Core requirements
The advanced setup is A, and the budget setup is B.
- Main attack
- Fury 20 · Maintain Feral Rage
- Attack speed
- A Minimum 70% · B 135%
- Required
- Cannot Be Frozen · Life steal
- Resistances
- 75% fire/lightning resistance
Attributes
Total attributes with equipment · hard points shown separately
| Strength | A156 · B115A Excluding Stormshield's own +30 Strength |
|---|---|
| Dexterity | A136 · B67Total value · no extra investment for maximum block |
| Vitality | All remaining pointsWorks with Lycanthropy and Oak Sage |
| Energy | 0 hard pointsMana steal · Potions |
Attribute calculations and equipment changes
Strength
A meets 156 Strength before equipping Stormshield. B Oath in an ethereal Scourge requires 115 Strength/67 Dexterity; Treachery in Mage Plate requires 55 Strength. Meet Jalal's Mane's 65 requirement before its own +20 Strength, then use its bonus toward other gear requirements.
Dexterity
A meets the 136 Dexterity requirement of Grief in a Phase Blade; B meets Oath's 67 requirement in an ethereal Scourge. Include Raven Frost's Dexterity bonus, but recalculate if replacing the ring. Both setups prioritize Vitality without forcing maximum block.
Vitality
Resummon the sage before dangerous packs: its death removes the life bonus.
Energy
Fury's physical damage steals mana. Use potions against enemies that cannot be leeched, such as skeletons.
Skills
Level 90 · 101 hard points
Main skills and synergies
Supporting investment
Prerequisite · support 1 point each
Includes 12 quest points; equipment skill bonuses are excluded. Unlisted skills have 0 points. A and B use the same allocation.
Investment order
Until unlocking level 12 
Feral Rage, level with 
Werewolf and 
Lycanthropy. Before learning level 30 
Fury, put only 
Rabies at 1 point as a prerequisite.
- Fury 20
- Werewolf 20
- Lycanthropy 20
Oak Sage 20- Feral Rage 16. Summon Grizzly, its wolf prerequisites and
Raven each receive 1 point.
At levels 91–94, invest in Feral Rage 20; at levels 95–99, raise Summon Grizzly to 6 points.
Equipment skill bonuses and allocation notes
The table and image show 101 hard points. Equipment +skills are added separately and do not replace hard points for ordinary synergies.
A and B use the same base allocation. Changing equipment alone does not change the tree.
A·B Shared · Level 90 complete allocation
Open this allocation in the simulator ↗
Equipment
A / B: compare modifiers and replacement requirements.
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weapon | A Runeword Grief | BRuneword Oath | B has lower weapon damage, so boss kills and life steal are slower |
Weapon choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsPhase Blade with 5 sockets Damage +340–400 · 30–40% IAS B · Setup requirementsEthereal Scourge with 4 sockets Actual total IAS 50% · Indestructible | |||
| Shield | A Stormshield | B Runeword Rhyme | B loses physical damage reduction; avoid dense packs |
Shield choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements35% Damage Reduced · Perfect Diamond B · Setup requirements2-socket Grim Shield Cannot Be Frozen · All Resistances 25 | |||
| Helm | A Jalal's Mane | BJalal's Mane | Shared · supports shapeshifting skills and attribute requirements |
Helm choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements+2 Druid Skills · +2 Shape Shifting · All Resistances 30 B · Setup requirementsSocket a rune for the missing resistance | |||
| Armor | A Runeword Fortitude | BRuneword Treachery | B Fade triggers when struck; check resistances while it is inactive too |
Armor choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsArchon Plate with 4 sockets +300% Enhanced Damage on armor · All Resistances B · Setup requirementsMage Plate with 3 sockets 45% IAS · Fade proc | |||
| Gloves | A Laying of Hands | BLaying of Hands | Shared · supports the player's Fury damage and speed |
Glove choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% IAS · Fire Resist 50 B · Setup requirementsDamage to Demons · 20% IAS | |||
| Belt | A String of Ears | BString of Ears | Shared · supports survival alongside Feral Rage |
Belt choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsLife stolen per hit · Damage Reduced B · Setup requirementsPrioritize life stolen per hit | |||
| Boots | A Gore Rider | B Goblin Toe | B Feral Rage offsets the loss of run speed |
Boot choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements15% Crushing Blow · Open Wounds · Deadly Strike B · Setup requirements25% Crushing Blow | |||
| Amulet | A Highlord's Wrath | BHighlord's Wrath | Shared · replacing with a cheap rare amulet loses 20% IAS |
