Dualing druid decisions

[Aerich]

Ok, I know I've recommended dualing fighters to druids at Lvl 9 and no later. I must admit, I played F/Ds when I did not have HoW (had more limited experience because it was missing huge area to gain levels, had low experience cap, and no increased XP for difficulty level over Core). I've also played F/Ds with a party of 4, where their spells and ability to deal out damage in melee are vital. At that time I was also patient (or lucky) enough to get a Con of 18 without sacrificing any key stats.

I am now rethinking my strategy. I'm playing a party of 6 on insane difficulty intending to go to HoW/ToTL (now almost through the Vale of Shadows). My worry is that my new druid (all in the party started from scratch) with a Con of 10 will not be a good enough fighter/tank if I dual over at lvl 9. My question to you seasoned gamers (or, really, anyone with an opinion) is:

Will the extra 1 HP/lvl (fighters get 3, druids get 2 past lvl 9, I believe) and the better Thac0 be that important? More important than earlier access to druid spells and shapechange?

For background, this is a party built for pounding. Five of the six characters have exceptional strength (two at 18/91 or better), all six have 18 dex, and four have 18 Con. All of the split-class characters are multi-classed except for the F/D.

It goes as follows:

Paladin (H)- **Mace, **Great Sword, *Bows, intending **Long Sword (of course)
Cleric/Ranger (HE)- **Mace, **Sling, *Hammer, intending Flail
Fighter/Thief (E) - **Bows, **Long Sword, *Daggers
Fighter/Illusionist (Gn) - **Bows, **Axes, *Staff, intending **Halberds or Dagger
Fighter/Druid (H) - *Clubs, **Scimitar, **Sling, intending *Staff, more on Sling and Scimitar
Bard (HE) - *Xbow, *Axe, *Great Sword

The pally is my primary tank, the C/R is my secondary, usually after casting a party or personal buffing spell. The C/R (with armor off) also makes a good ambush combo (right now against skeleton archers and mages) with the F/T and an invisible F/I. The F/T is primarily an archer/scout/trap-finding specialist who can backstab in tough fights or help take down hefty opponents in melee. The F/I is currently providing ranged attacks, spell disruption, and third-rate tanking duties. The Bard is a singing machine that casts the occasional spell on alternate rounds and has fired a crossbow about 5 times. The other fighter is a spare tank and extra ranged support, at the moment.

What do you think is the appropriate place to dual the fighter to druid? Bear in mind the insane difficulty adds lots of XP but more monster damage, and the F/D does not have a great Con (but will get all my potions of fortitude). I'm a bit short on priest spells right now, but my multi-class cleric seems to be handing the load with the help of the paladin, potions, and more frequent rests.

[Roboghost]

Here are my Druid philosophies:

Primary reason for having a Druid is: Druid spells and Shape change, so...

Normal mode: Never dual

Insane mode: 7th level--9th may be tempting, but (depending on party make-up) those spells can really help get you through the Vale etc.

HoF mode: 9th or even 13th level (as long as you have plenty of other casters to help out...I'd say 1.5 Mage AND 1.5 Cleric required if going to dual at 13th level--example below)

1.5 Mage example:
Mage plus a Fighter/Mage or Bard

1.5 Cleric example:
Cleric plus a Fighter/Cleric or Paladin

It all depends on what is fun to you. Some have fun trying to create a super party dueling 3 or 4 characters at 13th level at same time...others enjoy casting spells from the start. I enjoy the Druid spells so much that my current game is in HoF mode with just a pure Druid--my Paladin and Fighter guard my Druid while he wreaks havoc unto the baddies.

[Aerich]

Roboghost, nice breakdown of party dynamics w/druid. That's good stuff!

I like to have fun all the way through the game, rather than having "The Party of Obscene Toughness" that only hits its full potential at the very end. I'll probably dual to druid fairly soon then (am now at Fighter lvl 5). I'm a little short of spell power at the moment (priestly, anyway), so I may just dual at lvl 7. My paladin, C/R and F/I will all make good tanks (with a few spells to boost them), so I'll probably use my druid more for spells than anything else.