your life significantly.

You barely even need to allocate DEX, especially if you go with any of the gear recommendations later on in this D2R build guide.

Skills

• 20 points on Maul
• 20 points on Werebear
• 20 points on Lycanthropy
• 20 points on Oak Sage
• 20 points on Heart of the Wolverine
• 2 points on Summon Dire Wolf
• Put 1 point on the following skills:
  • Werewolf
  • Feral Rage
  • Fire Claws
  • Hunger
  • Shock Wave
  • Raven
  • Summon Spirit Wolf
  • Summon Grizzly

Maxing out Maul and Werebear is of utmost importance if you are going to choose the D2R Maul Druid in Season 9. Every skill point you spend on Werebear increases your damage and defense while in that form.

Leveling Maul grants higher attack speed, more damage, and increased stun duration. Yes, you can actually stun enemies with this skill. Furthermore, the chance for monsters to get stunned while being mauled is increased the more you hit the same target!

Oak Sage and Heart of the Wolverine are maxed out because they provide you with useful stats, including life, damage, and attack rating. Make sure to resummon them when they die.

The good thing about Diablo II: Resurrected is that you can now summon every pet from the Druid’s “Summoning” skill tree. If you’re wondering why an additional point is spent on the Dire Wolf, that’s because it boosts the HP of your Grizzly Bear by a considerable amount.

Our version of the Maul Druid takes the level 1 Hunger skill primarily for life and mana steal. This is very useful no matter what stage in the game you are in.

Feral Rage is also allocated because we’ve found this to be the most reliable solution for obtaining the Mark of the Wolf buff from Metamorphosis.

While leveling your Druid, you can take Firestorm and Molten Boulder to get to level 12 as quickly as possible. After that, reset the skill points and allocate them to Maul and Werebear.

Breakpoints

The Maul Druid in Diablo II: Resurrected can greatly benefit from a high attack speed. As usual, the IAS (Increased Attack Speed) breakpoint is tricky to pinpoint because it relies on so many factors, including the type of weapon you use, if you have Mark of the Bear active, or how many Maul charges you have at the moment, among others.

You can utilize an IAS calculator and plug the things that you currently have. If you are going to use Breath of the Dying on an Archon Staff, for example, you need about 65% IAS to achieve 8 FPA (frames per attack). This is assuming you are at 16 Maul charges and with Mark of the Bear active.

Faster Hit Recovery is useful for the Maul Druid, though not as much as IAS. You don’t have to invest much into this; a 54% FHR (7 frames) should be fine.

Maul Druid Gear Recommendations

Damage, life, and life/mana leech—these are the most important things to look for when gearing the Maul Druid. While resistances can certainly help the Druid survive, particularly in Hell Difficulty, they’re not as mandatory as in the other D2R builds. That’s because this class is quite sturdy while in Werebear Form.

Take note that the Maul Druid is gear-dependent and must have certain items equipped in order to reach its full potential. If you want to skip the grind and get coveted items like Breath of the Dying immediately, head to our D2R Store today!

Helmet

As you read through this section of our D2R Maul Druid build guide, you will find that some items are typically equipped by the Act 2 Mercenary. Well, that is the case for the first item on this list, which is Guillaume’s Face.

GFace, as it is known in the Diablo II: Resurrected community, is quite amazing because it gives you a high chance of landing a Crushing Blow. CB is an in-game mechanic, where you remove a portion of the enemy’s current life similar to the Sorceress’ Static Field.

The 15 bonus strength that you gain from wearing Guillaume’s Face contributes to your overall damage and allows you to reach the upper range of STR we’ve alluded to earlier.

There are D2R items that are made specifically for certain classes and Jalal’s Mane is one of them. This is a pretty awesome unique helmet for the Maul Druid because it can raise the level of his Shapeshifting skills by four, increasing the potency of their effects!

On top of that, the 20% bonus to attack rating is huge, especially when you factor that with the level 20 Heart of the Wolverine. You don’t want any of your attacks to miss, right? Then Jalal’s Mane can certainly help you prevent that from happening!

