Median Xl Bow Druid
Median Xl Bow Druid: A Fun and Versatile Build for Diablo 2 Mod
If you are looking for a new way to play Diablo 2 with the Median XL mod, you might want to try out the bow druid. This is a build that uses ranged attacks and a powerful bear companion to deal damage and survive in the harsh world of Sanctuary. In this article, we will cover the basics of the bow druid, such as skills, items, strategies and tips.
Median Xl Bow Druid
What is Median XL?
Median XL is a popular mod for Diablo 2 that overhauls the game with new content, features and mechanics. It adds new skills, items, quests, monsters, bosses and more. It also changes the balance and difficulty of the game, making it more challenging and rewarding. Median XL is designed to be played online with other players, but it can also be played offline or solo.
What is a Bow Druid?
A bow druid is a druid that specializes in using bows as his main weapon. He can use both regular bows and druid-specific bows that scale with strength or dexterity. He also has access to various skills that enhance his bow damage, such as Steady Shot, Cascade and Heartseeker. He can also summon a bear that acts as his tank and buffer, as well as other nature-based skills that provide healing, defense and utility.
Why Play a Bow Druid?
A bow druid is a fun and versatile build that can handle most situations in the game. He has several advantages over other builds, such as:
He can deal high damage from a safe distance, avoiding melee attacks and projectiles.
He can switch between different bow skills depending on the situation, such as single-target or AoE damage.
He can use his bear to tank enemies and buff his damage and defense.
He can heal himself and his allies with Harvest and Goodberry skills.
He can use Barkskin and Harvester skills to increase his survivability.
He can use Faerie Fire and Symbiosis skills to debuff enemies and boost his elemental damage.
How to Build a Bow Druid?
A bow druid has a fairly straightforward skill setup. He mainly invests points in the Hunter tree for his bow skills and the Nature tree for his defensive and utility skills. He also gets some reward skills from completing quests. Here is a general skill distribution for a bow druid:
Hunter Skills
Steady Shot: This is your basic bow skill that gives you a buff that allows you to use your powerful skills. You need to alternate between this skill and your spenders. Max this skill for damage and attack speed.
Cascade: This is your main AoE skill that shoots multiple arrows that bounce off enemies. This skill is great for clearing mobs and dealing elemental damage. Max this skill for damage and bounces.
Heartseeker: This is your main single-target skill that shoots a piercing arrow that deals massive damage. This skill is great for killing bosses and tough enemies. Max this skill for damage and pierce.
Pathfinder: This is your passive skill that increases your movement speed, attack speed and elemental damage. Max this skill for mobility and damage.
Bear: This is your summon skill that calls forth a loyal bear companion that fights by your side. The bear can tank enemies, cast buffs on you and proc Venomous Spirit on attack. Put some points in this skill for health and damage.
Nature Skills
Barkskin: This is your passive skill that increases your defense, life regeneration and maximum life. Max this skill for survivability.
Harvester: This is your passive skill that increases your life leech, mana leech and elemental pierce. Put one point in this skill for leeching and pierce.
Harvest: This is your healing skill that creates a patch of healing herbs on the ground. You and your allies can walk over them to heal yourselves. Put some points in this skill for healing amount and duration.
Reward Skills
Vine: This is your reward skill from completing Act 1 quest 4 (The Search for Cain). It summons a vine that follows you around and heals you when it attacks enemies. Put one point in this skill for healing.
Faerie Fire: This is your reward skill from completing Act 3 quest 1 (The Golden Bird). It casts a debuff on enemies that lowers their defense, resistances and damage. Put one point in this skill for debuffing.
Symbiosis: This is your reward skill from completing Act 5 quest 3 (Rescue on Mount Arreat). It casts a buff on you that increases your elemental damage based on your maximum life. Max this skill for damage.
How to Gear a Bow Druid?
A bow druid has a lot of options when it comes to gearing. He can use both regular bows and druid-specific bows, as well as various sets, runewords, uniques and crafts. He can also switch between physical or fire damage depending on his weapon choice. Here are some general guidelines for gearing a bow druid:
Main Weapon
Your main weapon should be either a regular bow or a druid-specific bow that scales with strength or dexterity. You should look for high base damage, attack speed, enhanced damage, elemental damage, life leech, pierce and sockets. Some examples of good weapons are:
Serpent Bow: This is a low-level runeword (Eld) that gives you bonus damage to Bloodlust, attack speed, maximum damage, enhanced damage and mana reduction. It also has a chance to cast Bloodlust on kill and Venomous Spirit on hit.
Vipercast: This is a low-level unique serpent bow that gives you maximum damage, life leech, attack speed and chance to cast Venomous Spirit on kill.
Nature's Vigil: This is the set antlers (druid-specific bow) from the Nature set (bow druid set). It gives you bonus to druid skills, attack speed, hit recovery, crushing blow, enhanced defense and sockets.
Maple Bow: This is a sacred unique long war bow that gives you fire damage based on dexterity, fire pierce based on strength, fire spell damage based on energy factor, fire absorb based on vitality factor and chance to cast Flamefront on striking.
Alt Weapon
Your alt weapon should be either a staff or a wand that gives you bonus to all skills or specific skills that you use. You should look for skills, cast speed, energy factor, mana regeneration and sockets. Some examples of good alt weapons are:
Spiral Dance: This is a low-level runeword (Tir) that gives you bonus to all skills, cast speed, mana regeneration and chance to cast Nova Bomb when struck.
The Magister: This is a low-level unique long staff that gives you bonus to all skills, cast speed, energy factor, mana regeneration and chance to cast Glacial Nova when struck.
