FAQ

The Werewolf

What is the werewolf good at?

The best thing the werewolf does is huge single target damage, which makes it very good at bossing. You get to a boss, freeze it, and execute it inside that freeze window, and in most cases it is dead by the time the window ends.

For farming, the werewolf is best against large packs of squishier monsters. You can prioritise pack size over monster effectiveness to get the most out of it, because killing more weak monsters is more efficient for speed than killing fewer strong ones. This doesn’t mean the werewolf can’t kill strong monsters. It absolutely can, and I stack effectiveness and fight 200% delirious content all the time. For efficiency, though, more pack size with less effectiveness lets you go faster.

It is also very fast. The werewolf has very good base movement speed, so you don’t need to chase more of it in your build. Other builds stack movement speed in several ways, but I don’t even think about it on the werewolf and I move fine. Any movement speed bonus is welcome, you just don’t need to focus on it. That makes the werewolf good at dodging enemies and moving out of danger, so use your mobility as a defensive layer. On top of that, it is a very fun and engaging way to play, and it looks great.

Why do all your werewolf builds look the same?

Because 70 to 80% of every build goes into making the werewolf work at all. With each ascendancy you patch the same holes in a different way, depending on where you start on the tree and what the ascendancy gives you, and you only have the last 10 to 20% to juggle around and make something cool.

The werewolf has a lot of problems to fix. It has big mana problems, so every build needs a way to solve mana. It needs a lot of attributes, because its skills use both intelligence and strength, and builds that use evasion gear need a lot of dexterity on top of that, so juggling attributes is a pain. You always have to fix resistances, as in any Path of Exile build. Then you need life regeneration and tankiness. On top of all that, there is very little room left for other things or pure bonuses like increased item rarity, because we are already using all our affixes to make the build good in the first place. Expect the werewolf to spend a lot of its time just fixing mana, attributes, and resistances.

Why don’t you do X or Y to make the build better?

The answer is opportunity cost. The werewolf is a playstyle that needs several things to work together. For example, you need Eternal RageEternal RageSkill gemWhile active, you constantly regenerate Rage.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, and once you have it you want BerserkBerserkSkill gemWhile active, strengthens your Rage, but causes you to lose Life while not losing Rage.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, but BerserkBerserkSkill gemWhile active, strengthens your Rage, but causes you to lose Life while not losing Rage.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 takes away life, so you need life regeneration. This kind of chain happens all over the werewolf, and the pieces are required, not optional.

If you try to force something else in, most of the time you break something fundamental and the build gets worse. Even if you make it work, you now have to patch the holes you left, and the result ends up weaker than if you hadn’t done any of it.

Why don’t you use more expensive items?

I want my builds to be accessible to the majority of players, who should be able to reach them in a reasonable amount of time. Any build can be good with a mirror of investment in it, so a mirror tier build doesn’t prove anything. If I give you a budget build that can clear 200% delirious content, you know it is a good build, and you can keep pushing it however you like. You know it can keep progressing.

I could invest much more into these builds and make them better, with items like HeadhunterHeadhunterUnique item+(40—60) to maximum Life+(20—40) to Strength+(20—40) to DexterityWhen you kill a Rare monster, you gain its Modifiers for 60 secondsPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, MagebloodMagebloodUnique itemAll Mage's Legacies have (25—50)% increased effect per duplicate Mage's Legacy you haveLegacy of Mages LegacyLegacy of Mages LegacyLegacy of Mages LegacyLegacy of Mages LegacyPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, or Atziri’s CommunionAtziri's CommunionSupport gemSupports Persistent Skills, making them Reserve Life instead of Spirit. Cannot Support Skills which create Minions.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. I purposely restrict myself so that players can reasonably make them.

Why don’t you use Split Personality?

I tried it. I don’t like Split Personality much, personally, but I would use it if it were the best option. Most of the time the opportunity cost isn’t worth it. You give up a jewel socket, and it is clunky to use, because you normally have to start your build from something else and then swap to the Split Personality start.

I also like each ascendancy to keep its own theme. If I took every ascendancy and started it from the side of the druid, there would be no point in making a build for each ascendancy, and I would be stripping away everything that makes the project interesting. So I don’t use it on purpose, which forces us to play from the side of the tree of the ascendancy we are playing and make something good from there. Most of the time Split Personality makes the build weaker. In the cases where it could make a build stronger, the gain is so small that the annoyance of the setup isn’t worth it for me. It would need to be far better for me to consider it, and none of the builds I have tried has convinced me.

Skills and Gems

Why do you use Eternal Rage on every build?

