Guild Wars 2

I’m just curious. Every build I’ve come up with and seen so far has at least 10p in Arcana, to no surprise IMO, since 15sec attunement recharge feels so crippling.

If you are using a successful build without any points in Arcana, please share!

i havent had any points in Arcane EVER. I do just fine

please share Armageddon :p

ArmageddonAsh.6430:

i havent had any points in Arcane EVER. I do just fine

PvE or sPvP?

or WvW?

in pvp, if you don’t have at least 15 points in the Arcane tree you are always doing it wrong. In pve, you can get away with pure dmg only traits with zerker gear, sit back with your staff and commence barbecue.

you might be successful against npcs

I did dungeons with 0 arcana and sat in fire attunement in dungeons with staff. It works well enough. I am extremely dubious that it would work with daggers (let alone in pvp). What if they came out with a utility skill that would let you swap a few times without activating the cooldown or maybe take the attunements that are on cooldown off it? Or maybe make it a signet (so it would benefit from earth and fire spec).

Edit: and the passive could be maybe some negligible amount of quickness to go with the theme or maybe agony resist if we’re being all pie in the sky.

EatThisShoe.5136:

ArmageddonAsh.6430:

i havent had any points in Arcane EVER. I do just fine

PvE or sPvP?

or WvW?

Same spec – works fine in all 3
I change from D/D to staff for #2 when attacking/defending bases using it on the door and damaging those behind it works SO well

Bhima.9518:

in pvp, if you don’t have at least 15 points in the Arcane tree you are always doing it wrong. In pve, you can get away with pure dmg only traits with zerker gear, sit back with your staff and commence barbecue.

Totally disagree – its not a requirement. I do just fine now i am not saying i am in God-Ultra-killing-everyone-take-no-damage-mode i still do well. I run mostly in Air with the Chill and Might Sigils – i Can cause Chill, Burning and Vul with crit hits while being able to give myself Might and i have more then 50% crit chance without boons

I could spend 0 Trait points and do fine in sPvP. Technically, no points are required at all. But if you’re going to spend points, and you don’t put at least 15 of them in Arcane, you’re playing a non-optimal build.

mouse.1689:

I could spend 0 Trait points and do fine in sPvP. Technically, no points are required at all. But if you’re going to spend points, and you don’t put at least 15 of them in Arcane, you’re playing a non-optimal build.

Again i disagree. In YOUR opinion its “sub optimal” in mine, it works well

ArmageddonAsh.6430:

mouse.1689:

I could spend 0 Trait points and do fine in sPvP. Technically, no points are required at all. But if you’re going to spend points, and you don’t put at least 15 of them in Arcane, you’re playing a non-optimal build.

Again i disagree. In YOUR opinion its “sub optimal” in mine, it works well

Arm is right. Arcana never was essential in Wv3 and now after the EA nerf speccing into Arcana is completely unnecessary to achieve eye popping damage numbers. If anything, by my experience you are handicapping yourself by NOT going high Fire/Air for a pure glass cannon build.

How “well” you do is subject.

I could have no points in Arcana and stand behind a wall and drop my meteor shower all day long and find it effective. Hell, I don’t even have to spec into anything.

Some may think it’s non-optimal but everyone has a different play style.

skupuz.6940:

How “well” you do is subject.

I could have no points in Arcana and stand behind a wall and drop my meteor shower all day long and find it effective. Hell, I don’t even have to spec into anything.

Some may think it’s non-optimal but everyone has a different play style.

