I would like to point out something ahead of time: In my First Look article for the Dryads, I assumed that Honey Bee Friends’ heal stacked up. It does not, and is a flat 10%. Thank you for understanding! Yesterday, on August the 31^st, Update 4.0.5, not only did we did a pretty decent balance patch, but two new monsters were released – the Druids and the Dryads! The Druids are five-star monsters who are basically Unicorn 2.0, and the Dryads are four-star monsters who call upon nature to help attack, heal and support. In this article, we’re going to look at the Druids. In the last article, we had a look at the Dryads. If you missed that article, feel free to click here and read over my opinions on the new four-stars. Now let’s begin! Disclaimer: As of this writing. I do not own any of the Druids, nor am I factoring in multipliers or skills when fully skilled up.

Bellenus (Fire Druid) [HP]

Fun Fact: I’m, like, 90% sure that the Druids are the first monsters to have three skills and a passive. Usually, monsters only have two skills and a passive, or three skills. Touch of Punishment: Attacks an enemy and stuns the target for 1 turn with a 15% chance. So Touch of Punishment is a really mediocre first skill. If you remember, the Paladin’s first skill, Justice Strike, when unawakened, is exactly the same as Touch of Punishment. However, the Paladins do get an awakening bonus to their first skills, but the Druids don’t. I think this is the weakest part of all Druids, and it makes sense, because the rest of their kits are stupid OP. Moonlight Flood: Attacks all enemies and inflicts Continuous Damage for 2 turns. In addition, when used in Beast Form, attacks 2 times and transforms into Druid Form after the attack. (Reusable in 4 turns) This is the main gimmick for the Druids: when they use their third skill in their Druid form, they’ll turn into their Beast form. When they use their second skill in their beast form, they’ll go back to their Druid form. That’s already pretty cool, but let’s talk about Moonlight Flood itself. Bellenus will attack all enemies, inflicting Continuous Damage for two turns per hit. If he uses that skill in the Beast Form, though, he’ll attack twice (meaning that two Continuous Damage will be added) and then he’ll transform into his Druid Form. His second skill is like Baretta’s third, you guys! Wild Roar: Attacks all enemies and weakens their Attack Power for 2 turns. In addition, when used in Druid Form, weakens the Defense of all enemies for 2 turns and then transforms into Beast Form to Provoke all enemies for 1 turn with a 30% chance. (Reusable in 6 turns) It’s official, you guys; Bellenus is a great Trial of Ascension monster. Seriously; AoE attack break and defense reduction on his third skill, along with AoE Continuous Damage on his second! He seems like a really good Baretta replacement if you can manage to get a Bellenus. Druid’s Agility (Passive) (Awakened): Increases your Attack Bar by 20% every turn after attack. [Automatic Effect] Isn’t it weird a passive so simple can be so strong? A 20% attack bar increase means he’ll get his turn way sooner than he normally would have without said passive. I’m still not sure why the Druids are the only monster family to have three skills and a passive, but I have a feeling it’s because of their Beast Form… The only thing that really changes when the Druids are in their Beast Form is their passive, which is why I think they have three skills and a passive. Anyway, this is Beast-Bellenus’ passive: Nature of Beast (Passive): Increases the Attack Power by 50%. Counterattacks with a 50% chance when attacked. [Automatic Effect] Neither the attack power nor the counterattacks stack per turn, sadly, but having an increase in attack power is nice, and counterattacks are cool too. Author’s Opinion: Bellenus is an 8/10 monster, no doubts about it. His skills just mesh so well with the necessary stuff for Trial of Ascension. He’s just looking up at you, the Summoner, while he’s on his knees, begging “Put me on Despair.” …Okay, that last line turned out really weird, ignore it please.

Abellio (Water Druid) [Defense]

Touch of Punishment: Attacks an enemy and stuns the target for 1 turn with a 15% chance. Same worthless first skill. Wild Blow: Attacks an enemy and recovers 30% of the inflicted damage as HP. In addition, when used in Beast Form, the attack will deal more damage according to your Defense and then transforms into Druid Form. (Reusable in 3 turns) Alright, so Wild Blow is more like a single-target nuking skill. I can see it really hitting hard, and because it heals Abellio for 30% of his HP and deals more damage based off of his Defense when he’s in his Beast form. Also keep in mind that Abellio is a defense-based monster, meaning he’s naturally going to have high defense. Wild Cure: Recovers the HP of all allies by 30%. In addition, when used in Druid Form, increases the Attack Bar of all allies by 15% and then transforms into Beast Form to Provoke all enemies for 1 turn with a 30% chance. (Reusable in 5 turns) OKAY WHAT? Druid’s Wit (Passive) (Awakened): Increases your Attack Bar by 100% if you had 30% of more HP before and the HP fell below 30% from the enemy’s attack. [Automatic Effect] …Okay, this passive is worded really weirdly, so I think this is what happens with his passive:

