I hadn't looked at the ladders since the December 12 launch, then I did, and it was like walking into a pub mid-argument. Everyone's got an opinion, and somehow the Wyvern Cleave Druid is at the centre of it. I rolled one, followed a popular setup, and hit the point where it stops feeling like "a build" and starts feeling like a machine you're steering. If you're short on time and just want to get rolling, having PoE 2 Currency on hand can smooth out those early gear gaps without turning the whole thing into a second job.

How it plays once you're in form

The loop is simple, but it doesn't play brainless. You stay in Wyvern form and treat Rend as your daily driver for maps. It's the button you'll press so much you'll hear it in your sleep. The real fun is how it chains through packs when you're positioned right, so you're not tip-toeing around every rare. You jump in, you clip the edge of a group, you keep moving. If you're used to slow wind-up melee, this feels different. Faster, nastier, and more forgiving when your rhythm's on point.

Mapping tricks people skip

A lot of players overthink the "combo" part and end up clunky. Don't. Use Pounce as your entry and let the Opening Move stun do the heavy lifting. That moment of control is what keeps the whole thing comfy in juiced content. Then you just spam Rend and let splash plus burn cleanup do the rest. Tribal Fury makes your hits feel wide instead of picky, and Herald of Ash tidies up stragglers while you're already lining up the next pack. You'll notice pretty quickly that your clear speed isn't just damage, it's how little you stop to aim.

Bossing and staying alive

Bosses are a different vibe. You build charges with Wing Blast, then swap into Empowered Oil Barrage and watch the health bar finally behave like it should. It ramps, so don't panic if the first second looks tame. Defensively, you can't fake it forever. Reactive Growth helps when elemental hits stack up, and Soul Tether makes overleech feel like a safety net you didn't know you needed. Still, you can't stand in nonsense and expect miracles. The build's tough, not immortal.

Gearing and the real grind

Early acts can feel rough, and that's where people quit. Stick with Rend, grab leech, and prioritise basics that make the character feel playable. Cloak of Flame is a massive quality-of-life pickup if you can snag it, because that physical-to-fire conversion takes the edge off random spikes. Later, weapons matter more than fancy theorycraft. High physical DPS axes or maces, then stack attack speed so the animations don't feel like you're swinging underwater. If you're chasing big upgrades and you'd rather be mapping than bartering all night, grabbing path of exile 2 currency can be the difference between "nearly online" and actually blasting content.