[Build Of The Week submission] "Thornheir: – The Maelstrom Shepherd (Tornado Druid) *Live Update 7*
 INTRODUCTION Welcome fellow path of exile community and GGG!! This is my first ever guide I hope you all enjoy it. This guide showcases my Druid Thornheir; The Maelstrom Shepherd, a Tornado-centric Druid that weaponizes persistent tornados as its primary damage engine. This guide is a Diablo 2 LOD Druid inspired build. Rather than using Tornado as a secondary proc or visual effect, this build is designed around stacking multiple active Tornados (5+), scaling their *physical damage over time*, and using elemental ailments purely as fuel for trigger systems and damage. The result is a highly mobile, mechanically layered Druid that excels at clearing dense maps through controlled chaos, storm overlap, and continuous battlefield pressure. This build is actively in development and will receive frequent updates as testing continues. Please keep in mind that this version is off-meta, designed primarily for fun, visuals, and thematic gameplay, rather than strict meta efficiency. Over the next two weeks, my goal is to fully refine this version as a Diablo II inspired Tornado Druid, pushing it as far as reasonably possible into end game content while keeping the shapeshifting + storm skills intact. This version will be primarily focused on mapping performance and playstyle enjoyment. Once all required gear and testing milestones are completed, I will revise the build into a second, fully end-game-focused version: +No shapeshifting +Full Tornado caster +Oracle Ascendancy +Optimized for high-tier maps and bossing New showcases, videos, and guide updates will be added as each stage is completed. Please watch this space — the build will continue evolving. VIDEO ▶ Thornheir: Druid – Full Build Guide & Mechanics Breakdown ▶ Thornheir: Druid – T6 Mapping Showcase ▶ Thornheir: Druid – T13 Mapping Showcase Incoming ▶ Thornheir: Druid – T15 Mapping Showcase OVERVIEW Pros: + Tornado used as a primary damage engine + Capable of sustaining 5+ simultaneous Tornados + Excellent clearing maps + Strong visual clarity and theme + Scales well with investment and trigger optimization + Off-Meta Build Cons: - Mechanically complex (not beginner friendly) - Requires Spirit investment on gear - Not ENDGAME viable (currently) SKILL TREE Class: Druid Ascendancy Points: • Using Shaman for spirit and Apocalypse ▶ Thornheir: Druid – POE2 Ninja  SKILL TREE EXPLANATION
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The passive tree prioritizes: • Elemental Damage • Elemental Exposure • Physical Damage • Area of Effect • Skill Effect Duration • Swap Between Human and Wolf • Ailments Elemental damage is primary. Tornado’s physical DoT scales independently, while elemental ailments are used to boost and enhance elemental DoT damage when ground ailments are present. JEWEL FOCUS
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Look for jewels with: • Physical Damage • Freeze / Chill build-up • Prism of Belief Jewel (3+ Tornado) MY JEWELS
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  GEAR
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Weapon Staff focused on: • +Spell / Physical scaling • +5 All Spell Level or +7 Physical Skill Level My Weapon  Secondary Talisman focused on: • 5% Crit Hit Chance (Spiny Base preferred) • High Attack Speed My Secondary  Helm • High armour base My Helm  Chest • High Spirit is a priority • Defensive stats secondary My Chest  Gloves • Attack speed • Utility • Ailment support My Gloves  Boots • Movement speed • Resistances My Boots  Amulet • Spirit • Damage scaling My Amulet  Rings • High resistance • Life My Rings   Belt • Darkness Enthroned • Headhunter My Belt  LINKS AND GEMS
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Main DPS – Tornado Tornado • Catalysing Elements • Advancing Storm • Prolonged Duration II • Considered Casting • Overabundance II Tornado is the core damage engine. Supports enable stacking, infusion, and duration control. • Swap Overabundance II for Physical Mastery when bossing. Current Damage  Trigger – Cast on Elemental Ailment Cast on Elemental Ailment • Tornado • Elemental Weakness • Burning Inscription • Boundless Energy II Ailment frequency fuels consistent trigger uptime and additional Tornados. Trigger – Cast on Critical Cast on Critical • Tornado • Energy Retention • Boundless Energy II • Efficiency II Adds supplemental Tornados without manual casting. Starter / Ailment Setup Pounce • Opening Move • Fist of War • Charged Mark • Shocking Leap Lunar Assault • Rapid Attacks II • Magnified Area II • Frost Nexus • Pinpoint Critical Lunar Assault exists primarily to apply ailments and trigger effects. Utility & Defense Barkskin • Prolonged Duration II Wolf Pack • Blind • Pinpoint Critical Currently Working On • Testing wand + shield • Stacking ES/Evasion over armour • Testing Oracle ascendancy Final Notes Thank you for reading and all your support, feedback and question. Together we will make this build great :D Happy Holidays!! Last edited by itaMcChicken#5426 on Dec 23, 2025, 8:30:31 AM Last bumped on Dec 23, 2025, 4:53:44 PM
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cool, might never play it.