Jalal’s Mane was the standard helmet for shapeshifting D2R Druid builds for a while until Blizzard introduced Metamorphosis as a suitable replacement in Patch 2.6. This particular runeword (Io, Cham, Fal) grants two incredibly powerful buffs: Mark of the Wolf and Mark of the Bear.

Mark of the Wolf greatly increases your life pool by about 40%. Besides that, you gain a hefty 30% bonus to attack rating, which ensures that you don’t miss with every use of Maul!

On the other hand, Mark of the Bear increases your attack speed by 25%. This buff also improves your survivability by granting a considerable 20% physical damage reduction.

Metamorphosis is your endgame helmet for the Maul Druid because the aforementioned buffs are just too hard to ignore. However, you have to switch to Werewolf and attack enemies with Feral Rage every three minutes just to keep Mark of the Wolf up.

Body Armor

You have two amazing body armor options to choose from if you want to enjoy your time playing the Maul Druid in Diablo II: Resurrected.

The first is Treachery—a popular D2R runeword that grants 60% all-resists and some resistance to physical damage for roughly five minutes. This is, of course, thanks to the level 15 Fade buff that has a chance of activating when you get hit.

Apart from that, Treachery is the only body armor in the game that provides you with a 45% boost to attack speed. IAS is helpful not only for eliminating enemies quicker but also for faster life leech.

In the opening statement of this D2R build guide, we said that the Maul Druid is one of the builds that we recommend for Hardcore. Well, Fortitude helps you achieve that by heavily bolstering your defense against melee and ranged attacks. This is thanks to the runeword’s 200% Enhanced Defense and level 15 Chilling Armor!

Now, there is a reason why Fortitude is frequently being utilized by Act 2 Mercenaries in Diablo II: Resurrected and that is because of its insane 300% Enhanced Damage. To understand how powerful this is, the said bonus greatly enhances the damage modifiers granted by your other items!

So in short, when you equip Fortitude for yourself, you are not only unkillable, but you also hit like a truck!

Weapon

When it comes to the weapon you’re going to use for the Maul Druid, we will recommend some one-handed options, as well as two-handed weapons. We prefer the latter because they naturally deal more damage, but there are a couple of one-handed weapons that are also quite good.

The Maul Druid is an excellent Uber Boss farmer primarily because of its copious amounts of HP, impenetrable defenses, and amazing single-target damage. Because Uber Bosses are essentially demons in Diablo II: Resurrected, you can take full advantage of the Oath runeword to quickly decimate them.

Aside from the fact that you deal 75% increased damage to demons with this weapon equipped, you gain a bonus in attack rating when fighting such enemies as well. While the runes Shael, Pul, Mal, and Lum are often placed inside the Phase Blade, the said weapon requires a huge amount of DEX, which is something that this build does not have.

That is why you are going to use the Berserker Axe instead. This thing boasts the highest DPS numbers among one-handed weapons, so it is only fitting that you used this as your base for Oath.

This next D2R runeword might not have Enhanced Damage, but what it does offer is so much more than that. Grief is just so good that it’s even considered the best melee runeword in all of Diablo II: Resurrected.

Let’s focus on the target defense reduction modifiers that it has. The “Ignore Target Defense” is pretty self-explanatory. Every time you whack your enemies with Maul, they get the full extent of it because their resistance to physical damage is essentially non-existent!

If that is the case, then why does Grief have “-25% Target Defense” as well? That’s a good question! The answer, really, is that the previous modifier only works on trash mobs; not on Act Bosses and Uber Bosses.

While this may not get talked about a lot when referring to D2R Druid builds, Grief's “Prevent Monster Heal” is quite helpful, especially when fighting against monsters that have fast life regeneration.

If you want to deal the most amount of damage with the Maul Druid, then you must set your eyes on the two-handed weapons that we are about to discuss.

The Ribcracker is an excellent two-handed weapon for this build because of that 50% Crushing Blow chance; one of the highest on a single item in Diablo II: Resurrected. Downing ubers in a matter of seconds also wouldn’t be a problem because of this item’s 50% IAS.

We recommend that you upgrade this weapon’s base from a Quarterstaff to a Stalagmite by using a Horadric Cube recipe. If you have an Ethereal Ribcracker (Stalagmite), you have in your possession a weapon that has an astounding 478-705 damage! To cap it off, insert a Zod rune to make this item indestructible.