Amulet choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirements20% IAS · Deadly Strike · Lightning Resist B · Setup requirementsMaintain 20% Increased Attack Speed | |||
| Ring 1 | A Raven Frost | BRaven Frost | B Even when redundant with Rhyme, keep it for the A transition |
Ring 1: choice and replacement detailsA · Setup requirementsCannot Be Frozen · Dexterity · Attack Rating B · Setup requirementsDexterity · Attack Rating | |||
| Ring 2 | ARare life-leech ring | BRare life-leech ring | Mana steal required · use remaining modifiers for resistances |
Mercenary and weapon swap
| Slot | Advanced A | Budget B | Conditions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mercenary | A Act 2 Might  The Reaper's Toll(Shael)Runeword Treachery Andariel's Visage(Ral) | B Act 5 Frenzy Runeword LawbringerPhase BladeRuneword Unbending WillPhase BladeRuneword Treachery Tal Rasha's Horadric Crest | Maintain aura range and mercenary survival |
Mercenary detailsA·B Decrepify mercenaryA supports physical damage with Might and The Reaper's Toll's Decrepify. B The Act 5 Frenzy mercenary uses Lawbringer and Unbending Will, each made in a Phase Blade. Check that the mercenary meets both swords' 136 Dexterity requirement. Socket Ral in Andariel's Visage; B Tal Rasha's helm has life steal to help the mercenary recover. | |||
| Weapon swap | ARuneword Call to ArmsCrystal SwordRuneword SpiritMonarch | B Staff with Teleport charges | Battle Command → Battle Orders in human form · B Unshift before Teleport as well |
Swap detailsShapeshifting and weapon swapAfter the warcries, return to the primary weapon and transform into Werewolf form. B returns to human form before using a staff with Teleport charges. Do not stay on swap: weapon and shield bonuses differ there. | |||
Upgrade order
- Obtain a Fury weapon, Cannot Be Frozen and mana steal
- Enter Hell with Oath, Treachery and Jalal's Mane
- Switch to Grief Phase Blade and Stormshield
- Use a Reaper's Toll mercenary to handle physical resistance
- Add Fortitude, Call to Arms and Attack Rating/damage charms
Playstyle
- Preparing to farm
A: in human form, cast Battle Command, summon Oak Sage and the bear, then cast Battle Orders and transform into Werewolf form. Return to human form and reapply Battle Orders after summoning replacements. B summons the sage and bear, then transforms.
- Ordinary packs
Land several Feral Rage hits to grow the red orb, then use Fury. Land another Feral Rage hit before the effect expires to maintain it.
- Bosses
Once the bear and mercenary engage and Decrepify lands, keep connecting with Fury. Crushing Blow removes early life; weapon physical damage finishes the target.
- Handling immunes
The Reaper's Toll or B Lawbringer may break physical immunity with Decrepify. Check whether it does; skip enemies whose immunity remains. Even with lower resistance, use potions against targets that cannot be leeched.
- B Farming areas
Start with Nightmare Baal and the outer Hell Pit. Avoid physical-immune ghosts, packs combining Fanaticism with Amplify Damage, and repeated melee attacks while dangerously cursed.
- Transition requirements
Switch after obtaining level 30 Fury, a fast physical weapon, life steal, mana steal and Cannot Be Frozen. After changing weapons, recheck IAS for that base and final Werewolf skill level.
Mechanics and notes
Shapeshift attack speed uses all gear
Since 2.4, IAS outside the weapon also applies. A has at least 30 weapon + 20 gloves + 20 amulet = 70% IAS; B has 50 Oath + 45 Treachery + 20 gloves + 20 amulet = 135%. The bases differ, so these totals alone do not establish which is faster.
Weapon modifiers over displayed damage
Grief's flat added damage is difficult to compare using only the character screen. Fury is a physical attack that must hit; Attack Rating, actual weapon damage and leech conditions all matter.
Spirit choice
Oak Sage's life bonus is the default. It cannot coexist with Heart of Wolverine, so do not assume both spirits remain active.
Strengths, limitations and farming style
Strengths
Life steal and increased life support steady melee farming.
Budget Oath is enough to establish a physical build.
Limitations
Heavy dependence on weapon damage; slow ranged clearing.
Identify Attack Rating problems, enemies that cannot be leeched and dangerous auras.
Additional variants
Heart of Wolverine
After respeccing, reduce Oak Sage 20→1 and Feral Rage 16→15, and invest 20 in Heart of Wolverine. This separate tree trades life for Attack Rating and physical damage.
Two-handed weapon + Metamorphosis
A two-handed Death weapon and Metamorphosis marks change shield, resistance and IAS calculations. Do not partially insert them into base A; specify the weapon base and shapeshift level in an IAS calculator.