That is true but saying that if you dont take points in Arcane then you are doing it wrong is just sad, i dont think i have ever taken points in Arcane. Currently running a Crit Air build – 10/30/30/0/0 and i do plenty of damage and not be squishy enough to die easily, i mostly die to getting ganked by big groups

I concentrate on Swiftness and speed buffs as and will go Earth if i need that extra defense. As i said i am normally D/D i will go Staff for Base defense or attack – Eruption for me does upto 2,000damage on hit with crits and the condition ticks for kittenage per a tick so about 7,000 roughly over the duration to all targets it hits which is normally alot as i target the door when defending for the melee classes and the walls on attacking for the range attackers

I have 48% crit chance, but thats without even having amazing gear and the runes are all wrong – going for the Eagle one for the precision and crit damage

I haven’t really tried Glass Cannon D/D, the notion of it just seems a little silly to me, impractical. Low HP, low armor… you must have a hell of a fun time with GC thieves. who have A higher Hp pool, more damage output and stealth. I’ll stick to my 10/10/10/20/20 Build. Pretty decent damage and survivability.

I’ve done a fair amount of testing with builds that don’t swap, specifically an air glass cannon and an earth bleeder, both with the scepter, but I have yet to find one that really works for me. A scepter/dagger air cannon isn’t half bad, with 30 fire, 30 air, and 10 water and three cantrips.

The first 10 pts is needed in Arcane. The next 5 is almost a must but not as important and the first 10. Sure you can run without, but you are doing it wrong. Trust me I have tried so hard not to use arcane, the extra heal + def is just too much to not use. I don’t see how you can justify not spend 10 pts to get the huge heal on swap to water (it stacks with regen) and the next 5 pts give you 5 sec protection on swap to earth that’s 33% dmg reduction you can have up almost 1/3 of the time. Nothings give you that kind of return on pts spent.

ArmageddonAsh.6430:

EatThisShoe.5136:

ArmageddonAsh.6430:

i havent had any points in Arcane EVER. I do just fine

PvE or sPvP?

or WvW?

Same spec – works fine in all 3
I change from D/D to staff for #2 when attacking/defending bases using it on the door and damaging those behind it works SO well

You are letting your realm down if you use that in WvW. AoEing with a staff without Blasting Staff means you are far less effective, and trebs will live where they would normally die.

Mogar.9216:

The first 10 pts is needed in Arcane. The next 5 is almost a must but not as important and the first 10. Sure you can run without, but you are doing it wrong. Trust me I have tried so hard not to use arcane, the extra heal + def is just too much to not use.

Well, thats because your most likely playing the class wrong. Arcana is a very well put together traitline and it is very powerful, but it is not necessarily our best line, nor is it necessary to spec into it to do well with this class.

boozer.7815:

Mogar.9216:

The first 10 pts is needed in Arcane. The next 5 is almost a must but not as important and the first 10. Sure you can run without, but you are doing it wrong. Trust me I have tried so hard not to use arcane, the extra heal + def is just too much to not use.

Well, thats because your most likely playing the class wrong. Arcana is a very well put together traitline and it is very powerful, but it is not necessarily our best line, nor is it necessary to spec into it to do well with this class.

So in one hand you are saying Arcana is powerful then right away you as saying we shouldn’t spec into it. Name another line that have better traits than Arcana. Sure if you don’t want to use the best line we have all the more power to you. I can see that you are glass cannon spec. I have never meet an effective glass cannon ele in pvp or wvw. I have never read one post by any one saying glass cannon eles are tough or effective. I have never saw any video of glass cannon eles that’s any good period.

Vv W.7821:

I’ve done a fair amount of testing with builds that don’t swap, specifically an air glass cannon and an earth bleeder, both with the scepter, but I have yet to find one that really works for me. A scepter/dagger air cannon isn’t half bad, with 30 fire, 30 air, and 10 water and three cantrips.

That’s actually in the direction of what I’m testing now and part of the reason I made this thread.

Mogar.9216:

boozer.7815:

Mogar.9216:

The first 10 pts is needed in Arcane. The next 5 is almost a must but not as important and the first 10. Sure you can run without, but you are doing it wrong. Trust me I have tried so hard not to use arcane, the extra heal + def is just too much to not use.

Well, thats because your most likely playing the class wrong. Arcana is a very well put together traitline and it is very powerful, but it is not necessarily our best line, nor is it necessary to spec into it to do well with this class.