Do you want to reach the higher IAS breakpoints? If so, your endgame weapon for the Maul Druid should be the Breath of the Dying, specifically crafted using an Ethereal Archon Staff as the base (for its low attribute requirement).

This weapon runeword is awesome for melee builds in D2R mainly due to its 60% attack speed, 400% Enhanced Damage, and up to 15% life leech, among many others. The bonus 30 attributes consequently improve your damage and life as well.

Shield

One of the most important things that you have to know while playing D2R Hardcore is that you have to do everything in your power to survive. Additionally, part of the reason why we recommended some one-handed weapons in the previous section is so that you can equip a shield for better survivability; not that you’re actually going to need it but more of peace of mind.

The Stormshield has been a long-time staple in Diablo II: Resurrected as far as the best shields for survival in Hardcore are concerned. This provides you with a hefty 35% resistance to physical damage, which is the most out of a single item in the game.

On top of that, the Stormshield has a flat defense bonus that is amplified by any “Enhanced Defense” mods on your gear, such as the one from the Fortitude runeword.

Since the Maul Druid is virtually unkillable anyway, you can opt for the Phoenix runeword instead. This is a shield that improves your defense against missile attacks. But more importantly, it can roll up to 400% Enhanced Damage, which is quite a rare bonus in this particular equipment slot in Diablo II: Resurrected!

Weapon/Shield Swap

• Call to Arms (Crystal Sword): Always use Battle Command to boost the level of your minions before summoning them.
• Spirit: For its +2 skills; useful for summoning and pre-buffing.

Gloves

To solidify your status as the Hardcore Uber Boss farmer in D2R, equip your Maul Druid with Laying of Hands. Its 50% fire resistance and +25 defense are nothing to write home about, but its humongous 350% increased damage against demons certainly is! And oh, it also has attack speed to help you reach the higher IAS breakpoints.

You can also craft a pair of blood gloves that have STR, Crushing Blow, and 20% increased attack speed. If you need any resistance, craft a suitable pair of gloves to address any deficiencies.

In Hardcore, we recommend Dracul’s Grasp. These gloves do not have any IAS bonuses whatsoever. However, Dracul’s Grasp makes up for it by providing you with some life leech and a 25% chance of inflicting Open Wounds. Enemies unfortunate enough to be at the receiving end of your Maul will suffer from damage over time due to bleeding.

Boots

If you do not have the means of inflicting Open Wounds, Crushing Blow, and Deadly Strike, then there is one item in the game that can rectify that: the Gore Rider!

Both Crushing Blow and Deadly Strike are already quite useful for the Maul Druid, but having the ability to make your enemies suffer from damage over time is welcome nevertheless.

D2R players all aspire to have a pretty high Magic Find bonus in the endgame. After all, farming items with juicy mods is one of the things that you will do frequently until the ladder season ends.

Also, if you have noticed, we haven’t recommended any item that has MF till now. If you want to have a bit of Magic Find on your Maul Druid, then the War Traveler is non-negotiable.

Amulet

Deadly Strike is an on-hit mechanic in Diablo II: Resurrected that allows you to deal double the damage that you normally do. Combine that with 20% IAS and +1 to skills and you have a potent mix of bonuses that are just too hard to pass up.

Well, that item exists in the game in the form of the Highlord’s Wrath. In fact, this thing can go as high as 37% Deadly Strike chance if you have a level 99 Maul Druid.

When you wear items that grant bonus strength, you not only increase your damage but the amount of HP that you have as well. This presupposes that you spend more points on vitality after achieving 300 STR.

That said, you could equip a rare amulet that has bonus strength, in addition to +2 Druid skills, and some Faster Cast Rate (FCR) for good measure.

Rings

Using a dual leech ring for the Maul Druid is highly encouraged. When you have enough leech, you can forgo Hunger entirely and spend the refunded skill points on something more productive, such as Summon Dire Wolf or Summon Grizzly.

The other ring slot is reserved for either the Raven Frost or Bul-Kathos’ Wedding Band. When should you use the said unique rings, you ask? Well, if you have Metamorphosis equipped, use Bul-Kathos’ Wedding Band. If not, go for Raven Frost so that you become immune to freeze.

