Guild Wars 2

Hey all!

Please tell me all you know about solo elementalist!
Been playing Dual Dagger for 20 levels. Am 52 now and starting to feel it’s quite difficult.
Please tell me everything you know about solo Elementalist!
Tactic, Traits, Weapons, Utilities, etc.
Thanx!!

i suggest u go staff, i dont recall finding a hard fight with staff at any level also make sure to use the glyph of elementals both of them to mantain a backup for 180 seconds before recharge is needed.

use earth mostly as its the best tanker and use some healing spells to help him if necessary however most of the time it isnt, use glyph of storms too for aoe blind when you are trying to take alot of easy mobs in a single fight.

D/D is overhyped because its easy to use and it offers better chance in spvp 1vs1, but this is pve, so i suggest staff.

D/D took me forever to kill stuff at lower levels and when approaching levels such as 35 and the push to 60, switched to S/D and that was alot better, or well, maybe it just fits my playstyle better. when farming events its pretty much always the staff.

I’ve soloed successfully with all of scepter/dagger, scepter/focus, and staff. General guidelines are:

• Carry enough defense of various kinds, and healing, where “enough” is defined by your play style. (I use my weapon skills, Glyph of Storms, the water Elemental, the Water trait Cleansing Wave, the trait Quick Glyphs, and, when in Staff, blasts in water fields. I don’t use cantrips or other defensive traits.)
• Stack Might.
• Use multiple attunements.
• Buff some part of your DPS when you can. (I use the traits Internal Fire and Pyromancer’s Alacrity, to hit harder in Fire and also get my combo fields faster for Might.)

Gluph of storms, and/or lightning hammer.

Both are ridiculously powerful in pve.

Good info. Im also starting one.

The arcane utility skills synergize really well with dagger/dagger and help you kill things quick. If you spec into arcane traits as well, something I would really recommend as its a great line, you will find dagger/dagger to be much more effective.

I run at 80 Air 10 for the aura boon trait, earth 20 for faster earth skills and better bleed damage, water 10 for the vuln on arcane skills, 30 in arcane for arcane skill recharge, effect on dodge, vigor on arcane/cantrip cast iirc.

I’m hard to kill and kill pretty quick. Similar setups might work for you, but experiment a bit. Elementalist is a very very versatile profession that can take some work to figure out the right combo for you.

Ill say it for the millionth time play what you like its gotta be natural to you in the long run. That being said a proper D/D combo depending on traits (I use aura so). Assuming I have no cds it goes like this

RTL→UD→SA→fire attunement→BS→(I have evasive arcana so I usually roll backward to get might)→RoF→ earth attunement→Earthquake→CE (f the targets/target starts to move away Lightning Flash to reposition or dodge interrupts)

things to note I did fine in PvE with this before the traits etc but D/D started to really shine once I got into Pow/Vit/Tough gear.

I honestly believe D/D is more of a stance dancers weapon. I also think its the least pick up and play of our weapon sets.

I manage DD fine. But i’m dying quite easy right now.

This may sound bitter, but the best way is to not solo. Eles are the weakest solo class, but very good in groups. Find yourself a warrior buddy

Also, keep yourself blinged up. I mean always, always strive to have the best gear you can afford – it does make a difference, I think with elementalists more than any other class. I think a lot of people neglect half of their gear, forget about amulets and rings etc. and then suffer from subpar performance.

Stance-dance. Always, always and not just with D/D. I have no particular rotations, I just use whatever I feel works best for a given situation. No need to pop a combo on a single mob, never forget to stack might in a difficult fight.

Switch utility skills often. Sometimes you want extra protection. Sometimes you need more firepower. Never get stuck in a routine, elementalists are all about diversity, so use that.

I also think D/D can be effective for PvE soloing, especially if you learn to circle-strafe, the only mob type I had a problem with circle-strafing are the Risen since they’re so fast. Slower mobs… they can barely land a hit on you, it’s not even funny.
Only problem is ranged mobs where you will want to use a more defensive setup since D/D doesn’t really have any protection for that.