So in one hand you are saying Arcana is powerful then right away you as saying we shouldn’t spec into it. Name another line that have better traits than Arcana. Sure if you don’t want to use the best line we have all the more power to you. I can see that you are glass cannon spec. I have never meet an effective glass cannon ele in pvp or wvw. I have never read one post by any one saying glass cannon eles are tough or effective. I have never saw any video of glass cannon eles that’s any good period.

Earth, Water, and Fire all have some really great traits in their line.

Arcana is a good line, but it isnt the best, it has some great traits in it, but depending on the build it could actually be a bad descision to put points into Arcana.
Which is the point I think people are trying to make.

Solori.6025:

Mogar.9216:

boozer.7815:

Mogar.9216:

The first 10 pts is needed in Arcane. The next 5 is almost a must but not as important and the first 10. Sure you can run without, but you are doing it wrong. Trust me I have tried so hard not to use arcane, the extra heal + def is just too much to not use.

Well, thats because your most likely playing the class wrong. Arcana is a very well put together traitline and it is very powerful, but it is not necessarily our best line, nor is it necessary to spec into it to do well with this class.

So in one hand you are saying Arcana is powerful then right away you as saying we shouldn’t spec into it. Name another line that have better traits than Arcana. Sure if you don’t want to use the best line we have all the more power to you. I can see that you are glass cannon spec. I have never meet an effective glass cannon ele in pvp or wvw. I have never read one post by any one saying glass cannon eles are tough or effective. I have never saw any video of glass cannon eles that’s any good period.

Earth, Water, and Fire all have some really great traits in their line.

Arcana is a good line, but it isnt the best, it has some great traits in it, but depending on the build it could actually be a bad descision to put points into Arcana.
Which is the point I think people are trying to make.

Exactly right. And if you havent heard or seen anyone playing an effective glass cannon Ele in sPvP or Wv3 then that kind of makes it official… You haven’t bothered to actually, well.. LOOK!!

Avatara.1042:

ArmageddonAsh.6430:

EatThisShoe.5136:

ArmageddonAsh.6430:

i havent had any points in Arcane EVER. I do just fine

PvE or sPvP?

or WvW?

Same spec – works fine in all 3
I change from D/D to staff for #2 when attacking/defending bases using it on the door and damaging those behind it works SO well

You are letting your realm down if you use that in WvW. AoEing with a staff without Blasting Staff means you are far less effective, and trebs will live where they would normally die.

Maybe if you are on walls trying to AoE people that arent near the gate. I stand behind the gate and use Earth #2 it hits plenty of people forcing them to move away from the door while those on the walls/outside mop up the rest.

Pretty much any AoE can be easily dodged or moved out of – especially Meteor Shower, hell i have been stood IN it at times and not been hit during its whole duration.

Agreed. Arcana isn’t needed, especially since most skills have bigger cooldowns than your attunements.

However, there’s some very nice traits in there too that are just too nice to pass up.

ThiBash.5634:

Agreed. Arcana isn’t needed, especially since most skills have bigger cooldowns than your attunements.

However, there’s some very nice traits in there too that are just too nice to pass up.

Its good IF you play a spefic weapon or build – I’m D/D mostly Air high crit chance build. Elemental Attunement is nice, but not required, Windborne Dagger is nice and so is Arcane Precision but thats it and none are required.

Yeah, let me rephrase that:

ThiBash

Agreed. Arcana isn’t needed, especially since most skills have bigger cooldowns than your attunements.

However, there’s some very nice traits in there too that I just like too much to pass up.

Better?

I didn’t have any for a while but I put 10 points in it so I could get the buffs when changing attunements

The question should be “Are you versatile enough without any points in Arcana?”.
I would argue that most Dagger and Staff builds cannot live without points in Arcana. Scepter has strong and seemingly versatile build options for Air and Earth, but I’m still feeling kinda hamstringed when I have to deal with 15sec attunement swap. IMO 13 sec should be the basic duration and every 10 points in Arcana should give you one sec off.

Arcana tree is too good to not dump at least 10-20 points in.

I didn’t for so long, then did it and was kittening amazed at the difference it made.