• Abellio ends his turn with 40% HP
• Enemy attacks him
• His HP drops below 30%
• Abellio’s attack bar suddenly increases by 100%

If that’s the case, then Druid’s Wit is definitely the better passive of Abellio. But of course, we have to look at his passive when he’s in beast form. This is Beast-Abellio’s passive: Endurance of Beast (Passive): Increases your Attack Bar by 15% when you’re attacked by an enemy. [Automatic Effect] I really like this passive skill. I’m assuming that the attack bar increase stacks up pet hit, so getting hit with the Magic Knights’ first skill (which attacks thrice) would cause a 45% attack bar increase. Author’s Opinion: Man. Abellio is just beginning people to make him into a Nemesis healer. He already has attack bar increase on both of his passives, and Nemesis would go really well with his Beast passive. For those who don’t know, when a monster is equipped on Nemesis runes, for every 7% HP they lose, they gain 4% of their attack bar. This does stack up with their passives. Anyway, I’d personally rune Abellio on Violent/Nemesis, SPD/HP%/HP%. I can already see people runing Abellio as a triple Nemesis healer, too, so maybe late-game players can go full Nemesis.

Taranys (Wind Druid) [HP]

…Guys, is it just me, or does Taranys now hold the record for “second highest defense in the game?” I just checked my Xiong Fei (who used to be the second highest defense), and he has, like, 11 less max defense than Taranys. Touch of Punishment: Attacks an enemy and stuns the target for 1 turn with a 15% chance. Nothing really much to say now. I’m gonna try and be witty in the last two first skills of the Druids. Wild Blow: Attacks an enemy and recovers 30% of the inflicted damage as HP. In addition, when used in Beast Form, the attack will deal more damage according to your Defense and then transforms into Druid Form. (Reusable in 3 turns) So Taranys already has Wild Blow, which is great for single-target damage, but I feel as if Moonlight Flood would work with his kit more. But I don’t have room to complain, because we have… Forest of Living: Revives a dead ally target with 30% HP. If the ally is alive, casts Soul Protection for 3 turns. In addition, when used in Druid Form, increases the Defense of all allies for 3 turns and then transforms into Beast Form to Provoke all ennemies for 1 turn with a 30% chance. (Reusable in 8 turns) okay what the frick, was com2us drunk when they made taranys? This reviving skill is so overpowered. Mikene shares some similarities with Taranys’s revive skill: she revives an ally with 40% HP and grants them Immunity, and if she uses her revive skill on herself, she’ll gain Soul Protection for 3 turns. Druid’s Secret Plan (Passive) (Awakened): Revives into Beast Form with 30% HP at the moment of death. [Automatic Effect] (Reusable in 9 turns) This is just the icing on the overpowered cake now. Usually, when I go up against a team that has a reviver in it (say, Vanessa), I try to kill the reviving monster first so that the rest of the team would get a little easier. With Taranys in his Druid Form, though, you can’t do that! Both of his passives involves a self-revive! What?! Patience of Beast (Passive): Creates a shield that has the amount proportionate to your level for 1 turn whenever you’re attacked by an enemy. In addition, revives with 15% HP at the moment of death. [Automatic Effect] (Reusable in 9 turns) Okay, can we please just petition to get a nerf for the Druids, or at the very least nerf Taranys? Seriously, his kit is overloaded with really good things, all in one monster. I mean, revive, Soul Protection, defense buff, and self-revival. Author’s Opinion – Solid 10/10 monster. I think Taranys may be the absolute best reviver out there, next to Amarna. People are saying that he’s way better than Eladriel now. As an owner of an Eladriel, I can’t help but begrudgingly agree. Taranys is definitely going on Violent + Guard, SPD/HP%/DEF%. You want his defense crazy-high.

