Guild Wars 2

Hi guys I have just started using my ele for sPvP (been 80 for a while but haven’t touched sPvP before) and would like to use D/D as it seems the most fun for me. So I logged in and followed the meta of celestial ammy and str runes with 0/0/2/6/6 (unless that’s not viable anymore?) and am having some trouble with it, I understand a lot my problems come from a lack of practice but I feel like I’m doing something wrong here. What is the role of a D/D ele and does that change on different maps (on the solo que map rotation) i feel like I do not have a lot of impact and my score at the end of the match normally reflects that. At the moment with my 0/0/2/6/6 build (earths embrace for the 2 in earth) I either head mid at the start or get home and bunker there. If i head mid i struggle to stay in the fight and die and if I just sit at home at the start i feel like I’m wasting my time. Also even with my strong condi removal I still get destroyed by condi heavy builds (necros and engis)

Any constructive feedback (positive or negative, I know I’m a noob) will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks in advance

We all start out as noobs.

First I’d like to suggest learning D/F which is in my opinion the most viable weaponset for spvp and tpvp.

Secondly here are two more viable meta builds; tried ’m out both and they work wonders for me:

Might-stacking celestial build:
4/0/2/2/6 <- spell slinger being the main focus.
choose two cantrips and glyph of elemental power
Signet of restoration + Glyph of Elements
Celestial Amulet, Sigil of Battle, Sigil of Doom, Runes of Strength.

Play-style:
You use Glyph of elements in fire for extra burning sustain dps, use dodges and cantrips naturally (don’t spam ‘m just for the might stacks) you’ll get to 25 stacks approximately mid-fight and will by then win nearly any match-up.

Second build:
This is a point holder build (my favorite one).
0/0/6/4/4
The anti-condition grandmaster trait in earth is amazing!
two cantrips and again glyph of elemental power to be used in air for the constant weakness application.
Signet of Restoration, Glyph of Elements again.
Cleric Amulet, Runes of the Grove, Sigil of Renewal + Sigil of Water

Play-style:
You basically try to keep your hp above the 90% to prevent any conditions from being applied to you. This works quite well with the regeneration from cantrips, protection from auras, weakness from glyph of elemental power and your constant signet of restoration heals.
If your opponent is a condition-heavy one you will win hands-down… unless they run away after failing to apply any conditions for 3 minutes :p
This to my experience is by far the strongest bunker build the elementalist has to offer as per example:
First time trying out the build we were teamed up against a group that had 4 people with condition heavy builds Stayed in mid kept point and held all 4 of ’m busy for 6 minutes, then their fifth got off a lucky backstab bringing me below the 90% hp threshold and then the conditions ate me up in seconds, poison and confusion preventing me from healing back up. Then they reported me as a hacker and smacktalked me

I use both these builds with D/F but I figure they should be viable with D/D too but again I really suggest you learn to play D/F, its less mobile than the D/D but its got too many usefull pvp skills to keep using off-hand dagger.

And just in case this happens:
I’m not a noob I’m a 1300 rank 68 Elementalist, 2000 hours total on all professions, I pvp almost exclusively for the past 3 months. But I’m not a pro either

First of all, forget about being a bunker. Your job is to attack, cap points and assist in teamfights. The playstyle of a d/d ele is pretty much similar to a thief. You do bursts of damage and stack might, then you retreat, heal up and go in again.

It’s very important to aim and land your fire bursts which is why Lightning Flash is an absolute must have for a d/d ele in spvp. You pop an aura for fury, then use burning speed and teleport on top of the opponent to set him under pressure. Then swap to earth and water to land your explosion finishers in your fire field. In the beginning of fights, it’s more important to stack might than to hit your enemy with your earth/fire blast finishers. As you have 20+ stacks of might, you do enough damage to finally down the enemy.

One thing to keep in mind is to not over extend. After you did your damage, reset the fight a little bit and heal up. The key to playing a d/d ele successfully is mobility and patience. Aim your burning speed and fire grab well then retreat a little to keep your 10-15 second heals on cooldown (water attunement, water dodge roll, ether renewal) and repeat.

One common mistake of many new d/d ele players is, that they tend to waste their spells because the flow of button mashing makes them think they have plenty of them. This is not the way to success. Keep your flow up, but try to aim spells like burning speed very precisely.

This is the build I am referring to.

http://gw2skills.net/editor/?fFAQJAoYhMM6cW4wyBf0APAC5fv2JKQ5qJfC-TJRGwAAOBAJeAAg2fYZZAA

You D/D build is viable, its main role is support (offensive and defensive), on all maps. If you want to have a better gaming experience try the team queue

I would advise 02066 over 00266. Has a little more damage. Not a big deal though.