Because of Lunar BlessingLunar BlessingSkill gemShapeshift into a Werewolf and offer your Rage to the moon to receive a blessing, gaining bonus Cold damage for yourself and any Wolf Minions you have from Wolf Pack or Predator's Mark. Spends all Rage to extend the Buff's duration. While the Buff is active, your Werewolf Melee Attacks call down Moonbeams on Hit.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, which is one of the most important skills in the build. When you use Lunar BlessingLunar BlessingSkill gemShapeshift into a Werewolf and offer your Rage to the moon to receive a blessing, gaining bonus Cold damage for yourself and any Wolf Minions you have from Wolf Pack or Predator's Mark. Spends all Rage to extend the Buff's duration. While the Buff is active, your Werewolf Melee Attacks call down Moonbeams on Hit.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, it consumes all of your rage to extend its duration. We want to be in Lunar BlessingLunar BlessingSkill gemShapeshift into a Werewolf and offer your Rage to the moon to receive a blessing, gaining bonus Cold damage for yourself and any Wolf Minions you have from Wolf Pack or Predator's Mark. Spends all Rage to extend the Buff's duration. While the Buff is active, your Werewolf Melee Attacks call down Moonbeams on Hit.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 all the time, because it is a huge boost to our damage. Since the rage is consumed, we want it to go back up on its own, and we don’t want to rely on hitting or getting hit to get it back. Eternal RageEternal RageSkill gemWhile active, you constantly regenerate Rage.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 does that. By the time Lunar BlessingLunar BlessingSkill gemShapeshift into a Werewolf and offer your Rage to the moon to receive a blessing, gaining bonus Cold damage for yourself and any Wolf Minions you have from Wolf Pack or Predator's Mark. Spends all Rage to extend the Buff's duration. While the Buff is active, your Werewolf Melee Attacks call down Moonbeams on Hit.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 comes off cooldown, we have all of our rage again, and we can use it and extend the duration. That is what keeps Lunar BlessingLunar BlessingSkill gemShapeshift into a Werewolf and offer your Rage to the moon to receive a blessing, gaining bonus Cold damage for yourself and any Wolf Minions you have from Wolf Pack or Predator's Mark. Spends all Rage to extend the Buff's duration. While the Buff is active, your Werewolf Melee Attacks call down Moonbeams on Hit.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 up.

What is the correct setup for Savage Fury?

Savage FurySavage FurySkill gemWhile active, your Fury builds from Attacking enemies. Using this Skill releases your Fury to send you into a bestial frenzy, gaining damage and Onslaught but constantly losing life and forcing you into animal form. The frenzy ends immediately if you return to human form. You cannot gain Fury while in a frenzy.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 is a spirit gem that reserves 30 spirit, and we don’t want to pay that. The technique is to put Savage FurySavage FurySkill gemWhile active, your Fury builds from Attacking enemies. Using this Skill releases your Fury to send you into a bestial frenzy, gaining damage and Onslaught but constantly losing life and forcing you into animal form. The frenzy ends immediately if you return to human form. You cannot gain Fury while in a frenzy.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 in the first weapon set and all of your other skills in the second weapon set. You can choose which weapon set a skill uses. You need the 30 spirit free in the first weapon set, so that Savage FurySavage FurySkill gemWhile active, your Fury builds from Attacking enemies. Using this Skill releases your Fury to send you into a bestial frenzy, gaining damage and Onslaught but constantly losing life and forcing you into animal form. The frenzy ends immediately if you return to human form. You cannot gain Fury while in a frenzy.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 is active in the first set and inactive in the second.

The meter that Savage FurySavage FurySkill gemWhile active, your Fury builds from Attacking enemies. Using this Skill releases your Fury to send you into a bestial frenzy, gaining damage and Onslaught but constantly losing life and forcing you into animal form. The frenzy ends immediately if you return to human form. You cannot gain Fury while in a frenzy.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 builds, which goes from 0 to 100, keeps tracking while you play in the second weapon set. It doesn’t matter that the spirit for Savage FurySavage FurySkill gemWhile active, your Fury builds from Attacking enemies. Using this Skill releases your Fury to send you into a bestial frenzy, gaining damage and Onslaught but constantly losing life and forcing you into animal form. The frenzy ends immediately if you return to human form. You cannot gain Fury while in a frenzy.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 is in the first one, because the meter still builds. You want to use it when the meter is over about 70%. When you press the key for Savage FurySavage FurySkill gemWhile active, your Fury builds from Attacking enemies. Using this Skill releases your Fury to send you into a bestial frenzy, gaining damage and Onslaught but constantly losing life and forcing you into animal form. The frenzy ends immediately if you return to human form. You cannot gain Fury while in a frenzy.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, you swap back to the first weapon set, trigger it, and the next skill you use swaps you back to the second set. So you get the buff for free, without paying the 30 spirit.