Valantis (Light Druid) [HP]

Touch of Punishment: Attacks an enemy and stuns the target for 1 turn with a 15% chance. I love how Brandia’s third skill is called Touch of Mercy, and the Druids’ first is Touch of Punishment. I don’t know why that’s so funny. It just kind of is. Moonlight Flood: Attacks all enemies and inflicts Continuous Damage for 2 turns. In addition, when used in Beast Form, attacks 2 times and transforms into Druid Form after the attack. (Reusable in 4 turns) So Valantis has the same second skill as Bellenus. He’s already a pretty good Trial of Ascension monster, and that makes his third skill even better. Rage of Mother Nature: Attacks all enemies and removes all beneficial effects granted on them. In addition, when used in Druid Form, increases their chances of landing a glancing hit for 2 turns and then transforms into Beast Form to Provoke all enemies for 1 turn with a 30% chance. (Reusable in 6 turns) Yay, more AoE skills! This one’s especially good because AoE beneficial effect removal. Unfortunately, he still has to go through the accuracy/resistance check, because one monster decided she doesn’t need to go through it and now everyone thinks Sekhmet sucks because she’s not like this monster who shall not be named. But I really like the beneficial effect removal and glancing hit. It’s too bad that Valantis has to be an LnD nat5 of all things… Druid’s Agility (Passive) (Awakened): Increases your Attack Bar by 20% every turn after attack. [Automatic Effect] No, I didn’t get mixed up with my passives. I legit checked Valantis on the monster index, and he shares a passive with Bellenus. It’s like Valantis is basically Bellenus but with a different third and different Beast passive. Root of Beast (Passive): The damage increases proportionate to your MAX HP when attacking. Counterattacks with a 50% chance when attacked. [Automatic Effect]…Or not. Turns out his passive is really similar to Bellenus’s beast passive, as well. Author’s Opinion: …Ehhh… I dunno how to feel about Valantis. I mean, on one hand, Bellenus is already good and Valantis is pretty much just Bellenus, but on the other hand, Valantis is probably more overpowered than Bellenus is because of his own third skill. I’m gonna leave Valantis at a solid 9/10, and give him Despair + Energy, SPD/HP%/HP%. The more HP you can get on him, the better, thanks to his Root of Beast passive.

Pater (Dark Druid) [HP]

Touch of Punishment: Attacks an enemy and stuns the target for 1 turn with a 15% chance. Every time I see the first skill icon for the Druids, I can’t help but think of the Sea Emperor’s first skill. I dunno why. Wild Blow: Attacks an enemy and recovers 30% of the inflicted damage as HP. In addition, when used in Beast Form, the attack will deal more damage according to your Defense and then transforms into Druid Form. (Reusable in 3 turns) Ah, so Wild Blow is the common second skill of the Druids. Unless we’re counting the Dragons (who all have unique second skills), all monster families have two different second skills. Whichever one comes up in three out of five monsters is the common one; for example the second skill “Amuse” in the Sky Dancers is the common second skill, because Chasun, Hwahee and Wolyung have it. Moonlight Grace: Removes harmful effects granted on all allies. In addition, when used in Druid Form, grants immunity on all allies for 2 turns and then transforms into Beast Form to Provoke all enemies for 1 turn with a 30% chance. (Reusable in 6 turns) …Wow. If you haven’t read the latest balance patch, the Howls got buffed to give Immunity, and Fran the light Fairy Queen now gives Immunity on Fairy’s Blessing. This was in response to players asking for more Immunity monsters for Labyrinth (more specifically the water miniboss Leos, who can freeze your team). But can we just talk about Pater’s third? Druid’s Wisdom (Passive) (Awakened): Removes all of your harmful effects if you’re under inability effect at the start of each turn. [Automatic Effect] Camilla 2.0 much? I mean, yes, Camilla is slightly more annoying (because she self-removes all harmful effects every time she’s hit with a critical hit), but keep in mind that Camilla can’t completely cleanse all her allies and grant Immunity on them all, and then turn into a beast that’s some epic-looking cross between a Warbear and a transmogged Inugami! …Alright, I got a bit carried away. Sorry. Spirit of Beast (Passive): Increases your MAX HP by 30% and recovers the HP of all allies by 10% in each turn. [Automatic Effect] Unfortunately, the Max HP increase doesn’t stack up (just a flat 30%), but healing everyone by 10% of their HP each turn is great. Now Pater’s a Camilla/Perna/Amelia hybrid, and it’s hilariously strong. Author’s Opinion: Another 10/10 monster here. I think the Druids are the first monsters I’ve done first-looks on that got 10/10 ratings. I think that says a lot about the Druids. I’d rune Pater with Violent + anything, with as much speed and HP as you can get. Anyway, that concludes my first look articles for both the Druids and the Dryads. I’m Sara Ann, and I’ll see you in the next article!]]>