Nature's Peace: This is the set staff from the Nature set (bow druid set). It gives you bonus to druid skills, cast speed, energy factor
Armor and Accessories
Your armor and accessories should provide you with defense, resistances, life, skills, attributes and sockets. You should look for set items, runewords, uniques and crafts that suit your needs. Some examples of good armor and accessories are:
Nature's Peace: This is the set belt from the Nature set (bow druid set). It gives you bonus to druid skills, attack speed, hit recovery, crushing blow, enhanced defense and sockets.
Nature's Kingdom: This is the set boots from the Nature set (bow druid set). It gives you bonus to druid skills, movement speed, life regeneration, maximum life and resistances.
Nature's Balance: This is the set gloves from the Nature set (bow druid set). It gives you bonus to druid skills, attack speed, life leech, mana leech and elemental damage.
Empyrean Band: This is a sacred unique ring that gives you bonus to all skills, attributes, life, mana, resistances and magic find.
Eye of the Storm: This is a sacred unique amulet that gives you bonus to all skills, cast speed, energy factor, lightning spell damage and chance to cast Thunder Hammer on kill.
Lionheart: This is a high-level runeword (Zod) that gives you bonus to all skills, attributes, life regeneration, damage reduction and chance to cast Fortress on attack.
Sockets and Mystic Orbs
Your sockets and mystic orbs should enhance your weapon damage, defense, resistances and other stats. You should look for jewels, runes, gems and mystic orbs that fit your build. Some examples of good sockets and mystic orbs are:
Jewels: You should look for jewels that give you enhanced damage, elemental damage, attack speed, life leech, pierce and other useful mods. You can also use crafted jewels or unique jewels that suit your needs.
Runes: You should look for runes that give you enhanced damage, elemental damage, attack speed, life leech, pierce and other useful mods. You can also use runewords or great runes that suit your needs.
Gems: You should look for gems that give you enhanced damage, elemental damage, attack speed, life leech, pierce and other useful mods. You can also use perfect gems or rainbow stones that suit your needs.
Mystic Orbs: You should look for mystic orbs that give you enhanced damage, elemental damage, attack speed, life leech, pierce and other useful mods. You can also use rare or sacred mystic orbs that suit your needs.
How to Play a Bow Druid?
A bow druid is not a very complicated build to play, but it requires some practice and skill to master. Here are some general tips on how to play a bow druid:
Always keep your bear alive and near you. He is your best friend and protector. He can tank enemies, cast buffs on you and proc Venomous Spirit on attack. You can resummon him if he dies or gets stuck.
Always alternate between Steady Shot and your spenders. Steady Shot gives you a buff that allows you to use your powerful skills, such as Cascade and Heartseeker. You need to cast Steady Shot before every spender, unless your bear procs his buff that lets you spam them.
Use Cascade for clearing mobs and Heartseeker for killing bosses. Cascade is your main AoE skill that shoots multiple arrows that bounce off enemies. It deals great elemental damage and can hit multiple targets. Heartseeker is your main single-target skill that shoots a piercing arrow that deals massive damage. It can also hit multiple enemies in a line.
Use Harvest and Goodberry for healing yourself and your allies. Harvest creates a patch of healing herbs on the ground that you and your allies can walk over to heal yourselves. Goodberry creates a berry that you can consume to heal yourself instantly.
Use Barkskin and Harvester for increasing your survivability. Barkskin increases your defense, life regeneration and maximum life. Harvester increases your life leech, mana leech and elemental pierce.
Use Faerie Fire and Symbiosis for debuffing enemies and boosting your elemental damage. Faerie Fire casts a debuff on enemies that lowers their defense, resistances and damage. Symbiosis casts a buff on you that increases your elemental damage based on your maximum life.
How to Farm with a Bow Druid?
A bow druid is a fast and easy farmer that can handle most areas in the game. He can use his range, speed and AoE skills to clear mobs quickly and safely. He can also use his bear, healing skills and defensive skills to survive tougher enemies and bosses. Here are some general tips on how to farm with a bow druid:
Choose an area that suits your level, gear and preference. You can farm almost anywhere with a bow druid, but some areas may be more efficient or enjoyable than others. For example, you can farm Act 1 Tristram for low-level items, Act 2 Sewers for runes, Act 3 Kurast 3000 BA for charms, Act 4 River of Flame for experience, Act 5 Worldstone Keep for high-level items, etc.
Choose a weapon that suits your area and enemies. You can switch between regular bows and druid-specific bows depending on your needs. For example, you can use a regular bow that scales with dexterity for fire damage, or a druid-specific bow that scales with strength for physical damage.
Choose an elemental damage type that suits your area and enemies. You can switch between fire, cold, lightning or poison damage depending on your needs. For example, you can use fire damage for enemies that are weak to fire or immune to cold, or cold damage for enemies that are weak to cold or immune to fire.
Use Mystic Orbs and Runes to customize your gear and sockets. You can use Mystic Orbs and Runes to enhance your weapon damage, defense, resistances and other stats. For example, you can use Mystic Orbs that give you enhanced damage, elemental damage, attack speed, life leech, pierce and other useful mods.
Conclusion
A bow druid is a fun and versatile build that can play Diablo 2 with the Median XL mod. He can use both regular bows and druid-specific bows, as well as various skills, items and strategies. He can deal high damage from a safe distance, switch between different bow skills, use his bear to tank and buff, heal himself and his allies, debuff enemies and boost his elemental damage. He can also farm almost anywhere in the game with ease and efficiency. If you are looking for a new way to enjoy Diablo 2 with Median XL, you might want to give the bow druid a try.
We hope you enjoyed this article and learned something new about the bow druid. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, feel free to leave them below. Thank you for reading and happy hunting! 6c859133af