On the topic of the srole you should be playing: you’re mostly a roaming hybrid dps/bunker. I know that sounds silly, but it’s true. You help where you are needed and use your decent mobility to have as much impact around the map as you can.

Don’t play D/D ele as a bunker! You’ll have a bad time, especially with celestial ammy and strength runes. Look for the skirmishes. 2v2s and 2v1s are your specialty. Help your home-point if he needs the help, assault the far point if it’s open. As you have already felt, big mid-fights are not a D/D’s specialty either.

Also, D/D elementalist is perfectly viable, and the only set that’s really played at high level. You don’t need to go D/F, and in fact I’d advise against it since it has a steeper learning curve.

I am going to insist that the role of D/D is support. This is very important for the playstyle.

I too started sPvP last night with a D/D elementalist

I’m a totally noob when it comes to PvP now, but one thing really got me and I wasn’t sure how to counter it: the thief.

There was this one theif that would find me anywhere when I was roaming, and I had almost zero time to respond. I started using Arcane shield hoping I could pop it as soon as I saw him to save myself, but that required super fast reaction speeds. He literally (and I mean the true definition of literally) could kill me within a single second. I had a bunker build 0/0/2/6/6 which some say was bad here, which is fine… but it should have been good for survival at least.

so… how does one prepare for the sneaky ultra dps thief? is it really just about training to maximize my reaction time to blow my dodges and blocks/invuln right away?

thanks in advance

Darox.8069:

I am going to insist that the role of D/D is support. This is very important for the playstyle.

How would you define support? Pretty much what I said no? Find the skirmishes and try to outnumber.

Watch cmc’s commentary as he plays on twitch: http://twitch.tv/cmcgw2

The D/D Ele’s job is sort of a mobile jack-of-all-trades bruiser type of role, with an emphasis on high amounts of support and snowballing a fight over time (basically totally overpowered). But I think that watching good players play first will help give you perspective over how the class is played.

proviticus.4183:

I too started sPvP last night with a D/D elementalist

I’m a totally noob when it comes to PvP now, but one thing really got me and I wasn’t sure how to counter it: the thief.

There was this one theif that would find me anywhere when I was roaming, and I had almost zero time to respond. I started using Arcane shield hoping I could pop it as soon as I saw him to save myself, but that required super fast reaction speeds. He literally (and I mean the true definition of literally) could kill me within a single second. I had a bunker build 0/0/2/6/6 which some say was bad here, which is fine… but it should have been good for survival at least.

so… how does one prepare for the sneaky ultra dps thief? is it really just about training to maximize my reaction time to blow my dodges and blocks/invuln right away?

thanks in advance

Don’t use arcane shield anyway. The point of winning against theif isn’t to tank his damage, but to put your bursts/cc between his evadespam while evadespamming his bursts (which is done not really by reflexes, but rather predicting his moves, try to play a thief a bit, it helps). While doing that keep burning on thief and stack might and he will be dead from it surprisingly fast anyway.
And don’t also forget that 6/6 “bunker” build isn’t bunker because you can take damage damage, but because you can get back up quickly. So if you get hurt hard by opening go use your protections, water, lick a pillar a bit and heal back while keeping crippled/chilling on thief.
The only real problem is thief that focuses you midfight or s/d acrobat-assclown that will try to kite you and steal boons.

Thanks for the all responses guys! I think I’ll stick to D/D until I get down the sPvP basics, then I might try D/F and other trait setups.

@Gokil so at the beginning of the match were should I be headed? I think most of my problems come from a lack of map awareness also

Go mid at start. Your AoEs are much needed there. If no one else is going close you can go there too of course, but your speciality are teamfights.
Don’t use Ether Renewal as heal, the signet is much better. Don’t go D/F, go straight D/D with 0 2 0 6 6 and celestial ammy, Energy and Battle Sigils, Strength Runes

Came back to this topic and I see people saying:
– forget about bunker –
- go 0/2/0/6/6
– go hybrid/dps

etc. etc.
I just want to again point out that the elementalist bunker is one of the best bunkers in tpvp. Yesterday I played 5 matches and won nearly every single 1v1 and stalemated nearly every 1v2 and near the end I even did a 1v3 for 5 minutes. Because I kept three of them busy and we had capped the other two points we got back from 470-200 to 500-497. The only reason we lost is because two of the players I was fighting gave up beating me and ran off to different points in the end I beat the third one that decided to stay.
Is this possible with D/D? nope. Plus the Dagger main-hand and the Focus off-hand in fire can still boost your damage alot through might stacking. The no. 4 on focus is one of the longest lasting fire fields and you can probably use every single one of your blast finishers in it during its duration for about 12 stacks of might + an extra flame aura for approximately 5 more stacks of might. Fury you get by atunement swapping.
I have learned that of all the bunkers out there the elementalist does the most damage (mostly due to it being aoe) You can pressure multiple opponents easily and thanks to the focus off-hand and our cantrip utilities we’re able to stay alive for a looooong time.