You normally play in the second weapon set because we use Rigwald’s FerocityRigwald's FerocitySupport gemSupports Attack skills, granting them Attack Speed at the cost of Damage or Damage at the cost of Attack Speed depending on Weapon Set they are used in. Does not modify skills used by Minions.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, which works in the second weapon set. It only sits on one skill, but I like to be consistent and put all my skills in the second set, with Savage FurySavage FurySkill gemWhile active, your Fury builds from Attacking enemies. Using this Skill releases your Fury to send you into a bestial frenzy, gaining damage and Onslaught but constantly losing life and forcing you into animal form. The frenzy ends immediately if you return to human form. You cannot gain Fury while in a frenzy.PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 alone in the first.

Why don’t you use Lavianga’s Spirits for mana?

We use Lavianga’s SpiritsLavianga's SpiritsUnique itemThis Flask cannot be Used but applies its Effect constantly(70—80)% reduced Amount RecoveredPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 in some builds, but not all of them. Most of the time it can’t keep up with how much mana we spend. We spend so much mana that you end up out of mana and waiting for Lavianga’s SpiritsLavianga's SpiritsUnique itemThis Flask cannot be Used but applies its Effect constantly(70—80)% reduced Amount RecoveredPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 to restore it, without being able to perform any action. A flask you can press on command gives you a burst of mana when you need it, and Uhtred’s ChaliceUhtred's ChaliceUnique item(200—300)% increased Amount Recovered70% reduced Recovery rate(50—60)% reduced ChargesMana Recovery from Flasks can Overflow maximum Mana during EffectLose 5% Life per second while you have no Runic Ward during EffectPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 helps with that on command as well. So we only use Lavianga’s SpiritsLavianga's SpiritsUnique itemThis Flask cannot be Used but applies its Effect constantly(70—80)% reduced Amount RecoveredPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 when it makes sense, which is when it can sustain our mana without us having to press a flask.

Gear

Should I get physical or elemental damage on my talisman?

Either is fine, and I take whatever gives me the highest damage overall. If you want to min-max, physical damage normally results in more damage overall.

When should I use Sine Aequo, and when should I use rare gloves?

Sine AequoSine AequoUnique item(10—15)% increased Skill Speed(150—200)% increased Armour, Evasion and Energy ShieldImmobilise enemies at 50% buildup instead of 100%(30—50)% increased Damage against Immobilised EnemiesPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 is very comfortable to use, and I like it a lot. It makes us immobilise enemies at 50% buildup instead of 100%, so enemies freeze at 50% freeze buildup instead of 100%, and the biggest damage window for the werewolf is when a target is frozen. But Sine AequoSine AequoUnique item(10—15)% increased Skill Speed(150—200)% increased Armour, Evasion and Energy ShieldImmobilise enemies at 50% buildup instead of 100%(30—50)% increased Damage against Immobilised EnemiesPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 is not the best option for damage. If you want the most damage possible, you use rare gloves with flat damage and levels of melee skills.

So its purpose is to be a budget option, since it tends to be cheaper than very good rare gloves, and a transition item. While you are building the character and don’t have much gear, Sine AequoSine AequoUnique item(10—15)% increased Skill Speed(150—200)% increased Armour, Evasion and Energy ShieldImmobilise enemies at 50% buildup instead of 100%(30—50)% increased Damage against Immobilised EnemiesPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 is the best option. Elemental and cold damage contribute to freeze buildup, so the more damage you have, the more freeze buildup you have. Once your character scales enough that you can overcome the lost freeze buildup with damage, rare gloves freeze things at about the same speed, and you can swap. I do this in almost all of my builds, although a few of them keep Sine AequoSine AequoUnique item(10—15)% increased Skill Speed(150—200)% increased Armour, Evasion and Energy ShieldImmobilise enemies at 50% buildup instead of 100%(30—50)% increased Damage against Immobilised EnemiesPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0.

How do I get the passives that aren’t connected to the tree?

I normally have at least 4 nodes that are not connected to the main tree, and in most cases at least 3 of them are basically mandatory. There are three ways to get them. You can anoint your amulet, anoint your helmet through a Raven-Touched ShardRaven-Touched ShardAugmentHelmets: Raven-TouchedSocket-bound. Limited to: 1PoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0, or use a MegalomaniacMegalomaniacUnique itemAllocates Passive SkillAllocates Passive SkillPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. The helmet is the most expensive option, so it is the last one you access.

A MegalomaniacMegalomaniacUnique itemAllocates Passive SkillAllocates Passive SkillPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 holds 2 passives, the amulet anoint gives 1, and the helmet anoint gives 1, which makes 4. What I do first is look for a MegalomaniacMegalomaniacUnique itemAllocates Passive SkillAllocates Passive SkillPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 with 2 of the 4 passives I need. On the trade website, search with the 4 modifiers and require only 2 of them to match. The MegalomaniacMegalomaniacUnique itemAllocates Passive SkillAllocates Passive SkillPoE2DB · CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 jewels that come up are the ones you can choose from, and you pick the cheapest. The remaining 2 go on the amulet and the helmet. If you can’t afford the helmet anoint yet, leave the least important of the 4 out until you can.