As for challenge, that’s part of the fun. I had a period when I was fighting PvE stuff a couple of levels below me and was nuking them left and right… much like warriors do with content a few levels above theirs. Was fun for about an hour or two, then it got really boring since I knew I would never come even close to be challenged. Not a good way to play, at least not for me.

Gaudrath.6725:

Also, keep yourself blinged up. I mean always, always strive to have the best gear you can afford – it does make a difference, I think with elementalists more than any other class. I think a lot of people neglect half of their gear, forget about amulets and rings etc. and then suffer from subpar performance.

Stance-dance. Always, always and not just with D/D. I have no particular rotations, I just use whatever I feel works best for a given situation. No need to pop a combo on a single mob, never forget to stack might in a difficult fight.

Switch utility skills often. Sometimes you want extra protection. Sometimes you need more firepower. Never get stuck in a routine, elementalists are all about diversity, so use that.

I also think D/D can be effective for PvE soloing, especially if you learn to circle-strafe, the only mob type I had a problem with circle-strafing are the Risen since they’re so fast. Slower mobs… they can barely land a hit on you, it’s not even funny.
Only problem is ranged mobs where you will want to use a more defensive setup since D/D doesn’t really have any protection for that.

As for challenge, that’s part of the fun. I had a period when I was fighting PvE stuff a couple of levels below me and was nuking them left and right… much like warriors do with content a few levels above theirs. Was fun for about an hour or two, then it got really boring since I knew I would never come even close to be challenged. Not a good way to play, at least not for me.

Just chnage out your A and D buttons and make them your strafe buttons. Turn up the sensitivety of your mouse and mouse turn (circle strafe). You’ll move liek a pro and will be able to bind Q and E to smtohing more useful than keyboard turning

TLDR:
First, don’t ever stand still!

Next:
Put 30 trait points in Water use traits #3 #9 #11
Put 10 trait point in Arcane use trait #5
Equip 3 Cantrips (Lightning Flash, Armor of Earth, Mist Form or Cleansing Fire)

Mist Form(Utility) = 3 seconds of Invulnerability
Use a focus! Obsidian Flesh (Focus Earth 5th Skill) = 4 seconds of Invulnerability
Invulnerability=god(not really but close)

Tornado = Trash
Fiery Great Sword = shortish/medium range but more damage than anything you will ever know.

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In-depth explanation:

The scepter is not as powerful as the dagger main hand but it gives you range which I prefer over the damage. And the focus I use pretty much because of one skill, Obsidian Flesh(4 Seconds of Invulnerability while still having access to all your other skills is godly). I do love the 5th Water(AOE target Stun) and Lightning(Single target KD) skills as well.

I replace Lightning Flash with Cleansing Fire under water because you cant use Lightning Flash there.
I prefer Lightning Flash to Cleansing Fire because CF is currently broken and does not break stun also LF has a shorter cool down.

Traits:

20 Air Traits III + VIII
These two make the single healing glyph give you “perma” Swift. You ‘do’ need to be attuned to air. Other wise in water “perma” regen, fire “perma” might. Earth gives you protection but it isn’t perma.
You do not need to 20 points in air if you don’t give a skritt about swiftness.

30 Water
III Cantrips give regeneration and vigor(speeds up energy to dodge, not important)
IX Reduces Cantrips cooldown by 20%
XI Clears 1 Condition to whoever you give regeneration.
The 30 water points are a must

20 Arcane although 10 would be fine
V Each time you attune this gives you a boon when and based on the element you swap to (the regen boon for water to yourself and allies is important)
I swap between the staff(bigger aoe circles) and the scepter(faster energy recovery) 20 point traits.

Swaping to water gives you and nearby allies regen which clears a condition, you are also healed because you have the minor trait in water that costs 15 points. You clear 1 condition whenever you use 1 of the 3 utilities along with being able to break stun(with the exception of Cleansing Fire). In the defense of cleansing fire it (with the water traits) heals 6 conditions, burns nearby enemies, gives regen and vigor.