Swimsasa Stoon.8936:

Came back to this topic and I see people saying:
– forget about bunker –
- go 0/2/0/6/6
– go hybrid/dps

etc. etc.
I just want to again point out that the elementalist bunker is one of the best bunkers in tpvp. Yesterday I played 5 matches and won nearly every single 1v1 and stalemated nearly every 1v2 and near the end I even did a 1v3 for 5 minutes. Because I kept three of them busy and we had capped the other two points we got back from 470-200 to 500-497. The only reason we lost is because two of the players I was fighting gave up beating me and ran off to different points in the end I beat the third one that decided to stay.
Is this possible with D/D? nope. Plus the Dagger main-hand and the Focus off-hand in fire can still boost your damage alot through might stacking. The no. 4 on focus is one of the longest lasting fire fields and you can probably use every single one of your blast finishers in it during its duration for about 12 stacks of might + an extra flame aura for approximately 5 more stacks of might. Fury you get by atunement swapping.
I have learned that of all the bunkers out there the elementalist does the most damage (mostly due to it being aoe) You can pressure multiple opponents easily and thanks to the focus off-hand and our cantrip utilities we’re able to stay alive for a looooong time.

That’s very cool and all, but this man is just trying to get into PvP and learn the ropes with D/D. This is not the kind of person you would give some revolutionary D/F bunker build. D/D ele is all over the top of the leaderboards so I’d rather give him something solid to begin with.

If you want to advertise your build, make a thread, and advertise it to people who could put it to use. Don’t force it on beginners. D/F is way harder than D/D

Gokil.2543:

Swimsasa Stoon.8936:

Came back to this topic and I see people saying:
– forget about bunker –
- go 0/2/0/6/6
– go hybrid/dps

etc. etc.
I just want to again point out that the elementalist bunker is one of the best bunkers in tpvp. Yesterday I played 5 matches and won nearly every single 1v1 and stalemated nearly every 1v2 and near the end I even did a 1v3 for 5 minutes. Because I kept three of them busy and we had capped the other two points we got back from 470-200 to 500-497. The only reason we lost is because two of the players I was fighting gave up beating me and ran off to different points in the end I beat the third one that decided to stay.
Is this possible with D/D? nope. Plus the Dagger main-hand and the Focus off-hand in fire can still boost your damage alot through might stacking. The no. 4 on focus is one of the longest lasting fire fields and you can probably use every single one of your blast finishers in it during its duration for about 12 stacks of might + an extra flame aura for approximately 5 more stacks of might. Fury you get by atunement swapping.
I have learned that of all the bunkers out there the elementalist does the most damage (mostly due to it being aoe) You can pressure multiple opponents easily and thanks to the focus off-hand and our cantrip utilities we’re able to stay alive for a looooong time.

That’s very cool and all, but this man is just trying to get into PvP and learn the ropes with D/D. This is not the kind of person you would give some revolutionary D/F bunker build. D/D ele is all over the top of the leaderboards so I’d rather give him something solid to begin with.

If you want to advertise your build, make a thread, and advertise it to people who could put it to use. Don’t force it on beginners. D/F is way harder than D/D

Its best to start learning early on but I guess D/D dps would work too since it seems like (s)he’ll be trying to be a roamer.

Ok so coming back with some results from you guy’s input – I help my team defend home and just roam around the map and I feel much more impactful. However with 1v1’s I have begun to notice I don’t seem to do much damage, is there a dps rotation I can use? At the moment all I do fire 3/fire 5/fire 4/earth 2/earth 4/air 1 spam

rule number 1: don’t ever think of rotations
rule number 2: you are stronger in small team fights

Cenzuo.6328:

Ok so coming back with some results from you guy’s input – I help my team defend home and just roam around the map and I feel much more impactful. However with 1v1’s I have begun to notice I don’t seem to do much damage, is there a dps rotation I can use? At the moment all I do fire 3/fire 5/fire 4/earth 2/earth 4/air 1 spam

Besides fire 2, 3, 4, and 5, use earth 2 for cripple (all purpose), earth 3 for cc or combo in a firefield for bonus points, or to track stealth (earth 4 is a good followup), air 5 to setup fire 3. water 3 for chill or blast, water 2 for damage+heal (it’s very good damage), lightning 2 for damage mitigation and stamina drain.

Of course I’m not describing these as a rotation, they’re just skills you should be using all the time.

When I just started D/D, damage seemed very low until I understood where the damage is coming from and how to put it on. I guess the main things are make sure you’re keeping burning on as much as possible, blast your two fire fields at every opportunity, and try to land the burst at the end of burning speed as much as possible.

