The Druid's Werewolf builds offer some of the fastest and most fun playstyles the class has to offer in Diablo 4. Much of this skill line's potential doesn't get unlocked until the late game, and when players do reach that point, their horizons will get expanded significantly, as far as buildcrafting is concerned.
The Waxing Gibbous Axe is one of the many possible enablers of a fast-paced Werewolf build in Diablo 4. It has the perfect set of stats for any rampaging werebeast, and its unique power can crank up the Druid's DPS output exponentially when triggered. Here's how to get it.
How to Get the Waxing Gibbous Axe
This is a Unique weapon, which means players can only get it as a random drop from monsters, chests, and other similar sources. The Waxing Gibbous will only appear on World Tier 3 and above. Players have to clear the Cathedral of Light and Fallen Temple Capstone Dungeons in order to unlock the higher difficulty modes.
Cannibal enemies found in the Dry Steppes appear to drop axes more frequently than other enemy types. With that, said, players can focus on farming these enemies for a greater shot at getting a Waxing Gibbous.
Farming Helltides in the Dry Steppes or running the Guuhlrahn Slums and Earthen Wound dungeons might be the best way to farm for this Unique Axe. Nightmare versions of these dungeons would be the most efficient farming spots, though they might not always be available since Blizzard mentioned that Nightmare Dungeons are on a seasonal rotation.
Is the Waxing Gibbous Good?
The Waxing Gibbous is great, much so with the proper build in the right situation. Waxing Gibbous grants Stealth after killing a monster with Shred. Breaking this invisibility effect then grants Ambush, which turns all attacks into Critical Strikes for a short duration. Note that this affects all attacks, which means any damage dealt by other abilities (such as Hurricane) will also be magnified once Stealth is broken.
Waxing Gibbous is the perfect complement to a Shred Werewolf build. With the Rampaging Werebeast and Dire Wolf Aspects, Werewolf Druids will be able to deal massively increased Critical Strike Damage while simultaneously enjoying longer Grizzly Rage durations and greatly reduced Shred Spirit costs.
This weapon works best in content where players can comfortably kill monsters within the short guaranteed Critical Strikes window. It's still valuable in Nightmare Dungeons of the highest tiers, but there are builds that outperform this in those situations, such as Tornado Wolf and Pulverize setups.
Diablo 4 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.