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I like tornado and i think this build can easily be endgame viable. I'm a bit confused on the direction though.
1. From what i've heard, stacking tornadoes does not increase damage. not sure if this is a bug or if its because of the nature of Tornado doing DoT damage, but extra limit basically won't increase its DPS. 2. Is Catalysing Elements with its 1 second cooldown and limited damage numbers actually doing that much DPS? 3. Your tornado should probably have a bit more damage supports as its main DPS right? |
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" Hello ^_^ thank you for your questions and feedback; also happy holidays :) 1. Yes this is true, as tornado is Dot based it only affects 1 monster at a time, stacking 3+ allows me to clear maps faster to spread the damage across multiple targets. It is also a visual thing as having fun spamming tornados on the screen. 2. Good question, to be honest I haven’t tested it without the support gem so I am unable to provide you with an answer. But I will test tonight and let you know the outcome. 3. This is why I currently swap in Physical Mastery into my main Tornado skill for bossing + the damage from Apocalypse nukes bosses fast. I have T13 mapping video up for 6mod Map, breach, Abyssal, Expedition and double boss which you can see above to show you the damage. I have also made a few changes over the past few days and haven’t updated my current gear and gem set up, I will be doing a new build guide covering all the changes this weekend. |
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Hmm... Is it just a personal choice to use this "clunky" way to produce Frozen ground with the Werewolf to fit the Druid theme or I'm missing something ? I mean Frost Bomb + Astral Projection Ice Nova seems to be the most obvious choice to make it as it's a Spell that would scale more naturally into the build, you can make it from a safe distance and you can make it without needed to actually freeze something. Frost bomb also lower enemies elemental resistance making you deal more damage.
Again, if it just for the flavor, don't mind me but I was just curious if I was actually missing something here. Last edited by Djirane#4170 on Dec 22, 2025, 9:48:05 PM
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" Hello ^_^ thank you for your question and feedback; also happy holidays :) You are correct, which is why the build is still in progress. At the moment I am wanting to replicate the windy Druid as the build is Diablo 2 inspired, I am currently only using my set up to count for this. I am testing the waters to see how far I can take it with using this set up with armour and shapeshifting. Once I have reached end game I will be switching to energy based build and will use other skills like frost bomb to trigger chilling ground, but as this wouldn’t be a mechanic you would see in Diablo 2 I haven’t done it yet. But having said that, the more endgame version will also be more likely with oracle ascendancy. But once I get Temporalis to finish my inspired Diablo 2 version I will be switching the build to a more viable version. This is just a base layer which is why I’m open to any and all feedback to enhance the build to make it end game viable, frost bomb is something I have taken into account in my path of building set up along with some other skills to apply shocking ground so I can free up my boots. |
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One easy way to apply Shocked ground is with the Invoker Ascendancy (25% on Shocking enemies to created Shocked Ground). With Thunderstorm (Lightning Damage + Drenched Debuff) supported by Shock Conductivity II (Damage always Shock Drenched enemies) you are guaranteed to shock enemies even without investing anything into shock or Thunderstorm damage.
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" Thank you and happy holidays. I will keep this in mind when I test out other classes 🙏 |
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