When you’re not getting hit or have stability up, earth 5 as a blast finisher, to zone a point, AoE cripple, bomb a down, with teleport, or all the above at once… At lower MMR, most people don’t know the timing to dodge this skill. In the worst case it will force a dodge and give you a 3 might. Or else force a stun.

There are good combos between fire to other attunements or other attunements to fire but no rotations because that’s contingent on what you need in the fight, what skills land successfully that can setup something bigger, and what you have available at the time.

As an alternative start for D/D you can rush the other team’s far point and contest it on almost all maps. If I have a guardian to mid I’ll usually try this. You just need to watch out about being collapsed on from mid.

From an engi’s POV:

1. (D/D*) Ele is more dangerous when assisting in a small fight, most notably at mid.
2. Ele is always the first to get focused.
3. Ele can’t survive long in a stalemate if they don’t know how to back off, regen/cleanse before coming back in.
4. Ele is more dangerous when their CC is unpredictable.
5. Most of the condi burst will land after the ele cleanses.
6. Ele is good at destroying structure and capping an open node.

Iris Ng.9845:

From an engi’s POV:

1. (D/D*) Ele is more dangerous when assisting in a small fight, most notably at mid.
2. Ele is always the first to get focused.
3. Ele can’t survive long in a stalemate if they don’t know how to back off, regen/cleanse before coming back in.
4. Ele is more dangerous when their CC is unpredictable.
5. Most of the condi burst will land after the ele cleanses.
6. Ele is good at destroying structure and capping an open node.

which is why I use focus off-hand, the no. 4 in earth and the CC from air and water are stuff people have yet to get used to.

Focus is really nice but I use only in hotjoin when you just chill. Losing mobility is a big no for team queue.

Swimsasa Stoon.8936:

We all start out as noobs.

First I’d like to suggest learning D/F which is in my opinion the most viable weaponset for spvp and tpvp.

Secondly here are two more viable meta builds; tried ’m out both and they work wonders for me:

Might-stacking celestial build:
4/0/2/2/6 <- spell slinger being the main focus.
choose two cantrips and glyph of elemental power
Signet of restoration + Glyph of Elements
Celestial Amulet, Sigil of Battle, Sigil of Doom, Runes of Strength.

Play-style:
You use Glyph of elements in fire for extra burning sustain dps, use dodges and cantrips naturally (don’t spam ‘m just for the might stacks) you’ll get to 25 stacks approximately mid-fight and will by then win nearly any match-up.

Second build:
This is a point holder build (my favorite one).
0/0/6/4/4
The anti-condition grandmaster trait in earth is amazing!
two cantrips and again glyph of elemental power to be used in air for the constant weakness application.
Signet of Restoration, Glyph of Elements again.
Cleric Amulet, Runes of the Grove, Sigil of Renewal + Sigil of Water

Play-style:
You basically try to keep your hp above the 90% to prevent any conditions from being applied to you. This works quite well with the regeneration from cantrips, protection from auras, weakness from glyph of elemental power and your constant signet of restoration heals.
If your opponent is a condition-heavy one you will win hands-down… unless they run away after failing to apply any conditions for 3 minutes :p
This to my experience is by far the strongest bunker build the elementalist has to offer as per example:
First time trying out the build we were teamed up against a group that had 4 people with condition heavy builds Stayed in mid kept point and held all 4 of ’m busy for 6 minutes, then their fifth got off a lucky backstab bringing me below the 90% hp threshold and then the conditions ate me up in seconds, poison and confusion preventing me from healing back up. Then they reported me as a hacker and smacktalked me

I use both these builds with D/F but I figure they should be viable with D/D too but again I really suggest you learn to play D/F, its less mobile than the D/D but its got too many usefull pvp skills to keep using off-hand dagger.

And just in case this happens:
I’m not a noob I’m a 1300 rank 68 Elementalist, 2000 hours total on all professions, I pvp almost exclusively for the past 3 months. But I’m not a pro either

When I play my engine I hate dealing with D/F get two of them on a team oh boy unless the other team got some decent melee builds you don’t have to much to worry about.

D/D ele is a support roamer. Your job is to outnumber a fight or balance one on nodes supplying great damage both aoe and single target. You also can supply crucial boons such as might, protection, regen, etc. as well as heals for yourself and teammates. Basically a solid component to any team comp.
Edit: D/F fills the same roll, except substituting aoe heal , aoe cc, and superior mobility for more self survival and swirling winds which can be extremely helpful for point defense and capture. Personally I feel the dagger offhand is a bit better in support while the focus is a bit greedier and self sustaining. With the current changes to ele I feel the focus isn’t need as much as before when ele sustain was about 0 against anything. Even though it’s much thanks to some amulet and rune changes, I’m glad that eles are once again “almost” back to their former glory and a viable resource.