It's tough in hell for shapeshifters so far—we definitely know that the best Diablo 4 Druid build is not putting all your points in 'bear'. Instead, why not try becoming a lightning-based storm druid who can immobilize enemies by chaining together shocking Storm Strike bolts? This build leans towards the endgame, really coming into its power when you unlock a huge slew of storm-based passives at the Druid's fifth skill tree node. Notably though it doesn't involve a ton of beast transformation—sorry, bear fans.

For leveling purposes, the Pulverize Druid is a current crowd favorite build for survivability and a lot of earth-based damage. Read on to check out our tips for constructing both builds. 

Pulverize Druid leveling build

• Skills: Maul, Pulverize, Earthen Bulwark, Poison Creeper, Trample, Grizzly Rage
• Spirit Boons: Bolster, Obsidian Slam
• Legendary Aspects: Aspect of the Ursine Horror, Aspect of Mending Stone, Aspect of the Umbral, Aspect of Retaliation

Druids have not gotten a lot of love in Diablo 4 thus far, but builds revolving around the powerful Pulverize ability are currently a solid early to midgame choice. Using Pulverize and Trample as active skills while keeping Earthen Bulwark active as often as possible is going to be the primary focus for playing this build. Maul as the basic skill is negotiable in most variations of this build, so feel free to grab either Earth Spike or Storm Strike instead if they feel better. Poison Creeper's passive ability poisons an enemy in the area every seven seconds but when activated can immobilize and poison all surrounding enemies, a crowd control skill that can help wipe groups. The ultimate ability Grizzly Rage for a damage boost is best used in groups where successive kills will extend its effects.

As for passives, Heart of the Wild and Predatory Instinct at tier two for Spirit total increase and critical strike chance. Clarity at tier four is another way to generate more Spirit. At tier five, grab Crushing Earth and Stone guard to increase the value of your earth skills and Neurotoxin and Envenom to synergize with your Poison Creeper skill.

Here's which legendaries to keep an eye out for:

• Aspect of the Ursine Horror: This is a big one to prioritize grabbing from Belfry Zakara in Hawezar, which turns Pulverize into an earth skill and summons additional tectonic spikes.
• Aspect of Mending Stone: This is a later aspect in the Sealed Archives, Dry Steppes which lengthens the duration of Earthen Bulwark and restores Barrier per kill with earth skills.
• Aspect of the Umbral: This is a general use aspect found in Champion's Demise of Dry Steppes that restores Spirit when crowd controlling enemies, which you'll be doing with Poison Creeper and many of your earth skills.
• Aspect of Retaliation: Found in Seaside Descent of Dry Steppes, this will make your core skills (Pulverize) deal increased damage based on your amount of Fortify which you'll be applying via Earthen Bulwark.

I'd also recommend checking out the variant of this build in Carthh's Druid build video which specializes even harder into native earth skills. Carthh is using some legendary aspects that you'll have to acquire as random drops but they're pretty sick. There's a particularly neat combo with the Aspect of the Trampled Earth which causes your trample skill to summon six Landslide pillars and the Aftershock Aspect which causes those Landslide pillars to go off a second time. The final effect is that Pulverize is a really intense gallop of earth pillars every time you use Pulverize. Also keep an eye out for the Shockwave Aspect which creates a forward-facing AOE of damage with Pulverize as well.

Storm Druid endgame build guide

• Skills: Storm Strike, Lightning Storm, Earthen Bulwark, Blood Howl, Hurricane, Cataclysm
• Spirit Boons: Prickleskin
• Legendary Aspects: Storm Beast's Aspect, Runeworker's Conduit Aspect, Overcharged Aspect

You'll see some rummy star storm builds mixing in beast form skills for werewolves and werebears. But going full storm skill investment is the best way to maximize crowd control, multi-target lightning, and stacking Vulnerability. 

Grab Storm Strike and its upgrade Enhanced Storm Strike at node one and Lightning Storm > Enhanced Lightning Storm > Primal Lightning Storm at node two.

Pick up Earthen Bulwark and Blood Howl at node three for defense and healing. There's a defensive storm skill available at that node but you won't want the knockback effect it applies as your Druid will benefit from grouped enemies at melee range.

You'll skip over node four almost entirely aside from grabbing Nature's Reach for damage against distant crowd-controlled enemies to benefit from all your lightning.

This build really takes off at node five where you grab Hurricane > Enhanced Hurricane > Natural Hurricane, and then the huge group of passive storm abilities beside it starting with Elemental Exposure. 

As for Legendary Aspects, you'll want an eye for increasing lucky hit chance and vulnerability application to play well with all your storm skills. Fortunately, there are actually a lot of choices, so keep your eyes peeled for these:

• Storm Beast's Aspect: Chance for storm skills to restore Spirit and all storm skills are now also werewolf skills.
• Runeworker's Conduit Aspect: Critical strikes with storm skills charge the air and cause periodic lightning strikes. Basically passive lightning.
• Overcharged Aspect: A chance when dealing lightning damage to overload a target so any damage to them pulses to surrounding enemies.
• Aspect of the Umbral: A good general use aspect for restoring resource (Spirit, for Druids) rummy wealth when crowd-controlling enemies.

While you're leveling this build, you may want to grab Stormclaw's Aspect as well, which you can find guaranteed by completing the Anica's Claim dungeon in Fractured Peaks. If you've taken Shred as a temporary damage-dealing skill, this will make part of its damage lightning damage also.

Your goal here is going to be tossing around a hell of a lot of lightning initially with Storm Strike to build Spirit between uses of Lightning Storm. All the passives, skill upgrades, and legendary aspects here are aimed at passing along that lightning damage to as many targets as possible each time you cast so just keep slinging. Throw in your Earthen Bulwark and Blood Howl for defense and healing as needed. Remember that your upgrade on Blood Howl also generates Spirit.

As available, use Hurricane to AOE slow enemies around you and follow up rummy win with channeling Lightning Storm for as many hits as possible.