Belt

Magic damage reduction is so rare in Diablo II: Resurrected that such a particular bonus can only be found in one item in the game. The item in question is none other than the String of Ears.

The String of Ears is the final piece that makes up the perfect equipment for the Maul Druid. Aside from magic damage reduction, this belt mitigates the physical damage that you take as well. Additionally, it can roll up to 180% Enhanced Defense, which works great with the Stormshield equipped.

Charms

• Hellfire Torch: Specifically with +3 to Druid Skills and +20 Attributes
• Annihilus: +1 skills and +20 Attributes
• Gheed’s Fortune: One of the only sources of MF for the Maul Druid
• Small Charms: Mainly resistances to elemental and poison damage
• Grand Charms: +1 to Shape Shifting Skills and Life

Mercenary

The Maul Druid is one of those D2R builds that can actually benefit from two different mercenaries. If you want to go for more attack speed, hire an Act 1 Mercenary that is equipped with the Faith runeword.

Faith, for those who don’t know, is a runeword that grants the wielder the effects of a level 15 Fanaticism Aura. This aura greatly boosts the attack rating and attack speed of nearby allies (such as yourself).

The issue that we have with the Act 1 Mercenary is that she often dies when she positions herself in the thick of battle. If you want a sturdier companion, then go for the Act 2 Mercenary.

Instead of the more conventional Insight or Infinity runewords, however, you must equip your Desert Hireling with a Thresher that has the Pride runeword on it. This is to give him access to a high-level Concentration Aura, which decreases the chance of your Maul being interrupted by crowd control effects and whatnot.

Concentration also improves your damage significantly, making it the perfect choice for an endgame Maul Druid build.

Equip your mercenaries with these items to ensure victory in Softcore and Hardcore in D2R:

Act 1 Mercenary Equipment

• Weapon: Faith
• Helmet: Vampire Gaze
• Body Armor: Shaftstop

Act 2 Mercenary Equipment

• Weapon: Pride
• Helmet: Andariel’s Visage
• Body Armor: Fortitude

Tips and Strategies

• Use Harmony on Weapon Swap: One of the weaknesses of the D2R Maul Druid is that it cannot take full advantage of Enigma. That’s because you cannot use Teleport while in the Werebear Form. If you want to run faster to your destination, you can put Harmony on weapon swap for that level 10 Vigor Aura. This aura not only increases your stamina but also your movement speed.

• Battle Command Before and After Summoning: Battle Command, which is a buff that increases your skill levels by one, should be cast before and after summoning your pets. The initial shout is to raise the level of your pets, and the shout after summoning them is to improve the buffs they provide.

• Invest in IAS Items: Leveling up the Maul Druid is painfully slow at the beginning. However, if you can push through, we promise that this build picks up as soon as you have enough gear, particularly with items that boost your attack speed.

• Put Bone Break in Your Inventory: Maul deals physical damage, so when you encounter monsters that are immune to the said damage type, you are in big trouble. However, Bone Break neutralizes the physical damage immunity of your enemies, so you can Maul them to death without worry! Also, you have plenty of physical damage reduction, so this sunder charm’s negative effect is inconsequential.

• Get the Buriza-Do Kyanon Before Endgame: If you’re fine with investing some points to dexterity, then the Buriza-Do Kyanon is a viable weapon that you can use. This is best known for its 80% IAS, which is a pretty high amount for a single item in Diablo II: Resurrected! Just reallocate your attributes whenever you have a better weapon.

Final Thoughts

There aren’t a lot of D2R builds that can survive Hardcore. Fortunately, that is not the case with the Maul Druid. With its insanely large health pool that can go as high as 5,000 HP and damage output that can demolish even the Uber Bosses in the game, you can never go wrong with this one!

In case you have problems with gearing, you can head to our D2R store to get the items that you need in a matter of seconds!

If you have any questions about the build, feel free to let us know in the comments!

PROS

• Impressive single-target damage, making this one of the best builds for farming Ubers
• Can tank everything in the game without a hitch
• Highly recommended build for those who like to play in Hardcore

CONS

• Power is felt only after getting the right skills and gear
• Average map clearer
• Mostly known for single-target damage, not AoE attacks